How has your shaving journey evolved?

[Sideburns]

For those who’ve been traditional wet shaving for a while, how has your routine changed as your skills and experience have developed?

Did you start out with a DE and later move to injectors, straights, or something else entirely? Or have you stuck with what you started with?

What changes did you make along the way — fewer passes, different prep, new soaps, brushes, blades, or techniques?

And what drove those changes? Better results, comfort, efficiency, curiosity… or something else?

It’d be interesting to hear how your shaving journey has evolved over time.

 

[Twelvefret]

The only way I have ever shaved is with water. What has changed is beard mapping, multiple passes, using a variety of razor types, using a brush and shave soap. Oh, and I no longer shave in the shower.

 

[Sideburns]

The only way I have ever shaved is with water. What has changed is beard mapping, multiple passes, using a variety of razor types, using a brush and shave soap. Oh, and I no longer shave in the shower.

Never properly shaved in the shower, except for my neck, but recognise the beard mapping thing as it’s something I do too.

 

[chazt]

My shaves are generally a solid 9 of 10. I no longer seek a perfect bbs result. My technique has improved exponentially, and now can easily stop after one pass, and frequently do. Started with DE, then picked up injectors and GEM, and really enjoy all the formats. I’ve often thought about straight razor shaves but didn’t want to get involved with maintenance, so I’m slowly learning to use an AC Feather razor. I prefer tallow over vegan soaps, and prefer soaps to creams. I’ve grown to appreciate some boar bristle brushes but really, really love my badger brushes.

Good thread. Should be some very fine posts to follow.

 

[Sideburns]

My technique has improved exponentially, and now can easily stop after one pass, and frequently do

That’s great, with more attention to my face mapping and using an adjustable, I work on getting the job done in two passes. Start off with a higher blade exposure and second pass with less exposure. No irritation as yet, not chasing BBS, but occasionally get one. I’m just enjoying the process.

 

[TobyC]

I started with a Gillette OLD type and German Wilkinson Sword blades, and after trying all sorts of other things I still think they are the best money can buy.

Brushes, I started with synthetic because I didn't know any better, and I really didn't know where to get brushes or what to look for, just grabbed one from Amazon. Then I went through horse hair and badger, both were ok but missing something. Then I got a boar knot and put it in a vintage handle that I bought for a buck and a quarter and found what I wanted.

Any soap will do, I seldom use the same one twice.

My wife used to love my aftershaves, but now has COPD and can't handle smells anymore, so I'm using Witch Hazel exclusively. I've found that I actually prefer it, fells better when applied, and skin feels better afterwards.

Haven't really changed at all, just settled on what works.

 

[Occams Razor]

We tend to score shaves as a number out of 10. When I started, a good shave would be a 9.5 or a 9/10. Today, that same shave might rate a 6 or 7. A feature ATG should consider is a button for when you graduate from apprentice to journeyman to master... click it and it resets all your previous shave scores and takes a full 2 points off them. That would level the playing field a bit!

 

[Randy]

My shaves are generally a solid 9 of 10. I no longer seek a perfect bbs result. My technique has improved exponentially, and now can easily stop after one pass, and frequently do. Started with DE, then picked up injectors and GEM, and really enjoy all the formats. I’ve often thought about straight razor shaves but didn’t want to get involved with maintenance, so I’m slowly learning to use an AC Feather razor. I prefer tallow over vegan soaps, and prefer soaps to creams. I’ve grown to appreciate some boar bristle brushes but really, really love my badger brushes.

Good thread. Should be some very fine posts to follow.

How did you already know that I was about to post Charlie ?

 

[Dipesh]

Its really settled apart from brushes.

Two passes and a touch up. NEVER fully rinse off between passes, you are just washing the slickness away.
Always a Progress of some sort
I use one soap from start to finish to really get the most of it and have it super dialed in.
I have no interest in american soaps, they just don't work for me on many levels (performance, hype etc..)

 

[Sideburns]

I started with a Gillette OLD type and German Wilkinson Sword blades, and after trying all sorts of other things I still think they are the best money can buy.

