Butterfly Parker something or other and Shark Superchrome blades.
when did you start 'wet shaving' and what did you use?
- Thread starter saj
- Start date
I learned about this place over on AskAndys Clothing Forum. I was really into bespoke suits at the time, and I remember a guy posting the site with the following warning:
"Go over there at your own risk. Before you know it, you'll have a dozen razors and twice as many soaps."
I thought to myself - "Yeah sure. Not me." Of course, I passed that number years ago ...
In any event, that was early 2008. My first razor was the 34c. First soap/cream was Proraso. Had a no name German badger brush. First blade was probably the Merkur that came with the razor. Yeah, today I know that's a mistake ...
Just love the hobby as its turned a chore into a joy. Not to mention its not all that expensive as hobbies go. Hell, well over a decade doing this I still in aggregate have spent well under the cost of a single bespoke suit ...
"Go over there at your own risk. Before you know it, you'll have a dozen razors and twice as many soaps."
I thought to myself - "Yeah sure. Not me." Of course, I passed that number years ago ...
In any event, that was early 2008. My first razor was the 34c. First soap/cream was Proraso. Had a no name German badger brush. First blade was probably the Merkur that came with the razor. Yeah, today I know that's a mistake ...
Just love the hobby as its turned a chore into a joy. Not to mention its not all that expensive as hobbies go. Hell, well over a decade doing this I still in aggregate have spent well under the cost of a single bespoke suit ...
2011, MWF, Burma-Shave boar brush (quickly replaced by an Omega 31064 boar brush), 1965 or ‘67 (I forgot) and 1949-1950 Gillette Super Speed razors, generic blades from the grocery store (which were made by Personna then Dorcio).
Same year you did with my Dad's 1967 Super Speed and Noxzema cream in the cobalt blue jar. Soon bought my own razor and not sure what kind of canned foam I used. Maybe Noxzema. I think days passed between the 1st and 2nd shave.
I started wet shaving in 2017 to find that perfect shave (before that used a trimmer). Initially, it was Gillette fusion 5 proglide and Gillette sensitive gel, but I wasn't satisfied and changed to Panasonic electric shaver, which gave me bad razor burn (hyperpigmentation) , then I changed to Mach 3 but still wasn't satisfied. Recently, started DE shaving in Jan23 (after reading this forum and reddit) with Merkur 34C and Proraso white sensitive shaving soap. Still trying blades but at least I was able to get BBS 2 times which makes me a bit satisfied. If I wasn't scared of cutting myself due to poor technique, I might have gone for Feather already.
Welcome to the forum
In my case it was back in 2020, when I was working in the UAE.
Cheap, 3-piece Lord razors (Egyptian made, cheap alloy) were available at local grocery stores, so I picked one up for about 2 dollars, along with some Gillette 7 o'clock blades (they are the most popular in the UAE, probably due to the fact that Indian immigrants constitute around a half of the population) and Old Sice shaving cream in a tube (also from the Indian market).
Then I watched a video on YouTube by the Scottish fella from Executive Shaving Company - you know which video, the epic one! Watch it here:
The first shave was... razor-burny !!! I quickly got a Merkur 34C and took it from there.
In the two years of DE shaving I, like most of you, got a zillion razors but actually use 2 or 4 on a regular basis and I compulsively try out new blades (if I stopped buying today, the stock of 300-400 I have would last me a decade).
Anyway, happy shaving guys!
Cheap, 3-piece Lord razors (Egyptian made, cheap alloy) were available at local grocery stores, so I picked one up for about 2 dollars, along with some Gillette 7 o'clock blades (they are the most popular in the UAE, probably due to the fact that Indian immigrants constitute around a half of the population) and Old Sice shaving cream in a tube (also from the Indian market).
Then I watched a video on YouTube by the Scottish fella from Executive Shaving Company - you know which video, the epic one! Watch it here:
The first shave was... razor-burny !!! I quickly got a Merkur 34C and took it from there.
In the two years of DE shaving I, like most of you, got a zillion razors but actually use 2 or 4 on a regular basis and I compulsively try out new blades (if I stopped buying today, the stock of 300-400 I have would last me a decade).
Anyway, happy shaving guys!
That Buddhist monk part of the story seems interesting!
It was a good life. A bus we were riding broke down. Another bus stopped and picked up passengers. There wasn't enough room for everyone. A fellow monk and I gave up our seats and hitchhiked. This is an experience most Western people don't have in Thailand, as it wouldn't be advisable. The orange robe was protection. I disrobed because I got a letter from my now wife. She said she was divorced. I disrobed thinking what if? I've known her since 1983. A year later we were married.
Welcome to the forum
In 2010 when I rediscovered my dad's Ranger Tech that I inherited in 1990.
