You will get that redness to die down soon. It looks like you are handling the adjustments to wet shaving brilliantly!
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An Unexpected Journey: A Newbie's Walk In Wet Shaving
- Thread starter Blade-meister
- Start date
Today's Shave:
Razor: Micro Touch DE
Blade: Gillette Super Blue
Brush: Simpson Super Badger
Soap: Mystic Waters Sandlewood Coconut
Bowl: Walmart Plastic Salsa Bowl
Pre Shave: Shower and leaving face wet afterwards
Post Shave: Cold water rinse, Witch Hazel (Walmart Brand 14% alcohol), Cold rinse, "Mammoth Painting", leave face wet to dry on it's own, Nivea AS balm on face only.
Today's shave was another CCS 2 pass shave. WTG and XTG. I added a little too much water to my lather this morning so it wasn't as thick as I'd liked and was exploding out of my lather bowl. The thinner lather did not paint well on my face so I really had to work the lather to get it to not disappear. I tried blade buffing again. The first try was back in my hot shaving days and it worked really well but served to cap off a nice case of irritation. Today I just buffed in the XTG stroke as a clean-up method. The areas that I blade buffed ended DFS+ and were smooth even when I ran my hand ATG. I am having a bit of redness around the adam's apple. I've learned I have to not bull frog in this area but lift the chin up for tighter skin. The redness at the corner of my jaw / neck is slowly going away. I'm really thinking Spider was right, my face just needs time to adjust to the trauma of using a real razor on it. I'm really missing my BBS shaves, but I think stalking the BBS over time will allow me to get there without redness and irritation. Enjoyable shave over-all.
What I Changed: Blade buffing w/ cold water XTG, No hot water rinse at all.
What's Coming Soon: My first jump into SE shaving. Shawn PIF'd me a few SE shavers and blades to try. It will be interesting to see if I get better than CCS with the 2 pass shave with less irritation. To be fair, I should really use the SE for a week or more so I can honestly assess how well it's working.
I also have another Gillette DE to try after the SE. Since my Micro Touch DE is really an entry level shaver it will be interesting to see if the Gillette performs the same or a little better.
Razor: Micro Touch DE
Blade: Gillette Super Blue
Brush: Simpson Super Badger
Soap: Mystic Waters Sandlewood Coconut
Bowl: Walmart Plastic Salsa Bowl
Pre Shave: Shower and leaving face wet afterwards
Post Shave: Cold water rinse, Witch Hazel (Walmart Brand 14% alcohol), Cold rinse, "Mammoth Painting", leave face wet to dry on it's own, Nivea AS balm on face only.
Today's shave was another CCS 2 pass shave. WTG and XTG. I added a little too much water to my lather this morning so it wasn't as thick as I'd liked and was exploding out of my lather bowl. The thinner lather did not paint well on my face so I really had to work the lather to get it to not disappear. I tried blade buffing again. The first try was back in my hot shaving days and it worked really well but served to cap off a nice case of irritation. Today I just buffed in the XTG stroke as a clean-up method. The areas that I blade buffed ended DFS+ and were smooth even when I ran my hand ATG. I am having a bit of redness around the adam's apple. I've learned I have to not bull frog in this area but lift the chin up for tighter skin. The redness at the corner of my jaw / neck is slowly going away. I'm really thinking Spider was right, my face just needs time to adjust to the trauma of using a real razor on it. I'm really missing my BBS shaves, but I think stalking the BBS over time will allow me to get there without redness and irritation. Enjoyable shave over-all.
What I Changed: Blade buffing w/ cold water XTG, No hot water rinse at all.
What's Coming Soon: My first jump into SE shaving. Shawn PIF'd me a few SE shavers and blades to try. It will be interesting to see if I get better than CCS with the 2 pass shave with less irritation. To be fair, I should really use the SE for a week or more so I can honestly assess how well it's working.
I also have another Gillette DE to try after the SE. Since my Micro Touch DE is really an entry level shaver it will be interesting to see if the Gillette performs the same or a little better.
Dangerousdon - thanks. I'm giving it a good effort. The way I look at it, if it was easy, everyone would be doing it. You don't see many unhappy wet shavers, but boy I've seen a lot of miserable cart shavers with really badly irritated necks with 2 day growth because they just can't bear to hack away at it again. Kinda makes you want to be a "Wet Shaving Evangelist" and preach the gospel of good shaving to them
Oh uh, THERE’S a slippery slope. Now you’re putting lather on your chest. Then you get your shaving technique down and start really enjoying your shaving. It’s just a small step to being bummed that your shave is over for the day and looking down to all that hair already prepped with lather....
???
Super light touch with the SE is a requirement.
And what's the other Gillette DE?
Oh uh, THERE’S a slippery slope. Now you’re putting lather on your chest.
