Hey everybody just joined the forums and I figured i'd jump right in to asking for help. I am new to wet shaving and have not been shaving for too long in general. Im 18 Years old and don't have a beard or anything but i have to shave every 4-5 days so i don't look too scruffy. My Girlfriends dad wet shaves with an art of shaving kit and he thought it would be cool to give me a kit. After watching some videos i tried it and loved it, i actually like the experiacne and would love to continue properly shaving right from the gecko. My question is, Do you think its worth wet shaving? for someone my age that doesn't have all that much facial hair should i continue to get some nice shaving gear and learn to shave properly or just use cheap shave gels and cartridge razors until I've grown more of a full beard? I am really interested in the whole wet shave experiance and am contemplating diving in to DE's when my cartridges run out and then somewhere down the line try a straight. Any feedback would be great and I'm happy to have found a great community at B&B.
New and need some help getting started
- Thread starter angelino
- Start date
Had I picked up wet/de shaving at 18 I would have shaved more often and my fiancee would have loved that. I am 24 and started about two-three months ago. All throughout college I sported unkempt facial hair and trimmed with a beard trimmer. I used to use a fusion for those times where I needed to be clean shaven and it was a nightmare. Now I shave every couple of days because it is me time that I can enjoy. And it is fun finding out what scents I like and don't like. Also, my skin has never been better. Never really had problems before but now my face is always nicely moisturized and great looking. Pardon my rambling but I say yes! Stick with it.
Yes, I think wet shaving is worth it. It's my opinion that traditional wet shaving provides that extra satisfaction that a cart and canned goo can not.
Should you learn to shave properly? Yes!
Should you continue using carts and canned goo? Hell no!
Should you learn to shave properly? Yes!
Should you continue using carts and canned goo? Hell no!
I think really it's a question you have to ask yourself. Do you enjoy the wet shaving experience? A lot of folks here shave this way because of the experience itself. Let's not kid ourselves here..shaving with a DE or a straight is a less efficient shaving process than using a cartridge. Yes, there are other benefits as well for some folks (less irritation, closer shaves, etc). But if all you're looking to do is get a utilitarian shave, cheap disposables will get you there. However, if you want a little bit of man-time in your life, wet shaving is a great way to get that, and have a lot of fun in the process. In theory you can save money shaving this way too...but if you're read through very much of the site, you already know that takes a lot of will power 
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.- Thread starter
- #5
Haha thanks for the quick feedback these are the responses i was looking for! Didn't want to get laughed at if people find out i enjoy shaving the facial hair i have.
I don't have much facial hair, but I still enjoy wetshaving a lot compared to carts and canned-goo
Its just an enjoyable experience to slow down my day and I don't think its bad at all to get into wet shaving at an earlier age
I am only 25 and have been DE shaving for a year and been straight shaving for a month or so.
Start with DE to see if you enjoy wet shaving then go from there
Its just an enjoyable experience to slow down my day and I don't think its bad at all to get into wet shaving at an earlier age
I am only 25 and have been DE shaving for a year and been straight shaving for a month or so.
Start with DE to see if you enjoy wet shaving then go from there
Oh no, you're not going to get laughed at here....just take a look around a bit, and you'll find out how crazy it can get . Now on explaining to your friends (and SO if you have one) why you have 6 razors, 3 brushes and a cabinet full of awesome soaps and cremes..that's something you'll need to face at some point .
Edit: and for the record, what I mention there would be a very modest collection around these parts...
. Now on explaining to your friends (and SO if you have one) why you have 6 razors, 3 brushes and a cabinet full of awesome soaps and cremes..that's something you'll need to face at some point .Edit: and for the record, what I mention there would be a very modest collection around these parts...
Oh no, you're not going to get laughed at here....just take a look around a bit, and you'll find out how crazy it can get
Edit: and for the record, what I mention there would be a very modest collection around these parts...
I've been doing it for a few months now and have got RAD I have bought two of the same razor without realising!
