when did you start 'wet shaving' and what did you use?

December 1988. In an effort to improve my appearance before work experience, started with what was available in the house - namely a Wilkinson Sword Retractor and a big brand canned foam. It did the job, but I wanted to get something a bit better - fortunately this was before they introduced a mimimum age for buying such things, or I'd have had to send a parent as proxy. The choice in the local branch of a certain big pharmacy chain in the main town two miles away was some other disposables or a fixed or pivoting cartridge system, or a DE. Bearing in mind the only DE users I'd ever known were my dad and his, and mine had not used one for a while since his old one fell apart, and his was sixty miles away, I was swayed towards the pivoting cartridge. Tried various big brand foam, gel when seen, and over the years three other cartridge systems (when availability or failures led me to replacement). Eventually settled for the time being on a tube gel as well, but that was not always the best for economy either.

I have had limited, and never satisfactory, experience of electric shaving - wet has always been better for me.

Dismay at cartridge cost, coupled with what seemed to be a bit of a DE resurgence, led to me looking into other razors from late last year. Not to be wasteful I used up my last cartridges and emergency stock of disposable razors as I gathered other kit. Got my first brush, soap and scuttle and when the gel ran out started trying to make proper lather, with only a few failures. Even with the disposable razors there was a notable improvement. For its similarity to cartridge razor style I got the Leaf razor - I do have one idea it may be useful for in any case - but also a QShave adjustable. I am actually getting on better with the QShave. I have a big assortment of blades due to mistakes on my first two RBC orders - however the third went perfectly so I will hold off before I order any more. I am getting close to needing a new soap, and it turns out Mühle have introduced a new variety recently.

I use an oil from Aromabar at the moment prior to applying lather, and after treatments are an alum rub and balm - usually either Nivea or Bulldog.
 
geeksmooth said:
December 1988. In an effort to improve my appearance before work experience, started with what was available in the house - namely a Wilkinson Sword Retractor and a big brand canned foam. It did the job, but I wanted to get something a bit better - fortunately this was before they introduced a mimimum age for buying such things, or I'd have had to send a parent as proxy. The choice in the local branch of a certain big pharmacy chain in the main town two miles away was some other disposables or a fixed or pivoting cartridge system, or a DE. Bearing in mind the only DE users I'd ever known were my dad and his, and mine had not used one for a while since his old one fell apart, and his was sixty miles away, I was swayed towards the pivoting cartridge. Tried various big brand foam, gel when seen, and over the years three other cartridge systems (when availability or failures led me to replacement). Eventually settled for the time being on a tube gel as well, but that was not always the best for economy either.

I have had limited, and never satisfactory, experience of electric shaving - wet has always been better for me.

Dismay at cartridge cost, coupled with what seemed to be a bit of a DE resurgence, led to me looking into other razors from late last year. Not to be wasteful I used up my last cartridges and emergency stock of disposable razors as I gathered other kit. Got my first brush, soap and scuttle and when the gel ran out started trying to make proper lather, with only a few failures. Even with the disposable razors there was a notable improvement. For its similarity to cartridge razor style I got the Leaf razor - I do have one idea it may be useful for in any case - but also a QShave adjustable. I am actually getting on better with the QShave. I have a big assortment of blades due to mistakes on my first two RBC orders - however the third went perfectly so I will hold off before I order any more. I am getting close to needing a new soap, and it turns out Mühle have introduced a new variety recently.

I use an oil from Aromabar at the moment prior to applying lather, and after treatments are an alum rub and balm - usually either Nivea or Bulldog.
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If the QShave Adjustable you're talking about looks like a Merkur Futur then I can attest to it being a very nice shaver indeed. I generally prefer vintage Gillette razors but this is a strong exception. I get great shaves from it with a variety of blades and it is particularly good with the Personna 74 which I generally find too harsh for my sensitive skin in other razors, even adjustables.
A bit of a niche case use as I only have one pack of Personna 74s but its versatility keeps it in my top five in terms of performance (even though I might prefer the aesthetics and provenance of many vintage Gillettes)
 
