After reading a few "newbie" posts and then going through my shave routine, it occurred to me that there were many things that I kind of screwed up when I first started wet shaving, and despite videos and various tutorials, I still made mistakes. I began wondering if I could help others avoid some of the same errors, and I decided that I should give a point by point of my own shave routine and break down the simplicities that some of us may take for granted. There is a steep learning curve, so I will try to lessen the slope. First and foremost, I want to say that I will be focusing on smart purchases, proper preparation, and safety. I am not looking to share what the absolute best razor in the world is or why you should buy a badger or boar brush or anything like that. I simply want to give a step by step on how I wish I had started off and what I would recommend newbies aspire to... or even a good set for long-timers to go back to the basics with. Without further ado, here we go. I believe that one of the most underrated considerations for new wet shavers is the fact of whether or not they like it and what direction they want to go with it. Like many of you, I did not think of this at all. I was googling "what is the best razor in the world", "what is the best shave brush", best shave soap, best aftershave, etc., etc. Though I do enjoy wet shaving, I ultimately might not have...and I spent major money on it starting off. And brother, I mean MAJOR money. I have kind of an addictive personality when it comes to collecting things. My wife says I "collect collections," and well...she's probably right. I literally went on the internet and got several of the "best of's" for all my shaving gear. I do NOT recommend doing this. Who wants to have $1000 of razors just to find out that they really prefer cartridges??! If I had to do it all over I would have started simple, with cost effective gear, and focused on easy-to-obtain quality items. My first stop would have been Walmart or Target. Just about everyone has one or both stores close by. They are certainly cheap, and they actually offer some decent selections. In addition, I wouldn't have had to wait three weeks for my stuff to arrive. I will also start with and share what I believe is THE SINGLE MOST UNDERRATED wet shaving tool: face wash. What?? I can practically hear you saying...what the heck does face wash have to do with anything?? Well, I'm glad you asked. Would you build a house by starting with the roof? Would you build an entertainment center by starting with the top shelf?? No way! You start at the base! Your face is the same way. You need to cleanse dirt and impurities away before you shave. Your shaves will be closer and better as a result, and you will endure less irratation and fewer nicks. Your face is more sensitive than the other skin on your body, and you need to act accordingly. Use a proper fash wash, and it needs to be something better than Irish Spring. You can find cetaphil at most every Walmart and Target...and guess what? It is pound-for-pound one of the best face washes on the market. It is approximately $10 for a full pound of the stuff, and it even comes with a handy-dandy pump. If you dont have a face wash, go get this. Now. I would actually recommend a face exfoliant and clay mask as well. Dove and Neutrogena make excellent choices, can be found at many stores, and are cost effective. You use face wash daily, face exfoliant 1-3 times a week, and a mask 1-2 times a month. Let's face it, you are probably overdue, so don't wait. Next up...what you all have been waiting for; the shave gear. This is almost too easy, because quite simply, there aren't a lot of options that meet my criteria (cheap, widely available, beginner friendly, and good quality). Van der Hagen is the way to go. They have a set that includes a great apothecary shave mug, a badger shave brush, razor/brush stand, and a shave soap. While none of these items are of top notch quality, they are more than good enough to get started. As a side note, I own one of these (though it wasn't my first set), and it's a great travel companion even for seasoned wet shave enthusiasts. You can go ultra cheap by using a latte mug from your cupboard (or getting one at a goodwill thrift store), hand rubbing a shave soap or using an aerosal like barbasol, or even getting a super cheap brush from somewhere like Daiso (the japanese dollar stores popping up all over America), but really...the point of wet shaving is to enjoy your shave, NOT to be as absolutely cheap as possible, so get the VDH set. These stores also tend to carry the VDH full line, so I would suggest picking up their DE (double-edge) VDH razor, VDH razor blades, and even their shave cream if you want. Most also offer Magic shave cream and Cremo shave cream as well. One of the best pieces Walmart and Target