Second time attempting Wet shaving. Help me stick.

[roshsr]

Hello everyone,

This is my second attempt at wet shaving. I tried it for three months last year because my plastic blades just weren’t cutting it. I know wet shaving is the way to go, but I'm having trouble with the amount of time it takes and the number of passes needed. Here’s what I did the first time, before giving up, along with my new plans.

**First Problem: Taking Too Long**
- I used Sterling soap, a mug, and a brush, but it took so long to build a lather that it became annoying. My schedule doesn’t allow for 15-20 minutes of shaving.
- This time, I plan to use a cream tube, which I used with plastic blade shaving, hoping it will make things easier initially.
- I also plan to lather directly on my face.

**Second Problem: Too Many Passes**
- I used an Edwin Jagger 89, but the blade gap felt too low, requiring me to scrape hard and make multiple passes.
- I tried not to apply pressure, using just the weight of the blade, which helped, but there was hardly any blade contact.
- I noticed a lot of lather was being scraped away because of the blade's safety.
- I believe I have good control and can handle a less safe blade. I plan to start with an open comb blade like Yaqi Mellon or Parker semi slant.

Thoughts and advice?

 

[roshsr]

I just watched this video and realized I’ve been loading the brush way too little. Lots to learn.

 

[BigJ]

Welcome back!

I suggest you read through the WiKi and watch a few more videos.

 

[JustJames]

Welcome back. I'm still learning too.
If I may offer some thoughts, which I hope will not offend you - just some ideas that I have acquired over the past year. I like my EJ89 and have learned how to get a very nice shave but I do not chase BBS.

Wet Shaving requires time, especially in the beginning. Making too many changes slows the learning process down. Try the same setup for at lease a week or two before you change one part of the equation.

1. See if you can arrange your schedule, or time for a shave, to allow you to relax and work unhurried. It makes my experience more enjoyable and less stressful.
2. I prefer soaps, but creams involve less work (faster). I use a synthetic brush which does not require soaking time and less clean-up time.
3. During an off time, no rush, practice making a lather - not for shaving, just for practice then toss it out. As you get the process down and the correct lather consistency, then it takes less time when you need to shave.
4. If a "perfect" shave is not required for your work, see if you can get by with just one pass or one pass and clean up. You can work on closer shaves on days off or weekends.

I wish you luck, as you gain more experience and prefect your technique, I believe that you will begin to see why so many guys enjoy wet shaving. Please let us know how you progress.

 

[Coler]

My schedule doesn’t allow for 15-20 minutes of shaving.

Hello and welcome!

Everyone is different but you may need to reconsider your time allocation. I've been enjoying traditional wet shaving a while now, and I take about 15 minutes per shave, without rushing but not lingering over it either. Generally three passes.

I *could* do in 9 or 10 but the extra 5 minutes doesn't really signify. If it takes 20 that doesn't kill me either.

I shave in the morning before work, after a (quick) warm shower. It's just a matter of making sure I get up early enough to allow for my morning routine

Good luck with it. I find it to be worth the effort, such as it is.

 

[DrStrange]

If time is of the essence:

In the shower:
1) soap your face
2) shave

I do it with no brush, no mirror.

 

[gpjoe]

Welcome back. I'm still learning too.
If I may offer some thoughts, which I hope will not offend you - just some ideas that I have acquired over the past year. I like my EJ89 and have learned how to get a very nice shave but I do not chase BBS.

Wet Shaving requires time, especially in the beginning. Making too many changes slows the learning process down. Try the same setup for at lease a week or two before you change one part of the equation.

1. See if you can arrange your schedule, or time for a shave, to allow you to relax and work unhurried. It makes my experience more enjoyable and less stressful.
2. I prefer soaps, but creams involve less work (faster). I use a synthetic brush which does not require soaking time and less clean-up time.
3. During an off time, no rush, practice making a lather - not for shaving, just for practice then toss it out. As you get the process down and the correct lather consistency, then it takes less time when you need to shave.
4. If a "perfect" shave is not required for your work, see if you can get by with just one pass or one pass and clean up. You can work on closer shaves on days off or weekends.

