Well, I'm about to jump on board anyways. I'm still looking for for an inexpensive beginner DE razor, but am leaning towards a Weishi. I haven't found many local stores that seen to carry traditional wet shaving supplies, can you guys recommend any online stores (Canada based preferred) other then The Shave Den? A question on blades. I will be getting a sample pack and don't plan or switching blades until I can get a good with a DE razor, but how long should I stick with what seems like a bad blade for me?
Welcome to TSD! Check out italianbarber.com. On your blade question, you'll probably know it when you see it (or feel it). Some blades you'll just want to throw out after 1 bad shave. Save the rest of them though and go back to them later after you've refined your technique a little.
Hi! Welcome to the Den. Be sure to sign up for the September Newbie Give-Away. Your face will tell you when it's time for a new blade
Welcome! My advice regarding blade packets is stick with ONE brand for a while before switching over to a different one. Resist the temptation to alternate as you will probably get a better 'feel' for what a particular blade does or doesn't do by shaving consecutively. After spending about two weeks with Astra SPs, the difference when I swapped in another brand (Personna) was quite apparent. Good luck!
to TSD Ty...........I hope you enjoy it here....... on your decision to give "traditional" shaving a try..As to a safety razor not many places sell them locally so most people look on line.... If you want a new safety razor amazon is a good place to start, you'll get safety razor brands/names, prices and reviews. For vintage/used razors try ebay,but be careful, you'll need to do your homework/research and ask "ALOT" of questions to the sellers..A good mild,vintage DE starter razor I.M.O. is a Gillette "Fat Handle" or "Ball End" tech...Many Gillette tech and other type razors can be found inexpensively on ebay. Weishi,Lord,Parker are all ok lower priced razors,next up would be your Sabi,Cadet's and Maggards then Edwin Jagger,Muhle's and Merkur's,then the cream of the crop stainless models like Weber,Tradere,ATT(Above the Tie),iKon and Feather..This list is not complete but will give you a starting point.. One more thing to keep in mind "ALL" of these razors will have detractors and those who love them...Which you are depends on how a particular razor gets along with your face... As to blades definately get a "LARGE" sample pk. Although most blades aren't particularly expensive and you will "Want to Very Much", to make a bulk purchase, try "Not To" until your sure of the blade or blades you really want, otherwise you'll end up with hundreds of blades you don't paricularly need or want and wind up just using valuable space in your den...I know this from experience.. The way I tested blades in the beginning was to test 3 blades at a time. I'd use one blade everyday or every shave for three days/shaves and pick the one I liked most out of the three, then move on to another three blades and so on. Until I had by prossess of elimination whittled down the field to my top 4-7 most liked blades..From there I would follow "HolyRollah's" advice and do more extensive testing on the winners(using the blades more days/times in a row)...My criteria for choosing blades on the first testing was smoothnesss, and lack of irritation on the second testing I added longevity (the blade had to last at least a week 5-7 days) of smooth,irritation free shaves)..Closeness will come with Time, Technique,Practice and Patience... I hope this helps you out some......
Welcome to The Shave Den! btw, The Shave Den forum isn't about the The Shave Den Shop. It's about wetshaving.
Welcome to the Den. Weishi was my first razor after the plastic Wilkinson DE. If you are going to go that way make sure to pick up one of the 9306 Weishi models , those are plated brass, unlike the cheaper ones made of aluminium (I even heard one model is plastic). It's a very mild razor, very forgiving, and actually looks and feels quite nice. Another good way to go (if you want a forgiving, cheap beginner razor) would be a Rimei 3 piece razor. You can pick those up for as low as 4$ and they do an excellent job
Thanks for all the advice and the friendly welcomes! I've just place an order for a Weishi 9306, a 40 blade sample pack (Merkur, Derby Extra Stainless Steel, Feather, Astra Superior Platinum) and Musgo Real Classic Shaving Cream. I think this is going to be the start of something very expensive...
This is the start of a Fun,Informative and Fantastic journey... Oh yea, once the AD's kick in, it may get expensive also.. Enjoy your Weishi 9306!!
You're going to like that Weishi. I have the same one in the gunmetal finish and it's a great little shaver. Have fun with it.
Welcome, nice to have you here. Fendrihan's is a pretty well known Canadian based vendor. Bullgooseshaving, Razorbladesandmore, and west coast shaving are also good ones. They're American, but still excellent in terms of selection and customer service.
I just had what is hopefully my last save with an electric razor! And might be getting a straight razor too... All in all not a bad day so far.
Welcome to The Shave Den, We all started where you are now, Patience is the key, relax and enjoy the journey!!
