I can't believe this video was uploaded nine years ago. When I first started shaving I was so interested in the process and came across your videos. I discovered your channel around 2009 probably. Now, as someone who needs to shave often, I am a wet shaver who enjoys the process of shaving. Thank you for everything Mantic.
Here's how I've fine tuned my shave over the last few weeks. I start by using hair conditioner in the shower to soften my beard. Before shaving I apply a pre-shave oil and then lather up. Since my beard tends to grow side to side, I start shaving East/West from the outside of my face to the inside. I lather up again going North to South, and a final lather up followed by South to North. Finish with Old Bond St. after shave!
Happy 10 Year Anniversary! Thank you for all the information and championing you do for the Wet Shaving Community and helping the world find a better way to shave! Keep up the good work.
I just started wet shaving with a safety razor, and your videos were an immense help. For the first time in my life, shaving is a pleasure I look forward to, instead of a chore. Never going back to cartridges!
I started wetshaving in the past week, and your videos have been so helpful. At first I just got the cream and brush and kept using my cartridge razor, and that was a noticeable improvement. Ordered a Merkur shortly after, and am very happy. I have a lot of room for improvement, and I could upgrade my cheap badger brush, but I'm pleased so far. My grandmother told me yesterday that this is how my grandfather shaved, and that makes me feel pretty cool.
After seeing this first video (and subsequent parts) I decided to jump face first into wetshaving... and it has been fantastic. I never expected to enjoy shaving so much OR to have such a baby-smooth shave OR to have it last so long OR to experience a shave without razor burn. Here's how it went...
What a great series of videos! Thanks, I finally switched from the $.87/can Barbasol to Williams, now a Burt's Bees Bay Rum soap...what a change. My face started clearing up within a couple of days, and that was before I watched your videos. I now know that I need to take more time to shave, but boy do I enjoy it so much more now. Thanks Mantic59. Keep it up, I'll keep watching.
thanks for the great vids - i've moved to a merkur heavy + proraso (i'm on a budget, so it's great for me) after 5+ years with a mach 3 and whatever gel/foamy, and love it. but mostly, i just wanna say i'm really impressed that you respond to people's questions - keep it up.
Thanks for teaching me how to shave like a man. As someone who grew up without a dad, this info is invaluable. I came across this video when i was 15, when you first uploaded this video. Now im 30 and a man, and i can teach my son how to shave like a man. Thank you
Mantic, Thank you for these helpful videos. I've just begun wet shaving and your videos provided excellent guidance. With each shave I'm getting better...I actually look forward to shaving now. This is turning into a hobby.
When I was very young,I remember seeing my father using a bowl to generate his lather and telling my mother that shaving was one of life's great pleasures. After my youngest sister was born, making it six people using one bathroom,he took to face lathering. He used a superspeed and scoffed at the new multi blade razors.
Mantic, thank you for taking the time to create videos that focus on traditional shaving! I am turning 30 in a month, and I have been using can goop and the latest multi-bladed contraption since I started shaving. For Christmas 09 I got a brush and mug (w/ soup) and have used your videos to really learn the technique. I love the brush on my face! You have convinced me to order a safety razor now (or wait till my birthday next month). I really look forward to shaving now! Thank you so much!
@bacardipr05 yeah that's true man. It DOES sting but I haven't noticed any long term damage to my skin. I haven't gotten pimples like I used to and my face isn't red anymore. The stinging is just for a bit then my face feels like a baby's ass; real smooth. I'll give Lily of The Desert a try once I finish my bottle of FOTE.
@bacardipr05 try using Fruit of The Earth Aloe Vera Gel. I'm a DE shaver and that gel has been working real badass for me. I learned to stay away from anything with alcohol because it makes me break out (my skin is sensitive.) Although I've heard witch hazel works well too
I like to watch these intro videos again from time to time to relive the excitement from when I first started wetshaving. Thanks, mantic, for being such a huge help for me and everyone who has watched your videos.
hello mantic just wondering, if I wash/scrub my face prior to shaving, would it be better to rinse with hot or cold water? and is king of shaves a good brand? I'm currently using barc cutting up cream with a synthetic brush and a gillette sensor excel great vids :]
Hey Mantic Thanks for posting this video I used to use a Philips Norelco shaver. It was great and all....really fast but I didn't like the 5pm shadow showing up at 1pm! Wetshaving is the way to go.
Yes most traditional shavers prefer a good old fashioned safety razor, but it's not what teenagers want. I would recommend using a modern cartridge razor, unless you have the fine motor skills to use a double edged safety razor. Modern cartridge razors are much safer than old fashioned double edged razors because the don't nick as much, believe me I actually cut myself using those DE razors before and it took 2 years for the scar to completely vanish. For scars I'd recommend Mederma scar gel.