I wish you luck, as you gain more experience and prefect your technique, I believe that you will begin to see why so many guys enjoy wet shaving. Please let us know how you progress.

Lots of great advice here.

Use a cream, spread a bit onto your beard with your fingertips and face lather with a damp brush, adding water to the brush tips as needed.

A "work shave" does not need be a BBS shave. I used to do a single pass WTG with a cartridge razorfor a socially acceptable shave that was suitable for work. With time, as your skills improve, you will get faster and may add multiple passes for a closer shave.

You can work on your technique with more leisurely shaves on your off days.

 

[Phoenixkh]

Hello everyone,

This is my second attempt at wet shaving. I tried it for three months last year because my plastic blades just weren’t cutting it. I know wet shaving is the way to go, but I'm having trouble with the amount of time it takes and the number of passes needed. Here’s what I did the first time, before giving up, along with my new plans.

**First Problem: Taking Too Long**
- I used Sterling soap, a mug, and a brush, but it took so long to build a lather that it became annoying. My schedule doesn’t allow for 15-20 minutes of shaving.
- This time, I plan to use a cream tube, which I used with plastic blade shaving, hoping it will make things easier initially.
- I also plan to lather directly on my face.

**Second Problem: Too Many Passes**
- I used an Edwin Jagger 89, but the blade gap felt too low, requiring me to scrape hard and make multiple passes.
- I tried not to apply pressure, using just the weight of the blade, which helped, but there was hardly any blade contact.
- I noticed a lot of lather was being scraped away because of the blade's safety.
- I believe I have good control and can handle a less safe blade. I plan to start with an open comb blade like Yaqi Mellon or Parker semi slant.

Thoughts and advice?

Lots of good advice already, as has been mentioned. I just recently got a SS Yaqi Mellon. It is a lower medium range efficiency for me, so it might be worth your time to try. In that same range and in the lower to medium price bracket, you might consider the Good Fellas Bayonetta and the Rocnel brass Elite (when it comes back in stock).

For me, all three are efficient enough, yet smooth and comfortable. I prefer the DE blades right under the Feathers for sharpness, like the Nacets and Perma-Sharps.

Edit: the Yaqi Chippendale handle and stand is a nice match with the Mellon.

 

[njpaddy]

I couldn't wake up and shave in 15-20 minutes. I couldn't even do that with a cart, before retirement, without wife and 2 daughters needing the bathroom for work and school. I always shaved in the evening or just before bed. That was my ME-time to relax and take my time.

 

[sternej]

Hello everyone,

This is my second attempt at wet shaving. I tried it for three months last year because my plastic blades just weren’t cutting it. I know wet shaving is the way to go, but I'm having trouble with the amount of time it takes and the number of passes needed. Here’s what I did the first time, before giving up, along with my new plans.

**First Problem: Taking Too Long**
- I used Sterling soap, a mug, and a brush, but it took so long to build a lather that it became annoying. My schedule doesn’t allow for 15-20 minutes of shaving.
- This time, I plan to use a cream tube, which I used with plastic blade shaving, hoping it will make things easier initially.
- I also plan to lather directly on my face.

**Second Problem: Too Many Passes**
- I used an Edwin Jagger 89, but the blade gap felt too low, requiring me to scrape hard and make multiple passes.
- I tried not to apply pressure, using just the weight of the blade, which helped, but there was hardly any blade contact.
- I noticed a lot of lather was being scraped away because of the blade's safety.
- I believe I have good control and can handle a less safe blade. I plan to start with an open comb blade like Yaqi Mellon or Parker semi slant.

Thoughts and advice?

If you don't have fifteen minutes to shave, DE shaving may not be for you. Might want to stick with carts

 

[NorthernSoul]

Face lather since it is faster and gives good results. Your brush should hold all the lather you need for two to three passes. You don't need thick clouds of lather, just a fairly thin, slick layer.

Two passes, plus a few touch-ups is enough to get a close shave.

You can learn to shave fairly quickly, about 10 minutes with practice.

Just treat shaving as a task, not a luxury experience.

 

[StewB]

Make sure your angle isn't too steep. Start with the razor handle horizontal and lower it until you can tell it will cut. Use a light touch. Getting the angle exactly right takes some practice.

