.

[vun]

Kjøpte du fra barbershop.no?

YGPM


Edit:

Ok so my fears have come true; the feet under the Merkur frosted glass bowl are coming loose after being soaked in hot water, are there any adhesives that are pretty much invisible and can handle being soaked in hot water, or is that asking for too much and I should just remove the feet now instead of waiting for them to fall off?

[JPG]

Hey all,

First, I must say that after my initial challenge trying to shave with my straight razor, I am now able to get some very decent shaves with it and enjoy it a LOT.

BUT, I also got a new soap, a Thiers-Issard hard soap. The smell is INCREDIBLE, but I fail hard at making a decent lather with it. I found some good tutorials about how to make a lather with a hard soap, and this has improved the lather produced a little, but whatever I do (no water, few water, more water, more soap, etc.) I get a lather that kinda vanishes in a mater of a minute or so.

So I have 2 questions:

1: Anyone has tried this specific soap and knows how to get a nice lather out of it?
2: I am looking for another soap. After searching, my current choices would be either : Edwin Jagger Natural Shaving Soap -Sea Buckthorn, Tabac Original Shaving Soap or D.R.Harris Almond Shaving Soap. Anyone has a personnal experience with these soaps and would recommend them or have better choices? I don't mind paying for a good hard soap that will last a year, but there's no need to overpay either. I just want a good soap that lather easily, makes the shave easy and smells good 

Thx for the help!

[sth]

Hey all,

First, I must say that after my initial challenge trying to shave with my straight razor, I am now able to get some very decent shaves with it and enjoy it a LOT.

BUT, I also got a new soap, a Thiers-Issard hard soap. The smell is INCREDIBLE, but I fail hard at making a decent lather with it. I found some good tutorials about how to make a lather with a hard soap, and this has improved the lather produced a little, but whatever I do (no water, few water, more water, more soap, etc.) I get a lather that kinda vanishes in a mater of a minute or so.

So I have 2 questions:

1: Anyone has tried this specific soap and knows how to get a nice lather out of it?
2: I am looking for another soap. After searching, my current choices would be either : Edwin Jagger Natural Shaving Soap -Sea Buckthorn, Tabac Original Shaving Soap or D.R.Harris Almond Shaving Soap. Anyone has a personnal experience with these soaps and would recommend them or have better choices? I don't mind paying for a good hard soap that will last a year, but there's no need to overpay either. I just want a good soap that lather easily, makes the shave easy and smells good 

Thx for the help!

i like musco real. it lathers immediately and doesnt cost too much.

[PointyFox]

Hey all,

First, I must say that after my initial challenge trying to shave with my straight razor, I am now able to get some very decent shaves with it and enjoy it a LOT.

BUT, I also got a new soap, a Thiers-Issard hard soap. The smell is INCREDIBLE, but I fail hard at making a decent lather with it. I found some good tutorials about how to make a lather with a hard soap, and this has improved the lather produced a little, but whatever I do (no water, few water, more water, more soap, etc.) I get a lather that kinda vanishes in a mater of a minute or so.

So I have 2 questions:

1: Anyone has tried this specific soap and knows how to get a nice lather out of it?
2: I am looking for another soap. After searching, my current choices would be either : Edwin Jagger Natural Shaving Soap -Sea Buckthorn, Tabac Original Shaving Soap or D.R.Harris Almond Shaving Soap. Anyone has a personnal experience with these soaps and would recommend them or have better choices? I don't mind paying for a good hard soap that will last a year, but there's no need to overpay either. I just want a good soap that lather easily, makes the shave easy and smells good 

Thx for the help!

Haven't tried it, but it could be your brush if it's silver tip badger.  The better brushes are too soft to make lather out of hard soaps very well.  For hard soaps, you need to be fairly aggressive and patient.  It normally takes 1-3 minutes to make a decent lather with them.

[JPG]

Hey all,

First, I must say that after my initial challenge trying to shave with my straight razor, I am now able to get some very decent shaves with it and enjoy it a LOT.

BUT, I also got a new soap, a Thiers-Issard hard soap. The smell is INCREDIBLE, but I fail hard at making a decent lather with it. I found some good tutorials about how to make a lather with a hard soap, and this has improved the lather produced a little, but whatever I do (no water, few water, more water, more soap, etc.) I get a lather that kinda vanishes in a mater of a minute or so.

