Resources

There are a lot of sites on the internet that you can go to for information on wet shaving.

One site I really enjoy is Badger and Blade. The forums there are so full of good information, good links, good supplies and good people that I haven't been able to scratch the surface after more than a year.

If you have a question, it's likely been answered there. If not, ask! Someone (several someones, in all likelyhood) will be along shortly with some clarification.

If you want to get started in wet shaving, B&B has advice, tutorials, vendors, reviews, links, and a buy/sell/trade marketplace where you can find absolutley anything you'd need.

Check it out at http://badgerandblade.com/

There are plenty of other fine shaving forums that I haven't explored yet, so I can't give any recommendations for them. But you should be able to find one or several that suite you.

Another great site is Youtube. There are so many videos on wet shaving I don't even know where to begin. The subjects cover the entire range of knowledge, including face, bowl and palm lathering; shaving creams vs sticks vs soaps; badger (and grades thereof) vs boar vs horse vs synthetic; straight, single edge and double edge razors; blades and strops and hones and techniques and...

Well, you get the idea.

Once you have decided on what you want to get, some vendors I have used include BullGoose Shaving, The Italian Barber, West Coast Shaving, and Mikes Natural Soaps. I have had great experiences with each of them, and I am affiliated with none. I get no kickback for guiding anyone to them, I'm just telling you how it went for me.

One thing there doesn't seem to be a lot of is brick and mortar stores (as opposed to internet storefronts). The area I live in is an absolute barren wasteland as far as B&M stores go. I did get to go to Merz Apothecary in Chicago, which has so much stuff geared toward wet shaving that it's almost overwhelming.

If you are in an area where you can find a shop like that, by all means check it out - the advantage of being able to see, touch and smell the things you are thinking of buying is incomparable. Especially if it's colognes, aftershaves, scented soaps, etc. There is no way to know how you will like a scent based on someone elses review.

The First Shave

Note: this was supposed to be published a while back. I just now realized it didn't go up, so bear in mind that this is an older post.

My first wet shave was a little over two weeks ago. I had to use Edge Gel since it was all I had at the time. The brush arrived later.

My 40s Super Speed and a Dorco blade were my weapon of choice. I followed The Routine, and it was one of the best shaves I've ever had. A minor nick or two, nothing major.

I must admit, though, using the styptic pencil on a nick is akin to holding a lit match to your face.

Superlather

Superlather is a term used by wet shaving afficcionados to describe a particular method of lathering. This method involves a shaving soap, a shaving cream, and traditionally, a bit of glycerin (which I did not have). In a nutshell, you lather up with all three. Obviously, theres more to it than that.

First off its best to use a fan shaped brush, rather than the 'tree in full bloom' shape. And you want a lot of water in the brush, so don't shake it out too much.

Bearing all this in mind, I started by aggressively lathering my Conks Bay Rum Shave Soap. It's important to get a lot of soap in the 'breach', the area in the very center of the hair knot.

Once I got a good lather going, I put a little bit of Proraso Red into my lather bowl with a bit of water and worked that up. With the Conks already on my brush, I had a really fluffy, thick lather in less than a minute. At this point I guess you would add the glycerin, but like I said, I got none.

I applied the lather to my face and started my shave. It was amazing. The single smoothest most comfortable shave I have had yet.

That was yesterday.

Today I did it again, but had a little too much water in my mixture so it wasn't quite as good. But it was still magnificent. If glycerin would make it better, I might have to invest in some in the near future.

Personalizing

I'm convinced that Nacet Platinum Blades are the right blades for me. After having tried Dorcos, Wilkinson Sword, Gillette 7 OClocks, and some others that I'm forgetting, these are by far the best fit for my face.

They might not work for you; you might hate them and curse my name for ever mentioning them. But therein lies the lesson: you have to find what works for you.

Blade/Razor/Cream combination is a very personal thing. You are likely to have completely different results with one set up than the next guy. This makes it hard to suggest a good starter set up for someone, unless you know what products are the most forgiving for beginners.

Of course, some things are probably just universally awesome (like me, for example). But I have yet to find out what those items are in the shaving realm.

Too bad I will have to move on from the Nacets for a while. I need to keep trying new things or I won't have anything to write about! Of course, it gives me a good base for comparing different hard soaps, creams and razors.

I think my next blade will be a Feather. Mind you, these are extremely sharp. They are generally recommended for experienced shavers. I'm going to try it anyway. If I never post again, it may be that I bled to death on my bathroom floor from a nick I got from one of these. Hope you hear from me soon.

Slow Down

Thats what I need to tell myself from time to time. 

The whole purpose of this style of shaving is to take your time, do it properly, and not be a slave to the clock. Tell father time to sit in the car and wait until you're ready.

Sometimes I get rushed, or rather, I allow myself to get rushed, and I end up scraping up my neck or chin. I need to get into the zone and let the rest fall away.

This morning was a good example. I was doing just fine, then for some reason got to thinking I needed to hurry it up. Scraped my neck all the hell up. If you have ever had to use a styptic pencil on a nick, you know that it should be enough to keep your hand steady while shaving - GOD that stuff burns. I might as well stab myself in the face with a soldering iron.

I did manage a decent shave the rest of the time though... I'm still convinced that the Nacet blades are made for my face.

The Routine

This is how I prepare for my shave. I like to make sure I have enough time to get it done without rushing.

First and foremost, I heat the soap and brush by placing them in hot water while I shower. I use conditioner on my face to soften the beard, then wash it with Art of Shaving Peppermint Face Wash.

Getting out of the shower, I dry off (not my face) and reheat the soap dish/brush. Then I apply a hot washcloth to my face and soak it for a few minutes.

Not my mirror. Not me in the mirror. I don't have a decent camera or camera skillls at the moment, so this will have to do.

After that I begin lathering the soap and apply it to my face.

Now the shaving begins.

I learned quickly not to use hot water to rinse the razor, since it's all metal head heats up fast. Warm water is good.

First I shave with the grain, then re-lather and go across the grain, then re-lather and go against the grain.

Afterwords I rinse my face thoroughly, splash it with cold water to close the pores, and use a toner, after shave balm (on areas I shave), moisturizer (on areas I don't shave), then apply a styptic pencil to any nicks I have. If I think of it (I should more often), I apply a little bit of lip balm at this point. Usually I forget.

A little splash of Clubman Bay Rum, if I'm in the mood, or maybe some Michael Jordan, and I'm done.