The Humidity Factor

Since I have been DE shaving I have paid a lot more attention to my skin. One thing that I have noticed is that my shaves tend to suffer when the humidity drops. Down here in Texas, we tend to see 100% humidity most of the year, but when winter finally sits in and the heater is turned up, the humidity drops.

My skin doesn't shave as well and feels dry afterwards. What I have found is that a good shaving oil and a shaving soap that is loaded with creams and moisturizers tend to work better for me than menthols and those loaded with chemicals. Also, soaps that require a lot of water to get a good lather tends to pull the moisture from my skin if you skimp on the water while making the lather.

Palmolive soap and Williams (yes, Williams) seems to do me well during these months. As winter continues I will try other oil and skin moisturizing soaps to see what is a good winter combination to use along with by razor and blade.

Stay warm and keep your skin hydrated. Your shaves will love you for it!

A Week of Great Shaves!

When I started this blog, I called it the ten minute shave for one reason. My wife un-approvingly told me one night "do you realize how long you take shaving every night?" Like a good husband I refrained from saying, "Not as long as it takes you to put on makeup everyday!"

She was right though. I was spending way to much time learning how to become a DE shaver. So I set a goal for ten minutes and strove to reach that goal with every shave. Generally it takes me 12 minutes from starting the lather to finish cleaning everything up. I could make it in ten, but I spend just a little to much time fussing over the last few touch-ups. I don't really care. The extra two minutes makes me feel great about the shave.

This past week I have had some great shaves. What has surprised me is what I have been using to get them. I started by melting a puck of Van Der Hagan Deluxe and pouring it into a twist up container to make a shave stick. Using four drops of Shave Secret to prep, I then rub the VDH stick onto my face and lathering it with a 22mm knot synthetic brush I got from Maggard razors. This makes for a great lather with more than enough for a three pass shave with touch ups. Using a Maggard razor MR1 loaded with a Racer Platinum blade, the shaves were proving to be flawless! Finishing up with Pinaud Clubmans original aftershave and Nivea liquid balm, the smoothness and softness was lasting for a good 10 hours!

It just goes to show you that a great shave doesn't have to cost a lot of money or take a great deal of time!

Cruise Ship Shave

A couple of weeks ago we took a cruise out of Galveston to Cozumel, Belize, and Rotan Honduras. It was a really nice family trip. There is nothing like spending the week with my kids and grandsons! Cruises are nice if you don't mind fighting for elevators with 5,000 other people!

 

While packing for the trip, I knew that shaving would be different, but I didn't realize what a challenge it would be. While packing, I decided to try various shaving soaps and creams on the trip. Along with the Merkur Classic, I packed a box of Gillette Silver Blues, my Arko shave stick, Palmolive shave stick and a tube of Derby Lemon shave cream. I was prepared for anything, or so I thought.

A day at sea

Derby Lemon Shave Cream

The first day out was nice and relaxing. Getting ready for dinner that night I showered and went straight to the shave using the Derby lemon cream with the Merkur Classic and my synthetic brush. The shave was just as good as I would have had at home. The ships water supply came from the same area where we live and performed admirable. Finished up with witch hazel, Clubman's and Nivea cream and I was good to go.

It was the next three days that got my attention.

Salt water, wind and sun

Arko Shave Stick

After spending the day swimming at Cozumel and baking in the sun I showered and was ready for

my shave. I chose to use the Arko shave stick for the shave. This was a bad decision. What ever is in Arko, it did not bode well for my skin. As I got into the shave, the chemicals began to sting and feel uncomfortable. I managed to get through the shave but it was not a pleasant experience. I struck Arko off the list for the rest of the cruise.



Palmolive Shave Stick

After the second day we snorkelled and spent the day on the beach at Belize. Beautiful place with clean clear water. After a day of exposure to more salt water and sand and sun, I chose the Palmolive shave stick for that night's shave. While the shave was still rough because of the harsh exposure I put my skin through I thought the Palmolive stick would be a good choice for mildness. This was a good decision. It did not sting like the Arko did and provided a more enjoyable shave, or at least as best as salt water, sunburned skin could take.

The next day after Rotan, I again used the Palmolive and had a similar shave. Good lather, and protection from the razor. After the three days on the beach we were on our two days at sea with rest and relaxation. The next night I chose to use the Derby Cream again. This time, I experienced the same stinging as I did with the Arko. I couldn't get finished with the shave fast enough. After that experience I finished out the trip with the Palmolive. I was so glad I had brought that!

Back home





Van Der Hagen

After we got back home, I have shaved for the last few days with Van der Hagan Deluxe soap. I thought that with damaged, sensitive skin, I needed to use something that was as mild and natural as I could get. VDH was a God send. As the sunburnt skin began to heal itself, the aloe Vera and Shea butter helped with the healing process. So on my next outing such as this one, VDH and Palmolive soaps will definitely be in the travel bag!

A Week Of Bad Shaves

The only constant in this world is change. This old saying is true. Especially in the world of wet shaving. Some changes we have no control over while some are self inflicted. This past week was no exception.

