I realized this was the better place to log and share my notable shaves as I begin my wetshave journey, so here are!
Shave Entry: First Lather
Brush: Omega 10066
Soap: Proraso White
Razor: Baili 171
Blade: Astra SP
Yesterday my soap and brush finally came in! I had a couple days growth to mow down, and I was excited to finally be trying something other than the cremo I'd used for cartridge shaves the past couple years. It looks like my blade sample pack won't get in til Monday or Tuesday of the following week, so that gives me more time to get more acquanted with my control variables. I decided that as I work on my technique/work through my blade samples, I'll stick with the Baili as my control razor. Per an earlier comparison, I preferr using the Baili with both the Astra SPs and the Derby Extras as opposed to my '55 silver tip superspeed, so it felt like a more natural choice. The other controls will be my Omega Brush and Proraso soap. I think it's worthwhile pointing out that all together - bowl set/stand, brush, soap, and razor - I must have only spent about $45. Not only is that a pretty low point of entry for the hobby, I'm getting GREAT shaves with this gear. Even if someone doesn't want to go down the rabbit hole, there's no need to break the bank to have a much improved shaving experience over cartridges.
*bonus: the cologne you see in the black bottle is a gem I first picked up while in Brazil 7ish years ago. Lasts a good while and not too hard to track down when I need a replacement
I'm normally a daily shaver and aim more for DFS as opposed to BBS, but I figured with new gear and more growth, this shave called for a proper three passes. Having a nice lather helped so much. I feel like having the thicker soap to clear away helped me with my jaw and chin problem areas much more easily.
Typically I find my shave angle by starting with the cap on my face and angling til I feel it, and make the adjustments from there. This works well enough, but I think I need to practice more on this technique to see if I can maintain a more optimal angle without having to default to riding the cap or guard like that.
I'm glad that I almost on a whim grabbed the SPs as my starter blade, because I genuinely enjoy how they feel and shave. I feel the blade enough to know it's there and be able to work with it, but not be afraid of it. They've been fun to learn with, and I do think they'll make for a good baseline comparison to go off of from here.
Looking forward to a couple more shaves with this setup before I start experimenting with the blade samples next week!
Thanks for reading, and happy shaving!
Shave Entry: First Lather
Brush: Omega 10066
Soap: Proraso White
Razor: Baili 171
Blade: Astra SP
Yesterday my soap and brush finally came in! I had a couple days growth to mow down, and I was excited to finally be trying something other than the cremo I'd used for cartridge shaves the past couple years. It looks like my blade sample pack won't get in til Monday or Tuesday of the following week, so that gives me more time to get more acquanted with my control variables. I decided that as I work on my technique/work through my blade samples, I'll stick with the Baili as my control razor. Per an earlier comparison, I preferr using the Baili with both the Astra SPs and the Derby Extras as opposed to my '55 silver tip superspeed, so it felt like a more natural choice. The other controls will be my Omega Brush and Proraso soap. I think it's worthwhile pointing out that all together - bowl set/stand, brush, soap, and razor - I must have only spent about $45. Not only is that a pretty low point of entry for the hobby, I'm getting GREAT shaves with this gear. Even if someone doesn't want to go down the rabbit hole, there's no need to break the bank to have a much improved shaving experience over cartridges.
*bonus: the cologne you see in the black bottle is a gem I first picked up while in Brazil 7ish years ago. Lasts a good while and not too hard to track down when I need a replacement
I'm normally a daily shaver and aim more for DFS as opposed to BBS, but I figured with new gear and more growth, this shave called for a proper three passes. Having a nice lather helped so much. I feel like having the thicker soap to clear away helped me with my jaw and chin problem areas much more easily.
Typically I find my shave angle by starting with the cap on my face and angling til I feel it, and make the adjustments from there. This works well enough, but I think I need to practice more on this technique to see if I can maintain a more optimal angle without having to default to riding the cap or guard like that.
I'm glad that I almost on a whim grabbed the SPs as my starter blade, because I genuinely enjoy how they feel and shave. I feel the blade enough to know it's there and be able to work with it, but not be afraid of it. They've been fun to learn with, and I do think they'll make for a good baseline comparison to go off of from here.
Looking forward to a couple more shaves with this setup before I start experimenting with the blade samples next week!
Thanks for reading, and happy shaving!