I started wet shaving around 6 months ago as a result of my general unhappiness with my shaving routine and an OOT thread. I'm really enjoying everything about it - the quality of the shave, the lack of ingrown hairs, the morning routine, etc. I'm also one of those guys who enjoys skin products, etc, so having a whole new category of stuff to shop for and buy is right up my alley.

Things I have:

Art of Shaving shaving brush



$50 from the Art of Shaving

Merkur Long Classic Safety Razor



$29.99 from Classic Shaving

Ceramic Razor and Brush Stand



$39.99 from Classic Shaving

Brush, razor, stand. All pretty standard. The fun part, of course, are the products.

I was able to get a package of stuff from Art of Shaving for super-cheap from Costco. This is it:



It comes with a brush, shaving cream, pre-shave oil, and an after-shave balm. All of the products are excellent imo. Art of Shaving charges $100 for it, though, I doubt I'd use it much if I wasn't able to get it for $40 from Costco.

I haven't branched out all that far from that stuff, but two things I've tried and liked are:

Truefitt & Hill Pre-Shave Oil



$28 from Truefitt & Hill

and

Truefitt & Hill Ultimate Comfort Shaving Cream



$28 from Truefitt & Hill

Finally, I recently bought some products from the American men's grooming maker Jack Black. I'm not posting all that crap because I don't like it very much, especially the shaving cream. It's not as good as Art of Shaving and can't even touch Truefitt & Hill, which is the best I've used.

So there you have my wet shaving treatise. I'd like to know what other products people like and use, especially in the after-shave balm and moisturizer categories. I have very sensitive skin so I can't deal with stuff with too much alcohol in it. Finding good moisturizer is hard.

I've been wanting to stock up on some stuff like this, so thanks for the recommendations.

Have you ever tried a straight razor? Every now and then, I start thinking it would be cool to get one, but I'm not sure if it would end up being more trouble than it's worth.

I want something that is fast and won't cut or give me ingrown hairs. Is that too much to ask?? I don't care if it's particularly close.

BretWeir,

I haven't tried the full-on straight razor because I don't have the steadiest of hands and don't want to die.

kurosh,

If speed is a priority, wet shaving isn't for you. Part of the appeal for me is the ritual aspect of filling up the sink with hot water, soaking the brush, applying the lather, etc etc etc. I'm always in a rush, and taking 10 minutes to pamper myself and have an excellent shave is a great break.

LFS,

What were you shaving with before and how do your current routine and results compare?

Prior to this I was using the Gillette Sensor. The Mach 3 game me crazy irritation and ingrown hairs, and a wet/dry Panasonic electric razor I used took forever to give me a close shave without tearing my face apart.

Everything about this experience is better. My face is super-smooth. It takes longer than a disposable razor and obviously requires more equipment, though. Cost-wise I bet it evens out after a year or so, since replacement blades are cheap.

One thing I've noticed is that the occasional nick I get with a super-sharp safety razor seems to close up MUCH quicker than the times I cut myself with a disposable.

Results-wise, there's really no comparison. The quality of the shave I get with this setup is WAY better.

LFS,

Great thread. That Truefitt & Hill site is gold. My next trip to London I'm stopping by there and buying a whole bunch of stuff. That is, after I get the full gentlemans shave, hair cut and shoe polish treatment. Brilliant.

How long does it take you to shave with this setup vs. regular shaving cream/razor? What about if you are someone who doesn't shave everyday? I pretty much just shave in the shower now, maybe 2-3x week because I am lazy. It's pretty quick, I find that I get less burn/irritation then shaving standard with shaving cream... I use this stuff and I'm pretty happy...I also go by feel, which isn't such a big deal but everytime I tell people that I shave in the shower with no mirror they freak. I use the art of shaving after shave, but I'd love to hear alternatives...I've also used the art of shaving preshave oil but it's to thick and clogs the mach3/5 that I use...
shower shave



edit: I should add that that shower shave is hands down the best shaving product I have ever bought. a million times better than shaving creams (i've tried several)

i've been in the mach3 boat for a few years now and love it, but i am just too lazy to shave everyday or even every other day.

so over the weekend, the wife bought me the new top-of-the-line braun and i absolutely love this thing!!!

I find I get more razor burn with an electric and never have as close a shave...am i doing something wrong?

I've had a couple of top of the line brauns and the quality of the shave is never as good as a razor. But nothing beats being able to shave while driving.

Nope, I think this is pretty standard. I used electrics for years and got razor burn on my neck pretty often (though I rarely used aftershave or any of those electric shave lotions). I've been using a Gilette Fusion for the past couple years now and haven't gotten razor burn once, and it's a much closer shave. Obviously takes longer than the electric, but well worth it imo.

I've had similar success with wet shaving. I was using a Mach 3 turbo before, with pre-shave oil and various off-the-shelf foams and gels.

I bought a higher-end badger silver-tip brush, Taylor of Old Bond St. lavender cream, and that made a huge difference (especially with the pre-shave oil). Doing a second pass against the grain is no problem, even though I used to get ingrown hairs very easily.

I briefly experiemented with a straight razor, and this place:
http://www.straightrazorplace.com/

has everything you need to know about straight razor shaving and wet shaving in general. I personally found it to be a pain in the ass to learn given my penchant for sleeping late and that it takes longer to shave with straight, so I stuck with the Mach 3 Turbo.