Climate Change

No, not that kind. Where I live, our summers are hot and humid and for me provide the best shaving climate around. The humidity keeps my skin well hydrated and shaving is a pleasure and produces great results almost every time. However when fall and winter rolls around the humidity decreases and when we turn on the indoor heat my skin begins to dry out and everything shaving turns to pot. As the climate changes so does my shaving habits.

Van Der Hagen Deluxe

I started off this past week or so with an itch to give my Van Der Hagen Deluxe soap a good working out. I wanted it to become a "much loved soap." I guess the main reason is, it is manufactured here in Texas and I like the idea of supporting the home team.

VDH Deluxe is really a good soap for the price. I can get I locally for about 1.75 a puck and for the price it is, in my opinion, a good deal for a good soap. I had melted it in the microwave a couple of times for about 10 seconds and poured it into an old deodorant container. I did this mainly for face lathering. I didn't bother mixing anything else with it because I had wanted to us it as it was.

When using it I just wet my face and then apply the soap by rubbing it on the skin. I then add some water to the brush to get it going. I really like building the lather on my face. I find it relaxing as well as therapeutic. It also gives me a chance to appreciate its aroma. It has a sweet smell that I really enjoy.

I had used it for about three days and noticed on the third day that my skin was chaffing after a shave. Never did this before. Not during the humid summer months that is.

The Beginning of Regrettable Changes

IF the VDH Deluxe was not enough, the blade started to act up. I was using a Racer which was getting close to the end of it's usable life and then changed over to a Gillette Silver Blue. The Chaffing was still there. The next day I changed the razor. I went from the Edwin Jagger DE89 to my Merkur 33C. The lighter razor did not do any better. It seemed a little worse that before. The next night it was back to the DE89 but this time I used a new soap that I had just arrived in the mail.

The War Dance

What happened the next night is a result of my breaking my number one rule of never changing more than one thing at a time. 



Godrej Shaving Round

I had ordered a puck of Godrej shaving soap along with a few other things. Godrej is a nice lathering soap that smells of Lavender. It is, however, a thirsty soap. I had topped the puck off with hot water to let it soak while I took a shower. I had started to worry that this may cause the puck to become to "mushy." When I stepped out of the shower and looked at the puck, the water was gone! The puck had soaked it up like a sponge. It did provide a fairly good shave but I found that it seemed to suck the moisture our of my skin. The only way I could maintain slickness was to continually keep water applied and then that didn't help much.



Clubman's Bay Rum

The next big mistake I made was to use Clubman's Bay Rum aftershave. I almost jumped through the roof! I quickly found every bad spot on the shave. And it didn't add anything to help solve the dryness problem. Having also received a new tube of Cremo Cream's face lotion, I applied that hoping to calm down the cinnamon sting from the Bay Rum. Wrong. This was the first time I had ever used it. All it did was just entrapped the sting in a light greasy film and prolong the agony. Afterward I rubbed my face feeling the "shave" and asked myself; "Why did you just do what you did?" This was a shave that will never, ever be repeated!



I cleaned up the Godrej and boxed it up for storage until next summer where I may give it another try when we experience another "climate change" and the humidity picks back up.

More Bad Efforts

The next two nights were a little better but not by much. I tried using the Palmolive shave stick one night and then the Proraso White for sensitive skin. This help some, but that unnerving dryness was always present. I was beginning to think that this was never going to change. So after contemplating my dilemma I made the decision to break my number one rule again. I was going to change everything and take an entirely new approach.



Maggard Razors MR1

I reasoned with myself that a little more aggressive razor with a milder blade would keep me from doing a lot of clean up passes. If I could get a clean cut with just three passes I would not suffer as much with the chaffing. I then thought that a soap that had a lot of "lotion" characteristics would help with the cushion and leave a better aftershave protection.

I pulled out my Maggard MR1 razor and paired it up with a a Voskhod blade. That along with my Arko gave me some good pretty good shaves. The chaffing was greatly reduced and more comfortable. When I changed the blade to a Rapira Platinum, the chaffing and razor burns came back. Even after the shave, my skin felt rough and not smooth. Winter just narrows down what I can use.

The Adventure Continues

The upcoming weeks I will be focusing on very mild blades and lanolin based soaps and creams. I know I can hit on the perfect Winter combination. One thing is for sure, these days makes for some great DE shaving. It definitely breaks the monotony.

Climate Change?

I've always believed in keeping a clean house and using only what is necessary in getting by in life. And when you also think about this old world spinning like crazy and racing around a fire belching gravity pulling, nuclear furnace, well, things do tend to get shaken up some!

And...let's not forget about all those burping cows!

 

The Importance Of Pre-Shave Oil

Shaving oil? I for one would never use shaving oil by itself as some products claim you can do. Not with my sensitive skin! However I do use shaving oil every time I shave and it proves to be a great additive to get a good comfortable experience.

"That's all you need!"

I saw a video made by a company that sold shaving oil and as I watched the guy shave with it I thought "What a mess, And it has got to hurt!" At the end of the video, he said "such and such shaving oil. That's all you need!" and he was smiling like he had won the lottery. So one day, while I was at Wal-Mart, I picked up a bottle of Shave Secret. I thought, for three bucks why not give it a try.

