Wet shaving thread.

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I use a moist brush and add water as I need it. There is a happy medium when hitting the soap. During the winter I really dig a warm brush soaked in hot water but during the summer I am strictly cold water and some menthol products. In Korea, one time (only) I made the mistake of using a menthol A/S and then had to ride my bicycle to work and it was 20 deg out. Yea, suck that did.

Like splashing on a little Osage Rub and sticking your face in the freezer, nice!
 
I just bought a straight off of a guy at badgerandblade.com and now I need a strop. Any suggestions?
 
A few months ago, I came across a Gillette DE razor but it has tarnished some. I'd really like to be able to begin using it, but don't have the slightest clue on how to refurbish it for use again.

I took some pictures of it and hopefully some of you guys can give me a few good ideas for restoring this thing.

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Any ideas for getting this thing in working order again?
 
Mcbobs said:
A few months ago, I came across a Gillette DE razor but it has tarnished some. I'd really like to be able to begin using it, but don't have the slightest clue on how to refurbish it for use again.

I took some pictures of it and hopefully some of you guys can give me a few good ideas for restoring this thing.

Any ideas for getting this thing in working order again?

The photos aren't showing up on my phone. If its not in too bad of shape and there isn't much plate lose or pitting I suggest soaking in warm water with a mild detergent. After that I've had good luck getting some older razors cleaned and some shine back by scrubbing with a gritty toothpaste and an old tooth brush.
 
Give it a scrub with a toothbrush and soft scrub bathroom cleaner. Then you could give it a quick dunk in boiling water and then a dunk in rubbing alcohol. As far as the overall condition? Both of my NEW's look like yours and I use em every day. The only way you are gonna get it pretty again is if you get it replated. Outside of that, give it a scrub, sanitize, and use it.
 
Forgot to add be careful with the brasso -yes- that specific brand cause it will polish the plating off. Flitz is the better product if you are gonba try to polish
 
A few months ago, I came across a Gillette DE razor but it has tarnished some. I'd really like to be able to begin using it, but don't have the slightest clue on how to refurbish it for use again.

I took some pictures of it and hopefully some of you guys can give me a few good ideas for restoring this thing.

photo4-56373.jpg


photo3-56372.jpg


photo2-56371.jpg


photo1-56370.jpg


Any ideas for getting this thing in working order again?
Send it to me..... I need another NEW..
 
I usually soak my acquisitions in a mild yet scalding hot oxyclean bath, then use a toothbrush to scrub the knurling, etc. I then hit it with some metal polish paste, buff it off and give it a final cleaning with glass cleaner to get any polishing paste off without messing up the shine.
 
I just bought a straight off of a guy at badgerandblade.com and now I need a strop. Any suggestions?

Dunno what your budget is but I have a Tony Miller Heirloom latigo/cotton strop. I think it was 65$+ shipping or something. If you have more money to spend, look at getting horsehide, it's worth the money. And don't forget to get a practice strop to go with it, as you'll definitely cut it on the first few tries!

Gotta email Tony beforehand though, as he produces in very small quantities. A steal at that price.

http://shop.thewellshavedgentleman.com/

If you have less money to spend, I heard Illinois strops are OK - but tbh, I bought a cheap strop once and I'll never waste money on that again. Came all bent and creased. I'd rather use an old pair of jeans.
 
Thanks for the ideas. I ended getting a Mountain Mikes 3" with handles instead of rings from Westcoastshaving.com. I was looking at the horse hide options and they do seem nice. But like you said I'll probably end up destroying this first one so I didn't want to spend too much on it.
 
Best I have found to clean my razor is to use a ultrasonic cleaner with a little Vinegar, or bathroom, acid cleaner and water in it. You can get little jewelry Ultrasound cleaners on fleabay or at the junk tool store pretty cheap. Gets all the soap scumb and hard water stuff out of all the little cracks and crevices.

I use fitz for polishing as well.
 
Thanks for the ideas. I ended getting a Mountain Mikes 3" with handles instead of rings from Westcoastshaving.com. I was looking at the horse hide options and they do seem nice. But like you said I'll probably end up destroying this first one so I didn't want to spend too much on it.

Looking very nice, first time I hear about those! 3" is a very good choice too.

I think material has more to do with the feel than perceived sharpness... horsehide becomes all slick and very "fast", latigo has more 'grip' to it. I don't feel a substantial difference on my blade afterwards. Cotton Vs Linen makes more difference.

