All-around newbie kit

Asd · Post by **Asd** » Wed May 12, 2010 12:43 am

Good day! I'm totally new in wetshaving, but I'm on my way into it. Can you give some advice for basic DE starter kit, that can also be used for traveling? I'm thinking of 38C or HD or maybe something else, you recommend me, some pretty good brush around 60$ and soap or cream (don't know anything about it yet, reading this forum). Thanks in advance!

function · Post by **function** » Wed May 12, 2010 4:14 am

Normally I would tell you to look right here but as you are in Russia I am not sure if shipping from US vendors will keep the budget intact.

And welcome aboard.

Asd · Post by **Asd** » Wed May 12, 2010 4:26 am

Thank you, function! Well, all I need to - is to get full understanding about travel items - brushes, razors, small cans of soap. Something that I can use at home and in my trips. I'm sure I'll buy more and more later on!

But for now the set of 38C, everything sampler blades, brush( ???) and soap (???) from westcoastshaving.com sounds interesting. Or I can buy items from forum members - it will make all things more personal for me.

prism · Post by **prism** » Thu May 13, 2010 6:21 pm

There are some fine shaving products manufactured in Russia. Gillette 7 O'Clock and Irridium Super Stainless are my two favorite razor blades, made in St. Petersburg. If you like menthol, a good friend of mine (Jeff) raves about Tet-a-Tet shave cream and Svoboda aftershave balm, again made in Russia.

Asd · Post by **Asd** » Sat May 22, 2010 6:58 pm

Well, after some forum searching, a lot of reading, watching YouTube, some shopping and 2 weeks of practice, I've finally got the right way, as I think. That's what I did:
1. Search for good rate trademarks, that I can probably find here and buy locally. Wrote the list.
2. Run around local shops for soap/cream/brush/etc. In my case I've got Arko cream for around 1$ for tube, Shick boar brush for around 9$ and Nivea aftershave balm - 9$. No razor.
3. Did some eBaying. Got Shick Krona for 13$ with S&H. It will takes about a month to get it here. And that's good, it gives me time to learn!
4. Learned about the preparation and technique. Trying to apply all that with my cartridge razor. GREAT improvement in my shaving, I have to say.
5. I'm keep learning of the process, googling for info, watching for better brush in future and so on.
6. The result: I'm addicted! Do I need to sign something with my blood to be invited to DE brotherhood?

Thanks for all, who helped me to start!

function · Post by **function** » Sat May 22, 2010 8:04 pm

Good attitude. Learning to use the brush/cream will eliminate one variable as you begin to learn with your Krona. You will likely get consistent results with the brush by the time your new toy arrives.

And don't worry about signing in blood, if you are like me you may sign your brush or sink with a drip or two of your blood and will quickly learn from the mistake that caused it.

Good luck and good shaves to you.

Squire · Post by **Squire** » Mon May 24, 2010 12:37 am

Hey Asd, welcome aboard.

Asd · Post by **Asd** » Mon May 24, 2010 4:42 am

Thanks you, gentlemen!
It seems to me, that I have to try different lathering methods before my razor arrives. The hot water has been cut off for a week, so I'll try different combos with hot and cold water shaving and making lather

Asd · Post by **Asd** » Mon May 31, 2010 6:01 am

Well, that's my next report. I finally got my razor and I'm in DE wet shaving for the 4th day for now. Great impressions! As I think, the best part was PREPARATION, that I learn with my old cartrige razor. So' for now I can make more or less good lather every time, know which ways my beard grows, and know about the directions of the passes. The only part "totally new" for me is the DE razor itself. But practice is the way to greatness! Thanks to all, who posted tricks and newbie advices on this forum, it haelps a lot! Learning continues, and I'm waiting for 2 more razors to compare to (Merkur's travel and Long Handle classic) after a month or so.

Asd · Post by **Asd** » Fri Jun 04, 2010 3:29 am

Well, I've finished up my sample Merkur blade and got some more or less solid way of shaving. Ceramic bowl with thick walls plus hot kettle of water. The preparation of some good splashes of hot water and some cream directly on my beard while I making leather. It works great, but a week or two after I want to try face lathering and/or cold water shaving. I travel a lot because my job, so I'll try to figure out the best way for me in strict conditions.
The most useful thing for a newbie, that I found is the idea to get just "good" shave, not chasing BBS each time. And I try to learn a little more by each shave. Later I'm planning to dedicate 30-50 shaves in a row for honing my preparation/lathering/shaving after watching mantic's video and reading manuals over and over.

Blue As A Jewel · Post by **Blue As A Jewel** » Fri Jun 04, 2010 8:53 am

Asd wrote: The most useful thing for a newbie, that I found is the idea to get just "good" shave, not chasing BBS each time. And I try to learn a little more by each shave.

Well realized! Keep going!

jbc · Post by **jbc** » Sat Jun 12, 2010 10:26 am

Have you ever tried some astra blades? they are domestic for you and thus are probably cheaper than most blades for you and I love them. One tiny piece of writing critique, when writing prices put the $ before the prices such as $1.

Squire · Post by **Squire** » Sat Jun 12, 2010 4:58 pm

Good news Asd, keep us posted.

Asd · Post by **Asd** » Mon Jun 14, 2010 6:25 am

I just returned back from my first trip with my DE travel set equipped. For last 5 shaves I used: Merkur travel razor, old stock (before 90s) Dorco ST-300 blades, old stock (before 90s) Sputnik blades, Arko Sensitive cream, Muhle badger travel brush. I found 4 boxes of 10 Sputnik blades in local villiage shop and they shaves GREAT! I bought last boxes an got that Dorco for free. Dorcos are no so good, but much better then noname chinise blades I found 1 day before. Cold water shaving was a trick for me, really. The problem was the preparation. I found, that I can put some cream on my face, massage it gently with the brush and let it stay for the time, while I'm making leather in the coffie cup (the only thing I found there in the hotel room

). Face leathering with cold water only was no good! But I think it just needs some practice and try-and-see with different soaps and creams. The other question is: how to dry up your brush, while you're traveling? I used towel and wiped out as much water as I could, but the base of the bristles feels wet even right before the next shave (the whole day and night long). No razor stand also...