I'd need a bush hog for that jobThat was a hilarious comment though! Not a chance I'll go south from the neck. The other mammoths would laugh too hard if that happened
I once had my heart looked at and they shaved my chest with water and some cheap disposable razor - dang, they should have just plucked them out one by one! I just manned up and acted like they weren't grabbing handfuls of hair and ripping it out.
I think now I'd bring my MW and insist they let me use my own equipment.
Oh uh, THERE’S a slippery slope. Now you’re putting lather on your chest.
I'd need a bush hog for that jobThat was a hilarious comment though! Not a chance I'll go south from the neck. The other mammoths would laugh too hard if that happenedI once had my heart looked at and they shaved my chest with water and some cheap disposable razor - dang, they should have just plucked them out one by one! I just manned up and acted like they weren't grabbing handfuls of hair and ripping it out.I think now I'd bring my MW and insist they let me use my own equipment.
LOL I actually do shave my chest in the summer because surf wax is terrible to remove otherwise but i'm not a mammoth so it isn't really a big deal and doesn't even dull the blade any extra.
I'm of the Nordic variety so our ancestors needed the hair to stay warm
Today's shave was exactly like yesterdays. DFS+ in the blade buffed areas and CCS everywhere else. I concentrated a little more on no pressure buffing which felt good, but I think caused more redness and irritation. It's a little frustrating because I know I'm doing something wrong to cause it. I see that cart hanging there in the shower and know I just have to reach for it to get a BBS shave like I used to get.
I think now I need to seriously look at my beard growth mapping. Though I'm going XTG on my neck according to the popular "ear to nose" method, perhaps from ear to nose on me is ATG which is causing the irritation. I'll check this tomorrow morning. My face is doing fine.
Some Observations Today:
I think now I need to seriously look at my beard growth mapping. Though I'm going XTG on my neck according to the popular "ear to nose" method, perhaps from ear to nose on me is ATG which is causing the irritation. I'll check this tomorrow morning. My face is doing fine.
Some Observations Today:
- Blade buffing can feel fine during the shave but can cause irritation for me if I spend too much time chasing a smoother "2" pass shave. I think with excess blade buffing it may just qualify as a 3 pass shave at some point.
- The Gillette SB had its last shave today. 4 shaves is all I'm going to get. That little voice is saying that if I use it tomorrow I'll regret it.
- Adam's Apple area is still getting some irritation. I may need to try pulling the skin in that area to see if it work better
- My lather was spot on. Today I added a tiny bit of water at a time until I got it right. Yesterday I thought I knew about how much water I was adding and added it all at once in the beginning before lathering. That didn't work and I had a thin lather.
- I think I better hold off on the SE since it is evident I haven't mastered the DE. I thought the SE might give me a closer 2 pass shave so I was eager to try it.
- Enjoying the smell of Sandlewood/Coconut mammoth fur while writing this
Some very nice observations!
So trying to relive my beginner moments... Here are two things that I can recommend:
1) Regarding pressure on the razor, I like to think about it like golf. You just need to be able hold the razor and guide the direction - let gravity do the rest. If you think your pressure is light, make it 50% lighter than you think. I thought I had light pressure, and then I started using a straight razor which requires a lighter touch. When I went to shave with a DE, I realized my touch was that much lighter. These razor blades are sharp and don't need your help - just guidance.
2) I always had inconsistencies with lathering with a bowl. Try face lathering. Similar techniques and you can feel the lather build up to the right texture and consistency. It gives me a better gauge and actually cut down my lather building process. Try it and let me know how it goes.
1) Regarding pressure on the razor, I like to think about it like golf. You just need to be able hold the razor and guide the direction - let gravity do the rest. If you think your pressure is light, make it 50% lighter than you think. I thought I had light pressure, and then I started using a straight razor which requires a lighter touch. When I went to shave with a DE, I realized my touch was that much lighter. These razor blades are sharp and don't need your help - just guidance.
2) I always had inconsistencies with lathering with a bowl. Try face lathering. Similar techniques and you can feel the lather build up to the right texture and consistency. It gives me a better gauge and actually cut down my lather building process. Try it and let me know how it goes.
LOL I didn't realize how much pressure i really was using until i put a straight blade to my flesh.
Steady as she goes and trust the process, Good Job
Wednesdays are tough days to get a good shave in due to having to get the whole family out the door and get me to work on time, so I had to cut some corners in a big way this morning.
Today's Shave:
Razor: Gillette Venus
Blade: Gillette Venus 4-blade cart
Brush: None - Lather in hand and apply
Soap: None - Skintimate Lotionized Canned Shaving Cream
Bowl: None
Pre Shave: Shower / wash with soap
Post Shave: Hot water rinse in the shower, lather up and wash face one last time with MW Sandlewood Coconut, cold water rinse, Witch Hazel (Walmart Brand 14% alcohol), Cold rinse, leave face wet to dry on it's own, Nivea AS balm on face only.
