Lets talk about shaving

[jrock645]

Obviously a touchy subject. Some are perfectionists about it, some just want it done and over with. I`ve never considered myself in the perfectionist about it, but I know a good shave from a bad one. Not much feels better than a great shave. I have somewhat sensitive skin and I`m rarely happy with my shave unless it`s a brand spanking new razor. I`ve never had a straight razor shave and I`d love to learn it, but I`m terrified of the thought. Plus, those razors are crazy expensive, like $120!

Ive owned 2 electrics, a braun and a norelco and hated both. Takes too long, rough on the skin and nowhere near close enough. The Gillette stuff is nice but such a gimmick and crazy expensive. Why does shaving have to cost so much?!

A year or two ago, I stumbled onto a trick to prolong razor blades- wipe them dry after use, hold in rubbing alcohol when not in use, and after the first week strop the blades on a pair of jeans after every 2-3 shaves. Works pretty well, and instead of a week`s worth of use, I could typically get 4-6. I got 8 a couple times but the last week or two was brutal. Even still, the last week or two is noticeably worse, which is understandable.

Im finally able to stomach the cost of shaving, but still not thrilled with my shave.

The ads for Bevel on Facebook got me thinking. I almost signed up until I stopped to think about it- $30 a month for a subscription shaving plan?! Talk about nuts! Especially when you can buy 100 replacement blades for $12, s razor stand for $15, a razor handle for as little as $15(though some are much more, I have no idea why), a soap bowl for $5(or a coffee mug from the cupboard), a brush for as little as $15, and as little or as much as you want on soap and aftershave balm. Do people not actually look at costs before they sign up for this bs?

Being home for Christmas, I had the chance to discuss shaving with my grandfather. He`s a retired marine corps captain who survived 4 tours in Vietnam. If I learned anything from him, it`s grooming- always clean shaved, shoes are polished(it was my job to polish his shoes for church), sideburns are always at the top of the ear and the back neckline is always squared up. Anyway, he just so happened to have a safety razor that he let me try and gave me, along with a package of blades. Will take some practice, but is worth a try. I was surprised he gave it to me, but he`s a huge fan of the Harry`s razor and has no need for it.

How about you guys? Any real shaving aficionados here? What are your tips and secrets you`ve stumbled onto over the years?

[GearHead_1]

Several of us on here have discussed and still participate in "old school" shaving. There are a couple of threads on here about this very subject. I have a number of straight razors and love them though admittedly I use Merkur double edges day in and day out.

[The Driver]

Several of us on here have discussed and still participate in "old school" shaving. There are a couple of threads on here about this very subject. I have a number of straight razors and love them though admittedly I use Merkur double edges day in and day out.

YES!

START WITH THE BASICS!

MERKUR HD
Amazon.com : Merkur Heavy Duty Double Edge Razor (Blade Included) : Beauty

FEATHER BLADES
Amazon.com : Feather Double Edge Blades, 50 Count : Razor Blades : Beauty

Shaving cream
Amazon.com: Proraso Shave Soap, Sensitive, 150ml/5.2 oz (147 g) Jar: Beauty

That`s all ya need! The best beginner setup period!

For electric, I use this. I don`t know which braun you used but the 7 series are NOT anything like the rest. They are a completely different caliber, I used tons of different ones including braun 3 an 1 series. Once I tried the 7 it was no contest. Find one that fell off the back of a truck on eBay...
Amazon.com: Braun Series 7-720 Men`s Shaver 1 Count: Health & Personal Care

[GearHead_1]

Just got a bowl of "Art of Shaving" soap for Christmas.

[The Driver]

Just got a bowl of "Art of Shaving" soap for Christmas.

Dude, one word... Etsy

Absolutely the best shaving tools known to man.

[GearHead_1]

Dude, one word... Etsy

Absolutely the best shaving tools known to man.

Thinking "best" in shaving is a lot like "best" in detailing. Subjective at the very least. I`m assuming you`re talking about the Etsy web site, am I correct?

