Hey all. Total newbie to the DE shave club. I've been toying with the idea for some time (almost a year) and about a week ago I decided to jump in. After some initial research and a watching a bunch of vids on Youtube I purchased a Merkur Futur, 100 Personna blades, a tub of Captain's Choice Bay Rum soap and a Semougue 1250 which was a bit of a last minute purchase and I'm looking or something better. I'm a long time cartridge shaver and my decision to make the jump to DE shaving wasn't one of savings as I would use a single cartridge for about a year (yes, a year - The cartridge I have now was opened in Dec. 2014) and I wouldn't spend money on canned foams or gels as I'd just use whatever bar of soap I had in the shower. That combination suited me well for many, many years with no cuts, rashes or irritation. My main reason for wanting to try DE was to give something "new" a try. I'm glad I did. I rather enjoy the experience of lathering up and paying a little more attention with the razor. My first shave was full of irritation and a few cuts... something I haven't experienced in years. But thanks to the tons of vids I had seen I knew what I had done wrong; coming from a cartridge I was used to pressing the razor on my face and I followed suit with the DE razor. The second shave (two days later) went beautifully with zero blood and irritation. The same followed for the third shave. And that's where I'm at now; I'm three shaves in and I'm definitely hooked and looking forward to my next shave (tomorrow night). I love the Merkur even though some would say it's not for beginners. I'm happy with the Personna blades but would like to try one or two other brands. I'm happy with the soap (loving the Bay Rum scent) and I'm looking to try a couple more. The only thing I'd like to 'bump' up is the brush. Would love to get something in the $80 range and of the best quality I can get for that. I shave in the shower and lather on the face so any recommendations would be appreciated. All in all while shaving was never an expense or a chore before for me, it's definitely much more enjoyable and I dare even say it's relaxing. I'm 46 and I don't know why I waited so long to try this.
Welcome to TSD. Sounds like you are off to a great start. The Semogue is a great boar brush. It just takes time for it to break in.
Welcome to the Den. Part of what's interesting/fun about DE shaving is that a regular chore becomes a pleasure. You're right, there's something about enjoying the experience rather than just shaving. Don't know anything about the Futur or the Personna blades, but for a brush you might want to look at Whipped Dog. Larry is a real gentleman and WD makes great brushes for half of your $80 price tag. Good luck!
to TSD "rustypixel" I hope you enjoy it here. Definitely get a sample blade pack. Try a Blade has a good selection and you can buy only as many individual blades as you like. The way your going a single pack could last you quite a while. Remember price doesn't make a brush good for you. I use a $5 bestshave #6 horse(?) hair and its fantastic IMO, much better or me than other more expensive brush's I've tried. I'm glad to hear your getting so much enjoyment from trying "traditional" shaving.
Hello rustypixel,i'm glad your here. I also felt bad I waited so long to begin de shaving until I joined and a wise member said "what matters is from this day forward". You'll find all the help and advice you need here from these knowledgeable friendly gents. Enjoy yourself.
Like Clint said, that is a great brush, but boars do take a little while to break in. There is a lot of bang for the buck with the Semogue 1205. Glad you landed here. Enjoy your stay.
Thanks for the warm welcome. I have no issues with the Semouge but since I stared DE shaving (all of 4 days ago) I've realized that this is a lot more relaxing and enjoyable than I thought it would be and just want to treat myself to a slightly more upscale brush. I'll definitely be heading over to the Whipped Dog an check out what they have. I'm just perusing the site while watching TV and waiting for the facial hair to grow so I can shave again?
Shaving has become a relaxing spa experience for me with De's as well glad you're enjoying yourself. Don't forget to checkout TSD soaps there is a great selection.
Welcome to The Shave Den! Check out the SOTD thread (SOTD = shave of the day) and the 30 day focus thread. In particular, the 30-day focus thread is a great place to develop and refine your technique. Ask plenty of questions, as everyone here is willing to help. Have fun.
++1 on Whipped Dog brushes. I am very sure you don't need to spend $80 for a great brush though. I have that Semougue and did not like it at first. It needs to break in and it becomes a much softer lather machine. I am a fan of synthetic brushes, they can feel great the first day and don't need the soak time and they dry fast too. Oh, and they look great, feel soft and just lather like crazy. Welcome to the club. I think the Futur is a great razor just stay away from the higher numbers for a while.
I stopped by the Whipped Dog site earlier today and I'm definitely going to get one of their brushes. I just want to reiterate that I don't dislike the Semougue but it was the only item I purchased that I didn't really research. The brush has worked just fine for me. I bumped the Futur to a 1.5 for my 4th shave and all went very well even with an ATG pass on my neck which is something I never did with cartridge razors due to the inevitable irritation since I have semi-course hair. To be honest, since I'm very happy with my shaves I'm not sure I see a need to go higher than a setting of 2.
