Reply With QuoteThere has been correspondence on this subject previously, a quick search will reveal all.
Until last christmas my shaving probably fairly typical - a Gillette Sensor Excel, canned gillette shave gel, one lather up, one quick pass of the blade, 5 minutes later job done. I always complained that I got rash on my neck but just put it down to my skin type.
Then for christmas my wife bought me a starter kit from Traditional Shaving Co consisting of a Merkur HD double edged razor, a Edwin Jagger badger brush, some Derby blades and some Taylor of Old Bond Street Lemon/Lime shave cream. She added some preshave oil and Nivea after shave balm to the kit. After a week or two of butchering myself I starting to get the hang of it. Since then its become an addictive hobby like watches and I now have several razors and a cabinet full of traditional shaving products. Well I have found my "grail" combination of equipment/products and have perfected a 3 pass shave technique that gives me a rash free, cut free smooth as a babys ass face: I use an EJ 89L razor, Feather blades, Truefitt & Hill pre-shave oil, Institut Karite shave soap applied with the EJ badger brush, a splash of Spanish Floid aftershave then Institut Karite balm. Shaving has gone from a chore to a very enjoyable way to start the day.
Anyone else "discovered" traditional shaving?
PS. Warning for those who think they might try it - its a very addictive hobby. But fun learning/trying new stuff. Refer to badgerandblade.com
There has been correspondence on this subject previously, a quick search will reveal all.
F.T.F.A.
Eighteen pages of us! 8)Originally Posted by PipPip
search.php?st=0&sk=t&sd=d&keywords=shaving&fid%5B% 5D=2&start=105
There's a shaving thread every hour, on the hour round these parts.
Tends to alternate with stuff like manbags, but I'm not sure why.
Regards
Ian
ps: Since you ask, on weekdays it's a Philishave rotary with the in-built lotion dispenser thingy, or at weekends or if I can be bothered, a King of Shaves razor, badger brush, Pecksniffs Citrus shaving soap followed by their Citrus aftershave balm and Citrus aftershave.
Or sandpaper followed by meths if I'm feeling particularly butch.
Although no trees were harmed during the creation of this post, a large number of electrons were greatly inconvenienced.
Wire brush and dettol for me... good for the piles too! :mrgreen:
jeff
I'm still in search of a least irritating way to shave. I don't grow a beard very quickly, proper stubble shows after about two days...but due to work, I have to shave daily. The 'second day' shave where there isn't a great deal of stubble tends to irritate more than where there is proper stubble. Using an electric razor I find very irritating with big red marks on my chin.
Cheap safety razor, in the shower, sans mirror. The shave is close, but I never get a nick.
Best wishes,
Bob
My advice would be a one-pass shave with a single-blade razor, and plenty of prep. If you don't fancy the safety razor/DE route, stick to Bic Sensitive single blade disposables.
A jolly great big +1 for Taylor of old Bond street and their shaving products 8)
utterly faaaaaantastic selection, favourite is "shaving shop" cologne
better by far than eau de goat. :D
I use a Merkur Vision and Gillette 7' o clock blades. I'd never go back to K of S gloop & those expensive 5 blade jobs now. Skin is a lot better for it too.
Rod
I used to have a lotion dispenser jobbie. Cost £150 & lasted 6 months. How long you had yrs?
Paul
GOT...TO...KILL...CAPTAIN STUPID!
Tried an open Razor..... There's a reason Mach 3s are so popular !
Hi Paul. Hope you're ok.I used to have a lotion dispenser jobbie. Cost £150 & lasted 6 months. How long you had yrs?
My present Philishave is about 6 months old and was heavily reduced in Boots from around £150 to £75. And that was on offer with 3 cans of lotion AND a special offer of two more cans which you had to send away for - bearing in mind that the cans of lotion are around £6.25, that's not a bad deal.
My previous example was about 18 months old but the battery needed recharging every other day. Otherwise it was fine. As far as electric shavers go, these are the best that I have ever used.
Regards
Ian
Although no trees were harmed during the creation of this post, a large number of electrons were greatly inconvenienced.
After trying most of the Merkur range I have settled on the Slant, in gold, and a Simpsons Chubby 2 brush in Best Badger. Unfortunately Gillette stop distributing their infamous "Swede" blades here and have gone over to Tesco own brand which are not quite as good but nearly half the price.
If you want more than just another thread on shaving why not visi a whole forum dedicated to it;
http://www.badgerandblade.com
They even have their version of the SC!
