My Wet Shaving Journey

[gablett]

Hopefully these might be helpful someday and I'm not just boring everyone.

What I Liked: Based on a suggestion above I went with no preshave. Went fabulously. Im not a real fan of menthol and the preshave I have is Proraso green and it has menthol. So this shave was more enjoyable not having to use that. I dont mind it in aftershave, but dont care for it during the shave. Petrichor was simply stunning. How he got the smell of the ground after a rain into a soap is beyond me. But its amazing. It is not overpowering at all. Very subtle. A nice chance of pace from strong more perfumey scents. Will be a bit of a special occasion soap, maybe on rainy days or something. Excelsior base is an amazing soap base. Voskhod blade performed well for its second shave. Its on par with GSB which is my current fav. I dont think it will displace it as I have a 100 pack of GSB and only 5 of these. TDR fanchurian is far and away my favorite knot and his handles are fantastic. First shave with an OC razor, the GC 68. Was very pleasant. Now my interest is piqued in other OC razors.

What I Didn't Like: Really nothing. This was kind of one of those shaves that everything went right.

What I Learned: Everything in wet shaving is pretty good stuff. Its very incremental gains when you upgrade or change something. But that allows for a wide variety of preferences and styles. Which is nice. Its not a handle with a cartridge and whatever shaving cream that happens to come with it. So I learned that its fun to experiment and that everyone comes to a different conclusion. I was a bit frustrated at first when no one would give me a straight answer that X is the best choice. Well now I see why.

Thanks to those of you who have helped me a long the way. I hope I can do the same for the next generation.

 

[gablett]

Side note. I got a suggestion to try shaving with cold water. Was skeptical. But that was extremely pleasant. Absolutely no irritation. I don’t get a ton of irritation as it is but this was a definite improvement. I’ll be doing that from now on.


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[gablett]

What I Liked: First time with a couple things here. First the polsilver blade. Really liked it. Very smooth. I usually use GSB and this was equally as smooth but didnt feel quite as sharp but not in a way. More of a "dont have to be super careful" sharp. I sometimes get a weeper with GSB but nothing with these and felt equally as efficient. Will have to see how long it lasts. I have yet to wear a GSB out. In fact they seem to get sharper with each shave. Got them from @Chan Eil Whiskers so thanks! Also this was my first time with Chiseled face soap. First off the scent is fantastic. It smells like a clean scent mixed with barbershop after loading some ammunition. It definitely has that faint gunpowder scent which is cool. Wasn't the easiest soap to lather. It seems to fall between B&M reserve and Excelsior as far as lather. It starts a little thinner like reserve but with enough time and water it builds into a nice thick lather. Feels like good cushion and decent slickness. Excelsior is the bar still, but it was a very good soap. Really like the splash. One of my favorites. Otherwise the shave was exceptional as always. Timeless razor is just fantastic and effortless. TDR brush is the best brush I have used to date.

What I Didn't Like: The soap lacked a little of the slickness of some others and it was not easy for me to lather. While it eventually did, it took some time.

What I Learned: Still really loving the cold water shave. Made a huge difference for me. Perhaps the biggest difference of anything Ive done. I also learned that blade difference to me while subtle are noticeable. But nothing to this point is earth shatteringly different. Which makes me wonder if I havent found "THEE" blade for me or if my skin just tolerates a lot of variety.

 

[gablett]

What I Liked: So this was my first shave with a high level OC razor. I have always used Titanium Timeless 95 stuff. I found a good deal on a stainless 95 OC so I wanted to give an oc a try and a stainless timeless so this killed 2 birds with one stone. The design the timeless oc makes it really feel no different than their SB. Which is nice because its not like learning a new razor. It was definitely much more efficient. The 3rd pass was almost unnecessary and my face is much smoother at this point in the day than it had been. It remains to be seen if this will be tolerable to use continuously as it was more aggressive for sure, but equally as smooth. Even in the areas that I usually struggle to get BBS it got it with ease. Closest shave I have had to date. And oddly enough no alcohol burn with the splash. The other thing is, this razor is substantially heavier. Even as far as other SS razors go, this one is heavy. So that may add to some of the aggressiveness as well. It does balance very nicely so its easy to control pressure, so I think more of the change has to do with the OC than the weight of stainless. Now to decide if I like SS or TI better. Titanium is easy to zip around with and almost feels like a toy. This feels like a tool, looks a little better, and I LOVE the handle way more. So one will be sold and one will be kept. I will probably end up with the OC and the SB head for whichever material I choose. I do think with the super light weight of the ti razor I feel the need to buff and push more to get BBS and with this one there is no need. Rest of the shave was outstanding as usual.

What I Didn't Like: I did get a little more irritation around the bottom of my neck. Im not 100% sure what this is a result of. Might have been a closer shave than I am used to there. I might just try 2 passes in this area going forward.

What I Learned: B&M is my soap. I got rid of everything else. I might try some A&E or DG in the future. But I found if I used anything else, I just ended up wishing I had used B&M.

 

[gablett]

Just going to cut to the chase here and say for me this is the best soap base, in a top 3 scent (probably #1), with the best razor and blade I've found, and the most luxurious brush Ive used.

