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The Evolution of a B&B Wet Shave Enthusiast

In the early 80s, when I started shaving, I borrowed my grandfather's adjustable Gillette razor and whatever blades he had on hand, which to my recollection, were also Gillette in the metal dispenser. He used shaving cream in a tube and a brush of brands I do not remember. Eventually, I started using a Trac II, a decent shave, and I still have a Trac II handle and razors for my travel Dopp kit. As time passed, I tried Bic disposables and Gillette disposables (Good News, I believe) before the trend to add more and more blades to a cartridge began. Like most, I was drawn to the marketing propaganda and couldn't wait to try cartridges with the latest gizmo. At one point, I got the vibrating head version of a five-blade cartridge in a gift bag, and for a few short weeks, I thought I'd reached shaving nirvana. However, I couldn't get more than one or two decent shaves from those cartridges before shaving was a tugging, painful endeavor. In the small town I lived in, blades at the grocery store were $34 for a package (I can't remember if that was four or eight blades), and I grew weary of the business model being pushed on men.

From late 2012 to early 2013, I found Badger & Blade, and while I did not register as a participant, I learned a lot about wet shaving, which brought back fond memories of using my grandfather's razor and the smell of his shaving soap and Old Spice aftershave. I researched, ordered a Semogue Owners Club Badger brush, an Above the Tie R plate razor, and some Proraso shaving cream with a sample pack of blades, and began my journey! Eventually, I switched to Mitchell's Wool Fat, added D R Harris Arlington Aftershave Milk, and settled on Feather blades. Candidly, I could have easily gone the rest of my life using that setup, and I saved a significant amount of money over the last decade sticking with those products for my regular shave.

Recently, I got the itch to try a different head on my trusty ATT Atlas handle and then quickly spiraled deep into the rabbit hole. With a few ATT head and handle options, brushes, shaving soaps, and aftershave arriving soon, as well as a couple of SE, and DE blade options on hand, any thoughts of my shaving routine being a money saver have flown the coop. Although I have enough on hand, with some gentlemanly restraint, that I need not purchase anything for some time. I have more combinations available than I could realistically test appropriately over a year.

As I've grown older, I appreciate the finer details of my crazy life and have slowed down in taking it all in. Shaving doesn't take me particularly long, and I don't waste time luxuriating in my bathroom building a lather. But, I appreciate the zen-like routine and, of late, enjoy the scents associated with my shave. Every soap and lotion I use is unscented, and I do not wear cologne, so the scent of my shave soap or aftershave is my only additional scent. Whether my scent comes from a fine English Company, Italian, or a US based artisan, it is comforting knowing my choices are different than the vast mojority, and unique to my tastes. I lean towards lighter scents but have enough new products heading my way that I may be venturing into more pronounced aromas!

On another note, I have started wearing more jewelry beyond my trusty Seiko watches due to appreciating the minor details. Whether it is a watch, my 1879 Morgan Silver Dollare coin ring, or the finer details of a shaving routine, I find satisfaction in the process and an expression of individualism that seems lost in much of society today. Am I saving money? On a cost per shave basis, yes. From a shaving aquisition disorder viewpoint, no. However, I get immense satisfaction from my routine, and interacting with like minded gentleman here at Badger & Blade is a wonderful part of the equation.

Thank you for sharing your knowledge and being so welcoming as I share parts of my shaving journey!
 
Welcome to B&B!

Your process of lurking, finding what worked for you, and then eventually scratching that itch is what makes B&B one of the best websites. You have found what works for you and that's what counts! Looking forward to your future posts.

marty
 
But, I appreciate the zen-like routine and, of late, enjoy the scents associated with my shave. Every soap and lotion I use is unscented, and I do not wear cologne, so the scent of my shave soap or aftershave is my only additional scent. Whether my scent comes from a fine English Company, Italian, or a US based artisan, it is comforting knowing my choices are different than the vast mojority, and unique to my tastes. I lean towards lighter scents but have enough new products heading my way that I may be venturing into more pronounced aromas!
Whether it can be classified as an acquisition disorder or simply elevating my presentation, I have ordered a few different cologne, Eau de Toilette and Eau de Parfum options to try out! The last time I wore cologne was Drakkar Noir in high school, and I'm not sure that was an appropriate fragrance for me. As a kid, I didn't understand cologne, and it did not fit into my overall presentation well. This time, I purchased small bottles of some of the popular and respected variants so I could try them at my leisure to find which works and which does not. Buying fragrances blind is a leap of faith, but my experience has shown the process to be more complicated than smelling samples in a store. This should be fun!

