just getting started

[Razor Burn]

Ok, shaved today - Jack the Barber Soap, Yaqi Final Cut Razor @ 2 w. Wilkinson Sword (2nd use), Yaqi Black Knight Brush 24mm with Plisson knot. Took a bit of time to ensure the razor was set straight - it's strange to me that razors don't perfectly align every time by themselves (I guess the better razors do? The Homelike stainless steel looks really nice... but sounds like they can't ship anywhere yet due to geopolitics and all that). Went much better than last time, with some Alum feedback in different spots, and irritation on the vertical neck, but no knicks and I don't think any weepers? not sure exactly what qualifies as a weeper not. 2 pass, prob need to go ATG under the chin to get a closer finish there, but happy to stop and let the skin be happy for now.

The Barrister and Mann arrived today - it's nice, tried creating some lather with it, and still working out the pickup with a brush and how what the brush should look like, but I like the feel of the soap. I'm not sure it produces significantly more lubricity than the Jack the Barber stuff - when both are lathered well they both have a very pleasing slickness and stickiness, though the Barrister and Mann gave more stickiness/gooeyness when doing the pull the soap away from each other between the hands thingo, but I'll see when I shave next. Think I'll swap to Barrister and Mann and stick to Wilkinson Sword for the next one, and then swap out to Astra SP's after that.

As somebody who tried traditional wet shaving several years ago, only to give it up due to poor decisions such as starting out with cheap blades, soaps and rushing things, I strongly recommend that you invest the time to work on preparation as that's the key to a great shave every time!
Ensure you have the skin hydrated and maybe learn to map your beard growth as you'll be surprised how odd the hair grows on the neck as opposed to the checks and that way you can target certain strokes to achieve optimal results.

Take your time learning to create a super lather as the effort will be rewarding and look at purchasing Aussie artisan soaps as they punch above their weight with trustworthy ingredients and great performance!
At the end of the day load up like crazy as most soaps take ages to finish and if the lathers too dry add drops of water and more soap if sloppy.

Investing in an adjustable is a good idea as they offer the ability to tinker with the blade gap but from experience they tend to shave harsh on the higher settings which is why I suggest grabbing a selection of a handful of popular blades and seeing what pairs well as you'll be surprised in the results.

Plenty will tell you to grab a few brushes but invest in a good synthetic as these days the quality is decent and later on you can try a badger if that's your thing but don't discourage adding a boar as they're normally affordable and go well once broken in.

Once you get the balance and technique perfected then you can look to upgrade to better equipment but don't think you need to rush to get the latest new shiny thing or 5 razors/brushes/soaps straight away like I did as hindsight shows me that I should've been patient and stuck with enjoying a modest collection before going down the rabbit hole. Make shaving fun and not just a chore and look forward to seeing you posting in the SOTD Thread once you get more confident.

 

[Gargravarr]

What he said. Take it steady to start with. For the first few weeks I wouldn't even bother much with different blades, unless you're getting a hard time from whatever you're using. Most likely you won't be able to really tell much of a difference until you get some experience under your belt.

 

[Mark1966]

Ditto - again!

 

[SpeedyPC]

@thatguy…… Come on…… come on down the rabbit hole…… Go on….. dive in the rabbit hole….. Go on jump in ….. It’s deep….. Cold and dark down the rabbit hole….. And it’s very CREEPY!!!!!….. You’ll go NUTS!!! ….. Mad and crazy….. Go on….. What are you waiting for? ……. Jump in the rabbit hole…… JUMP IN THE HOLE!!!!!!

 

[Zeke]

As somebody who tried traditional wet shaving several years ago, only to give it up due to poor decisions such as starting out with cheap blades, soaps and rushing things, I strongly recommend that you invest the time to work on preparation as that's the key to a great shave every time!
Ensure you have the skin hydrated and maybe learn to map your beard growth as you'll be surprised how odd the hair grows on the neck as opposed to the checks and that way you can target certain strokes to achieve optimal results.

Take your time learning to create a super lather as the effort will be rewarding and look at purchasing Aussie artisan soaps as they punch above their weight with trustworthy ingredients and great performance!
At the end of the day load up like crazy as most soaps take ages to finish and if the lathers too dry add drops of water and more soap if sloppy.

Investing in an adjustable is a good idea as they offer the ability to tinker with the blade gap but from experience they tend to shave harsh on the higher settings which is why I suggest grabbing a selection of a handful of popular blades and seeing what pairs well as you'll be surprised in the results.

Plenty will tell you to grab a few brushes but invest in a good synthetic as these days the quality is decent and later on you can try a badger if that's your thing but don't discourage adding a boar as they're normally affordable and go well once broken in.

