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[Internetlad]

http://whippeddog.com/products/view/sight-unseen-flawed-razor

That's actually a really tempting deal. I've got a lot of potential irons in the fire, but i'll note that as it's right up my alley.

[dndlmx]

I'm interested in a Merkur piece, any recommendations for a specific model? Never used a DE before...

[PointyFox]

I'm interested in a Merkur piece, any recommendations for a specific model? Never used a DE before...

Depends on your preferences for handle length, weight, and if you want a slant bar or not.  If you have a thick beard or prefer duller blades, you may want to use a slant bar.  If you have sensitive skin, thin beard, or use sharp blades like Feathers you may want the regular head.

[dndlmx]

I've heard of the Feather blades, they sound scary. I have extremely sensitive skin and, I guess, beard more on the thin side. So perhaps slant bar isn't for me.

I was given a pack of "Wilkinson" blades, I was hoping to use these. I'm not sure how good, or how sharp they are. Hope I don't hurt myself. 

[esoomenona]

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[emptyk]

They're not sharper than other blades.

I pretty much agree with everything you said except for the quoted part. Feather blades are sharper than most other blades, and that's close to a universal and absolute truth. I've found nothing that is sharper. I've found nothing that is comparable. That said, I agree that "there is no need to be scared of Feather blades." Conversely, I'd be scared of cheap and less-sharp blades.

[esoomenona]

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[BlueBär]

I've seen some brushes with badger hair today with prices between 10 and 30€. They seemed to be barely any softer than my boar brush (I actually like a rougher brush btw.). However in the internet shop I bought my stuff from badger brushes go from 70 up to 300€. What's that all about?
I mean sure, the cheap ones are probably lower quality, but I don't understand this huge price span when both are badger...

[esoomenona]

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[dndlmx]

Any opinion on plastic (or bakelite) safety razors?



Supposedly it teaches bad habits, because you should "let the weight of the razor" do the cutting. 

[JPG]

I just got my Dreadnought shaving kit today and I must say that I am impressed by the difference from using plain old can shaving cream. I still only have my gilette crap razor, but using a pre-shave oil, wet shaving cream and after-shave made a HUGE difference. It was "sliding" more easily while shaving and 2-3 minutes after applying the after-shave cream I FELT the difference. The skin was much smoother and less irritated.

Pics are on the "what you got in the mail" topic.

[esoomenona]

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[dndlmx]

Wondering if I should get one.

I prefer plastic to metal, my skin's sensitive to touching metal for long periods. I was actually gonna use some heatshrink around the handle, if I bought a Merkur. 

[esoomenona]

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[dndlmx]

It looks pretty nice, has good reviews on Amazon. Thanks dude, I'll keep this one in mind.

[jabar]

Are Merkur's still in? I shave with a 39C with Astra blades.

[esoomenona]

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[PointyFox]

I use a De87bl.  Also slant bar razors cut better, but are also more likely to cut you and give you razor burn; which is why I said that they're for tough beards or dull blades like Derby.

[E TwentyNine]

I use a De87bl.  Also slant bar razors cut better, but are also more likely to cut you and give you razor burn; which is why I said that they're for tough beards or dull blades like Derby.

Anyone thinking about getting a slant should try the different techniques known as the gillette slide or the J-hook first.  You don't pull the razor straight and you get some of the guillotine effect you get with a slant.

[esoomenona]

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[PointyFox]

Some blades are obviously sharp and some are obviously dull.  Like Feather vs. Derby.  I don't think anyone who's tried them disputes that.

[quickcrx702]

I was talking to my local barber about DE razor shaving and he suggested Feather as it was his razor of choice. He noted though, that they are not sharper, as I had heard, but instead they were flexier blades.

I'm apprehensive to start with Feather blades, from what I've gathered you can slice yourself pretty bad with them if you aren't careful.

Don't start with Feathers.

It's been a while since I compared, but I think Feathers are actually thinner (which I suppose would make them flexier).   Whatever the reason, the end result is they are not as forgiving of bad technique.  I would suspect your local barber has his technique down quite well.

Get yourself a sampler pack of blades.  They'll be some crap in there, but you'll have a good selection of options to choose from and your favorite may not be what someone else would choose.

Seconded.  I use a Merkur Futur set to six and Feather blade, and get PERFECT shaves with no cuts.  I only shave my head, because I don't grow hair on my cheeks and like my mustache and chin hair.  When I first got my Futur and sampler pack, I started on six with a feather.  I've been shaving my head for years, so I figured I know how to shave.  HUGE mistake, my head looked and felt like I shaved with a cheese grater.  It is completely different than a cartridge razor where you have to apply pressure to get a good shave.  I gradually worked my way up from a Derby set to one to perfect my technique, then to other blades at three, back up to a six with feather.  Use the feather when your technique is perfect and you will be happy, but if you try it before then make sure you have a steptic pencil LOL because you WILL need it.

