- Joined
- Saturday January 28, 2012
- Location
- Manchester, New Hampshire, USA
Thought I might share with you the post I placed on another board after my first week of de wetshaving back in April of 2011. I'll follow that with what was to follow that first week up to the present day.
Start of Badger & Blade Post from April 2011 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
First week of wet shaving with de razor...
I started shaving in 1967 using a Shick Injector for a few years. Then a Techmatic, TracII, various disposables finally ending up using a Sensor XL for many years. Tried shaving with a DE 10 to 15 years ago with very little success, no real resources to learn 15 years ago. I had developed such bad shaving habits it seemed impossible to learn to use the DE that I went back to the Sensor.
Since shaving was such a drag I grew my fair share of beards in my lifetime but I'm just one of those guys that does not like facial hair so it was always back to shaving. Hell, I don't even like a moustache. I like a clean shaven face but hated the only process I knew to get one. Tried electrics and was fairly impressed with the Panasonic Linear rechargeable but still hated shaving.
All that changed when I found this board. What? You mean I can really learn to use a DE? The prospect of getting a decent shave had eluded me so long I figured I had nothing to lose. I had picked up 3 or 4 de razors over the years whenever I found one in really good condition that only cost me a buck or two but I wanted to start with something really good so I ordered an EJ89, a sample pack of blades, a new brush (my old brush was whipped) and some Proraso in the tub. The whole set up was right around $100. I'd drop that in Sensor XL cartridges alone every 6 months. Turns out this was the best $100 I've spent in a long time!
I decided to start with the Merkur blades. I read somewhere in here they are a good place to start. They may not be rated very high by the reviews I've read, but again, a place to start.
First shave was Sunday night after a haircut and shower. Prep went fine, love the Proraso, but I was nervous so naturally I got a couple of nicks and the shave basically sucked.
Second shave I got up early Wednesday morning and shaved just out of the shower. Same prep but the shave went very well and to my delight I seemed to enjoy the time I was spending pampering myself. I was not using the pressure I had used for years and I started paying attention to the topography of my ugly mug! Not a single nick and easily as good a shave as I would get from the Sensor XL.
Third shave was Friday morning. Same prep just out of the shower. Felt the razor doing it's work with very little effort on my part. Not bbs but easily a much better shave than I've had in decades! I added a bit of the Proraso pre/post cream when I was done with the shave and all I can say is WOW! I'm hooked! I love this EJ89. This may well have been the best shave I've ever had in over 40 years of shaving! It certainly was the most enjoyable shave I've ever had!
I'm 3 weeks away from my 60th birthday and I've finally gotten a good shave and enjoyed the process. If this keeps up I may actually start shaving every morning. My wife thinks I'm nuts and she's right about that on so many levels, but let's see what she thinks when I finally achieve a bbs. She hates my usual stubble.
I will follow the advice I've read on this board and stick with the EJ89 and the Merkur blades until all 10 are gone. That should take me 2 to 3 months so I can concentrate on improving technique during those first months.
Then I'll try some of the different blades and some of the razors I already have. I seem unable to locate where I put the Super Adjustable I had bought new all those years ago. I did locate my '79 black handle super speed and the '52 steel super speed, along with the 1930 NEW President I had picked up in excellent condition. It came to me in a leather Regent Tech case and it took some research to identify, but thanks to Mr Razor's pictures I found it to be the 1930 New President, a nice open comb razor with the NEW style head. Can't wait to try that one!
Just wanted to pop in and tell the rest of the noob's like myself, stick with it. It's really not that difficult and it's worth the effort. I'm 3 shaves into wet shaving and I've just gotten the best shave of my life. The only advice you will get from this noob is TAKE YOUR TIME! It's not a race, it's your face! Hey, I like that, I think I'll put that in my signature for a while...
End of Badger & Blade Post from April 2011 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
...from then until now and my aquisition of the Mithryl Blade
Well after only 3 weeks I decided to try some other blades, Timor, Feather, Personna Medical Prep, amongst others, but it wasn't until I tried an Astra SP that I knew how smooth a shave could be. Then I tried several different razors including some I had aquired shortly after I that first week. Like many others I fell under the assumption that shaving nirvana could only be reached with the proper hardware, if I could only find that perfect razor. I tried various blades and found certain combinations I preferred such as my Feather AS-D1 with a Personna Med Prep blade or my 1940's SS with an Astra SP blade, 2 of my favorite combo's. Despite all effort I couldn't find that elusive perfect shave.
