Well I just pulled the trigger on a Merkur Model 180 safety razor and a Van Der Hagen shaving kit with a pure badger brush, brush/razor stand, soap, and soap mug. Also ordered some Wilkinson Sword replacement blades. I'm so pumped! Back in college (2006-2010) I got a little brush and bowl kit from Walmart (boars hair not badger) and quite liked it but never switched up my razor, just kept using a multi-blade disposable. I eventually decided the brush and soap wasn't much better than some Barbasol. Anyways, lately I never shave against the grain anymore because it hurts so much and (possibly oversharing) my wife and I are trying to have a baby and she likes me nice and smooth so I went looking for alternatives! Highly considered a straight razor but I went the DE route first, maybe I'll make that next step sometime if the DE goes well. I plan on using witchhazel for aftershave, FYI. My new goodies should arrive by the end of the week, $70 total from Amazon, can't wait!
Since you are new to the Double Edge world, here is the advice I received when I started with a DE and so I freely give it to new users. The most important things in shaving are, your skin and technique. All other things fall in line behind those two things and to support them. Since the skin is a given fixed item, the next major item is technique. It is called THE 30 DAY RULE. THE 30 DAY RULE is as follows: Find a razor, then a blade that will not cause issues with your skin (that may take a few different blades in a sampler pack to find a suitable choice or it maybe the first out of the gate) and select a soap or cream that is easy to generate good lather. Once you find those, and it may take a couple of weeks to find this combination, order a quantity of that blade enough for 30 days, and then spend 30 days using nothing else until you build up your technique. (Note that only one brand blade is used for 30 days after each blade in the sampler pack is tested to make the decision on the blade brand to use for 30 days.) The 30 day clock starts when you have the right blade for you. After 30 days, change one and only one variable and work for another week then change another after another week. At that point you should be able to make better decisions because your technique is now in place. This will help you to avoid buying too much gear and stuff too soon without having the technique down to enjoy it all. This really does work. Oh and one more thing ... Welcome to the Den. We know you'll fit right in. So grab yourself a comfy chair, and give our threads a spin! Burma Shave
Welcome to the Den. Looks like your off to a good start. You'll want to invest in a blade sampler or we can recommend some 5 packs to try. Your razor is a good starter razor. However, it will likely come with Merkur blades, which have a reputation for being tuggy and irritating. YMMV of course, but likely the blade sampler will hook you up with something that'll work for you if the Merks or Wilks don't. Happy shaving
Thanks for the tips guys! I feel dumb for committing to the blades already but they were only $6 so no biggie. Where do I get this sampler pack? Sounds awesome!
Welcome to the Den. You can get sampler packs several places including Amazon, Royal Shave and, I think, Maggard razors. All online.
to TSD "ThirstyTurtle" Sounds like you have a good starter kit. You will want to get a large blade sampler though, the more different blades you can try the better, especially when your just starting out. Believe it or not different blades will shave differently, your face will tell you the ones it likes the best. We have a nice sampler pack for sale here at TSD as a matter of fact. You'll want to get a good preshave routine going. Also ask a lot of questions and do plenty of research.. Getting into "traditional" shaving can be a little overwhelming at first, but everything will become clearer with time and the end result will be worth all of your effort. Especially as your wife likes you smooth.
The 30 day rule Gary laid on you is happening as is anything that Gary offers....There are many folks around here whose wisdom you can take to the bank... The was alot of hard work done a while back by "dridecker" and our " Queen of Blades" JoAnna, to put together a few links to make-up sort of a Traditional Wet Shaver Almanac. I think it's priceless. It will take a while to internalize it but it was a labor of love and the rewards will be great and the act of digging it is soo much fun... Here you go my friend......The Keys To The Kingdom.... *** "Shave School" Master Sticky *** http://theshaveden.com/forums/threads/shave-school-master-sticky.16034/ Enjoy!
Thanks for all the great tips and warm welcome everyone! I will definitely check out the master sticky. My pre-shave routine will consist (most of the time) of a hot shower, then the soap with the badger brush. I know it can be more complicated but that's my starting point I think. Here's a question: for my first DE shave should I have a few day's growth or try to have it much shorter? If shaving didn't irritate my skin so much I would do it daily but as it is now, it's more of a once every 2-3 day even. I last shaved Saturday...should I just wait until Thursday or Friday and have my next shave be my first DE shave or is that a terrible idea?
Welcome. I would go with 2 days growth for the first few weeks. Seems to be a good sweet spot for most. I, too, was not a daily shaver until I started with the DE. I enjoyed it so much I couldn't wait 2 days to do it again, and I found that with the single blade, I really didn't experience any additional irritation. West Coast Shaving also has some really good sample packs. That's where my first couple came from.
Welcome to the den. I was wet shaving for two weeks before finding the den boy I wish I would have found it sooner. I have gotten really good advice and really good results since joining this forum. I got the "choice" sampler from West Coast Shaving from order to delivery they were good. Good luck!
I would echo the suggestions for a couple days growth, but I wouldn't go too crazy with it. A day or two break will give your skin a chance to recover and ready itself for the new razor, too much growth may cause additional tugging and pulling if your blade angle isn't quite right however. I used to go up to a week at times without shaving, but now I shave daily and love it! While you're starting out if you have a challenging shave and wind up with some irritation, don't be afraid to give your skin a rest for a day or two. I found doing this that it thanked me for doing so and the subsequent shave was that much better, if I shaved while irritated however, the discomfort just kept going, and going, and going.....
