With enough theory and advice out there to put the page count of War and Peace to shame, I would like to hear your personal stories. Whether you began wet shaving in 1945 or last week, what was the single thing that you experienced that took your wet shaves to the next level? Perhaps it was finally understanding an age old concept, or perhaps it was something that you discovered as your own experience.
What was the biggest shaving game changer for you personally?
- Thread starter Barbarossa
- Start date
I started wet shaving in or about 1968 when I was 16. Along about 1980, for reasons I don’t recall, I started using a cartridge razor. Then last year in January, I got tired of paying outrageous prices for blades and started using a DE razor once again. After a few months fine tuning my technique, I was very satisfied with the results and now would not go back to cartridges no matter how cheap they become (which will never happen).
Since I started this in the mid-1960s the changes have been small. I have always had a badger brush. I have generally used soaps but had a few minor flings with creams. I started with a Schick injector, had a Gillette TTO, used a Henckels straight, and tried a few DEs in more recent years. My technique has not varied much other than going from two passes to three. I have used a variety of colognes and aftershaves. So although nothing has been a true game changer, I have really enjoyed discovering MdC Fougere a lot, and my ATT SSR1 shaves better than anything but the Henckels but without the hassles of caring for a straight. I have a Simpson Chubby in best on the way. Maybe it will be a game changer. I doubt it, but I am expecting I shall like it a lot.
Ron R
I survived a lathey foreman
I have been mainly a cartridge shaver most of my adult life and retired about 6yrs ago and always looking to reduce expense's. I was looking into sharpening steak knifes on you tube and there was a article on Gillette DE razors like my dad used so I was already experimenting in extending the life of a cartridge blades because they are expensive. I was telling the wife about haircuts and she thought I should shave my head and I looked into that adventure and decided not for me yet & got a $30 hair trimer instead for a Christmas present. But I did get interested in the DE shave gear and thought I could save a few bucks 
. So 4 yrs later here I am with a whole lot of shave gear and this year I will break even from my savings. I also cut my own hair and bought middle of the road shave gear and have really enjoyed the experiences and chats on the forums. I saved approximately $400 per year trimming my own hair and not buying expensive carts and goo gel.
So after 4 yrs all my gear is paid for and have enough shaving supplies for at least 6-8 years, so traditional shaving can be rewarding and most of my friends really did not notice my hair cut changes and also with Covid 19 I did not have to see a barber either. Friends were asking me who my barber was, told them it was myself and looking at their 3-4 month non hair cuts I looked better with my trims.
With what I know now and all the best gear out there you really do not need to spend a lot and really enjoy a better shaving experience with traditional wet shaving IMO. I'm still programed to safe money when ever but not lose sight in enjoying life experiences also, I found you save in one thing and spend on other needs so it all balances out.
Have some great shaves! Stay and think safe in these times!
. So 4 yrs later here I am with a whole lot of shave gear and this year I will break even from my savings. I also cut my own hair and bought middle of the road shave gear and have really enjoyed the experiences and chats on the forums. I saved approximately $400 per year trimming my own hair and not buying expensive carts and goo gel.So after 4 yrs all my gear is paid for and have enough shaving supplies for at least 6-8 years, so traditional shaving can be rewarding and most of my friends really did not notice my hair cut changes and also with Covid 19 I did not have to see a barber either. Friends were asking me who my barber was, told them it was myself and looking at their 3-4 month non hair cuts I looked better with my trims.
With what I know now and all the best gear out there you really do not need to spend a lot and really enjoy a better shaving experience with traditional wet shaving IMO. I'm still programed to safe money when ever but not lose sight in enjoying life experiences also, I found you save in one thing and spend on other needs so it all balances out.
Have some great shaves! Stay and think safe in these times!
Other than finding straights and DE shaving and the incremental improvements and skill development I've enjoyed over the last 10 years, carbon steel blades have been my latest revelation. Specifically Treet Black Beauties. A smooth, gentle bbs any time I want it. Dirt cheap too!
Zero irritation or burn. Almost no limit to the amount of buffing and closeness achievable. A real game changer!
And my fatip slant. My other game changer.
Hopefully there will be more quantum leaps forward. We'll see...
Zero irritation or burn. Almost no limit to the amount of buffing and closeness achievable. A real game changer!
And my fatip slant. My other game changer.
Hopefully there will be more quantum leaps forward. We'll see...
Single edge razors were a big one for me, I can pick up most of them and enjoy the results. DE razors are much more hit or miss on my face.
Coming to the conclusion that all my shaving related problems where caused by a lack of blade feel, and then acquiring a razor that could do something about that.
My biggest game changer was learning how to make good shaving lather with a brush and soap or cream. Once I figured that out, the type of razor pretty much stopped mattering in my shaves.
Started with carts and then went Electric for a few years. Got the traditional but about 8 years ago and spent 5 years in DEs. Learning "zero pressure" was the game changer there.
Three years ago I picked up GEM SEs. They were my second game changer. Who would have thought you can get BBS from a "paint scraper blade"? So simple! So efficient!
About the same time I picked up straights. Third game changer. Bringing a 150 - 200 year old tool back from a rusty hunk to classic function adds a whole new dimension to the simple act of shaving. And mastering new shaving and honing skills adds a sense of satisfaction that goes beyond just "the shave". And finally, the ability to create and maintain your personally perfect edge raises the bar yet again. And the shaves... Oh! Those shaves ... Heaven!
Three years ago I picked up GEM SEs. They were my second game changer. Who would have thought you can get BBS from a "paint scraper blade"? So simple! So efficient!