So I have 2 questions:

1: Anyone has tried this specific soap and knows how to get a nice lather out of it?
2: I am looking for another soap. After searching, my current choices would be either : Edwin Jagger Natural Shaving Soap -Sea Buckthorn, Tabac Original Shaving Soap or D.R.Harris Almond Shaving Soap. Anyone has a personnal experience with these soaps and would recommend them or have better choices? I don't mind paying for a good hard soap that will last a year, but there's no need to overpay either. I just want a good soap that lather easily, makes the shave easy and smells good 

Thx for the help!

Haven't tried it, but it could be your brush if it's silver tip badger.  The better brushes are too soft to make lather out of hard soaps very well.  For hard soaps, you need to be fairly aggressive and patient.  It normally takes 1-3 minutes to make a decent lather with them.

I have a boar brush for now (from dreadnought kit). Not the best, but will do the job until my birthday (November).

Right now, what I do is let my brush soak while I shower and i put a little water on the soap. Then I remove all the water from the brush (shake and even squeeze). Then I remove excess water from soap and start loading. I try to load it a lot. At this stage, I manage to get it loaded quite ok as far as I know (soap is thick, not later yet). Then I add a very very little amount of water (just a drop) and start building in my bowl. After like 20-30 secs, the lather starts forming and all goes well, then I get some decent lather with nice pikes. So I let it there while I put preshave oil on my beard (1 min) and then I lather half my face (cause with this soap I know it wont last long enough anyway). So I lather my face, still ok at this point. Then I start shaving, but by the time I have done my cheeks, the lather is already drying. It's getting like a foam full of bubbles that are disappearing quite fast. When I get to my chin, I need to lather again already, which I can, but already, even on my brush and in the bowl, the lather is in the same situation. If I add a touch of water, it helps a little to produce some sort of lather again, but this one does not last either.

When I use my dreadnought shaving cream (almost gone), I build a lather in like 10-20 seconds (my bowl is REALLY amazing for that) and the lather last all my LONG shave and is still perfect at the end.

I know I still lack skill and experience, but I tried many different things with this soap and none got good results. If I add just a little more water, it gets all bubbles instantly. The only thing I have yet to try is to lather on my face. Maybe my bowl adds too much air too fast (it has some lines inside made to add air faster and it works super well).

[PointyFox]

Boar brush should have firm enough bristles.  Actually.. It may be the bowl.  I've noticed this happens if I use a porous bowl.  You need a small smooth one, around the diameter of a coffee mug.

[JPG]

Boar brush should have firm enough bristles.  Actually.. It may be the bowl.  I've noticed this happens if I use a porous bowl.  You need a small smooth one, around the diameter of a coffee mug.

I use this bowl: http://classicedge.ca/index.php?route=product/product&path=75_64&product_id=921

It's not porous (well it's all shiny and has no drag). It's like a big coffee mug and has rings inside (they are shaped in the bowl). Anyway, works super nice with my cream, but I will try face lathering anyway in case it would solve my problem.

Also, do you have any experience with the edwin jagger  and tabac soaps? I will probably try them anyway cause I want to! I have read good reviews of them, but it would be nice to have a confirmation from someone.

[Danule]

I'm guessing many of us have already tried many different blades. Wat are some of your favourites?  Mine are currently willinson sword and gillette super stainless (yellow)

[PointyFox]

I'm guessing many of us have already tried many different blades. Wat are some of your favourites?  Mine are currently willinson sword and gillette super stainless (yellow)

Feather is my favorite.  Derby used to be my second favorite, and now it's my least favorite due to bad QC or something.  I also like older Wilkinson Sword.

[PointyFox]

Boar brush should have firm enough bristles.  Actually.. It may be the bowl.  I've noticed this happens if I use a porous bowl.  You need a small smooth one, around the diameter of a coffee mug.

I use this bowl: http://classicedge.ca/index.php?route=product/product&path=75_64&product_id=921

It's not porous (well it's all shiny and has no drag). It's like a big coffee mug and has rings inside (they are shaped in the bowl). Anyway, works super nice with my cream, but I will try face lathering anyway in case it would solve my problem.

