Newbie introduction and question

[KarlMaldensNose]

Hi, guys. I'm new to this particular sub-forum and to straight razor and DE shaving in general. Never tried either but looking to get started. ALready drowning in info. and hopefully some of you can help focus my efforts.

So far I've found Badger & Blade, Shave My Face, and Straight Razor Place forums. Can anyone tell me which of these forums is focused on straight razor shaving and which is focused on DE shaving? Or are they just general forums with a bit of everything? Is one more authoritative/popular than the rest?

One more thing. Like I said, I'm new to all this and am trying to figure out what'd be best for me. I have VERY stiff, coarse, unruly facial hair. Seriously, the hairs are like mini steel cables and even seem sharp sometimes. Grows in all sorts of crazy directions, too. Some grow tight to my skin while some grow straight out and away. My skin is somewhat sensitive, as well. Lots of ingrown hairs and oily/dry combo skin. Shaving with standard cartridges and gel/foam/oil is so traumatic that I now only shave for job interviews, weddings and funerals. I'm not real fond of a beard on myself either, so to take care of the Balkan forest growing on my face and neck, once or twice a week I clip it down real short with barbers hair and/or beard clippers, no guide or attachments so I can get right down to the skin for as close a 'shave' as possible with those contraptions.

Do I sound like a good candidate for straight razor or DE shaving? FYI, I have and enjoy using waterstones for knife sharpening, so learning razor honing wouldn't be an issue (and yes, I am aware that it requires a different technique and finer stones). Just letting you know that that isn't a consideration in choosing which--straight or DE--to try first. I am more concerned with results than cost, preparation, maintenance, etc.

Thanks very much.

Edit: Ooops! Just figured out that the Straight Razor Place forum would be focused on straight razor shaving rather than DE shaving.

 

[Gollnick]

You'll do well with DE shaving.

First, clip your fingernails. Clip a few of them before you take a long, hot shower. Then, clip the rest immediately after the shower. Believe it or not, fingernails and hair are basically made of the same thing. Manicurists prefer to soak their clients fingernails in warm water for a few minutes before they begin because it softens the proteins that make up the nails and makes them much easier to cut. That the same protein that makes up your hair. So, the secret to shaving -- regardless of how "tough" or "wiry" your bead hair is -- is preparation. The best time to shave is after you get out of a hot shower. If you can't do that, then put a hot towel on your face for five minutes before you shave. The heat and moisture will soften up even the toughest hair.

I switched to DE two years ago after about 25 years of Gillette Sensor cartridges and a maybe 10 or 12 years of a Norelco electric before that. I'm sold on DE. The shave I get every single day now is at least an order of magnitude better than the best shave my Sensor ever gave me.

As to which way to go, DE or Straight, Straight requires a lot more work. Straight razor shaving is something that you have to want to do as a pleasure unto itself. DE can be -- as I practice it -- much more utilitarian.

 

[unky_gumbi]

All of the forums you mention do a bit of everything, but I am sure that Straight Razor Place would be a bit more focused on straights

From what you are saying I would think that a DE or SE razor would be better for you over a straight. I can't give you much advice on SE razors, but if at all possible an adjustable DE would be a good place to start, or a middle of the road to mild non adjustable.

The advantage of an adjustable razor is that you can fine tune it to suit your face and beard. Out of the 9 settings on a vintage Gillette Slim or Super Adjustable, one of them should be right for you. Merkur is the only modern razor company that I know of making an adjustable razor, but I have no experience with them but I am positive that their range of adjustment will have a place for you to.

The advantage of a simple non adjustable razor is that it is a constant, and you can play with the angle and blade choice knowing that the actual razor is the same each time you use it. If you choose this route there are many razors to choose from, from the vintage side there is the lowly Gillette Tech (mild) to the ever popular Gillette Super Speed (still mild just not as mild as the Tech) and if you are lucky some of the older open comb Gillette's do well with tough beards. Mind you I would hold off on an open comb razor till you get the technique down. In the modern razors there are quite a few to choose from. Once again there is Merkur, they have a loyal following and often recommended to beginners, but as I said I don't have experience with them so I can't say how well they work. Still if they are being recommended so often they must be a good razor. The route I took was an Edwin Jagger 89L (EJ89L) and it was the start of another problem called Razor Acquisition Disorder (RAD) where you spend all the money you saved by switching to DE razors on more razors than you could ever use. I fell into this trap only a year into DE shaving and I have 15 razors on hand, one coming in the mail, and I scour flea markets looking for more. Back to the EJ89L, it is a well made and flawlessly finished modern razor, one of those things that you are amazed it only cost 30-40 bucks to buy when it gets to you. It is one of the more mild razors, but paired with the right blade it will finish your face as nicely as the finish on the razor itself.

