Newbie

[Skilly]

Hello All!

I am a newbie from the UK, bored and fed up of my old Mock 3 I decided to buy myself a safety razor. I looked on the interwebnet and decided on the Merkur progress.

I then kind of blew it all by investing all of £5 in a nasty Bristle brush and Wilkinson Sword own shaving soap from Asda (Wal-Mart)

So far I have used this combination once and had the closest shave of my life. That was Thursday, it is now Saturday (late) and I only just need to shave again!!

The downside is that I did have quite a few nicks and a wee bit of burn. I think that was down to not getting a decent foam before shaving and using the wrong setting.

Anyway, I am now hooked, thinking of getting a Merkur Futur (I like the look) and shelling out on a decent badger brush. I have looked at the site and decided I want some Tabac shaving soap aswell.

So any tips, advice, and pointers for brushes, soap and how not to rip my face to shreds?

TIA

Skills

 

[Scotto]

Welcome!

It will take some time for your face to adapt to your new regime. Stick with the Progress for a while - it is a great razor.

Good prep is the most important thing. Get those whiskers nice and soft by shaving after a shower and/or using hot towels then find some good quality shave creams and/or soaps to get a good lather going. I would think that being in the UK you should be able to find lots of good stuff.

Take a look at the FAQ, read lots of back threads, and ask questions.

 

[gmc]

Hi from another newbie!!!

I know what you're saying about the burn - I'm still working on proper method.
But hey, it's a lot more satisfying to work up a decent lather and geat a decent shave than just spreading gel shave cream on your face and dragging a cheap razor across it.

Later,

 

[rschul2]

TIA,
Welcome aboard. As others have said, you face will take time to adjust to shaving with a DE, and be sure to make sure you properly prep your face before you shave. Also, be sure to not push too hard with your DE razor. Let the weight of the razor be all the pressure you need. I found that once my face adjusted, and I wanted a closer shave, I just dialed up my Merkur Futur. I never pressed harder, and have been rewarded with great shaves.

 

[NYLaw]

One other tip would be to stick with one razor and type of BLADE for at least a week or two to get used to the method & technique. From your post I wasn't sure if you're using Merkur blades or Swords, but whichever it is, stick with it... You'll learn a lot more about the technique and your own face that way, before switching or adding another variable in your regimen.

Welcome, and ENJOY!