I am starting with D R Harris Arlington since I have used that aftershave for years. I've also added Polo Green, Floris no89, Acqua di Parma Colonia, Hermes Terre d'Hermes, and Sauvage Dior. While I am not sure all of these will necessarily work for me, they are all fragrances I am interested in, and it will be good to be familiar with them as I venture deeper down the fragrance path.
 
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I am starting with D R Harris Arlington since I have used that aftershave for years. I've also added Polo Green, Floris no89, Acqua di Parma Colonia, Hermes Terre d'Hermes, and Sauvage Dior. While I am not sure all of these will necessarily work for me, they are all fragrances I am interested in, and it will be good to be familiar with them as I venture deeper down the fragrance path.
I hope you found a fragrance decant company and didn't buy whole bottles... 😬
 
I hope you found a fragrance decant company and didn't buy whole bottles... 😬
I bought small bottles, but they were not necessarily cheap. I will either BST them if they don't work out or PIF. Some of the samples, like Acqua di Parma, cost enough that buying the smallest bottle was not much more. FragranceX pricing and the coupon I had kept things in check to some degree.
 

Phoenixkh

I shaved a fortune
@RRGGMM , welcome to the B&B community. I'm glad you decided to join so we can enjoy your process with you.

At my age, I was glad I found SE and DE razors to enjoy after decades with Gillette cartridge shaving. I have smooth, comfortable and close shaves. I'm sure you do as well. That is the goal for me.

I don't do well with scented soaps and have found several unscented soaps to my liking, thx to B&B. What a lovely community we have here. I hope you enjoy your visits here. I know I do.
 
@RRGGMM , welcome to the B&B community. I'm glad you decided to join so we can enjoy your process with you.

At my age, I was glad I found SE and DE razors to enjoy after decades with Gillette cartridge shaving. I have smooth, comfortable and close shaves. I'm sure you do as well. That is the goal for me.

I don't do well with scented soaps and have found several unscented soaps to my liking, thx to B&B. What a lovely community we have here. I hope you enjoy your visits here. I know I do.
I didn't think I liked scented soaps until I smelled what I ordered from SV! Who knows? Maybe I'll pass them on over time, but I appreciate the complexity of the fragrances and am looking forward to adding something different to my routine.
 

Phoenixkh

I shaved a fortune
I didn't think I liked scented soaps until I smelled what I ordered from SV! Who knows? Maybe I'll pass them on over time, but I appreciate the complexity of the fragrances and am looking forward to adding something different to my routine.
I have psoriatic arthritis and my dermatologist suggested I stay with unscented soaps for shaving ... same with the shower cleaning choices. They are working quite well for me. I have fewer red bumps showering and shaving.

Fortunately for me, I have a poor sense of smell as well. That saves me money on searching for the perfect scented soap. I'm well on the way finding the right brushes and razors I find pleasurable. It will be one year on March 1st since I found B&B. It's been a nice year.
 
After working from home all day, I had an afternoon shower and my first shave with SV Desert Vetiver shaving soap, aftershave, and my first use of the Chubby 2 Platinum Synthetic brush. I added some hot water to the soap as the instructions suggest, mostly to help secure the puck into the tin, and soaked the brush in hot water as I do with my badger brush. Before working up a lather, I shook out the brush until it was damp and poured off the water from the soap. The first thing I noticed is the synthetic brush doesn't seem to hold heat as well as the badger, but that didn't prevent loading the brush. As always, I finished the lather on my face and had no issues working up a nice, thick lather. I used my old ATT razor with a Feather blade that had been used once before. The SV soap is far less aromatic in practice than a simple smell of the dry soap would indicate and is very pleasing. My shave was excellent! The only negative was that the soap clogs my razor more than MWF, which is a minor issue. I only had one minor weeper that went away once I used my Osma Block. After one use, I'd say the SV soap is at least as good as MWF, if not slicker. After drying my face, I applied Desert Vetiver aftershave, which smelled incredible and felt nice. Any worry of the fragrance being too intense was unfounded, and the residual fragrance is mild and wonderful.

I'll need more shaves to determine exactly how I feel, but the synthetic brush worked well. At this time, I can't say if it was better or worse than my Semogue badger brush, but I enjoyed the Chubby 2 dimensions and knot size, and the synthetic bristles work nicely. It will be interesting to compare my Manchurian Badger from Simpsons and the DO1 from Shavemac, as well as my Semogue, with the synthetic Chubby.