Good choice. I'm a big Slant fan. I've got four Merkurs - HD, Slant, Futur and Vision and the Slant's my favourite by far.
I have 500 stockpiled. There are other blades I prefer, though. The Super-max Platinums, for example, which cost pennies.Unfortunately Gillette stop distributing their infamous "Swede" blades...
B&B is a little too over-moderated for my taste. http://www.shavemyface.com/forum/ is the TZ-UK of shaving forums. 8)If you want more than just another thread on shaving why not visi a whole forum dedicated to it http://www.badgerandblade.com They even have their version of the SC!
Merkur Futura most of the time, although I occasionally use a Mach5titaniumturboultrasupersonicrazor when time contrainst mean the futura could be dangerous.
+1 for Goats mention of Old Bond St, although they are by no means cheap.
Thanks to this tread and the other one that was linked to i've spent hours reading about shaving and now ordered all the kit first you guys have me spending a fortune on watches now it's bloody shaving :lol:
Yeah I spent a fortune on gear when I first realised there was something other than horribly overpriced Gillette cartridges. One piece of advice is when you switch shaving methods give it time for you, and your face, to adjust.
Good luck. Definitely take your time with it but have fun trying different stuff. Yes you will probably spend a bit initially but the blades are way cheaper than mach 3 cartidges so in a year you probably spend the same. I started out shaving just in the evenings so I wouldn't rush and to allow any nicks or rash to heal overnight. Don't try to run before you can walk, start off just doing a couple of passes with the grain for a week or two (and working out which way your grain is), then switch to a with and across the grain pass. Don't try against the grain for a couple of months. I was advised the same but ignored the advice and regretted it, my neck was butchered. Now, 5 months down the line, I do with, across then against the grain and a quick touch up of a few areas and can do it all in around 10 minutes in the morning. You speed up with time and the results get better too.
I used to wet shave, but now i run over with a beard trimmer on a morning and occasionally do a full job with the new electric jobbie the mrs bought me for xmas
Mach 3 and Proraso Cutting Edge Shaving Gel with Aloe Vera. Definitely the best a man can get!
http://www.carterandbond.com/detail....Brands:Proraso
Ditto. A few drops of shaving oil as well, and I believe that helps the blade last longer as well, I shave twice a week and change blades once every 3-4 months I reckon. I usually tend to get a new razor once a year or so and just use the blades that come with that.
"I forget who it was that recommended men for their soul's good to do each day two things they disliked ... it is a precept that I have followed scrupulously; for every day I have got up and I have gone to bed."
well i switched from electric to wet shaving with a DE razor in november last year - after reading the other thread :D
it took a few months to get a really good shave, but from the start i got better results than my electric ever gave. and i have had *no* problems with razor rash or ingrown hairs like i'd had from the multi blade cartridges that i used before i started using an electric.
it's now a very enjoyable part of my morning routine, as opposed to a daily chore. :)
Just a warning to the Merkur users out there. I have a Merkur Vision (maybe 5 years old) and it has corroded to the extent that I no longer use it. There was a thread on Badger&Blade with other Merkur customers with the same problem. The Vision has a coating that can start to blister and flake off.
On the other hand, my normal weapon of choice is a Slant - which hasn't corroded at all. I've also got about half a dozen Gillettes including some vintage 1950's pieces including a couple of Fatboys (they don't make them like that any more :( )
What blades do you use? I have a BIG stock pile of Japanese Feather blades as I find that they keep their edge longer and don't drag.
I also have a huge stockpile of Feathers. I prefer the Edwin Jagger EJ89L to the Merkur HD. Better quality and gives a smoother shave, works especially well with a Feather.
i think the op was talking about face shaving bob .
Just spoken to my mrs (i'm offshore at the moment) I placed 2 orders with the shaving shack one for brush razor extra blades some soap,cream etc , 2 days later i placed one for some different soap and a shaving mug. Take a wild guess which one has turned up :roll: I'm hoping the razor etc will get there tomorrow as i've not shaved for 5 days (offshore so i can get away with it here)trying to wait until i get home and try out the new stuff. I may have to resort to the mach3 again :cry:
After reading that 18-page thread last year, I bought the Merkur with accompanyments - stuck with it for a month, cut my face to shreds every time (despite following the instructions from the Yank on YouTube), so now back to my trusty Gillette (close shave and never a scratch). I reckon I've just got girly skin.
In which order?
