A Question for the Gentlemen

GearHead_1

GearHead_1

Long Time Member
I know this one's a bit out there for a detailing board even in the Off Topic forum. That said, I know we have a few "gentlemen" out there. Any of you use a straight blade razor? If so, whose blade are you using? I guess I would probably be interested in knowing whose brush you're using as well?
 
Hey Utah !

I have had great results with the Art of Shaving product line, specifically, their badger hair brushes, their pre-shave oils and their shaving soap that you use with the brush.
They also sell their line of straight razors, but I prefer to use their handle with a great Gillette Fusion blade.

I can get a pretty darn good hot shave - both directions using the above products in the shower, and the face is baby smooth for about 10 hours or so. You want your face, brush, soap, and razor as hot as possible to get you the best, closest shave.

I have been shaved with a straight razor, (you will need a good leather strop), and there is nothing like it in the world.

If you have an Art of Shaving Store nearby, they usually have a Master Barber who can cut your hair and give your face the ultimate shave and treatment! I have done this a couple of times, and wow, the ultimate spa-like treatment for your face and hair.

I also like Trufitt & Hill products and they make similar products to Art of Shaving.

Good luck finding what you need !

Dan F
 
Stokdgs said:
Hey Utah !

I have had great results with the Art of Shaving product line, specifically, their badger hair brushes, their pre-shave oils and their shaving soap that you use with the brush.
They also sell their line of straight razors, but I prefer to use their handle with a great Gillette Fusion blade.

I can get a pretty darn good hot shave - both directions using the above products in the shower, and the face is baby smooth for about 10 hours or so. You want your face, brush, soap, and razor as hot as possible to get you the best, closest shave.

I have been shaved with a straight razor, (you will need a good leather strop), and there is nothing like it in the world.

If you have an Art of Shaving Store nearby, they usually have a Master Barber who can cut your hair and give your face the ultimate shave and treatment! I have done this a couple of times, and wow, the ultimate spa-like treatment for your face and hair.

I also like Trufitt & Hill products and they make similar products to Art of Shaving.

Good luck finding what you need !

Dan F
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I've been doing the hard soap, double edge, Silver Tip/Super Badger brushes for a bit now, along with a ton of experimentation. Got a Pure Badger Hair brush coming. I know that's considered a step down but I've heard it works well with hard soaps. I've tried the Truefitt and Hill pre-shave oil and soap and am in fact making some home made pre-shave oil this week. Just kind of looking at the next progression, that being a straight edge. I've recently ordered several straight edge razors, Dovo and Buckingham & Sons along with all the gear to hone and maintain them. Figured that way I could make an honest comparison. Haven't received them yet and will likely end up cutting my throat. Just wondering if anyone else does this in todays world of multi-blade razors and high tech electric shavers?
 
My barber scared me away from the blade. I am so afraid of lopping my ear off I am staying away. I have always wanted to try it though.
 
TID10 said:
My barber scared me away from the blade. I am so afraid of lopping my ear off I am staying away. I have always wanted to try it though.
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That's kind of where I'm at. Truth is I don't know that I can get a much better shave than I'm getting right now but something keeps pulling me in. Mr. Clean is a long time double edge wet shaver and he advised me on the gear I now have. I figure I can start slowly, perhaps with the cheeks or bigger areas and refine my skills before I get too close to the juggler. ;) I can get the tight places with the double edge I'm now using.
 
You guys got more guts than me for sure!!!!!!!!!!!! I have to use a electric or my face will be chewed up after a short time with a blade. Theres no way i could shave daily with a blade and as close as you guys are talking I would have ingrown hairs all over the place especially going against the grain.
 
rzatch said:
You guys got more guts than me for sure!!!!!!!!!!!! I have to use a electric or my face will be chewed up after a short time with a blade. Theres no way i could shave daily with a blade and as close as you guys are talking I would have ingrown hairs all over the place especially going against the grain.
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Oddly enough, I have found the exact opposite to be true. Mind you I'm still talking about a double edged razor here. This is not what I might have expected. My wife also noticed the difference when I made the shift. I have both Phillips and Braun's best electrics and figured that was as good as it gets, though I usually chased the electric with a Schick Quattro. I know it doesn't seem to make sense and the only thing I can liken the situation to is that the blades are actually removing/ex-foliating the top layer of skin that was trapping the in grown hairs before. My face has NEVER been smoother and my beard is like fishing line, very tough.
 