Shave Secret

Shave Secret is a shaving oil that is promoted as a stand alone product that will give you perfect shaves without shaving cream. Three or four drops rubbed into your stubble is all that is needed before you shave (so says the directions.) If you need more lubrication just add water or a couple of more drops of oil.

Well, I was game (or lame) and gave it a try. The first time I added five or six drops and applied it to the face. After a couple of WTG passes I knew I had made a mistake. This stuff just didn't work for me like it was advertised to do. I pulled out the shaving soap and finished the shave. Funny thing is, when you look at Amazon, it has hundreds of 5 star ratings. All it did for me was pull the whiskers, give me razor burns and cuts. Not a pleasant shave. Disillusioned, I put it away in my drawer.

As a pre-shave

After a couple of months I began to think about it as a pre-shave. After I got out of the shower I applied three or four drops to my finger tips and rubbed it in. I let it sit there for about a minute or so as I got things ready for the shave. When I lathered up and started shaving I paid attention to the feel and if it was making a difference. I should say it did. The first WTG pass went a lot smother and the tugging was significantly reduced. I didn't bother to reapply between passes because at that time, the majority of the growth was removed.

I finished my shave was really happy at the way my neck and chin felt. It was as if nothing had been pulled out of the skin as I shaved. I started making it a part of my daily shaving routine ever since.

Does it really work?

Somersets

The only thing I can say about how it works (at least for me) is that when applied to the beard growth, it saturates the beard and leaves it oily slick on the outside and it seems on the inside as it penetrates. Not all oils seems to penetrate. Just those that are thinner and have a menthol, eucalyptus additive. At least that the way it feels for me. Since then I've picked up a bottle of  Somerset' s oil and routine use it in rotation with the shave secret. It is a little more expensive, but the menthol content is higher and the oil a little thicker. Both work great.

One evening, I was running late and had to do a quick shave and so I skipped the pre-shave oil and went straight to the lather and shave. I knew I was in trouble. The blade grabbed the whiskers and pulled as it cut. It was very noticeable, right down to the last pass. Afterwards, my skin was sore, and the razor burn was more noticeable. The extremely sensitive part of my neck reminded me all day that I had made a terrible decision by avoiding the oil.

The next day, I went back to the pre-shave oil and shaved with the same blade. I came away with a baby bottom smooth shave without irritation. Never again will I shave without the pre-shave oil.

Not a time killer

I am always trying to think of ways to reduce the amount of time I spend on the shave. Some guys can stand in front of the mirror for a have hour and clutter up the sink with all kinds of things that take forever to clean up and put away.  If it adds any significant amount of time, I don't do it. I'm a night shaver and just don't have the time to devote to vanity. I want a great, close shave as quick as I can get it. For me the goal is ten minutes from the time I pull my shaving gear out of the drawer until the last item is cleaned and put away.

Application of the oil takes just a few seconds and the "soaking in" time is about a minute. After I shower, I apply the oil and then use this time to get dressed,  comb the hair and get out the soap and razor. When it is all said and done, the few seconds spent is well worth the investment. The best thing about Shave Secret and Somersets is that it doesn't gunk up your razor or brush or leave your face with an oily feel. Just baby smooth and pain free.

A Pleasent Surprise

Normally I do not make multiple changes in my shaving routine at the same time. When I do make a change, it is usually a blade or a soap but never both together. A couple of weeks ago I got adventurous and went against this rule and did just that.

Edwin Jagger DE89



I had been using my Edwin Jagger DE89 for several weeks and was really enjoying the shaves I was getting from it. It is a fine smooth razor that works well for my light beard type. Being a little heavier than my Merkur 33C, I found it was doing a great job on my chin where the beard growth is a little thicker and where I run the chance of razor bumps.



Palmolive Shave Stick

About a moth ago, I had seen a Palmolive classic palm extract shave stick on eBay. It was offered for $2.89 with free shipping from England.  So I thought, "why not?" and ordered it. It arrived the day I was changing out my blade and had pulled out a Rainbow blade from my stash to try. So that night I put it all together.



Somerset's

I applied three or four drops of Somerset's shave oil and applied the shave stick directly to my face and began to face lather. The soap exploded into a nice thick lather that had a nice smell to it. As I worked the lather to the density I like I began to think about slickness, cushion, and protection and how all of this plays into a comfortable shave.

When I started the shave, the Rainbow blade was amazingly comfortable! After three passes and touch-ups, I did not get a single cut, weeper, And when the aftershave was applied, I did not experience any stinging from razor burn. Not really a super slick soap, but it did provide a great amount of protection. For me, it was a perfect shave.

I was stunned!



Rainbow Blades

I had tried several other blades manufactured by Lord and never found any of them to be comfortable to use. the Lord Platinum, Stainless steel, Sharps, Big Ben, They just didn't do a good job for me. However, the Rainbow was sharp and extremely smooth. Not smooth like Teflon coated blades which seem to "bounce" when you shave, but comfortable as it glided over the skin.