[dndlmx]

That Futur is like the HHKB for DE razors, haha.

[Glissant]

I could have sworn that I already posted this in here, but I might not have because it's a pretty bad picture.



My little Futur setup. I really enjoy the lavender soap. Pure badger chrome handle brush. I use Feather DE blades because I like that close to the soul-shave.

[PointyFox]

It amazes me that people can cut themselves with a safety razor.  I've only cut myself once by smacking it into my face at an extreme angle.  Well, I've only used my Edwin Jaggar shaver.  Maybe it's just awesome like that.

[esoomenona]

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[quickcrx702]

It amazes me that people can cut themselves with a safety razor.  I've only cut myself once by smacking it into my face at an extreme angle.  Well, I've only used my Edwin Jaggar shaver.  Maybe it's just awesome like that.

I would agree that cutting your face would probably not be too big of an issue if you start with a normal blade.  However, try using a feather blade in an aggressive razor, and shave parts that you can't see, like the back of your head.  It glides so smoothly, that you don't even notice that you sliced yourself until you see all the blood in the sink along with pieces of skin.  Using cartridge razors for years trained me to apply pressure to my scalp, which with feathers isn't the smartest thing to do.  Derby blades on the other hand are REALLY hard to cut yourself with, but you can feel how dull it is if your hair is thick.  It tugs your hair, and isn't smooth or enjoyable to shave with, but it gets the job done without leaving a pool of blood.

[Badwrench]

Oh man, where have these Feathers been all my life!?  I have never had such a good shave before without any tugging or irritation.  Should have gotten rid of the Merkurs long ago. 

Currently just using hot water with the Proraso shave soap.  Combined with the Feathers, my thick hair doesn't stand a chance!

[godly_music]

You can get fine Solingen straight razors for 65€ upwards. That's not so much considering they last a lifetime.

I was high on adrenaline before my first shave. It's not that hard though. The fact that there actually is a long learning curve makes it a very satisfying experience.

[PointyFox]

Not sure what a € is, maybe a croissant; but refurbished old ones sell for like $20-$45.

[dndlmx]

How does this make you feel? Or perhaps this? 

[quickcrx702]

I want a straight razor... but sadly I know I'll never have time to use it.  I'm usually rushing in the morning, so I wouldn't have time to be careful shaving my head with one.  With really sharp razors, "shaving" + "in a hurry" = lots of blood dripping into the sink, so I'd have to pass.  It probably wouldn't be too bad if all you had to shave was your face though, and would make you feel like a real badass.

[quickcrx702]

How does this make you feel? Or perhaps this? 

I know it's blasphemy if you ask hardcore shaving geeks, but there is nothing wrong with a Mach 3 or Fusion if you don't mind pissing tons of money away.  They get the job done, they just don't shave quite as smoothly and they get gunked up constantly.

[E TwentyNine]

How does this make you feel? Or perhaps this? 

I know it's blasphemy if you ask hardcore shaving geeks, but there is nothing wrong with a Mach 3 or Fusion if you don't mind pissing tons of money away.  They get the job done, they just don't shave quite as smoothly and they get gunked up constantly.

And they're not as close.  The whole "Art of Shaving" brand is an attempt by Gillette to cash in on the retro shaving comeback of recent years.  To include Mach3 and electric razor products under that banner is silly.  Come on, $90 for a Mach 3 handle?

[Internetlad]

It amazes me that people can cut themselves with a safety razor.  I've only cut myself once by smacking it into my face at an extreme angle.  Well, I've only used my Edwin Jaggar shaver.  Maybe it's just awesome like that.

I regularly nick my upper lip and sometimes the mole on my chin with an off-the-shelf gilette fusion. Only those two places though. I have no clue why my upper lip always gets nicked but it's almost inevitable.

[sth]

How does this make you feel? Or perhaps this? 

I know it's blasphemy if you ask hardcore shaving geeks, but there is nothing wrong with a Mach 3 or Fusion if you don't mind pissing tons of money away.  They get the job done, they just don't shave quite as smoothly and they get gunked up constantly.

And they're not as close.  The whole "Art of Shaving" brand is an attempt by Gillette to cash in on the retro shaving comeback of recent years.  To include Mach3 and electric razor products under that banner is silly.  Come on, $90 for a Mach 3 handle?

the whole resurgence of retro shaving is an attempt to cash in on dorks... and it's working.

[Tarzan]

Oh man, where have these Feathers been all my life!?  I have never had such a good shave before without any tugging or irritation.  Should have gotten rid of the Merkurs long ago. 

Currently just using hot water with the Proraso shave soap.  Combined with the Feathers, my thick hair doesn't stand a chance!

