Does a straight razor have a place in a luxury shave? I'm assuming by the lack of attention to it here that it really does not, but I've seen them on some websites that sell AoS supplies. I guess it just made me curious.
Absolutely it does. Shaving with a straight razor requires more skill and patience as there is a very real possibility of hurting oneself with that method, and thus it is not as widely used, but it is, in my opinion (I haven't used a straight btw), the epitome of "classic shaving". I'd love to try out a straight razor one of these days. It is a bit more cost prohibitive to use a straight razor, and requires extra work as you have to strop the blade and be meticulous about cleaning, but there is something to me that seems really cool about using a straight razor.
I've seen a guy at a barber shop downtown use a straight razor and let me tell you, the man had some serious steady hands. I have to agree that the straight razor is definitely the originator of classic shaving. The attention and craftsmanship that goes with a straight razor and it's carrier deems it luxurious indeed.
Lucky guys. I haven even had a DE shave yet. None of my orders have arrived yet. Hopefully all my kit will be here next week!
Well my friend, my luck has run out. Last night I tested my sweet shaving brush and found out that I have to find a synthetic shaving brush.
I'm not allergic to beaver... but it's more aggressive cousin, the badger, gives me hives. I dry tested the brush on my arm. Genetics suck.
Too bad about the badger. You can try boar hair brushes...
Yeah, I'm going to order a boar hair and synthetic to also (hopefully) get a good comparison on the lather differences.
I ordered the Omega 31064 Boar hair brush from West Coast Shaving based on reviews and recommendations from B&B. It arrived on Friday and fooled around with it, and couldn't be happier. I looks great with a clear and black acrylic handle, feels good, and has good weight/heft. The description on WCS says imitation boar, but I think they mean imitation badger. And best price I found online, $22.
My razor should arrive on Monday, Edwin Jagger DE89L. Super stoked! And Momma Bear's soaps should be here soon too. I have an important meeting on Wednesday so I'll wait to give myself my first shave, just so I don't show up looking like I got in a fight.
I also ordered a straight razor, Gold Dollar 208. I saw a pic of it and fell in love. Really liked the look. Has decent reviews. And can't beat the price, $13 free shipping from China. Seller Dr. Parko. I don't intend to use it for a while but at that price I didn't want to miss out. There is a US seller selling them for $50, but shave ready.
Does a straight razor have a place in a luxury shave? I'm assuming by the lack of attention to it here that it really does not, but I've seen them on some websites that sell AoS supplies. I guess it just made me curious.
Absolutely it does. Shaving with a straight razor requires more skill and patience as there is a very real possibility of hurting oneself with that method, and thus it is not as widely used, but it is, in my opinion (I haven't used a straight btw), the epitome of "classic shaving". I'd love to try out a straight razor one of these days. It is a bit more cost prohibitive to use a straight razor, and requires extra work as you have to strop the blade and be meticulous about cleaning, but there is something to me that seems really cool about using a straight razor.
I've seen a guy at a barber shop downtown use a straight razor and let me tell you, the man had some serious steady hands. I have to agree that the straight razor is definitely the originator of classic shaving. The attention and craftsmanship that goes with a straight razor and it's carrier deems it luxurious indeed.
My barber uses a straight razor on my neck and on my sideburns. I don't mind it so much on my neck, but if I have any stubble on my sideburns, it feels like my skin is being ripped off. He has told me he sharpens the blade every morning, so I don't understand it. But wow...that is not something I enjoy.
Lucky guys. I haven even had a DE shave yet. None of my orders have arrived yet. Hopefully all my kit will be here next week!
Well my friend, my luck has run out. Last night I tested my sweet shaving brush and found out that I have to find a synthetic shaving brush.
I'm not allergic to beaver... but it's more aggressive cousin, the badger, gives me hives. I dry tested the brush on my arm. Genetics suck.
Too bad about the badger. You can try boar hair brushes...
Yeah, I'm going to order a boar hair and synthetic to also (hopefully) get a good comparison on the lather differences.
