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Wet Shaving
Nice, Mumfather! I should be getting my Proraso aftershave, too, in the next few days.
"I will strive to live with love & care—upon the level by the square"
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Got my sweet stash of blades. Thanks so much
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(05-25-2016, 08:34 PM)nayslayer Wrote: Got my sweet stash of blades. Thanks so much

Enjoy with many great shaves, Brother!  
"I will strive to live with love & care—upon the level by the square"
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Finished my first and second wet shave. I liked it, so much I'm wondering why I hadn't done this sooner.

Hope to eventually progress to a straight razor.
The secret word is cigars!
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What's your setup groucho
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Humble & cheap. You may have heard of them. They're quite popular. No, forgot I could post a photo. I have a Shave Factory DE Safety razor (Derby) from Sally's Beauty Supply with Personna blades, Tri-coastal White Birch and tobacco butter from Burlington Coat Factory and the synthetic brush that came with the gift set.
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So, I started to see some stubble on my chin and decided to try my third shave.  A friend's suggested I shave at night before bed, to which I agreed. It allows me quiet surroundings, a relaxing state after my shower and no time constraints (rushing through the process) like the mornings.

I even added a twist by making a night of it by lighting up a Ghurka Master Blend cigar earlier, prepared and ate dinner, watched "Person of Interest" and proceeded to shower. Luckily, my neighbor, whose a handyman reset my water heater for $20, so no more cold showers.

I dipped the razor into a mug of warm water as I showered, not the brush (it's a cheap synthetic one). I used a Personna blade (third use). I lathered up w Tri-coastal White Birch and tobacco butter. I had a better handle on how to apply this brushless farce of a cream, now after three shaves. I made three masterful, but measured passes: WTG, XTG, & ATG. I felt a little tug from the razor on the start of the last pass, so realized it was time for a new razor. But, I'm going to see if I can squeeze one more shave before retiring the blade.

I washed my face with warm water in the sink, then rinsed it with cold water under the shower spicket, and patted it dry. Not weepers, nicks or cuts. While not BBS, in three face shaves and two head shaves, the result is staggering compared to my old single blade BIC disposables,  it was night and day. No irritation, rough patches, stray hairs, nothing. I also realized that in the summer my beard grows less than the winter months, so the hair reduction aspect has been perfect for me. I finished off with a tea tree oil spray and then Kiss My Face Olive & Aloe lotion. It was sheer nirvana to have my face just be calm, and not recovering from the BICs butchering-it was what you'd desire before bed-peace.

So, while not perfect, I'd score it an 86. Still reading up on wet shaving, watching the videos and thinking through what steps to incorporate to make this work best for me, but dare I say it, I'm pleased after only three full shaves to look in the mirror and see my handiwork. I've dubbed this time for me as the "golden hour".

Would welcome any feedback
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All good. I would recommend looking back at this thread for some background information.

Pete started the thread and is still a member on this forum and to his credit he got a lot of us involved in wet shaving.
They call me The Mum - Jimmie the Mum
Viva Mumcero - Mahk 12/4/2010 - http://www.stogiechat.com/forum/thread-20737.html
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Groucho! welcome to the world of wet shaving!  Pete got us all addicted to this pleasure, and we keep it going.

Your Shaving Factory DE gets good reviews and is considered an excellent starter razor: a clone of the old Gillette Super Speeds.  Many users considered a mild shaver.  Along with the Personna blades you are using, which is also a milder blade, this is probably why you are not getting a BBS shave.  To get a BBS shave, you would likely need to get a more assertive razor without getting too  aggressive: either a Merkur or Edwin Jagger would step up the assertiveness.  Also going to a more aggressive blades: Astra, Kai, or Feather (Feather being the sharpest)  You have to experiment with which blades work well with your razor and your face.

To sample different blades, this is a great site to order them individually:
http://tryablade.com/
You can mix and match cheaply.

Also, if you like the synthetic brushes, Razorock makes an incredibly good synthetic.  I recently bought one and absolutely love it.  There are also inexpensive yet quality badger and boar hair brushes.  Semogue is well known for their boar hair brushes, and one will cost about $20-$25.

Lastly, get a good cream or soap.  A good soap will create a thick and luxurious lather with a pleasing scent, and it will really help to step up the quality and enjoyment of your shaves. I personally love the Chiseled Face Groomatorium products, but there are tons of good ones out there. Proraso cream or soap can be purchased off of Amazon for $10, and it will provide an excellent lather.

Again, welcome to the world of classic wet shaving!
"I will strive to live with love & care—upon the level by the square"
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Post Script Note: There are certainly more razors that will provide a more assertive shave than just the Murkers and Edwin Jaggers.  Some classic Gillettes (if you can find an adjustable Gillette, you can literally dial in how aggressive you want the razor to be).  A lot of factors go into how mellow or assertive a razor is.  With blades, it may be better to label them more assertive rather than aggressive.  Every face is different. While Astra blades come highly recommended and are well loved, they ripped me apart.  Feathers are considered the sharpest and least forgiving, but they work best for me.  The key is to experiment to see what works best for you.  Your mileage may vary (YMMV) is the common saying.

Enjoy as much as a fine cigar and ask any questions if you have them.
"I will strive to live with love & care—upon the level by the square"
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