Since I only get two shaves from a Feather in my ATT R plate DE razor, I will set that head aside and spend more time with the X1, SSRH, and SSRH2 heads over the many subsequent shaves. I plan to use my 3" Atlas handle with the SSRH heads and the new 3.5" Calypso handle with the X1 head until I feel comfortable. Then, I will swap handles and see if I notice much difference.
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Hi,

Great story!

Yes, you have it figured out.

I began with a Pre-War Tech and a Rubberset brush from Dad when I was 15. I inherited my Grandfather's Old Type when I was 17. Used Yardley at first, then Old Spice soaps. Moved on to a cartridge razor and some cream when DE blades and Old Spice became unobtanium in the late 80s. Then found Med Prep blades at the surgical supply store and artisan soap circa 1990.

I didn't find B&B until 2011, but once I did I discovered Slants. Those were my game changer. Especially the first Fasan Double Slant in 2013. Between 2011 and 2014 I went a little razor crazy. But then I discovered the concept of the Restraint and I'm better now. ;)

Stan
 
I contemplated SR years ago, but maintaining a blade isn't something I'm interested in. And I am downright frightened about shaving my chin and neck with an SR!

I'm sure @rbscebu will be around any moment to applaud your decision and again deliver a lengthy warning about the dangers of SRs, despite shaving daily with a SR and having a significant collection himself. One would almost think his efforts to dissuade others from SR shaving is to stifle demand in the antique razor secondary market, and hence influence prices to decrease or stay the same so he can purchase more razors for himself for less money. But that's the conspiracy theorist in me...
 

Star_Wahl_Clipper_Treker

Likes a fat handle in his hand
Since I joined B&B 10-months ago, I went from just ordering a new professional Wahl clipper, to becoming a traditional wet shaver in short order. I originally joined to get info on hair clippers, but with all the talk of DE shaving, and the successes people were having doing it, I guess I just wondered what all the fuss was about. I began my foyay into traditional wet shaving, using a Feather AS-D2 razor, a bowl puk of Tabac, and a literal garbage pure badger brush, that smelled like it came from the back end of a wet dog.

Despite the brush being terrible, a shampoo soaking later to get rid of the smell, I began working a lather on my face. While the brush having the least amount of fibers possible, I still managed to get a preview into what it was like, to get a facial massage, by lathering up the soap. This was the moment where I thought to myself, you know what GeoFatBoy, you might be right. lol.

I discovered through this process though, that I really needed a better brush, thats when I got my Maseto Avatar Silver Tipped Badger brush after that, and the fiber density of that brush, put my first brush to shame so bad, it cowered in fear at the shear size of the Maseto's 30mm knot, it ran under the sink, and hid in the shadows. I also discovered through experience, that I didn't like loading up some from the puk, as this process always takes me forever to do with a brush.

Instead, what I do now days, is I take a bouillon teaspoon, and I scoop up the soap from the puk to an even amount, and place that soap into a shaving bowl, for which I have several, from both Captains Choice, and Cayune Workshop. I place a couple teaspoons of water into the bowl, and I begin working up a lather. This is of course if I have plenty of time, and can have a luxurious shave. If I don't have plenty of time, I will just use a shaving stick or brushless cream, and do a facial lather instead, and use my Henson AL13 razor for quick shaving.

As my shaving technique improved, and my interests in other razors became apparent, it wasn't long before I had realized, that I could get a better shave, if I tried out different razors and blades. I got tired of the Feather AS-D2 razor, because it was taking forever to get me to a BBS shave, and it was giving me irritation to get there, and sometimes nicks and weepers.

Razors I've Bought...

Feather AS-D2 = Kind Of Bad
Yaqi Mellon Head = Kind Of Bad
Rex Ambassador = Better Efficiency But Not Smooth
Merkur Futur = Better Efficiency And Smooth
Timeless Titanium TI95 = Awesome Efficiency And Smooth
Henson AL13 Medium = Great But Is Blade Dependent For Efficiency
Gillette 195 Fatboy = Awesome Razor & Amazingly Smooth
PAA Copper Ascension = My Best Shaving Razor With Supreme Smoothness

Razors I've Won...