After the shave, I finished it off with my standard application. I applied Dickensons' witch-hazel, Pinaud Clubman's aftershave then topped it off with Nivea's cream for sensitive skin for protection. After about an half hour my skin was as smooth as I have ever felt it. The Palmolive shave stick left a wonderful clean and smooth feel to it. The next couple days I continued to use the Palmolive and was getting that same  great comfortable shave and after shave smoothness. Then I tried using Arko and Derby and the shave degraded some. I lost the cushion that the Palmolive supplied and they did not provide the soft feeling afterwards. I will be giving cushion and protection some more thought.

Needless to say, I went back to eBay and ordered three more sticks and a tube of their cream. I'm pretty well stocked up for at least a year. At $2.89 a stick with free shipping, I didn't know how long they would be available, but with the shaves I was getting from them, I took advantage of the offer. Along with that, I ordered two packages of Rainbow blades (and Racers) from Tryablade.com.

It's always a great feeling when you find something that works well and gives you a great shave!

Building A Lather

Saving Time

When I started this blog, the idea was to learn how to shave with a safety razor in the least amount of time and get great shaves every time. One of the biggest time consumers was loading a brush off a puck and then building a lather in a bowl. Not that this is wrong, it's just time consuming. However it really can be very therapeutic and gives a great sense of satisfaction if you have the time.

The time spent soaking a brush and puck, whipping a lather in a bowl and then the cleanup is more time than I have to spend on a shave. Not only this, but I just didn't like the open shave puck in a bowl in my drawer. It took up a lot of room and for some reason it just bothered me.

If I wanted to try different soaps, the time spent cleaning them and storing them back into their original packages was very time consuming and time I just didn't have. When my wife asked me one night if I knew how much time I was spending on a shave I knew then that there had to be a faster way for a great shave. What I soon discovered was shaving creams in a tube and a good shaving stick was the two fastest methods I found to start a shave. 

Depending on whether you are using a cream or a shave stick, preparing the brush to accept the soap is the same. If you use a shaving cream, brush prep comes first. If you are using a shave stick then the brush prep comes after the soap is applied.

Face lathering - preparing the brush

Face lathering is the fastest way to build a lather and for me, the best way to control the creaminess of the lather. Using both creams or shave sticks you can build a great three pass lather in just a few seconds with very little mess or cleanup.

Any good brush can be used to face lather. I have comets  love and appreciate my synthetic brush that I got from Maggard razors. It is cheap, the 22mm knot is just the right size for face lathering and the feel of the brush is soft yet firm and after three months use has not lost its shape. Besides all of this, it holds the lather very well between passes.

I always make it a point to shave right after a shower. My beard is well hydrated and my shaves are at their best during this time. Before I get started I wet my face at the sink and then I pick up my brush and flood the bristles with hot water. When saturated I hold the brush straight up and down and knock out the water four or five times. I then hold the brush parallel to the sink and gently sling it once then roll it ninety degrees ang gently sling it again. I do this twice more. The brush will be warm and damp but not sopping wet. I like to start out this way and then add water as you go.

Applying the shaving cream

When using shaving cream, I usually run a ribbon about three quarters to one inch along the top of the brush like you would a tooth brush. Most of the time it will fall just below the top edge of the brush. This is fine and works well as you build the lather.

I generally apply it starting and right side of my neck and start swirling it around then move to the left side of the neck then up to my left cheek the across my chin to the right cheek swirling gone brush. I then add a little water to the brush from the faucet and repeat the process. After about three to four times. I usually have a nice creamy layer of soap and finish by painting it smooth over my face and neck.

After the first layer is applied, I just stand the brush upright on its handle until needed for the next pass. I always have enough for a three pass shave with pickups.

Applying shaving stick soap

The only difference in using shaving sticks is that after you wet your  face you start rubbing the stick on your face before you prep the brush. It doesn't take much, usually just a noticeable layer on the face. Then after you prep the brush, just swirl the brush onto your face as it mixes with the soap to build the cream on your Face. Again do this three or four times or until you are satisfied with the texture of the cream.

Less mess

One of the benefits to face lathering Is that it produces less mess and the cleanup is easy and you get great results. If you are also limited to space you can devote to shaving products, you will quickly find that creams and sticks take up very little space. This makes for great storage and easy traveling.

In conclusion

How you may want to build lather is really up you. So if you are looking to keep you shave times down, face lathering is the way to go!

Cleaning & Disinfecting A Shaving Brush

Clean it before you use it!

Cleaning a new badger hair or boar hair brush is simple and only takes a few minutes but it is important to start out clean for obvious reasons. A new brush out of the box will quickly remind you that it is made out natural animal hair. The cheaper brushes will carry an odour for several shaves before it finally goes away. It also helps to remove loose hairs and dust from the manufacturing process. If you purchased a synthetic brush, you simple need to do a quick wash to get any fiber dust out of the bristles. To do this I just use an antibacterial soap and hand lather for a few minutes and you are good to go.

Paul H. films has a great instructional video on how to clean a new brush that is really good to watch. So take a few minutes and learn how to clean your new brush!