There are a couple of other things to think about on top of the razor. Soap/cream and a brush to make lather with. The standard canned goo that you most likely use now, wont work well with a DE, SE, or straight razor. Even if you were to just switch over to a good shaving soap and stayed with your cartridge razor you would notice a big difference in the quality of your shave. Soaps and brushes are a personal thing, just like finding the razor and blade comb that works for you, you have to experiment and find what works for you.

One of the best resources for a beginning wet shaver is mantic59 on youtube. He is known as the Shave Tutor for a reason, and presents things in a very understandable way. I swear in his off line life he must be some sort of instructor, because the man knows how to teach. He does have an account here and has stopped in a few times to give advice, but I think his regular forum hangout id badger and Blade,or his blog that I can't think of the name of right now.

So watch some mantic59 videos and you will learn the basics of wet shaving. Feel free to come back here and ask questions we are all willing to help out:thumbup:

 

[amcardon]

These guys are crazy, straight all the way!

Just kidding, these guys give tons of great advice and you should definitely hear what they have to say. As I have never tried DE or SE shaving I can't comment there but I am a straight razor shaver. My facial hair sounds similar to yours. I've been shaving since the 6th grade (nope, no joke, had a beard in my 8th grade school pics) and my hair is quite thick and unruly. I too have oily and sensitive skin. When I started straight razor shaving I did get some good irritation but it only took a couple times shaving and that wasn't an issue anymore. I don't know if it was my skin getting used to it or my technique improving, probably a little of both. Anyway, now my skin loves a good straight razor shave and there is no way anybody is going to be able to make me go back to those awful cartridge razors!

If you really are thinking about going to a straight I would highly recommend finding a real barber in your area that you can get a straight shave from. It will be from a straight with a sharp, new, replaceable blade but it will give you an idea as to how your skin will hold up to regular shaving. If you decide that it looks like it will be a good match for you I would also recommend getting a razor that's been professionally honed and another that you can practice/test on until you get your honing where it needs to be for a "shave ready" straight.

Also, as Gollnick mentioned, preparation is HUGE! I had no idea how much preparation made the difference in shaving.

 

[KarlMaldensNose]

Thanks for the advice so far. Yeah, I'm all about the prep, even with can and cartridge wet shaving. When I used to wet shave, it wasn't always easy to get up a half hour earlier for my shower/prep, but there'd be no point in shaving without washing, hydrating and softening because my face looks more persentable with stuble than with scabs, scars and rashes, which is the inevitable result of daring to pull a quickie on my finicky face.

Anyway, regarding DE razors, I had suspected adjustable was the way to go. Up here in Canada, Fendrihan and Rasage Poulin have a good offering of safety razors and even handful of affordable (~$70) adjustable Merkurs. And there seems to be a massive amount of razor blade varieties to try out and hone in on what works best for my particular beard. I wonder if there is a brand/variety of blades that has a reputation for working well on heavy, wirey beard types?

But I'm still undecided if I will start out with DE or straight. DE wet shaving does seem to have some pretty great benefits, but like Gollnick mentioned, straight razor shaving is something you have to want to do as a pleasure unto itself -- and I do, I definitely see the appeal to it. I also believe there are a couple barbers in my area who can provide both a test straight razor shave and help me out with making sure I have a shave ready razor to use as reference while starting out. Even if not, I've found a few places online that sell professionally honed, shave ready razors (straighterazordesigns.com and whippeddog.com). Whatever route I do end up taking, a good brush and quality cream or soap are definitely on my agenda. On that front I do have a question: are even the less expensive (~$20) "Pure" grade badger brushes 'better' than any boar brush available? Or does one need to step up to the "Best," "Super" or "Silvertip" grades to experience any of the purported benefits offered by badger hair brushes?

Thanks for the help.

 

[Will Power]

Always good to see another recruit to the 'sect' you won't want to escape either....

I suggest DE at first and if you get your hand in, then try a cut-throat razor. I'm sure they will shave better than anything but they can come costly and require certain skilled maintenance and not to mention technique Many years ago I tried one but found the shave slow could not get on with it. Fast forward 30 odd years and my sight is not good so I don't want to take up that kind of razor, they are excellent in skilled hands I'm sure. But, is it much surprise that before the start of the C20th and safety razors, most men grew beards or the wealthier ones had to pay for barbering......