OK, so since time was a factor I went back to my old cart shaving routine. Yes, that's a women's razor and women's shaving cream in a can. I can't say enough how much different women's carts and shaving cream are compared to men's. I could easily shave for 7-10 days on a women's cart whereas by day 5 of a men's cart I'm starting to hate the shave. No men's gel / shaving cream in a can comes even close to the Skintimate Lotionized women's stuff. If you don't believe me, try it.
Anyways, I shave in the shower only with a cart. My old system is a WTG, rinse, then ATG with face stretching, rinse, then XTG with bull frogging on the neck. The results were an absolute BBS and irritation free shave this morning. Much less redness than with the DE and with learning a good post shave routine my face felt super comfortable when I walked out of the bathroom.
One might think that this would make me want to give up DE shaving and go back. Honestly, there's that pull because I hate irritation and feeling rough, but what I know is that it's not the equipment it's my technique that is causing a sub-par shave with the DE. I could hand my DE, brush, and soap to any of you who've been wet shaving for a long time and you'd get a better shave with it than I'm getting because your technique is correct. If wet shaving were so easy, everyone would be doing it.
Here's were I'm at in my thinking.....I can get a BBS shave with the DE but with lots of irritation, so I know the equipment can get me there I just have to learn and hone the skills to use it all correctly and this takes time. The BBS will arrive on it's own without irritation if I just stick with it and keep trying different combo's of things. Having learned flintknapping, and blacksmithing I know that anything worth the time to do takes plenty of time to learn. I'm still in this and determined to get it right.
Going Forward:
Today's Shave:
Razor: Gillette Venus
Blade: Gillette Venus 4-blade cart
Brush: None - Lather in hand and apply
Soap: None - Skintimate Lotionized Canned Shaving Cream
Bowl: None
Pre Shave: Shower / wash with soap
Post Shave: Hot water rinse in the shower, lather up and wash face one last time with MW Sandlewood Coconut, cold water rinse, Witch Hazel (Walmart Brand 14% alcohol), Cold rinse, leave face wet to dry on it's own, Nivea AS balm on face only.
OK, so since time was a factor I went back to my old cart shaving routine. Yes, that's a women's razor and women's shaving cream in a can. I can't say enough how much different women's carts and shaving cream are compared to men's. I could easily shave for 7-10 days on a women's cart whereas by day 5 of a men's cart I'm starting to hate the shave. No men's gel / shaving cream in a can comes even close to the Skintimate Lotionized women's stuff. If you don't believe me, try it.
Anyways, I shave in the shower only with a cart. My old system is a WTG, rinse, then ATG with face stretching, rinse, then XTG with bull frogging on the neck. The results were an absolute BBS and irritation free shave this morning. Much less redness than with the DE and with learning a good post shave routine my face felt super comfortable when I walked out of the bathroom.
One might think that this would make me want to give up DE shaving and go back. Honestly, there's that pull because I hate irritation and feeling rough, but what I know is that it's not the equipment it's my technique that is causing a sub-par shave with the DE. I could hand my DE, brush, and soap to any of you who've been wet shaving for a long time and you'd get a better shave with it than I'm getting because your technique is correct. If wet shaving were so easy, everyone would be doing it.
Here's were I'm at in my thinking.....I can get a BBS shave with the DE but with lots of irritation, so I know the equipment can get me there I just have to learn and hone the skills to use it all correctly and this takes time. The BBS will arrive on it's own without irritation if I just stick with it and keep trying different combo's of things. Having learned flintknapping, and blacksmithing I know that anything worth the time to do takes plenty of time to learn. I'm still in this and determined to get it right.
Going Forward:
- Sskim3 gives great advice. I really need to focus on how much pressure I'm putting on that razor. If I think it's light or none, it's probably not. I need to revisit this and focus completely on this aspect for the next week or so.
- I'd like to study up on face lathering techniques and consider trying it. I still may not be slick enough.
- I'll be trying out a PIF'd Gillette DE similar to the Micro Touch I'm using.
GearNoir
“The Disney Princess’s Apprentice”
She’s got it, yea baby she’s got it...
I still remember the commercials for those razors, lol!
Whatever works man! I guess better a rushed cart shave with a good ending than a rushed DE shave and a whole lot of regret.
Hope things go well the rest of the day!
I still remember the commercials for those razors, lol!
Whatever works man! I guess better a rushed cart shave with a good ending than a rushed DE shave and a whole lot of regret.
Hope things go well the rest of the day!
Dave in KY
Shave Newbie
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Mike we'll need your man card turned in by weeks end ???
You would defend him Chris since you've used your wife's razor ?
Mike we'll need your man card turned in by weeks end ???