Safety Razors

stevenmu

settings wrote: »

Hmm i guess from all the videos I was watching it didn't go as smoothly as I imagined ha. Another thing, I was conscious not put any pressure on the blade and I noticed the blade 'bounced' the odd time after hitting some stubble if that makes sense.

I suppose it'll vary from person to person but I find that actually putting some pressure into it gives a much smoother shave. Nowhere near as much as a cartridge, I practically had to hit myself with Gillette mach-whatevers to get a close shave, but with a DE I still feel like I need some solid pressure to get it right. That does go against what pretty much everyone says, but it works great for me.

Michael G

I kind of agree. On areas like the cheeks and upper lip I find I need to give it a little pressure. But if I do that on sensitive areas like the throat or under the chin, the results are disastrous.

It probably comes down to the fact that every man has to work out his own technique over time. (I am assuming that this forum has no women members, though of course you never know.)

Giant Kiwi

Mahatma coat wrote: »

Timor is a Lovely place, from now on I will refer to mine as a Timor Razor

Sorry to go off topic here briefly.

Mahatma coat are you serious?!?!?!?!?!

You're clearly not talking about Timor Leste unless you're using sarcasm.

Had nothing but trouble when I was there.

Couldn't even get a decent shave.

settings

stevenmu wrote: »

I suppose it'll vary from person to person but I find that actually putting some pressure into it gives a much smoother shave. Nowhere near as much as a cartridge, I practically had to hit myself with Gillette mach-whatevers to get a close shave, but with a DE I still feel like I need some solid pressure to get it right. That does go against what pretty much everyone says, but it works great for me.

I noticed when I hold the razor firm without using much/any pressure it really makes a big difference.
The last shave, #5, was pretty good - only got one nick in a non problem spot so I was happy about that.
Im not getting near as close as my wilkinson sword quattro cartridge (with it i just went one pass ATG, one min job normally) but I feel this is a much 'healthier' shave for my face. The other night I was kinda surprised I had to shave again- despite shaving the day before that, it kept me up alot later than I anticipated. If I could get a little closer shave I would be alot happier with the whole safety razor setup but then again I havent had 6 shaves yet :rolleyes:

I wont be giving up yet as I have 100x7 o'clock blades, 100xastra, 200x feather in the post along with about 4-5 bars of soap and 2 tubes of cream:D oh and the 50 blade sample pack.
Im gonna stick with the astras for now til I get my technique good

Gran Hermano

Settings, I find I get an extra 6 hours before the 6 o'clock shadow appears if I shave with a DE compared to a cart. In fact I can comfortably shave around midnight and be stubble free for the next work day.

Are you shaving with the grain only? Try with, across and finish with against the grain. Rather than applying more pressure I'd recommend stretching the skin with your other hand as you shave - something you'll need to do if you move onto straight razors and which I find helps DE shaves equally. Also watch the angle the razor is against your skin, the best angle you shave at will vary across razor brands and I know it is something I watch out for when rotating which DE I'm using.

settings

Yeah you see thats it, the last time I didnt go ATG, it was wth->xtg x2 so you are right about that. The last time I went atg on my neck.. well it was like a scene from the exorcist ha, but I have improved alot since then. I havent stretched my skin either, I did hear of that in geofatboys video where he gave the tip to avoid any nicks with a 'grandious' adams apple:).
I heard somewhere that carts shave 'below' the skin (with the tug/hack thing they got going) while DEs cut to skin level so I had it in my head I would never get as close a shave as I did with my cartridge.
Im actually going for shave number 6 now, will make the 3rd pass ATG and see if I can fit in a stretch or 2:pac:
thanks for tips

edit: just had shave #6 there. Enjoyed it, took me 30 mins at a leisurely pace - washing everything etc. Only 1-2 very minor ticks between nose and lip, neck was scrape free. I got a good, close shave all over but my neck and along 'the bone between my cheek and neck' has alot of black specs/shadow. I didnt really do any stretching this time, was too busy concentrating to remember ha.
Definitely a good shave, I want to shave with my cartridge soon to compare especially since im paying alot more attention now than I was when I used it.

settings

I read a good guide on how to make a proper soap lather last week and noticed it has helped me alot. Aside from today I rarely cut myself anymore and the lather looks better, thicker and does not 'fade' like it did before. Im sticking with astra blades for now until I feel I have become a compentent DE shaver:rolleyes:. I used a fresh blade today (after 3 uses of old one) and I got a very close shave but I also cut my neck trying a new technique/being careless. For some reason I went atg on second pass below my chin (which is the same direction as nose to ear-accross- i find it very stange shaving that way on my neck). I then tried to go S-N with a sharp 90 degree turn ATG to catch them by surprise:D.

