Lets talk about shaving

gordonjuan said:
I lurk a whole lot more here than I will ever post, but this subject caught my attention.

I have somewhat sensitive skin and am very prone to ingrown hairs. After talking to my doctor several years ago, he suggested wet shaving and see what happens. I tried it, and haven't looked back. Far more economical than cartridge shaving, and not the quite the fear of blood-letting that a straight razor can invoke. ;)

Oh yeah, my complexion cleared up and ingrown hairs are nearly non-existent.

Gordon
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Same here. I use the double edged blades and it's really relaxing. I have been keeping short trimmed facial hair for a while but I still shave my neck like this and it's great. Another thing that's just extremely satisfying to do with care and precision.
 
Another huge fan of Taylor of Old Bond Street shaving cream. And wouldn't be without Proraso after shave lotion, it gives a smooth feel to the skin that lasts all day. I use a Merkur 34 razor and for blades it really depends on your skin/beard. I bought a sample pack of blades from West Coast Shaving, and you do get a different feel and performance from different blades. My go to are Personna platinum, but the feather cut better if I haven't shaved in a few days.

Still too intimidated by the straight razor to buy one.
 
skibik said:
You guys with the straight edge blades are nuts! I don't think I could ever even try one of those. I would probably sneeze while shaving and cut my ear off!

To those that use the double edge like the Merker is there that much of a difference in the blade from the single edge like the Schick I use? I looked into about a year ago when this topic come up about ayear ago and I just ended up buying another pack or two of blades for my current razor. It looks like the cost of a pack of blades costs about a third per blade than what I pay for the Injecta blades. The only problem I see is how do you keep a 50 pack of blades fresh like the ones in the link above?

Another question I have is about soaps. I tried one of those soap pucks or bars, Williams I believe, that was available at the local drugstore but I really didn't care for it. My dad didn't have much of a set up but I got the stuff after he passed. His soap mug was just a googly eyed coffee, a soap brush, and the single edge Schick. Now I would be interested to step up my shave game but the soap to me leaves something to be desired. I can nevr get a thick lather from it and if memory serves me riht it dried on my face qickly and before I as able to finish. To which I prefer a sensitive skin shave cream. I even tried some more expensive shave gels in the cans but go back to the cheaper Gillette sensitive foam as it seems I get little to no razor burn from it.

I don't shave everyday and sometimes go 4 to 6 days without shaving, 2 to 3 day is average. I prefer twin blades but can't use them on anything over a 3 or 4 day beard. If I use the single edge it seems like I can shave a lot faster with it versus the twin. So all in all I was wondering if the blades a person can get for the double edge are better then what I what I have.

I guess I have spent all I am probably going to spend on detailng my car I could just as well start spending it on detailing my face. I am open to suggestions and opinions.
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For soap the Williams is a love or hate. I can get a good lather with a little work.

I poor enough HOT water other soap to have a thin layer covering the top. I fill my bowl with hot water and soak a boars(or a badger with a stiffer back bone) hairs brush in it. I then shower. I will then empty the lather bowel, and shake the brush twice in the sink. I pour the water from the soap in the sink. I then load my brush bw swirling over the soap for about a minute. Then build lather in the bowl.

I would also suggest try another quality soap.

As far as blade I buy in packs of hundred. They come in either individual tucks of 5 or 10 blades. I will store them in a quart size zip lock brand bag to keep moisture away.

Here is my shave today ( the razor is a Merkur Barber (long handle) pole model.
17054740aa8ba4e449fbd0a28b8df1df.jpg

Plisson is a great travel brush, being synthetic it dries in less time.

Sent from my D6708 using Tapatalk
 
gordonjuan said:
I lurk a whole lot more here than I will ever post, but this subject caught my attention.

I have somewhat sensitive skin and am very prone to ingrown hairs....[I switched to..]..[and].. my complexion cleared up and ingrown hairs are nearly non-existent.
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That caught my eye as I'm very prone to ingrown facial hair too. Glad you got it sorted out, and once again I find it interesting how experiences differ; after shaving wet for a long time, I found that, to my surprisem, I do best shaving with an electric as long as I don't press hard enough for a "really close" shave. Downside is that I sometimes have to shave twice a day and each shave takes quite a while. But it did sort out the ingrown hair issue that I struggled with for ages.

