It's arrived...!

S

slim-shad-y

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29
the wait is over, the new kit arrived today :D

> merkur 38c duo chrome (will use the blade that came with it but have got some Derby's in reserve)
> taylors soap (sandalwood)
> best badger brush (in a set with soap)
> clinique post shave healer (part of my old set-up - is there a better alternative to this?)
> & lastly, a styptic pencil

v excited but will be patient and hold off until tomorrow morning for the trial :shave

no idea how it will all turn out...i've watched mantic's videos and read lots of threads here so hopefully i'll not lose half my face.

will let you know how it goes.

jim

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I love my 38C, its what I relearnt to wet shave with. I notice from your photo that you have the 'new' Derbies. There have been several bad writeups on THE OTHER PLACE regarding poor quality control with the new blades. You might want to try another type of blade until you have got your technique down pat . Just a suggestion, I sure lots of guys have had no problems but you need as few varibles as possible when starting out.

Above all, ENJOY :shave
 
Yup, re the Merkur blade, most fellows don't rate them very highly. But you never know, give it a go. My first experience of proper wetshaving was with a Futur and Merkur blade. :? It didn't put me off, but that's probably because my technique was so raw that the blade was the least of my worries!
 
slim-shad-y said:
(will use the blade that came with it but have got some Derby's in reserve)
Click to expand...

Double yikes. Take it easy and if it goes badly, don't give up.
You should be alright but I'd recommend some red Personnas to start with.

Congrats on the new kit, looks nice.
 
I found the new Derbys a bit inconsistant to begin with. I only realise this now as i work my way through the Connaught sampler pack which i highly recommend. THe main thing i am discovering is everyone is different. I tried Gillette 7 O'Clock yellow blades, which on another site had great reviews but they were awful for me. So its just trial and error to find whats good for you....i second the red personna suggestion, they were smooth and forgiving for me!
 
phew..i survived!

here's what went down:

> lathering - my right arm is b*ggered and i don't think i got anywhere near the right consistency
> brush - need to get used to the feeling of a badger's piece spinning about my chops
> razor - loved the feel of it when i got the angle right, but was floundering a bit too much to really benefit from it
> blood - only one teeny nick (neck) but was amazed how good the pencil was - nice work.

i'll put all of this down to my poor technique rather than the kit, that would be a bit harsh on day 1.

probably didn't help that i didn't shave yesterday... although i don't have thick stubble.

overall i'm pleased with the first attempt, it can only get better and i'm looking forward to trying some other blades once i've had a few more goes with the merkur.

jim
 
slim-shad-y said:
probably didn't help that i didn't shave yesterday... although i don't have thick stubble.
Click to expand...

Actually... I think having an extra day's growth may be ultimately helpful at the start - gives you more opportunity to see which direction your beard actually grows and also it's probably more reliable to remove 1/32" than it is 1/64" (and the extra day gives your fizzer more time to recover from the early stages abuse :D )
 
hunnymonster said:
slim-shad-y said:
probably didn't help that i didn't shave yesterday... although i don't have thick stubble.
Click to expand...

Actually... I think having an extra day's growth may be ultimately helpful at the start - gives you more opportunity to see which direction your beard actually grows and also it's probably more reliable to remove 1/32" than it is 1/64" (and the extra day gives your fizzer more time to recover from the early stages abuse :D )
Click to expand...

Noted. I just felt it pulled quite a bit, but presume this is down to the points I raised (lack of good lather, angle etc etc).
I forgot to mention how long it took - ages.
But must be patient! ;)
 
I think DE shaving is like parachute jumping - the second is always worse than the first because you now know what to expect ! Don't worry , it does get easier, faster and with a better result. By the way, I think you will be lucky to get 'a few more goes' from a Merkur blade. :x
Welcome to our world :)
 
bazwalk said:
I think DE shaving is like parachute jumping - the second is always worse than the first because you now know what to expect ! Don't worry , it does get easier, faster and with a better result. By the way, I think you will be lucky to get 'a few more goes' from a Merkur blade. :x
Welcome to our world :)
Click to expand...

oh god! i'm tempted to try it with my old set-up - dare i say it, king of shaves oil and gel (sensitive skin) or should i just get rid..?

maybe i'll try the derby's tomorrow although some have now said these aren't so great...were all the good reviews for a different version? sorry if i've missed something.

v tempted to get the sample pack from connaught.
 
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