carry is a preshave oil called Shave secret. It is crazy cheap and it compares with preshave oils 10x its price. That's right...ten times. At $3, you just can't go wrong. I recommend this for all shavers...seasoned or new, wet shave or dry, it's that good. For those of you who like (or want to try) straight razor shaving, you will likely have to go the online route. If you even by chance have a shop near you that carries these items, it will likely cost you twice as much or more as buying them on the internet would. Just realize, there are start up costs that come with buying a SR. Accept it. If there is one thing to put your money into for wet shaving, this is it. Buy the best you can afford, and remember...a good straight razor will last a lifetime (or several lifetimes in some cases), so you will save money in the long run. I firmly recommend a Dovo straight razor for beginners. Get a new one from an online store or auction site. They come shave-ready from the factory so you will save the cost of honing and/or buying wet stones in the beginning. Dovo is world renowned and respected by SR shavers. Even the most modestly priced Dovo still shaves well, so this is the way to start off...trust me. Get an Illinois 835 strop. You will nick your first strop. Repeat. You WILL nick your first strop. Get an economical one like the Illinois brand. The 835 comes with cowhide leather and an additional linen side, both of which are ideal. Don't spend $300 on a strop starting out, just get the Illinois 835 and thank me later. There are some good aftershaves at these box stores too, especially if you like the old-school barber shop scents. Pinaud's clubman, brut, aqua velva, skin bracer, and old spice are easy ways to go...but what you may not know is that aftershave balms (the milky- liquid looking stuff) is actually much better for your face than the aforementioned aftershave "splashes" and "lotions." In this case, go with Nivea sensitive post shave balm. It does the job, and your skin, right. As an addendum, you may want to explore a styptic pencil or alum block as well. For those that don't know, these are post shave items that seal nicks, soothe the face, and act as natural coagulants to stop bleeding. Most people use one or the other, but styptic pencils are much easier to find. Pinaud clubman puts out a great styptic pencil that is widely available and worth the couple of bucks it costs. Lastly, I suggest using caution when wet shaving. This should go without saying, but since people tend to mess it up frequently, I feel it bears repeating. Use a bath mat. You and your family don't need you getting a broken ankle in the tub. Don't get the soap in your eyes, it hurts. Use a bath mat or towel to stand on while shaving, and for goodness sake...wear underwear or shorts while shaving with a de, se, or sr. Your little man will thank you if you happen to drop your blade. For you SR shavers, use the strop carefully. Put in on top of a towel on the counter if you must...you don't want a Sweeney Todd moment. That concludes my suggested buys and safety tips. Below I have included a shave routine. Feel free to adjust as necessary. YMMV (your mileage may vary). Place a fresh and clean towel in the freezer, I will explain why later. Lock all doors to your bathroom/shave den and let no one in. You don't need distractions leading to a cut face. If you can put a vinyl record on or use an ipod for music, it really adds to the ambiance. If you are a SR shaver, start by rubbing the strop with your palm to warm it up and then start stropping. Use the linen side first for 15-25 passes (1 pass equals down the strop and back). Then go to the leather side for 25-40 passes. Run hot water and pour it in your mug and place the shave brush in the water. Take your shave soap/cream and place it in the hot water mug or sink. If you use a de, se, or cartridge, you can also place it in hot water...it helps. Take a hot shower, making sure to wash your face. Finish up, dry off, put on underwear and/or shorts. Wet the beard area with hot water and apply preshave oil by massaging it in via tiny circles. Using a fresh and clean towel, wipe down your blade of choice and dry your hands. Shake your brush out using a couple of flicks and by squeezing the base (near the handle) to remove excess water. Briskly build your lather by using a figure 8 movement with your brush on the soap to load. Soaps are creams all work a bit differently (as does face lathering as opposed to mug lathering), just remember that less water is better. You can always add water, but it is hard to impossible to remove it. The typical lather takes 20 seconds to 2 minutes to build. Add water as necessary. Your lather should have a thick consistency with no bubbles. Some people refer to it as looking like yogurt or whipped cream. Lather your face using a circular