[RaskyR1]

Just got a bowl of "Art of Shaving" soap for Christmas.

To be honest I`ve never really gotten into it and just used your typical Gillet razor and cream. That being said my wife gave me one of the "Art of Shaving" 4-piece kits with the brush for X-mas after I had tried a sample a few weeks prior. I was surprised at the difference it made. What`s funny is that I looked in the mirror when I was done and thought to myself that I actually looked different. Walked out of the bathroom and the wife looked at me and said the same thing!

The brush seemed to make the shaving cream go further and I think the pre-shave oil is probably what made the biggest difference, since Ive never used one before. I`m sold now!

[jrock645]

That art of shaving stuff looks great but way too expensive for regular use, definitely gift worthy!

[GearHead_1]

[jrock645]

Wow... Beautiful!!!

[GearHead_1]

This one is a Damascus blade. It`s very interesting.



You asked about tips and secrets and I don`t know that I have any but I will say when it comes to shaving soaps, use a good one. Proraso for instance is one that isn`t cost prohibitive but works very well. If you like creams Bath and Body sells a Proraso made shave cream that is called Bigelow. It is the same cream. You can buy it in 3`s and it costs about $6.

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ARKO makes a soap that won`t break the bank either.

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[jrock645]

Ah... Damascus steel! As a chef, I`ve got a thing for knives and I`ve seen some gorgeous Damascus steel knives over the years.

How did you learn and work up the courage to do a straight razor shave on yourself?

[GearHead_1]

How did you learn and work up the courage to do a straight razor shave on yourself?

Buy yourself a utilitarian Dovo/Merkur razor, they`re not cheap but like any good knife will last you a lifetime. I haven`t looked for a while but probably about $80. Wide blade and rounded nose is great to begin. You might buy a fancier razor but you won`t get one that is any better. As a Chef you know, keep it sharp. You`ll potentially do a lot more damage with one that doesn`t have an edge. Plan on doing a 2 or even 3 pass shave. Lots of soap is a good thing. Reapply it several times. Then don`t let it rattle you. Start by using your straight edge supplementally. Use your regular gear and then just do your cheeks (big open area) with the straight razor. Once you`ve done it a couple of times it`s just natural to go a little farther next go round before you know it you`ll be doing your whole face. I`ve never even cut myself with one. I can`t say that about a safety razor.

[skibik]

I am no shaving conissiuer. I used a Remington electri shaver and a Norelco rotary for a while. I hated the Rotary as it bit my skin. I liked the Remington and it had the foil but you still had to be careful as it would still bite the skin a little. I went back to blades for the last 20+ years. I inherited my dads Schick Injecta razor and soap cup. I also have a bunch of Gillette twin blade disposable razor I bought when they were on sale and with a rebate a few years ago. They seem to last a while. I do get lazy on shaving and have no one to impress on my job so I do go the whole week once in a while without shaving. The twin blades can`t handle a 5 day old beard so that is where the Schick comes in at. I can get 6 or 8 good shaves out of it, probably even as many as 12 but it gets kind of rough on the skin. Never have to worry about plugging it up. Bad thing is even though I am in my 50`s I still get pimples once in a while and that thing will take them off no problem. I can still buy blades for it for under 8 bucks for 7 blades. I don`t buy shave soap but use Gillette sensitive skin shave cream, love the smell and it is cheap like I am.

[GearHead_1]

The razor on the right is one like I would suggest. You can get decent razors with rosewood, zebra or whatever fancy wood scales and they work great but over time the scales will shrink and they`ll crack by the rivets and need to be replaced. You get one with plastic scales and they`ll be around forever.

I have a bunch of brushes but this particular one is probably my best brush. I made a couple of these for myself and my son. I should say I assembled these. You buy the handle and drill it for the size knot you choose, this one is 24 mm. Doing it this way lets you buy an ultra premium knot without paying the name brand prices for essentially a piece of plastic with a company`s logo embossed in the side of it.