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The Shaving Cadre

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Your story about your first steps in wet shaving

Well i started shaving in HS as well, had to be clean shaven for wrestling matches( mostly my coaches rules but there were a few refs that would make you go shave if you were very scruffy so you couldn't use the scratchiness against your opponent.) I was using carts and i think Edge gel goo stuff, Did finish up with some Old Spice though. Only shaved maybe once a week for a long time until i got an internship where i am currently working. after that it was generally every other day. i tried an electric a couple times when i received them as gifts but those never lasted long due to the massive acne that always followed. It wasn't great with a cart but the electric was easily 10x worse for me. at the end i was using one of the versions of the fusion razors and as costs went up for those i was looking for a cheaper option. I had always loved knives so when i saw that people still used SRs and that it was better for your skin too i had to try it. So in 2013 i jumped on Amazon and got a VDH brush and soap kit and a Gold Dollar razor and dove Straight(pun intended) into the deep end. Surprisingly i picked it up pretty fast and after about 6 or 7 months i discovered there was no local option to get the razor honed and decided to do it myself. that eventually led me to the forums looking for tips and that eventually somehow led me here, which has become my favorite place on the interwebz!
 
Majorrich said:
Genetics and youth blessed me through my twenties in that I didn’t have to shave much. I used an electric razor mostly. When I did use blades, I had a couple of twin bladed disposable razors that I would maintain a serviceable shave with canned spoo.
One fateful morning my electric razor clapped out and I had no backup disposables. I remembered finding my late fathers Dopp kit and my first use of his olde gear was a Super Speed with a Wilkinson blade. I used the canned spoo, but got a pretty good shave. I don’t remember Dad ever using anything but electrics, but found an old Henckel straight, a Fatboy that was inoperable and the aforementioned Super Speed. He also had a small barber hone in the kit, but I took his straight to my barber who sharpened it for me. I watched a few videos, got some soaps, and before I knew it, I was enjoying wet shaving!
When the folks at Church found out how much I was enjoying it,razors of all sorts were gifted to me, starting my collection.
Then I found the guys on the other site.
Several years later here I am!
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I love this story!
 
I've been shaving since I was about 14-15, I had heavy beard growth from freshman year of high school. I was the oldest in my class and had to shave, so my class mates nicknamed me "Old Man Luecke." Like @uacowboy I was a wrestler and had to shave. I started out with Bick disposables, with the yellow cap then graduated to the Gillette Mach 3(because it was cool) and then the newest Gillette available. I started out with Barbasol original and Brut or Old Spice aftershave and eventually moved into Gillette goo and Aqua Velva. I had a buddy from Argentina that tried to indoctrinate me into wet shaving, but thought he was dumb for spending all that money..... Several years later, in 2012, while complaining about the price of Gillette Fusion carts, one of my buddies suggested I try out a safety razor or straight razor. The next day I was in an antique shop and found a Gillette Superspeed and old spice mug. Shortly there after, I was watching Geo Fatboy videos and found the razor forums. Next thing you know RAD! Eight years later, I'm still married and I'm having the time of my life!
 
I hang out on a very popular guitar forum called "The Gear Page". Back in 2013, I read about "wetshaving" on that forum. It just seemed so much more interesting and cool than my electric Braun razor that was barely working.

So I ordered an Edwin Jagger DE89 and a tub of Proraso (like most newbies!). I also got the cheap little bowl/badger brush/soap combo that Amazon sold.

It was a good starter setup and of course got me hooked. I then proceeded to go way down the rabbit hole (like I tend to do with most things I get excited about). Recently, I've come full circle (especially with soaps) and don't throw huge amounts of money at the hobby these days. I also started turning my own brushes and sourcing 2-band badger knots.

I've converted 4 of my family members over to wetshaving and they all love it.
 
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I just started about a month ago with VDH DE and VDH soap because I can't afford carts anymore, then when we celebrated my birthday a few days after the 11th I got a merkur 34c, still trying to get by using VDH soap and William's mug since money is too tight to buy anything else. I'm still trying to get used to it and seem to be getting a little better. I love it even though I've been nicked a few times and have had some irritation from too much pressure. The whole ritual of it seems to really help my anxiety and PTS since it gets me out of my head and helps me relax.

I think it has to be linked to that I'm not like most my age I like the old way of doing things when men smoked pipes not cigs, fountain pens not ballpoint, wore suits not baggy Jean's hanging past the knees, and knew how to sharpen there own knives or actually use tools and not have to call someone just for a small job.

One day in the far future I hope to get a straight, I have always been interested in them and I think that's why I worked so hard to learn how to sharpen and hone my knives so they were as sharp as a razor.

Thanks
mreeveshp
 
Spider said:
Welcome to The Cadre! Pop on over to the Newbie & Intro forum and Introduce yourself!

Williams is one of my favorite soaps!!
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Thank you and I will do the intro thread once I have a little more free time.

I haven't tried the Williams yet, might have to give it a go tonight

Thanks
mreeveshp
 
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