Still using an old Braun, on its third or fourth set of replacement batteries.
 
Thanks Tuxedo Taurus for the suggestons. I might have to try a different soap. I will have to dig out or find my dads mug and brush. Even though I like the convenience of shave cream in the can as I get older I like the idea of shaving old school style. I was never the type to buy into the must have latest and greatest blades. Even though I like my twin blade I do like the single for when I go the extra time between shaves. I was never one to buy into the idea that more than 2 blades were necessary and my thoughts were it is a waste of money. It might take a while but once I use up my blades for the Schick I might have to look into replacing it with e double edge. Appreciate the help.

Thanks.
 
skibik said:
Thanks Tuxedo Taurus for the suggestons. I might have to try a different soap. I will have to dig out or find my dads mug and brush. Even though I like the convenience of shave cream in the can as I get older I like the idea of shaving old school style. I was never the type to buy into the must have latest and greatest blades. Even though I like my twin blade I do like the single for when I go the extra time between shaves. I was never one to buy into the idea that more than 2 blades were necessary and my thoughts were it is a waste of money. It might take a while but once I use up my blades for the Schick I might have to look into replacing it with e double edge. Appreciate the help.

Thanks.
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You could also try a good cream.

I told myself it was to save money also, but soaps and creams are like lsp's.

I was in Merz Apothecary in Chicago and spent $300, so little nervous about the Grooming Lounge.

Sent from my D6708 using Tapatalk
 
skibik said:
You guys with the straight edge blades are nuts! I don't think I could ever even try one of those. I would probably sneeze while shaving and cut my ear off!

To those that use the double edge like the Merker is there that much of a difference in the blade from the single edge like the Schick I use? I looked into about a year ago when this topic come up about ayear ago and I just ended up buying another pack or two of blades for my current razor. It looks like the cost of a pack of blades costs about a third per blade than what I pay for the Injecta blades. The only problem I see is how do you keep a 50 pack of blades fresh like the ones in the link above?

Another question I have is about soaps. I tried one of those soap pucks or bars, Williams I believe, that was available at the local drugstore but I really didn't care for it. My dad didn't have much of a set up but I got the stuff after he passed. His soap mug was just a googly eyed coffee, a soap brush, and the single edge Schick. Now I would be interested to step up my shave game but the soap to me leaves something to be desired. I can nevr get a thick lather from it and if memory serves me riht it dried on my face qickly and before I as able to finish. To which I prefer a sensitive skin shave cream. I even tried some more expensive shave gels in the cans but go back to the cheaper Gillette sensitive foam as it seems I get little to no razor burn from it.

I don't shave everyday and sometimes go 4 to 6 days without shaving, 2 to 3 day is average. I prefer twin blades but can't use them on anything over a 3 or 4 day beard. If I use the single edge it seems like I can shave a lot faster with it versus the twin. So all in all I was wondering if the blades a person can get for the double edge are better then what I what I have.

I guess I have spent all I am probably going to spend on detailng my car I could just as well start spending it on detailing my face. I am open to suggestions and opinions.
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I shave 3-4 times a week. I do not shave every day because it's waste imo. I use electric on the face and a DE/safety blade on the neck. I use the merkur HD, it's the greatest beginner blade you can get, especially since it doesn't break bank. You need a specialized quality shave SOAP such as prorazo, very good for sensitive skin, way thicker lather when done right and is MUCH cheaper in the long run. As far as blades, I use feathers, they are disposable and still far cheaper then ANY cartridge out. I get 5x better of a shave with feathers then with schick hydro 3's which IMO are the best cartridge bar none. You need to get the hang of it, it takes time but once you do you'll never go back.

Keep your skin moist and warm before a shave.

Lather correctly, thick an even.

Keep the blades hot and fresh/new.

shave with the least amount of pressure possible.

Focus on your angle.

All that will lead to the perfect shave.
 
Wow - love this thread !!!
Love looking at all the cool shaving tools !
Thanks for posting them all up -

I got into Art of Shaving back in 2002, when they were owner- owned, and they had some incredible products AND had a Master Barber in their shops who could give your hair and face an incredible spa treatment, with a straight razor..