Brushes, I started with synthetic because I didn't know any better, and I really didn't know where to get brushes or what to look for, just grabbed one from Amazon. Then I went through horse hair and badger, both were ok but missing something. Then I got a boar knot and put it in a vintage handle that I bought for a buck and a quarter and found what I wanted.

Any soap will do, I seldom use the same one twice.

My wife used to love my aftershaves, but now has COPD and can't handle smells anymore, so I'm using Witch Hazel exclusively. I've found that I actually prefer it, fells better when applied, and skin feels better afterwards.

Haven't really changed at all, just settled on what works.

A great example of how a shaving routine evolves — not necessarily by constantly changing stuff, but experimenting enough to get to what really works for you.

It’s something I’m working towards, even though I’m fairly happy with my consistency, I’m still experimenting to ensure I haven’t settled for a subpar process. That usually involves tweaking only one thing at a time and seeing what effect that may have on the end result.

 

[Sideburns]

Its really settled apart from brushes.

Two passes and a touch up. NEVER fully rinse off between passes, you are just washing the slickness away.
Always a Progress of some sort
I use one soap from start to finish to really get the most of it and have it super dialed in.
I have no interest in american soaps, they just don't work for me on many levels (performance, hype etc..)

The “don’t fully rinse between passes” point is a good one; and it’s something I’ve come to myself purely through trial and error.
Sticking with one variable like soap until you’re fully dialled in makes a lot of sense, and may help with keeping track of technique progress.

 

[Twelvefret]

Just to add something associated with any hobby and that's experimentation. Using vintage blade holders allows one to experiment and experience what our ancestors may have used. Learning to hone a straight allows one to go even further back to better understand why facial hair was worn or how the barber trade existed. A hobbyist may love to hone, but honing was necessary and an expected part of the apprentice program for the professional.

This is an abstracted portion of a video in which Mr. Hulkin is shaving. The longer version shows him making razors in a Sheffield factory.
老式剃鬚影像紀錄──Billy Hukin Using a Razor -1993

 

[Kamp]

I always wet shaved but at first with cartridge razors.

After I found a forum 16 years ago for advice on a new brush I decides to try DE razors and was blown away at the
difference no more clogging of the razor with hairs and overall so much better shave.
Then at that same forum 2 years later someone was giving away Gold Dollars for anyone who wanted to try a Straight, I got 1 liked it
Got a 7/8 Herder with the same person shaved my face during my holiday everyday with it and after 3 weeks i was as close as a DE end after a few months the shaves kept improving. Then came me learing how to hone and finetune how I like a razor to shave, and now I have been Straight shaving for 14 years.
Still use a DE so I use both but mainly Straights for the face and for my dome either a DE or a Leaf razor.

 

[Sideburns]

I always wet shaved but at first with cartridge razors.

After I found a forum 16 years ago for advice on a new brush I decides to try DE razors and was blown away at the
difference no more clogging of the razor with hairs and overall so much better shave.
Then at that same forum 2 years later someone was giving away Gold Dollars for anyone who wanted to try a Straight, I got 1 liked it
Got a 7/8 Herder with the same person shaved my face during my holiday everyday with it and after 3 weeks i was as close as a DE end after a few months the shaves kept improving. Then came me learing how to hone and finetune how I like a razor to shave, and now I have been Straight shaving for 14 years.
Still use a DE so I use both but mainly Straights for the face and for my dome either a DE or a Leaf razor.

That’s an interesting journey. I’d been on cartridges for what seems like decades. Your point about clogging cartridges is something I’d never thought about, but since DE shaving I don’t have a clogged blade and that’s a real bonus. Clogged multi blade cartridges were a real pain.
Straight blade shaving seems to be a world away - Respect.
.

 

[Twelvefret]

That’s an interesting journey. I’d been on cartridges for what seems like decades. Your point about clogging cartridges is something I’d never thought about, but since DE shaving I don’t have a clogged blade and that’s a real bonus. Clogged multi blade cartridges were a real pain.
Straight blade shaving seems to be a world away - Respect.
.

I began my straight razor path using a Feather SS shavette. I was not sure I wanted to learn to hone. Feather makes guarded blades. I used them to start.