Shaving! I ditched the $$$$$ Cartridges!

[bobdog377]

Originally Posted by joeychitwood

Do any of you have a favorite cream/soap? I've been experimenting with The Art of Shaving creams, as well as one by Muhle and another from a Canadian company, The Gentlemen's Refinery. So far, they seem about equal in comparisons. I've tried several other cheaper creams but threw them away, as they did a poor job of retaining moisture or lathering with my badger brush.

My favourite has always been the Italian made Proraso ,tried soaps when I first started out but soon junked these in favour of the creams.


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[pz93c]

Welcome, Mantic.

You'll like it here, too.

[rocco_uk]

This thread looks interesting - definitely something on the TODO list

[rustedmetal]

I stumbled onto this thread in June. Shortly thereafter I found a vintage gillette at an antique store; blades & soap at my local grocer. I can say I haven't purchased a package of cartridges since May.

[darthmouse]

This is very interesting. I've only seen brushes and blades used when I visit barbershops in India. I guess I'll look into it.

[Rags]

I have to shave everyday. To get a great smooth shave I always shave in the shower. The water & steam make the beard so soft. I use Edge gel & Gillette custom plus disposable razors. My face comes out smooth as a babys bottom....

[nyyankees]

I tried this too using a safety blade, shaving soap, and badger brush. I could only get a close shave going against the grain and when I did that I was a bloody mess! Too many nicks. I'm back to my Braun Syncro electric and some Lectric Shave. It's fast and close! Wish I could have made it work.

[Sose]

I've shaved twice more with my DE and am getting quite comfortable with it. Really enjoying it.

[mantic59]

Originally Posted by nyyankees

I tried this too using a safety blade, shaving soap, and badger brush. I could only get a close shave going against the grain and when I did that I was a bloody mess! Too many nicks. I'm back to my Braun Syncro electric and some Lectric Shave. It's fast and close! Wish I could have made it work.

Did you try to shave directly against the grain first, or did you do a with-grain pass followed by an against-grain pass?

[Sejanus]

Hey Mark (Mantic), long time no see my friend. Hope you have been well! ;)

[art1118]

I have been using a certain German made razor forever! It is takes double edge blades, but it is unique in that the razor head has a twist to it! There is something about that twist that gives a better shave. I buy DE blades at Walmart for less than $2.00 a pack of 10. I use either Barbasol creme or a vintage brush (with a Bakalite handle) and shaving soap. I often get up to 4 weeks on a single blade! My method is to wash my face twice in very hot water before shaving then go to it. I always shave before showering.

[art1118]

My razor is similar to the Heavyweight pictured in the Art of Shaving ad, but with a twist at the head.

[Sose]

Originally Posted by art1118

My razor is similar to the Heavyweight pictured in the Art of Shaving ad, but with a twist at the head.

The AoS one is a Merkur. I just took a close look at mine and noticed.

[asadtiger]

I am a total Gillette guy...Gillette Mach 3 turbo razor, gillette shaving gel or cream+hot water and it makes for the best shave, exactly the one OP posted in his first post.

once you are used to this vintage shaving mechanism, you dont enjoy electronic shavers and all...my elder bro has one electronic one that I dont enjoy..its just not that much fun :) ..the blades give you a real close shave ( I sound like I am marketing Gillette :P )

[psv]

Fun thread lads!

I'm using Gillette 3-4-whatever blades, expensive even at Costo. DE might be worth trying.

While with the size of family I have my mornings are never calm per se, the notion of having an electric shaver buzzing close to my ear is a big no-no. Shaving is my quiet time so definitely foam and razor, but I'll definitely give this DE thing a try.

[mantic59]

Originally Posted by Sejanus

Hey Mark (Mantic), long time no see my friend. Hope you have been well! ;)

Hi Ken! I've been well. And yourself?

[Sejanus]

Originally Posted by mantic59

Hi Ken! I've been well. And yourself?

