Thread: First Successful Shave!

I just had my first successful shave! I only went one pass WTG (I didn't feel comfortable going ATG quite yet -- next shave for sure!) and I didn't have ANY razor burn, cuts, or irritation! I can't believe it -- my last shave was not good at all, so I'm thankful to you guys for all of your tips and help!

I took my time (about 45 minutes), applied close to no pressure at all, and really stretched the skin out well

(NOTE: I'm also still going this with a disposable straight -- I've heard a legit straight is much better on the skin, so I will be making my order for a DOVO classic 5/8" black with a strop this week).

Just a few questions:
-For lather: Since I really take my time, I noticed the lather dries up/evaporates rather quickly. Should I just apply it to whatever portion I currently shave? Or continue to do it all, and having to re-apply a few times throughout the shave?

-For the mug: Any post-shave clean up or wash out of the mug? Or do you leave the soap and mug as is?

-For the brush: I hand dried it, and then shook out every last ounce of water I could -- would blow drying the bristles be a wise move or not since I don't have a stand?

Thanks everyone

The following are the opinions of a fellow newbie. Heed them at your own risk.

For the brush, I think blow-drying might do more harm than good. If you're worried about moisture, just tie a piece of string around the handle of the brush and hang it from somewhere suitable. (You could make a cute little gallows, even. )

As for the lather; have you tried getting more water into it? My first times with the brush and soap, I was surprised at how much I could make it drink before it got runny. If that doesn't work, I would probably go for lathering the whole face and rehydrating where necessary.

Now, the mug I'm not sure about. I use a bowl for lathering, and keep the soap in a different bowl. I don't do anything to the soap bowl after shaving, except leave the lid off for a while to let any water escape. The lathering bowl, I just rinse and leave to dry. Since I also use that to rinse the brush after shaving, it gets a sort of "free ride" with the brush.

Congrats! You can baby the edge of a blade but the brush requires a little tough love. Just let it dry. If you baby it and dry it with a blow dryer, badgers everywhere will get kind of offended. If you watch badgers in the wild they let their fur dry naturally, they never use a blow dryer. Well except maybe California badgers back in the '80s.

if you add a small amount of glycerin to the lather it won't dry out as quickly, but I agree with the previous poster, add a little more water (few more drops)

Now for the lather -- do you put the water INTO the mug? I was just soaking the tip of my badger brush and then mixing it in for lather in my mug.

Originally Posted by Gags1892

-For the mug: Any post-shave clean up or wash out of the mug? Or do you leave the soap and mug as is?

I completely rinse out my mug and lather bowl...but that's because I'm a clean freak when it comes to that kind of stuff. Even if 100 people told me it was better to leave the remaining lather and residue, I couldn't do it.

Originally Posted by Gags1892

Now for the lather -- do you put the water INTO the mug? I was just soaking the tip of my badger brush and then mixing it in for lather in my mug.

I soak the whole brush in hot water while I shower. When it's time to lather, I try to keep as much water in the brush as possible. A gentle flick or two of the brush is generally enough to dislodge superfluous water.

Do you lather in the same mug/bowl/carafe/decanter/bucket that contains your soap? I use different bowls, so I "catch" some soap with a few passes of the brush in the soap bowl. Then I proceed to foam it up in a separate bowl. That way, I can add more soap or water to the mix as needed.