motion to get the whiskers to stand up. Go over your face several times to "massage" the lather in. Shave carefully at a 30 degree angle. Shorter strokes make it easier and safer, as does cleaning off the razor more frequently with water. Re-lather for each successive Once finshed, dry off with the towel and go get the clean towel from the freezer. (Remember that? You thought I forgot, didn't you?) Place it on you face for about 1 minute. It feels great and it closes pores and soothes the face. At this point, use the alum block and/or styptic pencil for any nicks or irritation. Massage in an aftershave balm. Clean up by drying and putting everything up. Wipe your blade down with facial tissue or toilet tissue to remove all water and prevent rust. If you want to use an aftershave splash/lotion or a cologne, feel free to apply liberally and enjoy your day. Congratulations! You have an awesome shave routine and you just had a therapeutic and relaxing pleasure shave! I hope this helps and answers questions. Shave well, my friends
Great post. However, I would not nor would I ever suggest to buy VH razor blades. I would always suggest one to start with a variety pack from Amazon or pick your own selection on websites like Tryablade. Two day shipping and variety trumps basic, plain Jane VH blades.
Quite a lot of information and it almost seems I've read that, or something very close to it before. Nothing wrong with the information per se, but I'm one who would prefer to simplify things for beginners. It's a good overview of everything (or a lot) that is or can be involved in shaving, but for starters there's a lot that can be skipped. For instance, shave oil. It's not for everyone and I'm not even convinced it should be used until you can shave well enough to know whether or not you really need it. Clay masks? Exfolliants? (sp) Way overkill for the newbie. Balms are always better than splashes? Some don't even use after shave except for alum. If you don't need it, don't worry about it. When I discuss shaves with newbies, and I do quite a bit of that here, the one thing that always becomes clear is that you must actually know how to shave. In other words, you need to learn technique before worrying about all of the fancy-dancy add ons that you can play with. Also, if you are getting serious irritation starting out and you are using more than a razor, blade, soap/cream and brush, you have no idea if it's the soap you are reacting to, or the after shave, or the balm, or the oil, or anything else you've added. Once you have the technique down you can then begin to add products to enhance the shave and be able to tell which do or don't work for you. I also agree with @aiellonation on two points. Number one, skip the VDH blades. I started with them and nearly stopped because of how rough they were. Yeah, I know, YMMV on blades. Of everyone around here I certainly understand that. If that's all you have to start, well start, but get yourself to a variety pack of some type as soon as you possibly can. There are guys in the 30 Day Thread who are happy to send a couple of blades to newbies to let them try them. And to get them off the drug store blades. Try a few until you find one you like, then get a few of those, the razor you like best, the soap/cream that works best and a brush and use that setup until you get the basics down. Within a few weeks you'll be amazed at how your face feels better, the irritation is long gone, and you are now able to move on to other products and keep those great shaves coming. As for all of the tutorials that are out there, nothing wrong with them, and I read a few when I started too. But it wasn't until I slowed down and learned how to shave that some of that information I had amassed actually became useful.
Great write up. Well thought out and explained. However, when I started I had read a LOT of information and it didn't start clicking for me until I actually starting making some of the mistakes I had always read about. One of those things were you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make them drink
I was hoping that i could give info that a newbie or a seasoned vet could both use. Of course, there is some overlap where i could have possibly made 2 threads instead of one. I also gave a shave routine as a jump off point to add to, adjust, or even shorten if need be. I was intending for this to be a good one-stop collection of thoughts that could replace multiple videos/blogs. I do agree that getting samples as much as possible (blades, soaps, aftershaves, etc.) is the way to go, but it isnt always feasible when first starting out. I honestly feel that skin care and simplicity of one's shave kit are overlooked by many...especially newbies. I bought five or six or more of everything, and I simply didn't need to. Hopefully this is helping some people out.