Well hopefully you find what your looking for and when you do, you don't walk around until noon with little bits of toilet paper on your face.:rofl
 
:(A single blade scares me. I kill double and triple blade razors but think I'd kill myself with a single blade as your speaking of.:(
 
I have long since graduated from the disposable's to what is known as a "safety razor". However, I don't have the patience (or the guts) to take the next step over to a straight razor. However, I can recommend a really good vendor for straight razors, safety razors and various shaving supplies. Check out Nashville KnifeShop - Straight Razors, Safety Razors, Shaving Brushes & More! for more information.

(I hope that we can post outside links on this forum. If not, admin can delete that and I can PM it as needed.)

-J
 
RootsRadical said:
I have long since graduated from the disposable's to what is known as a "safety razor". However, I don't have the patience (or the guts) to take the next step over to a straight razor. However, I can recommend a really good vendor for straight razors, safety razors and various shaving supplies. Check out Nashville KnifeShop - Straight Razors, Safety Razors, Shaving Brushes & More! for more information.

(I hope that we can post outside links on this forum. If not, admin can delete that and I can PM it as needed.)

-J
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Links are fine, as long as they are to 'work safe' websites. :bigups
 
Just to clarify....

a) you guys are telling me it gets better then a Mach 3? Cause I saw the commercial and they said it was the best.

b) all its takes is a razor to be a gentleman?
 
Todd Helme said:
Just to clarify....

a) you guys are telling me it gets better then a Mach 3? Cause I saw the commercial and they said it was the best.

b) all its takes is a razor to be a gentleman?
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a) Can't even remember a Mach 3. That was two or three blades per cartridge ago. :D

b) Not at all but a real gentleman knows how to use a razor, even if only to trim the goat. Guess I could have asked the ladies how they liked a straight blade? And you thought the chin was THE problem area. ;)
 
GearHead_1 said:
a) Can't even remember a Mach 3. That was two or three blades per cartridge ago. :D

b) Not at all but a real gentleman knows how to use a razor, even if only to trim the goat. Guess I could have asked the ladies how they liked a straight blade? And you thought the chin was THE problem area. ;)
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The chin is the problem area for me, mine fell apart right before SEMA.
 
While it's not a strait blade, I use an old double edged "safety" (nothing safe about sometimes, lol) Gillette razor from the 40's I picked up in a flea market in Pennsylvania. Never even thought of using it, was going to be a decoration in my bathroom. Bought some blades out of spite, but it's amazing how much more even of a cut it does, my Mach 3 has been sitting in the cabinet since then. Blades are so much cost efficient compare to the Mach and Fusion series. I can buy a pack of blades for $5, whereas the others are $25.

I've used a strait blade a couple times, but it takes too long for me and I become inpatient and screw it up.
 
Great topic GH and well titled! :bigups

Stokdgs said:
...I have had great results with the Art of Shaving product line, specifically, their badger hair brushes, their pre-shave oils and their shaving soap that you use with the brush.
They also sell their line of straight razors, but I prefer to use their handle with a great Gillette Fusion blade.

...
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Dan F, I am one of those lucky enough to have an Art of Shaving store nearby. :) I have only sampled their unscented shave cream, but enjoyed it enough that I have plans to try the lemon and sandalwood offerings in the cream and/or soap. Do yourself a favor and give a double edged blade razor a try. I believe that you will find your shaves to take a quantum leap when combined with a badger blade and cream or soap.

rzatch said:
You guys got more guts than me for sure!!!!!!!!!!!! I have to use a electric or my face will be chewed up after a short time with a blade. Theres no way i could shave daily with a blade and as close as you guys are talking I would have ingrown hairs all over the place especially going against the grain.
Click to expand...
rztach, while your experience may hold true with a multi-blade set up. With the proper technique your shaves will improve with a double edged safety razor paired with a brush and soap.

Concours.John said:
:(A single blade scares me. I kill double and triple blade razors but think I'd kill myself with a single blade as your speaking of.:(
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Concours, the DE is much easier to master than you might think and the rewards in shave comfort are well worth it.

