Need Help... Return to Shaving Not Going Well Spent almost $500

First, welcome to TSD!
You have received good advice. It will be 2 years ago in October when I switched to DE shaving. The BEST advice I received was to do the 30 day rule. Explanations HERE
I can attest IT WORKS! Technique is key and the 30 day rule will certainly help with that. From there I suggest the 30 day focus as you change variables (one at a time, be it a razor, blade, soap etc).
Folks here are more than friendly and willing to answer your questions and assist you.
Welcome to the journey ahead!

 

Hello, and welcome to the DE wet-shaving.
As a newbie DE wet-shaver by myself, I will give you only one advice. Don't give up. It may be difficult at the beginning, but the key word is patience.

 

My order was placed today for the Van Der Hagen. Also purchased Aqua Velva blue ice, Which is or was the official aftershave of the armed forces.

Lastly I bought a tube of Cremo the original.

 

You'll get there eventually....

 

Well, I learned something new already from here. Anyway, what I learned was to reduce the pressure. Instead of pushing it hard, I just prewarmed my face then lathered with some Aveno goop from a can and lightly stroked. Turns out it shaved clean with less irritation.

First and foremost, I also got tired of my Gillette Fusion and tried the Dollar Shave Club Executive 6 blade, and it IS better than the Fusion... though every razor is better including the Hydro 5, 3, Mach 3, Quattro, etc.

 

Light pressure is gonna be the key when you get the Van Der Hagen. Glad you had a better time of it!

 

Back in my cartridge days, I never really progressed past Trac II. I took occasional forays in 3 bladed disposables and shaved only occasionally. Now that I am coming up on 3 years of dedicated DE shaving, I can say that my skin has never looked so good and shaving is a pleasure now. I echo the advice you've been given - light pressure and before you know it, you'll be smooth and bump free. I shave 5 or 6 days per week and have no issues with razor burn.

 

What is a good Post Shave to buy? Right now I buy Nivea Gel and Aqua Velva.

Anyway I placed an order for some blades via Amazon Prime; specifically, I ordered some Gillette Platinum (NOT the Platinum Plus - those got poor ratings). I also bought several Astras; since, they seem to be well loved and cheap.

Any other suggestions? I am considering buying some Feather, but what does everyone recommend? I notice the Van Der Hagen blades it comes with are very poorly rated.

 

Find a blade sampler pack. Blades are very subjective, so what works for one person doesn't work well for others. It seems like I have found sampler packs on Amazon before. There is also tryablade.com.

If you are open to suggestions for post shave balms, I really like the unscented version from Stirling. I use it after every shower, whether I shave or not. Since it is unscented, I can put any AS splash on I like (Aqua Velva being a favorite).

 

Good luck with your new shave gear.

 

Welcome to The Shave Den! You'll progress faster and have more fun in the process if you join the 30-day group and stick with one razor, brush, and soap or cream. You would likely benefit from trying a blade sampler to see which blade works best for you as you start out. (A year from now, you might find that a different blade works better.) Vary only one thing in your routine at a time, and take sufficient time to evaluate the impact of that change before making another change. In a month's time, you'll be enjoying some good shaves. Your shaves will get better over time, and the great thing about this hobby is that you'll always continue to learn new things. And, truthfully, you don't need to spend a lot of money to get good shaves.

Keep us posted on your questions and progress! We're all glad to help.

 

Still waiting for my DE Shaver... can't wait! Anyway, I still think I like the Gillette Shave Goo better than Aveno. I KNOW I like the 6 blade Dorco Pace better than the Gillette Fusion and that not pushing so hard shaves better. I am actually starting to get my skin closer to its original condition it was in a few years ago when I shaved daily. It is already less red and irritated after each shave, and they are getting closer, so I am re-adapting to daily shaving. I feel better already now that I can shave again without horrible irritation using a cartridge, but I still want better.

What is a good Post Shave and a good Brush to get?

 

@NETWizz , PM me your address and I'll send you some blades to try. I will include a couple Feathers, they're my favorite. As for aftershave, I'm a splash guy. Aqua Velva blue, Florida Water, and Lucky Tiger are my go-to choices.

 

I've got sensitive skin, and thin blood. I bleed like a stuck pig when I get a paper cut. Best combination I've found is a Gillette Tech and a Voskhod blade. Mild razor, Teflon-coated blade, and I've yet to get so much as a red spot. But I use Williams soap with a Strong Set brush for the most part. 'nuff said there.

 

That's cool. How is the VDH stuff? I am going to try the Astra and Gillette stuff first, but what is everyone's favorite?

 

The VDH is a clone of a vintage Gillette Flare Tip Super Speed. It's is about as aggressive as a Tech. At this point, stop buying stuff for a bit. Let your technique solidify and then you won't have to waste all the time and money we all did. ☺

 

Yes, stop buying. You need to do a 30 day focus. If you are unfamiliar, then look up the 30 day focus thread.

What setup (brush, soap, blade, razor, aftershave, bowl) are you using now?

 

Right now I am using Shave Goo from Gillette, Aveno, and Barbasol. I haven't started using a bowl, brush, or soap yet.

Still using Cartridge systems, too. My VDH arrives Monday or Tuesday as do my Astra and Gillette blades as does Aqua Velva Blue Ice.

That said I am using Nivea Post Shave. This first week of October I am switching to DE, but going to stick with the same goo. Once I dial in my shave and which blade, then I am going to dial in my after-shave. Then I am going to spend November dialing in a soap and lather.

 

Two blades work great for me in Techs, Voskhod, as you mentioned and also the Ladas blade. Both very efficient.

 

This is what I got... and this is how it went using Gillette Shave Goo.

I ended up following up the shave with the Aqua Velva; since, I was a bleeding mess after my first DE shave.

What did I do wrong?

For the Blade, I used one of the Gillette Platinum ones... It seems like it had a LOT of Arabic language on it. Is that normal?