Obligatory First Post

[brandaves]

IMHO the Stirling Boar brush is a fantastic bargain at $10...half of the badger brush you posted. There are plenty of great brushes in that price range with more established reputations. I'll concur with what others have said, the EJ89 is a great first choice. Williams mug soap is a fine soap choice as well.

Find your shave angle, ensure you're using no pressure as you shave and remember that your razor does not have a rotating head...meaning you have to manage your blade angle. Don't be discouraged by nics, cuts and weepers. They happen to everyone starting out. Enjoy the ride and don't be afraid to come back with questions.

 

[deadcruiser]

IMHO the Stirling Boar brush is a fantastic bargain at $10...half of the badger brush you posted. There are plenty of great brushes in that price range with more established reputations. I'll concur with what others have said, the EJ89 is a great first choice. Williams mug soap is a fine soap choice as well.

Find your shave angle, ensure you're using no pressure as you shave and remember that your razor does not have a rotating head...meaning you have to manage your blade angle. Don't be discouraged by nics, cuts and weepers. They happen to everyone starting out. Enjoy the ride and don't be afraid to come back with questions.

Already ordered this guy

Thanks for the confirmation on the EJ89 guys. Sounds like I'm all set! NowI just need to wait for my stuff to arrive and get to practicing!

 

[Pattorashu]

Obligatory Welcome post!

Welcome to the B&B lol!

 

[brandaves]

Already ordered this guy

Thanks for the confirmation on the EJ89 guys. Sounds like I'm all set! NowI just need to wait for my stuff to arrive and get to practicing!

That's a very fine boar brush and I'm sure it will serve you well. Congrats on the journey and welcome to B&B!

 

[deadcruiser]

EJ89

I think it's a DE89, actually. Whoops.

 

[Invicta]

Welcome to B&B. The DE89 and Astra SP are a good combination.

 

[deadcruiser]

Welcome to B&B. The DE89 and Astra SP are a good combination.

Good to hear! Thank you!

Just for fun I'm looking at maybe picking up a vintage Gillette Super Speed. There's zillions of them on ebay but I'm hoping to get lucky and find one in a local antique store.

 

[Luc]

Thanks for the warm welcome!

I asked a few questions in my post, did you have any thoughts on those?

You got great advice! I would simply said:

Make sure you don’t apply any pressure, let the razor work.

Your prep is very important, i shave right after a shower. I soap my beard when I jump in and rinse it just before I get out. Practice your lather, it needs to be close to a Greek yogurt consistency. Finally go slow and take your time.

A DE is usually easier to use than a straight. When you get used to the straight razor, it will become a preference more than anything.

If you can sharpen your own straight razor that’s excellent. It can be good to have someone else home it for you to get a reference point. Different stones can produce different edges(the honer and razor too).

 

[pk_]

DE 89 is solid. I pulled mine out the other day and had a fantastic shave. As for soaps, really anything you can buy from vendors like Maggards, Italian Barber or West Coast Shaving is gonna be great. Take a look at the favorite soaps of 2019 thread I started a couple days ago and you will see a lot of names that people like. There are so many great products out there. Keep it simple to start and make sure you enjoy it. Then you can go crazy and buy loads of stuff like most of us here! I love that was once a chore and a mundane task has become a hobby and an enjoyable daily ritual that allows me to relax and feel great.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[deadcruiser]

Thanks fellas

 

[BigJ]

Welcome aboard!

 

[deadcruiser]

I just realized EJ89 and DE89 are the same thing lol. EJ = Edwin Jagger. My 4 month old son has turned my brain into mush. Sleep deprivation is a hell of a drug. Thanks again all for the advice and words of welcome.

 

[NickCutlip]

Welcome to the forum !!

 

[dmshaver]

Welcome to B & B, enjoy!

 

[deadcruiser]

Thanks! My EJ89 hasn't even arrived yet and I'm already looking at picking up a Feather Popular or a Gillette Super Speed, lol. I have a pretty strong basic urge to collect things, and now I'm interested in DE razors, so we'll see how it goes...

 

[deadcruiser]

Ok, so I got my Edwin Jagger in the mail today and I couldn't wait to get my Astras so I popped in one of the Derby Extras that came with the razor and went to town. I am floored. Once I figured out the proper angle for the thing it just glided across my skin taking hair off. I went with the grain for my first pass and against for my second. I nicked myself exactly once on my neck during my second pass, and there is none of the burn I get using the electric. What impressed me the most is how smooth it got my neck with so little effort. Moreover, it was fun!

 

[pk_]

Ok, so I got my Edwin Jagger in the mail today and I couldn't wait to get my Astras so I popped in one of the Derby Extras that came with the razor and went to town. I am floored. Once I figured out the proper angle for the thing it just glided across my skin taking hair off. I went with the grain for my first pass and against for my second. I nicked myself exactly once on my neck during my second pass, and there is none of the burn I get using the electric. What impressed me the most is how smooth it got my neck with so little effort. Moreover, it was fun!

It only gets better! Keep at it. Glad to hear of the early success. The shaves are so much better!

 

[deadcruiser]

It only gets better! Keep at it. Glad to hear of the early success. The shaves are so much better!

My wife agrees! I don't think my cheeks have been this smooth since I was a kid!

 

[deadcruiser]

Second shave couldn't possibly have been more different from the first. Positively butchered myself. Not sure what went wrong but I'll keep working at it...

 

[deadcruiser]

3rd shave went much better. Think I just didn't get a good lather from the Williams puck and the razor was not gliding. Went make to my American Crew shave cream, popped in a new Astra SP blade, and took it slow. Still managed to nick myself under my nostril where maneuvering the head of my razor becomes difficult, but I'm sure I'll get better with practice. Won a PIF for a sampler of blades which is just awesome, so I'll be able to try out some new stuff.

Thanks again all for your encouragement and advice.