This was a shave I was looking forward to all day. I found a good deal on a OC .95 titanium base plate. This was the final piece to the puzzle. I wasnt sure how I wold feel about OC. Tried the stainless version and it was just too heavy and I missed the titanium feel in the hand and face feel. This is the best razor I have used. The only criticism is I wish the handle was a touch bit grippier. But the razor and the shave are simply perfect. Gillette Silver Blue is my favorite blade. Sharp, smooth, easy to find, and lasts a long time. I dont need any other razor. I will keep the SB base plate if there is a day that I feel like a slight more mild shave. There is a difference in efficiency, but almost no difference in feel.

Excelsior soap and B&M in general are just outstanding soaps. Almost can't mess it up. And this scent is remarkable. Such a wonderful bright, sweet summer smell. I grew up on a farm and this takes me back. If I could only have 1 soap, this would probably be it.

And this brush is just the perfect handle and the Fanchurian knot is the best I've used.

What a shave. I am so glad I made the change to wet shaving, paid attention to recommendations here, and documented what I was looking for in a shave.

 

[gablett]

Belated towel day shave.

Definitely starting to fall into a groove shaving now. This hardware set is my favorite I have used thus far. Super smooth, consistent and efficient. Soap was awesome as always. This is the Glissant base. Similar to Excelsior, but I prefer Excelsior. Gillette Silver blue is the only blade I have used that seems to get better with each shave. The only thing that makes this not perfect is I just dont care for the timeless handle. Got something coming to hopefully remedy that. I also see no need to keep the SB 95 timeless base plate. I definitely prefer the versatility and smoothness of the OC. So look for that on the BST!

 

[gablett]

So I am excited to post about this. Decided to give Zingari a try and am I ever glad I did. This is an incredible soap. To date, this is the best soap and aftershave I have used. The post shave feel alone is light years ahead of other products I have used. The initial and residual slickness are just incredible. The scent is amazing. I am about 14 hours post shave and I can still feel the smoothness and slickness of this product. Right after I shaved it almost felt like I hadnt shave. Zero irritation whatsoever. I cant say enough good things about this brand. Grizzly brush with v5 fanchurian is super nice. A shave to remember for sure. If you havent tried Zingari, give it a go.

I do have some DG, A&E, Oleo, and M&M products coming, so Im excited to compare.

 

[gablett]

Another great shave courtesy of B&M.

This soap base still gives me the most trouble though. Most of the others bases are a little more obvious when they are properly hydrated. I feel I havent hit the sweet spot with reserve yet. I dont know if I havent added enough water or if its too much. I like the shave feel, and the scent of this one is one of my favorites. My wife likes it so much she bought me the cologne. New handle for the timeless was great. All in all a great shave. Starting to find a groove.

 

[samupun]

Its good you kept it up

 

[gablett]

So I stopped at my local Walgreens and there had the King C Gillette DE razor so of course I had to take it home. Its actually quite a nice razor. It looked identical to my EJ DE89. The finish on it is nice. I dont care for the handle so I used my own handle. Its a very nice, very smooth, mild razor. Got a great shave with it. Is it timeless level of shave? No. But the timeless certainly does not shave hundreds of dollars better. I think the timeless will literally last forever, and this one I doubt will, but that's not a certainty either. I would highly recommend this razor to a newcomer. Interesting side note, me and the EJ didnt get along when I first started. I had a smooth, zero issue shave with this. So clearly it was my technique. I think a more aggressive razor like the timeless 95 taught me what light touch is and what proper technique is. Now going back to a mild razors its literally effortless. I think I prefer a challenge though.

This soap base is fantastic. I live about 2.5 hours from Maggards and was fortunate enough to be able to stop there when they reopened. This is one thing I picked up. The scent is just incredible. Performance is top tier. Id put it on par with Excelsior, but a notch below Zingari Sego. The balm is great. Im starting to learn that I like Witch Hazel and a balm over alcohol based splashes.

v5 Fanchurian is breaking in nicely. Love the handle shape.

 

[gablett]

Well I managed to score this hot ticket item. Sadly this is the first top tier soap that I did not care for. Scent is pretty good. Its strong. One of the strongest soap scents I have experienced. It like super ripe super sweet peaches. Its definitely overwhelming. Its a soft soap, so it loads easily. I think it loads almost too easily as I had way to much soap for the water in the brush. Compounded with using a synthetic, when I usually use badger brushes so I probably took too much water out of it. Its tough to dial in for me at least. I did not care for the consistency of the lather when hydrated. Its performs on par with other bases. It lacks the slickness and protective feel of Zingari Sego or Declaration Milk Steak. Post shave was also lacking compared to those two as well. My bar at this point is Declaration as a 100 and Zingari as a 99.9. The only thing Declaration has on Zingari is the absolutely insane level of slickness. It is crazy slick. But I do prefer Zingari scents pretty much across the board.

