Hello all! I have been browsing this forum for about a year now trying to find the courage to change shaving habits. A little background about myself...I have been shaving for about 12yrs now (started at 14) using the basic aerosol shaving cream and the Mach 3. I am mixed (black/white) so the hair my face is extremely curly and usually grows back completely within a day or two. Currently I get a good amount of razor bumps, ingrown hairs and irritation. I normally shave in the shower or right after the shower while my face is still wet. I am looking for help on what to get ranging from the brush to the razor to the aftershave. I have looked through some sites and came up with this list so far... Brush: Either a Simpson or Rooney (I currently own a Crabtree & Evelyn brush) Razor: Merkur 37C (Currently own an original Gillette I bought off Ebay) Cream: Thumper's Coconut Oil Soap (Currently have Proraso Shaving Cream) Aftershave: Olivia's Balm from Germany Also it seems like due to the way my hair grows, method shaving might be the best bet for me. It seems like the grain of the hair changes quickly so basic shaving would just take too long. Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance -G
Welcome to the Den! Have you checked out the stickies? I would suggest before you click there, go grab a snack and something to wash it down, get comfy, then click! Have fun!!
Welcome Welcome fellow newb. I find if i search for answers most has been discussed, that being said you picked the nicest bunch of peeps who are willing to help. Good luck to you in your shave adventure. B
Thanks for the welcome. thanks for the welcome.. I have checked out those stickies. Lots of good information there. That's actually where I got the idea of some of the products I am looking at purchasing. My current stuff just isn't cutting it anymore...well except for my blades which I love. my thread isn't asking which is better than the other, just if I am on the right track to a better and less irritated shave. Thanks.
Welcome...I'm a former Balti-moron, was born in MD. What vintage Gillette do you have? I'm thinking if you got a vintage Gillette Adjustable...maybe a Slim Adjustable...still inexpensive and a wonderful razor...And as you develop technique you can see if the lower settings or med work best for you...on the lower settings a Slim can be a great way to avoid shave-bumbs and ingrown hairs.... What do you other guys think? I know Corey Greenberg recommended the 40's style Super Speed as the ultimate Ingrown hair problem fixer...but nothing is anymore milder than a Slim @ #1, and as UR technique improves you can turn her up...Many find the #3 setting a little milder than the Super Speeds... At any rate, hope you enjoy the Den, and let us know how its working out for you...I've had people ask me about that exact problem so I'll be interested in how you solve this prob...
Welcome to The Shave Den Geran, a great community of guys and gals that enjoy wet shaving, I hope you enjoy your stay! Be sure to sign up for the May Newbie Give-Away for a chance to win some great shave gear! Sorry, can't help you much with method shaving as I have never used it myself, and the method shaving movement has seemed to die down quite a bit, at least on this board. Many of our members have whiskers that change directions on their necks, myself included, and it is really a matter of figuring out what works for you. Some gents do 4 passes, other do 3 and touchup, and some can get by with 2 passes. What worries me is that you say that basic shaving may take to long, and the one thing I want you to remember is that shaving with a D/E is all about whisker reduction on each pass, and trying to rush it can be painful, and lead to more ingrowns and such. In answer to your question, yes, we have had many members find that traditional wetshaving does indeed lead to better and less irritated shaves.
It isn't one of the adjustable Gillettes. I wish I had one of those. I will look in the Slim Adjustable and the Super Speed. Thanks for the welcome. I hope this is a pleasurable forum and I learn alot. I will definitely do alot of searching. Thanks for the welcome. Thanks for the welcome. I will look into this...I remember it saying I need 15 post before I could enter though. Yeah I only learned about method shaving from Mantic's videos and it seemed like that would have been best for me and my hair type. I will do more research and maybe find a better way to have a better shave. I think I might have to do a couple different variations of shaves and see which works best for me. I've been doing the method shaving way for about 6 months now and I usually get razor bumps and ingrowns afterwards. I currently do 2-3 passes depending on how think the hair is on my face at the time. What I meant by "basic" shaving was using the mach3 and aerosol gel takes to long to get a clean shave. I should have clarified that more. I don't mind taking more time for a better and more pleasurable shave. I will definitely have to find this members and see what they have done. Thanks for the welcome. Thanks for the welcome. Thanks for the welcome.
I definately think you are in the right place and company...And I sincerly believe there is no better cure for ingrowns than Traditional Wet shaving with a DE razor...If you take your time and develop you technique...and use a medium mild razor(ex.40's style Super Speed) with sharp blades. For the blades you need to try different ones til you find what works best for you... You do need to know the direction of your beard growth...When I used an Arko Shave Stick the first time, was when I could really see the direction of mine, and I was shocked. It wasn't what I thought it was...Since then my shaves have improved dramatically...
Thanks for the welcome! Thanks for the welcome! Thanks for the welcome! Thanks for the advice. I think I did find some blades that work for me. They are Gillette Platinums from the sampler pack from classicshaving.com. I think I am going to get both the super speed and the slim adjustable. I think I am going to pick up a Rooney Silvertipi style 2 as well.
