HI from Florida

Hi, this is jerry from venice, florida, on the Gulf of Mexico coast of the state. Long time head shaver with cartridge razors. (Have a full beard.) Today, with much trepidation, I shaved my head with a safety razor for the first time. No experience with safety razors in fact. The good news, no slicing and dicing as was feared. No nicks or scratches on my head, but some light burning and very fine little pinhead dots of bleeding on my neck. Wonderful smooth shave with less irritation than from a cartridge razor. Long hot shower, pre shave oil, nice badger brush with shaving soap worked great. Issues or questions that I have are:
1. How do you know when the soapy suds are correct?
2. My new Parker 96R butterfly razor kept opening. Not sure what I was doing to cause this. Maybe not closed tight enough or holding it wrong?
3. I used vaseline intensive care lotion after the shave as I always do, instead of an aftershave or balm. What do you think of using this product? It moisturizes and makes my skin feel great after a shave. Any recommendation?

All in all a fun and untraumatic experience. Would appreciate any suggestions and tips you have for a newbie to wet head shaving.

Welcome to SRP Jerry!!!

A lot of great folks and info here, check out the library.
Can't help you with the head shaving part, but someone will be along that can.
We have an area of the forum just for head shaving, check it out
Head shaving

As to your soap, we all have different likes in lather. It's a personal thing. But as long as it doesn't slide off you're good.
If your razor kept coming open, I know dumb question, but did you have it screwed down tightly?
As to what you use afterwards, that also is a personal choice with what works best for your skin. But like I said, I'm not a head shaver

Enjoy and have fun!!!

Aloha!

Welcome to SRP. I have a pad in Florida as well as Hawaii so we are sometimes neighbors.

That's a big jump from cartridge right into straight razor. Congrats, and glad it worked out for you. Dieseld is certainly spot-on regarding the soap. Some like it rich and thick like paste, some like it more foamy. As long as it stays on your head and you get a fine shave, then it's all good. Personally, I can't go with just an aftershave balm - which is what you are basically using the Vasoline Itensive Care Lotion for. I would need at least an astringent like simple Witch Hazel, and then I'd always follow with some sort of alcohol aftershave, but that's me. If you are happy with just the Vasoline lotion, then that's what works for you. But using an astringent like Witch Hazel may be a nice additive before the balm. You may wish to experiment with this. I went years just using Witch Hazel as astringent, diluted wintergreen alcohol for aftershave, and Cremo Faice Moisturizer as the balm. All drug store easy to get stuff, but it worked for me.

As far as your Parker Butterfly opening, that's odd. Yes, make sure it's closed tightly. You don't have to crank it shut like it's going into orbit, but it should be well snug. If that fails, I'd suspect a defect in the razor, but without seeing it, we will all be guessing.

Aloha!

-Zip

Hello Jerry and welcome to SRP.
The best.place for you to start, as said above, is the thread on head shaving.
Enjoy your time here on the forum and have fun.

Pete <:-}

Welcome to SRP, Jerry! Experiment with adding more or less water to your lather until it's the consistency that works best for you. Have fun learning.

Welcome to the forum. :)

Hi and welcome. All of my butterfly razors twist till shut then a little extra to lock. As long as it gets the lock bit never had a problem. Maybe check out the safety razor forum as well for more advice.

Welcome to SRP! +1 on everything above. :D

About the only thing, as a DE Head Shaver, I could add is with the Soap/Lather I like to take it from drippy/runny to wet, slick stiff peaks as my preferred as that extra bit of water helps the ample real estate and time it takes for head shaving. And, I use leftover lather as my Post Shave... Has all the properties you could want.

Shawn
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