I ordered the Omega 31064 Boar hair brush from West Coast Shaving based on reviews and recommendations from B&B. It arrived on Friday and fooled around with it, and couldn't be happier. I looks great with a clear and black acrylic handle, feels good, and has good weight/heft. The description on WCS says imitation boar, but I think they mean imitation badger. And best price I found online, $22.
That is the best I've seen online for a synthetic and boar hair. I'm sold!
TheShaun:
My razor should arrive on Monday, Edwin Jagger DE89L. Super stoked! And Momma Bear's soaps should be here soon too. I have an important meeting on Wednesday so I'll wait to give myself my first shave, just so I don't show up looking like I got in a fight.
That "dream set up" that I want is a collaboration effort by Edwin Jagger. I really like their stuff... ALOT! They have really expensive stuff and stuff that's not. I like what they do.
WCS also has blade samplers which apparently is the way to go for a beginner. I picked up the $10 one. 35 blades for $10 bucks, try getting cartridges for that cheap.
WCS also has blade samplers which apparently is the way to go for a beginner. I picked up the $10 one. 35 blades for $10 bucks, try getting cartridges for that cheap.
yeah.... 35 blades but you will probably find that you only will use about 8 of them. one or two from each pack then settle on the feather blades.
Had my 1st DE shave Saturday. It went OK, need to learn a bit more and practice a bit more. Got a little lazy on the last stroke on the last pass and cut my upper lip a bit. Also got some razor burn on my neck. All in due time. Climb the ladder Monty! Climb the ladder!
I got home about 20 minutes ago to find an amazing and incredibly packaged assortment of chocolates from THE CHOCOLATE PIGGY!! in the mail
and...
TABAC!! shaving soap with my OMEGA SYNTHETIC AND A BOAR HAIR shaving brushes!!
Just so you know, the TABAC smells really good.
I'm going to test the killer soaps and razor I got from j0z3r this weekend with my brushes (my fingers are crossed that I wont be allergic to the boar hair, but it's ok if I am because I have a promise to keep) and next week I'll start in on some Tabac shaving soap.
I've been watching Mantic59 on youtube like crazy and studying and reading as much as I can about DE Shaving, and I'm really excited to give this a go.
I got home about 20 minutes ago to find an amazing and incredibly packaged assortment of chocolates from THE CHOCOLATE PIGGY!! in the mail
train derailment....
howd ya like the chocolates?
The chocolates are, and soon to be were, very very good. I've never had dark chocolate egg nog bombs before and these are absolutely amazing!! I've had other egg nog chocolates before (not Chocolate Piggy of course) that tasted very waxy and cheap even though they were "gourmet" brands, but these dark chocolate egg nog bombs you made are the best in flavor and texture I've ever had of any chocolates. AND the delicious flavor lasted on my palate for a few hours. So good! The turtles I thought were really good, but they aren't for me so I could only sneek one. But that one was way way better than those sea's peoples candies. Absolutely delicious chocolates!!
The Chocolate Piggy has incredible chocolates!! Seriously!! And I'm a picky chocolate whore, I'm totally buying more soon.
Does a straight razor have a place in a luxury shave? I'm assuming by the lack of attention to it here that it really does not, but I've seen them on some websites that sell AoS supplies. I guess it just made me curious.
Absolutely it does. Shaving with a straight razor requires more skill and patience as there is a very real possibility of hurting oneself with that method, and thus it is not as widely used, but it is, in my opinion (I haven't used a straight btw), the epitome of "classic shaving". I'd love to try out a straight razor one of these days. It is a bit more cost prohibitive to use a straight razor, and requires extra work as you have to strop the blade and be meticulous about cleaning, but there is something to me that seems really cool about using a straight razor.
I've seen a guy at a barber shop downtown use a straight razor and let me tell you, the man had some serious steady hands. I have to agree that the straight razor is definitely the originator of classic shaving. The attention and craftsmanship that goes with a straight razor and it's carrier deems it luxurious indeed.
My barber uses a straight razor on my neck and on my sideburns. I don't mind it so much on my neck, but if I have any stubble on my sideburns, it feels like my skin is being ripped off. He has told me he sharpens the blade every morning, so I don't understand it. But wow...that is not something I enjoy.
