Safety Razors

PickledLime

evercloserunion wrote: »

I was thinking of doing the same, but I chickened out and used a Timor instead. Pretty nice I have to say.

Well i went for it last night - and it was a fantastic shave! I can see where the Feather's reputation comes from, but they're still just DE blades, not swords! Think i'm going to buy a few packs of Feathers for going through heavy growtj, and have Astras/Gillette 7 O'Clocks (the green ones) for usual shaves.

Now that i'm settling on blades, i might investigate creams and soaps a bit more.

John Divney

Genghiz Cohen wrote: »

You have forced my hand sir.

Yes, I did omit a word, but that word was probably was implicit in the context.

Although Apples need propaganda now for being healthy? Thought that was implicit too. Or are we saying all chemicals are good because of an apple?

evercloserunion

I think the point is that chemicals aren't necessarily bad.

And I still have no idea what that implied word was. Some people do have a fixation with "natural" chemicals and such, but then, we have manufactured chemicals that cure disease whereas some of the deadliest poisons can be found in nature. So I don't agree with that distinction either.

John Divney

'Harmful' was the word. Chemicals that are unecesary in a soap. I don't find many people who rail against chemicals as a concept per se to be honest. Everyone knows soap is made from lye, but the reaction of chemicals is not harmful. Adding in extra crap for cheap industrial reasons is where people have problem with cosmetic chemicals.

hitemfrank

John Divney wrote: »

'Harmful' was the word. Chemicals that are unecesary in a soap. I don't find many people who rail against chemicals as a concept per se to be honest. Everyone knows soap is made from lye, but the reaction of chemicals is not harmful. Adding in extra crap for cheap industrial reasons is where people have problem with cosmetic chemicals.

If you are after another soap with very few ingredients (so no extra stuff added in) you should have a look at Martin de Candre. It is expensive but it lasts ages so in the long run it's worth it.

Here is a picture of the ingredients. It's very simple.



I grabbed the picture form a this thread.


The scent is lavender but it's not that strong. They also make an unscented version.

TheDoc

Just grabbed one of these from Shaving.ie

http://www.shaving.ie/products/The-Basic-Essentials-Safety-Razor-Starter-Kit.html

with the Muhle.

My first dive into these type of blades, been a cartridge man since I started. I'd lurked around here lately reading and researching and then after another ****e bolloxy shave the other night with a disposable, decided to make the plunge.

will let you know how i get on

TheDoc

Well what are the odds, post that and get an email from reception on office that package arrived.

Thats some seriously fast delivery. Looks very impressive, definitely consulting the manual on this one! Also was five packs of blades accumulating to 25 samplers which is a nice touch!

Have to say the razor itself looks beautiful

hitemfrank

Don't expect great shaves right away. It might take you a number of shaves before you get the technique right.

Also try not use any pressure when you're using the razor. The blades used in a DE are gonna be a personal choice so if you find one blade to be terrible don't assume they all will be.

Just take your time for your shaves until you're comfortable with the razor and happy with the results.

(you've probably read this advice a few times but there's no harm in saying it again)

TheDoc

Cheers.

Had a good read of this thread and the youtube channel everyone recommends.

Had my firat shave yesterday. Very impressed. Typically afyer a normal shave im a bit sensitive and aftershave stings to bits.

After using the DE i didnt feel any sensitivity and aftershave went on without a hitch.

Very happy

PickledLime

TheDoc wrote: »

Cheers.

Had my firat shave yesterday. Very impressed. Typically afyer a normal shave im a bit sensitive and aftershave stings to bits.

After using the DE i didnt feel any sensitivity and aftershave went on without a hitch.

Very happy

Apart from the price of the blades and the quality of the razor (have the Muhle r89 myself), this is what sealed the deal for me. I actually enjoy shaving now!

What blade did you use?

TheDoc

PickledLime wrote: »

Apart from the price of the blades and the quality of the razor (have the Muhle r89 myself), this is what sealed the deal for me. I actually enjoy shaving now!

What blade did you use?

The ones that came with the Muhle Havnt tried samplers yet

Gran Hermano

Are Muhle still shipping with Derby blades? If so you are in for a treat when you try the other brands.

evercloserunion

Gran Hermano wrote: »

Are Muhle still shipping with Derby blades? If so you are in for a treat when you try the other brands.