I got in some sample packs of Gillette 7 O'clock green and Feather blades last week.  Tried the Gillette blades first, they were... okay, but didn't really give a very close shave.  Easy to shave with, I didn't worry about cuts or nicks, but felt kind of dull right out of the package.

Tried a Feather blade this morning, world of difference.  Very nice shave, even on the most conservative blade setting.  Highly recommended for tough beard!

[Badwrench]

How does this make you feel? Or perhaps this? 

I know it's blasphemy if you ask hardcore shaving geeks, but there is nothing wrong with a Mach 3 or Fusion if you don't mind pissing tons of money away.  They get the job done, they just don't shave quite as smoothly and they get gunked up constantly.

And they're not as close.  The whole "Art of Shaving" brand is an attempt by Gillette to cash in on the retro shaving comeback of recent years.  To include Mach3 and electric razor products under that banner is silly.  Come on, $90 for a Mach 3 handle?

the whole resurgence of retro shaving is an attempt to cash in on dorks... and it's working.

I agree.  My kit came from Art of Shaving in San Diego, and I was def. sold on the amount of tinkering and preciseness of the process (so many different options to get the same basic result).  Luckily, mine was a gift (I didn't pay the hiked price for my Merkur), but now that I know more, have found much cheaper and better options.  Also, replacing blades on a standard razer (Mach 3/4) is stupid expensive and they don't last long no matter how you take care of them. 

[stingrae]

I managed to find a DE razor (by Lion, a matchstick maker in south africa) for very cheap (~£1.50, R20) the blades it came with don't seem to be very good (then again neither am I!) but there are some alternates I'm trying tomorrow. I'm still rubbish with a DE razor was cutting myself trying to get hair on the jaw line/chin.

Hmm so today I tried something a little different. I shaved with coconut oil instead of trying gel/foam/soap. Was so much easier to shave got a decent shave and it was quicker and only a small insignificant cut. I imagine olive oil would work as well.

[PointyFox]

I managed to find a DE razor (by Lion, a matchstick maker in south africa) for very cheap (~£1.50, R20) the blades it came with don't seem to be very good (then again neither am I!) but there are some alternates I'm trying tomorrow. I'm still rubbish with a DE razor was cutting myself trying to get hair on the jaw line/chin.

Hmm so today I tried something a little different. I shaved with coconut oil instead of trying gel/foam/soap. Was so much easier to shave got a decent shave and it was quicker and only a small insignificant cut. I imagine olive oil would work as well.

There are commercially available shaving oil like Secret Shave which use tea tree oil.  Some oils may give you acne.  Remember to keep the angle of the razor to your face just large enough that it shaves.  You don't want the angle too large.

[Bratman]

I always use Feather blades, got a Mekur (the one with the short handle and yellow tip). I was shaving the other day and my friend was watching, I had a huge beard and once long stroke down my cheek to my neck left a smooth bald patch of skin with one stroke. He couldn't believe his eyes! (he hasn't bought a saftey razer yet).

[typo]

I normally use a boker Damascus straight or artist club Japanese. however, I can get 30 shaves per side with wilkinsons in an asd1. take that Gillette! it is because a dull blade does not get as dull as a sharp blade and the asd1 does not expose much blade. pair that with a high mountain badger,saras scuttle and aqua di parma....I guess Gillette sort of won after all lol.

[jwaz]

the whole resurgence of retro shaving is an attempt to cash in on dorks... and it's working.

Get outta here you cynic 

[sth]

the whole resurgence of retro shaving is an attempt to cash in on dorks... and it's working.

Get outta here you cynic 

i've been wetshaving for a minute. never said i wasn't a dork

[PointyFox]

Protip: Don't buy Derby.  Most reviews you'll find are several years old.  They used to be good then.  Their QC has since gone to hell.  Same with Wilkinson Sword.

[sth]

Protip: Don't buy Derby.  Most reviews you'll find are several years old.  They used to be good then.  Their QC has since gone to hell.  Same with Wilkinson Sword.

i still prefer derby to any multi-blade razor. it's not so bad if you strop them a little bit on your jeans or something. just ordered a 10 pack of feather blades because what the hell... i'll see if there's a big enough difference for me to justify the cost.

[PointyFox]

Protip: Don't buy Derby.  Most reviews you'll find are several years old.  They used to be good then.  Their QC has since gone to hell.  Same with Wilkinson Sword.

i still prefer derby to any multi-blade razor. it's not so bad if you strop them a little bit on your jeans or something. just ordered a 10 pack of feather blades because what the hell... i'll see if there's a big enough difference for me to justify the cost.

There is c;

[esoomenona]

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[sth]

sth, how many blades have you tried?

just a few, i bought a big thing of derby blades on amazon because my roommate got a super cheap safety handle and both of us only shave a few times a week... both of us use safety razors for the cost above everything else. i just happen to have a fancy handle cause my dad is good at goodwill scores and had one around the house for looks.

[esoomenona]

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