Thread: Too much information = overwhelming!

Originally Posted by kurolap

What is the point of the Brush if I can use my hands? Same question with this "soap" vs the regular shaving cream?

kurolap, you seem to be questioning all of the advice you're being given, which is not a healthy way to start anything involving sharp knives against your skin; especially since you don't wish to read through the material.
The answer to this question is in your first post: you find shaving irritates your skin. What you're doing now isn't working. You've come to the right place to learn what DOES work. Just try out what they're -- we're advising you.
I echo OCDshaver in advising that you change to "one of those little brushes". Canned foam is bad -- just bad for your skin. Of course your skin is irritated! Get even a Van Der Hagen "Premium Shave Set" ($11.95 at my local Rite Aid) and that will make a huge difference.
The next thing is that what you should be questioning is the "MOAR BLADEZ!!!!11!!1!!!!" mantra of Gillette and Schick. A razor pass will take some skin off, period; how does adding MORE blades make that less so!? One blade, three controlled passes...great shave.
If you want to know why, then do the research. If you don't want to do the research, just take the advice.

Originally Posted by kurolap

What is the point of the Brush if I can use my hands? Same question with this "soap" vs the regular shaving cream?

Making the lather on the face instead of just dabbing it on from a can has a lot of advantages. In fact, I think it is more important to get your prep optimized (that includes using a brush to make your lather right on your face) than to get your shave equipment optimized. Your fusion will even shave better if you do a good job of moisturizing the skin, softening and lifting the whiskers, lubricating and cushioning the face, and you learn about stuff like mapping out your face, controlling angle and pressure, going WTG, stuff like that. Serious. Your cartridge can give you a better shave if you do everything right, though a straight is of course still better.

Canned foam is mostly just dry air. Has no slickness to it. That "gel" stuff is hardly any better. The lather mainly does two things... it lubricates your face so the razor slides across it better, and makes a microscopic cushion or buffer to protect your face from that super duper sharp edged cutting device you are applying to your skin. So, it helps you to shave easier and helps to prevent irritation and cuts.

The process of face lathering is good cause it helps to lift and soften the whiskers and exfoliates the skin. Plus, hey, it feels good. Well, if you use the right brush, anyways. Some guys like a boar but I don't I like a badger, and there are different grades of badger hair and I can use Black Badger but it isn't my favorite at all. You might like a little bit of scrubby feeling and that's what you get from boar brushes and black badger brushes and some "pure" badger brushes. Pure as in the grade, not pure as in not mixed with camel hair or dog hair or whatever. A silvertip if it is not too floppy feels very silky on the face and I can only imagine that it is doing nothing but kindness to your skin. Silvertip is the highest common grade of badger but there are also "Super" badgers and YMMV because there doesn't seem to be any standard for the grades, not chipped in stone anyhow. A silvertip brush can be expensive, as in over $200, or it can be pretty chreap, like around $30 or even less. Some cheap brushes are pretty good, they just got a molded plastic handle instead of a fancy one turned on a lathe from some exotic material by some expert either self proclaimed or acknowledged. If the knot, which is the bundle of hair is good, and it doesn't fall out of the handle, and the handle doesn't break apart, and it doesn't shed hairs like crazy, it will get the job done. You might want a fancy one. You might want a cheap one that works just as good. There are cheap brushes that suck. Very few premium brushes suck but I am sure that there are a few sucky ones that sell for a lot of $. Selecting your brush is probably a whole nother thread but I am finding that SOME of the Chinese brushes are really really worth the money, like the Virginia Sheng brushes for instance. Oh, and Whipped Dog. Okay, so a silvertip brush is great, as long as it isn't too floppy and doesn't shed like a Persian cat. And it doesn't have to cost a lot, even though it can. And it is good for your face, and it softens and lifts the whiskers and makes your shave better. And playing patty cake on your face with canned foam lather sucks, compared. So I hope that answers your question. My advice is get a decent brush FIRST and then worry about straight vs shavette.

BTW I used a shavette and it does shave but a straight is so much nicer, less harsh on the face, fewer cuts, easier to use, and just a lot more fun. My shavette shaves were okay but now I would NEVER go back to one of those. Plus I hate the idea of buying, using, and tossing blades. If the North Koreans or Russians or Chinese or Iranians started WWIII and we went basically back to the stone age from nuclear war then your shavette will one day be useless. You will have to shave with clam shells sharpened on rocks or something, I guess, cause I won't give you one of my straights. I will be able to shave forever, and my descendents for many generations, too. Serious though, it is nice to not have to depend on the availability of consumable stuff. Self sufficiency. It's kewl. I feel like sharp edges should be sharpened when they are dull and used again, not tossed into a landfill. YMMV of course. Your face, dude.

A shavette doesn't have much kewl factor either. A straight is like badass and a shavette is sort of bogus and lame. At least in my view. Well I said don't worry right now about straight vs shavette and there I go dissing the shavette and recommending the straights LOL! It is easy to get opinionated, especially when you know you're right, you know? Hey, if you want to go for a shavette then go for it. I have made the case against and you can safely ignore it at your peril.

10Pups signature comes to mind quite vividly.

Well I think the reason to get a brush has been nicely covered...Too much information? I'll break it down for you. A brush, used along with a decent soap or cream, will make shaving, no matter which razor type is used, just so much better for your face, skin and comfort. It should be the first thing changed about any shave routine which doesn't currently incorporate it.


Mick

You got to be kidding, two pages of why you need a brush.

Bob

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You are right - you don't need a brush to put lather on your face. Just like you don't need a house to live in, a tent will do. You don't need a car, with enough time you can walk anywhere you want to get to. Etc.

One of the reasons we all are here is because we want to enjoy our shaving. Using a brush brings enjoyment through less mess, better application of lather to the whiskers, and some brushes are just really cool.

If you are unsure of whether something is useful for you or not the best approach is to try it out for yourself. That's what most of us have done with everything from creams, soaps and brushes to razors, strops and hones. If you find the amount of information here overwhelming (and I fully understand that), just break it down into bits:

1. Software (brushes, soaps, creams, aftershaves, etc);
2. Hardware (strops, razors, hones etc).

Sub-categorise these major ones, then do searches to find out what you want to know. The only way to get through a lot of information is to be systematic about it. Otherwise you just flounder.

Good luck.

James.

Originally Posted by OCDshaver

Since too much information is overwhelming, let me give you some very simple advice. Don't buy any new razors. Don't worry about honing or even stopping. Change one simple thing. Get that little brush and a good quality cream or soap. If you don't want to spend much try Proraso cream or Arko shave sticks. Just the simple improvement of a good soap/cream and a brush will greatly enhance your existing shave routine. Once you convince yourself that the experience can be made more enjoyable, look into a double edge safety razor or have yourself a try at a straight razor. But a nice cream or soap (maybe a good aftershave too) might help you enjoy the process some first. And its not overwhelming either since its shaving cream. I mean we're not curing cancer at this point. That's how I started out. I never intended to have this be a full blown hobby or anything . I just tried some decent products to make the experience less miserable and before I knew it, it was great.

I had a nice long break down written up on my tablet, but then my toddler decided he wanted to "help papa read" and I lost it. Sooo I just going to say that the post by OCDshaver is right on the money. If you don't practice the "wet" part of wetshaving, I would just start growing a beard if I were you.