2 Months in and what a journey

Ratty

Ratty

Joined
Sunday May 12, 2013
Location
Chester
Hi there everyone, I'm Ratty from Chester and thought I'd introduce myself after some lurking over the last few weeks.

I got into wet shaving a couple of months ago after being laid off from work - the primary reason was I'd never really had time for it before but now I do - plus there's the discipline and 'taking care of appearance' which will help me to not turn into a slob while I'm between jobs.

My choice of razor probably wasn't the best for a novice - the Vision 2000 - the reason being I don't really know what sort of skin I have (I do now - sensitive) and the Merkur looked so groovy too. My first shaves were, well, an utter massacre - one of which stopped me going to the pub on a Friday as my chin and neck looked like a shrapnel bomb had gone off nearby. I realised I needed to learn everything to get this to work. For that, God bless you YouTube. Long story short - I can now lather properly, understand blade aggressiveness, work my strokes efficiently so I'm not shaving areas repeatedly by accident. And generally have a better process to everything, which is still evolving on a weekly basis as I learn more.

Made some poor purchases innocently along the way but when I nail it OMG I would have thought shaves this good were impossible. Plus, its real 'me' time and I literally look forward to shaving. Reading posts here has enabled me to sidestep so many errors that I would have made myself and taken me forward with wet shaving a lot quicker. I'll be asking questions here first then hopefully contributing when my DE schizzle is totally worked out.
RAD is in early stages too - Mint Fatboy in the post from US as I type.

Ratty
 
Welcome Ratty!

Sorry to hear about the work, the GF has just had the same happen to her. It's not good, but at least it's given you a chance to experience the finer things in life :icon_razz:.

Mantic59 on Youtube was where I picked up tips when I started out, but found that I've learnt a lot more through here as you get a much wider range of opinions, which gives me more to consider and shows me all different things I can try to see what works best for me.

We are all learning, it never ends. Fire away with the questions!

Hehe, RAD is just the start of it. I hope you have deep pockets ;)

Enjoy TSR

Alex
 
Hi, welcome to the forum. :) My first razor was the Merkur Futur so not that dissimilar. Sounds like you are on the right track now. Good luck with the job hunt as well :)
 
Thanks for the high-five guys. Final stages of one that should see me in gainful for June.

On those poor purchases - 2 really had me fizzing they were awful products - both were creams

Lab Series Shaving Cream
Clinique Shaving Cream

Both were tubes - and they were to lathering as Dame Sybil Thorndyke is to non-ferrous welding. Shocking.

Hastily bought out of sight of the wife as she was playing with make up in Debenhams - I should have known better and gone for any of the brands serially praised on here. But I'm wiser now.

Question:
I can't believe that the number of current models of adjustable DE razors on the market is so limited - surely there's room for more. And if I were a prototype manufacturer looking to enter the market I would send my first 50 test units to this forum - the wealth of experience here would be worth 5 years product evolution.

Just my tuppen'orth

Ratty
 
Welcome mate, we all got here by one road or another but there is no right or wrong. The reason we still hang about is we are all still learning, we may nail a better shave more frequently but many years, or longer in some cases, we all still manage to really screw it up now and again. We are just get better and quicker at realising it and then doing something about it.

It is not just about the shaving, often this sparks greater scrutiny about other things we just do mechanically. Good luck with the job and enjoy the forum.
 
Welcome Ratty, the Progress is the only modern adjustable I own (I do own a Super Adjustable Black Beauty which is modern, it is the same age as me!)

The Progress gives an absolutely cracking shave. I am sure you will soon be BBS shaving every day!

Enjoy your shaves, RAD does not last forever, I am past it after 5 months of buying every razor I saw. Unfortunately the BAD has kicked in..............

Regards,

Cyril
 
Good to see you here! Enjoy your fatboy when it arrives, I did the same as you, bought a tatty fatboy cheaply from the states and had it re-plated by Dave at Restored Razors.
 
Hairsuite said:
Welcome Ratty, the Progress is the only modern adjustable I own (I do own a Super Adjustable Black Beauty which is modern, it is the same age as me!)

The Progress gives an absolutely cracking shave. I am sure you will soon be BBS shaving every day!

Enjoy your shaves, RAD does not last forever, I am past it after 5 months of buying every razor I saw. Unfortunately the BAD has kicked in..............

Regards,

Cyril
Click to expand...

Thanks Cyril, Now that's an interesting point about BAD as I have just ordered a Richmond 30mm knot Silvertip - its massive! If it becomes my fave brush of choice - and I hope it does - are there any tips you guys have with regards to containers for brushes when you want to travel with them? This isn't a travel brush so doesn't come with a cover or case and any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Also Cyril, on the Progress, has anyone got any experience of the modded ones that can be obtained now? I think the hybrids are called Mergress razors, other than getting rid of the plastic knob does it really add any better functionality to the razor?

Cheers

Ratty
 
Hi Ratty and welcome to TSR from a Yorkshireman living in Chester. Sorry to hear about the Job situation but fingers crossed for June eh.

Your brush sounds like a monster - I protect my brushes with one of THESE and as its a relatively inexpensive item you have the perfect excuse to buy some other bits at the same time to justify the postage costs...and there the problems start.

I have a few decanted Proraso creams you can have to make up for the disappointing outing to Debenhams(browns?) if you want to try them.
 
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