Wet shaving thread.

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I need to work on my chin with a straight... I know its the hardest spot for me to get close with a DE. Its just really coarse and thick and like 500 grit sandpaper all the time. DE's have done the best with it so far.

and whippeddog stuff is legit. I got a strop and soap samples through him. Very well at keeping you in the loop on the order and stuff.
 
I need to work on my chin with a straight... I know its the hardest spot for me to get close with a DE. Its just really coarse and thick and like 500 grit sandpaper all the time. DE's have done the best with it so far.

and whippeddog stuff is legit. I got a strop and soap samples through him. Very well at keeping you in the loop on the order and stuff.

He sent me some info today and I'm teetering on the fence about the straight. Heard estimates of a month to 100 shaves before being good at it. I'll probably take the leap, just want to read/watch more before I attempt to remove just stubble from my face.
 
I got tired of paying a ton for a bad shave with 16-blade Gillette Mach 200 Turbo Megashave systems, and found DE wet shaving. I enjoy the Merkur 180 razor, Astra Superior Stainless blades, and Taylor of Old Bond Street Jermyn Street shaving cream combination. Still amazed at the ability to pick up nearly a year's worth of great blades for $13.

Plus the sound the blade makes while cutting is very reassuring. :)
 
He sent me some info today and I'm teetering on the fence about the straight. Heard estimates of a month to 100 shaves before being good at it. I'll probably take the leap, just want to read/watch more before I attempt to remove just stubble from my face.

I'm not very good with the straight yet... I end up doing a ATG pass with my fatboy to finish up. Albeit a very smooth ATG pass.

I gave my DE a workout tonight. Don't worry, the beard came through unscathed.

How'd that work out for you? I think I have liked single edged razors for shaping beards the best.
 
Just had a hair cut so going for a shave...

Hot flannel, Edwin Jagger pre-shave, EJ super badger + prorarso soap, murkur 23c + feather blades, EJ aftershave balm.

Mmmm.
 
CHefJohnboyardee said:
How'd that work out for you? I think I have liked single edged razors for shaping beards the best.

Pretty good.

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CHefJohnboyardee said:
Don't catch it on fire with a stogie or the pipe :D

Roger that. Keep the fire from the beard. Check.

I was blowing fire with 151 on New Year's Eve. I made sure to dry off and wait between bursts.
 
Has anyone used a razorock open comb razor. I'm looking at them on Italian barber website and thinking of ordering one. They are getting pretty good reviews. From what I understand, they are plated brass like most of the vintage razors so I would think they should last a lifetime. For $15-$20 for a new quality razor, I might just have to give it a shot.
 
I got a used straight around 10 years ago. I have slowly ok very slowly been getting it ready for my first shave with it. I cleaned and polished it up nice then put it away as there was not a lot of info out there at that time. Now because of this thread I pulled the straight razor out and did some YouTube research. I bought some wet stones and did my first honing on it. I did my first shave with it last week and it felt like it wasn't sharp enough. I'm tring again tomorrow after honing again. I think the blade might be worn out to much to get it super sharp.



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Go over to badgerandblade.com there is a lot of info to learn from and some really nice gents that do an excellent job getting them shave ready, and most do it for free. Then you know the razor is ready and you can work learning to use it.
 
I'm wondering if your bevel is off and it looks like it has a chip near the heel.

Beautiful razor. :) I would send it off and get it sharpened or find someone local for the first time.
 
A couple of days ago I unearthed a badger brush and soap I received as a Christmas present a few years back and thought, "What the heck?" (Coincidentally it was a couple days after I had read this thread.) So I broke them out along with an old safety razor I had from my grandfather. After the first shave, my electric razor got tossed in the bottom drawer of the bathroom cabinet.

So my question to the group is, is it unnatural to want to shave 2 or 3 times a day?
 
Bought the sampler off this guy's site: http://www.alsshaving.com

Seems like an individual guy that started his own business making shaving cream. Pretty cool.

The Palermo scent is really nice. It's like shaving in a pine forest.

I still like TOBS best, though. Leaning towards Almond being the best lately...
 
I received my razorock open comb in the mail the other day and have used it twice. Two of the best shaved I've had for a while. It's a little more aggressive than what I'm used to but it is quickly becoming one of my favorites.
 
Nice! How is that TOBS treating you? :)

Good. Very nice, thick lather.

Bought the sampler off this guy's site: http://www.alsshaving.com

Seems like an individual guy that started his own business making shaving cream. Pretty cool.

The Palermo scent is really nice. It's like shaving in a pine forest.

I still like TOBS best, though. Leaning towards Almond being the best lately...

Pine forest? Sounds awesome.
 
Nice! Its a decent bang for the buck... I can't imagine spending more for soap/cream than that but I imagine I will sometime. Soap pucks last for half of forever so you forget what they cost...

I say this all while I've been using nothing but Arko for three weeks haha. $1.50 a stick and those last a long time!
 
So I have a question that requires a bit of a background. I have terrible facial hair, my hair grows in fast at first and the stops growing at about an 1/8 of an inch. I can maybe get it to a quarter if I don't shave for a month, it's highly frustrating but I digress. I have sensitive skin and have tried various Gilletter etc type of razors from the 1-5 blades, tried them all. I've heard that wet shaving can help with folks who get razor burn/bumps super easy can anyone here corroborate that?
 
You will get a much better shave with a DE, than any cartridge. Soaps and Creams are much better than canned goo as well. Give it a try you won't be disappointed.
 