Also, do you have any experience with the edwin jagger  and tabac soaps? I will probably try them anyway cause I want to! I have read good reviews of them, but it would be nice to have a confirmation from someone.

No experience with those soaps.  Maybe the rings inside that scuttle put too much air into the lather, similar to the porosity of my bowl?

[Danule]

I'm guessing many of us have already tried many different blades. Wat are some of your favourites?  Mine are currently willinson sword and gillette super stainless (yellow)

Feather is my favorite.  Derby used to be my second favorite, and now it's my least favorite due to bad QC or something.  I also like older Wilkinson Sword.

Feather is good a bit too sharp for me usually.

[DamienG]

Gillette 7 O'clock green have been consistently excellent for me.

Amusing given my original plan was to get away from Gillette Mach...

[)amien

[Danule]

Gillette 7 O'clock green have been consistently excellent for me.

Amusing given my original plan was to get away from Gillette Mach...

[)amien

which ones in particular are you using?  I jsut tried them for the first time a little while ago and they are smooth as butter.

[Skull_Angel]

Hello all, recently started getting into wetshaving with the expectation of getting out of the funk caused by normally dry shaving with a cartridge and never getting a "great" shave (even when using canned goo!). I have to say that after a week or so of getting the technique down I'm pretty pleased; now I'm getting a danm fine shave with close to no irritation and actually enjoy shaving (which isn't necessarily a good thing since the girlfriend likes a bit of scruff, haha). Not quite getting that BBS shave yet, but I think that's more so due to the blades I'm currently using (cheap rebranded Walgreens brand); lots of tugging even after a good and proper pre-shave prep. I'm pretty sure it's not my shaving technique; I've mapped out my face and use to get a lot of jumping/skipping from using improper blade angle, but have since adjusted and no longer get any, even going ATG. My lather could still use a little work, I think I'm still using too much water.

My current gear includes; Edwin Jagger De89l, Vie Long 12601, Van Der Hagen "delux"(lol) soap, Gentleman Jon Alum block, a cheap styptic pencil and a cheap ceramic bowl from Walmart. Total start-up cost was may be ~$65 (~$55 went to the razor and brush alone ); currently on the market for decent blades and it sounds like it's going to be fun finding "the one", but a good starting point seems to be Astra SP (many sampler packs seem riddled with cheap blades, only give you 1-2 of each blade or don't have many I've been eyeballing so they seem like a waste of money...).

[PointyFox]

Make sure you try Feather.  They're usually regarded as the best.

[Skull_Angel]

Make sure you try Feather.  They're usually regarded as the best.

They're on my list, but if those Astra SP work out well I may stick to them since the cost is really hard to beat; save a couple pennies daily and have more to spend when you really want something! Like that Weber I saw after buying the EJ... Gonna be fun explaining that to the GF considering that the maintenance cost was the big selling point of getting into this, haha.

[qi3ber]

Check out the samplers at west coast shaving. I haven't broken into the sampler that I picked up yet, but their samplers seemed pretty well rounded, with five to ten of each, and at a pretty good price. I'll either be breaking into wet shaving today, or next weekend, depending on how tied my arms are after finishing the leaves today.

[Skull_Angel]

Check out the samplers at west coast shaving. I haven't broken into the sampler that I picked up yet, but their samplers seemed pretty well rounded, with five to ten of each, and at a pretty good price. I'll either be breaking into wet shaving today, or next weekend, depending on how tied my arms are after finishing the leaves today.

I actually spotted a "create your own" sampler pack over at Maggard Razors that seems to have a handful of top choices to mix and match, looks like a good enough deal that I'll have to check out.

Off-topic; I understand what you mean about the leaves (recently moved to Cleveland, TN), one day it was clear out then a little wind at night and now the driveway and lawn look like a yellow and orange sea of crumpled construction paper!

[Skull_Angel]

A little update on the equipment (EJ De89lbl); it took a bit of time to notice after the novelty of getting an amazingly smooth (action, not result, lol) shave wore off, but I wasn't always getting consistent shaves after a month or so of daily shaving, so I decided to closely inspect the razor and came across a few oddities. First off, the only issues were with the shape of the shaving head (the plating quality, safety-bar plate and handle are perfectly fine), it seems to have manufacturing problems causing it to warp in specific areas; this caused the blade to sit unevenly and unable to be properly secured when loaded.

