I'm new to wet shaving myself, only been at it for about a month now. I'm Lucky to have my Grandfathers old Gillette Super Speed flair tip, I also have a Gillette 3 piece ball end that a friend bought me, but it's too aggressive right now. I purchased some Wilkinson Sword Blades at a local Drug store and a Van der Hagen shave set and Nivea after shave Balm at Walmart. That has got me started in my wet shaving journey. I used to shave with Gillette and Schick multi blade razors and shaving gel from a can. It was hard to not get razor burn every time I shaved unless I used an Electric razor. But I heard about DE razors and thought I would give it a try. I can get just as close as my Electric with 2 passes. but if I go 3 I get a little razor burn, but not as bad with the multi blade and gel. Fortunately I got a bad habit of not giving up easily, I hear after you get good with you DE razor you can get BBS shaves with no irritation. I'm out of work right now with minor medical issues so can't afford to get some newer better stuff right now. but looking forward to it in the future and got my eyes set on getting me an Gillette Aristocrat in the future. Well that's my story and I'm sticking to it, LOL. Any advice or helpful info will be appreciated. Joe
Hang in there, Joe. I'm glad that you landed here. Sounds like you have gotten off to a good start. Save your money now. You really don't need more stuff. Wait until you get some employment.
Welcome Joe! That vintage Gillette is a fine razor. With some practice, and a sampler pack of assorted blades you are set for months. In diagnosing your irratation issues, you mentioned 2 or sometimes 3 passes. Knowing which way your beard grows is important to reducing that burn. Generally on the cheeks it grows downward. Making a pass With The Grain (WTG) or down should give good beard reduction without irratation. Going left or right would be Cross The Grain (XTG), and shaving upward Against The Grain (ATG). Cheeks are easy. When you get to your chin, and on your neck, sometime things get weird. It helps to know which way the beard grows and to avoid ATG on those areas. By stretching your skin you can flatten out hard to reach spots. If you have a hollow under your jawline, or a pronounced Adam's apple. Either use your other hand to pull the skin, or "make shaving faces". There's no shame in using your previous equipment to clean up after doing your best with the new razor system. You didn't mention any pre or post shave care. So many variations that you will have to experiment to find your method. Some folks prefer a hot wet towel, others strictly cold water. I like a preshave oil. Use the search box to read about them. After you shave, an alum block helps close pores and tighten the skin. Aftershaves sterilize and can add conditioners to your freshly scraped skin. That's a lot of information, ask question! You are sure to get opinions, advice, and maybe even information. Good luck and stick with it. It gets better.
Welcome aboard! The super speed is a great razor and the Aristocrat is unbeatable. You're off to a great start. Check out the 30 day thread in the Shave school forum. Don't be shy about asking questions. This is the friendliest bunch of shaving addicts and enablers you'll find anywhere!
Thanks I forgot to mention I do have a alum block now that I used on my last shave, which was Sunday. I thought I mentioned I use Nivea after shave Balm or at least I had bought it, I use that. I can do 2 passes (WTG) and (XTG) without irritation but if I try to do a third pass (ATG) I get a little irritation on my neck on my right side. I also forgot I have some Walmart brand Witch Hazel I also use.
I've been watching a lot of videos on YouTube about DE wet shaving. one razor that is the most highly recommended for vintage razors is a Gillette Aristocrat. I just purchased a Blade assortment tonight for about $10 to try in my Super Speed. I'm hoping to find a decent Aristocrat for cheap. I may be dreaming but hey dreams are good. LOL
As soon as you find a blade that feels nice, stick with it four weeks. This will let your technique solidify. Also, consider two shaves and toss, you don't wanna adjust technique to suit a dying blade. You're off to a good start.
well when the assortment comes in I'll try that. I've been using Wilkinson Sword blades for almost 4 weeks now, only ones I have. I usually go 3 shave and toss right now I have never got any tugging or pulling off the these blades. And haven't tried to go any longer to see if I do. Thanks for the advice so far from all of you.
to TSD "Joe Babb" Sound like you have plenty of good tools to start with. I would advise a blade sample pack when you can. The more different blades you can try, especially in the beginning, the better in order to find the blade/blades that work best for your face. Getting a great shave using traditional techniques and equipment like DE,SE,Injectors etc. isn't that hard but it does take a little time. I'm glad to hear you don't give up easily. Practice, patience, technique and time are key to a great shave. IMO concentrate on getting an irritation free shave for now and the close shaves will come.
Welcome. The ball-end Tech is a mild razor so if you try different blades in it you may find it works for you. It is true that not all razor and blade combinations work well. The best thing to do is just keep at it.