Merkur 37C Slant = Surprisingly Efficient And Smooth
Gillette Red SuperSpeed = Terrible Shave Tore Up My Face (Discovered The Razor Requires A Restoration TuneUp As Well As Replating!)

I would say my favorite brush for facial lathering only, is my Maseto Avatar brush. My favorite brush out of pure necessity, for scuttle lathering usage, is my Omega 636 Silver Tipped Badger brush. Scuttles have such small lather spots, that there is just not enough room to use a larger brush in, you really want to keep it down to 21mm or smaller knot sizes for scuttles. I had a go with an APSHAVECO Lagoon brush with a 24mm G5C knot, my first synthetic. Yeah, it got the job done, but its springy nature puts me off most times using it. When you sling soap lather into the mirror or across the room, you will get what I mean.

Other then that, I suppose it does the job, but it was clear that it wasn't going to with the synthetic awards for me. So, wanting to try again, I spent more money this time, and I got a Cayune Workshop Dark Nebula 26mm B&W Tuxedo synthetic knot, what a world of difference that is! I had the artist set the knot lower to secure supreme backbone. But its also got supreme softness from the brush tips. And the density of the brush, made this my best synthetic candidate to actually compete against a silver tipped badger brush.

I only got 4 brushes, don't need anything more. Captains Choice Starry Night bowl & Scuttle are my favorite CC bowl equipment. I got my first plastic urethane resin bowl when I got my Cayune Workshop Dark Nebula bowl, I ended up loving it, and I use it quite often. Thankfully, I also only needed 4 bowls to make a final choice in which I love best as well lol. I went from storing razors in individual stands, to a 5-razor and 5-brush stand made by an artist on etsy, out of a cherry dark wood.

I went from storing everything on my counter and under the sink, to installing shelves to store my shave soaps and aftershaves, which cleared important counter space. I went from Tabac, to Proraso, To Caties Bubbles, to Captains Choice, until I finally settled on Stirling for my favorite artisans soaps. I like Arko & Speick for shaving sticks.

In regards to blades, I am really not that picky, but I got a ton of them!

Feathers
Bics
Nacets
Astras
Gillette 7 O Clock GREENS
Gillette Platinums
Gillette Silver Blues
Wizamets

So far the blades that have been my favorites in most of my razors, are Wizamets. This is because Wizamets are sharp and smooth.

I learned the ways of the alum block early in my wet shaving journey, for if it wasn't for alum, my face would never be OK, after using the Feather AS-D2 on my face. I also later discovered aftershaves, and went down a bit of a rabbit hole in collecting several of those, between aftershave splashes, and balms, I have had pretty good experiences with them. I only have one dedicated witch hazel though from Thayers.

And for those times when we get weepers, I also learned the ways of the Styptic stick. I got Pinaud Clubman jumbo stypic sticks, and they can seal a weeper before you have to meet the reaper, and for how cheap they cost, its better then sticking a bandaid to your face and walking around making people think you wearing a facial costume for Halloween.

So thats pretty much been my entire story on my evolution as a traditional wet shaver. Like most, you start out small, and work your way up, until you are so far down the rabbit hole, there is no way back out. HAHA! :letterk1:
 
Since I joined B&B 10-months ago, I went from just ordering a new professional Wahl clipper, to becoming a traditional wet shaver in short order. I originally joined to get info on hair clippers, but with all the talk of DE shaving, and the successes people were having doing it, I guess I just wondered what all the fuss was about.
Great evolution in a short ten months! Kudos to you, and thanks for sharing your journey.

I have cut my hair for several years, and last year upgraded my clippers after I got tangled in the cord of my old Whal clippers, and they detonated on my tile floor. I purchased a cordless Senior Whal clipper and the upgraded attachments with the metal attachment point. I also purchased a zero-gap, cordless Retro T trimmer for the back of my neck. I use a mirror in one hand to see the back of my neck in the wall-mounted mirror and shave/trim with the other. The yoga involved has helped the flexibility in my trashed shoulders and developed coordination I didn't think was possible! The professional Whal clippers and trimmers are well worth the modest investment, and cordless is a game-changer!

I'd imagine a few B&B members cut their hair, but I haven't searched that part of the forum yet.
 

Star_Wahl_Clipper_Treker

Likes a fat handle in his hand
Great evolution in a short ten months! Kudos to you, and thanks for sharing your journey.