I'm sorry, and I don't mean to be rude, but I just can't stop smiling after reading this sentence. It's just endlessly amusing to me.
And just so you know (and for future reference), the saying is "right from the get-go," meaning right from the very start.
As for your question, I can't see a reason to not shave properly if you enjoy it, regardless of the density or thickness of your beard.
Hey, angelino,
I've been using soap and a brush for over 45 years. I have enjoyed shaving every day for that long. Should you do it? Absolutely!
The sooner you learn proper lathering and shaving techniques, the longer you will enjoy shaving like most of the B&B members do. As for having to explain all the gear you will (might) accumulate, there is the possibility that you will end up a minimalist, like me, and not end up collecting every razor and brush in sight. It all depends on whether you are in it for the shave or the hobby or both.
Welcome aboard and good luck.
I've been using soap and a brush for over 45 years. I have enjoyed shaving every day for that long. Should you do it? Absolutely!
The sooner you learn proper lathering and shaving techniques, the longer you will enjoy shaving like most of the B&B members do. As for having to explain all the gear you will (might) accumulate, there is the possibility that you will end up a minimalist, like me, and not end up collecting every razor and brush in sight. It all depends on whether you are in it for the shave or the hobby or both.
Welcome aboard and good luck.
Randall,
I was amused, too, especially when I thought of traditional wet shaving as insurance against a bad shave.
David
Now on explaining to your friends (and SO if you have one) why you have 6 razors, 3 brushes and a cabinet full of awesome soaps and cremes..that's something you'll need to face at some point
Then again, you can always ask her why she has so many lotions, brushes, combs, cosmetics, etc., etc., etc. She'll get the point.
I am a newbie to the wet shaving and i wish i could have picked this up years ago, its just a amazing feeling after your done, and starting at such a young age your face can take a little more abuse then the older gents who are just picking it up.
Plus your technique will improve and when you do start to get that coarse beard you will be able to handle it with the technique you have perfected
Plus your technique will improve and when you do start to get that coarse beard you will be able to handle it with the technique you have perfected
I started wet shaving when I was 17/18 with hardly any hair to shave. But the fact of the matter was that hair still had to be shaved, and doing so with cartridge razors caused irritation, while traditional wet shavign does not. Now, with full facial hair, I'm glad I started when I did. It means I got to avoid that whole awkward "bad shaving" period a lot of the guys around here went through, and got it right straight from the gecko. 
Absolutely start while you are young and keep it an enjoyable experience! With all of the soaps, creams, razors, aftershaves, and colognes - my god this is such good stuff! I started out as a wet shaver with very little reason to shave a long time ago, but with cartridges and goo. If only I started out this way from the get go, I would have such a nice collection...
Oh and I forgot pre-shave's
Oh and I forgot pre-shave's
As someone only a few years older than you, my opinion is that you should definitely continue wetshaving. For me, cartridge razors would almost always produce razor burn and sometimes even some ingrown hairs, which caused me to shave as little as I possibly could (about once a week or so). This was fine originally when my facial hair grew slowly, but then it started speeding up while I continued the same cycle, letting my beard grow out and then shaving it all off, suffering the rash, neglecting my facial hair for a week or more, and so on. That was acceptable in high school, and maybe even at the start of college, but once you start needing for people to take you seriously, it no longer flies.
So for me, wetshaving is a necessity (though I'm also finding it an enjoyable daily experience). If your skin is better than mine and you don't suffer from such problems with cartridges, then it's simply a matter of preference. Cartridges are faster and easier, but more expensive in the long run, while wetshaving is more time consuming, requires more experience/skill, but is overall cheaper (unless you go crazy buying all the various types of shaving products out there). For me, even aside from the skin issue, wetshaving is just more enjoyable. Then again, you're on a wetshaving forum, so don't expect unbiased responses, lol.
