#1
After one year of wet shaving I have reached a point in my journey where I am starting to form opinions , this may be good or bad but I've been around long enough to not believe everything I think .

- Started out collecting everything that I could find in Antique stores or on the Bay .Was sort of random but I ended up with some nice stuff. Wish I had had more of a plan , some things like my collection of Durham Duplexes or Penn razors are nice to look at but I don't shave with them and they can't be called an investment. I now am more discriminating and my RAD is more focused and I collect things I'll use and that appeal to my eye . Still buy things on impulse but not as much ,for example the new Fendrihan SS razor looks kind of rough but it was only $49 CAD.

- I now know what I like to shave with, my favorites are the R41, Barbasol FH, New Deluxe and RFB, Piccolo and Wolfman .Have tried about 50 razors and so far these razors balance aggression and smoothness for me

- I like the moderns and vintage equally , I shave with both

- Some really good products that have great reviews don't work for me eg Astra blades, pre shave products, large badger brushes and the ATT system (although I want to give their slant a try).YMMV as they say

- I prefer OCs to SBs, DEs to SEs, two piece razors over three piece

- I have 8 brushes : 2 horse ,2 badger, 2 boar and 2 synthetics .The horse and synthetics get the most use , I don't have a brush addiction yet. I like to face lather over bowl lathering

- I am still experimenting with my pre shave prep, for me too much prep causes my skin to get too soft and I get irritation easier .Not sure if this makes sense but it is my experience

- I don't dislike Arko .

- I use both creams and soaps but some soaps take too much work . Have tried 25 - 30 creams/soaps and only found one that irritates my face.

- No AS for me , was scarred in my childhood by the men in my family using too much

- I have a collection of plastic cased DEs from Asia , not sure why but for the $1 to $4 they cost why not .I have never tried any of them

- Shave every second day , two pass shave sometimes with touch ups , I don't chase the BBS. It is the ritual not the end product that I enjoy

- 1930s razors are my weak spot especially the Brits and Europeans , I'm a sucker for the Art Deco style of some of these razors ,really like the fluted handles and the solid feel. I'm a huge NEW fan and have around 30 different models .The Goodwills and Probak razors also hold a fascination for me with the different bottom plates and stud designs. Can't pass one up , hope some day to have all the variations.

- Not a big fan of the Gillette adjustables , I have several and the Slim is the only one I will occasionally use as it is the razor I learned to shave with back in my youth. Like the Progress

- The best looking razors I have are the Brit Aristocrats I have never seen the engraved NEWS like the President or Aristocrat in person but they may take over first place if I'm ever fortunate enough to get one .The Darwins aren't shabby either .

- Hope some day a modern razor is manufactured with the studs through the cap like the Eclipse Red wing or Darwin

DavidJames and Shawn like this post
#2

Super Moderator
San Diego, Cal., USA
Nice write-up about a journey most of us take. Wink
#3

Member
Greenville, SC USA
(This post was last modified: 11-13-2015, 12:41 AM by beamon. Edit Reason: Punctuation. )
All that in 1 year? You've packed a lifetime's worth of opinions into a time frame that must have been dizzying at times, but very focused and disciplined.

What will you do in the coming year? Refine those opinions, I guess, and change a few, no doubt!
Does Mean I Must Buy High End Shaving Gear?
--Roger--
#4

Member
Austin, TX
That is a great write up and I feel useful for others just starting down the path! I started bowl lathering until I had decent technique but then began face lathering much like yourself- my face enjoys the build more than the bowl Smile

I also think Fatips are one of the great values in shaving and I love the shave they deliver!

Thanks for sharing.
Kevin
#5
Thanks for sharing. I'm journaling my shaves so that I can have a reference later. I'm also taking the exact opposite approach. I'm using 1 razor, my de89 for at least my first year to make sure that I learn as much as possible about the effectiveness and limitations of 1 razor before I begin searching for something different. Maybe I'll have something interesting to post in my one year summary. Stand by...
#6
(11-12-2015, 11:52 PM)of eels Wrote: - No AS for me , was scarred in my childhood by the men in my family using too much

Nice write up! Have you considered trying a Fine aftershave? I'm pretty sure Fine can correct for any childhood scarring! Smile


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