Wetshaving newbie mistakes

As I was poking about the dusty corners of the interweb, I stumbled over an article over at The Art of Manliness that I had missed previously - "7 mistakes new wet shavers make".

It's noting earth shattering in the article, just mistakes we all have done at some point... but if you're new to the art of traditional wetshaving it's worth keeping them in mind. In short, the seven mistakes pointed out - with my comments, off course - are:

1. Poor prep - which is quite literary the first mistake many do. No, just splashing some water on your face isn't good enough... soap is needed to strip the oils and grease off.
2. Lousy lather - which I was guilty of when I started. Canned goo and aerosol cream is even worse in my opinion, but what your face needs is a nice, creamy lather whipped up with a decent brush.
3. Ignoring grain - hair grows in any which way on my face, and if you want to avoid shave bumps and rashes you need to work with your hair.. or against it, for the ATG cut.
4. Too much pressure - a bad habit most picks up while using a cart. If you're using any pressure at all when you're using a DE or an SE razor, you're probably using too much. Let the weight of the razor and the sharpness of the blade do the trick.
5. Incorrect blade angle - something that can be tricky to figure out even for experienced wetshavers when switching razors. A "proper" razor do not have a swiveling head - all the movement that changes the angle is in your wrist.
6. Shaving over unlubricatred skin - you got that luxurious lather on your brush for a reason. Use it, even for the second pass, and your face will thank you.
7. Repeating strokes - well... I'm not sure I agree with this as a mistake. I'll always do at least two passes, and I do buff under my chin. In my opinion, repeating strokes is only a mistake if you use too much pressure or fail to prep or lather properly.
   

Everyone makes mistakes when we're starting out - but if you learn from them the reward is well worth it.

It' s always good to be reminded of the basics.  I' ve seen #6 violated many times in shaving videos.  They'll do a pass, removing all the cream, then go over the same bare area several times.  Some of us can get away with this, but others may experience irritation from shaving over skin with no cream.

Pretty much in agreement with all those points except #1. I tried different preps and they never made any difference for me so I just splash and go now as I have all my life. Definitely worth trying though as it seems to help some people.

Bob

Good post. The very basics are sometimes skipped for new shavers or they may not know. The facial mapping and lathering was a must for me after various irritating shaves.

Great points for all, both new and experienced, to remember.