My barber uses a straight edge to clean up the back of my neck and sideburns also. It was a bit unnerving. Then I went to get a full shave there one day and he straight edged my face, then cleaned up the rough spots with a bic! I couldnt beleive it. I have razor burn on the bic spots. Only and last time Ive had a barbers shave. I got a tip on a good place to go get one at another location near me from B&B, so I'll probably try that out in the spring.
I am sporting a sexy beard which my wife says is more awesome then Tim's Beard. Please don't mention that though. I do not want to be banned for life. I have not shaved since the last day I was a cop. I trim it up when I start looking like a Taliban.
So there is a mini badger and blade group here.
Here is my question:
What do you guys use for shaving soap/cream?
There are a bunch of strings on B&B, but Im getting a bit overwhealmed with the amount of info over there.
Im currently using AoS Sandalwood, but Im running real low and am looking at what to get to replace it.
I use Tabac Shaving Soap and I think it's great, I haven't DE shaved yet due to time constraints, but I did a quicky with my weak mach3, and the shave was absolutely great which makes me REALLY eager to try the DE. I'm still working on my lather technique, but the Tabac (in my opinion) is great, wicked thick lather and very tranquil and soothing aroma. I would recommend checking it out.
I started last October to grow my beard. I keep it trimmed so it doesn't go too wild. I was looking for the "Distinguished Professor" look, but my students told me I looked like Santa Claus. I guessed I missed.
I use Taylor of Old Bond Street the Mr. Taylor scent. I love the scent first of all, and it makes a very luxurious feeling lather. It was the first cream suggested to me, and I won't be making a change any time soon. It's reasonably priced too. You can find it Here if you are interested.
I started last October to grow my beard. I keep it trimmed so it doesn't go too wild. I was looking for the "Distinguished Professor" look, but my students told me I looked like Santa Claus. I guessed I missed.
The part that I do shave, I use shaving cream.
I had a beard this past winter cause I was going for the same look. Somedays I really liked it, other days I didn't like it at all...just looked a little too unkept for me. So now, it's a goatee.
I started last October to grow my beard. I keep it trimmed so it doesn't go too wild. I was looking for the "Distinguished Professor" look, but my students told me I looked like Santa Claus. I guessed I missed.
The part that I do shave, I use shaving cream.
I had a beard this past winter cause I was going for the same look. Somedays I really like it, other days I didn't like it at all...just looked a little to unkept for me. So now, it's a goatee.
Yeah, I can't grow a beard but I'm sporting a "v" shaped goatee... the Goat and Blade??...
i got out my 1930's Gillette NEW for my shave last night. i forgot how light this thing is compared to my Merkur HD long handle. it took a bit longer because i had to put more thought into it but i think im gunna stick with this one for a few shaves and see how it goes.
as for the above question... i use soaps. i have prorso in a tub and a jar of tobac. this is tobac season. summer is proraso season.
Well, after about a week or two of mulling it over, I've decided to resurrect this thread so I can get some input.
I have the same problem that BStayer has, and my neck and the underside of my chin gets torn all to hell every time I put my Mach 3 to my face, and quite frankly I'm getting pretty tired of it. I never had a problem with shaving before I moved out of my folks house since I always shaved in the shower, but now that I live in an apartment with a water heater smaller than my left nut, it's no longer an option. So, since the beginning of April, I've been shaving with some mass-produced, pressurized shaving "goo" after I step out of the shower, and that's where I began to have all of the problems. I looked up a solution online and came across the wet-shaving concept.
For about a week and a half now, I've been watching, reading, learning, and researching everything I can about wet-shaving and the techniques involved, including all of the DE razors, brushes, soaps, creams, and pre- and post-shave treatments used in the process. When I get the chance (read = obtain adequate fundage) to put my preferred kit together I'm fairly certain that DE wet-shaving is the way I'm going to go from here on out.
I've decided that I want to start with soaps, not creams. I think that it would suit my style of shaving a bit better than creams, and I wouldn't need a separate mug to make my shave cream, I could just do it on my face.