So for me, wetshaving is a necessity (though I'm also finding it an enjoyable daily experience). If your skin is better than mine and you don't suffer from such problems with cartridges, then it's simply a matter of preference. Cartridges are faster and easier, but more expensive in the long run, while wetshaving is more time consuming, requires more experience/skill, but is overall cheaper (unless you go crazy buying all the various types of shaving products out there). For me, even aside from the skin issue, wetshaving is just more enjoyable. Then again, you're on a wetshaving forum, so don't expect unbiased responses, lol.
Welcome to B&B. Congratulations on being smart enough to try a different way of shaving. Sounds like you're off to a fine start with a great kit and a few shaves under your belt.
Much good advice in the previous posts, but let me add one additional point. As a thoughtful young man (as evidenced in your post) you've probably already had the experience of buying some highly touted consumer good that turned out to not work very well.
It's not unreasonable to imagine that the manufacturer decided to skimp on quality and instead place it's emphasis on marketing and sales. It's also not unreasonable to not accept shoddy goods, and instead look for a better alternative. Essentially the men and women who participate in these forums all have decided to not accept what large multi-national corporations have offered consumers as choices for shaving and instead looked for a better way of doing things.
I think that you'll find over time, that traditional wet shaving is a much better alternative.
Much good advice in the previous posts, but let me add one additional point. As a thoughtful young man (as evidenced in your post) you've probably already had the experience of buying some highly touted consumer good that turned out to not work very well.
It's not unreasonable to imagine that the manufacturer decided to skimp on quality and instead place it's emphasis on marketing and sales. It's also not unreasonable to not accept shoddy goods, and instead look for a better alternative. Essentially the men and women who participate in these forums all have decided to not accept what large multi-national corporations have offered consumers as choices for shaving and instead looked for a better way of doing things.
I think that you'll find over time, that traditional wet shaving is a much better alternative.
Slash McCoy
I freehand dog rockets
Gecko? Somebody's spell checker is going medieval!
Learn to wet shave now, while your beard is still relatively soft. It is easier to learn. You will grow to enjoy the daily ritual, too. Wet shaving isn't just for Vito and Sgt Rock.
Learn to wet shave now, while your beard is still relatively soft. It is easier to learn. You will grow to enjoy the daily ritual, too. Wet shaving isn't just for Vito and Sgt Rock.
Remember that there's a middle ground between the Cadillac product (and price) AoS offers and the cheap gels you're using now. You can get plenty of very fine products on the shelves in the US if you know where to look (hint: Kiss My Face, Van der Hagen, Macca Root, Cade, Real Shaving Cream. Start searching!) Those cost no more (and often less) than aerosol products while being so much better for your skin!
And razors are even cheaper. Up front, a decent mild vintage razor will cost about the same as 5 Fusion cartridges, and you get a year's worth of blades for the price of 3 more Fusion carts. There's a bit of a learning curve, but if you pay attention it's really not that hard.
Are you in the US? If so, drop my a PM with your address and I'll send you a nice razor you can start out with free of charge. The only condition is that you obey the 3 rules of the PIF (Pay It Forward):
1. You now owe the universe a favor, and one day you'll find yourself in the position of being able to help someone else out. It's your obligation to voluntarily and for no extra credit or reward help that person out.
2. Taking our free stuff and disappearing is pretty shoddy behaviour. You have to promise to stick around and be a productive member of the B+B. We talk about a lot of different 'manly' subjects, with a focus on adding quality to your everyday activities, it's a fun and interesting site.
3. Please post a review once you've had a chance to use the razor for a while. User feedback makes this place run!
I'll have to check what mild razors I have in the box, but tell me this - is your style more 40's/50's Modernist/Industrial or 60's/70's jetsetter?
The youth want things done simply and quickly. DE shaving takes a little longer than carts, but it's the experience itself, not the rush to get it done. If you want to use some great shave creams, great razors, etc., and don't care how long it takes, then go for it. You will dig it.