Yeah they are. I put mine into my sampler pack and haven't tried it yet. Are you saying they're not good?

oscarBravo

Blades are a matter of taste. I've tried all sorts and find Derbys suit me best. I've found "sharper" blades like Feathers very harsh on my skin, whereas the Derbys give me a good close shave and feel very smooth. I recognise I'm in a minority.

Michael G

The blades that suit me best of all are Feathers and I also had good results with ASDA/Tesco own-brand (which I think are Personna made in Israel). When I was new to DE shaving I found Wilkinson Sword very easy to use. Strange how what look like identical pieces of milled steel can be so different to use.

evercloserunion

Had a shave with a Feather today, was very nice I have to say.

John Divney

How much are the Personnas in Tesco?

beardybrewer

evercloserunion wrote: »

Had a shave with a Feather today, was very nice I have to say.

Funny, having only tried Derby I switch mid-shave to a Feather this morning. Paid particular attention to let the weight of the razor do the work and it came out well. Not sure I'm a convert tho.

kaiserjim

John Divney wrote: »

How much are the Personnas in Tesco?

2.85 for 10 I think.

Michael G

kaiserjim wrote: »

2.85 for 10 I think.

Remember they will be labelled as Tesco, not Personna.

TheGimp

Only my fourth DE shave ever today and went with feather blade. Unreal shave, not a single nick in sight. Did three passes and still had to work on the jawline. Swear I have titanium stubble.

h57xiucj2z946q

Invested in one of these:

Gran Hermano

spotted on twitter

source

Tried a feather for the first time yesterday. Nice shave, couple of nicks on the neck. But all round an effortless shave.

Think I'll be retiring the 7 O'Clock greens.

hitemfrank

Gran Hermano wrote: »

spotted on twitter

Clearly false advertising... Merkur blades aren't sharp at all :rolleyes:

John Divney

My newest acquisition is a NEW long comb head on an Ikon handle and it was the best first shave with a new razor I've ever had. I highly recommend the long comb to people who want to go into open comb territory, it gives a close shave but none of the irritation some of the older open combs have, or new aggressive ones.

Also have to reiterate my love for Shark SS, will be buying two hundred from bestshave soon (just incase), they cost nothing around 6 euro for 100. Best bang for your buck imo.

Bruce7

Hi,

I recently got a Merkur Progress and have been DE shaving for about 3 weeks. I have tried the Merkur, Derby, 7 o'clock green, feather, and 7 o'clock yellow blades so far. I think I enjoy it, but I find that my face is always extremely sensitive - delicate even - ever since.

Just touching my shaven skin causes a stinging / burning sensation. I was wearing a dust mask for a while at the weekend while I was doing something, and I found it painful where it made contact with the skin where I had shaved, even though this was in the evening, and I had shaved hours earlier.

Just wondering if this is something I should expect and get used to, or if it is something that will go away over time, or if it is due to poor shaving technique, or inadequate pre or post shave treatments.

I was using just the proraso soap in a bowl and Floid aftershave, but added proraso pre-shave cream this weekend as well as mixing a bit of proraso cream with the soap.

I know this might be sacrilege on this forum, but I'm thinking of going back to cartridge razors - at least for weekdays. As far as convenience, time, ease of use, consistency of results, and post shave comfort go, it's hard to see how DE shaving is a better option at the moment.

Or is this just a novice speaking and a stage of the learning curve that will pass?

h57xiucj2z946q

Are you shaving with the grain ?

Gran Hermano

What setting do you have the Progress on? Might be best setting it to just 1 whilst getting used to it. I dont rate Merkur or Derby blades and Feathers might be a tad ambitious starting out.

Dial down the Progress, use zero pressure and a mild blade. Make sure the top of the Progress is on correct (triangle on razor on same side as line on cap). Lather well between each pass.

Bruce7

Thanks for the responses.

I began with the Progress on 1 (I have it lined up correctly with the triangle and notch on the same side) and the Merkur blade that came with the razor. I turned it to 2 for all the other blades I tried. I am doing two passes - one with the grain, and one across the grain, and am lathering between passes.

I believe I am using very little pressure. I hold the razor between my fingertips and try to let the weight of the head do the work.

I will try dialling it back to 1, and using a different blade. Which would be a good option? I have tried:

Derby
Gillette 7 O'Clock Green
Gillette 7 O'Clock Yellow
Feather

And have yet to try:

Personna Platinum
Astra Platinum
Timor

Is the thinking that is because my skin has not yet adapted to a closer shave, or that my technique is likely to be still poor?