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With which razor did you learn to wet shave?

First try like 17+ years ago with a Merkur 34C that I bought on Amazon (I think!)
I don't even remember why I decided to try since I wasn't a part of any forum to interest me or guide me with wet shaving.
Did it a few times, cut myself more than once and went back to my electrics. Fast forward to around 4 years ago and again I had renewed interest. Bought a Merkur 23C and gave it another go. Eventually I discovered Badger & Blade and really learned what I was doing and never looked back.
 
A Gillette slim twist back in the 90’s. They were still being made and available at drug stores then. I wish I still had it. I stopped using it after upgrading to a Progress a couple years later. I wish I still had it. I think my grandfather might have snagged it when he was visiting from Europe lol.
 
I learned to wet shave with a Gillette Super Adjustable during my college days. Went electric after five years for decades. Upon returning to DE shaving over five years ago I started with a Weishi 9306 Long Handle eventually adding in a King C. Gillette to give me moderate and mild aggressiveness shaving options. Still use both in addition to a recently acquired Rockwell T2 adjustable that has the same style adjustment mechanism as my original Gillette.
 
I started with a Gillette Mach 3 in the early 2000s, progressed to Gillette 5 and Profusion (battery operated) until early 2010s. I hated shaving during this time period. I got the worst razor burn and the cost per blade was outrageous.

I started researching alternatives. I had considered the electric shavers but didn't know much about them. I found B&B in 2011 and watched tons of videos and reviews. I settled on the Merkur 180 Long Handle (23C).


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Wet shaving started for me 5 years ago(coming from mach 3 and fusion) , I got myself a christmas wilkinson pack-inside was a brush, the blue soap and the wilkinson tto with wilki blades. I didn't know what I was doing, but didn't like the shave and my wife bought me a KCG. Didn't like it either cuz it was pulling pretty bad on my whiskers (just like the wilkinson) and after 6 months of pulling and blade testing, member of B&B gave me a tip for Fatip oc and since then I'm really into oc razors, not daily shaving but usually 3-4 days of growth. Now fav razor is r41gs.
 
My first razor was a Theirs Issard SR which was my dad's.
He gave it to me (& was teaching me) in 1974(Jr in HS).
My Dad definitly step into RAD at that time (& still does @97) had quite an arsenal in his den.
Now it 1979, I was attending Northeastern U., in Boston. I still using the SR (after which was stolen) but bought a Merkur 37 slant , a HD (sb). Mainly to try and get through my overall wet shaving process much faster (plus no stropping & honing) .
My dad did replace my disappearing SR , which was unbranded but very nice...

BFX
 
My first ever razor was a Gillette Contour (AKA 'Atra' in the US). Then I moved on to the Sensor and later Sensor Excel. Those were my trusty razors for years. I went electric for a couple of years around the year 2000 to switch back to cartridge razors with the Mach 3 and Fusion.
Finally, in Fall 2016, I was thunderstruck on the road to Solingen:

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I believe that truly good technique is learned with an aggressive razor. Personally, I have picked up some bad habits with softer, more forgiving razors, but the R41 taught me the right technique. It clearly showed me which strokes were wrong and which were right, how much pressure to apply and when to stop. I believe that with the right technique, one can shave with any razor without causing discomfort.
 
I picked up double edge safety razor shaving in 2013. Before that I shaved with razor knives and shavettes for a while. I read what people said here on Badger & blade and bought a Fatip Grande. It was really an aggressive razor and I shaved for at least a year before getting shaves without any razorburn. Finally I got good technique but the razor burns was not worth it. The technique will come anyway. Start with a dull razor instead like Rockwell. It is a dull razor but still efficient! But I also learned other things. Like that the shaving foam should be thick enough. Then it protects you and makes the shaving smoother. If you have a hard soap puck do not only wet it, warm it too. Let it float in hot water above the shaving brush for a while. Then you more easily make a nice thick lather. And dont use a new sharp (and thin) blades in an aggressive razor. Start using your new blades in a more dull razor or on a low setting if you use an adjustable razor. Take care of the blade, clean it and oil it in between shaves and you can use it many times. Third or forth shave I move my blade to a more aggressive razor. Just a year ago I started to appreciate more dull razors. I bought the Rockwell 6S in red and I love it. It is dull but still gives you a very close shave if you shave in at least three directions. And it never gives you razorburn. I noticed that if my skin is irritated, getting red then I shave with the Rockwell one or two times and my skin becomes much better. The skin get som rest staying away from aggressive razors (and my cat). A facial peeling once or twice per week is also good especially against ingrown hairs. I use a brush and special mild facial soap (not soap) for that.
 
Let me answer this question by fast-forwarding to my introduction to safety razors in 2012. Razors before this bring back horrid memories.

My first DE razor was the 34C. I have purchased many many razors since but I still love this one.
 
I started with a Gillette Old Type. No, I'm not 100 years old. I was a collector for years before I finally got fed up with carts. I had seen an Old Type at a local Antique shop, bought it and the rest as they say is history. RAD developed shortly after that:)
 
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