I could have sworn that I had posted on here but I found out that I hadn't when a Google search brought me here and I went to sign in, only to have the notification pop up that an account with that email address doesn't exist. So, here I am making my introduction. I started wet shaving about 5 years ago and have taken breaks but always come back to it. I first started with the Van Der Hagen DE razor kit from Wal-Mart with a boar brush, shave mug, and a glycerin based soap. It did the job for a little while but didn't fulfill the desire for a straight razor shave. Then I picked up a shavette because at the time I had a couple dozen DE blades and I wanted to work on shaving with a fine sharp edge every time because stropping has its own learning curve. Due to my schedule (laziness) I mainly only wet shaved on the weekends when I could afford the time to have a shower, build a nice lather, and really have it be a meditative process taking 30 or so minutes. During the week, I would just use my electric razor while I was getting dressed and ready for work. For Christmas 3 years ago, my wife got me a straight razor that came with a 2" strop and I proceeded to focus on properly destroying the edge and cutting the strop all over the place. Hindsight, 2" strop + 3" blade + beginner, it was bound to happen. Thankfully it was a budget set so it's not like the learning curve ended up costing hundreds of dollars, and they knew I was gonna mess it up so they included a free honing service. Once the blade got to the point that it wasn't shave worthy anymore, I put it in the box and immediately forgot to send it out. Then we moved and I unpacked my unshipped razor, but managed to actually mail it this time and it came back good as new. I got back into the zen of it so much that I picked up a wider strop that I haven't turned into scrap yet and that blade is once again due for a honing, but this round I was able to get quite a bit of use out of it before it went south. I recently ordered another razor so that I won't be without while I forget to send one out. Lol.
A note for any brand new wet shavers here. At least in my experience, the cost per shave is minuscule compared to cartridge razors and can-o-chemicals shaving cream/gel/whatever. That doesn't mean you won't be spending money because there are so many things available that you will want to at least try. I have 4 different shave soaps, 2 different creams, 4 brushes, and (including my DE and shavette) 4 single blade razors, then a couple aftershaves and a couple pre-shave oils, different mugs/bowls, lotions, it never ends. Lol. It easily becomes much more than just a "hobby" and I still utilize everything I have depending on what experience I want for that shave. Even the boar brush with how coarse it is when new, after 100 or so lathers with it it becomes surprisingly soft.
I think I've rambled on long enough, happy to be here and looking forward to passing on knowledge I've learned as well as gaining so much more from the more experienced members here.
A note for any brand new wet shavers here. At least in my experience, the cost per shave is minuscule compared to cartridge razors and can-o-chemicals shaving cream/gel/whatever. That doesn't mean you won't be spending money because there are so many things available that you will want to at least try. I have 4 different shave soaps, 2 different creams, 4 brushes, and (including my DE and shavette) 4 single blade razors, then a couple aftershaves and a couple pre-shave oils, different mugs/bowls, lotions, it never ends. Lol. It easily becomes much more than just a "hobby" and I still utilize everything I have depending on what experience I want for that shave. Even the boar brush with how coarse it is when new, after 100 or so lathers with it it becomes surprisingly soft.
I think I've rambled on long enough, happy to be here and looking forward to passing on knowledge I've learned as well as gaining so much more from the more experienced members here.
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