Now this wasn't such a bad problem I thought, I would even contact the company and politely let them know about a possible issue with their manufacturing process or quality control (seeing as these are supposed to be inspected by hand). After about a week, they replied with the standard "However unlikely, send pictures and we'll let you know what's going on.", so I agreed and sent a few quick pictures where the deformities were visible and stated that I could also send better ones if they weren't good enough. Well, their next reply wasn't so friendly and basically stated there were no visible issues and that they could not/would not help me (understand that I only contacted them to inform them and made it clear that I intended to have it replaced through the retailer); needless to say I will not be exchanging the razor for a replacement and will be looking for something else entirely. This does not seem normal for the company after searching for other customer contact instances, but if anyone here has contacted EJ it would be nice to hear about their experiences with them.

Moving on, I am now in the market for a new razor! I really have no clue where to go from here; I've looked into Merkur's offerings and would be happy to take one, but have recently come across Weber's razors and they just seem to put the Merkurs to shame. Then there are the vintage Gillettes, plated solid-brass, solid engineering that has lasted decades, but only listings online are ebay or exaggeratedly overpriced retailers; I really need to sift through the myriad of antique and pawn shops out in this area, could be a gold mine out there!

[JPG]

massdrop had the IKON and Feater ones during this year, maybe look if the buyers seem satisfied with it or look for more info on them. I can't help you more since I use a straight razor, but before I made the move I considered these 2.

[E TwentyNine]

Moving on, I am now in the market for a new razor! I really have no clue where to go from here; I've looked into Merkur's offerings and would be happy to take one, but have recently come across Weber's razors and they just seem to put the Merkurs to shame. Then there are the vintage Gillettes, plated solid-brass, solid engineering that has lasted decades, but only listings online are ebay or exaggeratedly overpriced retailers; I really need to sift through the myriad of antique and pawn shops out in this area, could be a gold mine out there!

Ebay isn't a terrible place to get vintage razors.  Wait a bit and can get one at a good price.

Locally, don't forget about flea markets and the like.  I've found several that way for under $5 each in near perfect condition.

[Skull_Angel]

Ebay isn't a terrible place to get vintage razors.  Wait a bit and can get one at a good price.

Locally, don't forget about flea markets and the like.  I've found several that way for under $5 each in near perfect condition.

I know, I've just had retardedly bad luck with several purchases. I completely forgot about flea markets, there should be quite a few of those in the area too.

massdrop had the IKON and Feater ones during this year, maybe look if the buyers seem satisfied with it or look for more info on them. I can't help you more since I use a straight razor, but before I made the move I considered these 2.

While the Feather is interesting as well, most of the iKons I've seen seem to be pricy. I've done a lot of forum hopping and it's hard to take my mind off the Weber and vintage razors, haha.

[PointyFox]

Edwin Jagger DE razors are nice and are pretty cheap, though the biggest factor is getting a good blade for it like a Feather.

I sell sharpened straight razors if you're interested.

[Skull_Angel]

Edwin Jagger DE razors are nice and are pretty cheap, though the biggest factor is getting a good blade for it like a Feather.

I sell sharpened straight razors if you're interested.

Straight razors would be a nice thing to get into eventually, but my current situation barely allows for a half decent 2-pass shave (1 shared bathroom between a full family) let alone the time for a proper stropping; that and we have a kid here that likes to get into sharp instruments no matter where they may be hidden, lol. I did have the chance to use a shavette before, made me feel like I needed to get myself a good hat and some spurs before tying up my saddle bags and riding off... haha.

[Skull_Angel]

Little update here; scanned ebay for a week looking for a good deal and finally found a Gillette blue tip. The thing looked like a gunk pile, but there were no signs of any pitting on the plating so I went for it; happy to say that it was a steal of a find for $15, shined up perfectly with a few dish soap soak 'n scrubs and a good going over with Mother's mag polish. Paired up with an Astra SP the shave is very mild (almost too mild), but leaves me almost baby-butt smooth considering I need to readjust to a new blade angle. Over all very happy with my find even if I still have the want to grab a normal Flair tip or adjustable.

