I use:

a Vulfix super badger brush
Merkur Vision Razor
Feather blades
Several shaving creams from Trufitt & Hill and Taylor.
Trufitt and Hill aftershave balm Trafalger scent.

When I really want to go to town I do 3 passes. 2 with the grain and 1 against. I only get irritation when I rush. Two areas give me problems, my chin and my adams apple.

I use a Vulfix brush.

The wonderful moss scuttle to warm my cream and help create a lather: http://www.sarabonnymanpottery.com/moss_scuttle.htm

I use a Merkur DE with Feather blades.

I highly reccommend Trufitt and Hill preshave oil which you put on before cream to give a smoother shave.

I like the Avocado, Rose and Lavender creams from Truefitt and Hill and Taylors.

Last I finish with Truefitt and Hill West Indian Limes aftershave lotion.

I got a shave at Truefitt in London and the barber told me that it is not good to do multiple passes. They do not do it there since it tneds to irritate the skin.

I actually have a routine when I shave (rarely these days) where I'll Noxemea up the face and shave in the shower - never have used shaving cream or that electric stuff anymore -

but nowadyas I'll let it go for awhile and then trim it with a beard trimmer - I'm too lazy and fat in the face to shave every day

rb

Jesus, these people DO take wet shaving seriously.

I'm planning on wading through that forum, but can anybody here tell me the difference between shaving soap and cream? Soap appears to be much more economical because it's cheaper and you get more shaves out of a cake than you would a tub of cream, but it also seems like much more work. Are there other advantages I'm missing?

I have done this for the last couple of years and like it much better. The key IMO is to get water as hot as u can tolerate, splash it on your face, run the blade through the hot water and shave, reheating the razor every once in a while. Then apply cold water as an after shave.

I don't cut myself at all anymore doing this b/c i can see the contours of my face much better. Razor cuts used to be a problem for me. I had heard that it causes less general irritation on your face and makes the skin healthier, but not sure what evidence this was based off of.

i just:

splash hot water on face, leave water running as hot as it gets
gilette 'foamy' shaving cream
shave with and against the grain, running razor under hot water after every stroke
immediately apply aftershave lotion, sometimes i splash cold water on my face before the lotion

what would be the difference between this and OP's method?

That was pretty much my routine, too.

I added one step that made an absolutely huge difference - pre-shaving cream.

I am now using Proraso pre-shaving cream



Just spread a thin layer on your face before putting on your shaving cream. The extra lubrication really improves the shave.

Using a Gilette Sensor, by the way.

I do plan to step up to the badger brush, but I'll still be using the Proraso, for sure.

Ok advice on a cheap solution to get my boyfriend to regularly shave his face. He complains about the razor burn and doesn't like using creams or aftershaves.... and he doesn't want to spend a lot. A picture of the culprit below LOL

I've found this to be quite effective.
Not sure if this qualifies as cheap but it isn't super expensive.

let's play "can you spot the future cardo stalking victim in this thread?"!!!

I haven't tried soap yet, so I can't comment about one vs. the other. But, if you haven't tried cream, don't worry about how long it lasts. Each tub lasts a LONG time (at least 6 months).

Of course, ask that question on Badger and Blade, and you'll likely get 25 responses that actually answer your question. I'm interested to know too, I've been meaning to try the soap.

I've been wet shaving for a year. Def stay away from soaps. Nancy Boy is a great brush cream. I've also found to my disappointment that some of the non-foaming creams (kiels has one, and so does aveda) work better for me than traditional brush creams. But my face is sensitive and my over-riding goal is to avoid irritation. If you have no problems with that you can have alot more fun. Also, enchante online hydrolast products make the best oils by far (and i've tried many).

He's lying. That's not an area you get razor burn. He just likes the goat.

If Slim would just answer my [censored] calls he wouldn't have anything to worry about.

Truth. Embrace the cheesery.

I have the art of shaving kit. I've used it for about 4 weeks now. My main problem is that it takes me soo long to do the whole routine, and I'm anyways a slow shaver. I love the cremes and oils though, but don't like that merch safety razor too much. Perhaps I should try a straight blade. Is that much harder to use?

I use shaving soap in a mug, and I can tell you that a good cake of shaving soap will last close to a year.

I'm a member at B&B & yes, some over there take it that seriously!!! Good group of guys with lots of good but varied opinions & information. If any of you sign up over there, just behave yourself or the mods will give you the boot. They won't tolerant some of the 'shenanigans' that 2+2 lets slide...if you know what I mean.

There's nothing wrong with a quality shaving soap. I love them. They just don't offer quite as good of 'cushion' for the razor on your face as a quality made cream. They're 2 different products with their own set of quirks.

AZK,

I've shaved in the shower w/out a mirror for years (5-6 days/wk). Use Mach3 and Edge Gel (sensitive skin--orange cap). I will give the shower shave product a shot but in general I don't have issues.

For those of you non-shower shavers, I'll state why it's my route:

1. Less mess in the sink
2. Saves time
3. Pores open on face & softer hair. Leads to fewer cuts.
4. Haven't needed a stiptic pencil since starting the shower shave.

From browsing Badger and Blade it would appear that it's possible to get the same kind of lather from soap as you do from cream, but it looks like FAR more time and work. Other than the soap cake lasting forever I don't know why I'd use soap over cream, but maybe that's just me.

I received my Truefitt & Hill after-shave balm and moisturizer yesterday and their quality is what I expected given how awesome the oil and cream are. This will be my brand of choice for the forseeable future.

On Badger and Blade they discuss different blades making a difference, I used Merkur and Feather blades and they seem the same to me FWIW.

IMO, soaps aren't that much more work if you know what you're doing.

I really like T&H's stuff too. One of my favorite product lines.

Blades make a big difference in shave quality. I hate Merkurs & love feathers. IMO, big difference in performance in these two. The Merkurs are too rough & semi dull while feathers are very sharp. Derby's are another good choice. But everybody's face is different & in the long run whatever works for you, go for it.

I have the same routine and basically the same equipment. I've got the Merkur with a short handle. I definitely got cuts and razor burn my first time, but I think that may have been the result of a brand new blade. They're always just a little too sharp the first time out. It probably takes me an extra five minutes compared to the Mach3 and I agree with the incredible closeness of the shave.

The cold water at the end can be brutal in the morning, but it definitely seems to help. I shave in the shower and turn the hot water off, rinse my face in the freezing water - which really wakes me up, then turn off the water and dry off. I was told to avoid towel-drying the face, so I allow it to air dry a little, then apply an aftershave lotion.

Gillette Fusion (5 blades ftw)

+

[censored] French Connection UK sensitive shave balm

Simple, quick and cheap !

I Know this is implicit, but I just want to know.

I am one of those dudes that cannot get a smooth shave. My ritual with a Mach3 is to shave 2 times, or 3 times on a particularly frustrating day. A few hours later, I will have prickly skin, but I usually cannot get a good shave. I am thinking about getting hair removal surgery because I know darn well I will never want a beard. Sometimes, the razors hurt and I don't want to shave for a few days.

1- How smooth is this shave?
3-If you shaved everyday, how often do you need to shave now?
2- I am guessing that the shave is a lot less painful, but what about those that had pain from normal shaving?

Do you have a heavy beard? I'm guessing so. I do too. If that's the case, using just water might not work for you.

Have you ever tried a different set up (i.e. different razor, cream, preshave oil, etc)?