This is the brush I'm going to go with:
I'm still trying to decide on a DE razor, but I figure until I can find one I like I can use my regular cartridge razor with the hot lather from the brush and it'll be better. I don't want to spend more on the razor than the brush, and seeing as you can find a nice vintage Gillette for practically nothing, I should be able to get a couple different ones before I settle on one to serve as my go-to razor.
For blades I'm leaning towards getting a sample set from a couple different companies, probably Derby or Feather, and maybe an economy pack of basic blades from Derby.
For soaps to use I'm a bit more unsure, but I found this pdf that has some really great-sounding shave soaps that are carried by The Gentleman's Quarter.
I'm thinking for a shave oil pre-treatment I'll start off using Grooming Lounge's Beard Master Shave Oil, and for an aftershave balm, I'm sticking with my Nivea Replenishing Aftershave Balm. It's never given me any problems and I'm very happy with it.
Hey bacon, sounds like you've got a solid plan. As far as soaps vs. creams, personal preference, I happen to like the creams but that's me, do give them a shot though at some point, I really like the tubs from Taylor of Old Bond Street, very luxurious, rich lather and at a good price point.
I've tried several different brands of blades, my favorite is Derby, I think they make a great blade. Some people like Feather, I haven't had good luck with them so I don't use them. Whatever you do, avoid Merkur blades like the plague, they make a killer DE razor but the blades suck.
Now, the razor. Again, personal preference is going to play into this a lot. Do you want a long handle or a short one? Heavy razor or standard weight. Aggressive slant or standard? There are a lot of options to play with, and honestly I can't recommend one to you because I don't know what would suit you. For me, I was gifted a Merkur Heavy Classic and I love it, I'll never shave with anything else...paired with a Derby blade it shaves like a dream and I never get irritation and can easily get the BBS shave with multiple passes.
If you're interested, I have a Merkur Long Classic that I bought and ended up not really liking and if you'd like to give it a shot you're welcome to it, I've used it maybe half a dozen times and it's in great condition. Shoot me a pm with your addy if you'd like.
Wow. I had no idea people still shaved like this? For me, it's simple. Gillette Gel, Sensor Excel razor, and Gillette aftershave. straight outta Walmart.
Hey bacon, sounds like you've got a solid plan. As far as soaps vs. creams, personal preference, I happen to like the creams but that's me, do give them a shot though at some point, I really like the tubs from Taylor of Old Bond Street, very luxurious, rich lather and at a good price point.
on the contrast.... i like soaps. proraso is a good summer soap. it has a bit of menthol that feels good on the rinse stage. this is glycerin based and very wallet friendly. it is the soap i started with and i hae a spot in my heart for it always.
in the last 6 months or so i have switched over to tobac. this is a tallow based soap. i feel it gives a more cushioned shave with smother overall results. its a bit heavier on the wallet but i feel that it is worth it given that the puck im using has lasted longer than multiple cans of the goo. i also make a super lather with it by adding in a drop or two of glycerin to the mug when i build my lather.
j0z3r:
I've tried several different brands of blades, my favorite is Derby, I think they make a great blade. Some people like Feather, I haven't had good luck with them so I don't use them. Whatever you do, avoid Merkur blades like the plague, they make a killer DE razor but the blades suck.
merkur blades do suck. ... their razors are great. i use a 38c. fantastic.
i do like the feather better than the derby because i feel that they are sharper. since my beard is made out of barbed wire the extra edge is a plus for me. i wish that derby was the blade for me because they cost less.... but its still an improvement in cost over the modern shave "systems"
i suggest you check out THIS to get a better idea about what blades you will like in your DE razor. you may pay a bit for things that you dont need but in the long run it will teach you what you need to know.
j0z3r:
Now, the razor. Again, personal preference is going to play into this a lot. Do you want a long handle or a short one? Heavy razor or standard weight. Aggressive slant or standard? There are a lot of options to play with, and honestly I can't recommend one to you because I don't know what would suit you.
