Hi all, Names Rob and I have decided to try this dark art. Don't know why but it's been eating away at me for a while now. Couple of questions. A require a synthetic brush - any good ones? Tempted to go and buy the Body Shop one tomorrow with some of their cream [but one is in a tub and another in a tube - whats difference?] Will a large drinking mug suffice for mixing it up? How long should I stick with a DE to start seeing the difference [and should I avoid using a Fusion whilst trialling the DE] ANything else I should know? Cheers and be gentle Rob
First off... :signs046 Body Shop offers a decent synthetic brush, but you might be better off getting the raved about brush from Target. Absolutely no difference between the tub and the tube other than price and quantity. The better value is the the tub. Personally, I love the Maca Root cream! Yes, a large mug is enough, try a large bowl too! I use a bowl and it works well for me! Do not expect the same result with a DE over your Fusion. Technique is the key.. A DE you simply and lightly run across your face letting the blade do the work.. with your fusion, you drag the monster over your face! Start with simple With The Grain (WTG) strokes. As you skin adjusts re-lather your face and now try a Cross The Grain (XTG) pass. As to mixing it up between the two razors.. you will find divide opinion on that subject.. again, personally, I ditched the Mach 3 and have never looked back. I started out this way and no longer suffer razor burn and my skin is in fantastic shape! Search the forum, you will find wonderful articles about how lather, how to shave, even how to strop blades! Shave School Dig in.. embrace the dark art! :happy088 Cheers!
FWIW I do have a lower end Omega synthetic brush which is okay with creams. I don't use it much because I just like my badgers and boars better. Since you require a synthetic, hopefully someone else will have more advice. Consider face lathering. With a cream, you just get the brush wet, squeeze some cream right on the brush, and build the lather on your face. Or put a couple of dabs on your face, and again, use the brush to build the lather there. With soaps, a regular coffee mug is fine for smaller pucks like Williams, VdH, or Col. Conks. Swirl the brush on the soap to get it loaded and then build the lather on your face. You could actually continue shaving with your Fusion while learning to lather with a brush. Then when you're confident that you can make a good lather, switch to the DE as the next step. Or go right to the DE, either way. You'll get different stories about how long it takes to get good results with a DE razor. Some claim it works for them the first time, others are getting very frustrated after a month of bad shaves. Watch Mantic59's videos on YouTube, and concentrate on proper preparation, getting a good lather, and using the right blade angle. Go sloooooooowly at first. Don't overthink it. This was the most common way that men shaved for decades. There's skill involved, but nothing that's beyond the average guy.
Ahoy there! ::mat Welcome aboard. I concur whole-heartedly with RockRabbit, regarding the Shave School lessons, which have been invaluable to me.
Hey there Rob! I took the liberty of moving your thread into the newbies section, that way you'll get a warm welcome from more members with it in here. I hope you don't mind. With that said: Welcome to The Shave Den, a great community of guys and gals that enjoy wet shaving, I hope you enjoy your stay! I see you have already found the Newbie Give-Away, I'll add your name to the drawing. If you haven't seen it yet, I recommend reading over the Shave School Master Sticky, you'll find lots of great info packed in there!
French onion soup bowls work great for creams and soaps. Can usually pick them up for a buck at Dollarama. Welcome aboard.
I will shave you some time and effort, don't buy anything from the Body Shop. :happy102 If you want to go with a cream from a boutique mall store, go to Bath & Body Works and get the C.O. Bigelow in the green tube. The stuff is rebranded Proraso from Italy and as for the brush, perhaps an Omega Syntex.
body shop my missus is en route to get me a brush and the macca cream... I suppose I got to try with something first!
Welcome to TSD! This is the best wet shave board on the planet! I have the Body Shop synthetic brush and I happen to like it quite a bit. It is in my six brush rotation, soon to be eight brush rotation as soon as my other two get here....and that Maca Root Cream is very, very goot, IMHO. As for the Fusion; that is entirely up to you, although since my first shave with the DE, I gave my Mach 3 and Schick Tracer away and never looked back.
Just received my plastic feather DE razor - ordered it last week on impulse.... I like the 'silo' [am I getting into the slang already?? lol] I'll soon be having a BBS!! Has come with Feather blades and Trig. I have the Trig blade in ready as I am scared to put the Feather ones in!! Are the Trig ones okay? Or should I just 'tear it up'!!
Take a nice picture of your gear and put it in the SOTD thread, good way to get you into the groove of addiction.