But at this point Im still learning what I like, so I am now able to tick another one off the list in narrowing it down. I've got it pretty well Dialed to Declaration, Zingari, and a couple Excelsior B&M soaps. I cant find anything to beat GSB blades all things considered. For me its a perfect balance of sharpness, smoothness, and longevity. I dont think I have truly ever worn one out. I use them at minimum a week. As far as brushes, Badger is for me and specifically Fanchurian knots. I want to try a Gelousy at some point.

 

[JCarr]

Timeless makes a great razor. I started out with some inexpensive butterfly double edge razors and graduated to an EJ Chatsworth...picking up a Fatip Nobile Tuxedo soon after. But even though I was getting decent shaves, I wasn't satisfied and moved to a Timeless. Best thing I ever did. Zingari Man The Wanderer soap is wonderful stuff! Keep on truckin, comrade! The journey is part of the enjoyment.

 

[gablett]

Very, very nice shave. This soap is a lot like Zingari Sego with a heavier scent. The slickness of it is just off the charts. I can see why this scores so high. Smells good. Citrus and mildly floral. Post shave is excellent. Very water tolerant and intuitive to get it just right.

This is my hybrid timeless that I put together. Windrose polished titanium handle with a polished titanium timeless .95 OC head. The perfect razor for me. Efficient, smooth, looks great. Fantastic shave.

All in all I still think Zingari Sego is my #1 soap, but this is a very close second.

 

[gablett]

Somewhat of a groundbreaking shaving for me. My first ever DE wet shave was a EJ DE89 and an Astra SP blade. Didnt go super well. Foolishly I assumed it was the blade and not my skill so I have not revisited the blade until last night. I decided to try it again since so many people like them, they are pretty cheap, and readily available. Plus my skill has increased dramatically. It went exceedingly well. This may be my blade. I was forcing the GSB and the Polsilver since so many people seem to push them as the best. This blade was every bit as sharp, but the smoothness is where it won. The other blades has a sensation that is hard to describe but is almost rough. They are sharp, but not smooth. This blade was as smooth as butter. Great BBS shave. A part of me is wondering if a milder blade paired with an aggressive razor like the Timeless 95 OC is why it is better for me. I am very glad I revisited this blade and will be using it for a while to make sure this wasnt a fluke.

I am getting much better with the reserve base as well. Love this scent! Love it so much I got the cologne as well. I think it was mostly mental in that I expected it to look and feel like other soaps did lathered. Clearly that is not the case with this base. So once I learned what it should be like when lathered it performs top notch. On par with Zingari and DG. I feel it is a better base than excelsior.

How many other Astra SP lovers do we have?

 

[dmshaver]

Great start & great write-up. Thanks for sharing your story, it helps all of us. And also, welcome to face lathering, isn't it great? Enjoy your journey!

 

[gablett]

Great start & great write-up. Thanks for sharing your story, it helps all of us. And also, welcome to face lathering, isn't it great? Enjoy your journey!

Thanks. I hope it might help someone. It will certainly help me looking back. Face lathering is the reason to wet shave imho. Best part about it!


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[gablett]

So, we need to talk. When were you guys going to tell me how awesome synthetic brushes are? This is my first serious use of a nice soft, dense synthetic brush. This is a Maggard 24mm beige which appears to be a cashmere knot. Lathered extremely quickly and quite well. Splays really easily. Holds plenty of water and releases the lather so much easier than the badger brushes. I dont see any downside. The synths I had used before, I didnt mesh with and got a bad taste for them. Im diving headlong into them now. I think I have a good idea what I like now.

This remains one of my favorite soaps in wet shaving as far as performance combined with scent. Just love this summertime scent. Excelsior is a solid performer as we all know so well. Astra blade just gets better with each shave. I think I have found my blade. I tried it in the gamechanger 84 sb. Shaved extremely well. Easy BBS with no irritation and almost no splash burn. Great shave.

 

[Adam18]

Hi Gablett ....
Early Sunday morning, relaxing in bed with my iPad, and just read through your entire thread. Excellent !
Your writing skills are terrific, and your dedication towards our traditional shaving hobby is exemplary.
Bravo Sir ..... May you continue to enjoy the journey.

 

[Steinmetzify]

Glad you found Milksteak man.

For blades see if you can try a tuck of Gillette Platinums. I went thru everything you have and those are my #1 DE blades.

Fun journey, huh?

 

[gablett]

Hi Gablett ....
Early Sunday morning, relaxing in bed with my iPad, and just read through your entire thread. Excellent !
Your writing skills are terrific, and your dedication towards our traditional shaving hobby is exemplary.
Bravo Sir ..... May you continue to enjoy the journey.

Thank you very much. I really needed to hear that. Was wondering if this was an exercise in futility. I felt kind of fun setting everything up for a photo and writing all this out thinking it was for nothing. So you have really motivated me to continue. This is a fantastic hobby that I hope to get as many people as I can hooked on.

Glad you found Milksteak man.

For blades see if you can try a tuck of Gillette Platinums. I went thru everything you have and those are my #1 DE blades.

Fun journey, huh?

Milksteak is great stuff. I will add those to my next Maggards order. They are definitely on the expensive side. The journey here is truly more fun that the destination. Im almost dreading the day when I have everything dialed in and cant experiment or research any more!