this is all very true. the only modification from this advice is this:
the slant is something you should not learn on. it will tear you up.
beyond that... there are factors to think about... i have big hands so i wanted something with a longer handle. i have a tendency to like heavy things (pool cues, silverware, knives, pans, etc...) because i feel i can control them better. i like chrome better than gold. this lead me to the Merkur 38C HD Long Handle Barber Pole Safety Razor. on the other hand, my dad liked the Merkur 33C Classic Safety Razor what you wanna do is read overt the descriptions of different razors over and over again and decide what you think will work the best for you. and keep in mind that the change over may be a bit expensive, but in the long run you will save tons of money. i spent $25 on 50 blades over a year ago, and $17 on soap at about the same time. i have yet to run out of either. compare that to the modern blades and canned goos and see who comes out on top.
edit: there were a ton of formatting errors in that post. a bunch of stuff was lost. i hope i fixed it all
Comments
I've seen a guy at a barber shop downtown use a straight razor and let me tell you, the man had some serious steady hands. I have to agree that the straight razor is definitely the originator of classic shaving. The attention and craftsmanship that goes with a straight razor and it's carrier deems it luxurious indeed.
My razor should arrive on Monday, Edwin Jagger DE89L. Super stoked! And Momma Bear's soaps should be here soon too. I have an important meeting on Wednesday so I'll wait to give myself my first shave, just so I don't show up looking like I got in a fight.
Did you join B&B? I think I saw your same screen name over there.
That is the best I've seen online for a synthetic and boar hair. I'm sold!
That "dream set up" that I want is a collaboration effort by Edwin Jagger. I really like their stuff... ALOT! They have really expensive stuff and stuff that's not. I like what they do.
I got home about 20 minutes ago to find an amazing and incredibly packaged assortment of chocolates from THE CHOCOLATE PIGGY!! in the mail
and...
TABAC!! shaving soap with my OMEGA SYNTHETIC AND A BOAR HAIR shaving brushes!!
Just so you know, the TABAC smells really good.
I'm going to test the killer soaps and razor I got from j0z3r this weekend with my brushes (my fingers are crossed that I wont be allergic to the boar hair, but it's ok if I am because I have a promise to keep) and next week I'll start in on some Tabac shaving soap.
I've been watching Mantic59 on youtube like crazy and studying and reading as much as I can about DE Shaving, and I'm really excited to give this a go.
howd ya like the chocolates?
The Chocolate Piggy has incredible chocolates!! Seriously!! And I'm a picky chocolate whore, I'm totally buying more soon.
My barber uses a straight edge to clean up the back of my neck and sideburns also. It was a bit unnerving. Then I went to get a full shave there one day and he straight edged my face, then cleaned up the rough spots with a bic! I couldnt beleive it. I have razor burn on the bic spots. Only and last time Ive had a barbers shave. I got a tip on a good place to go get one at another location near me from B&B, so I'll probably try that out in the spring.
So there is a mini badger and blade group here.
Here is my question:
What do you guys use for shaving soap/cream?
There are a bunch of strings on B&B, but Im getting a bit overwhealmed with the amount of info over there.
Im currently using AoS Sandalwood, but Im running real low and am looking at what to get to replace it.
The part that I do shave, I use shaving cream.
as for the above question...
i use soaps. i have prorso in a tub and a jar of tobac. this is tobac season. summer is proraso season.
I have the same problem that BStayer has, and my neck and the underside of my chin gets torn all to hell every time I put my Mach 3 to my face, and quite frankly I'm getting pretty tired of it. I never had a problem with shaving before I moved out of my folks house since I always shaved in the shower, but now that I live in an apartment with a water heater smaller than my left nut, it's no longer an option. So, since the beginning of April, I've been shaving with some mass-produced, pressurized shaving "goo" after I step out of the shower, and that's where I began to have all of the problems. I looked up a solution online and came across the wet-shaving concept.
