Convert Me. . .

Thanks for the welcomes, tips & links everyone. Will watch the vids. Some great advice! I must say I'm liking the idea of switching gradually - moving away from gel onto soap or cream & a brush whilst initially staying with the WS 3-blade cart razor I used for years, learning to lather etc and then at some point getting a DE razor.

So keep the soap / cream and brush ideas coming & Ill try and pick these up soon & make a start. What about pre-shave oil? Do I need to think about that yet?

Thanks guys !
 
Thanks for the welcomes, tips & links everyone. Will watch the vids. Some great advice! I must say I'm liking the idea of switching gradually - moving away from gel onto soap or cream & a brush whilst initially staying with the WS 3-blade cart razor I used for years, learning to lather etc and then at some point getting a DE razor.

So keep the soap / cream and brush ideas coming & Ill try and pick these up soon & make a start. What about pre-shave oil? Do I need to think about that yet?

Thanks guys !
With regard to pre-shave, the best thing you can use is (almost) free - plenty of hot, though not scalding-hot, water. Being disabled, I can't take a shower very easily prior to shaving, which is the best idea. Whether you shower or just wash your beard area at the washbasin prior to shaving, you want to use something that softens the growth and doesn't strip moisture from your skin, so don't use ordinary hand or bath soap. There are several options - softening hair conditioner, glycerine face or pre-shave soaps and tube face wash products are fine. For many men, that's all that's necessary, albeit it's always a good idea to keep your beard area moist while loading your brush (if you're face-lathering your soap or cream), or lathering in a mug, bowl or shaving scuttle. You don't really want to prep your face and then let it dry off again prior to lathering your face. I and some others find that, without a pre-shave product, the razor can stick slightly. I used to use Proraso pre-shave cream, but I find that the 'green' version, which is menthol and eucalyptus-scented, overwhelms the scent of the shaving cream or soap I'm using, and the "Sensitive" (white) version, which is milder in the aroma department is too firm to be easily rubbed-in to the beard growth, so I've recently switched to a pre-shave oil. Bear in mind that, if you try oil as a pre-shave, using too much will kill lather - 2-3 drops is enough. You don't want to be able to feel an oily film on your face before you apply lather.
 
Truthfully, I wouldn't faff about with oils or balms at this stage Dave. A couple of weeks of decent soap and water with a razor proven to suit you and hopefully your skin will be in the best condition of recent years. Remember this forum caters for a lot of members for whom shsving is a pleasant hobby as well as a grooming technique. Just the basics are all that is really needed to get a result. After that the rabbit hole can go as deep as your pocket allows. As Chris said, warm water works just fine.

JohnnyO. o/
 
Truthfully, I wouldn't faff about with oils or balms at this stage Dave. A couple of weeks of decent soap and water with a razor proven to suit you and hopefully your skin will be in the best condition of recent years. Remember this forum caters for a lot of members for whom shsving is a pleasant hobby as well as a grooming technique. Just the basics are all that is really needed to get a result. After that the rabbit hole can go as deep as your pocket allows. As Chris said, warm water works just fine.

JohnnyO. o/
Indeed, Johnny. I only mentioned using products as I always find the razor sticks slightly to my skin if I don't use some form of pre-shave, no matter how thorough my prep.
I also ought to mention that, once you've finished shaving, your best post-shave is a thorough rinse with cold water. Beyond that, a balm, aftershave splash or just a rub with an alum block are matters of personal taste and what your skin does best with.
 
Thanks for the welcomes, tips & links everyone. Will watch the vids. Some great advice! I must say I'm liking the idea of switching gradually - moving away from gel onto soap or cream & a brush whilst initially staying with the WS 3-blade cart razor I used for years, learning to lather etc and then at some point getting a DE razor.

So keep the soap / cream and brush ideas coming & Ill try and pick these up soon & make a start. What about pre-shave oil? Do I need to think about that yet?

Thanks guys !
Another good AliExpress purchase is the Yaqi brushes - they're synthetic and don't cost a huge amount so punch way above their price point. Another brush maker which is pretty cheap is RazoRock synthetics. Very soft and capable. :) Creams/soaps etc it's your call! There's some great ones for not a lot of money ie the Palmolive stick. If you want something a little nicer scentwise there's Proraso Sandalwood and, more recently to the attention of this forum, The Gentlemans Face Care Club cream. :)
 
Whilst Palmolive shave stick is good for the price, unbeatable in fact I would dive in at the deeper end of the pool and buy something middle of the road but great and for that you should look at something like the Tabac shave stick. Shave sticks are great for those beginning wet shaving as all that is required is a wet face and wet brush. Simply wipe the stick over the face until you see a bit of soap on the skin and then agitate it with a wet brush until a luxurious lather is formed. With Tabac you will not need aftershave products your skin will feel amazing and it comes in around £6.00 from various places like the Bay. It lasts ages too.
 
Too many good suggestions but I will give the best advice: When you are relaxing in the evening at the comfort of your home in front of the computer especially after few alcoholic drinks, just get your card and search for razors, blades, soaps, creams, aftershaves, brushes.. and very soon you will have plenty of gear to try :)
 
Too many good suggestions but I will give the best advice: When you are relaxing in the evening at the comfort of your home in front of the computer especially after few alcoholic drinks, just get your card and search for razors, blades, soaps, creams, aftershaves, brushes.. and very soon you will have plenty of gear to try :)

That is unfair....but unfortunately true:(
 
Thanks for the welcomes, tips & links everyone. Will watch the vids. Some great advice! I must say I'm liking the idea of switching gradually - moving away from gel onto soap or cream & a brush whilst initially staying with the WS 3-blade cart razor I used for years, learning to lather etc and then at some point getting a DE razor.

So keep the soap / cream and brush ideas coming & Ill try and pick these up soon & make a start. What about pre-shave oil? Do I need to think about that yet?

Thanks guys !

Evening Dave - I think you should heed the good advice that has been offered about shifting over to 'proper' shaving. Particularly what @chrisbell said about not changing everything at once. That was my way in - I used a brush and soap for a while in tandem with a cart before making the jump. There is a learning curve - so best not change too many variables at once. I wouldn't get bogged down with ideas of pre-shave stuff at this juncture - a hot shower does me and washing my face with decent soap. Others would disagree - but there are myriad ways of wet shaving - it takes time to work out what is good for you. I'd think more about the shave - lathering - and post-shave regime as a starting proposition. As others have said - watch the video tutorials and see what you think. Saving money - that entirely depends on your self-discipline. Most of us here have none.

If you want to try it - pm me and I'll send you some soap, allum, a brush and aftershave, stuff to get you started. Gratis. Yours - I.
 
Last edited:
There's a razor that's been under some huge scrutiny here which can be bought on AliExpress from china. Takes a couple of weeks to deliver but it's adjustable so you can make it as aggressive or not as you please. I would say I can lend you mine but for £5.50 or so delivered from China, the postage to you and back from you comes to that sort of price anyway...

Spent £5.50 on a Qshave last night, couple of beers, visa card, internet, no need for yet another razor but seemed like a good idea at the time...

Is a good idea, great shaver and excellent at that price. I liked mine so much I have a spare stashed away.

Deep end of the pool, anyone?

ab7b45e84dca05e786725b4a6ed9ec5e.jpeg
 
Back
Top Bottom