First DE shave

[waynejitsu]

Well, the 1964 Gillette Super Speed came in. I was lucky, it looks like a new razor. I didn;t think it would look as good as the pics, but it looked better, very nice

I tried it out this morning (I am sure I was not doing everything like the pro's), but it worked fine.
The shave was close, only one very small cut but I guess that is part of the initiation, LOL!

Razor- 1964 Gillette Super Speed, (ebay)
Blade- Wilkinson (Wal Mart)
Shave Soap- Van Der Hagen (Wal Mart)
Brush- my first two fingers, LOL! (I bought a brush today which I will have some questions about later)

For a 1st DE shave, it came out very good (but an pretty good with a knife, if that makes any difference?)
Two things that you guy's helped a LOT with-
1- Someone said to use very light pressure. That was a LOT of help. With a Sendor, disposable, etc I always used pressure. With a DE, it works better with no - light pressure.
2- Making several passes workes best (Like you guy's said it would)
3- Using the shave soap is a must!! I have been known to "dry shave", I tried, but didn't like it with a DE.

Now- the question
The brush, I bought one at a barber/beauty supply locally today.
How do you guy's use it?
Do you rinse it after every use or do you get it all soaped up and keep it that way or something different?

Thanks for the help!! (I am the first to admit when something is new or I don't know and don't mind asking questions about it

So far..., so good!!

 

[Gollnick]

Soak your brush in hot water for several minutes before each shave. I also splash a bit of water on the soap at this time and let that soften the surface of the soap a bit too. Shake out excess water from the brush and then swirl the brush on the soap. How much water to leave in the brush and how much to swirl is something you have to learn by trial and error. Keep in mind that you can lather as many times as you like per day. You may want to set aside an hour or two one day and just dial that in.

Rinse the brush throughly after each shave and shake out (you will fling water everywhere the first few times until you learn to do this neatly). Then, I recommend splurging ten or twenty bucks on a brush stand to hold the brush so it dries well between uses.

 

[waynejitsu]

Thanks for the info
I didn't know if it should be rinsed or the soap left in it for next time, so I left the soap in. I will rinse it next time

I started looking for a brush and razor stand and it is strange, you hang the brush to dry, but only a few include a bowl for the brush to drip in. I may wind up making one myself unless I find a cheaper one, can't pay $40 - $50 to hang my $10 brush, LOL!

I bought the brush at a barber supply shop, synthetic. Now I notice badger and boar hair brushes. Which is the better?
Is there much difference in a $5 badger brush and a $60 badger brush or is the cost in the handle?

Who would have guessed shaving would be so much, after shaving for 30+ years.

Soaking the brush in water is a good idea too, I will also try that.
Thanks!!

 

[SabreRaptor]

There are different "grades" of badger hair used in brushes and certain "gardes" might be better for your individual beard. You may want a firmer hair to lather a coarse beard, soft (silvertip) for a light beard, etc. A softer hair bursh will lather better but sometimes you need the action of the bristle to help stand up your beard.

As fas as a bowl into which shaving brush could drip, I just fling and spin the superfluous water into the shower and then hang the brush to dry. It will be nearly dry after the fling and spin.