New to DE Shaving

[subsea_smooth]

Hello all!

I am a new DE shaver. Previously used cartridge razors (a bunch of different brands, but last one was 'Henry's'). I am not sure why I made the switch, but I did. I bought a maggards starter kit (V3 closed comb head), maggard synth brush, and maggard soap (orange menthol). I have a blade sampler (25 blades). I also got a bunch of sample soaps.

First impression - First shave...lets just say I got some irritation. I used the ASTRA platinum blade. I think my soap was actually a little dry, and I am not sure if my skin loves the orange menthol. I DID NOT shower beforehand which also may have been a mistake. Also, I am pretty sure my pressure was too high, and I tried 3 passes (dumb). I did another shave the following night, and still had a bit of irritation even though i went slower. The following day I did not shave, but I practiced a lather (with a london barbershop soap sample) and put it to my face. I think my face likes this scent better than the orange menthol.

Fast forward to this morning. I took my time and made the london barbershop lather before I hopped in the shower (I even through a little lather on my face to let it get used to it). After I got out I lathered with the brush (from the bowl) and even scooped some extra with my hand and put it on my face. This was a little more familiar coming from shaving from a can. So I really focused on NO PRESSURE, and was amazed and how much better the shave felt from the start. It gave me a little more confidence, which in turn allowed me to keep the pressure OFF and focus better on angle. I did only 2 passes, with a minor touch up in a few spots after the second pass. The result? Excellent shave, as close as I would get from a double pass with a catridge razor. Zero irritation. But what was slightly different is my face felt AWESOME. Hard to describe, but my face feels very clean today.

I was pretty bummed after the first two shaves, but now I am completely stoked! I am going to go back and try the orange menthol soap again to see if that was what was causing me issues perhaps.

 

[Lightcs1776]

Welcome to the B&B forums. Learning how a DE razor works takes a little practice, but the reward is a great shave. Glad you kept at it.

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk

 

[subsea_smooth]

Welcome to the B&B forums. Learning how a DE razor works takes a little practice, but the reward is a great shave. Glad you kept at it.

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk

Thanks Chris. My biggest thing will be discipline now, as I want to try all the new blades and soaps to see how they perform. Problem is, my technique is probably the thing that needs the most work. Luckily, I will have to shave every 2 days so I will start to get a big data set.

 

[sandstone]

Welcome to B&B, and congrats on a great shave! You definitely have the right idea about resisting the temptation to try a lot of new stuff right now. If you can stick to one set-up for the first month or so it will help a lot to refine your technique. You are off to a great start and enjoy the shaves!

 

[xxvaleria]

Welcome to the club. Glad to have you aboard. Be sure to read the tutorials at the top of the forum, and watch Mantic59's YouTube videos.

 

[emwolf]

I know switching back to DE I was so used the pressure I used for cart shaving that it was hard to lighten up.

 

[G-Dogg]

Welcome. Enjoy the journey to discover your shave, your way.

 

[Syskel]

That is a good way to describe it. "My face feels very clean" That is how I felt when I first started shaving with a DE razor and a brush.

 

[matwho]

Welcome to B&B. Enjoy your shaves.

 

[riverstyxxx]

I'm reading through your post and thinking "Ok, what mistakes have I made so he doesn't have to?".

I had problems with maggard's soaps, I tried a few and they weren't very slick and in turn they led to dragging and razor burn. They don't make their own product, they're sourced from somebody else who lives in michigan. It took a few days for my skin to heal before I could move on. Instead, I would go to your local bath/body works and ask for the green co bigelow/proraso shaving cream for $5. It's strong on the menthol (I got used to it after a few times) but the benefit is much more slickness, a significant improvement. It likes water but if you don't add enough, it'll probably be ok. The after-effect is very nice, doesn't need an aftershave but it won't hurt. If you haven't chosen an aftershave yet, try the nivea sensitive post shave balm at walmart, it's a good starter but not where I would stay for the long haul.
Maggard's v3 razor head is good although it's more aggressive than should be for somebody who's new. But it sounds like you've already gotten used to it, so keep it there. In case it doesn't keep producing a favorable result, the intro Merkur razor, 23c/180, is a suitable alternative for somebody who's new. If you're not intimidated by weight, the 38c is also a really good one.