I've been well, but not shaving. I broke my right hand last month so been taking it easy.

I saw your article with Mike from 101 the other day. Cool stuff!

Glad to see you around these parts, I'd love to hear what you've been up to since last time I spoke to you. It has been awhile!

[joeychitwood]

I tried some Taylor of Old Bond Street Jermyn Street Pre-Shave Gel this morning before shaving along with some lemon-lime TOBS cream for the first time. I was very pleased. No razor burn or irritation. I also bought a Merkur 34G gold-plated DE razor. As long as I have to shave so often, I might as well enjoy it and have some fun. I like the heaviness of the Merkur. It's an aggressive razor, but I've found that the right products make all the difference when it comes to comfort.

I've been using Feather blades, but today I used a new Merkur blade. It may be that the Feather blades are just too sharp, as I had far fewer cuts or nicks this morning with the different blade.

[Kapture1]

very interesting, I will have to give it a shot. I hear those goo shaving creams have a bunch of cheap chemicals that do nothing for the skin. Wet shaving seems to be worth a shot. Thanks for posting

[mantic59]

Originally Posted by Sejanus

I've been well, but not shaving. I broke my right hand last month so been taking it easy.

Sorry to hear about your hand; I hope its healing well.

Not too much "new" with me: still doing shaving videos!

My father-in-law gave me two straight razors for Christmas so it looks like 2011 will be "the year of learning the straight" for me.

[TopNotchChach]

I use a mach 3 with kiehls shaving cream "close shavers squadron",blue eagle.

[Sejanus]

Originally Posted by mantic59

Sorry to hear about your hand; I hope its healing well.

I'll find out Monday how the healing has gone, I'll let you know how it goes.

I have been keeping up with your videos, in fact I directed a friend to them not long ago after I gifted him a DE and some blades :D

Keep me posted how your straights are doing. I am guessing they are of the traditional variety. I dabbled in them for awhile before settling on the Feather Straights. Deadly sharp but fun to use once you get the trick.

[KirkWilfred]

Originally Posted by joeychitwood

I tried some Taylor of Old Bond Street Jermyn Street Pre-Shave Gel this morning before shaving along with some lemon-lime TOBS cream for the first time. I was very pleased. No razor burn or irritation. I also bought a Merkur 34G gold-plated DE razor. As long as I have to shave so often, I might as well enjoy it and have some fun. I like the heaviness of the Merkur. It's an aggressive razor, but I've found that the right products make all the difference when it comes to comfort.

I've been using Feather blades, but today I used a new Merkur blade. It may be that the Feather blades are just too sharp, as I had far fewer cuts or nicks this morning with the different blade.

I like how you think, "As long as I have to shave so often, I might as well enjoy it and have some fun"

[ArcticMoose]

I was going to do this as soon as I saw the first post of this thread, but have since moved twice, including once where all my stuff was stuck in a shipping container for two months. I finally got around to it, sort of. I figured I might as well post it now, because if I don't it will probably never happen.

I have always had thick black facial hair that grows very quickly as well as extremely sensitive skin, not a great combination. Over the last 20 years I have tried every type of razor, electric and manual, I could get my hands on.

I have tried various products and techniques and have come up with a procedure that works for me. There are minor tweaks every now and then, but it has remained largely unchanged for the last five years. Here it is, my guide to the ultimate shave.

Start with a clean face! Get in the shower and make it as hot as you can stand, or even better, sit in a sauna. If time is an issue, let a hot towel rest on your face for a minute or two, but be aware that this is far from as effective.

Ahava Deep Cleansing Gel is absolutely amazing, it isn't heavily scented and it has just the right amount of grit for a clean feel without peeling your face off. For something a little less rough, try Zirh Clean.



Keep the room you are in as hot and humid as possible. Now it is time to choose a soap or cream. Proraso contains eucalyptus oil and menthol making it feel fresh and cool. The reason it feels so good is that it numbs your face, making it more difficult to notice if you're doing something wrong. I tend to stick to Trumper's, I prefer coconut or almond. Trumper's is available as soap in a bowl, cream in a bowl or cream in a handy travel-sized tube.



