Four months into wet shaving, making my first changes

Magnaminous_G

Magnaminous_G

Joined
Jul 13, 2011
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So my setup for the past four months, from the first wet shave to the present, has been this:

razor: Merkur Futur
brush: Vulfix 2234
blade: Feather
cream: TOBS Lavender

Let me preface this by saying that I love all of the above products and would be okay with sticking with all of them for the rest of my life. I just wanted to try something else for the sake of comparison after four months of wet shaving, in which time I feel that I've more-or-less mastered it for me since I can get a BBS shave with no irritation. I'll also add that I'm glad I stuck with the same products for such a long time; doing so removed all other variables and let me focus on my shaving technique and on getting to know my beard/face.

About a month ago, I switched my standard steel shaving bowl for a Dirty Bird 1.5 Scuttle, which is an awesome instrument for a wet shaver. The "web" ridges in the bowl make for a fast lather, and the huge reservoir inside the scuttle keeps your lather warm. I no longer shave with hot water, though. I prefer hydrating and shaving with water that is slightly warmer than lukewarm. I also stopped with the Kyle's prep, since I found that it doesn't affect the shave one way or the other, but it does take a lot of time. I do a 2-pass shave now, right after my shower. I keep the beard wet (constant splashes with water), fill the sink and scuttle (with brush in to soak) with water that is slightly warmer than lukewarm, lather up, then do my first pass (mix of XTG and WTG depending on the part of my face) with an aggressive setting on the Futur (3.5), and finally an ATG pass with the Futur on the lowest setting (1). Finish with ice cold rinse, liberal splash of Thayer's original witch hazel, and finally Nivea sensitive balm. BBS all over the place... now that I know which areas to give extra attention to. In my opinion, the secret to wet shaving is all about perfecting your technique and knowing your face: knowing how the beard grows, knowing which areas you tend to miss, and knowing what your face can tolerate and not without irritation.

Just a few weeks ago, I made my first real change: I switched Feathers for Astra Superiors (green/Russian). I really, really like the Astras! They are cheap as hell compared to Feathers, and I like the way they shave. The Feather is awesome, but expensive (relative to the Astras) and very sharp. Sharp is good, but I like the Astras because they are a more forgiving, more comfortable blade for me. I throw them out after three shaves. Maybe some people can squeeze seven shaves out of each blade, but I have no interest in testing how far I can push such a cheap blade when I've got an endless supply in the bathroom cabinet.

Tonight I went for my second major change, and I ordered a tub of TOBS Avocado. I like TOBS Lavender a lot, so I trust the brand. I've read such good things about their Avocado. People seem to rave about the scent and the slick, smooth lather. Really looking forward to getting it. I'm still on my original tub of TOBS Lavender after four months! How many cans of green goo-in-a-can would I have bought in that time? There's still a few weeks worth of cream on the sides of the tub, but I might not wait that long. It's not that expensive, and there's no need to scrape every last bit out. I don't plan on changing anything else. I like the Merkur Futur a LOT. It is hefty, comfortable, has a great blade-replacement mechanism, and is adjustable. I like my Vulfix 2234 brush, too. It's a big brush, slightly on the floppy side, great for whipping up great lather with creams and just feels so luxurious against your face.

When I get a chance, I need to put pics up of my new bathroom by Dirty Bird. :D I didn't just order a scuttle. I also ordered a toothbrush holder, bowl, cup, and hand soap pump, all in berry rim on blue. It looks absolutely fantastic, and the wares are solid, well-made and beautiful. They really are a pleasure to use.

And my shaving saga goes on!

- Mag
 
Hmm... I know it's unanimous that Feather makes the sharpest blades on Earth... But I tried my first Feather a few days ago, and I wasn't too impressed!

I've always heard, "Be careful with Feathers; it's easy to cut yourself and not even know it!" But I didn't find them to be too sharp at all. The "cutting action" was much quieter compared to other blades (and usually I can hear the difference between sharp blades and not-so-sharp ones.) Astras seem much sharper and harsher, to me.