2017. Started with a kit from the body shop including macca root cream and a wooden handled synthetic brush. Razor was a mercur 34c and I think I got a blade sample pack from eBay if I remember correctly. Cut myself to buggery first shave but persevered and soon afterwards upgraded the brush to a Semogue 830 which I still have and a Merkur progress with my first P&B soap which was Albion and had decided I liked Astra green blades. Then the RAD, BAD, SAD and every other shaving compulsion kicked in. So much for saving money. :ROFLMAO:
 
NotTheStig said:
If the QShave Adjustable you're talking about looks like a Merkur Futur then I can attest to it being a very nice shaver indeed. I generally prefer vintage Gillette razors but this is a strong exception. I get great shaves from it with a variety of blades and it is particularly good with the Personna 74 which I generally find too harsh for my sensitive skin in other razors, even adjustables.
A bit of a niche case use as I only have one pack of Personna 74s but its versatility keeps it in my top five in terms of performance (even though I might prefer the aesthetics and provenance of many vintage Gillettes)
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Indeed, it's the Futur lookalike. Some people find them on the aggressive side... I'm not feeling that.
 
I was 14yo (1987), with my grandpa's razor.

This was my only setup, for the first years ... BEFORE the online communities (mIRC):
Pre: Proraso Verde Rinfrescante & Tonificante Pre Nuova & Hot Towel
Soap: Proraso Verde Ringrescante & Tonicifante Nuova Vesccica
Brush: Omega 10048 Pro Boar 28x70x135mm
Razor: Gillette Rocket 1958 Flare Tip
Blade: Gillette Silver Blue
Post: Alum
After: Proraso verde Rinfrescante & Tonificante Lozione Dopobarba
Frag: Pino Silvestre Classico EDT Vapo
0QWoZTS.jpg
 
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I have only ever wet shaved, so I'd guess 20 odd years ago with any old generic cartridge, disposable razors and I think it was boots plastic DE and Wilkinson sword soap bowl. Stuck with the Mach3 for years, still have that setup but doesn't get any use nowadays. Then maybe 10 years ago starting dabbling in and out of DE razors, normally whatever I stumbled across on the high street, think I bought a 90R for a time but fell back to the Mach3. Maybe 18 months ago went to solely DE, in the last few months swapped to a mix of injector, de, and se razors... alot more easily accessible information and folks out there now so the bug has bit, doing my best not to fall completely in to it but not really succeeding. My only half rule is sub 30 gpb for any razor, makes interesting work trawling for vintage and underated razors
 
I started around 1958 with a Gillette Flare tip, using Erasmic stick and most likely a boar brush. I graduated to usingYardley soap and Wilkinson blades whilst in the Army. I think that I moved to Carts around 1974 when I got married. Cannot say that I enjoyed Shaving with them, and after a spell of getting rashes, I had an Eureka moment and resurrected Slim Twist in 2015.
Felldown a few Rabbit holes, and now use Vintage SE/Injectots & Ac/SE. + Vintage Schick Super 11 Cart on occasions.
 
About 2014. Like so many, it was the black plastic Wilkinson sword de razor, some Cosmic? soap, and as I couldn't get a brush on day 1, my mum's make-up brush ;-) I wish I'd kept that Wilki, though I suppose I could pick one up easily enough - I think they were actually ok.
 
I started with Mach 3 and canned foam/gel. Then in 2008 by accident I found out about traditional shaving with safety razors and brush and soaps and never looked back.
 
When I was about 16 Dad showed me how to shave with a cartridge razor and can of barbershol and a splash of skin bracer.

I never took to it as I would always end up cutting myself.

After that a Braun electric razor is what I used. Eventually my face would break out all the time and I couldn’t figure out what was going wrong.

About 14 years ago I found out about DE shaving and decided to give it a try. A week later my face was almost cleared up.

If I recall right I was using a Lord L6 razor, C.O. Bigelow shave cream and a basic Omega boar brush with a splash of Skin Bracer.

Been DE shaving ever since.
 
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