:shock:
R
Ignorance breeds Fear. Fear breeds Hatred. Hatred breeds Ignorance. Break the chain.
As someone with sensitive skin, after years of mucking about, I was recommended to go electric but with the caveat that it would take a few weeks to get used to it. So I bought a decent electric shaver, and first time out used it just before a friend's wedding, you can see the red welts on my neck on their wedding photos if you look closely enough :D
Anyway I did stick with it and lo and behold after a few weeks pain/rash free shaving. I still like to have a wet shave every now and then just for the ritual, but day-to-day to be able to just spend 2/3 mins with the Braun and not have to worry about sore skin is fantastic.
Thanks for that....just spat my food out on to my desk! Good job I was alone!!
I hate shaving so leave a Sensor Excel in the shower and shave when hot and moist. :wink: Bonus is that I can save money by not buying shaving foam etc. £000s of pounds on watches but too tight to buy foam. :mrgreen:
Braun 3105 when lazy or in a rush............this when not:-
I wont be filed, stamped, indexed, briefed, debriefed, I am not a number, I am a free man, my life is my own!!!
Be seeing you
Toodle pip
Griff.
Ok so my new torture equipment has arrived and I've had my first butcher lessons with it :shock: It was actually quite nice 2 tiny nicks on the second pass after Id turned the setting up to 3I will never learn :lol: other than that I'm quite pleased not quite as close as my Mach3 yet but for a first attempt it cam bloody close and my neck feels much less irritated than it does normally after a shave :thumbright: I'll leave it tomorrow and try again on saturday. Up to now though I'm quite impressed
Changed from wet shave to using a Panasonic wet/dry electric. I should have done it years ago.
Expensive to buy but well worth the money in my view.
Bob
With apologies for the thread necrophilia, I've now succumbed to the lure of DE shaving, and bought a Merkur Futur (brushed finish, and from an initial inspection a very nicely made piece of kit), and a sample pack of blades from Connaught. All of which arrived this morning.
Until now I have happily used either a Gillette Fusion or King of Shaves Azor - replacement cartridges for the Gillette are around £18 for eight, the KoS around half that. From lurking on the shaving fora, I deduced that the Futur is a good starting point, others in the Merkur stable being recommended for the more experienced, razors such as the Slant being more aggressive. I had aready been using the cartridge razors with a brush and decent soap/cream.
So, with visions of fillets of face hanging off, necessitating a visit to casualty, or worse still whole cheeks dropping into the sink, I set the Futur to the girliest setting, applied some Truefitt and Hill pre-shave oil followed by some of their excellent Ultimate Comfort shaving cream, and set gingerly to work. Two passes later, with intermittent re-lathering and very little blood in evidence, and I had achieved something which bore comparison with a good cartridge shave. Result.
Obviously more practice will be required, but it's an encouraging start. I took the advice of trying to achieve a comfortable, rather than a close shave, and not be over-ambitious. No doubt as my confidence increases I'll manage to take slices out of my visage, but for now I'm feeling quite satisfied with the result and encouraged to continue. The trouble is that like watches, it's easy to become obsessed and find yourself drawn into the ephemera, and trying various equipment, creams and potions. I'm trying to resist. Even so, on an economy level, the razor will pay for itself as the blades (c.£10 for 51) are dirt cheap by comparison with cartridges, and good creams can be bought reasonably cheaply.
So if anybody is wavering, if like me you were wet shaving using a cartridge razor, it's worth trying DE.
Regards
Ian
Although no trees were harmed during the creation of this post, a large number of electrons were greatly inconvenienced.
Surely blokes don't discuss their testacles on here do they?!
had a shave in turkey with a straight (cut throat?) type razor,very,very good it was as well.
think im too chicken to have a go myself though!
ill have to stick with the gillette.
Probably, but I feel that if you do a search using the keyword "B*llocks" about a thousand threads will come up!! :D :DSurely blokes don't discuss their testacles on here do they?!
Although no trees were harmed during the creation of this post, a large number of electrons were greatly inconvenienced.
:laughing5:
Now that I am in no doubt of. ;)
Chainsaw with a 24" blade (gas of course).
Wet shave, using a new in box 1965 Gillette safety razor, with traditional razor blades, shaving soap applied with a badger brush.
Works wonders and only takes about 10 mins.
Electric...I uses the old ladys ,Panasonic ES2015AC Ladies 3 in 1 Hair Removal System, Aqua...hurts a bit in the beginning, but you get used to it!
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