I'm not sure how the idea came to me, but being a born again pagan I decided to see if I could work a little of magik of my own. The full moon came and I went outside and set up the sacred circle, raised the pillars of power and set up the altar with various herbs & compounds and started mixing components into my small cauldron as I uttered various incantations. Sitting on one of my pentacle stones was an Astra SP in it's paper wrapper just as I had placed it when I set up the altar. I watched as a puff of smoke expolded up from the cauldron and was amazed to see energy coming down to the Astra SP from the pillars or power. The blade inside the wrapper was starting to glow, not from heat as though it were red hot, but more of a greenish shimmering glow. It was then that I watched as the label "Astra SP" transformed into the label "Mithryl". The candles I had lit at the start of the ceremony suddenly blew out and the power of the circle settled back down into the earth. All I was left with was some ash in the cauldron and this glowing blade which I promptly picked up and headed off to the shaving cabinet to see if this enchanted blade was really capable of a great shave.
What followed was my usual evening prep of steaming hot towels for 2 or 3 minutes and a nice luxurious lather of TOBS Mr Taylor. As I unwrapped the Blade, I realised the only razor I had worthy of such a Blade was my Feather so I popped it into the AS-D1. The razor felt as good in my hand as ever, but with this glowing sliver of magik in place of my normal blade. I apporoached my face with the razor and was about half an inch from my skin when the lather evaporated and the whiskers were jumping out of the hair follicles and into the sink in abject fear of the approaching Blade. Upon completion of a pass no closer than a quarter of an inch from my face I was standing in front of the mirror with a BBS face and I didn't even have to rinse as there were absolutely no traces of the TOBS lather that I had been enjoying only moments before. Shaving Perfection Indeed!
That was 6 1/2 months ago and i have been enjoying bbs shaves ever since. After a month or so I discovered I didn't even require any prep, but sometimes I use a bit of the TOBS as do enjoy Mr Taylors shave cream.
I pecker strop the Blade once a week and it's as sharp today as it was that first shave over 6 months ago. Very saddening actually as I suppose eventually I 'll end up divesting myself of all other shave gear, very sad indeed.
Am I the only one that's noticed we're a bunch of grown men of all ages openly discussing our shaving and skin care routines. We sound more like a bunch of Shelias, don't you think?
Start of Badger & Blade Post from April 2011 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
First week of wet shaving with de razor...
I started shaving in 1967 using a Shick Injector for a few years. Then a Techmatic, TracII, various disposables finally ending up using a Sensor XL for many years. Tried shaving with a DE 10 to 15 years ago with very little success, no real resources to learn 15 years ago. I had developed such bad shaving habits it seemed impossible to learn to use the DE that I went back to the Sensor.
Since shaving was such a drag I grew my fair share of beards in my lifetime but I'm just one of those guys that does not like facial hair so it was always back to shaving. Hell, I don't even like a moustache. I like a clean shaven face but hated the only process I knew to get one. Tried electrics and was fairly impressed with the Panasonic Linear rechargeable but still hated shaving.
All that changed when I found this board. What? You mean I can really learn to use a DE? The prospect of getting a decent shave had eluded me so long I figured I had nothing to lose. I had picked up 3 or 4 de razors over the years whenever I found one in really good condition that only cost me a buck or two but I wanted to start with something really good so I ordered an EJ89, a sample pack of blades, a new brush (my old brush was whipped) and some Proraso in the tub. The whole set up was right around $100. I'd drop that in Sensor XL cartridges alone every 6 months. Turns out this was the best $100 I've spent in a long time!
I decided to start with the Merkur blades. I read somewhere in here they are a good place to start. They may not be rated very high by the reviews I've read, but again, a place to start.
First shave was Sunday night after a haircut and shower. Prep went fine, love the Proraso, but I was nervous so naturally I got a couple of nicks and the shave basically sucked.
Second shave I got up early Wednesday morning and shaved just out of the shower. Same prep but the shave went very well and to my delight I seemed to enjoy the time I was spending pampering myself. I was not using the pressure I had used for years and I started paying attention to the topography of my ugly mug! Not a single nick and easily as good a shave as I would get from the Sensor XL.
Third shave was Friday morning. Same prep just out of the shower. Felt the razor doing it's work with very little effort on my part. Not bbs but easily a much better shave than I've had in decades! I added a bit of the Proraso pre/post cream when I was done with the shave and all I can say is WOW! I'm hooked! I love this EJ89. This may well have been the best shave I've ever had in over 40 years of shaving! It certainly was the most enjoyable shave I've ever had!