@mantic59 Great :-) what products do you recommend for beginners? I don't mind using mens products, I've seen some pink handled badgers brushes but I'm not bothered about looks! I'll watch your vids so I can figure out the right way to lather and such. I know with legs it's different to the face, but with legs it all grows in the same direction, so it won't be too hard to figure out!
@stevemcqueenforever youre probably using too much pressure. try just lightly touching the razor to the skin and use short strokes. be sure to first go with the grain, then against the grain, then across the grain, relathering before repeating of course. also make sure your face is moist enough too. and to use a good aftershave to keep the skin moist and cool it down. but like i said, be gentle, you probably have sensitive skin
I'm 17 years old, and have a variety of shaving razors on me currently. An electric foil razor, straight single edge razor, safety razor. The blades I use for the ones other than the electric (since it's foil, so exclude it), I use either a Derby Extra blade or a Shark. I haven't started yet, so basically I'm trimming for now, because I am waiting for a badger brush to come. Question is, Is it alright to be using all of these razors for each week's shave, since I prefer to shave once every week?
Mantic59, I recently switched from a fusion to a merkur 1906 classic, using trumpers cream and a cheap brush from the drugstore. I have been practicing for a week or two now, but still seem to get irritation on my neck below the jaw line, and razor burn that I never had before. Is this part of the learning process of wetshaving? Should I keep going? Thank you for all your videos! -KS-
I bought my silvertip badger brush at Trufitt & Hill. It cost around $150 dollars with taxes. They had even more high end brushes in the $300 dollars range, but I thought mine was good enough. I expect the brush to last a very long time. One thing I have found with traditional wetshaving is that I get a much closer shave and I have no ingrown hairs anymore. Its a win win situation...
It was the best shave I'd had in years... comfortable and close. I wanted more! So I decided to invest in some better tools. I purchased a $35 Vulfix shaving brush (wish I would have picked the $59 one), some Taylor of Old Bond St. shaving cream ($13.49) and a Merkur Heavy Classic DE safety razor ($30). Reviewing the videos, I was determined to put my new wetshaving lessons to use.
I started out by buying a cheap ($4) Boar bristle brush and Mug Soap ($2) at my local grocery store. I lathered up using a large Starbuck's mug with the soap at the bottom. It took about 4 minutes to generate enough lather, but it was unbelievably rich and thick . Using a new Mach III, I used a "feather touch"... applying no pressure with the razor while slowly "reducing" my beard over several passes (lather, shave, lather, shave, etc. using only the lather I created at the beginning.)
Hi, I just got a Murker w/ razors, boar brush, and some different shaving soaps. Tried them out for the first time today and I was pretty happy with the results. I only went "north to south" twice and found that my cheeks and mouth area were quite closely shaved. Under my chin and neck were not to close (but I expect that with practice this will improve). Anyways thanks for the videos, they really got me to go out on a limb and try wet shaving.
a change from barbasol foam to willams mug soap near a year ago has made me able to shave more often. used to be i'd only shave when i started getting horrible ingrown hairs with pus filled blobs. i don't mind shaving every few days now. tried the barbasol foam again, the cheap sensor knockoff i was using really showed its pedigree, but with the mug soap and a nice hot cloth it glides like it's on ice.
Another thing that affects lather quality is water hardness. For harder water you will need mush more soap or cream. Load the brush with just a bit more cream, about the size of an almond, and start to lather. The brush should be damp, but NOT WET. You can always add water, but it;s very hard to remove water. Try it out, and good luck!
Target often sells the Tom's of Maine shaving cream. It is decent shaving cream; try the peppermint. Proraso can irritate sensitive skin- it's a bit overrated, the main thing about it is it used to be widely available. Kiss My Face is also available at many natural foods stores such as Wild Oats or Whole Foods.
mantic59 or anyone else, what would you use before, during and after a shave if you have oily skin? I have a problem in which my skin gets really oily after a shave.
nice video! BUT! the shaving EVERY SINGLE DAY as a religion is insane.... i shave once a week and its all! beard protects the skin from the sun... your natural male smell works around your skin and hairs... women go crazy! your beard shows more about you...
I travel a lot as well but there are travel alternatives other than can goo. just drys you out. I have been using the new Proraso "Red Tube" which is great and the Edwin Jagger’s Sea Buckthorn in a tube. The Sandal wood is great too! With an EJ travel brush and Merkur 34 HD I'm a traveling fool!
I charactered out (grin) ...anyway, I WILL NEVER go back to a mach 3 and canned shaving cream. I sincerely thank you for the inspiration to try this. My face instructed me to tell you that you changed its life. (grin) ....seriously, thank you for taking the time to do all these vids.
Ok getting kind of frustrated... My neck is red and bumpy, almost wrorse than with my fusion. Razor burn like I've never had. I'm trying out Derby blades. How long do I try the blades before I figure out they are not a success. What other words of wisdom can you offer?
mantic59-Thank you for sharing all your tips. All the videos are great. But I was wondering if you can do a video on how to groom/trim and shape mens eyebrow, just like yours:) I don't want others to get the wrong idea but still have trimmed and shaped eyebrow--not feminine. Any useful tips??