And latigo is 'easier' to repair if you nick it... pumice stone and very fine sandpaper (I use micromesh, even finer). Usually won't feel it as much as a horsehide nick...
 
Are yall putting anything on your straight razors to protect them from rust and what not?

I read to put Vaseline on the blade between shaves. I've been doing it and the blade looks good as the day I got it. Is it necessary? I shave every 2-3 days and always wipe it clean after.
 
Are yall putting anything on your straight razors to protect them from rust and what not?

I read to put Vaseline on the blade between shaves. I've been doing it and the blade looks good as the day I got it. Is it necessary? I shave every 2-3 days and always wipe it clean after.

I should be doing that but haven't bothered, my razors are far enough away from the shower to not get much humidity, and it's typically so dry here that nothing ever rusts.

I give my straights a smear of Vaseline if they are going into storage for a while, just never bother to do it between shaves
 
My new used Geneva President came in the mail today. Too bad it got here before my strop. Anyone have any info the the Geneva/Genco razors? I can't seem to find any info on this specific model.

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Are yall putting anything on your straight razors to protect them from rust and what not?

I read to put Vaseline on the blade between shaves. I've been doing it and the blade looks good as the day I got it. Is it necessary? I shave every 2-3 days and always wipe it clean after.

Vaseline would clean badly and probably trap more moisture in than it would put out. Mineral oil like Gixxer said ! Personally, I don't bother and just strop it on the fabric side when I'm done.
 
Strop it on the fabric side?

You mean use a piece of fabric, like denim? My strop is leather. I've got the balsa board too. It's the kit from Whipped Dog.

Edit: One side of the leather strop is smooth and the other side is soft and fuzzy.
 
:D I just took the plunge and got a new Merkur. I have a problem with using someone else's personal items. I just can't. Doesn't matter if it's 100 years old or not. When I was in the dorms in college a fella asked to borrow my electric razor. He asked about 15 times. Finally he gave up. It was an uncomfortable situation.

I took your advise and started using the Olive Oil/Baby Oil combination. Due to the great results I picked up shaving cream in a tube & a brush. Fantastic. So I picked up some Witch Hazel............. Great!

So, after all the good advise & great results, I took the plunge & bought the German product & a sample pack of blades. Next I'm gonna add the Nivea aftershave.

My face thanks all of you! :drunk:
 
My question is about the Olive Oil/Baby Oil combination. Experimented & found if I add the oil to the bowl the lather is rather wimpy. I've found out Biglow doesn't make a big lather to begin with. Guess what, you guys pointed me to the answer = B&B's website.

1) If I apply the oil directly to my face then whip the saving cream up separately in the bowl I can get a much thicker lather, slicker skin, & better shave. Which shaving creams produce a THICK lather & moisturize?

What's been your experience? = It's the product!

Nivea is next!

I have been using a Bic disposable up to now & have been pressing REAL hard to get close. I have to stretch the skin, just beat myself up. But there is a happy medium I've had to achieve, hot razor burn has been a consequence of the pressure, but if I go easy stubble is everywhere. The blade itself is a cheap POS?!

The multi-blade cartridges would just turn my face to hamburger.

I'm just a newbie to this wet shaving but in my limited experience I've found just the preparation & product has improved my skin a huge amount. Before I would just slap on the can goo & push that Bic into my face. Not anymore.

Just using these new products have lessened the burn 100%. I can't wait to have a sharp blade & a heavy shaver that just cuts by falling down.

[ame]http://youtu.be/N9qYF9DZPdw[/ame]

The joys I have in life are simple............. a good beer & a good shave............................ it just doesn't get any better.

2) Which blade should I start off with a Merkur & a sensitive face?

This thread alone is packed with tons of good information. Thank you guys.
 
Best aftershave I've found is Proraso - the alcohol splash. Next best (and the one that drives the ladies crazy) is to use unscripted witch hazel then a very small amount of Art of Shaving's sandalwood aftershave.
 
I'm curious about using witch hazel. Is it an oil or more like rubbing alcohol? Are you just using a splash after your have? I have really sensitive skin and have heard it may help.
 
I'm in the sensitive skin camp too. Witch Hazel is only $5 for a big bottle. I've read where alcohol is a big no-no, but I've found a 14% type that is very nice. Walmart or CVS both carry it.

Try it. You'll like it. :D
 
Thayers unscented(truly an unscented witch hazel) and I add a few drops of Bay Rum scent.

Thayers is the absolute best.
 
