To start off I have not tried DE or Straight edge shaving and I have been using cartridges for about 3 years. I am 19 years old and when I came across this website I was instantly fascinated with the art of shaving. I have been lurking for a few days now, soaking up as much information as I could and so I am at the cusp of initiating some change. However I thought I might ask the community directly; what approach would be best for a 19 year old shaving noob? Should I start with DE and just stick with it, or use it as a stepping stone to straight edge? Or should I jump into straight edge and see if it works? I love the sense of community among members of this forum and wanted to tap into some friendly advice and get a head start into involving myself in the community. Thanks!
You can influence my shaving life.
- Thread starter KansasCityShuffle
- Start date
Welcome to the forum.
Plenty of good advice and opinions here on almost everything.
Despite being old I have only been back into 'Old Fashioned' shaving for 6 months of so and I'll give you a fw words of advice that might help.
Find a nice vintage Gillette Tech
Get a sample pack of blades
Some shave soap you like the smell of
The best brush you can find
Old soup bowl for making lather
It's all you need to get started, try not to buy too many razors at the start as it only confuses things. Relax enjoy the shave and don't use too much pressure on the razor, let the weight of it do the work.
My .02 cents ;]
Plenty of good advice and opinions here on almost everything.
Despite being old I have only been back into 'Old Fashioned' shaving for 6 months of so and I'll give you a fw words of advice that might help.
Find a nice vintage Gillette Tech
Get a sample pack of blades
Some shave soap you like the smell of
The best brush you can find
Old soup bowl for making lather
It's all you need to get started, try not to buy too many razors at the start as it only confuses things. Relax enjoy the shave and don't use too much pressure on the razor, let the weight of it do the work.
My .02 cents ;]
If straights appeal to you then start there. If not then go with a DE. FWIW, I say pick a good brush and soap and learn to lather. When you feel good about the lather then make a choice about hardware. Learn pre/post shave techniques and products and master the brush. This will buy you a couple of months to figure the rest out. I used DEs as a springboard into straights but to each their own. Welcome to B&B!
Certainly! First of all, welcome to community, you are in the right place! Look at the top of the page, go to the ShaveWiki tab. Read the INTRO... Frequently Asked Questions, First Shave? How to Get Started and the METHODOLOGIES sections. Do a search in the forums, there are propbably hundreds of threads for new shavers and thousands of posts with what you need. There are some great tutorials on everything from prep, shaving technique, lathering, etc.
Just to get you started... Relax. Have some reasonable expectations, it takes several weeks to get comfortable and develop a good technique. Put together a simple started set with a DE razor, a pack of blades, a decent brush and a soap/cream. You will see many recommendations so go easy on thinking you need everything. You will hear it repeated often and for good reason... It is all about good prep, technique, and gaining experience. Take your time, use no pressure, let the razor do the work. Start with only 1-2 passes with the grain (WTG) and add an across the grain pass later. Slow and easy is the way. Listen to the razor cutting your whiskers. Follow with good skin care. Enjoy the shave! You have just joined and elite group!
Just to get you started... Relax. Have some reasonable expectations, it takes several weeks to get comfortable and develop a good technique. Put together a simple started set with a DE razor, a pack of blades, a decent brush and a soap/cream. You will see many recommendations so go easy on thinking you need everything. You will hear it repeated often and for good reason... It is all about good prep, technique, and gaining experience. Take your time, use no pressure, let the razor do the work. Start with only 1-2 passes with the grain (WTG) and add an across the grain pass later. Slow and easy is the way. Listen to the razor cutting your whiskers. Follow with good skin care. Enjoy the shave! You have just joined and elite group!
Welcome to the forum!
Here's a current thread with good suggestions on inexpensive starter kits:
http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/307879-Recommend-YOUR-perfect-Newbie-Kit
Here's a current thread with good suggestions on inexpensive starter kits:
http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/307879-Recommend-YOUR-perfect-Newbie-Kit
Ther are a couple of cheap ways to do either. Italian Barber has high-quality DE starter kits for $70 that have everything you need..and none of it is bottom-of-the-barrel. Whipped Dog has straight razor starting kits that has a razor and basic strop for a low price. Personally I'd go with DE first, but that's just me.
Welcome to the group.
Slash McCoy
I freehand dog rockets
You don't need to use a DE as a gateway drug if you are gonna end up with straights anyway. Go with a DE if you think that is the most practical method for you. Remember everybody started with the straight when there was nothing else.
Straight ppros
better control over shaving angle
you can see the edge as you shave
potential for closer and more comfortable shaves
no blades to buy or wear out or discard
razor lasts for generations
super cool old school technology
membership in a proud and elite minority
challenging and uncommon skill set
straights are b@d@$$
DE pros
gotta buy blades but they are cheaper than cartridges
no stropping or honing required.
