Two weeks in to my DE shaving journey and I'm hooked. I'm in my 50s and feel like I've missed out on this hidden secret and have now opened a door into a vast world of opportunity. OK maybe I'm overstating it a bit...lol. Seriously though, I am really into it and now seriously look forward to shaving in the morning where it had been just a task for me. What pushed me into the world was the ridiculous cost of the cartridges. After paying $2+ for cartridges that lasted 4 shaves, I felt it time to stop feeding that beast.
I've started with a cheap setup ($15 Weishi DE from Amazon, Cremo SC, Dorco blades). It has worked well but added some pre-shave oil, alum block and cremo mint after-shave. The pre-shave oil made a huge difference for me and it only took me about 5 shaves to work my face map properly (minimal irritation/nicks) with the razor. The alum block tells provides the feedback on how good a job I've done . I have a very thick beard (not a ton of hair though) and sensitive skin so I'm considering getting a slant (Merkur 37c). My only regret so far is buying a 100pack of the Dorco blades. I'll probably get a sample pack when I order the Merkur and would advise anyone else who's starting out to do the same.
I've started with a cheap setup ($15 Weishi DE from Amazon, Cremo SC, Dorco blades). It has worked well but added some pre-shave oil, alum block and cremo mint after-shave. The pre-shave oil made a huge difference for me and it only took me about 5 shaves to work my face map properly (minimal irritation/nicks) with the razor. The alum block tells provides the feedback on how good a job I've done . I have a very thick beard (not a ton of hair though) and sensitive skin so I'm considering getting a slant (Merkur 37c). My only regret so far is buying a 100pack of the Dorco blades. I'll probably get a sample pack when I order the Merkur and would advise anyone else who's starting out to do the same.