Once you get the balance and technique perfected then you can look to upgrade to better equipment but don't think you need to rush to get the latest new shiny thing or 5 razors/brushes/soaps straight away like I did as hindsight shows me that I should've been patient and stuck with enjoying a modest collection before going down the rabbit hole. Make shaving fun and not just a chore and look forward to seeing you posting in the SOTD Thread once you get more confident.

Very good advice from @Razor Burn for any beginner. I haven't been doing this long, and when I started I wanted to shave 5 times a day so I could try out lots of blades, soaps etc.

Unlike some here, I'm not big on collecting lots of razors - mainly because I can't afford to - but I've now found a combination that is pretty much shaving bliss for me. A Razorock Lupo 72 and Gillette Nacet blades. I went back to that combo yesterday after using a few different blades the last few weeks, and as I was doing the first few strokes, I couldn't help but wonder why I'd bothered with anything else. For me, the combo is so smooth that it feels like I've left the blade out of the razor, but it's really efficient and I can easily get a week of shaving from a blade. For others, it's probably average or poor, but that's the beauty of this gig, have fun working out what works for you.

I'll second the comment about the Aussie soaps. I've got a few imported soaps and they're fantastic too, but the Aussie stuff I've used so far is at least as good. This morning I used my Blue Devil Strawberry Patch and all it took was putting the synthetic brush in the water while I put the pre-shave cream on, shaking it out then loading it up on the soap for 5-6 seconds. I did a 2.5 pass shave - there are some parts of my face I only do twice to avoid irritation or weepers - and I still washed enough down the sink that I could have easily done another pass.

Re. mapping your face, I totally agree. I watched plenty of videos while I was learning, but I now shave a little different to what I've seen anyone else do, and I'm sure it will continue to evolve as time goes on. The bottom 3cm or so on my neck grows the opposite way to the rest of my face and neck, so I now start off my shave by doing that section up, which would normally be ATG, but it's actually WTG. I then finish off the first pass going down which is still WTG. For the second pass, I do the reverse and I end up with a comfortable shave that does everything I need, with no irritation. I've never seen anyone else do that, but there are no hard and fast rules here, it's all about what works for you, your gear and your face.

A while ago @SpeedyPC posted on here a recipe for a Witch Hazel based aftershave which is fantastic, and costs bugger all. This can be an expensive hobby, or it can be a way of making a necessary task more enjoyable and cheaper, we all get to choose how far down the rabbit hole we go.

 

[SpeedyPC]

A while ago @SpeedyPC posted on here a recipe for a Witch Hazel based aftershave which is fantastic, and costs bugger all. This can be an expensive hobby, or it can be a way of making a necessary task more enjoyable and cheaper, we all get to choose how far down the rabbit hole we go.

Someone called for my secret #1 SpeedyPC aftershave recipe?!!

T.N. Dickinson Witch Hazel Astringent mixed into the 240ml bottle with Invite E High Potency Pure Oil (10 drops), Natural Plant Glycerin (20) & Tea Tree Oil Antiseptic (5)

 

[TobyC]

Just shave, it's not rocket surgery, and you don't need special equipment, you just need to shave until it's routine.

Kinda like ignoring Speedy, it just becomes natural.

 

[TobyC]

Someone called for my secret #1 SpeedyPC aftershave recipe?!!

T.N. Dickinson Witch Hazel Astringent mixed into the 240ml bottle with Invite E High Potency Pure Oil (10 drops), Natural Plant Glycerin (20) & Tea Tree Oil Antiseptic (5)

 

[TobyC]

This is the only aftershave that anyone actually needs.

 

[SpeedyPC]

Kinda like ignoring Speedy, it just becomes natural.

Bloody smelly pissing unrated yellow wee wee evil black cat, I’ll grab your bloody tail and bashed the living crap out of you over the table, and then throw in the pot.

 

[TobyC]

Bloody smelly pissing unrated yellow wee wee evil black cat, I’ll grab your bloody tail and bashed the living crap out of you over the table, and then throw in the pot.

He died last year, had another black cat that was almost as old that we had to have put down recently, I loved them dearly.

I don't think you want to make aftershave out of them, black cat bone hoodoo will take your soul.

 

[TobyC]

 

[Razor Burn]

Very good advice from @Razor Burn for any beginner. I haven't been doing this long, and when I started I wanted to shave 5 times a day so I could try out lots of blades, soaps etc.

Unlike some here, I'm not big on collecting lots of razors - mainly because I can't afford to - but I've now found a combination that is pretty much shaving bliss for me. A Razorock Lupo 72 and Gillette Nacet blades. I went back to that combo yesterday after using a few different blades the last few weeks, and as I was doing the first few strokes, I couldn't help but wonder why I'd bothered with anything else. For me, the combo is so smooth that it feels like I've left the blade out of the razor, but it's really efficient and I can easily get a week of shaving from a blade. For others, it's probably average or poor, but that's the beauty of this gig, have fun working out what works for you.

