My Journey over the past three and a half years.
One Night while living in vegans I was with a lady friend, it was around Christmas time, and she told me about the gift that she had gotten her brother. A shaving set. And old style shaving set to be more exact. She had got it from classicshaving.com I think. This piqued my interest, and I soon found myself looking at shave sets into the wee hours of the night. I don't know what it was, but something had drawn to it. The Idea of shaving mugs, using a brush and warm lathers had me somewhat obsessed, After a month or so of looking, I finally pulled the trigger, on a full set. I went the cheap rout, and spent around 100 bucks on a three piece set. Razor, brush, and stand. Needless to say, the results were far less than par. But I was hooked!
I began counting the hours between shaves, and settled somewhere around 36 hours. Not that I didn't want to shave every day, but I was hacking up my face. The brush I had gotten was loosing about 15 hairs a shave. I had not discovered badger and blade, nor was I privy to the fact that I could buy vintage Gillette razors form ebay.
Long short of it, I found badger and blade, read up on brushes and the importance of a silver hair tip brush, found vintage Gillette razors. At the time, I was making a lot of money, and became completely obsessed not only with the act of shaving itself, but also with the tools of the trade. I'd say within two months, I must have had 30 different razors, and 20 different soaps, using bowls, and mugs and whatever else I could get my hands on.
I survived RASAD, ASAD, SAD, and a few other AD's
The main problem was, in the first two months, of relearning how to shave, I changed razors, and techniques so frequently, that I never got my technique down, and I was constantly taring my face up. And I'm taking like bad, didn't want to leave the house because I was embarrassed. Razor burn, cuts, compiled with allergic reactions, extremely complex shaving rituals, all the while trying to achieve BBS. If your new here, please, take your time, and don't over do it, your face will thank you later.
Dumb It Down!
Somewhere along the lines I found my stride. My way in the world so to speak. The Zen of shaving.A light touch. My shaves, became less irritable, and I slimmed down me tools, and products that I used on a regular basis. I also don't shave as often anymore. Every two to three day son average. What worked for me ended up being a two pass shave, using either Prorarso, or Tabac shaving soaps, Fface and or hand lather techniues. with either aqua Velva, Tabac, or a natural Bay Rum after shaves, and a mekur 38 c Slant / feather. (I get about 4 good shaves on average per blade) If I'm home, I take a really hot shower, and shave immediately afterwards, or if traveling and living out of my Rv, a short hot shower followed by Kiles prep. Flowed by a warm lather and a two pass shave, warm rinse, cold rinse, pat face dry, Then after shave. And a couple times a week a moisturizer. Aveeno daily Moisturizer with the green cap. Fragrance free.
This worked off and on for me for about two years, but I would still get irritation often.
Then I evolved one more time. I started what I would call a month of one pass shaves. I would do this in order to let my face heal. While doing so I noticed that I got a pretty good shave. You know as far as the eye could see, and way way less chance of irritation. Eventually I gravitated towards mostly one pass shaves can now get a DFS with a one pass.. Once in a while, I still go for a two pass shave, with a minor clean up. I can achieve a BBS shave with two passes, one North to south, then south to north, with a miner clean up pass afterwards.
I believe this to be true, BBS shaves on a regular to daily basis, are bad for your face. In the long run, BBS shaves will leave your face looking like leather when you are older. If you go to an old experienced barber and get a straight razor shave, they aren't often as close and as great as everybody says they are. That's because the barbers in the know, know what over shaving will do to your skin in the long run.
These are the things that work for me. keeping it simple, keeping the passes down, and a limited range of products, and tools for which I shave. if your new to all this, I would suggest, trying out a particular shave set up that seems to work for you, and stick with it for at least a month before you change things up.
No Matter how you do it, when your successful nothing beats the feeling of starting your day off with a good shave.
One Night while living in vegans I was with a lady friend, it was around Christmas time, and she told me about the gift that she had gotten her brother. A shaving set. And old style shaving set to be more exact. She had got it from classicshaving.com I think. This piqued my interest, and I soon found myself looking at shave sets into the wee hours of the night. I don't know what it was, but something had drawn to it. The Idea of shaving mugs, using a brush and warm lathers had me somewhat obsessed, After a month or so of looking, I finally pulled the trigger, on a full set. I went the cheap rout, and spent around 100 bucks on a three piece set. Razor, brush, and stand. Needless to say, the results were far less than par. But I was hooked!
I began counting the hours between shaves, and settled somewhere around 36 hours. Not that I didn't want to shave every day, but I was hacking up my face. The brush I had gotten was loosing about 15 hairs a shave. I had not discovered badger and blade, nor was I privy to the fact that I could buy vintage Gillette razors form ebay.
Long short of it, I found badger and blade, read up on brushes and the importance of a silver hair tip brush, found vintage Gillette razors. At the time, I was making a lot of money, and became completely obsessed not only with the act of shaving itself, but also with the tools of the trade. I'd say within two months, I must have had 30 different razors, and 20 different soaps, using bowls, and mugs and whatever else I could get my hands on.
I survived RASAD, ASAD, SAD, and a few other AD's
The main problem was, in the first two months, of relearning how to shave, I changed razors, and techniques so frequently, that I never got my technique down, and I was constantly taring my face up. And I'm taking like bad, didn't want to leave the house because I was embarrassed. Razor burn, cuts, compiled with allergic reactions, extremely complex shaving rituals, all the while trying to achieve BBS. If your new here, please, take your time, and don't over do it, your face will thank you later.
Dumb It Down!
Somewhere along the lines I found my stride. My way in the world so to speak. The Zen of shaving.A light touch. My shaves, became less irritable, and I slimmed down me tools, and products that I used on a regular basis. I also don't shave as often anymore. Every two to three day son average. What worked for me ended up being a two pass shave, using either Prorarso, or Tabac shaving soaps, Fface and or hand lather techniues. with either aqua Velva, Tabac, or a natural Bay Rum after shaves, and a mekur 38 c Slant / feather. (I get about 4 good shaves on average per blade) If I'm home, I take a really hot shower, and shave immediately afterwards, or if traveling and living out of my Rv, a short hot shower followed by Kiles prep. Flowed by a warm lather and a two pass shave, warm rinse, cold rinse, pat face dry, Then after shave. And a couple times a week a moisturizer. Aveeno daily Moisturizer with the green cap. Fragrance free.
This worked off and on for me for about two years, but I would still get irritation often.
Then I evolved one more time. I started what I would call a month of one pass shaves. I would do this in order to let my face heal. While doing so I noticed that I got a pretty good shave. You know as far as the eye could see, and way way less chance of irritation. Eventually I gravitated towards mostly one pass shaves can now get a DFS with a one pass.. Once in a while, I still go for a two pass shave, with a minor clean up. I can achieve a BBS shave with two passes, one North to south, then south to north, with a miner clean up pass afterwards.
I believe this to be true, BBS shaves on a regular to daily basis, are bad for your face. In the long run, BBS shaves will leave your face looking like leather when you are older. If you go to an old experienced barber and get a straight razor shave, they aren't often as close and as great as everybody says they are. That's because the barbers in the know, know what over shaving will do to your skin in the long run.
These are the things that work for me. keeping it simple, keeping the passes down, and a limited range of products, and tools for which I shave. if your new to all this, I would suggest, trying out a particular shave set up that seems to work for you, and stick with it for at least a month before you change things up.
No Matter how you do it, when your successful nothing beats the feeling of starting your day off with a good shave.