[quickcrx702]

Make sure you try Feather.  They're usually regarded as the best.

Make sure you try them after you try every other type of blade.  If your technique isn't down, you will get to know a styptic pencil very well.  Once you get it down though, nothing else compares.  I can effortlessly shave a weeks worth of growth on my whole head in one or at most two passes, with no issues other than having to rinse the blade more often.

[piglickjf]

Wow, what a thread. I've been "wetshaving" for several years now - I had no idea it had a special name, though. I had mentioned wanting to try it, so one year about 5 or so years ago my wife bought me a razor, brush and blades. The razor is a Merkur (not sure which model) as are the blades.  I'm pretty sure the brush is badger hair, but has a blue plastic handle - Men-U brand, I think? I don't use it much anymore because I tried out a Burt's Bees shave cream, which is non-lathering, and I really like it. It's almost like a slightly oily lotion, you just quickly rub it on a wet face and shave. Anyone else tried it? I have pretty tough skin anyway and didn't have too much trouble with burn, but I like this stuff better than the soaps I was using before (which, admittedly, were not shaving soaps, but a variety of handmade soap samples picked up from various farmer's markets and such).

Which leads into my next question - has anyone tried making their own shaving soap/cream? My wife is about to start trying out soapmaking, and she'd probably like making me something special. Any tips or advice on that?

I'm super cheap and really chintz on my blades - I use them for months at a time  . In fact, I'm still using the original supply of blades my wife got me with the razor, which I think was two 10-packs, and that's shaving 5 days a week!

Maybe I'll start treating myself to a new blade more often, and I may even try one of those blade sampler packs. I have no real complaints with the blades I've been using but hey, maybe I'll find something I like even better.

[JPG]

I have been wetshaving for a few months, with a straight razor and here are the info I can add:


I really like the edwin jagger soaps and the tabac soap. Both are very nice.


A badger brush is way better at lathering than a board brush.


Making a few pass on the chromium oxyde once in a while makes  HUGE difference for a straight. I waited at least 3 months before trying it, and god I should have tried this before! It's like if the blade was freshly sharpened after a few pass only!


Oh and an alum bloc is a must!

[Skull_Angel]

Wow, what a thread. I've been "wetshaving" for several years now - I had no idea it had a special name, though. I had mentioned wanting to try it, so one year about 5 or so years ago my wife bought me a razor, brush and blades. The razor is a Merkur (not sure which model) as are the blades.  I'm pretty sure the brush is badger hair, but has a blue plastic handle - Men-U brand, I think? I don't use it much anymore because I tried out a Burt's Bees shave cream, which is non-lathering, and I really like it. It's almost like a slightly oily lotion, you just quickly rub it on a wet face and shave. Anyone else tried it? I have pretty tough skin anyway and didn't have too much trouble with burn, but I like this stuff better than the soaps I was using before (which, admittedly, were not shaving soaps, but a variety of handmade soap samples picked up from various farmer's markets and such).

Which leads into my next question - has anyone tried making their own shaving soap/cream? My wife is about to start trying out soapmaking, and she'd probably like making me something special. Any tips or advice on that?

I'm super cheap and really chintz on my blades - I use them for months at a time  . In fact, I'm still using the original supply of blades my wife got me with the razor, which I think was two 10-packs, and that's shaving 5 days a week!

Maybe I'll start treating myself to a new blade more often, and I may even try one of those blade sampler packs. I have no real complaints with the blades I've been using but hey, maybe I'll find something I like even better.

I'm still pretty new to using a DE and wet saving, but I've found that even using conditioner or a decent lotion is enough to get an alright shave straight out of the shower, ultimately it seems like a decently whipped up lather still does a better job for me. Still looking for alternatives for those times you need to save every minuet though.

There was a thread on r/wicked_edge or r/SkincareAddiction that touched base on soap compositions and differences between body, face and shaving soap, really interesting read and I'll link it if I can find it again.

[piglickjf]

I'm still pretty new to using a DE and wet saving, but I've found that even using conditioner or a decent lotion is enough to get an alright shave straight out of the shower, ultimately it seems like a decently whipped up lather still does a better job for me. Still looking for alternatives for those times you need to save every minuet though.