Razor Blades: Platninum, Stainless, Teflon, "Oh My!"

Are DE Razor Blades Even Available?

A lot of time can be spent in finding just the right blade to give you the best shave possible. DE razor blades are not easily found in the U.S. in fact, there is only one blade manufacturer left in the states that continues to produce DE blades. That company is Personna. However, overseas in Europe and the Middle Eastern and Asian countries, DE manufacturing is in full swing. At last count, you can possible find close to 100 different DE blades on the market. You just have to know where to look.


I have purchased blades from several places. One of the first places was TryABlade.com. I was able to select single blades without having to purchase a whole box at one time. It is a great place to get started and one I highly recommend using to find blades. One thing I did do is select blades that I knew I could find elsewhere in bulk in the case I hit on a great blade that was a winner. But at the same time I could not pass up trying the blades from exotic places from around the world.

Some things to look for in a blade

Not all DE razor blades are the same. After you try a few you will see what I mean. I gauge a blade by four things. How sharp is it, how smooth is it, did It give me any weepers and finally how much did it cost.


Lets face it. No body likes to spend money when we don't have to. So why spend two dollars on a blade that you can get for 20 cents that will produce equally good results. I've never been able to get more than a week out of a good blade. Besides, at 20 cents why suffer with a rough shave just to get an extra week out of a blade? It's not worth it.

All razor blades are sharp. They will cut you. However, cutting and shaving are two different things. For me, finding one that is smooth is worth not having the sharpest blade in the world. A smooth blade will shave with a lot of comfort. For those of us with tender necks, sharpness along with the highest degree of smoothness can sometimes be what you need, but hard to find. So it becomes a hunt for the perfect blade.

Manufacturers and Materials

There are several DE razor blade manufacturers around the world. Located in The United States, Russia, Germany, Greece, Egypt, Israel, Turkey, China, South Korea, Viet Nam, and Japan, there is no shortage of suppliers. I'm sure I left someone off the list. And then there is a variety of materials used in the blades and coatings on the blades. You can easily find stainless steel, platinum, and Teflon blades. Carbon steel is not easily found and a material I wouldn't recommend for obvious reasons. I'm just not sure how long they will last before they start rusting. However please try them if you wish! You might just find your perfect blade!


Stainless steel blades are very sharp but sometimes the do not rank high in the smoothness category. The Platinum coated blades seek to add a higher degree of smoothness to the blades and do a great at it. Teflon coatings attempt the same thing and raise the degree of smoothness even higher in my opinion. But this coating seems to reduce the sharpness of the blade. I find these blades valuable when I want a quick shave and I am being careless, or just wanting my face to heal from a really bad shave.


When I stated DE shaving I tried a lot of different blades. What I found, was that Russian blade manufactures produced the best blades for my skin type. Sharp and smooth, I am able to get some really great shaves with these. Ironically, one of those blades produced in Russia is made by Gillette! Another great blade for me is the Personna Red made in Israel.

"The Fab Four"

I made it a point to identify four blades that were the best fit for me. With blades coming from overseas, I never new when there may be a supply problem. After identify them, I bought a hundred blade packs of each. I literally have enough blades to get me through the next five years! Each 100 blade pack cost me between 15 and 20 dollars. For me, that was cheap insurance. So what are my four best blades?

The Persona Reds made in Israel are considered my best blade. Sharp and somewhat smooth, I tend to get the best shave from these blades. Besides a good shave, There have been times when I have gotten about 14 shaves with this blade before it got changed out.

The Gillette Silver Blue blades are my second best blades. Made in Russia, they are sharp but not quite as smooth as the Personna Reds. They do however give me great shaves with very little tugging with ATG shaves on my sensitive neck.

The two smoothest blades I have are both made in Russia and I would be willing to bet by the same manufacturer. The Rapira Platinum Lux is one blade that consistently gives me comfortable shaves without weepers. It feels dull when shaving with it, but the results are wonderful!

Finally, the Voskhod is a Teflon blade that ranks high in smoothness with a good comfortable shave. It's a blade I can get a good seven days shaving out of and hardly ever get a weeper!

A final thought

As you begin to research razors, I would suggest such website as TryABlade.com and MaggardRazors.com or one of the other vendors I have listed on the right panel. All provide excellent customer service and options. Some of these websites will allow you to build a blade sample kit for a reduced price. Just remember when shopping for blades read the user reviews. They can be very helpful!

The DE Razor Jungle

Importance of razor choice

Choosing a new double edge razor can be confusing and overwhelming. It was for me, and it took a long time to learn how to choose a razor. And then, in my case, the razor I first chose was hard to learn how to use! This created problems for me right up front. As a beginner, I had difficulty learning how to hold the razor and keeping the right angle for a good clean cut. The razor I chose only added to this problem. It was a nice quality razor, but in my case and beard type, I could not easily feel the blade or detect much audio feedback. This resulted in frequent razor burn and missed shave areas and lots of nicks and weepers. Producing less than stellar results and was a source of many hours of frustration. It was a hard razor for me to get familiar with.  Choosing the right razor for your everyday use may take some time will require a little bit of thinking.

