Welcome to B&B! Your face will let you know, but I shave everyday.
Well, you're off to a great start for sure! Merkur 34C was (almost) my first razor as well. I did have a Gillette slim before the Merkur, but I wanted a razor that was more new-user friendly. My only other suggestion would be a razor blade sample pack so you can experience some different ones. Have fun!So I'm going to try keeping a log of my adventures with wet shaving. Posting here occasionally with my methods and results, and seeing where I can improve.
I'm looking into a pre-shave cream
I’m about 5 weeks in to DE shaving and the past two weeks have been having excellent shaves. For me, the secret to the chin is quick, short strokes. Too much curve to keep the blade aligned to my face on a long stroke. But I get nice and close using a series of short strokes.Couple questions for y'all, how do you handle shaving one's chin? Been a problem area for me, having to go ATG to get it smoother. There's some snagging involved, despite a decent lather. Angle might be an issue, though I seem to be improving every time I shave.
This was with a fresh Merkur platinum blade. Those don't last long against my sandpaper chin/neck. I'll try a Gillete Nacet tomorrow.
Got myself a new brush (G5C w/ AP400 handle courtesy of AP Shave Co.). A bit heavier than the Omega brush I started with, holds a lot of soap in the bristles. That lather I started with got better over time at least.
A fresh blade helps a lot, I'm slowly working on smoothing the rough spots on my chin/jawline. Out of the two blades I've tried so far, the Nacet blades perform better. I can get two, maybe three shaves with them before they start to get dull. I've got a pack of Feathers I'm going to try after running out of Nacets.
I'll keep toying with cold shaving and see if it helps.
Thanks everyone.
The alum block can be used any time, the styptic is for nicks. They are different types of alum, the later being stronger acting.1- Regarding alum use, should one apply alum wherever you shaved, or just use it for occasional nicks/cuts?
Yes! But be warned, you might end up buying multiple bowls as an2- Is it ok to not rinse out a lather bowl after shaving? There tends to be a lot left after my shaving session, and I don't like to waste things if I can avoid it.
As has been mentioned before, those photogenic lathers are not the best to shave with. I have thought about making a lather for a shoot and then going back and adding more water to shave. I know one person here(@Chard52142), if he sees this, who is well know for his soft serve lather shots. You can add certain chemicals and turn the bowl upside down, etc.3. How do people get those blobs of lather on their brushes that look like soft-serve ice cream? Is it a matter of one's brush/soap and experience shaving? I can work up a slick creamy lather in my bowl that gets the job done, but nothing that impressive.
No, that is a sure way to have a musty brush. Travel tubes are cheap and sometimes included with a high end brush. You can probably find some info to DIY if you want, it needs to have holes to vent and not squish the knot too tight. Remember, depending on how hectic your schedule is, a brush might never fully dry. You probably want to take it out at the first opportunity to give it some air. But in the past, people didn't worry about this at home and the brushes still lasted a good while. Also maybe use brush cleaner after the trip just in case you bring home some new organisms.4. What's the best way to transport a brush when traveling? Plastic bag good enough? I'm going out of state next month, and want to bring my shaving tools along.
I can shave every day now, but only because I have learned to go easy with the pressure, use an unaggressive razor (your Merkur should fit the bill), take the time to build a good lather in a bowl, (face lather didn't work for me) and I do a double whammy after shaving. First I use an Alum block and then about 15-20 mins later, before leaving for work, I use some aftershave. I sometimes even use the alum block again in the evening.So is it better to keep shaving daily, or wait a day or two to let one's skin/hair recover?