Ok, first a n00b question, what is DE? I've seen it throughout this thread and get what it means, but haven't quite been able to figure out what it actually stands for.

I actually shave before my shower - strange, I know. I just rinse my face with hot water from the sink, shave, then shower. After my shower I use witch hazel then a cold water rinse. I found shaving after the shower I end up with more razor burn/irritation/ingrowns. Perhaps that's because of my shoddy technique/dull blades/inferior creams, lotions and aftershaves though. But it works for me, so I go with it. I'm also not at all a morning person and always need every last minute, lol, so the timesavings of not using a brush and being able to just slather some lotion on and still get a decent shave suits me well.

There was a thread on r/wicked_edge or r/SkincareAddiction that touched base on soap compositions and differences between body, face and shaving soap, really interesting read and I'll link it if I can find it again.

That would be great if you can find it. When she's ready to give it a try I'll probably do some research myself, but it would be great to have a head start.

PigLick

[Skull_Angel]

I couldn't find the link, but there's some good info here.

DE is just double edge, basically lazy way of saying old-type gandpa's safety razor, haha. From what I've looked through optimal routine and equip (lol) is different for everyone since skin and beard/hair is so different from person to person, so the best thing to do when developing is to change one variable at a time and stick with it for a bit. When I was cartridge shaving I would get the best results dry-shaving before a shower, but doing so tore up blades... lol

[piglickjf]

I couldn't find the link, but there's some good info here.

Just quickly scanned it, but that looks like a great link with lots of info, thanks. Hehe, my wife wanteds to just try out basic soapmaking, this sounds like it could get a whole lot more complicated...that's fine though, we both have backgrounds in research and have spent our fair share of time at a lab bench (I still do, she's stay-at-home these days), so it's right up our alley.

DE is just double edge, basically lazy way of saying old-type gandpa's safety razor, haha.

Ah, double-edged, got it. Makes sense now.

From what I've looked through optimal routine and equip (lol) is different for everyone since skin and beard/hair is so different from person to person, so the best thing to do when developing is to change one variable at a time and stick with it for a bit. When I was cartridge shaving I would get the best results dry-shaving before a shower, but doing so tore up blades... lol

I may try shaving after the shower again someday, I haven't tried it since I first made the switch to DE (see, now I can use it too!). I'm sure my technique has gotten a lot better, so I may have better luck with it now. Like I said, I'm cheap and use blades for way longer than they probably should be, so if after-shower is easier on blades, it may be good for me.

Does anyone know how long hair has to be wet to achieve maximum softness? I mean, is rinsing with hot water for ~30 sec (as I do now) just as good as showering in it for 5-10 min?

And what about drying/hardening time? When I rinse my face in the sink, I start shaving immediately, and re-rinse as I reapply cream (ie between the first with-grain pass and second against-grain pass). If I shaved after my shower, I'd do it after drying my body, etc., so it would probably be a few minutes between wetness and shaving, so how much difference would that make?

To be honest, these are all things I never really put much thought into until coming across this thread.

PigLick

[piglickjf]

Oh, and I just came across this:
http://www.yahoo.com/tech/is-this-500-razor-the-last-youll-ever-buy-72383001429.html

Anyone seen this?

[Skull_Angel]

I'm not sure how long it takes for hair to become saturated or dry out, that's a good question.

My routine usually starts before I get out of the shower with a small application of conditioner or lotion to hold in moisture while I dry off (leave me face wet though) and prep, then I'll whip up some lather which still takes me a few min still and may be 20 sec. of initial application of lather to rub it in and completely cover the hair, so it takes me may be several min. after a shower to actually start shaving. One pass, rinse and re-lather, repeat for 2-3 passes and possibly some touch-up.

If I don't shower I usually take a hot-damp towel and gently scrub beard for half a min or so, then rub in some lotion and make lather. It seems like most people on w_e are saying prep is the most important part, but I don't believe it has to take a considerable amount of time to do a good and through job.

I've seen that razor pop up before too, yeah; I've seen similar ideas, the earliest self contained piece I know of probably being the rolls razor, but at this point I'd just take the time to use a straight and pick up the necessary hones, haha (will eventually when I have the time and space).

