The Beginner's Almanac for Wet Shaving
A map of the whole hobby for new wet shavers: the gear families, the words the community uses for them, how to read a product listing, and which Shave Dad guide to open next for every topic.
Read more →Est. 1959 · The Shave Dad ProjectOld-school steel.
Old-school steel.
New-school community.
Limited-edition collaborations, reviews, and field-tested gear for the wet shaving community. Whether you're picking up your first DE razor or you've been at it for forty years, you're home.
Featured
Featured Guide
Discovery Guide · October 2026
The World of Wet Shaving on Etsy: 22 Shops Worth Knowing
A guided tour of wet shaving on Etsy: the Shave Dad community makers who sell there, the long-running soap shops with thousands of reviews, and the handmade stands, bowls, brushes and strops to round out a den.
From the Journal
All Articles →The latest on lather, steel, and the people behind them.
Reviews, interviews, and dispatches from artisans and content creators across the wet shaving world.
article
video
Elysian's Reaper at the Barbershop Soap, Shaved With the Leaf Twig
A Halloween-season soap from Elysian and the Wet Shaving Store, run through the Leaf Twig with a loaded 23mm Mühle silvertip.
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video
Yaqi's New Ghost Blur 3.0: First Shave With the 1.1mm Gap
Moustache Solo runs Yaqi's new Ghost Blur 3.0, a fresh 1.1mm gap in an aluminum handle, paired with the Legacy soap and splash.
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video
Rockwell SETPOINT Adjustable Razor: One Week Later
A week in with both the aluminum and stainless steel Rockwell SETPOINT, here's what held up, what confused people online, and which one I'd actually buy.
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community
Kai Captain Sharp vs. Feather and Schick: The Group Weighs In on AC Blades
A Shave Dad thread sizes up Kai Captain Sharp blades against Feather and Schick AC options, and the group doesn't hold back on a favorite.
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product-highlight
Reaper at the Barbershop: The Halloween Shave Set Worth Owning
A Grim Reaper waiting in the barber chair, and a spicy amber scent built for October. The Reaper at the Barbershop shaving soap and its matching aftershave splash make the Halloween set to own. Both are stocked at The Wet Shaving Store.
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video
My Unboxing of the Rockwell Setpoint Adjustable Razor
Rockwell sent me three Setpoint razors to try, and after years of loving the 6S and never getting along with the T1 or T2, here's what looks different right out of the box.
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video
Rockwell SETPOINT: The 'Jiggly' End Cap Isn't a Problem
Mully puts the stainless and aluminum SETPOINT side by side to settle the 'wiggly end cap' debate once and for all.
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video
The Gillette Guard Might Be My New Favorite Disposable Razor
Six shaves deep on the Gillette Guard, a Dark Knight lather from HAGS, and four giveaway winners to announce. Old school gear day.
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video
My First Shave With Rockwell's New SETPOINT Adjustable Razor
Mike runs the first real shave on Rockwell's new SETPOINT adjustable razor, stainless steel against aluminum, Personna Gem blades, and an early lean toward a winner.
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video
Blizzard Battles 2026 Final: Adopted Acres vs. Hearth & Altar
I owe the Cajun Blade an apology, then it's on: Adopted Acres versus Hearth & Altar for the Blizzard Battles crown.
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article
Prime Big Deal Days Shaving Deals: The Full List
Every shaving product carrying a Prime Big Deal badge on Amazon for Prime Big Deal Days, October 6 and 7, sorted by category with sale and list prices.
Read more →Featured Story
Editor's Pick · June 2026
The DE Razor Blade Buyer's Guide: A Tour of the Blades Worth Knowing
A discovery tour of the double-edge razor blades worth knowing, grouped by where they come from and what kind of shavers reach for them. Not a ranking, a map of the territory.
The Vault · Limited-Edition Collabs
View All →Every Shave Dad release. One run, then gone.
Each collab is a one-and-done partnership with an artisan. Each release is sold by the partner, links go directly to that retailer.
Featured Article
Recommended Reading · June 2026
The Classic Aftershave Buyer's Guide: A Tour of the Splashes and Balms Worth Knowing
A discovery tour of the classic aftershaves worth knowing, splashes, balms, colognes, and cooling treatments, grouped by where they come from and what kind of shavers reach for them. Not a ranking, a map of the territory.
The Shave Dad Project · Partners
All Partners →The artisans we've collaborated with.
Small-batch makers, family-run soap labs, and independent razor smiths. Every Shave Dad release is a partnership.
345 Soap Co
SOAP · USA
Adopted Acres Soap
SOAP · USA
Alpha Shaving Works
RAZORS · USA
Azalea City Suds
SOAP · USA
Denton Majik
SOAP · USA
Elysian Soap Shop
SOAP · USA
Ginger's Garden
SOAP · USA
Hendrix Classics & Co
SOAP · USA
Heritage Hill Shave Co
SOAP · USA
Master Soap Creations
SOAP · SOUTH AFRICA
Phoenix Artisan Accoutrements
SOAP · USA
Razor Emporium
RAZORS · USA
Strike Gold Shave
SOAP · USA
The Wet Shaving Store
PARTNER · USA
Van Yulay
SOAP · USA
Wholly Kaw
SOAP · USA
Featured Tool
Reference · September 2026
Gillette Date Codes and Serial Numbers: Date Your Razor in Seconds
Every US Gillette made from 1950 onward carries a letter and a digit that give you the exact quarter it was built, and the ones before that carry a serial number instead. Here is what the marks mean, plus a lookup that reads either one for you.
New to Wet Shaving?
Start here. Skip the regret.
Short guides built around the questions Jerry has answered ten thousand times in the Facebook group.
The Full Beginner's Path →
01
What Wet Shaving Actually Is
Wet shaving is the original way to shave, a brush, a soap, a single-blade razor, and water. Here's why people still do it.
02
Your First DE Razor
What to look for in a starter double-edge razor, and three specific models that won't steer you wrong.
03
Your First Shaving Brush
Synthetic, boar, or badger, what each is, what they cost, and which one to start with.
04
Choosing Your First Soap or Cream
Soap vs. cream, tallow vs. vegan, drugstore vs. artisan, and three specific starter products that won't disappoint.
05
Building a Lather That Actually Works
The single skill that makes or breaks a wet shave: turning a puck of soap into a thick, slick lather. With water ratios.
06
The Three-Pass Shave
WTG, XTG, ATG, what they mean, why each pass exists, and how to actually do them without bleeding.
07
Pre-Shave Prep & Post-Shave Routine
What you do in the five minutes before and after the razor matters more than most beginners realize.
08
Avoiding Razor Burn, Ingrowns, and Weepers
Diagnose what went wrong from the symptom: stinging, red rash, bumps, or pinprick bleeding.
09
Maintaining Your Gear
How to make a brush last 10 years and a razor last forever. Drying, blade rotation, soap storage.
10
Ten Common Beginner Mistakes
The mistakes everyone makes in their first month, and how to recognize you're making them.
11
Wet Shaving Glossary
The vocabulary you'll see in every Facebook group, every YouTube review, and every Shave Dad release post.
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