I have a dark, thick beard that grows fast, and usually have to shave twice a day if I go out in the evening. This combo pretty much prevents it. You also get "You look younger" comments if your perma-shadow is removed. I don't always go to the effort, but it certainly looks better.

Part of it is just finding what works for you. For example, I use a disposable and find that I get a much bet shave with a single blade Bic than with any fancy multiblade. I have also never gotten a good shave with any electric, with or without preshaves or whatever.

Here's a hint for a good shave with regular shaving cream, especially if you have skipped a day. Wash your face with regular soap and water, as hot as you can stand. Rinse, and wash again with soap and hot water, but leave the soap on your face. Apply shaving cream over the soap. This keeps your beard wetter and results in a smoother shave.

It usually takes your face 2-4 weeks to get used to a new electric razor. If you get razor burn after that then you either have a sensitive face or are just not using it properly (my guess is the former).

I switch off between an electric (Braun) and the Sensor right now. I'd love to wet shave,but never have time in the morning.

somewhat unrelated, but i picked up a prototype gillette razor for a marketing study today. i love getting paid to shave!

your setup looks way cooler though...makes me wanna go old-school too. nothing beats a warm foam, straight-razor shave at the barber shop...man, it's been ages.

are you using a pre-shave like...



?


I have never gotten a burn from an electric, but always use this. Figured it was SOP.

It probably doesn't take THAT much longer, except I used to shave in the shower and now I don't. I'm sure I could figure out a way to use this setup in the shower, but I really use the mirror a lot, which is harder in the shower. My process after I exit the shower:

1. Put brush in the sink and turn on hot water.
2. Apply pre-shave oil.
3. Dip brush in shaving cream.
4. Apply lather.
5. Shave with the grain.
6. Re-apply a layer of lather (I've left the brush in the sink during this time so this layer is hot and lathery and awesome).
7. Shave against the grain.
8. Rinse with cold water.
9. Apply after shave balm and moisturizer.

The only little problem I still have is that the hair at the bottom of my neck changes direction in a couple of places, so it's very difficult to stay with or against the grain. I'm still really nailing down the area around my Adam's apple, but I've had that problem forever.

I've owned two electrics in my life: a dry Braun, and a wet/dry Panasonic. The Braun absolutely destroyed me and I have up after about three months. The Panasonic that I used in the shower was pretty OK, but my neck would be bright red and swell after I shaved. I stuck with the Panasonic for almost a year.

I have a straight razor that I've been using on and off per the recommendation of a previous thread a while back. I love the close feel that I get after using it and would like to do it more often. However, I'm a little lazy so I do switch back to the electric for a while given that it is faster. Combine with the fact that I also can't seem to shave my chin area without cutting the [censored] outta my face, not quite sure why this is because I can do everywhere else just fine.

Any tips for that area because if I could wet shave that area and not look like I got caught in a weed wacker doing it I might be inclined to use my set more often.

Have you tried shaving with just water+razor? I stopped using shaving cream/gel months ago and that seems to have eliminated cuts and razor bumps.

I've heard good things about Merkur safety razors. I will probably purchase one when I run out of Mach 3 cartridges.

Ever since I started rinsing with cold water after shaving, I haven't had any razor burn. It supposedly closes up the pores. And I just use the cheap gillete two blade disposables.

I'll echo that the truefitt and hill products are amazing. While I still use a mach 3 and shave in the shower just adding the high end shaving cream really increased the experience quite a bit for me. I bought a tube of the their shaving cream after getting a straight razor at their store in Caesars which now is must for me every time I visit vegas these days.

I've been on this bandwagon for a long time, and most of the things I'd say have already been said here (nice thread, LFS). There are only a few things I'd add.

1. Try different brands of blades. There is a big difference, and lots to choose from. You can buy sampler packs that let you try lots of different blades via some online Paypal stores.

2. Try different creams. I have 3-4 that I alternate between. They're all a bit different. For someone looking for one to buy, you cannot go wrong with Taylor of Old Bond Street or Truefitt.

3. Shave after you shower. The 5-10 minutes in the hot water and moist air will make a huge difference in comfort. I read once somewhere that the average whisker has the same tensile strength of copper wire of the same diameter, so it definitely helps to soften it up.

4. Just as poker and general time-wasting has 2p2, wet shaving has a message board also. Badger and Blade is a great site with tons of info, and lots of serious bzness posters who take this stuff really seriously. They're very helpful, and this is also the place you can find the guys selling sampler packs of blades above.

This has been the one change to my daily routine over the past 10 years that has had the most positive impact. Regular shaving with disposables and cheap creams and gels ripped me up, made my complexion terrible, and generally made me dread shaving. I have none of those problems now.

order these products

use this razor

seriously. i had a terrible time for like a decade trying to get a good shave. this combination has worked the best for me thus far.

oh and i have pretty much the same routine as LFS minus the brush and lather -- i just use products i linked above.

I agree with all of this. It seems like not every blade works best for every person. I like the Israeli Personnas the best. I also like using soaps better than the creams. I shave after I shower, and to help take some of the time off, I have my bowl and brush soaking in hot water while I shower.

While you can spend lots of money on this, you can also get a decent setup for very cheap. I spent $10 on 100 blades, $5 on a vintage Gillette razor, $7 on a soap from Mama Bear soaps, and about $15 on a Tweezerman badger hair brush. The blades and soap should last a long time, and the price is a lot cheaper than the Mach 3 cartridges.