[piglickjf]

Yah, I'd love to try a straight some day, but all the maintenance keeps me away. I don't really have room for a bunch of strops and such (I know they don't take up that much space, with a tiny bathroom shared by myself, my wife and two daughters, space is at a premium), and then having to have the blade honed periodically and such...meh. Plus, like I said, I'm not a morning person and always need every minute in the mornings; a hurried, bleary-eyed shave with a straight just seems like a bad idea.  )

[godly_music]

Oh yeah, hurrying a straight razor shave spells disaster. And shaving with one while stoned has turned out to be a terrifying experience, even though I made it through unscathed. Do not recommend that at all.

[JPG]

Yah, I'd love to try a straight some day, but all the maintenance keeps me away. I don't really have room for a bunch of strops and such (I know they don't take up that much space, with a tiny bathroom shared by myself, my wife and two daughters, space is at a premium), and then having to have the blade honed periodically and such...meh. Plus, like I said, I'm not a morning person and always need every minute in the mornings; a hurried, bleary-eyed shave with a straight just seems like a bad idea.  )

Shaving with a straight razor takes a little more time, but mostly for wetshavingand I would go the wetshaving way even with a cheap razor. As for maintenance, I have been using my straight razor for 6 months and the only thing you need to do on a regular shave is to strop it and clean/oil it at the end. That's like 1-2 min total. And shaving with a straight razor is quite fast since the surface cut is huge compared to a normal razor. And doing a second pass ain't so long and get's you a closer shave than you can achieve with a normal razor.


Also, I shave before going to bed after I shower, so no hurry in the morning and I can enjoy shaving myself instead of being rushed.


And for long term maintenance, well I only used my chromium oxyde board twice yet. I expect it to take some time before I need to touch it with my 12k stone. I am still new to all this, but I consider that the pleasure of the shave is enough to compensate for the initial cost and time of shaving with a straight razor.


In the end, I think that it's mostly about wanting to shave this way. There might be more practical ways to do it, but I think none are comparable on the satisfaction aspect!

[Skull_Angel]

I recently saw a post on reddit about a straight razor shaver using no more than silica packets for straight storage (after a good drying off, of course) with good results; it's definitely an idea and cuts a bit out of maintenance, but I like to take care of and baby a good blade myself, haha.

My step into the land of DEs has brought me down a darkened trail, it seems like I may have an encounter with what the wet shaving community calls RAD (razor acquisition disorder). The Gillette blue tip I have is fantastic, but not so much for my face; it's smooth as butter, but takes too many passes to get a good clean shave and that usually leads to irritation. So I looked around and picked up a rebranded Cadet TTO which was said to be a bit more aggressive than a Merkur 34c; well, "a bit" is a bit more than "a bit" and you definitely feel the blade (nothing like cartridge still), but what I think doesn't agree with my face the most is the blade exposure (always end up one nick, but no irritation, go figure). Now, I've got a craving for a normal Gillette Superspeed, but it'll have to wait because recent ebay prices are just ridiculous; hopefully this will be the last one...

[E TwentyNine]

See  a few super-speeds  on eBay for around $20-25 BIN including shipping.  Not the best price but not horrendous.

Hit a flea market or similar.  Picked up a few for under $5.

[E TwentyNine]

See  a few super-speeds on eBay for around $20-25 BIN including shipping.  Not the best price but not horrendous.  And you might do better on an auction.

Or hit a flea market or similar.  Picked up a few for under $5.

[tribade]

I should have known there'd be a wet-shaving thread on GH!  All my interests rolled up into one gigantic site

I've been wetshaving for a few years now, mostly SR shaving.  My dad bought a Boker back in the late 70s and never used it, so it was my first razor!  I now have about ten   

When I'm pressed for time I use a Muhle DE with feathers!

[nar]

I recently saw a post on reddit about a straight razor shaver using no more than silica packets for straight storage (after a good drying off, of course) with good results; it's definitely an idea and cuts a bit out of maintenance, but I like to take care of and baby a good blade myself, haha.

