Week 1

Discussion in 'Shave School' started by georgemoe, Mar 14, 2014.

  1. georgemoe

    georgemoe Member

    Almost a week into my start at wet shaving. Thanks to all the great members, creators of this site, and the great info. To think it all started with seeing that safety razor infomercial on TV a couple of weeks ago. :happy102:

    The Start
    After some research here, I decided on a EJ DE89. I also ordered some Astra SP blades to go along with the Derby that came with EJ. I also picked up the VDH kit locally for mug, soap, and boar brush. I had everything for my first shave late Saturday. How can I wait until Sunday? :signs002:

    Shave 1 - Sunday AM
    I watched a few videos to get an idea of how aggressive or cautious to be with the razor at first. I did not want my bathroom looking like a butcher shop. I also had to figure out blade angle. I really never thought about it with a disposable.

    I decided to use one of the Astra blades to start. I really did not care for some of the things I had read about the Derby's. My first attempt at getting the VDH to lather was a bit poor. I held back on the water because I did not want a soup. Finally got it going but the soap did not lather well on my face. I got as much on as I could for each lather but it was just not thick enough. The Astra did not seem like much of a blade and the shave wasn't very close although it was better than what I was used to. The best pass was ATG as that's how I prefer to shave.

    Shave 2 - Monday AM
    Today's shave started with thinking about what I could do better. I used the same Astra SP blade. During the shave I kept draining the sink to add hotter water for each pass. It seemed to help a little. I was still having lathering issues. I'm still not feeling the blade well enough on my face. Letting the weight of the razor do the shaving was not working for me. I found myself adding some pressure. It helped some but also introduced a couple nicks. I also paid attention to adding a nice cold rinse after my ATG pass. Shave 2 was a little better but I still felt like it wasn't great and rubbing my cheeks and chin I could feel a bit of stubble. But there was some progress.

    Shave 3 - Tuesday AM
    Today I decided to use a Derby blade in hopes of a little better shave. I had also checked out a few more videos and made note to hydrate well. Lathering seems to be getting better but not by much. Put me in the camp of "do not like like the Derby" blade. Talk about an irritator. I had a number of nicks and it just dragged like heck. The shave was a little closer but it was not worth it. My face felt scratchy and dry all day.

    Shave 4 - Wednesday AM
    I did not want to feel defeated by the Derby so I gave it another chance. Maybe I just needed to be a bit slower and careful. Another reason it bothered is probably because I normally used nothing on my face after a shave. I stopped using any aftershaves long ago. They way overpower my nose and I'll walk outside around a mall vs. walking by the door of a stinky Yankee Candle or Bath & Bodyworks store. Just ask the wife. :scared011: But I do need to find an after something for my face. Just not today.

    The brush seemed to come to life today. Lathering on the brush was quicker and easier. Maybe I got the hang of it a bit better. I did find it easier for the last ATG pass to squeegee out the soap from the bristles and apply with my hand. It worked. The Derby still hacked me up some today and it will most likely be the last time I use that blade. Thankfully I only have four left. The face was pretty irritated and dry most of the day.

    Shave 5 - Thursday AM
    Today it would be new blade day and not back to the Astra SP's. Forum member Lutebro was kind enough to send me some blade samples to try. What an awesome welcome to the forum. Thank you! :signs021: I decided to go with the Voskhod he sent. Man I love this blade. I was really pleased with the results of the blade. No nicks and it just seemed to pair much better with the EJ DE89. Maybe it was a combination of better technique and my face getting used to a DE shave. My experience was gaining.

    I still did not have anything for aftershave and my research so far just had too many choices to pick from. I wanted minimal to no fragrance and wasn't sure about balm, lotion, cream, milk, etc. And I have somewhat oily skin so wanted to make sure I got something that wouldn't be worse in that regard. I did spend a bit of time looking at the forums here and TSD shop but really a lot of choices. Too many.

    Tonight on the way home I would get a couple items from Walgreens to try out. I decided on L'Oreal Comfort Max Balm and the Nivea Post Shave Replenishing balm. Neither had an overpowering smell. I would pick one to try in the morning.

    Shave 6 - Friday AM
    I am starting to enjoy and look forward to my morning shave now. And today I'd have a post shave balm to try. Oh happy day. :happy093:

    The Voskhod blade was just as good today as it was yesterday. Thanks again Lutebro! Now I get to see how many days I can get out of this blade before changing. I'm still finding that even after my three passes I find some spots that need touch up. I just re-wet the face a bit and finish up. I decided to use the L'Oreal balm and really like it. Did not feel greasy and is my face felt good all day. No dryness and my skin feels less oily. A good thing.