Next, choose a razor. I have used the Merkur Futur for years, and still find it is the best razor for a quick shave. I have been using the Merkur Vision, the DSSD of safety razors, a few times a week for the last six months. It is big, heavy and does require some patience of its user. I try hard to like it, but either I get a really close shave and destroy my face, or the shave is not close enough.

A leather case is a good way to store the razor, especially for travel.

A brush is essential for a decent lather, and also to get the individual beard strands to stand up straight in the lather. I used the smaller Edwin Jagger made of hand graded badger hair for many years. I picked up the larger brush during a visit to the Trumper's shop in London, huge difference! Definitely aim for a large, high-quality badger hair brush.



Time for some platinum! The component that appears to be the most individual is the blade. Feather blades are by far the sharpest and provide an incredibly close shave. They also put a lot of stress on my face, so I only use them when I need a perfect shave. My default choice is the red Personna blade.



Dip the brush in hot water and work up a lather either in a bowl or on your face. Make it too thin and the hairs will not stand straight, make it too thick and it will not provide enough lubrication. Take your time. Rest the razor against your face and slowly drag it along the grain without applying any pressure. Rinse face with hot water, lather up again and shave, this time across the grain. Repeat against the grain for a really close shave, but be careful.

After shaving rinse well with cold water and apply Proraso pre-shave cream. This provides an instant cooling sensation. If I have time, I'll let it sit for a few minutes and then get back in the shower and run it as cold as possible. (Recently close to 0°C!)



Dry your face by patting it with a clean towel. Apply Shiseido eye soother. (This isn't really shaving-related, but it is important to do this before the next step if you're doing it at all. I couldn't live without the stuff.) If there are any cuts or scrapes that haven't stopped bleeding (if it happens often you are doing something wrong) after the cold shower, use the Proraso styptic gel. Then, apply Zirh Erase liberally to the entire shaved area.

If you're expecting sun, apply Mecca, but let your face rest first.

Rins the brush with cold water, shake as much water out of it as possible and hang it upside down. Rinse the razor off and dip it in alcohol of some sort.

I still haven't found the perfect stand. Trumper's stand is polished and will not hold the thicker Merkur Vision razor. The Dovo stand has a brushed finish, but it is not the same as that of either of the Merkur razors and it will not hold larger brushes.



Finally, pour a decent glass of whisky, strap on a watch and congratulate yourself on job well done. Sit down for a few minutes, close your eyes, listen to the ticking and think about how perfect the rest of your day is going to be.



Finally, here is the alternative ending for those that feel that a leather strap has no business on a tool watch.



That's it.

[beowulf566]

This is serious food for thought. Not sure on de or straight razor? but seriously considering something different. I have sensative skin and am sick of paying big bucks and getting a crap shave.

[joeychitwood]

Originally Posted by beowulf566

This is serious food for thought. Not sure on de or straight razor? but seriously considering something different. I have sensative skin and am sick of paying big bucks and getting a crap shave.

I've bought 100 super-sharp Japanese Feather blades or Israeli Personna blades for 17 cents (US) a piece. I can use a new blade every shave or two and still save a lot of money over the expensive blade cartridges. The straight razor obviously must be sharpened regularly.

[oneillba]

I considered getting a straight edge aka cuttthroat blade.

[Medtech]

I can't believe I just read a 5 page thread on shaving.....

Even worse, I'm taking Grady's advice and ordering a vibrating razor on amazon (I never even knew I needed a vibrating razor)....

It all seems downhill from here.

[pz93c]

Forgot about this thread.

Just had my daily driver restored. It is a Robert's Warranted made about 1795.

[mfer]

btw, i started this thread and now that I have a 6 month old, I went back to the $$$ quick and easy cartridges! :-(