Thanks to all the generous posters I've been reading for the past few days - with your advice, I learned everything I needed to get started.
And once I got started, it all went great. It was very basic, by design: Astra Superior Platinum (which plenty of y'all called relatively "forgiving") in a
Bluebeards Revenge Cut-Throat Razor (which enough of B&B guys seemed to think was good enough). I was just clearing heavy growth off the neck this first time, and wanted to see what happened with just soap and hot water - I was inspired by barbers who cleared off my neck hairs with a SE, which always did outstanding work on that very thick undergrowth in a few steady strokes.
In fact, it all went so well that I did exactly what so many of you warned me against: I lost the necessary respect for what I was holding. And it bit me:
But again I was well prepared because I respected the advice I found here, and my new alum block took care of it lickety-split. And after that there were no more nicks.
I look forward to learning to function at higher levels, and I've got a basic brush ready for when I move to the full wet shave experience, and start experimenting with different blades. But with your help it was a great first day.
And once I got started, it all went great. It was very basic, by design: Astra Superior Platinum (which plenty of y'all called relatively "forgiving") in a
Bluebeards Revenge Cut-Throat Razor (which enough of B&B guys seemed to think was good enough). I was just clearing heavy growth off the neck this first time, and wanted to see what happened with just soap and hot water - I was inspired by barbers who cleared off my neck hairs with a SE, which always did outstanding work on that very thick undergrowth in a few steady strokes.
In fact, it all went so well that I did exactly what so many of you warned me against: I lost the necessary respect for what I was holding. And it bit me:
But again I was well prepared because I respected the advice I found here, and my new alum block took care of it lickety-split. And after that there were no more nicks.
I look forward to learning to function at higher levels, and I've got a basic brush ready for when I move to the full wet shave experience, and start experimenting with different blades. But with your help it was a great first day.