 

[Invicta]

I was pretty bummed after the first two shaves, but now I am completely stoked! I am going to go back and try the orange menthol soap again to see if that was what was causing me issues perhaps.

Welcome to B&B.
It takes some time to adapt from cartridge and canned foam to the DE, soap and brush so do not expect too much too early. Glad you are seeing early improvements. Don't forget to apply a moisturiser after the shave. Check out the Shave Wiki link in the main menu bar at the top of the page. Lots of help and guidance there.

 

[subsea_smooth]

I'm reading through your post and thinking "Ok, what mistakes have I made so he doesn't have to?".

I had problems with maggard's soaps, I tried a few and they weren't very slick and in turn they led to dragging and razor burn. They don't make their own product, they're sourced from somebody else who lives in michigan. It took a few days for my skin to heal before I could move on. Instead, I would go to your local bath/body works and ask for the green co bigelow/proraso shaving cream for $5. It's strong on the menthol (I got used to it after a few times) but the benefit is much more slickness, a significant improvement. It likes water but if you don't add enough, it'll probably be ok. The after-effect is very nice, doesn't need an aftershave but it won't hurt. If you haven't chosen an aftershave yet, try the nivea sensitive post shave balm at walmart, it's a good starter but not where I would stay for the long haul.
Maggard's v3 razor head is good although it's more aggressive than should be for somebody who's new. But it sounds like you've already gotten used to it, so keep it there. In case it doesn't keep producing a favorable result, the intro Merkur razor, 23c/180, is a suitable alternative for somebody who's new. If you're not intimidated by weight, the 38c is also a really good one.

I have heard VERY positive things about the maggard soaps, which is why I got them. I like the london barbershop a lot. That said, for 5 bucks I will go pick up a can of proraso green. Worth a shot!!

 

[Graybeard57]

Congratulations on your shave! Keep it up, it gets even better.

 

[NickCutlip]

Welcome to the forum !!

 

[alex2363]

Welcome to the club

 

[BigJ]

Welcome aboard! Glad that things are going well!

 

[subsea_smooth]

I'm reading through your post and thinking "Ok, what mistakes have I made so he doesn't have to?".

I had problems with maggard's soaps, I tried a few and they weren't very slick and in turn they led to dragging and razor burn. They don't make their own product, they're sourced from somebody else who lives in michigan. It took a few days for my skin to heal before I could move on. Instead, I would go to your local bath/body works and ask for the green co bigelow/proraso shaving cream for $5. It's strong on the menthol (I got used to it after a few times) but the benefit is much more slickness, a significant improvement. It likes water but if you don't add enough, it'll probably be ok. The after-effect is very nice, doesn't need an aftershave but it won't hurt. If you haven't chosen an aftershave yet, try the nivea sensitive post shave balm at walmart, it's a good starter but not where I would stay for the long haul.
Maggard's v3 razor head is good although it's more aggressive than should be for somebody who's new. But it sounds like you've already gotten used to it, so keep it there. In case it doesn't keep producing a favorable result, the intro Merkur razor, 23c/180, is a suitable alternative for somebody who's new. If you're not intimidated by weight, the 38c is also a really good one.

So I shaved this morning, trying the Maggard orange menthol soap. 4th total DE shave, still on first blade (Astra sp). I got a 'pretty good' shave, but still unsure about the lather. It seems that I still felt areas where I would have liked it to be slicker, especially on my first pass. The issue is, I feel like I added enough water to the lather. When applying to my face with the brush, there still seems to be a thin-ness and translucency to the lather. And yes I wet my face thoroughly before hand (and showered before that).

So if I go thicker/dryer, it feels dry on my face and doesn't seem slick. If I add more water, it feels too thin. And the quantity of lather is not an issue, there is an abundance. It just seems thin. I feel like it even started deteriorating on my face during the shave, due to the presence of some bubbles that showed through.