Various types of double edge razors

One piece "butterfly"

The one piece razor is probably the most recognizable of safety razors. The design was engineered and made famous by Gillette back in the 1940's. Since then they stopped production of these razors and now at least two manufactures has copied these designs for modern production. These are made by Weishi and Parker. These razors are designed to be mild and yet produce a close shave. The Parker design is a little more aggressive than the Weishi. Both razors are nice and quality control seems to be very good.

Three piece razor

Merkur 33C Three piece razor

The three piece design is the most commonly available safety razor on the market. This razor comes in various designs for aggressiveness, adjustability, and weight. You can easily  find a razor for just about kind of beard or skin sensitivity. The design of these razors varies quite a bit. Most come with a safety bar that is scalloped to allow the shaving cream to easily flow to the blade.



Merkur 25C Open Comb

Then there is the open comb razor. The base plate of this razor has a "rake" design that is more appropriate for those with thicker and dense bears. It is designed to allow more of the blade to have contact with the skin and to channel more shaving cream and hair to the blade for a more efficient cut. Aggressive in design, some razors can make quick work of several days growth .



Merkur Slant

The Merkur slant bar razor is also designed for an aggressive cut. The head of these razors are made so that when the blade is mounted, it is twisted in such a way that is slices from one end to the other producing a closer cut with less drag.



Merkur Progress Adjustable

And finally, there is the adjustable razor. Made famous by Gillette, they are no longer in production. Merkur razors does have a model (the progress) that is quite different and is based on the two (or is it three) piece model. I'm not sure since I do not own one. However, these razors are adjustable and many enthusiast own them. Because of the weight and the cost, I have not opted to pay the price for having something that is adjustable.

Two piece razor



Merkur 34HD

The only two piece razor that I know of is the Merkur 34HD. This razor is highly rated in the shaving community. Being a little more aggressive than the Edwin Jager DE89, I think it's appeal is the two piece design along with the knurled handle. This makes for easy blade loading and handling during the shave. Personally, I do not own one but would not be against purchasing this razor.

My only experience with Merkur razors is the Merkur 33C. It is a quality product that will last a lifetime. The main disadvantage I see with the two piece 34HD razor is that you cannot change out handles if you prefer another handle than the one that comes with the razor. Some people like to do this to get a razor that matches their grip and hand balance.

Where to start

The first question I would ask would be what type of beard do you have? If you have a mild beard, you might opt for a milder razor such as the Weishi. If your beard growth is thicker you might go with the Merkur 34C. When you are laying down hard dollars making a good choice up front is important. I would spend some time on Youtube researching DE  razor reviews to help make this decision. It is hard for me to make a recommendation because my needs are different from yours so it would be wise to watch these reviews for good suggestions.

My Personal Choices

I currently own five razors. The Weishi 9306F, the Merkur 33C, the Edwin Jagger DE89, the Maggard MR1, and the Rimei. My beard type is light to normal, thicker on the chin area and very sensitive on the neck. I have discovered that a mild razor like the Weishi and the Merkur 33C with a sharp blade works best for me. You will have to do quite a bit of experimentation at first but once you hit on the magic combination you will be well rewarded! More about that soon!

Happy shaving!

 

 

Brushes, Creams, and Soaps

Grain direction shaving

By now you have gotten a good start on mapping the direction of your beard growth and should be seeing improvements in the finish product. It's really not all that difficult but once learned, you will find that shaving is more enjoyable and conquering "the beast" a victory every time you shave. Keep at it. Once you learn the general direction of your growth, you will begin to find the little areas that seem to go against the norm. It takes a lot of practice and attention while you are shaving, but it is worth it every time you get a little better shave!

You don't have to spend much

If you have taken the time to start exploring items on various websites, you can see that prices range to just a few dollars to over $200 or even $300 dollars! In all actuality you do not need to spend that much to get started, For what you currently spend just buying a package of the cartridge razors, you can get set up with an inexpensive razor, blades, soap, and brush. You just have to know where to shop, what to expect and what you are willing to call acceptable.  I really is subjective. Acceptability is not having the best money can buy, but rather what can give you a good, comfortable shave. In the end, that's what it is all about.

Purchasing Starter sets

There are several pros and cons with buying starter sets. These sets and generally put together with the intent of helping the new wet shaver to get started without getting stressed out over what to buy. There are a lot of products out there and user reviews are just a diverse. All of this just leaves the prospective buyer at a loss of what to get. Purchasing individual items can take time to research and the temptation to buy a starter set is tempting.

When I first got started, I purchased the Van der Hagen Premium shave set. This came with a small bowl, a 2.5oz puck of their deluxe soap, and a 22mm knot boar brush. All of this for around ten dollars at my local grocery store. It really wasn't a bad deal. I like the small bowl as it fits my hand nicely as I build up the lather, and their deluxe soap is easy to lather and stays thick during the shave. not quite as slick as I like my soaps and creams, but I have a remedy for that. I'll share that in another post.

