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The Wanderer's Guide To DE Shaving

Cal sent me here.

He is advising me on the specifics of steeper angle razor head use, pros and cons.

You have provided in this thread an easily digestible but highly detailed tutorial on complimentary and supporting information.

It is all greatly appreciated and hugely useful to new DE shavers and forum members like myself. I am working through the thread but your first posts nails much critical info.

Thanks to you and Cal, and others who offer wise and tested advice.

Cheers!
 

AimlessWanderer

Remember to forget me!
Glad to hear you found it useful :thumbup:

Apologies for not having wafted this under your nose before. I used to "greet" new members, with a link to this in their intro thread, but felt I might be "blowing my own trumpet" a bit too much, and haven't done it for a while. Nice to know it is still being shared, and helping folks find their footing though :thumbup1:
 
Hi Al
Should one stick to just one razor, learns it's characteristics and then go on to another? I only have 3, a EJ 89 with a short handle, (I favour short handles at the moment), a 1948-9 Gillette Superspeed (A nice machine) and an early 60's English Gillette Tech with the swirly aluminum handle. The tech is a very light razor.

I have been having good results with economic Gillette W/S Indians (Saloons they seem to be labelled) About £6 for 110 on Ebay. They have no vices, and I get up to 4 decent shaves from them. Should I begin to use more 'efficient' i.e sharper blades?

I must say I am having no appalling shaves. Some are below a BBS, the rest are falling around DFS. I have a tendency to obsess about getting a 'perfect shave' which lasts for about 72 hours. Absurd I know. I am getting good shaves at the DFS level at the moment which are socially acceptable for about 24 hours.

My blade angle is highly inconsistent at the moment, as is my pattern of shaving. I suspect my ATG pass would be better substituted for 2 WTG passes. At the moment I am doing 3 passes, though often i'm ok with 2.

I am using Arko shaving sticks with a very cheap but efficient brush (Ebay again) that appears to be either a synthetic or Chinese badger. I am getting good lathering results. I am mostly using this combination at the moment.
 

AimlessWanderer

Remember to forget me!
Hi Al
Should one stick to just one razor, learns it's characteristics and then go on to another?

That would be my recommendation, yes.

I must say I am having no appalling shaves. Some are below a BBS, the rest are falling around DFS

That's promising!

My blade angle is highly inconsistent at the moment, as is my pattern of shaving.

Then yes! Every razor has different angles, and you'll never properly tune in to what's needed, if you keep moving the goal posts. Get consistent with one, then try the next, and get consistent with that. By the time you get back to the first one, it might feel like you've never used it before, but that's just due to tuning yourself in to the one you were using before.

I have been DE shaving for thirty years, and primarily stick to one razor. Yet even now, if I use a different razor for a while, it still takes me a couple of weeks to settle back in with my primary razor again, and get back to full proficiency with it.
 
Hi Al
Should one stick to just one razor, learns it's characteristics and then go on to another? I only have 3, a EJ 89 with a short handle, (I favour short handles at the moment), a 1948-9 Gillette Superspeed (A nice machine) and an early 60's English Gillette Tech with the swirly aluminum handle. The tech is a very light razor.

I have been having good results with economic Gillette W/S Indians (Saloons they seem to be labelled) About £6 for 110 on Ebay. They have no vices, and I get up to 4 decent shaves from them. Should I begin to use more 'efficient' i.e sharper blades?

I must say I am having no appalling shaves. Some are below a BBS, the rest are falling around DFS. I have a tendency to obsess about getting a 'perfect shave' which lasts for about 72 hours. Absurd I know. I am getting good shaves at the DFS level at the moment which are socially acceptable for about 24 hours.

My blade angle is highly inconsistent at the moment, as is my pattern of shaving. I suspect my ATG pass would be better substituted for 2 WTG passes. At the moment I am doing 3 passes, though often i'm ok with 2.

I am using Arko shaving sticks with a very cheap but efficient brush (Ebay again) that appears to be either a synthetic or Chinese badger. I am getting good lathering results. I am mostly using this combination at the moment.
For once I am going to keep this short. Trying new things is a way to test wether your technique is improving or not. It is one thing to be able to shave with a sole razor you started with 2 years ago, it is another to take a gamble on a vintage razor and have a go at it. As you have done! Not everybody graduates at the same time. I went from using a half DE shavette that I hated using, but had mastered to instantly getting the results I wanted from my new AC kamisori. Sometimes you know you need better equipment. Sometimes you just need something different to mix things up!
 
@AimlessWanderer - these posts are nothing short from amazing and excellent. I have been in the DE game now for about 4 months. I managed the Four Pass Shave by Ron with my trusty KCG. And now I am making acquaintance with a Fatip Gentile (apart from the Fatip I attest to no RAD or any AD - I am used to stick to my guns). These posts come to me at the right time to redial in my technique and get a comfortable shave again. Based on your descriptions my angle needs to be as shallow as possible.

Thank you again!
 

AimlessWanderer

Remember to forget me!
@AimlessWanderer - these posts are nothing short from amazing and excellent. I have been in the DE game now for about 4 months. I managed the Four Pass Shave by Ron with my trusty KCG. And now I am making acquaintance with a Fatip Gentile (apart from the Fatip I attest to no RAD or any AD - I am used to stick to my guns). These posts come to me at the right time to redial in my technique and get a comfortable shave again. Based on your descriptions my angle needs to be as shallow as possible.

Thank you again!

Thanks Guido. Glad to hear they've been so useful. :thumbup:
 

AimlessWanderer

Remember to forget me!
This continues to be a thread of tremendous value. I remember when you used to link it to your newbie welcome posts. I never took it as you pridefully blowing your own horn. On the contrary, you wrote a thoughtful tutorial easily understood in one thread & was sharing it with those that might find it useful. To that, I say well done, sir!

Thank you, David. That means a lot 🍻
 
@AimlessWanderer

Excellent tutorial. Thanks.

Also some good replies to it.

Like this:

Fourthly, I stopped with the small strokes, as I was shaving patches multiple times with the soap (mostly) gone after the first stroke. I now do single, longer passes at a slower speed with no pressure and no repeats and minimal overlap. It is actually a lot quicker to shave this way I noticed
Have been using short-ish strokes, but I will try that. Thanks.
 
I've only been at it a couple months and I found this guide to be tremendously helpful. I can't thank you enough! This is an incredibly valuable tool for me, or anyone new to wet shaving for that matter. In my opinion, this guide should come with every razor purchase lol Bless you!
 
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