What advise would you have liked to known at the start?

Having put together a video of my 'Do's and Don'ts' for those thinking about starting to use a DE Razor i wondered what advise do you have now that you would have given yourself/ others at the start?

 

After about a year of wet shaving, I finally worked on riding the cap, and wish I had done this much earlier. I found lots of advice early on talking about a 30 degree blade angle, and have since found this doesn't hold too well. Each razor has its sweet spot, which is often very shallow. I would recommend newer shavers to use as shallow of an angle as they can to get the blade to cut.

 

Blades don't matter much
Razors don't matter much
Angle is everything
Technique is King
New gear won't help....

 

I was lucky. I started a couple of months before finding this place and getting in on the very first 30 DC month. If I hadn't run into that and gone with a Rule that early I would have ended up buying tons of gear and shotgunning it until I gave up. So, if there's any advice I have for newbies it would be tied to my early experience.

Pick a razor, a blade, a brush and a soap.
Use it for a minimum of 30 shaves. Nothing else.
Ride the Cap.
Repeat.

Once that razor is giving great shaves, switch it up if you'd like. Or try a different blade or whatever. But always.....ALWAYS.....stay focused on technique. It's what gives great shaves, not the gear. Need proof? Two things.....

Popsicle stick razors.
Blades on a bolt.

'Nuff said.

 

the way to get the best angle for me(yes, I still have my 65-Slim)

 

That you won't save money over cartridges unless you hold back on all the ADs.

 

Don't spend a lot of money on over priced razors, they don't shave any better. It's not about the bling SOTD pictures.

 

Awesome video


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

I would just reiterate what has already been said.

Work on technique and you will get a good shave with most any razor you want to use.

Also you probably need more water in your lather.

 

I would echo the “technique trumps tools” comments.

I started off like the novice golfer thinking I needed to find the right set of clubs or a particular brand of golf ball.
A professional golfer could beat me using a broomstick and a walnut.

 

The two best bits of shaving advice that helped me to completely eliminate all pain associated with shaving:
1) ride the cap - stated by Bama Samurai
2) you should use the razor as if you're tickling your face with a feather - I believe PickledNorthern said this one

I'm now also aware that while expensive artisan soaps can be nice, especially for the sake of supporting local vendors, factory soaps and creams are amazingly good. That being said, sometimes spending a little extra dough doesn't hurt. The best blades I've ever used are Kai blades and while they're much pricier than most other blades, they're still a fraction of the cost of cartridges. For me, creams also work better than soaps although I wouldn't insinuate that when making suggestions to a newcomer - creams versus soaps is highly subjective.

Now that I've found my groove, I haven't really purchased anything in a long time aside from some blades and some creams at the beginning of the year.

 

Do what works for you.

 

Try an adjustable razor.

 

Neal, you forgot the third thing: them Vosky DE blades.

 

This can't be stressed loudly enough. Technique trumps shiny razors and expensive soaps, any day of the week and all weekend.

The first thread I really followed after coming here was a MAYhem focus. I watched guys shave with blades taped to their fingers, homemade SEs and shards of obsidian. The results were surprisingly good (all things considered). I quickly learned it wasn't the gear that makes for a great shave.

 

Well, Voskhod goes without saying.

 

If the first thread you followed was the 30DC during MAYhem........and you're still around........then brother you clearly BELONG here.

 

What advice would I give myself?

"Carl, start out with one inexpensive, mild razor. Perhaps a Weishi, or RazoRock. Or have a knowledgable friend buy a Gillette flair tip for you. You can try different razors on day 31.
Start out with a good quality cream in a can for the first 30 days to eliminate the possibility that you made the lather too thick or too thin.
Use the same brand of blade and replace it after 3 shaves.
Use an after shave balm like Nivea.
Remember always, light pressure and low angle."

 

Know thyself. The first day I moved to Seattle in 1981 to take my first real job, I took a taxi to a car dealership to purchase the cheapest car in the auto ads section of that morning's Sunday newspaper, a Datsun 210 sedan. Years later, I found myself driving a Porsche Carrera 2 Cabriolet, only because I could. I now share a Subaru Forester with my wife and my two local adult children, and am happy as a clam. I don't make the money I used to, and find it liberating and joyous to find a relatively inexpensive shaving item that competes with the high-end products. It's been a long journey for me, and I still might spend $200 for a razor, but I find value now at lower prices. If I picked up this hobby during my Porsche days, I would be much more myopic about "value."

 

MAYhem was definitely a stretch for me in those early wet shaving days. I was sill finding it hard to fully retire my Schick Hydro and Braun buzzy, and here were these nut-jobs shaving with sharpened ROCKS!!

It was almost like a car wreck, though, I couldn't turn away and had to see what the next spectacle would be. Amazing stuff, what you can do with good technique.