Nizmo said:
While it's not a strait blade, I use an old double edged "safety" (nothing safe about sometimes, lol) Gillette razor from the 40's I picked up in a flea market in Pennsylvania. Never even thought of using it, was going to be a decoration in my bathroom. Bought some blades out of spite, but it's amazing how much more even of a cut it does, my Mach 3 has been sitting in the cabinet since then. Blades are so much cost efficient compare to the Mach and Fusion series. I can buy a pack of blades for $5, whereas the others are $25.

I've used a strait blade a couple times, but it takes too long for me and I become inpatient and screw it up.
Click to expand...
Nizmo, What is the date code on your Gillitte? My daily shaver is a T4 Super Speed. I have an older '60s vintage shaver from my F-i-L, but it is put away at the moment and I dont recall the date code (IIRC it is a Fatboy).

PrinzII said:
I have both the double edge and the Fusion. The Fusion is mostly for shaving my head. However, I have been using it on my face and find it doesn't get as much of the facial hair as I would like. Therefore, I dusted off the old school safety razor.

I got my razor from (no joke) Welcome to ShaveMyFace.com - The world's most comprehensive guide to the art of shaving and men's fine grooming products

The blades I got from them were leagues better than the crap you get at CVS or Wally World.
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PrinzII, don't be too quick to dismiss the blades found at local venues. The Wilkinson Sword from W@lm@rt are actually quite serviceable as are the blades from the Dollar General stores (they have both Israeli and Korean blades). IME, these compare favorably with several of the "name" branded blades purchased from a well known online shaving supplier.
 
Mr Clean --

Thanks for the tips - I will look for the old school double edge razors and blades. I also know for a fact that Wilkinson Sword is a very sharp, under-the-radar blade and is used in some manufacturing of products where you want a very precise, clean cut.

You will absolutely like Art of Shaving Lemon hard soap! Its my all time favorite and it never fails when I use it with the same flavor pre-shave oil. It totally takes away the friction and allows me to get a really close, comfortable, hot shave, in the shower.

I was just at our Bellevue Art of Shaving store tonight getting some Lemon AfterShave Balm ( another great product), and the Master Barber told me that their straight razors are really good, you need to strop it, they sell strops, and once a year you need to get it sharpened and thats it.

This company was started by a really nice lady in NY I believe, who wanted to help her husband out who has a very thick fast growing beard. Their products have been out for probably close to 10 years, and they told me they are going to go global now.
These people were so successful with just their products in their stores, that Proctor & Gamble made them an offer they just couldnt refuse.
The line of products remains the same along with quality, and they are expanding to a few new fragrances.
Before they opened up a store here in Bellevue, WA. I used to buy their products at Nordstroms. Been using their stuff for over 10 years and still not tired of them.
Trufitt & Hill is also my choice for great products and after shave balms, etc..

The Barber told me to use a straight razor, you need to practice first, on your knees hair, to get the technique, blade angle, etc., and then practice on just one part of your face at a time, get the technique, and move on to the next part.. I dont know, I really like to get a straight razor shave, but Im not sure Im ready to invest my skin and blood for it just yet... :)

Dan F
 
Mr. Clean said:
Nizmo, What is the date code on your Gillitte? My daily shaver is a T4 Super Speed. I have an older '60s vintage shaver from my F-i-L, but it is put away at the moment and I dont recall the date code (IIRC it is a Fatboy).
Click to expand...


Well darn, I never thought to look before at it. Turns out it's way older than the 40. The numbers are kind of misleading, but it's anywhere from a 1904-1927 Gillette Single Ring. I'll have to find a way to rid the rest of the tarnish, but it looks like 859257. Even has US Patent Nov 15 1904 engraving on it. I even have the box it came in, doesn't look too good but it's there. Way too cool, to think this is my daily shaver.
 
Dan F, I wasn't familiar with the history of the Art of Shaving brand, but did appreciate a brick and mortar presence to walk in and touch and smell. :) I must say that the level of customer service in my local store is top notch :bigups

Your comment regarding Truefitt and Hill is not surprising at all. You rarely see any negative feedback from any of the 3 T users.

I am with GH all the way with the pull toward the straight razor. It does take a significant commitment beyond the initial razor purchase with the wet stones and strop etc. and etc. I very much look forward to his experiences.
 
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