Hello all. I just began wet shaving two shaves ago and am looking for all the tips i can get. I currently have a 34c and have only used an Astra blade. While i got a fantastic shave with the Astra, I bought a sample pack and am deciding what to use tonight. Any suggestions(thick hair, sensitive skin)?
Welcome to The Shave Den from Kentucky! I've been to Chicago a few times, and it is a fun place to visit. I offered some ideas for getting started in your "which blade should I use next?" thread. I hope you find them to be useful.
Welcome @BDTeacher to TSD! I see you've gotten lots of opinions in your "Suggest a blade" thread. Those Astras are good ones so if they are treating you right won't hurt to continue. Once you un-learn cartridge razor habits and have begun to master DE style blades are generally a subtle difference. Three main differences to start working on; 1) Less pressure - carts have all those bumpers and lube strips than make you mash against your beard to make blade contact. A DE razor has more blade exposure so it's more like gently wiping away the lather. 2) Angle of attack - flippy floppy carts are self leveling. Your DE needs you to adjust as you move around the plains of your face. There's a sweet spot that can be found with a technique called "riding the cap". Placing the razor head on your cheek with the handle pointed straight out, begin making the stroke while lowering the handle until you hear that velcro ripping sound. For many razors the safety bar below the blade may never touch your skin. This puts the blade nearly flat to your skin much like a straight razor. It very efficient for cutting hair and doesn't scrape skin causing razor burn. 3) Skin stretching - Especially as you get older, the skin needs to be taunt to provide as near a flat area as possible. Helps to avoid nicks and cuts. This is another straight razor skill that applies to DE shaving. You can make "shaving faces" by tipping you head or pulling the skin with your off hand. Those three techniques are what The 30 Day Crew teach, preach, and practice. Combine them with sticking to your setup for a month to avoid other variables and you'll be shaving like a pro.
@BDTeacher Chicago 'burbs is a big area. Which part? I grew up - kindergarten through 11th grade - half way between The Loop and Joliet. Little town called Lemont near Argonne National Lab's particle accelerator. Their biggest claim to fame was the limestone mines that supplied the materials for one of the few buildings to survive The Great Fire.
Welcome to TSD BDTeacher. Glad that you joined us and welcome to the wet shaving world. You will learn a ton on this site as there are a lot of very knowledgable and experienced wet shavers. Enjoy!