For about a week and a half now, I've been watching, reading, learning, and researching everything I can about wet-shaving and the techniques involved, including all of the DE razors, brushes, soaps, creams, and pre- and post-shave treatments used in the process. When I get the chance (read = obtain adequate fundage) to put my preferred kit together I'm fairly certain that DE wet-shaving is the way I'm going to go from here on out.
I've decided that I want to start with soaps, not creams. I think that it would suit my style of shaving a bit better than creams, and I wouldn't need a separate mug to make my shave cream, I could just do it on my face.
This is the brush I'm going to go with:
I'm still trying to decide on a DE razor, but I figure until I can find one I like I can use my regular cartridge razor with the hot lather from the brush and it'll be better. I don't want to spend more on the razor than the brush, and seeing as you can find a nice vintage Gillette for practically nothing, I should be able to get a couple different ones before I settle on one to serve as my go-to razor.
For blades I'm leaning towards getting a sample set from a couple different companies, probably Derby or Feather, and maybe an economy pack of basic blades from Derby.
For soaps to use I'm a bit more unsure, but I found this pdf that has some really great-sounding shave soaps that are carried by The Gentleman's Quarter.
I'm thinking for a shave oil pre-treatment I'll start off using Grooming Lounge's Beard Master Shave Oil, and for an aftershave balm, I'm sticking with my Nivea Replenishing Aftershave Balm. It's never given me any problems and I'm very happy with it.
Any thoughts guys?
I've tried several different brands of blades, my favorite is Derby, I think they make a great blade. Some people like Feather, I haven't had good luck with them so I don't use them. Whatever you do, avoid Merkur blades like the plague, they make a killer DE razor but the blades suck.
Now, the razor. Again, personal preference is going to play into this a lot. Do you want a long handle or a short one? Heavy razor or standard weight. Aggressive slant or standard? There are a lot of options to play with, and honestly I can't recommend one to you because I don't know what would suit you. For me, I was gifted a Merkur Heavy Classic and I love it, I'll never shave with anything else...paired with a Derby blade it shaves like a dream and I never get irritation and can easily get the BBS shave with multiple passes.
If you're interested, I have a Merkur Long Classic that I bought and ended up not really liking and if you'd like to give it a shot you're welcome to it, I've used it maybe half a dozen times and it's in great condition. Shoot me a pm with your addy if you'd like.
i like soaps. proraso is a good summer soap. it has a bit of menthol that feels good on the rinse stage. this is glycerin based and very wallet friendly. it is the soap i started with and i hae a spot in my heart for it always.
in the last 6 months or so i have switched over to tobac. this is a tallow based soap. i feel it gives a more cushioned shave with smother overall results. its a bit heavier on the wallet but i feel that it is worth it given that the puck im using has lasted longer than multiple cans of the goo. i also make a super lather with it by adding in a drop or two of glycerin to the mug when i build my lather.
merkur blades do suck. ... their razors are great. i use a 38c. fantastic.
i do like the feather better than the derby because i feel that they are sharper. since my beard is made out of barbed wire the extra edge is a plus for me. i wish that derby was the blade for me because they cost less.... but its still an improvement in cost over the modern shave "systems"
i suggest you check out THIS to get a better idea about what blades you will like in your DE razor. you may pay a bit for things that you dont need but in the long run it will teach you what you need to know.
this is all very true.
the only modification from this advice is this:
the slant is something you should not learn on. it will tear you up.
beyond that...
there are factors to think about...
i have big hands so i wanted something with a longer handle.
i have a tendency to like heavy things (pool cues, silverware, knives, pans, etc...) because i feel i can control them better. i like chrome better than gold. this lead me to the Merkur 38C HD Long Handle Barber Pole Safety Razor.
on the other hand, my dad liked the Merkur 33C Classic Safety Razor
what you wanna do is read overt the descriptions of different razors over and over again and decide what you think will work the best for you.
and keep in mind that the change over may be a bit expensive, but in the long run you will save tons of money. i spent $25 on 50 blades over a year ago, and $17 on soap at about the same time. i have yet to run out of either. compare that to the modern blades and canned goos and see who comes out on top.
edit: there were a ton of formatting errors in that post. a bunch of stuff was lost. i hope i fixed it all