I think it's something of a must since you want somewhere to put down your brush, but for that any old mug will do. This is esp. true if you're straight shaving since lather dripping on the handle of the brush could have potentially dangerous concequences if you're not careful.
Thanks for the reply... I am currently out of town but I will be buying a C&E brush on Friday and will try my first wetshave Saturday morning. I will use my Schick cartridge razor. Where is a good place to buy one of the combo blade packs I keep hearing about on the boards? The ones with Derby and the like for beginners...
www.westcoastshaving.com, www.razorandbrush.com, and www.connaughtshaving.com. Also the store here sells some blades, you could always make a sample pack that way.
WOW!! Lotsa great advice!! Will definitely be checking back and comparing what I experience with what others have said.
Could someone elaborate on "shave with the grain?" I always thought you were suppose to save against the grain.
Most people will usually shave ATG (against the grain) only after making some whisker reduction passes WTG (with the grain) and XTG (across the grain). Some are never able to go ATG at all because it is just too painful, so only make their passes WTG and XTG. Myself, I do two passes WTG first, and that allows me to comfortably make my ATG pass.
It never occurred to me to go multiple passes. Perhaps the above should be added to the original post.
Some great pearls of wisdom here! I am fighting the urge to acquire anything and everything I can until I get a bit more time under my belt. Threads like this help build my confidence in holding back. With a site like this I should be able to gather enough pearls to build a nice chain some day!
Thanks. Great information! I just started DE shaving after 20yrs with cartridges and electrics. Too bad I chose my deployment to Afghanistan to make the switch. Still figuring things out and there has definitely been some blood on the shaving field for me, however I have had some very good shaves. But a good styptic pencil seems to stop the bleeding LOL. No really! First week trying DE and learning some things the hard way (things we wish Dad had show us). Anyway I am absorbing all your posts and appreciate the information and patience with noob Qs. Hopefully I can watch some of the videos later tonight. Take Care and God Bless. Jeff
Thanks for this great info. I am new to DE shaving and still looking to gather my first "kit". This thread was a lot of help.
Howdy all. Just joined, and wanted to confirm the technique for an initial cleaning for 2 new to me Gillette Black Beauties that are presently in transit via ebay. One is my birth year (1954), the other is my second favorite year (1969). Do I understand correctly that the black handle is Bakelite? If so, I need to stay away from the harsh stuff. I'm looking at using Scrubbing Bubbles and a toothbrush; hot water rinse; use Barbicide for however long; then another hot rinse, and a close inspection. Does this sound okay?? Forgot to ad the mineral (or baby) oil step, too. I've already learned more in the last few hours reading here, than I've ever known about shaving! When my new toys arrive, this will be my first time shaving since at least 1983. Can't really remember when I stopped, but it was a long time ago Just decided to start again out of the blue. Might even let my hair start to rip out again, too Got the Gillettes because that's what my Dad used. Unfortunately, I've since misplaced it and his shave kit Hopefully, it turns up somewhere. Also hopefully, I don't wind up looking like swiss cheese, since I'm basically starting from scratch here! I've also been looking at several other threads as well to hopefully refresh my feeble memory on technique. 'Preciate any advice on the cleaning of my new toys. UPDATE: Looks like the '69 will be here today! UPDATE #2: IT"S HERE! UPDATE #3: No swiss cheese - considering how long it's been, I did VERY well! Some VERY slight irritation, no bleeders. Did 4 passes due to beard removal. Used 1; 3; 5; 7 settings. Have to work on technique a bit. Still researching soaps, etc. Y'all take care, Mike. PS: '69 is my second favorite due to getting my first car in April of '69 - a '69 Camaro, which I still have - around 84,000 miles, never restored.
I am also new to wet shaving using a DE. I am still adjusting my arms. So used to using a pressure with a disposable razor.
Thanks for the great information. I purchased my "kit" a piece at a time and have been getting good results so far. The advice is very useful for us newbies.