Witch hazel has 14% alcohol. I use it (unscented, generic brand) every day. Shave, rinse, witch hazel, Cornhusker's lotion, aftershave or cologne. Sure straight rubbing alcohol can be irritating and drying, but 14% is not all that bad and the CHL works real well at moisturizing. A little goes a long way, as in I use a dot in my palm slightly bigger than a pencil eraser. When I use the witch hazel I go straight to the CHL before my face dries. Helps spread it out.

One thing about witch hazel. It smells like butt when you put it on, but the smell goes away in under a minute if that. Do not worry about that at all. By the time I get the CHL on I cannot even tell I used witch hazel.
 
Gixxer said:
Witch hazel has 14% alcohol. I use it (unscented, generic brand) every day. Shave, rinse, witch hazel, Cornhusker's lotion, aftershave or cologne. Sure straight rubbing alcohol can be irritating and drying, but 14% is not all that bad and the CHL works real well at moisturizing. A little goes a long way, as in I use a dot in my palm slightly bigger than a pencil eraser. When I use the witch hazel I go straight to the CHL before my face dries. Helps spread it out.

One thing about witch hazel. It smells like butt when you put it on, but the smell goes away in under a minute if that. Do not worry about that at all. By the time I get the CHL on I cannot even tell I used witch hazel.

This is how I use it as well, I shave, rinse, witch hazel splashed on almost as if I were applying sunscreen, then a small amount of pinaud aftershave or caswell massey 1752 sandalwood balm
 
My combo is Schick adjustable single edge injector from the 60's, badger brush, proraso ultra sensitive shave soap, and proraso pre shave cream used as after shave. I used to get horrible burn on my neck but this combo gets me baby butt smooth and never a single burn bump. I do use a straight razor as well but only when I really want to take my time. When it comes to shaving you gotta go old school. Its a lost art but well worth it.
 
Ace_Club said:
Picked up some Proraso and two more straights. Don't think I'm going to even bother trying the DEs.

You should think about keeping at least one for those days when you might need something a little more convenient than a straight.
 
Straights are for crazies! :eek:

My Merkur came in the mail today. After all the dangerous threads I've read, I was scared to death! All these years of using a Bic that doesn't pivot, the DE was a breeze! I was still impressed with the blade though, after all the bad press the Merkur blade has gotten, it was still a huge step up from the Bic.

I've gotten my first BBS shave! I'm sold. For years I've put up with that Bic & Barbasol............................ I just didn't know.

Now I do. Thank you gentlemen! :rockin:
 
Straights are for crazies! :eek:

My Merkur came in the mail today. After all the dangerous threads I've read, I was scared to death! All these years of using a Bic that doesn't pivot, the DE was a breeze! I was still impressed with the blade though, after all the bad press the Merkur blade has gotten, it was still a huge step up from the Bic.

I've gotten my first BBS shave! I'm sold. For years I've put up with that Bic & Barbasol............................ I just didn't know.

Now I do. Thank you gentlemen! :rockin:

Now you just need to start collecting kick ass soaps
 
Anyone ever tried Bold for Men? Its a waterless shave gel, has the consistency of hand sanitzer. Put it on, wait 30 seconds and shave. Works ok for the most part. I like to use it to trim around my goatee although im fine shaving my face with just warm water as ive been doing it for awhile.

I also shave my head though and normally do that in the shower however i've used the Bold For Men there as well. Makes ur dome tingle a little bit and gives a close shave. Nice for those who shave in front of the mirror instead of in the shower. Only drawback is that its a bit expensive.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000OZZH18/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20
 
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Hm interesting information. I use the mach3 setup too. Even stretching one of the blades to a week still adds up since those things are a few dollars a blade. I think I'll check out these blades you mention.

I just use Cal ben bar soap for shaving. It's pretty creamy, smooth, doesn't leave me with any razor burn. I just don't like all the chemicals, fragrances, stuff like that in those kind of products.
 
Hm interesting information. I use the mach3 setup too. Even stretching one of the blades to a week still adds up since those things are a few dollars a blade. I think I'll check out these blades you mention.

I just use Cal ben bar soap for shaving. It's pretty creamy, smooth, doesn't leave me with any razor burn. I just don't like all the chemicals, fragrances, stuff like that in those kind of products.

You should check out DR Harris, Geo F Trumper, Mitchells Wool Fat, or other english made soaps, Old school natural ingredients and light on the scent.

West Coast Shaving is my go to place

http://www.westcoastshaving.com/
 
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