It could be that I got one "dud" Feather. It is only the first one I have tried. I'm not saying that I don't like it; I'm just not impressed with the sharpness. I am, however, extremely impressed with the level of smoothness. The Feather gives an extremely close shave with absolutely no irritation or pulling on the pores (it seems like other blades will do this if I shave XTG or ATG more than a few days in a row.)

I am using a Merkur 23C, by the way. It has been called a mild razor.

By the way, if you're looking at trying something different, look into the Mühle R41. There are no razors that compare to the efficiency of the R41.
 
Mr. Magnaminous_G, it sounds to me like you've approached the switch perfectly. I encourage people to stick pretty closely to one set of tools and products during the first few months and focus on technique just as you did. I think this is best.

Prep and aftershave are the most variable simply because of skin types. I have oily skin, so I don't need a lot of prep, just hot water, and I specifically have to be careful about aftershaves, nothing "moisturizing;" I have found that just alcohol works fine (I tried witch hazel, but found no benefit for me and it is a bit more expensive than alcohol).

I like Feather blades and I don't find them "dangerous." But blade choice is also a personal preference. Unless it goes obviously wrong, I encourage people not to judge a blade until you've used at least three or four of 'em for at least a dozen or so shaves.

Similarly, with lather products, it takes a six or eight shaves at least to get "dialed in" with a product.

So, I think you're on the perfect track.
 
Gollnick said:
Mr. Magnaminous_G, it sounds to me like you've approached the switch perfectly. I encourage people to stick pretty closely to one set of tools and products during the first few months and focus on technique just as you did. I think this is best.

Prep and aftershave are the most variable simply because of skin types. I have oily skin, so I don't need a lot of prep, just hot water, and I specifically have to be careful about aftershaves, nothing "moisturizing;" I have found that just alcohol works fine (I tried witch hazel, but found no benefit for me and it is a bit more expensive than alcohol).

I like Feather blades and I don't find them "dangerous." But blade choice is also a personal preference. Unless it goes obviously wrong, I encourage people not to judge a blade until you've used at least three or four of 'em for at least a dozen or so shaves.

Similarly, with lather products, it takes a six or eight shaves at least to get "dialed in" with a product.

So, I think you're on the perfect track.
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Thank you for your encouragement! You definitely played a role in my conversion from Gillette's modern products to traditional wet shaving. I also have fairly oily skin, but I get dry, flaky skin on my T-area (nose and brow), so I moisturize after showering. I like the astringent properties of alcohol, so I use Thayer's original witch hazel (contains a small amount of alcohol). Can't wait to try out the TOBS Avocado when it gets here. I'll be sure to write up a report. :D
 
THG said:
I've always heard, "Be careful with Feathers; it's easy to cut yourself and not even know it!" But I didn't find them to be too sharp at all. The "cutting action" was much quieter compared to other blades (and usually I can hear the difference between sharp blades and not-so-sharp ones.) Astras seem much sharper and harsher, to me.

It could be that I got one "dud" Feather. It is only the first one I have tried. I'm not saying that I don't like it; I'm just not impressed with the sharpness. I am, however, extremely impressed with the level of smoothness. The Feather gives an extremely close shave with absolutely no irritation or pulling on the pores (it seems like other blades will do this if I shave XTG or ATG more than a few days in a row.)
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That, my friend, is the supreme sharpness of the Feather. :) If I try and use Dorcos it is a downright painful ordeal!
 
Not heard of these Astra Greens before. They're made in Russia? Must try out a few, but Feather is my benchmark, so far.

I'm trying a new razor now. Got fed up with the plate peeling off my Merkur 34 (and now the 39!!)and leaving rough edges on the guard after less than 3 years. Trying the Muhle 41 open comb, I need an aggressive type.
 
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