Thread: gel

while i await my badger hair brush i am using gillette shaving gel i take it this is a no no as the razor seems to struggle to go through it and at the moment it,s all i have.

The reason we use soap and cream is to keep the moisture on the face to soften the whiskers.The canned goo does not really do that. Have a look at the wiki about good prep ie. take a shower before/hot towel. all this will when your brush arrives to get a better shave

It's probably still better than nothing. Remember, you can always use shave cream without a brush. Although the lather isn't as good, you can lather it in your hands. This is, of course, assuming that you have your shaving cream already and that it's not coming with the brush.

You could even try hand lathering shave soap, it might work better for you than using canned gel.

Hi,
Seems to me you just need to be patient and wait till you have all your kit before attempting your first shave.In the meantime -read the wiki and watch the shaving videos in the beginners section.
Get it right first time and every time.Your face will thank you for it.
happy shaving,
regards
Noggs

Hello, Roxylass:

Welcome to Straight Razor Place.

You can get a shave with any shave product. The question is what kind of a shave.

The brush exfoliates the skin and lifts up the hairs for cutting. A good shave soap or cream is an excellent moisturizer. It is creamy. It gives you a comfortable glide and cushion.

Sure, you can use the canned goo and get a shave. If you are going to do proper wet shave with a straight razor, however, you might as well do what some of us consider the proper way.

What's more, let us not forget that the colorful ritual of wet shaving with the straight razor also adds a touch of romance to this delightful adventure.

Regards,
Obie

Originally Posted by roxylass

while i await my badger hair brush i am using gillette shaving gel i take it this is a no no as the razor seems to struggle to go through it and at the moment it,s all i have.

Hi,

I've been using that same canned gel while looking for a brush too. I found it dries out too fast. So for now I hot towel, wet the face really good, lather lightly with gel, then apply mineral oil to face. The mineral oil seems to keep the moisture in. Then shave, hot towel, cold towel, after shave, then light mineral oil. It seems to work for now.

Even though I ready it plenty here, beard softening is key to a comfortable shave.

Mike

Go on Amazon.com and orde a puck of Tabac, it's like ten bucks. It's not worth using that canned stuff, it's horrible.