Last edited:
About 10 plus years back, started with a mastro livi regrind
A Tech I found in my fathers Army junk as a teenager, and a tube of Faulding. Then I went to a cartridge razor.
Many years later I rediscovered wet shaving, and the first razor I bought was a 40's SS. Got a budget badger brush, and I think Prorasso soap?
Many years later I rediscovered wet shaving, and the first razor I bought was a 40's SS. Got a budget badger brush, and I think Prorasso soap?
I started shaving some peach fuzz with my dad's Gillette adjustable (not sure if it was a FatBoy or a Slim) in about 1967 or 68. I bought some Hai Karate AS about that time as well. I don't remember what I used for soap or cream but I remember a ceramic shave mug full of hard soap and a brush that my dad and older brothers used - so I'm guessing I used that soap mug and brush too in the early years?. (funny that we only had one brush for 4 men in the house - I don't remember anyone ever worrying about letting it dry - or even taking it out of the mug). Whenever "Edge" gel came out (1970 ish?) that's what I started using and I used that up until a few months ago when I got interested in DE razors and traditional wet shaving. I remember about 1968 or so I received an Old Spice set with two bottles (I assume it was AS and Cologne?) and a deodorant stick. Just typing that last sentence brings back the smell of Old Spice deodorant in my 14 year old armpits again.
At some point I bought a Techmatic so I'd have a razor of my own instead of using my dad's FB or Slim or whatever he had or my brother's super speed. I remember there was a straight razor and strop in the bathroom and I shaved with it a few times and I survived the experience - but I don't remember shaving with it very often.
At some point I bought a Techmatic so I'd have a razor of my own instead of using my dad's FB or Slim or whatever he had or my brother's super speed. I remember there was a straight razor and strop in the bathroom and I shaved with it a few times and I survived the experience - but I don't remember shaving with it very often.
I started aged 15/16 with a Gillette Sensor and Gillette foam.
I then spent many years trying to combat ingrowns/bumps etc. I settled on the KoS Azor multiblade, KoS shave gel and Tendskin but it still wasn’t right.
Then, in 2009 I took the plunge. I bought a Men-U boat brush (rebranded Omega I think) that had a sample of Men-U shave cream with it. I also bought a Boots UK DE razor (I now believe this was a reboxed modern Tech with a black plastic handle - not a bad razor actually!). The razor had Israeli Personna blades included with it. My first shave was decent and I haven’t looked back since!
I then spent many years trying to combat ingrowns/bumps etc. I settled on the KoS Azor multiblade, KoS shave gel and Tendskin but it still wasn’t right.
Then, in 2009 I took the plunge. I bought a Men-U boat brush (rebranded Omega I think) that had a sample of Men-U shave cream with it. I also bought a Boots UK DE razor (I now believe this was a reboxed modern Tech with a black plastic handle - not a bad razor actually!). The razor had Israeli Personna blades included with it. My first shave was decent and I haven’t looked back since!
Welcome to the forumI started shaving some peach fuzz with my dad's Gillette adjustable (not sure if it was a FatBoy or a Slim) in about 1967 or 68. I bought some Hai Karate AS about that time as well. I don't remember what I used for soap or cream but I remember a ceramic shave mug full of hard soap and a brush that my dad and older brothers used - so I'm guessing I used that soap mug and brush too in the early years?. (funny that we only had one brush for 4 men in the house - I don't remember anyone ever worrying about letting it dry - or even taking it out of the mug). Whenever "Edge" gel came out (1970 ish?) that's what I started using and I used that up until a few months ago when I got interested in DE razors and traditional wet shaving. I remember about 1968 or so I received an Old Spice set with two bottles (I assume it was AS and Cologne?) and a deodorant stick. Just typing that last sentence brings back the smell of Old Spice deodorant in my 14 year old armpits again.
At some point I bought a Techmatic so I'd have a razor of my own instead of using my dad's FB or Slim or whatever he had or my brother's super speed. I remember there was a straight razor and strop in the bathroom and I shaved with it a few times and I survived the experience - but I don't remember shaving with it very often.
In 2013, at the age of 17, I bought a $1 DE razor that shipped from China. Unfortunately, I didn’t know how safety razors worked, so I tried to shave with it like a cartridge razor. Since I didn’t like how it shaved, I went back to cartridge razors until 2019, when I bought a Micro Touch (Pawn Stars guy razor), and I’ve been wet shaving ever since!
I started in 1961 at about 15. My Dad and I went to our local drugstore and I picked out a Gillette Slim, along with my other supplies, think it as all under $5, Mom gave me one of her mugs from her cupboard, to use as a shave mug. After over 60 years, my Slim still looks and works great.
Would you say that the slim is your favorite razor still after all these years?
Similar threads