 

[psfred]

Lol, slick is all that counts in shaving lather, nothing else. Soap is there to lubricate your skin so the edge of the blade slides without scraping. The density and amount of lather in that video suggests to me that it will be very sticky, the exact opposite of what you want. Thin, wet lather does the trick -- I feel that if you need to rinse the blade during a pass you have too much soap on your face. Only enough lather to remain wet and slick is all you need. Apply more if it dries out too much.

It should not take more time to shave with a DE than a cartridge, you can actually get a perfectly acceptable shave in one pass once you get some practice, and I very rarely do more than two. I spend maybe 15 minutes doing a two pass shave.

Practice helps -- if you are pushed for time during the week, use some time on weekends to practice a slow and careful shave. Once you can get an acceptable shave, you will be able to speed up. Rushing while learning isn't gonna work well!

 

[musicman1951]

Taking too long: It will definitely get faster over time. Loading soap/cream and building lather time depends on both the product and your technique - I think mostly as it pertains to the amount of water you leave in the brush. MdC takes me 5 seconds to load and under a minute to build lather. You don't have my brush or water, but face lathering or bowl lathering need not be an arduous task. It does take a little experimenting to find the best amount of water to leave in the brush and how long to load, but I generally run about 1.5 to 2 minutes in a scuttle. It definitely takes me less than ten minutes to shave.

"Requiring me to scrape hard" literally made me shudder. I hope this is just semantics, but please never scrape hard - or at all. It certainly is possible that your razor isn't aggressive enough, or needs a sharper blade. My best guess is that you might need a different razor angle while shaving - with as light a pressure as you can muster.

 

[VerbaVolant]

...I used an Edwin Jagger 89...

Can you post a picture of your DE89 with a blade in (assembled)?

 

[MrSpeedy]

Consider face lathering to skip a step. Just load the brush from the tub of soap and lather on your face. Bonus - it helps get the soap under your whiskers.

As mentioned above, post a picture of your razor with the blade in it. It's possible you have the base plate upside-down. Don't worry - you wouldn't be the first.

 

[Phoenixkh]

I usually set aside 45 minutes for a shave, but that's because I shave in the evenings and it's much easier to set aside that amount of time. The actually shaving takes me about ten minutes or less. The remaining 35 minutes is a shower, making the pre-shave lather with a brush, making the shaving lather in a bowl.... and the cleaning of the brushes and razors. I use two razors for every shave as my Claymore Evolution gets a few pesky whiskers that grow right next to my nose and up into the nostrils better than any other razor I own.

If I'm pushed for time, I just hand lather both the pre-shave and shaving cream on... I still have to clean the razors but that takes a couple minutes... Cleaning and towel drying my brushes takes the majority of cleanup time. If I take a shower and hand lather, I can get out the door in 20 minutes, including putting on my clothes and shoes.

 

[CP2]

If you don't have fifteen minutes to shave, DE shaving may not be for you. Might want to stick with carts

I think it's quite well possible to shave with DE in the same amount of time as carts.

To roshr:
Can you shave at another moment, e.g. at evening to spend more time?
Indeed face lather instead of using a mug.
Is cream really faster than soap? It must be a few seconds i guess.
With the right tools and technic two passes will do for a DFS.

If you feel the need for scraping hard, try a different angle or you better use sharper blades.

Three months DE-shaving is not much i think.
You might see improvements and learn to shave in less time after these three months.

 

[Frito Ray]

For quick shaves, I use canned foam. The Proraso family is my favorite by far. Just make sure you wash your face with soap and water first, then apply foam to a wet face, massage in, and wait at least a minute before starting to shave.

As to picking up speed for the actual shave, it just takes practice.

 

[emwolf]

For the taking to long aspect, I have certain practices that get abbreviated as I get pressed for time. I generally spend a good 20 minutes fully shaving my face and head, from building the lather to the final rinse. If I'm really short on time I may use canned foam, or do a single pass. Multiple passes give me the commercial finish where I'm BBS or darn near. I don't need that, I just like that feel. A single pass will give a shave that will be socially acceptable. Also, I might skip shaving the head as that can go a couple days without looking too scruffy.