I'll second the comment about the Aussie soaps. I've got a few imported soaps and they're fantastic too, but the Aussie stuff I've used so far is at least as good. This morning I used my Blue Devil Strawberry Patch and all it took was putting the synthetic brush in the water while I put the pre-shave cream on, shaking it out then loading it up on the soap for 5-6 seconds. I did a 2.5 pass shave - there are some parts of my face I only do twice to avoid irritation or weepers - and I still washed enough down the sink that I could have easily done another pass.

Re. mapping your face, I totally agree. I watched plenty of videos while I was learning, but I now shave a little different to what I've seen anyone else do, and I'm sure it will continue to evolve as time goes on. The bottom 3cm or so on my neck grows the opposite way to the rest of my face and neck, so I now start off my shave by doing that section up, which would normally be ATG, but it's actually WTG. I then finish off the first pass going down which is still WTG. For the second pass, I do the reverse and I end up with a comfortable shave that does everything I need, with no irritation. I've never seen anyone else do that, but there are no hard and fast rules here, it's all about what works for you, your gear and your face.

A while ago @SpeedyPC posted on here a recipe for a Witch Hazel based aftershave which is fantastic, and costs bugger all. This can be an expensive hobby, or it can be a way of making a necessary task more enjoyable and cheaper, we all get to choose how far down the rabbit hole we go.

Outstanding advice and highly recommend @SpeedyPC for his post shave recipe as its become my go to of late as very refreshing on the face and head. I see its popular as a few guys post using it in the SOTD Thread!

 

[Razor Burn]

This is the only aftershave that anyone actually needs.

I accidently tried a drop that @Mark1966 brought along to a Meet Up one time and that stuff is potent as my wrist smelt like cat's pee the remainder of the day!

 

[Mark1966]

I accidently tried a drop that @Mark1966 brought along to a Meet Up one time and that stuff is potent as my wrist smelt like cat's pee the remainder of the day!

No, you tried Lilac Vegatal, not the pictured Clubman (above).

'The Veg' looks like -

 

[SpeedyPC]

I accidently tried a drop that @Mark1966 brought along to a Meet Up one time and that stuff is potent as my wrist smelt like cat's pee the remainder of the day!

No, you tried Lilac Vegatal, not the pictured Clubman (above).

'The Veg' looks like -

 

[Razor Burn]

No, you tried Lilac Vegatal, not the pictured Clubman (above).

'The Veg' looks like -

Ah yes that's the stuff.

 

[TobyC]

Ah yes that's the stuff.

Slop it on like you're putting out a fire, it mellows to a nice powdery scent.

(for Speedy) The Veg is for men, testosterone is the catalyst that makes it work.

Boys should use this;

 

[thatguy]

You guys are hilarious. Soo... Tried today with an Astra SP and the same Jack the Barber soap. I don't think I lathered it as well, but the difference in blade was obvious immediately. Smoother and less snatching until getting to the lower part of my neck again, where I think I'm going to need to tread a little more carefully. I would say BBS on face, and under chin, and the neck is back to being a mess after I was too enthusiastically chasing BBS and went back for extra passes without lather, and put a little pressure on... With predictable results. I'm still learning to let the razor do the work.

I've got the ingredients for the aftershave, so look forward to 'brewing' that up. Anyone ever tried scenting it?

Oh, and I fell down the rabbit hole on the recent Yaqi auction and bought way too much stuff that I don't need (again). What's that I hear you all chanting? 'one of us... One of us ...' ?

 

[SpeedyPC]

You guys are hilarious. Soo... Tried today with an Astra SP and the same Jack the Barber soap. I don't think I lathered it as well, but the difference in blade was obvious immediately. Smoother and less snatching until getting to the lower part of my neck again, where I think I'm going to need to tread a little more carefully. I would say BBS on face, and under chin, and the neck is back to being a mess after I was too enthusiastically chasing BBS and went back for extra passes without lather, and put a little pressure on... With predictable results. I'm still learning to let the razor do the work.

I've got the ingredients for the aftershave, so look forward to 'brewing' that up. Anyone ever tried scenting it?

Oh, and I fell down the rabbit hole on the recent Yaqi auction and bought way too much stuff that I don't need (again). What's that I hear you all chanting? 'one of us... One of us ...' ?

Stop chasing the bloody BBS, isn’t worth it for a daily shaver, because, YMMV and your type of skin. Just stick to DFS and forget about BBS throw it out the door, just enjoy a real good quality smooth and comfortable relaxing irritation FREE stress shave, and that is all you need beside chasing the BBS.