After my shave I cant really feel much stubble in most places (feeling for it against the grain) but I notice I have a shadow later on. I guess this was what I meant in my previous posts when I was talking about a closer shave. You see I can't remember having this when i shaved with my WS cart, or at least not so soon but I could be wrong. Maybe since I started DE shaving I just examine my hair growth so closely and pay attention to things I didn't pay attention to before. I should try a cart shave one of these days but I dont wanna waste a good shave on it

stevenmu

settings wrote: »

I read a good guide on how to make a proper soap lather last week and noticed it has helped me alot.

Any chance of a link? I was great at making a lather for the first month or two but have been very inconsistent lately.

One tip I can offer for anyone with the Geo F Trumper Limes Skin Food, put a drop or two on the brush before making up the lather to get a super rich luxurient lather.

hitemfrank

stevenmu wrote: »

Any chance of a link? I was great at making a lather for the first month or two but have been very inconsistent lately.

One tip I can offer for anyone with the Geo F Trumper Limes Skin Food, put a drop or two on the brush before making up the lather to get a super rich luxurient lather.

I think that's to do with the glycerin in the GFT Skin Food. Addding gylcerin to soap or cream is something that can help generate lather.

Shaving.ie

Mühle are set to release a newly designed open comb razor head tomorrow on their site. Their redesign of the closed comb proved to be a big hit and this looks like it might lie somewhere between that and the Merkur open comb in terms of aggressiveness.

settings

stevenmu wrote: »

Any chance of a link?

I'd love to but it's from badger and blade and it has been down all day - I will as soon as it comes back.

The key for me was to put a little water on the soap for one minute while you soak the brush in hot water. Dump the excess soap water into your shave bowl. Then I squeeze and shake the brush dry (that was my main error before- wet brush) and rotate it in the soap (low to medium pressure) until the bristles clump together - usually takes 1-3 mins. As soon as you start swirling the brush in the lather bowl you will notice it thickening fast (assuming from all the rotations in the soap bowl).

The guide is much better and has photos to show each stage of the process and about 20+ pages of comments/tweaks/suggestions/thanks after that which I must read

settings

stevenmu wrote: »

Any chance of a link?

here ya go -How to make great lather from a soap (with photos) :
http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/21136-How-to-make-great-lather-from-a-soap-Tutorial

mikeruurds

Fed up with carving myself up with the latest Gillette vibrating multiple blade rip-off. Just ordered the following:

Mergress XL from Lees Razors
Mitchells Wool Fat soap
Bluebeards Shave Foam
100 x Derby Extra DE blades
Proraso pre and post balm
100ml Sandalwood Aftershave
Proraso cut gel and Alum block
Simpson Duke 3 Best badger brush

I guess I could have gone a lot cheaper with the gear, but I did my research and decided to get good stuff up front. This is going to be fun! Hoping to finally get a close shave.

vengeance52

mikeruurds wrote: »

Fed up with carving myself up with the latest Gillette vibrating multiple blade rip-off. Just ordered the following:

Mergress XL from Lees Razors
Mitchells Wool Fat soap
Bluebeards Shave Foam
100 x Derby Extra DE blades
Proraso pre and post balm
100ml Sandalwood Aftershave
Proraso cut gel and Alum block
Simpson Duke 3 Best badger brush

I guess I could have gone a lot cheaper with the gear, but I did my research and decided to get good stuff up front. This is going to be fun! Hoping to finally get a close shave.

the Proraso pre and post balm is one of the best purchases I ever made. You actually notice a difference when you use it compared to when you dont.

mikeruurds

vengeance52 wrote: »

the Proraso pre and post balm is one of the best purchases I ever made. You actually notice a difference when you use it compared to when you dont.

I've seen a lot of votes for using it as a pre-shave balm, but many have the opinion that the consistency isn't the best for post shave. I have some Nivea balm going spare if the alum block and sandalwood don't do the trick. I'll give the Proraso a go too. I'm sure one of these or a combination will work!

vengeance52

mikeruurds wrote: »

I've seen a lot of votes for using it as a pre-shave balm, but many have the opinion that the consistency isn't the best for post shave. I have some Nivea balm going spare if the alum block and sandalwood don't do the trick. I'll give the Proraso a go too. I'm sure one of these or a combination will work!

I do admit that I use it mostly for a pre-wash before shaving and after I shave I use mainly Speick balm which I think is fantastic for anyone who has sensitive skin and suffers from Razor burn now and then.

Michael G

vengeance52 wrote: »

the Proraso pre and post balm is one of the best purchases I ever made. You actually notice a difference when you use it compared to when you dont.

There is a pre-and-post-shave one and there is also a thicker pre-shave cream. Both are OK for pre-shave but I would not use the thinner one as an after-shave. I use Trumper's Skin Food though you might be as well off getting some glycerin in the chemist's which apparently has the same effect.

MadsL

+1 for the proraso preshave. Great stuff. Available in the Grooming Rooms South William St for Dublin based shavers

mikeruurds

vengeance52 wrote: »

I do admit that I use it mostly for a pre-wash before shaving and after I shave I use mainly Speick balm which I think is fantastic for anyone who has sensitive skin and suffers from Razor burn now and then.