My wife got me a merkur for Christmas, and I love it! Using it is quite a learning curve, but I'm having a lot of fun. Still get razor burn a little, but I think I'm still pressing too hard and my lather needs some work. Already much better than my little electric shaver though.
 
My wife got me a merkur for Christmas, and I love it! Using it is quite a learning curve, but I'm having a lot of fun. Still get razor burn a little, but I think I'm still pressing too hard and my lather needs some work. Already much better than my little electric shaver though.

Go on Amazon and get yourself a pack of Feather DE blades from Japan. I really like them with my Merkur.
 
So I have a question that requires a bit of a background. I have terrible facial hair, my hair grows in fast at first and the stops growing at about an 1/8 of an inch. I can maybe get it to a quarter if I don't shave for a month, it's highly frustrating but I digress. I have sensitive skin and have tried various Gilletter etc type of razors from the 1-5 blades, tried them all. I've heard that wet shaving can help with folks who get razor burn/bumps super easy can anyone here corroborate that?

I have coarse, thick facial hair that grows in quick and really sensitive skin to boot. I've been wet shaving with with DE razors for about a year and have really noticed a difference. My neck is super sensitive and is prone to razor bumps/ingrown hairs, but I rarely get them now.

There are a few tricks that make a big difference for me:
-always shave after a hot shower or condition your face with a steamy hot, wet towel.
-use a pre-shave like this
-give your shaving cream a minute or two before you start shaving
-shave with the grain of your hair. This one made a huge difference once I took a really long look at my hair to see which way it all grows. Mine grows in about 5 different directions on my neck alone!
-apply as little pressure as possible while shaving

As most people say, buy yourself some quality shaving soap and after shave. Make sure neither contain alcohol.
 
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I have coarse, thick facial hair that grows in quick and really sensitive skin to boot. I've been wet shaving with with DE razors for about a year and have really noticed a difference. My neck is super sensitive and is prone to razor bumps/ingrown hairs, but I rarely get them now.

There are a few tricks that make a big difference for me:
-always shave after a hot shower or condition your face with a steamy hot, wet towel.
-use a pre-shave like this
-give your shaving cream a minute or two before you start shaving
-shave with the grain of your hair. This one made a huge difference once I took a really long look at my hair to see which way it all grows. Mine grows in about 5 different directions on my neck alone!
-apply as little pressure as possible while shaving

As most people say, buy yourself some quality shaving soap and after shave. Make sure neither contain alcohol.

Everything Two-Heart said AND... I find that a straight razor gives me the best non-irritating shave. It took a few weeks to get the hang of it, but now i always use it if i have time. Next best is a DE, which I use when I don't have the time for the whole straight razor "ceremony" (it's also very meditative as you have to focus).

I'd say you can save money too, but not really. Straights are about as much to use as buying Gilette refills. You just spend all the cash at once. But once you're set up with straights the cost goes way down.
 
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I need to try a full wedge before I give up on straights... 1/4 an 1/2 hollows just don't cut it but I have some tricky whiskers.
 
CHefJohnboyardee said:
I need to try a full wedge before I give up on straights... 1/4 an 1/2 hollows just don't cut it but I have some tricky whiskers.

Did you send your straights to a pro to get honed? That's one of the things that made a difference for me.
 
CRZ said:
I got a used straight around 10 years ago. I have slowly ok very slowly been getting it ready for my first shave with it. I cleaned and polished it up nice then put it away as there was not a lot of info out there at that time. Now because of this thread I pulled the straight razor out and did some YouTube research. I bought some wet stones and did my first honing on it. I did my first shave with it last week and it felt like it wasn't sharp enough. I'm tring again tomorrow after honing again. I think the blade might be worn out to much to get it super sharp.

Two questions, one.. Is the spine getting thin from years of honing? If so adding electrical tape to the spine will help bring the bevel back.

Two, are your new stones perfectly flat? I had a stone that I could never get a decent edge with, turned out the stone wasn't flat, I took a sheet of 2000 grit wet dry sandpaper and laid it on a granite floor tile (machine ground and polished tile is amazingly flat) I bought at the local big box store, add a bit of water to the paper and worked the stone a bit. It was quickly obvious that my whetstone was anything but flat, after a few minutes it was nice and flat and has honed beautifully ever since.
 
Did you send your straights to a pro to get honed? That's one of the things that made a difference for me.
Yes I did! The whiskers on the corners of my chin are from hell. Like porcupine quills. The thinner razors I don't think have enough weight behind them so to speak. They work on my cheeks, neck and sideburns, just not the chin...

I have to buff my chin with a DE to get it even remotely smooth. Not sure how to get there with a straight.
 
As most people say, buy yourself some quality shaving soap and after shave. Make sure neither contain alcohol.

I'm a fan of Lucky Tiger in the warmer weather and use a few different alcohol free moisturizing balms in the winter, when the air is dryer. I do have alcohol based aftershaves, but, since I am an evening shaver, I apply them the next morning, more for the scent.

Of course, I've been growing my beard out for the last month. So, not a lot of shaving recently.
 
Go on Amazon and get yourself a pack of Feather DE blades from Japan. I really like them with my Merkur.

I've got a sample pack with some feathers. I've heard multiple people say the feathers are the best, so I'm waiting to use them until after I get the technique down better and I can appreciate the difference in blades.
 
rhoop said:
I've got a sample pack with some feathers. I've heard multiple people say the feathers are the best, so I'm waiting to use them until after I get the technique down better and I can appreciate the difference in blades.

Keep them in a little glass full of vodka. They will stay sharper longer. You can use isopropyl as well but that ain't got no style, man.
 
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