I have cut my hair for several years, and last year upgraded my clippers after I got tangled in the cord of my old Whal clippers, and they detonated on my tile floor. I purchased a cordless Senior Whal clipper and the upgraded attachments with the metal attachment point. I also purchased a zero-gap, cordless Retro T trimmer for the back of my neck. I use a mirror in one hand to see the back of my neck in the wall-mounted mirror and shave/trim with the other. The yoga involved has helped the flexibility in my trashed shoulders and developed coordination I didn't think was possible! The professional Whal clippers and trimmers are well worth the modest investment, and cordless is a game-changer!

I'd imagine a few B&B members cut their hair, but I haven't searched that part of the forum yet.

Thanks!

Yes, the haircare forum is the first place that I had looked on B&B, unfortunately, it rarely gets any posts, because most folks are into shaving, not cutting their own hair I suppose. But I cut my own hair to cut down on costs. Barbershops asks far too much money for a haircut these days, its just not worth going anymore, especially when some barbers due a half asked job, I don't appreciate that.

This is the clipper I got after coming to B&B, its called the Wahl Magic Clips, a professional clipper that can be used cordless or corded. I've used it a bunch of times now and I love it.
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The Wahl Senior that you spoke of, is also a high end quality professional clipper, that should give you no issues. Both the Magic Clips, and the Senior's, are both used in barbershops today. And if you ask any barber their opinion, many will speak of both models, if they don't speak on a different brand first.
 
Thanks!

Yes, the haircare forum is the first place that I had looked on B&B, unfortunately, it rarely gets any posts, because most folks are into shaving, not cutting their own hair I suppose. But I cut my own hair to cut down on costs. Barbershops asks far too much money for a haircut these days, its just not worth going anymore, especially when some barbers due a half asked job, I don't appreciate that.

This is the clipper I got after coming to B&B, its called the Wahl Magic Clips, a professional clipper that can be used cordless or corded. I've used it a bunch of times now and I love it.
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The Wahl Senior that you spoke of, is also a high end quality professional clipper, that should give you no issues. Both the Magic Clips, and the Senior's, are both used in barbershops today. And if you ask any barber their opinion, many will speak of both models, if they don't speak on a different brand first.
I've used my Senior and Retro T cordless clipper and trimmer for ~ one year now. The quality was a significant upgrade from the cheapo corded Whal clipper I had used for ten years before upgrading. I enjoy the money savings, but more importantly, I enjoy my haircut the way I like! I grew weary of paying for haircuts that required me to go home and fix them with my clippers. I have curly hair and have had terrible luck finding anyone who consistently does a decent job over the years. I've also had some do an ok job the first time, then seemingly get lazy and assume I'll pay for whatever work they do. Trimming my neck was the hardest to master, but now I am a pro. I usually trim the sides every three weeks, the top after 6-8 weeks, and touch up my sideburns and neck every week or so. I enjoy having a neat and clean haircut at all times instead of stretching between visits to get my haircut and looking shaggy. I believe clothing, presentation, and the finer details are essential as we age, so proficiency in cutting my hair fits my mantra.
 
Today I shaved with SV 70th soap, aftershave, and the ATT X1 with the second use of a Feather Pro blade. The 70th fragrance is very lovely but very mild. Compared with Desert Vetiver, I hardly notice the fragrance of the soap or the aftershave. Performance was equal to Desert Vetiver. Like with my R plate ATT razor, the SV soap clogs the X1 more than MWF, but it isn't that big a deal. The soap is so slick and performs so well I would never let the more clogged razor deter me from carrying on! Zero knicks or cuts from the X1 this time around. I am impressed by how close I can shave my chin without knicks.

By a considerable margin, I'd say the X1 is a milder shave than my DE ATT R plate. I am interested to see how many shaves I will get from a single blade in the X1, but if I were to guess based on today's shave, I would say four. The Platinum Synthetic Chubby 2 is a great brush, but after two shaves, I think I am partial to my badger Semogue. My next shave will be with D R Harris Marlborough soap, and I'll use the Chubby again to try the brush with a different soap. Once I try my Semogue again, I'll be able to make a better determination about how they compare, and at this time, it is probably the flop of my old Semogue that I miss. I am by no means down on the Chubby and think it works quite well, but it seems to lack character, if that makes any sense. Once I retire the Feather Pro from this round of shaves, I plan to try my new Windsor/SSRH head on my old Atlas handle. However, today's shave with the X1 and slightly longer Calypso handle felt very familiar, and I was wielding the X1 as if I had owned it for years. The X1 sports an impressive combination of traits in a razor!
 
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