Van Der Hagen Premium Shave Set

The brush however is not quite as nice as some that cost a little bit more. It is a boar hair brush that required a good cleaning before use, and it took it about a week to get rid of the smell. Probably the thing that bothered me the most was that it shed bristles like a shaggy dog. I was constantly having to pluck them from the cream on my face and from the soap puck for about four months. It did eventually settle down and became a nice soft brush. After about six months of daily use it became a pleasure to use. Not very stiff, but soft. So if you are willing to put up with loose bristles for a while, I would recommend spending the ten dollars.

Keeping it simple

Semogue 1305

There are other options if you decide not to go with one of those pre-packaged starter sets. You can do very good by spending a little extra on the brush and skimp by purchasing a small pudding dish at Wal-Mart or other type of store and then pick up a puck of VDH Deluxe soap or a tube of Derby shave cream. Here would be my recommendations:

For a nice brush that has a good backbone, bristles with very low animal smell, and becomes a sheer pleasure to use once it is broke in (about 15 to 20 shaves,) is the Semogue 1305. It is an 18mm knot brush that lathers pucks, soap sticks and creams wonderfully. It builds a great lather and holds it until you are ready for it. This was my third brush and my favorite. I think I have only lost 4 or 5 bristles out of mine since I have started using it. To me, choosing a good brush is of more value than an all in one kit!

Nordic Ware Prep Bowl

I went cheap on a lather bowl! For the most part I just face lather because it saves time and is less messy. However I do soak my brush for a couple of minutes before use and sometime I do bowl lather. The bowl I chose was the Nordic Ware Mini Prep bowl I found at Wal-Mart. It is about as small as I would like to go with a bowl, and it doesn't take up a lot of room in the drawer. But then for $1.00 I couldn't pass it up. Besides if it didn't work out It would wind up in the kitchen! One nice thing about this bowl is that if you do purchase the VDH Premium set above, this bowl provides a nice cover over the top of the ceramic one in the VDH set.

Soufflé Dish

And then finally I bought a ceramic dish for my soap puck. It is a simple 9oz.  Soufflé Dish that I picked up at Wal-Mart for $1.50. It is ceramic and looks similar to this one.  It holds a 2.5oz soap puck without any problem and has plenty of room to load a brush. It didn't come with a lid, but I found that a lid from a can of peanuts worked just fine!

Soap or Cream?

Van Der Hagen

You don't really need to make a decision on this. I use both and rotate them around to change up my shave. Soaps can run you less than $2.00 for Van der Hagen Deluxe and around $3.00 for a 100ml tube of Derby cream. These are the cheap ones and do an excellent job of giving you a good close shave. I will say that starting out with a cream may be easier than the puck. Getting the water to soap ratio can sometimes be difficult when starting out. The creams just seem to lather easier and have a good slickness to them. And, if you don't want to purchase a bowl, you can just load the brush and go straight to a face lather. Most days, I just leave my bowl in the drawer!

Derby Lavender Shave Cream

So as you can see it doesn't take much to get started (at least with the soaps.) The brush being the most important and expensive piece of hardware we've talked about today. A simple investment of $10 to $25 dollars can get you set up nicely with the soap side of the equipment that will last you for many, many years.

 

Mapping the Terrain

Calming the savage beast

If you took my advice in my last post, you should already begin to see the benefits of using Witch Hazel. It is a great anti inflammatory agent that really reduces the redness and pain from razor burn. If you are a young guy with bouts of acne, you will also see an improvement in that also.

When I first started DE shaving, I had a lot of trouble with remembering to use light strokes. Having used those disposable cartridge type razors for so long, I was use to the fact that you had to press down on my skin to get it to shave. Using DE razors the opposite is true. You have to remember to use light pressure and let the blade do the cutting. If you press to hard then you will begin to irritate the skin and razor burn and bumps will be the end result. Witch hazel is your best first line of defence.

One thing I did fail to mention in my last post was that Dickenson's comes in two different types. There is the one I use that is in the blue bottle and is found in the pharmacy department, and then there is another type that is found in the cosmetic department. From reading the contents on the bottle there is not a noticeable difference in the contents of either. The main difference is the one found in the cosmetic department is a couple of dollars more.

First aid use

Cosmetic use

Mapping the direction of growth

So far I haven't ventured off into DE shaving products yet. If you are still shaving with the multi-blade shavers, don't make a change just yet. One of the basic things that you need to know first is how to shave with the growth and get the best benefit with each stroke.

Learning the direction of hair growth is kind of tricky (at least it was for me.) When you look at your face, look at it as five different quadrants. You have your right and left cheek, right and left neck and chin.

Spend some time rubbing your hand up and down and sideways across one of your cheeks. You will notice that you will feel the pickiness of your beard as you go against its direction of growth. Begin to make mental notes of this growth and see if it is the same on the other cheek. Do this also with each side of the neck areas. What you will notice is that the beard grows in all different directions and this needs to be remembered as you shave. I would recommend that you concentrate on one area such as your cheek and learn how to shave in relation to the growth.