I just bought a silica lined sleeve for my SR when I was traveling for more than a month. Kept it in good condition and with minimal work, just dry it off and put it back in the sleeve and your done. Now that I'm back home its back to the normal regiment of 99% Alcohol 1% Tsubaki Oil since it keeps the water out, slightly disinfects the razor and keeps my strop oiled.

[Skull_Angel]

I recently saw a post on reddit about a straight razor shaver using no more than silica packets for straight storage (after a good drying off, of course) with good results; it's definitely an idea and cuts a bit out of maintenance, but I like to take care of and baby a good blade myself, haha.

I just bought a silica lined sleeve for my SR when I was traveling for more than a month. Kept it in good condition and with minimal work, just dry it off and put it back in the sleeve and your done. Now that I'm back home its back to the normal regiment of 99% Alcohol 1% Tsubaki Oil since it keeps the water out, slightly disinfects the razor and keeps my strop oiled.

Good point about keeping the strop oiled; I'd have never thought about that until it it was time to do maintenance on the leather (have an original California Creations bike jacket my dad gave me, so have a little experience with leather care; the sucker's older then I am and I'd like to keep it around for a while yet, haha). Good to have some confirmation about the viability of silica products and straight razors as well; seemed like a worth wile idea, so it's nice to know it actually works decently.

[Tarzan]

Where do you guys buy your DE blades?  I bought a varied selection from eBay to try out the different brands, and I've decided the Feather blades are the best fit for my razor and shaving style.  Any recommendations for a good retailer for these, or is eBay still the preferred buying channel?

[nar]

Where do you guys buy your DE blades?  I bought a varied selection from eBay to try out the different brands, and I've decided the Feather blades are the best fit for my razor and shaving style.  Any recommendations for a good retailer for these, or is eBay still the preferred buying channel?

West Coast Shaving is usually recommended a lot. I've actually never used a DE before (Went straight from Electric to SR lol) though so I can't give any personal recommendations.

[thegagne]

I need some new shaving soap/cream. Recommend me something reasonably priced?

[Tarzan]

I need some new shaving soap/cream. Recommend me something reasonably priced?

Proraso. 

http://www.amazon.com/gp/search/ref=sr_1_1_acs_h_2i_2599072011_3778801?ie=UTF8&qid=1390835946&sr=8-1-acs&node=3778801&srs=2599072011&field-keywords=Proraso

Comes in different flavors, and one tube lasts quite a long time.

[Tarzan]

Where do you guys buy your DE blades?  I bought a varied selection from eBay to try out the different brands, and I've decided the Feather blades are the best fit for my razor and shaving style.  Any recommendations for a good retailer for these, or is eBay still the preferred buying channel?

West Coast Shaving is usually recommended a lot. I've actually never used a DE before (Went straight from Electric to SR lol) though so I can't give any personal recommendations.

Thanks for the tip!  I think...  Started browsing their site, and by the time I checked out I'd accumulated a keyboard unit of stuff.   

[Skull_Angel]

Where do you guys buy your DE blades?  I bought a varied selection from eBay to try out the different brands, and I've decided the Feather blades are the best fit for my razor and shaving style.  Any recommendations for a good retailer for these, or is eBay still the preferred buying channel?

West Coast Shaving is usually recommended a lot. I've actually never used a DE before (Went straight from Electric to SR lol) though so I can't give any personal recommendations.

Basically anywhere you can order in bulk since that's normally the cheapest option; I've been using Amazon so far, but I'm more than open to other reputable retailers. Buying local is normally way over-priced aside from random dollar stores.

[Tarzan]

Where do you guys buy your DE blades?  I bought a varied selection from eBay to try out the different brands, and I've decided the Feather blades are the best fit for my razor and shaving style.  Any recommendations for a good retailer for these, or is eBay still the preferred buying channel?

West Coast Shaving is usually recommended a lot. I've actually never used a DE before (Went straight from Electric to SR lol) though so I can't give any personal recommendations.

Basically anywhere you can order in bulk since that's normally the cheapest option; I've been using Amazon so far, but I'm more than open to other reputable retailers. Buying local is normally way over-priced aside from random dollar stores.

WC Shaving had the Feather blades in stock - $40 for 100.  I also added some smaller packs of other brands to try out, shave cream, styptic pencil, etc.