I won't say a time because nobody is patient enough but the order I learned and that I find easiest is: 1) straight down. multiple passes. this will likely be against the grain for half of the shave but if you shave on a regular basis it's totally negligible and shouldn't irritate you or cause trouble 2)E-W or W-E. no need to do both. I often use this as my 3rd and final pass of the shave 3)full against the grain. I really recommend taking 10-20 shaves to get used to just shaving with the razor before turning it upside-down to perform facial voodoo. this is a 4th pass I might make for a nice night out with the girlfriend or something and I just want to look and feel my best. 90% of the time you don't need the ATG shave to feel ridiculously smooth. because everyone's facial hair grows in different directions it's a different experience for everyone but I generally don't bother with it. the East-West shave gets quite a bit of stuff and can usually be a nice finish for the shave.
Alright. I'm actually really excited about this. I'll buy that razor tomorrow hudson. Do I need to buy a new one or sharpen that one? How do I sharpen it? Get a stone? It come with one? Should I have different blades for different moods?
Different products anybody suggest I buy and try. Any really good starter kits on amazon or anywhere?
get a wax done by a professional. it will hurt like hell and it's not cheap but the hair goes away and stays gone for months plus you'll end up with a nice smooth back instead of stubble.
Me too. Shaving in the shower is incredible compared to shaving in the sink. I had to shave in a sink really quick without a shower a month or so ago on a TDY and I sliced my face up really bad like three spots. I've never cut my head or face in the shower. The steam helps so much.
You can carry any safety razor through TSA, but not the blades . You can check blades in your luggage though.
My wife does mine. It doesn't hurt that bad if you're paying attention to when they are going to pull. I make her count to three especially just above the ass crack and on the soft part of your lats. For some reason that hurts a little but not terribly bad.
I take about 15-20 minutes to shave, but I do a few more passes than normal and try and take my time.
I did nothing. currently trying to make it seem like I know what I'm talking about, but I'm still a novice compared to you and rape.
Kept waiting for him to slice his jugular. Too nervous, do not want. But cannot stop reading because it interests me.
pass just means one go with the razor, whatever it takes to remove the lather from your face. then you lather up again and make another pass. so what I do is lather up then start from my nose and work down towards my neck(straight down). I'll make 2 passes with that. after those I will lather up again and then make an East to West or West to East pass meaning I start at one ear and work my way to the other going across the face, not down. if I want to make a 4th pass I'll lather up again and head from my neck towards my nose. yea. I don't have a forest but I get enough around the shoulder area that once a year I get it waxed. I get it done early summer and it lasts me through the summer where I'm most likely to take my shirt off. otherwise I get my girl to just give me a trim once in awhile during the colder months. I can't stand the stuff so I finally just said fuck it and got it waxed. we tried a home-waxing thing and while my girl took immense pleasure in causing me pain, it's just easier to let a pro do it. I don't experience bleeding but if you're a hairy monster you probably will. mine costs about $60 but it's a once a year expense so it's not a big deal to me.
Just keep in mind, this is how guys shaved for about 80 years if they didn't want to learn straight razors. If literally millions of people (including the uncoordinated) did it, so can you.
This guy is also helpful. He's a talker but most of it's actually useful. http://youtu.be/2IuA8HGacJw
I'm heading to bed but I'm going to purchase everything tomorrow. I'll keep this thread update on my progress or lack thereof.
God damn it man stop it. Second time I've watched a video all the way through. I like this one way better though. Very informative. I always do two passes on my face (shaving with the grain and then sideways half against it) and three on my head.
had a roommate who had one, and said it made all the difference. actually what I was looking for when I came across the rolling razor.
I started doing the wet shave stuff in May when I got sick of paying for cartridges. I'm just now getting settled into my preferred set up (blade type, soap v. cream, pre/not to pre) and will still probably be fine tuning it. Best advice I can give is just to try out as many different set-ups as possible. As an FYI, I have an Edwin Jagger DE89 and Feather blades with the Proraso shaving cream.
Hey fellas, I got my gf to get me a kit for Xmas. Took 45 minutes for the first shave, but I went slow and did it without any cuts. My hand started cramping building lather as well. Can honestly say it was easily the most relaxing/soothing thing I have done in a while.
Great topic. Got into wet shaving a few years ago...really the only way to shave. It is an addictive hobby though. I have already amassed 5 brushes, 6 razors, a few thousand blades and about 2 dozen soaps and creams.
So, I'm glad this came up. I watched most or all of Mantic59's videos the day after Christmas. He has a new blog, sharpologist.com, which I also read up some on and decided to go from shaving in the shower to full-on wetshaving. In his blog, there's a 30% off deal with NY Shaving Company right now using the promo code Sharpologist. I ordered a shitload of stuff from them for $200, including shaving soap, aftershave balm, alum block, razor, stand, and silvertip badger brush to get started. I can't wait for it to get here and class up my game.
Team beard or some sort of facial hair without ever shaving. Having said that this only applies if I stay in radio, if I get into tv.........fucccccccccccccckkkkkk. Might look into this if I need to at that point.
gamecockdoc (moved to this thread because of the resources in the OP. Several things. First, I would consider a non-adjustable to compliment your adjustable. Getting everything hammered out with a non-adjustable is hard enough. If you start with an adjustable, that's just one more variable to deal with. For instance, some people claim there's a zone of settings that just don't work for them. If nothing else, pick a moderate setting between 3 and 6 and work on improving everything else. If you want another recommendation for a vintage fixed setting Gillette, try a Tech, Super Speed (anything except the red tips which are more aggressive), etc. Also, if product is really gunking up on your razor there's two issues. One, adjustables and twist to open razors in general collect and hold on to cream more so than 2 and 3 piece razors. Second, I notice that when my lather is too think (didn't use enough water) the cream is way too tacky to wash off with running water. Just some thoughts. I really like Feathers, but some say they actually perform better at medium or high settings. They are sharp (some say the sharpest) but not quite as smooth as can be. They're only good for 3 or 4 shaves for me. You're on the right track with blades though. Take notes, experiment, and don't be afraid to give a blade a second chance. Voskhod's are a good bargain blade. So are Astra SP's in the white and green box. If you want the sharpness of Feather with a bit more smoothness, consider Gillette 7 O'Clocks in the yellow box or Personna Med Prep blades. The best blades, for me, only give about 5-7 shaves. Some only 3 or 4 shaves. However, at less than a dime per blade you're still in good shape monetarily if you use two per week. Your shaving cream, alum, and brush all sound like you're good to go. If you watch the videos I posted earlier in this thread you'll see technique. I usually do a three pass shave. With the grain, across the grain, the against the grain (in a beard reduction not a beard scraping fashion). The with the grain pass is a north to south pass. As Mantic explain, short strokes with little or no overlap. Next, across the grain in an east to west fashion. Sometimes that's enough. I'm smooth enough to get through the day. If not, an against the grain step is final. It's a south to north pass with the same short, careful strokes. Mantic has a video about "advanced" techniques like the "Gillette Slide" but I'd focus on getting good shaves before going to those extremes.
gamecockdoc Tallow Soaps: Queen Charlotte Soaps Tabac & Sir Irisch Moos (both made by Mauer and Wirtz) Czech & Speake Art of Shaving D.R. Harris Valobra (shave stick only; they make the soaps for AoS) Mitchell's Wool Fat Palmolive Shave Stick Cella Speik Erasmic There's a few more, I'll add them as I think of them.