The other thing I've noticed. There are 4 stages of shaving. UNshaved, watchable, touchable, kissable. While you're traveling (I mean business travel

) you need only the second one - watchable. It means that it is more important to reduce your beard without irritation and nicks (everything that someone can notice), than to shase for BBS in hurry with cold water only, without bowl and with noname blades. The only exception - if you're in the army, your shave may be checked and not for kissing. And not by the pretty girl also...

jbc - for now I'm in search for different blades - all I can get to. I don't know how it is going in the West of Russia, but here in the Far East, razor blades are rare to see. I don't know why, but I know only 3 brands of blades I can found locally. My luck, I can meet old (Soviet time) blade stocks in the small shops in my trips. Also, I'm thinking of ordering some blades (7 o'clock, Astra, modern Sputnik) from Moscow internet shops to try. When I found good blade combo with my razors, it seems cheaper to get 200-300 of that blades and repeat the process once a year.

brothers · Post by **brothers** » Mon Jun 14, 2010 11:13 am

Hi Asd. I just want to say that I'm very impressed with your progress and your attention to the details. Please continue to keep us posted. It is very interesting to visualize your part of the world, and to hear of your search for locally available products, in addition to your ability to track down which kinds of blade you can purchase by the internet from Moscow. Best regards,

Blue As A Jewel · Post by **Blue As A Jewel** » Mon Jun 14, 2010 2:04 pm

Asd - with respect to your question on how to dry a brush off whilst travelling...

Shake out the excess water as much as you can then lightly buff the brush against a dry towel. This will get rid of 80-90% of the moisture. put it into a plastic, ventilated container. As soon as you get home or to your next destination, unpack the brush and let it air out overnight (also open up the storage container and let it dry out as well). The next morning your brush will be dry and ready to go.

Folks have also used a hairdryer - but I think that's overkill.

Just make sure you don't forget to take your brush out of the container otherwise you'll end up with a green science experiment very quickly!

Asd · Post by **Asd** » Tue Jun 22, 2010 2:15 am

Thanks for all you feedback! Now a short story from my last trip.
The shave that made my day.
Imagine a train. It's early morning and I have only less then hour to prepare for the day. In every coach there is a boiler with hot water. I've soaked up a part of my towel to warm up my face, while I stayed for my turn to the toilet. Finally I locked the door. Wow. No any shelf. Loooked like that thing was got as a trophy from World War II. But there was a mirror and a "push to get some" water tap with cold water. I pushed my small grooming bag under ther belt and went to the process. Got some cream to my face as a pre-shave and massage it while I cleaned teeth. Load up Sputnik blade to my Merkur travel razor and began my face lathering. It was time to try out "painting", not "swirling". I pressed the razor and my Muhle travel brush between my fingers to get some water. I cannot say it was BBS. No miracle there. The train was wriggle back and forth and that was extreme. And there were more people from the other side of the door, knocking and asking to hurry up.
Anyway the shave was GOOD! When I went out, drying my brush on the towel, the old man there said "Wetshaving? You're tough!" And that feel of the smooth shave under the pressure in 8 minutes total made my day. I run right into work from the train and got it all done

I've noticed 2 things that were new for me. "Painting" face-lathering works much faster for me. And cold-water shaving works great also, if you first warm up your face.
Now there is my question. The things changing and one of my mornings I can find myself unable to get a mirror. How to shave without the morror?

gil3591 · Post by **gil3591** » Tue Jun 22, 2010 4:13 am

are you saying that you can't find super iridium razor blades in russia?

jww · Post by **jww** » Tue Jun 22, 2010 7:23 am

Welcome to SMF, ASD.

This has been quite an enjoyable thread to read for me. It reminds me of my own return to proper wet shaving a few years ago. I still haven't cracked the shave without a mirror thing -- and have a small mirror that is part of my kit bag (LLBean really do think of everything) - so I am never actually without a mirror wherever I go.

When face lathering, I like to apply the cream or soap to a prepped brush and do the twirly-swirly thing and then paint as a final touch. That way I get some exfoliation happening beforehand - which is one of the keys to getting to a smooth face post-shave.

Asd · Post by **Asd** » Fri Jun 25, 2010 6:39 pm

2-3 days ago I found myself thinking of cycles in my training. And found an idea of training cecles in wetshaving. Not rotations, like you, Guru s do, just training. What if I name this week "face-lathering" and try all I know about it each day? Boar brush today and badger travel tomoroow, cold water with boar after it and so on? Then learn something else for some weeks and return back to face-lathering with new ideas...

About blades. I can find Gillette and new (blue with red box) Sputnik blades here and some other different brands (Astra, for example) from time to time. For now I'm concentrating more on my preparation and shaving itself then on trying new blades. I thing if my current blades can give me BBS, it's better to perfect all other things, like pre and post shaving, the method, the angle, preassure and so on. When I can shave good-to-perfect every time - I'll jump into play with creams/blades/razors. For example, I want to try different creams, but sure, that's not a good idea, while I'm learning. So I decided to fiinsh up my tube of cream and buy different one. That way I'll use only onle cream at a time and learn everything it can give me perfectly (you know it takes time to finish up the tube). If THAT cream will be not as good as my first one - why not to return back to my first, anyway?