I would suggest any non-comedogenic face wash. It's very good at cutting down grease, and it doesn't clog up pores. After that I apply a little bit of non-comedogenic lotion; rub it in so that it doesn't leave any greasy residue. Cetaphil is a good and common brand.
Age doesn't matter, it all has a learning curve! With a cartridge razor, you are asking for a razor burn and ingrown hairs, and all sorts of other irritation, being the several blades, crossing the same parts of the skin, way too many times...
You might want to experiment with the type of blade you are using as this can have a massive effect. I used derbys in my HD and was getting cuts and rash worse than a cartridge :S I switched to wilkinson sword blades and it solved the problem completely
Hello mantic 59, I have a question, my boyfriend has very sensitive skin, he says he always gets cuts when he shaves. What kind of razor or a particular technique do u recommend for people who have sensitive skin? Thanks! Your videos r awesome
I'm looking to but my first DE razor and start wet shaving. I've been looking at the Gillette 58 fat boy, Merkur HD 34c, and Merkur Progress. I've read your article "What Is The Best DE Razor?" What razor and razor blades would you recommend for my first time?
I really don't understand why all the hassle about shaving soap. If you are not a snob about shaving then you should have a look at my video on why the soap I use gets me over three months on a single blade.
Interesting, most shavegeeks find that the gain in performance with a silvertip over a $60 super badger isn't much. Then again, you now have a really high quality beautiful brush that you like. So congrats. :]
Yes, I wanted to just spend x dollars up front to get good quality products rather than having to go through the expenses again. I had shaved 3 times thus far and it was well worth the investment
Wow, thanks for putting this stuff up, mantic59! I am an auto mechanic, who, over the last several months, has become fixated on personal appearance & grooming, despite the sometimes filthy nature of my work. Am slowly but surely getting the gist of proper shaving techniques re the right proportion of water to shave cream, etc. Have nearly achieved that perfect shave w/o the (previous) seemingly requisite raking of my skin! Thanks to your recommending an after shave balm instead of an alcohol based liquid, am using Nivea Men's Post Shave Balm. Thanks for doing such a good job making your videos clear--easy to understand--keep up the good work!
well, some people have a sensitive skin and they(also I) prefer tradidional wetshaving. by the way, it's much better for your skin and I really enjoy it.
LOL, "you don’t need the latest multi-bladed razor that vibrates like a marital aid” - nice one to make a point 😂. I once wandered into a proper London shop so I have the Trumper's stuff, with a shaving brush too. Time to use it again (I strayed as I was travelling a lot).
May I ask what is the problem with after-shaves with alcohol? I shave with a straight edge razor and absolutely LOVE the feeling of alcohol on my face after a good shave, but I have never been quite sure if it is unhealthy or not. Is there any danger or risk that comes with it? Why do you not recomend it?
I noticed you mentioned to make sure there is NO ALCOHOL in your aftershave. Yet when I go on certain message boards a LOT of wet shavers have a preference for Floid Blue & Insbruck 66-60. Both of which contain alcohol. What is the reason you say not to have alcohol in aftershave. Doesn't help tighten the pores?
Thanks for the videos. Watched them while my razor was on the way in the mail. Other than cutting myself the 1st time, I've got the basics down. looking forward to bleeding to death with adv. techniques
hi, thanks very much for your excellent and informative videos.i have to admit at age 58 i have never used a DE razor! but i want to try it out and the cost of the plastic blades is a motivation also.what DE razor would you recommend as a starter,i am also in Canada so i will probably have to order online.thanks in advance.
Nice commercial in the beginning! XD (jk but it was good and entertaining and most importantly TRUE!) im looking into safety razors (female shaving tho) and i enjoy these types of informational vids! Thanks! Ill be looking at the others in this series as well :) happy shaving!
hey,i had to wet shave for the first time last week when my ancient electric shaver broke and i couldnt afford a new one. having never wet shaved before i looked to youtube! thanks for a great video, probably saved me a lot of bloodshed!
i have a gillette safety razor. it has an adjustable dial an says I4 on it. i think that means it was made around 1963-65. i got some blades for it at cvs and they were cheap and seem to work fine. i don't have a shaving mug or brush. i use regular barbasol. i see that those creams aren't thought highly of but it is what i got and i'm gonna use it.
WOW WOW, and Thank you Thank you Thank you!!!!!, I started watching your videos last week, and studied them fofr 4 nights straight until I figured out what I needed to get into this kind of shaving, and how to do it. TODAY, I got all my stuff in from West Coast, put my merkur progress on "2", wet face and lathered up with some prorasco. I do admit I had to make several passes, and it was about a 15-20 min. shave as learning, BUT MAN... I have not had a face so smoothe since I was 12,.