You will have to be patient for a while but the results will be excellent. My beard is coarse and multicoloured, I used to have problems with ingrowing hair but not after returning to DE shaving. I'm sure you will find your skin tone and look improves after a few weeks, brush based shaving certainly does do wonders for the skin. As my friends here have mentioned, prep is important but it's not some mythical ritual either(can be fun though!) hot face flannels also help fetch up the beard prior to shaving, try that. Because DE shaving is closer and superior to cartridge you may find you can well shave the night before any important appointment rather than in a rush in the morning. The Old School creams or soaps not only do the job better than aerosol gel etc they too help to improve complexion.

There are many excellent sites such as Badger&Blade, although it can have its share of dogmatists like any forum. I like this small part of the forum as we can exchange ideas and experiences on shaving very quickly and effectively without high-horseism or pedantic over moderation-which you can experience elsewhere.

Keep us updated, you've joined the fold:thumbup:

 

[Gollnick]

But I'm still undecided if I will start out with DE or straight. DE wet shaving does seem to have some pretty great benefits, but like Gollnick mentioned, straight razor shaving is something you have to want to do as a pleasure unto itself -- and I do, I definitely see the appeal to it.

You know you're going there eventually. Why dink around along the way. Just take the plunge, sink or swim -- and you will end up swimming -- right into the deep end.

Fortunately, we do live in the day and age of the Internet, so there are lots of resources including copious YouTube videos to show you what you need to know.

My suggestion to you is to make a personal commitment for a time period. Commit to yourself that unless this thing turns out to be absolutely insufferable -- which it won't -- you ARE going to shave yourself with your new kit at least six days per week for four months. Then, at the end of four months, you can decide whether you want to continue along this path or not. Four months is long enough that you will get a good technique figured out and start getting great shaves; but it's not so long that, if you start having second thoughts, you'll be tempted to throw in the towel -- unless that's just throwing your shaving towel into the laundry bin. You can always say to yourself, "I'm just not so sure that this new shaving scheme is working out for me... but, by golly, I made a commitment to myself, there's only X weeks left in that commitment, and I am gonna see it through."

 

[unky_gumbi]

On that front I do have a question: are even the less expensive (~$20) "Pure" grade badger brushes 'better' than any boar brush available? Or does one need to step up to the "Best," "Super" or "Silvertip" grades to experience any of the purported benefits offered by badger hair brushes?

Thanks for the help.

I was fine with the shoppers drugmart Omega boars hair brush, it worked great and did what it was supposed to do. Then I tried a badger brush and there was no going back for me. Others prefer boars hair, it is a thing of taste/feel. The Omega brush is fairly cheap so why not start there, but if you are thinking of going badger this is the one I got from Frendrihan for the price I think I got one heck of a brush.

In general the grades move up in water holding, softness, backbone. Like I said I have the super badger I linked to and a silvertip knot that I put in the omega handle and they are on par with each other. The super is softer but doesn't have as much backbone, the silvertip has more backbone but holds more water. I recently bought one of the badger knots from Lee Valley and I think it is pure grade, I wont know how it feels till I set it in a handle. It doesn't have the natural unclipped tips that the other two brushes have, but for $10 I couldn't resist

 

[sodak]

Welcome, KMN!

I shave with both, and will say that straights require a much longer learning curve, especially the honing process. Some people treat it almost like a religion...

DE is much faster and easier to learn, and cheaper to start with, straights require more initial investment. I generally use DE's during the week, straights on weekends (I have more time), and a Mach 3 disposable when traveling (ok for carry on).

Good luck, let us know how you do!

 

[kg4ghn]

Whippeddog.com is great for starting out with straights. Thesuperiorshave.com and straightrazordesigns.com are both good places to get new straights.

As for brushes, personally I would rather have a quality boar brush(semogue, omega) over a pure badger. Pure badger is just too scratchy feeling to me. I like to stay with Best and above with badger brushes.

I use a straight razor 95% of the time, the other 5% I use an EverReady 1912 single edge safety razor. I have owned and used several DEs and gotten great shaves from them I just like straights and SE better. If you decide to go with a DE I would start out with a vintage Gillette Tech or Superspeed. If you want to go new I have heard great things about the Edwin Jagger 89 razors but I haven't owned one so I can't comment.