First shave

I'd actually agree with Daz here - I'm not convinced that someone who has only ever whizzed an electric shaver over their face before ought to be trying to learn DE shaving with soap and brush straight away - I suspect it's too big a leap for all but the most naturally skilled. For what it's worth, my suggestion would be a Sensor Excel and a can of Noxzema foam (Vinny reckons it's as close to proper lather as you'll ever find in a can). He (the OP) can then spend a few weeks mapping his beard growth and getting used to using a bladed razor before he tackles lathering and DE technique. Better that than having him give up altogether and spend the rest of his life using electric shavers.

Hi all

In response to the last few comments, I apologise if my questions were somewhat trivial, I am very new to the wet shave process and thought the best place to start would be joining a forum so I could gain valuable tips/advice...............I completely understand I need to walk before I can run and understand with everything new it takes time to get accustomed to such things, I appreciate all the comments and suggestions and its like having some kind of support network, if I hadn't of come across this forum then I probably would of given up after a few attempts of shaving so many thanks to all, Im now looking forward to my second shave :icon_razz:

daz said:

antdad said:

Sorry Daz I don't see any point in him getting a cartridge as he's not used to that either.

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No need to say sorry, we all have our own opinions. My reasoning was that a cart would be less problematic than a DE but better than an electric, kind of a wee halfway house. Carts really don't need any thinking about and give a more gentle introduction to a wet shave, and IMHO might give a wee bit more confidence when used alongside a DE to start with. Imagine reading shave of the day in this place where people post about three passes? A new guy to wet shaving tries to have three passes with a DE on their first attempt, ends up bleeding all over the place and very sore skin. They might just be tempted to give up after the first try? Combine the DE with a cart and get to learn the DE while still getting a comfortable shave thats nice and smooth with less irritation. I am in no doubt you will not be the only one to disagree though.

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I understand your reasoning but I don't think combining cart & DE is a great idea as they really require differing techniques, if he came here first and asked where shall I start I'd agree about getting a cart or disposable and using a brush and soap to start off with as a complete novice. Now that he has a DE setup and he's willing to persevere, well he might as well persevere with our support of course.

dodgy said:

Cerbera said:

Cheers lads, I will take your wisdom on board, as for blades am I way off the mark thinking the sharper the blade the better the shave? This is the bit that confuses me the most,

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If the sharpest blades gave the best shave, everyone would be using those. Sadly though that's not the case, which means there's some trial and error involved in finding the best fit. The idea is to find the sharpest blade needed to cut without any resistance, and stop there. Any sharper and you can run into issues with a lack of forgiving nature and a better chance to hurt yourself needlessly.

Same holds true with a razor. If the most aggressive and close shaving razor provided the best shave, we would all be using those too. In real life, many of those razors with lots of bite are not suitable for many people, even experienced shavers. It's more than what's needed. ...

Martin

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This makes sense and the 'journey' is one that can become a bit of an obsession!

With regards to the OP, I too found starting out was not the best with nicks and irritation galore - albeit with Derby to start with. Map beard growth and draw a small arrow-type map on a post-it or similar. Use this to follow the WTG/XTG rule. Don't be afraid to try variations on this as not everyone does the WTG/XTG/ATG. I am currently going XTG/ATG with some touch-ups. Remember - no pressure - just aim to wipe off lather almost. Some small skin stretching can flatten areas too to help reduce cuts, irritation and get a closer shave faster. Prep - hot face flannel for a minute and nice slick lather (better a bit wet than bit dry imo).

Good luck!

I found that my biggest "ah-ha!" moment came from the switch of hot or warm water to only using old water before and after on the face. Oh, and also cold water to rinse blades.

With cold water, my face is much less tenderized before even starting. Also, by not trying to extend blade use past 3 or 4 times at most, I miss that last shave I shouldn't have had with that blade, which usually results in making too many passes as well as some ingrown hairs.

Not sure if there is scientific proof to blades lasting longer using cold rinse.

Also, since I'm SE shaving now, and not with stainless blades, I remove the blade each morning after the shave, pat it dry and put a drop of oil which I then spread to both sides. That may or may not extend it's use a day or two - haven't tried to see if rust spots appear or not if I don't.

Takes a while of practice. The blades I'm using at the moment used to cut me to shreds but now they are fine. My skin eventually got used to having a sharp blade run over it and the skin underneith my beard is now tougher. My transition was from Wilkinson Sword Hydro catridges to DE so not too much difference. The fact you've gone from an electric shaver to a DE is quite drastic. When I used to have a wet shave after a few weeks of using an electric shaver it used to hurt my face a lot so I think you just need to ease yourself into it.

It doesn't always turn out OK. I've had rushed 3-pass shaves that turned out perfect then 3-pass shaves where I've prepped, hot flannel, oil, re-lathering between each pass with fresh cream and then been left with hideous razor burn and nicks.

It's trial and error and even with experience you can end up feeling like a tool. The most important thing is to take your time and enjoy it. Once you find your perfect scented cream it soon becomes a joy, even if you are loosing a pint of blood from your face.

FYI I've been DE shaving for a year now but my daily shave only involves one pass (with the grain). If I go against the grain more than once a week I get that uncomfortable sunburnt feeling. Don't always feel like you have to spend 30mins with multiple passes because your face won't enjoy having so much irritation every day, regardless of good exfoliation and heat.