Wet shaving thread.

I love my Merkur 34HD and the red personnas. So much that i bought a hundred of the blades. I only shave 2-3 times a week, so these will last me forever!

Everyone swore that the feathers are the best blades, but damn do they tear my face up bad. Closer shave with the personnas than the feather blades too

Feathers are great blades but I find they dull too fast for me, crystals and sharks work very well with my iron-like beard growth.

I shaved with the straight on Sunday and it was as if the process just clicked... I seemed to know how to hold the razor and what angles worked without trying. A smoothe shave with no nicks. Odd that it was like a bulb turning on and everything made sense.

My Parker 97 shark chrome blades and van der Hagen set came today. Gotta say. Wish I would have made this switch sooner!!

I usually only shave maybe twice a week but with the holidays and everything else I let it go big time. Man did it feel great to strop the straight, lather up and go to town this morning.

The only way to truly avoid razor burn is simple...grow a beard.

worked for me

I did get some breakouts this morning from the Parker also. But I went ahead and shaved this morning again. Something I couldn't do with any cartridge. We shall see. I'm using sharks chrome right now. Tomorrow throwing in derby stainless

BigfootCounty said:

The only way to truly avoid razor burn is simple...grow a beard.

worked for me

Click to expand...

Isn't that akin to posting in the all grain section that to avoid the issues of a stuck sparge you just brew extract only???

azscoob said:

Isn't that akin to posting in the all grain section that to avoid the issues of a stuck sparge you just brew extract only???

Click to expand...

nope

nice try though

My dad asked me if I really loved shaving. I told him no but now it is kind of like morning coffee. Its just something that makes the day feel whole and pampered.

azscoob said:

Isn't that akin to posting in the all grain section that to avoid the issues of a stuck sparge you just brew extract only???

Click to expand...

No, it's akin to saying to avoid infection or a mess in the kitchen that you shouldn't brew at all.

jtkratzer said:

No, it's akin to saying to avoid infection or a mess in the kitchen that you shouldn't brew at all.

Click to expand...

My Merkur set showed up today! After dinner I'm going to prep and try my first DE shave. Any suggestions?

FastAndy said:

My Merkur set showed up today! After dinner I'm going to prep and try my first DE shave. Any suggestions?

Click to expand...

Watch videos on YouTube, read some articles, stuff here, and don't give up when you cut the sh*t out of yourself the first time.



Relax, have fun, and enjoy.

All done without any nicks or cuts. After about the 5th stroke or so I realized I wasn't going to peel my face off and felt more comfortable. I'm pretty pleased that I don't have the irritated feeling that I normally do after shaving with a cartridge. Not the closest shave yet, but I hear that comes with time.

Cheers!

OK, as a trial before I go DE. trimmed 2+ inches off my face to stubble & 1/2 inch of head with trimmer. shaved as close as possible using a mach 3. I expect some face razor rash on neck in am even with post shave products. spotted 2 nicks on usual spots on face, one on lip usual, one on neck, new but usually nick neck at some point. no nicks on head. used C.O. Biegelo. which is what I use after growing a longer beard. usually use a brush & bay rum soap to shave after only a short growth. use a post shave bath & body works product lotion post shave. NOW looking at this DE thread looking at a nice DE heavy handled razor in the $30 range looking a mekur or jagger.

I have never liked a long handled razor, I always choke up on it, and they always felt "light"

my beard whiskers go in multiple directions need to shave at different angles to get a close shave is a DE for me? want to use for head too which I can usually get done in a few strokes.

suggestions?

I like the weight of my DEs, and like you I have a beard that grows in different directions, beard on my cheeks grow from nose to ear, jawline is downward, center of neck grows in an upward direction and the sides of my neck grow upward but also towards my ears, makes for interesting shaving, but I tackle it in sections without thinking anymore.

I say give it a go, you can always go back to your M3

azscoob said:

I like the weight of my DEs, and like you I have a beard that grows in different directions, beard on my cheeks grow from nose to ear, jawline is downward, center of neck grows in an upward direction and the sides of my neck grow upward but also towards my ears, makes for interesting shaving, but I tackle it in sections without thinking anymore.

I say give it a go, you can always go back to your M3

Click to expand...

sounds like we have same issues! may give de a shot..

looking around... found some interesting short handle heavy razors. have seen a few posts dedicated to blades... blades could be a real factor. again suggestions... on a budget. haven't weeded through all 78 pages yet.

personna labs or gillette 7 oclock yellows.

if you want cheaperblades that still work well for most, astra SP's, Shark SS, Personna Reds and *GASP* Derby blades actually work for some...

I do not like Derby blades or Merkur. They both seem dull to me. I like Feather and Gillette. Gillette is a very comfortable shave and the blades lasts a long time, but Feather is sharper. Feather doesn't have staying power though. It seems too delicate. I get maybe three shaves from a Feather.

If you have an adjustable DE shaver like the old Gillette fat boy that I use (my Dad's), the trick to avoiding cuts is to dial it back to 4 or 5 on the adjustment band. Make two passes minimum over your stubble, the second one very lightly against the grain. Most people are convinced they need to set the razor to 8 or 9 to get a good shave, and that's just not true.

I still prefer my straight edge razors over DE whenever I have time for them. It is a more deliberate shaving experience, and an incredible pleasure when the razor is good and sharp. You can test and prove your sanity and your existence by shaving with a straight razor, as Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever did. I **** you not.

I started wet shaving around Labor Day weekend. My wife said the skin looks better, less irritated, and I definitely have far fewer ingrown hairs, down from every shave to the occasional. I'm sure the blade plays a part, but I'm also taking better care of my skin by just following the general routine that goes with wet shaving.