I'm 3 weeks away from my 60th birthday and I've finally gotten a good shave and enjoyed the process. If this keeps up I may actually start shaving every morning. My wife thinks I'm nuts and she's right about that on so many levels, but let's see what she thinks when I finally achieve a bbs. She hates my usual stubble.
I will follow the advice I've read on this board and stick with the EJ89 and the Merkur blades until all 10 are gone. That should take me 2 to 3 months so I can concentrate on improving technique during those first months.
Then I'll try some of the different blades and some of the razors I already have. I seem unable to locate where I put the Super Adjustable I had bought new all those years ago. I did locate my '79 black handle super speed and the '52 steel super speed, along with the 1930 NEW President I had picked up in excellent condition. It came to me in a leather Regent Tech case and it took some research to identify, but thanks to Mr Razor's pictures I found it to be the 1930 New President, a nice open comb razor with the NEW style head. Can't wait to try that one!
Just wanted to pop in and tell the rest of the noob's like myself, stick with it. It's really not that difficult and it's worth the effort. I'm 3 shaves into wet shaving and I've just gotten the best shave of my life. The only advice you will get from this noob is TAKE YOUR TIME! It's not a race, it's your face! Hey, I like that, I think I'll put that in my signature for a while...
End of Badger & Blade Post from April 2011 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
...from then until now and my aquisition of the Mithryl Blade
Well after only 3 weeks I decided to try some other blades, Timor, Feather, Personna Medical Prep, amongst others, but it wasn't until I tried an Astra SP that I knew how smooth a shave could be. Then I tried several different razors including some I had aquired shortly after I that first week. Like many others I fell under the assumption that shaving nirvana could only be reached with the proper hardware, if I could only find that perfect razor. I tried various blades and found certain combinations I preferred such as my Feather AS-D1 with a Personna Med Prep blade or my 1940's SS with an Astra SP blade, 2 of my favorite combo's. Despite all effort I couldn't find that elusive perfect shave.
I'm not sure how the idea came to me, but being a born again pagan I decided to see if I could work a little of magik of my own. The full moon came and I went outside and set up the sacred circle, raised the pillars of power and set up the altar with various herbs & compounds and started mixing components into my small cauldron as I uttered various incantations. Sitting on one of my pentacle stones was an Astra SP in it's paper wrapper just as I had placed it when I set up the altar. I watched as a puff of smoke expolded up from the cauldron and was amazed to see energy coming down to the Astra SP from the pillars or power. The blade inside the wrapper was starting to glow, not from heat as though it were red hot, but more of a greenish shimmering glow. It was then that I watched as the label "Astra SP" transformed into the label "Mithryl". The candles I had lit at the start of the ceremony suddenly blew out and the power of the circle settled back down into the earth. All I was left with was some ash in the cauldron and this glowing blade which I promptly picked up and headed off to the shaving cabinet to see if this enchanted blade was really capable of a great shave.
What followed was my usual evening prep of steaming hot towels for 2 or 3 minutes and a nice luxurious lather of TOBS Mr Taylor. As I unwrapped the Blade, I realised the only razor I had worthy of such a Blade was my Feather so I popped it into the AS-D1. The razor felt as good in my hand as ever, but with this glowing sliver of magik in place of my normal blade. I apporoached my face with the razor and was about half an inch from my skin when the lather evaporated and the whiskers were jumping out of the hair follicles and into the sink in abject fear of the approaching Blade. Upon completion of a pass no closer than a quarter of an inch from my face I was standing in front of the mirror with a BBS face and I didn't even have to rinse as there were absolutely no traces of the TOBS lather that I had been enjoying only moments before. Shaving Perfection Indeed!
That was 6 1/2 months ago and i have been enjoying bbs shaves ever since. After a month or so I discovered I didn't even require any prep, but sometimes I use a bit of the TOBS as do enjoy Mr Taylors shave cream.
I pecker strop the Blade once a week and it's as sharp today as it was that first shave over 6 months ago. Very saddening actually as I suppose eventually I 'll end up divesting myself of all other shave gear, very sad indeed.
Am I the only one that's noticed we're a bunch of grown men of all ages openly discussing our shaving and skin care routines. We sound more like a bunch of Shelias, don't you think?
