Advice on starting.

Steviemoyne

Thinking about using the whole DE system, been reading posts here on and off but I really don't know how to get started.

Basically wondering what I need along with a good place to buy. Budget wise lets say €30 (more if it's needed).

Also wondering if it's possible to use a DE blade with shaving foam or would that be breaking some sort of sacred vow?

I really don't have a clue, if it was a pc or a piece of software I'd know what I'm doing.

beardybrewer

As this is sometimes seen as a "gentlemanly" persuit it is easy to think it will cost a packet. Yet here is a really cheap package that will do the job fine:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Deluxe-Shaving-Pack-Inc-Cella-Italian-Soap-Dish-Wilkinson-Sword-Safety-Razor-/300898425079?pt=Shaving&hash=item460ef198f7

The reality is you can pick up a fairly cheap razor, blades, brush and a stick of Palmolive for very little. But you can also spend €100 on a brush alone.
You can always stick with the canned goo for the time being. It's less overwhelming to change one thing at a time and less of a hit to the wallet.

Using the brush to whip up a nice lather is where the extra time goes which puts some people off traditional wet shaving. However, a big benefit to the brush is lifting ingrown hairs, exfoliation, and softening the beard. Hence, they tend to go hand in hand. But mastering the perfect lather takes time and each soap is different. So again, this is something you can worry about after you've had a few shaves with your DE razor.

Try to take your time in the beginning until you're comfortable with your new razor. The key bit of advice is don't apply any pressure. The other key bit of advice is you are aiming for beard reduction, not beard removal. Relather and do a second or third pass if you are aiming for a really smooth shave.

So pull the trigger, it's dead easy as you'll soon see for yourself and there's this forum and a surprisingly active number of big forums on the subject so there's plenty of support.

Mantic59 videos are also mandatory. Watch this seven part series and this for post-shave advice.

If you want to indulge yourself a bit and go for the brush and soap/cream, I'd suggest getting a well reviewed boar brush. I didn't realize this at first, but brushes are really the big ticket item in this whole thing. But even the best high mountain silvertip owner likes having a scrubby boar lying around. They soften up just fine and are great for hard soaps.

You can also take a look here specifically for brushes: http://newforestbrushes.blogspot.de/

Best of luck!

Steviemoyne

newkie wrote: »

Try to take your time in the beginning until you're comfortable with your new razor. The key bit of advice is don't apply any pressure. The other key bit of advice is you are aiming for beard reduction, not beard removal. Relather and do a second or third pass if you are aiming for a really smooth shave.

I wouldn't have a beard and I would be looking for complete hair removal from my face, does this change the tools I would need for the job?

Also, do all brands of blades work with in any device or are they brand specific like most of the 3 blade razors are?

Thanks for the advice.

beardybrewer

You do have a beard as in you are a man with stubble on your face. Replace beard with stubble. Point is don't press down, if you still have stubble after 1 pass, lather up and do a 2nd or 3rd pass to achieve the closeness of shave you desire.

All DE blades will work in any DE razor. It is a small miracle that a worldwide standard exists when you think about it!

If you are ordering from a site like shaving.ie or connaughtshaving.com I'd highly recommend a blade sampler. Different blades work differently for different people and razors. Also a nice to have feedback tool is alum which is a natural astrigent. You rub this on your face post-shave and the amount of sting lets you know the state of your skin which helps you perfect your technique. After a couple weeks you'll probably feel little to no sting and can discontinue the use of alum.

Steviemoyne

Ah right, I thought you meant a big bushy beard or something. Will definitely be picking up that starter set anyway.

uncle_sam_ie

I recommend waiting until you have your technique down before you start sampling blades. A lot of the blades I thought were not right for me turned out to be good once I had the correct angle. Mapping your beard growth,no pressure and pre shave prep is the key for a good shave.