Cheers - that's me in a nutshell. I'll give the Speick balm a go.

hinault

Gordon wrote: »

Sorry, I don't have a beard or hat, can I still post a question?!

I was reading this thread about razor prices and some helpful chappie mentioned good proper safety razors like Merkurs.



Does anyone here use one of these? I use the 3/4 blade razors and am fed up with paying the exorbitant costs of them and am wondering if I should invest in a proper razor like this. Is it a scratchy shave with one of these things? Do you need to change the blade every day or so? How good is the shave compared to a 3/4 blade Gillette type thing?

ta

I use that exact razor.

Tesco sell own-brand blades : 10 blades for 3 quid for that type of razor.
My last pack has lasted 7 months!

Dord

Went to shave this evening... and something was wrong. I find that it generally helps if I use a razor blade in my razor.

oscarBravo

"Private, when you shaved this morning, did you use a towel?!"

"Yes, sar'major."

"Well tomorrow morning, use a bloody razor!"

source

oscarBravo wrote: »

"Private, when you shaved this morning, did you use a towel?!"

"Yes, sar'major."

"Well tomorrow morning, use a bloody razor!"

We had a captain in the RDF who ALWAYS used the line, "Did you use a mirror when you shaved this morning?"

Yes Sir.......

Next time use a razor......hahaha

Well we had a Corporal who was running late in for a CO's parade so I had to go get him. He bought some bic disposables on the way in to the barracks, and shaved dry in the car. He was still bleeding while being inspected. The above Captain didn't know what to say.....very funny situation.

hitemfrank

Dord wrote: »

Went to shave this evening... and something was wrong. I find that it generally helps if I use a razor blade in my razor.

I keep my razors in my wardrobe so my niece can't get at them and twice in one week forgot to bring a razor with me to shave. I had 5 DE's and a single edge razor at the time so how I didn't pick up any of them I'll never know.

I only realised the problem when I reached for a razor, after lathering my face, and noticing something was missing. So at least you had a razor with you.


I may also have forgotten to put a blade in one of my razors

mikeruurds

Got the bug now! Just added the following to my growing collection:

Martin de Candre shave soap
La Toja Manantiales shave soap
Speick shave cream
Floid "Suave" aftershave
Floid pre-shave

All I need to get now is a dirty bird scuttle and my shopping is done. My wife is letting me spoil myself!

Gran Hermano

Shaving.ie wrote: »

Mühle are set to release a newly designed open comb razor head tomorrow on their site. Their redesign of the closed comb proved to be a big hit and this looks like it might lie somewhere between that and the Merkur open comb in terms of aggressiveness.

This is an interesting razor. I have several open comb razors (Gillette Old and New variants, Merkur 12c and Muhle R89) which I tend to use when I have more than one day of stubble to remove. Compared to any of the open combs I have tried this is a seriously aggressive razor.

Even comparing it to a Feather in a Futur on 5 or a Merkur long handled slant or open comb this is a razor that commands the lightest of touch and zero pressure. I tried it with a Super Thin blade and I reckon it will be a while before I risk a sharper balde in it. It needs a lather with plenty of cushion and protection but rewards with a shave as close to a straight shave I've had by using a DE razor. Not for the faint hearted or those still honing their technique nor is it something I would use every day. As usual the Muhle design and craftsmanship is top class surpassing Merkur in my opinion.

Gillo

Just so you know I was in TK Maxx (Stephens Green) earlier today and they had some TOBS creams, they were in packs two for 12.99, had to find though you have to go up to the start of the queue and they were on a stand. Not a great range but very good value.

Dyr

Dord wrote: »

Went to shave this evening... and something was wrong. I find that it generally helps if I use a razor blade in my razor.

least you've never gone to brush your teeth with a mach 3

Amalgam

Gran Hermano wrote: »

This is an interesting razor. I have several open comb razors (Gillette Old and New variants, Merkur 12c and Muhle R89) which I tend to use when I have more than one day of stubble to remove. Compared to any of the open combs I have tried this is a seriously aggressive razor.

Even comparing it to a Feather in a Futur on 5 or a Merkur long handled slant or open comb this is a razor that commands the lightest of touch and zero pressure. I tried it with a Super Thin blade and I reckon it will be a while before I risk a sharper balde in it. It needs a lather with plenty of cushion and protection but rewards with a shave as close to a straight shave I've had by using a DE razor. Not for the faint hearted or those still honing their technique nor is it something I would use every day. As usual the Muhle design and craftsmanship is top class surpassing Merkur in my opinion.

Excellent stuff Gran Hermano, that's a real Cattle Grid affair going on there, somewhat similar to vintage UK razors like the Red Stripe and Knockout.

What is the handle like for grip?

ThisRegard

Thinking of picking this up for myself, no need to change blades, which are thinner than a human hair. I might need to decide quickly though as there's only 99 being made
http://www.zafirro.com/products/Zafirro-Iridium.html