    After Six
    So far so good. I'm really glad I stumbled into wet shaving and found this forum in the process. I was never one to pamper myself much but have others have mentioned here, you look forward to your me time. I'm feeling the same.

    I'll be coming back to post my next steps. Any feedback you have will be greatly appreciated.
    Thanks,
     
    Last edited: Mar 14, 2014
    Bristle Me likes this.
  2. Dapper-in-a-can-man

    Dapper-in-a-can-man and Dad-on-hand

    Try adding more water to your VDH. It takes good hydration for good lather.
     
  3. Dws2112

    Dws2112 Member

    great write up thanks for sharing.
     
  4. RaZorBurn123

    RaZorBurn123 waiting hardily...............

    You're off to a great start! You can use Dickinson Witch Hazel or any other brand of witch hazel. It'll clean and help aid your skin.
     
  5. The_Dude_Abides

    The_Dude_Abides Active Member

    For myself, the biggest issue I had when learning to DE shave was the lather. If you have a Bath and Body Works nearby, stop in and get yourself a tube of C.O. Bigelow cream. It is idiot-proof to lather (trust me, I put it to the test). Your razor technique will really come along if you've got good lather to work with. Soaps can be tricky to work with, especially if you're new to the game.
     
    Bristle Me likes this.
  6. Bristle Me

    Bristle Me Insufficient

    First off, :signs046: georgemoe!

    The lather problem is common. Stay at it and you'll find the groove shortly. The VDH soaps are usually good to the skin, and tremendous lather makers.
    If you're having trouble getting the lather going you might try making your lather in a bowl.
    It doesn't require anything fancy, a cereal bowl from the kitchen cabinet will do. You just need a bit of room to work the brush.
    The advantage of the bowl when you are starting out is that you can easily and quickly tell how much water is the mix.
    If you start out dry, the soap will just "smear" and spread out in the bowl, and you'll get no lather.
    Adding small amounts of water until the lather "blooms" quickly will give you an idea of how wet your brush should be to start.
    If you start with too much water in the brush, (or too little soap) then the lather will be thin and runny with lots of bubbles.
    If this is the case, put the brush back on the soap and really give it good scrubbing to get more soap into the bristles.
    The bowl just makes it easier to see what's happening, and make corrections.

    Don't throw the Derby blades away just yet. (or any other blades you find are not to your liking.)
    They may not work so well in your EJ, but if you get a different razor later they may prove to be just fine.

    Like you, I'm not a fan of stinky after shaves. But you really need something to soothe and moisturize your face after each shave.
    I really like Thayers Witch hazel, even more than the Nivea balm.
    http://www.thayers.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=3&products_id=10
    It has no little or no smell and dries quickly. The alcohol free type with Aloe is truly excellent.
    I've been using it all winter, and it's kept me from even one day of irritation.

    Best of luck and let us know how it's going!
     
  7. feeltheburn

    feeltheburn Well-Known Member

    Sounds like you're off to a good start. I have a pretty tough beard and find Astras to be sharp enough so I'm wondering what you're doing for prep? VDH will do a good job of softening your whiskers if you leave it sitting there for a few minutes before you start shaving.

    Here's one way I've found pretty effective. I like to start with a pretty wet brush. After soaking the brush for 5 minutes, I let the brush drain and give it a couple very gentle shakes to get the excess water out. Then I swirl the brush on the soap until I have a lather forming and feel a bit of drag as I swirl on the puck. After that, wet your face and start working the lather on your face. Work the lather for a minute or two until it's nice and creamy but still wet and let that sit on your face for 3-5 minutes. You can use your brush to freshen up the lather. Add water if needed to get the lather nice and creamy again, then shave. Hopefully you'll find your blades cutting much easier.
     
  8. georgemoe

    georgemoe Member

    Thanks for the tip on C.O. Bigelow. My soap lathering is getting a bit better after a few more days.
     
  9. georgemoe

    georgemoe Member

    Thanks for the tips Bristle Me. I've made note of Thayers Witch Hazel and will give it a try. I'll keep the Derby's and will try them again at some point.

    The lathering has been getting better and I do like the VDH soap.
     
  10. georgemoe

    georgemoe Member

    Thanks for the reply ftb. I started shaving with the Astra's again this morning and it was night and day. Much better. The lathering as I noted above is progressing. I think my initial woes were due to not working it enough in the mug and on the face.
    I got a good feel with the razor this morning. Some progress.
     

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