In my particular case, the growth on my cheeks are the same on both sides. However, it grows straight down next to the ears, it angles outward and down from the end of the moustache area, and then from the ears to the chin right above the jawbone area.

My chin area grows inward from the corners of my mouth to the center of my chin. Under the jaw line, it grows from the bottom of my ears to the centre of my chin. Then the neck areas it grows from my Adam's apple to the side of my neck only to switch 180 degrees about two thirds of the way.

As you can see it is not uniform, but consistent in each quadrant so there is a pattern that needs to be discovered to get a close shave. this keeps you from dragging your razor over the same spot numerous times trying to get everything shaved off. Learn the growth, speed up the shave and get better feeling results!

Once the direction of growth is learned, then you can apply the three pass shaving method. This consist of first shaving with the grain (WTG), across the grain (XTG) and then against the grain (ATG). This is then followed by a few pick ups that may have been missed.

Here is a hand map to use that is easily found on the internet. Print it out and draw little arrows that show your growth.

Thick or thin, standing or lazy?

Another thing that you have to think about is what type of hair do you have. Is it thick and closely grown, is it thin and finely spaced? These things can make a difference when it come to selecting a razor and blade. It also makes a difference in what type od shaving cream you use. So, when you are mapping your direction of growth, it doesn't hurt to identify what type of hair is growing there. It will help you to remember when you start learning technique.

Another thing that you need to try and make note of is whether your hair stands out or lays down. I have both and as luck would have it, my beard lays down on my chin area. This makes getting a close shave on a hard to navigate area. My razor has a tendency to just ride over the hair if I can't make it stand up. So try and note this also.

Tough or sensitive?

I really envy those guys that have a tough skin. My most tender place is on my right neck area. If I don't get things just right with blades, soap and technique, shaving there will make me cry like a baby. Even though the hair is fine, the sensitivity of the skin is extremely high. If you are thick skinned, count your blessings!

Avoid ploughing dirt

Finally, avoid ploughing dirt! What I mean is, start learning to use less pressure on the razor. This is a very, very, important thing to remember once you switch from multiple blades to a single blade, When you get this under control, your shaves will become very comfortable and you will begin to feel like an artist. When I get that perfect shave with no razor burn or nicks, I point into the mirror and at my face and say; "Beat you again, you fiend!"

All's fair in love and war!

Getting Started

Ready to take the plunge?

When you get ready to lay down your hard cold cash for supplies, you really want to make the best decision and get the right things. My problem was getting bit by the shaving bug pretty bad. After watching so many YouTube review videos, I just had to have everything! I spent money on things that I thought I needed and things that will never be used. What you have to be careful of are the reviews on places like Amazon. Some people would rave about a product and it did not work for me. Another would give it a low rating and classify it as a very poor product only to find it was perfect for me. Everybody's shaving needs are different. In the shaving world it's a matter of finding the right things that suit your needs and budget and give you the best results. But above all give you satisfaction during and after the shave! So be cautious with online reviews.

Make one change at a time

I can't emphasize enough to only make one change at a time. This was one of the first mistakes that I made. I changed my shaving cream, razor and blade all at once. It was a mental struggle every shave trying to remember how to create the lather, how to hold the razor at the right angle, how to keep the pressure at a minimum, which direction to shave, what blade to use, how to deal with razor burn. And then I was changing up products every other day! With  so many changes, it was difficult to keep track of what was working and what was not and then to remember all of that the next day. Take small steps and work your way into it.  Remember, Rome wasn't built in a day!

Be a thrifty shopper

Just because it cost a lot does not make it the right product for you. I've bought several soaps and creams that cost up to fifteen to twenty dollars each, and for me, they could not perform as well as the cheap $1.69 soap I buy at the local supermarket. My $12.88 razor performs just as well as my $35.00 razor. Cost does not always dictate what works best for you. Skin type, sensitivity, beard growth and the shape of your face has everything to do with what you need to use. Just because it is popular among the DE shaving community, or expensive does not mean it will work for you. Finding that perfect shave can be frustrating and expensive. Just remember, It will be worth the effort once you find that right combination!

My first two investments

Before you venture any further into DE shaving I would recommend that you make two purchases up front. The first would be a styptic pencil and the second would be a bottle of witch hazel. Both can be purchased at your local drugstore, supermarket, or even Wal-Mart.




I picked up my styptic pencil at Wal-Mart for a couple of dollars. The only one they had was made by Pinaud Clubman. It is quite large but does the job nicely and comes in a plastic tube for storage and traveling. I'm sure it will last me the rest of my life!

You can also pick up a bottle of witch hazel at Wal-Mart. I found it in the pharmacy section. You can opt for the Wal-Mart brand or like me spend an extra dollar and get a bottle made by Dickenson. I opted for the Dickenson because of the cap (and the pretty label!)

The reason for these two items is important. The styptic pencil will take care of any cuts and nicks you will get and the witch hazel works wonders at reducing razor burn with the redness and puffiness that comes along with it. I religiously use witch hazel after every shave. If you are still using cartridge razors, go ahead and start the witch hazel right after every shave. You will see and feel a difference. It will become a more noticeable once you make the change to DE shaving!