Not as cool as a straight but still cooler than cartridges
faster to learn
Atraights aren't for e everyone. But I'd you think they are for you then save your money for straight instead of spending it on stuff you will outgrow.
Straight ppros
better control over shaving angle
you can see the edge as you shave
potential for closer and more comfortable shaves
no blades to buy or wear out or discard
razor lasts for generations
super cool old school technology
membership in a proud and elite minority
challenging and uncommon skill set
straights are b@d@$$
DE pros
gotta buy blades but they are cheaper than cartridges
no stropping or honing required.
Not as cool as a straight but still cooler than cartridges
faster to learn
Atraights aren't for e everyone. But I'd you think they are for you then save your money for straight instead of spending it on stuff you will outgrow.
Welcome!
I think the learning curve for straight razor shaving will be significantly less steep if you begin your shaving journey with a safety razor. Just my opinion; worth the price charged.
Good luck in whichever path you choose.
Jim
I think the learning curve for straight razor shaving will be significantly less steep if you begin your shaving journey with a safety razor. Just my opinion; worth the price charged.
Good luck in whichever path you choose.
Jim
Welcome to B&B!
Personally I'd go with a quality new razor for a beginner than a vintage. I found out, surprisingly enough, that I get a better shave out of my Edwin Jagger 83 with Astra blade than I did with my Schick Krona or Gillette Fatboy with either a Crystal or Astra.
Welcome. I second the member who suggested getting a brush first and some soap and getting your lathering down first. Do that for a few weeks then choose your weapon: straight or DE.
Great people here. Selfless and generous and gentlemanly. You are in good hands.
Great people here. Selfless and generous and gentlemanly. You are in good hands.
I totally agree with this. Start with a brush and a recommended soap or cream and work on lather technique first. It'll give you time to decide on the straight versus DE issue.
- Thread starter
- #15
Thank you all very much! This was exactly the kind of information I was seeking. I think that I will mull this over for a few more days and then I'll post to the newbie's discussion board once I am no longer a wet shave virgin. Again thank you so much, I have a growing respect for this community!
I agree with the above post about soaps and brush first.
When I first started lurking here months ago the first ting I did was buy a brush and some legit shaving soap. so for about a month I was using that with a cartridge razor and my shave quality skyrocketed just from that.
When I first started lurking here months ago the first ting I did was buy a brush and some legit shaving soap. so for about a month I was using that with a cartridge razor and my shave quality skyrocketed just from that.
I once to used a mach 3 and canned shave foam stuff and got terrible shaves. Now I use a DE and nice soap and a boar brush and get great shaves.
I did try a Mach 3 again a few weeks ago just to see how bad it was but this time I used the Arko and boar brush result was a great shave ... I was confused.
Seems those suggesting Soap and Brush first are correct and I was wrong [post #2] ... duh!
I did try a Mach 3 again a few weeks ago just to see how bad it was but this time I used the Arko and boar brush result was a great shave ... I was confused.
Seems those suggesting Soap and Brush first are correct and I was wrong [post #2] ... duh!
I started with a shavette and the intention of going with a straight, but I fell in love with DE shaving after getting one in a PIF.
I would still like to get into straights eventually, but I do not currently possess the patience (or the money). I love my shavette and the open-blade style of shaving, but the blade maintenance aspect intimidates me.
That being said, DE is not a stepping stone, it is an equally valid and respected choice.
I'm getting the best shaves of my life with my DE razors. A lot of the straight razor folks will tell you that you'll get a better shave with a straight, but I honestly don't see how it would be physically possible for me to get noticeably better shaves. Everyone's mileage varies, though. You may find that straight works better for you, but it requires a lot of extra effort and expense. Personally, I love that my DE razors are low-maintenance and friendlier to my wallet, while providing me with amazing and enjoyable shaves.
Welcome to B&B. I'm still too scared of straights, so I wont be trying them anytime soon.
I'm still yet to master DE, getting there are really am enjoying the process of having a nice comfortable shave.
I had been a electric + cartridge razor shaver for the last 20 odd years. I'm just really pissed at myself for not discovering DE sooner.
All the best.
I'm still yet to master DE, getting there are really am enjoying the process of having a nice comfortable shave.
I had been a electric + cartridge razor shaver for the last 20 odd years. I'm just really pissed at myself for not discovering DE sooner.
All the best.
Hello and welcome. You don't know what blade or razor you like yet; you haven't experienced how sharp the blades are yet. Try a Gillette Adjustable, where you can adjust the shave to your liking. Then you can try out other blades with it and come up with your own personal method. It's all about angle and strokes so you might as well try the DE shaving first.