What I would love is a video showing different lather qualities. I have seen a bunch of videos where it shows HOW to lather. I get it. But what I want to see is "Here is what too thick/dry of a lather looks like" in the bowl and on the face, and "here is what too thin / wet of a lather looks like" in the bowl and on the face.

^ does that video exist?

 

[G.W.]

... I feel like it even started deteriorating on my face during the shave, due to the presence of some bubbles that showed through.

Can't answer about the video, but I have a suggestion for something easy to try: However long you're loading the soap on your brush, double it. And whether you're bowl or face-lathering, make sure to add plenty of water as you're working up your lather.
See what effect that has for you.

 

[subsea_smooth]

Can't answer about the video, but I have a suggestion for something easy to try: However long you're loading the soap on your brush, double it. And whether you're bowl or face-lathering, make sure to add plenty of water as you're working up your lather.
See what effect that has for you.

OK will do. I gotta say, I really really really really loaded my brush. I even did the "ok I am done" then did it for another 1-2 minutes. Again, I have a LOT of lather. It just seems either too dry, or not slippery enough. Can't find that good medium.

Maybe it is my angle though. When you say 30 degrees, is it 30 degrees from PERPENDICULAR to the face, or 30 degrees from PARALLEL to the face (talking about the handle).

 

[G.W.]

OK will do. I gotta say, I really really really really loaded my brush. I even did the "ok I am done" then did it for another 1-2 minutes. Again, I have a LOT of lather. It just seems either too dry, or not slippery enough. Can't find that good medium.

Maybe it is my angle though. When you say 30 degrees, is it 30 degrees from PERPENDICULAR to the face, or 30 degrees from PARALLEL to the face (talking about the handle).

Oh, if you're loading for MINUTES, then something else is the problem. As much as I like Maggards stuff in general, I don't find their soaps to be my favorite. They are totally serviceable, though, and you should be able to make a functional lather out of it.
Do you face lather or bowl?
Everybody finds their own "best way" but I'll share how I do it, just as one point of reference. (I also regularly use a Maggard synthetic brush, so I am familiar with them.) I face-lather.
I shower before shaving 99% of the time. I leave my face damp when I get out of the shower.
If I'm using my synthetic brush, I don't soak it while I'm in the shower, I simply run hot water over it for 20-30 seconds prior to making my lather.
Shake brush once or twice to get rid of excess water in the bristles.
Swirl brush on soap until tips of bristles start getting "pasty". I find this takes me 20-30 seconds, typically. I don't time it, count swirls of brush, or anything of that sort. Look at what's happening and adjust as needed.
Quickly pass tip of brush under running water (not looking to add a bunch of water, here, just getting the tips a little damp).
Start swirling and/or "painting" motion on face to build lather. If it seems too sticky or dry, then quickly pass brush under running water again. Repeat as needed.
Work lather on face until it is no longer translucent, and no "big" bubbles are evident. The sheen on the lather will be shiny. At this point, if I were describing whipped cream, I guess it will have just barely reached "soft peaks".

If you are finding that you can see through the lather, or it's drying up and flaking off of your skin, or anything else, your water-to product ratio is not correct. If you just can't seem to get it sorted out, it is a common recommendation to try using bottled/distilled water to eliminate your water as the problem.



As for the razor, I personally wonder if people get too hung up on finding an angle as recommended by somebody else on the internet that's using altogether different equipment. Seems counter-productive.
My two cents: Put the razor on your skin so that it's on its cap. Handle pointing straight away from your face. Rotate it down until the blade just starts to engage the hair when you take a stroke. "riding the cap" is the phrase for this. Depending on the razor being used, this may not be the optimum angle even if it does technically work. Some razors may require that you lower the handle even more. Do a little experimenting. If you find that all you're doing is removing lather, but not hair, then you're not engaging the blade enough, drop the handle a bit closer to your skin. If you're tearing yourself up and drawing blood, back it off. Remember not to press the razor to the skin, let the weight of the razor do the work.

The shave wiki has pictures and better explanations of all of this.