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Older Noob Dipping toe in Wet Shaving

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mr teal

Hello All! Been lurking and learning here for a couple weeks.

Background- shaving only with electrics for 40+ years. Have heavy, gray, and somewhat coarse beard.

Just purchased 1st razor- King C Gillette for $10 at national drugstore with rebate/coupon(too good a deal to pass up)

because not a fan of heavy scents----thinking a Cella and/or Haslinger soap.

Basic Synthetic brush or Simpson T2.

Blades are the question....want to try a couple in order to keep it simple...Biggest fear-cuts and nicks
given beard type would like 3 types to start- all smooth but maybe suggestions for sharp, sharper, and sharpest. Have the 5 KCG blades that came with the razor which I hear good things about.

Looking forward to taking the plunge

Any Suggestions or advice welcome. Thanks in advance.
 
silverlifter

silverlifter

Welcome aboard! :badger:

Nicks and cuts are more related to technique than blades. Light pressure and not rushing will lessen the likelihood of damage to your skin, as well as a nice, hydrated lather. Don't fear the blade, but do respect it.

In terms of blades, start with a sampler. Some you might want to include: Gillette Perma-Sharp Supers, Gillette Silver Blues, Personna Lab Blues, Wizamet, and Timor. They are all sharp, and all work well on my old, grey beard.

Good luck on your journey! :)
 
sanookd

sanookd

mr teal said:
Hello All! Been lurking and learning here for a couple weeks.

Background- shaving only with electrics for 40+ years. Have heavy, gray, and somewhat coarse beard.

Just purchased 1st razor- King C Gillette for $10 at national drugstore with rebate/coupon(too good a deal to pass up)

because not a fan of heavy scents----thinking a Cella and/or Haslinger soap.

Basic Synthetic brush or Simpson T2.

Blades are the question....want to try a couple in order to keep it simple...Biggest fear-cuts and nicks
given beard type would like 3 types to start- all smooth but maybe suggestions for sharp, sharper, and sharpest. Have the 5 KCG blades that came with the razor which I hear good things about.

Looking forward to taking the plunge

Any Suggestions or advice welcome. Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...
Welcome to B&B.
I hope you learn the new skill of wet shaving here so that it becomes pleasurable for you.
I suggest you get a blade sample pack from one of the big vendors and also a stypic pencil if you’re worried about the inevitable nick, cut or weeper.
Who knows you might really enjoy this and be tempted to try a straight razor.
You will be amazed how much better a result you’ll get compared to an electric once you get the hang of it.
 
Eric_75

Eric_75

Not made for these times.
mr teal said:
Hello All! Been lurking and learning here for a couple weeks.

Background- shaving only with electrics for 40+ years. Have heavy, gray, and somewhat coarse beard.

Just purchased 1st razor- King C Gillette for $10 at national drugstore with rebate/coupon(too good a deal to pass up)

because not a fan of heavy scents----thinking a Cella and/or Haslinger soap.

Basic Synthetic brush or Simpson T2.

Blades are the question....want to try a couple in order to keep it simple...Biggest fear-cuts and nicks
given beard type would like 3 types to start- all smooth but maybe suggestions for sharp, sharper, and sharpest. Have the 5 KCG blades that came with the razor which I hear good things about.

Looking forward to taking the plunge

Any Suggestions or advice welcome. Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...
I remember when I started about a year and half ago with a King C. Gillette de razor and the King C. Gillette blades. Hope it works out for you!
 
Invicta

Invicta

Welcome to B&B.
mr teal said:
Just purchased 1st razor- King C Gillette for $10 at national drugstore with rebate/coupon(too good a deal to pass up)

because not a fan of heavy scents----thinking a Cella and/or Haslinger soap.
Click to expand...
That is a good razor to start with and a great deal.
Cella is easy to lather and readily available but I have not used Haslinger.
As for blades, Gillette Silver Blue, 7 O'Clock SharpEdge are worth a try. The KCG blades are similar to Gillette Platinum, I hear, and are very good blades.
 
PRobots

PRobots

Come on in, the water is fine..! Looks like you have a good starter set ready to go. I would definitely give the KCG blades that came with you razor a go first and maybe pick up a sample pack.

My only other suggestion is to stick with the same setup for a while as you are learning. I spent years with the same razor, brush, soap and blades etc. before really branching out.

Welcome aboard!
 
ackvil

ackvil

Welcome to B&B. As said above nicks, cuts, and irritation are usually the result of poor technique rather than equipment. Irritation usually is caused by poor blade angle and too much pressure on the razor.

The usual advice is to let the weight of the razor do the job - not put pressure on the blade. To put that in action I have found that using the two fingers and my thumb to hold the razor with another finger resting on the tip of the handle. This results in holding the razor very lightly with no pressure on the razor. You want to hold the razor as lightly as you can without it falling from your hand. I have found that using the right grip on your razor goes a long way in keeping pressure off of the blade. This post may help you. Also, take a look at this wiki.

As for blade angle look at the wiki.
 
Big_T

Big_T

Welcome!

For a couple of blades to try, I'd recommend Astra Superior Platinum, AKA Astra SP (green and white box), and Gillette Perma-Sharp (brown box, red on bottom).

I'll also recommend Proraso white AKA sensitive skin cream in the tube, it has practically no scent and is easy to lather.
 
BigHairyGobbler

BigHairyGobbler

I just started earlier this year and suggest trying both platinum-coated and un-coated blades. My face (or technique?) strongly favors platinum-coated blades like Gillete 7 O'Clock Yellow or Astra Superior Platinum and dislike s Feathers and Nacets for some reason.

I bought my razor from ItalianBarber so I made my own sampler kit consisting of Gillette Platinum Blue, Gillette 7OC Yellow, Feather, Nacet, Astra SP and maybe others then I later bought a 100-pack of Gillete 7OC Yellows as they were my favorite.
 
Possum092

Possum092

Welcome and have fun with your journey. So many great choices, amazing artisan soap makers, and razors on today’s market…a shavers paradise.
 
NorthernSoul

NorthernSoul

Sounds like you are on a good track. If you like the King C Gillette blades, you might like the Gillette Platinum blades, but there are many good blades out there. A blade sampler is a good idea. You can build your own if ordering from a place like Razor Blade Club. For soap, I'd suggest Cella in the green tub (Extra Extra Bio). It's made for sensitive skin. Haslinger is great also, I like the Haslinger Sensitive which is unscented. Most of the time, when people have a skin reaction to a soap, it is the fragrance components causing problems for them.
 
Last edited:
Eric_75

Eric_75

Not made for these times.
mr teal said:
Hello All! Been lurking and learning here for a couple weeks.

Background- shaving only with electrics for 40+ years. Have heavy, gray, and somewhat coarse beard.

Just purchased 1st razor- King C Gillette for $10 at national drugstore with rebate/coupon(too good a deal to pass up)

because not a fan of heavy scents----thinking a Cella and/or Haslinger soap.

Basic Synthetic brush or Simpson T2.

Blades are the question....want to try a couple in order to keep it simple...Biggest fear-cuts and nicks
given beard type would like 3 types to start- all smooth but maybe suggestions for sharp, sharper, and sharpest. Have the 5 KCG blades that came with the razor which I hear good things about.

Looking forward to taking the plunge

Any Suggestions or advice welcome. Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...
If you would like to try out a blade sampler from my own stock please let me know. I'll be happy to PIF some to you in honor of the kindness I've been shown by this community.
 
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