I have found there aren't many blades I don't like, but I do not care for Derby blades. I get the tugging and pulling on the first shave.

Blades I do like are blue Gillette 7 O'Clock, Astra SPs, Red Personnas, and Crystals. I still have a few more in the drawer to try.

Maybe it's just me, but I feel like I can get a close, comfortable shave with just about any blade on a couple days worth of growth, it's the shave 24 hours later that shows whether a blade is comfortable or not.

I didn't have time for a shower and wet shave last Saturday and I gave the electric a spin...that was miserable.

My beard grows a little crazy as well and I haven't tried the "Method Shaving" yet, but a routine of 4 passes of WXA and a touch up seems to work well for me.

I began straight shaving after years of cartridges about a month ago. Other than the slicing and dicing, my face is so much smoother and less dry than before. And the razor burn is so much less. It's great! Kyle

I hate shaving my face but Love shaving my head! Last summer I made the switch to wet shaving with a 60's Gillette safety razor. Seriously cut back on razor burn and neck irritation! My Wife hooks me up and keeps my head smooth and the safety razor with a fresh double edge blade is as good as it gets! I have a boar brush and usually use wilkinson blades. One thing I have found that helps is using vitamin E oil to condition my hair just before shaving. A lot of people use fancy shave oils, but I like cheap un scented vitamin E....

Vitamin E huh? There are several of us who use extra virgin olive oil, I buy it for cooking and stash a little bottle of it in the bathroom for shaving. I add a few drops to my lather bowl before building my lather, if I am using my straight I apply a few drops directly to my beard before I shave.

Ya I get a nice size bottle for about $4 and use it on my Lobes daily (I have them stretched to 38mm) and I rub my head down with it before I shave, after I shower. It's cheap, good for the skin and helps that razor guide nice and easy...

Tomorrow in my travels I'm going to look for a bottle, a corner drug store should have that sort of thing.

azscoob said:

Tomorrow in my travels I'm going to look for a bottle, a corner drug store should have that sort of thing.

Click to expand...

I use a travel flip top bottle and mix up a 3:1 ratio of olive oil to baby oil I mix with my lather. Seems to work well.

jtkratzer said:

I use a travel flip top bottle and mix up a 3:1 ratio of olive oil to baby oil I mix with my lather. Seems to work well.

Click to expand...

So do you hate me for pushing you along in getting you into wet shaving with a DE??

I don't hate you guys for it but I don't love you either. More like I *might* buy you a beer if you came into town...

But I have sense help a couple of people dive deeper in DE shaving. I'd love to try a straight but I think the wife would snap a little and since I HAVE to shave every morning now instead of every other I myself may snap a bit if I had to put more thought into it other than a triple pass. I also think now is not the time to start trying something new in the shaving routine since my last day off was Thanksgiving and my shortest week worked since Thanksgiving was 75 hours...Yeah, I'm on autopilot most mornings until I have had my secon cup of coffee and by then I'm half way to work on my now forty minute commute- thank goodness it isn't the ninety minute it used to be!!!!

Back to shaving... Got to love me some TOBS Sandalwood. For whatever reason I like it better than Art of Shaving's offering and have benched the puck of Proraso I've been working on since July.

I like the TOBS Sandalwood and the TOBS Lavender. Both are excellent. But my favorite of the Taylor of Old Bond Street line up is Eton College. I get a closer shave with it.

azscoob said:

So do you hate me for pushing you along in getting you into wet shaving with a DE??

Click to expand...

Absolutely not. I'm required to shave daily, might as well be an enjoyable experience and my skin looks better when I do my part not to butcher it.

What I don't like is that I realize the other shaving methods are awful and I have to use them when I'm working without a sink and hot water.

I'd also like to try a straight. But getting up at 5 is early enough and I'm rocking the 90 minute commute until mid-January.

I need to snag something in the higher end soap/cream to try. I found out my cousin is a DE wet shaver and he's recommending Truefitt & Hill and Geo Trumper stuff.

I got 100 derby extra stainless blades with my razor. I like sharks better. Anyone wanna swap some hops or something for 95 derby blades?

lex990 said:

I got 100 derby extra stainless blades with my razor. I like sharks better. Anyone wanna swap some hops or something for 95 derby blades?

Click to expand...

What razor do you have?

lex990 said:

I got 100 derby extra stainless blades with my razor. I like sharks better. Anyone wanna swap some hops or something for 95 derby blades?

Click to expand...

Would you be willing to do a 5 blade swap? I've not tried the derbys I could send you 5 crystal blades for 5 derbys.

I have a Parker 97 de safety razor. Yeah I would do a swap. Shoot me a pm with your address

I have an unopened 5-pack of Derby's if anyone wants to try them or swap...

Make that two packs of Derby blades...I got a 105-pack sampler today as a gift. Doesn't look like I'll be buying blades any time soon.

Nice. I just got that pack last week. The Astra's in the top left and i dont get along though.

Mama got me a nice pipe rack to use for some of my razors, it is a 6 hole model with a side divot for a tobacco bowl, it repurposed nicely, and is now holding 5 DEs and a straight along with my scuttle. Once I figure a brush holder out I am mounting it on the end opposite of the scuttle.

I am going to post a pic soon so it makes sense to you all

Tried my first shave today, and it did not go as great as I expected.

Got a Merkur Classic #178 and a shaving kit for Christmas.


Worked a lather in the cup as I'd read and seen on Youtube and worked into skin w/brush.
Made short strokes using shaver weight for pressure. Tried to maintain 30* angle. Only got one small nick on my neck, but after I rinsed off, it was like I hadnt shaved at all. I made a second pass with new lather and got ok results, but now my face is irritated.

Does this just come to you with practice?