What I learned from them and still do today is to use their Lemon Shaving Oil on my heated up face, then their Soap that also has lemon in it, a good brush, and a really good Feather Stainless Steel double-edge Safety Razor with Crystal (made in Israel) blades..

And I do it all in the shower, lots of steam, lots of hot water, easy to rinse off the razor, and I get incredible shaves every time...

Yes, I had to get to know my face using just my hands and touch, to know where and how to avoid any issues, and so far, years later, no problems, just great shaves, everything goes down the drain, no cleaning up the sink, mirror, etc., and I can finish up my shower and I'm good to go..

I don't use a mirror, once tried those fogless things and threw it away..

The razor and blades I bought on Amazon I believe years ago and I will take years to use up all the blades, but that's fine for me...

The brush is a really thick badger brush from Art of Shaving with a stainless steel handle, and holder for the brush and razor, all from AofShaving...

I think the key point I got from my experiments were --

Your face has to be heated for awhile to get the whiskers soft..
At the Art of Shaving barber shop, they put a beautiful, great smelling, new white hot towel on your face for a long time, after they washed it..

The right shaving oil makes a difference for me - keeps my face slippery, and the whiskers soft along with the hot to the touch shaving cream - after - I have stood under the hot water in the shower letting it hit my face...

Logistics - I get my face washed, rinsed, and heated up under the shower, then oil it up, lather it up, and shave away from the showerhead.

When I have finished at least 3 passes, and its really smooth, I get under the shower with the warm water hitting my face and finish up shaving under the water. This really works great at keeping everything warm, wet and slippery...

The great shaving oil is still on my face even after the lather is rinsed off and I can feel around and get anything I missed, etc..

For my needs, the kit I have works great ! I can go all day and not have a bad 5:o'clock shadow at the end..

The shave this way is so close, my skin feels really smooth and soft, no scrapes, red irritated areas, cuts, etc...

Dan F
 
My favorite all time razor is the Gillette sensor (metal handle).

Was well balanced, blades very sharp, didn't clog fast.
 
Nothing fancy but it was my dads stuff. I haven't used the mug or brush in a while but use the razor often. I think I checked at one time on the age of the handle when I got it. I believe it dates back to the mid 50's. I have no idea what the brush hair is. Has Hegener stamped on it, the word sterilized below it, the number 3 below that. I thought it was a fox hair. I remember hearing that brush clanking around in the mug when Dad was lathering up the brush. I can't say as my beard ever sounds like his when I remember him shaving, but it sounded like he was using a hunting knife to shave with.

20151227_182939.jpg
 
skibik said:
The only problem I see is how do you keep a 50 pack of blades fresh like the ones in the link above?
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Most quality blades come individually wrapped in slightly waxed papers. As long as you don't submerse them they'll stay fine for decades.

skiblk said:
Another question I have is about soaps. I tried one of those soap pucks or bars, Williams I believe, that was available at the local drugstore but I really didn't care for it.
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This is definitely a case where a soap is a soap is a soap can't be said. Interestingly enough you mentioned Williams. They reformulated their soap maybe 15 years ago. It was known to be a favorite and turned into a sub par performer for the very reasons you mentioned. It dries very quickly on your face and is difficult though not impossible to get a good thick lather. The best advice I can give you when whipping this soap is it takes a lot of product to get a thick lather.

So all in all I was wondering if the blades a person can get for the double edge are better then what I what I have.
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I've never used the Schick that you've mentioned so I can't make a legitimate comparison but I would add that razor blades are like car waxes there are a ton of them and they aren't all the same. Some are extremely sharp like a Feather but I can't get 3 shaves out that blade others not quite as sharp (Persona) but will go 5 shaves for me. You have to try a few to find your favorite. You can buy many blades in quantities of 100 for less than $20. You'll get 4 or 5 shaves out of a blade. They are very economical.
 
I've been shaving for a bit over 35 years, and have tried dozens of blade/shaving cream combos. Some worked well, some not so well.

Then, about 10 years ago, I discovered the missing ingredient.

Coconut oil.

If you apply coconut oil after wetting your face and before you apply your shaving cream, you will get the smoothest shave you've ever had. Even better, you can buy 54 oz. of it from Costco for $16. A little goes a long, long way. I use less than a dime-size amount each time. On top of that, coconut oil is great for your skin, so your face will be as smooth as a freshly-clayed Bentley hood!
 
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