About the same time I picked up straights. Third game changer. Bringing a 150 - 200 year old tool back from a rusty hunk to classic function adds a whole new dimension to the simple act of shaving. And mastering new shaving and honing skills adds a sense of satisfaction that goes beyond just "the shave". And finally, the ability to create and maintain your personally perfect edge raises the bar yet again. And the shaves... Oh! Those shaves ... Heaven!
been shaving with cartridges the vast majority of my adult life, but switched to DE shaving around 2 years ago.
The biggest change for me was making proper lather and finding quality soaps.
Next biggest thing was getting the razor right then blades.. but to get the best shave you got to have them all aligned.
The biggest change for me was making proper lather and finding quality soaps.
Next biggest thing was getting the razor right then blades.. but to get the best shave you got to have them all aligned.
Lefonque
Even more clueless than you
I started shaving in the late 1960s. I used my Grandfather’s spare DE razor under his tutoring. As long as I can remember I would watch him shave every working day. It eventually became my turn to take a razor. I have been wet shaving ever since.
EclipseRedRing
I smell like a Christmas pudding
My biggest game changer was quitting drinking. Once my hands stopped shaking and I could hold the razor there was no stopping me. I once firmly believed that alcohol was my only friend, and helped me to deal with life's problems. Now I have no problems and it turns out I have a lot more friends, some of them are right here at B&B. 
The one single thing? A good blade.
rbscebu
Girls call me Makaluod
I have been wet shaving (using soap/cream and brush) all my life. The first five years were with a DE then decades of carts. My game-changing moment was starting to shave with a straight razor about 18 months ago. Until then, shaving was a chore. Now it is a daily pleasure, close shaves with no skin irrigation.
Why didn't I start SR shaving in my teens?
Why didn't I start SR shaving in my teens?
- Thread starter
- #15
My biggest game changer was quitting drinking. Once my hands stopped shaking and I could hold the razor there was no stopping me. I once firmly believed that alcohol was my only friend, and helped me to deal with life's problems. Now I have no problems and it turns out I have a lot more friends, some of them are right here at B&B.
That’s a very powerful realization! A clear mind really does lend to a brighter life.
I started wetshaving a little over 2 yrs ago. Got myself the de89 and the 34c and used them for about a year enjoying my shaves and building my skills...then during covid last year, I started acquiring a bunch of new gear...got the rockwell.6C and then started buying stainless steel razors and adjustables. I found myself getting a.lot of razor burn and the shave experience started to deteriorate...Took me many months to realize that I was using too much pressure....one day it just clicked...little to no pressure with the carbon cx + plate and what a great shave.
Since then, I seem to get amazing shaves with most razors I try and use...Had I not upped the aggression and blade feel, I would have never really learned how to shave well as the de89 and 34c are very forgiving.
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Since then, I seem to get amazing shaves with most razors I try and use...Had I not upped the aggression and blade feel, I would have never really learned how to shave well as the de89 and 34c are very forgiving.
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The introduction of the first stainless steel blades back in the '60s by Wilkinson Sword.
Until then, I was bumming my dad's Marlin Blues, which would last for maybe one or two shaves. Wilkies offered a whole new level of convenience and economy for DE shavers--things we now take for granted.
Until then, I was bumming my dad's Marlin Blues, which would last for maybe one or two shaves. Wilkies offered a whole new level of convenience and economy for DE shavers--things we now take for granted.
Mr. Controversial here... game changer for me was realising most soaps can take a bit more water than you initially thought. Get the lather right and then it seems to me all razors have the potential to deliver great shaves, and all blades are sharp, in whatever combination you want. And when I stopped overthinking it all, it all fell into place.
My game changer was, similarly to the gentleman above, that technique is the most important part, not the gear. I can shave with any blade. It is just that not all blades behave alike. Sharper blades, require less pressure, more concentration. Duller blades, require more pressure, quicker moves, shorter strokes, because you don't want to clog the razor with a dull blade. If you feel your face raw after, it is because you didn't get the right angle with the specific blade. You must adjust the angle, because every blade has different honing. If you get weepers, is 99,9% carelessness/lack of attention and 0,01% bad blade. If you think a soap can't make decent lather, 95% of the times, you havem't experimented enough with loading time and/or water adjustment. I have though encountered few soaps that were rather problematic, so i leave a 5% for that. Similar is the situation with brushes, because the water retention varies.
If you don't develop a solid, yet flexible/adjustable to the situation technique, you will get weepers, raw face, encounter "impossible" blades, soaps, etc.
If you don't develop a solid, yet flexible/adjustable to the situation technique, you will get weepers, raw face, encounter "impossible" blades, soaps, etc.
The absolute game changer for me was going to a more aggressive plate on my Rockwell 6C. I’ve only been wetshaving for about 3 months after using carts my whole life (I’m now 41 [emoji15]).
I have fought irritation and ingrown hairs on my neck my entire shaving life, so I would choose a plate with a small blade gap hoping it would keep the irritation in control. The problem was that it would take too many passes the shave my tough and thick beard down unless I used some pressure. Pressure or too many passes = irritation for me.
As my technique got better I figured out that the only way to make “zero pressure” work was with a bigger blade gap. Once I did that the whole world changed! DFS or BBS every time and my neck has never looked or felt better.
Now I’m thinking I could use a more aggressive razor.
I have fought irritation and ingrown hairs on my neck my entire shaving life, so I would choose a plate with a small blade gap hoping it would keep the irritation in control. The problem was that it would take too many passes the shave my tough and thick beard down unless I used some pressure. Pressure or too many passes = irritation for me.
As my technique got better I figured out that the only way to make “zero pressure” work was with a bigger blade gap. Once I did that the whole world changed! DFS or BBS every time and my neck has never looked or felt better.
Now I’m thinking I could use a more aggressive razor.
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