WetShaving
This is a community of enthusiasts, hobbyists and artisans who enjoy a traditional wet shave: brush, soap, and safety or straight razor. We are a part of the WetShaving community found on Reddit, Discord, and IRC.
New subscribers welcome!
Please visit our wiki, which is always and forever a work in progress.
Check out these alternative front-ends for this server:
https://gem.wetshaving.social - a nice modern interface
https://old.wetshaving.social - designed to look like old.reddit.com
Our sister Mastodon instance is https://wetshaving.social.
Community Rules
Rule 1 - Behaviour and Etiquette
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Be Respectful. Do not bully, flame, or harass others.
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Malicious comments are not allowed but heated discussion and salty banter is okay.
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Low effort replies and complaints about content will be removed.
Rule 2 - Content Guidelines
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Mail Calls, Simple Questions, and SOTD posts belong in the recurring weekly threads.
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Posts must have sufficient content to generate a meaningful discussion.
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Images, links, or videos must include additional text that summarizes the topic.
Rule 3 - Reviews and Disclosure
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Use [First Impressions] in the title if your experience with the product is limited.
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Use the [Review] in the title if you can provide comprehensive details with enough familiarity to answer follow-up questions.
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Disclose how the product being reviewed was acquired (e.g., PIF, loan, or purchase). If the product was provided to you directly by the maker or vendor free of charge or at a discount, you must disclose this fact even if the item will later be returned to the maker or vendor.
Rule 4 - Advertising
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Vendors are to keep marketing within the biweekly Deals/New Products threads.
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Non-vendors may post topics about products if it will foster a compelling discussion.
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Do not solicit donations or share fundraisers without mod approval.
Rule 5 - Inappropriate Content
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All NSFW/L content must request mod approval and be flaired appropriately.
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Non-shaving related NSFW/L content is not allowed.
Rule 10 - Moderator Discretion
- The rules may not apply perfectly to every situation. The mods have final discretion.
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Traveling for a wedding today, so i am using my travel kit.
Pre-shave: i am using a lavender oil from Maggard razor co. I absolutely love Maggards pre-shave oils,and the lavender has a lovely scent. I have been trying other pre-shaves, but i keep going back to Maggard's store brand.
Brush: I am using a small synthetic brush that came with my starter kit from Bevel. I don't much care for the brush as i find it too scratchy, but it is small, light, and I don't care about it so it is perfect for a travel kit.
Razor: I'm using my parker shavette. I have been using it weekly for the past year. It has been fun learning how to use a shavette, and once i save up enough i plan on buying a proper straight razor. I forgot my alum block at home, but luckily I only had a tiny knick on my chin, so I didn't need it.
Blade: Persona safety razor blade snapped in half. The persona blades i have are terrible and are sketchy when used in a shavette, but i am gonna use them all before i buy new blades. The quality control is atrocious with the blades having edge issues. This blade wasn't too bad, but i will never buy persona blades again.
Lather: i am using blue proraso from the tube. I like to use the blue every couple days in the winter because my skin dries out easily, and the vitamin E in it does wonders for my face.
Aftershave: i am using Ogalla bay rum with witch hazel and ~~sandalwood~~ limes and peppercorn. I typically use my Ogalla aftershave twice a week, as the witch hazel keeps my face looking 10 years younger. I have it today because the small plastic container is perfect for travel.
It's always a shame when vendor kits have scratchy garbage brushes. There are so many inexpensive synthetic options available, so it's not like they're saving much money. If they want people to keep using the brush and buying their lather product, then give us a decent brush!
I like the stand and the razor is atill my daily driver, but the brush really put me off from synthetic brushes. I have a badger brish that is way too big that i have been wanting to swap, but haven't even looked at synthetic replacements. But i might consider one if you say they are usually pretty good.
I love synthetic brushes, but it comes down to personal preference. One thing everyone agrees on, though, is that there are a ton of crappy brushes out there, so buyer beware. That goes for all types of brushes -- synthetic, badger, boar, etc.
The Maggard branded synthetic is inexpensive, and I actually prefer it to some more expensive ones I've tried. Any of the tan colored ones shown here are what I like. The black/white ones have a bit more backbone, but they're also good.
If you don't like big brushes, I'd start with a 24mm. 22mm is too small for me, and 26 starts to feel big. 24mm is a sweet spot for a lot of folks.
AP Shave Co. has a bunch of synthetic knots to pick from (and he'll put them in a handle for you). I'm not an expert on his offerings, but I do know that the Synbad (another one of my favorites) and the Cashmere are supposed to be nice and soft. The G5 style are stiffer with more "scrub". Andrew loves to be asked about his knots, so send him an email with any questions.