Safety Razors

[IMA SOL MAN]

I think if you let your beard grow out more, like a long weekend, etc. the open comb will work better for you. Otherwise, you likely won't see, as you experienced, any real difference.

 

[letschat7]

That Merkur looks like the one I had but it was closed I guess.

 

[kerneldrop]

Did the OP cut himself and bleed out?

 

[raggie33]

i still like my cheap eletric. bought in july walmart still works good long as you dont go over 3 days between a shave

 

[letschat7]

Philips or Braun?

 

[raggie33]

ill have to check but its not braun .so easy and cordless and can be used wet or dry.ni just use it dry

 

[StillHere]

Well, this is a surprise. I just happened to randomly check the posts and I see a razor thread. I have some experience with wet shaving and as hobby, one could say I'm a shaving enthusiast. Nice to see people here using safety razors, they are so much more economical and will usually give a great shave if one takes the time to master the technique. Some are easier to use than others, but there is a good safety razor out there for every type of shaving. There are also some great groups dedicated to shaving with a lot of information for anyone who wants just to get into wet shaving as a practical experience or as was mentioned as a hobby and going down a rabbit hole, it can be quite deep, lol.

Personally I'm more into single-edge razors (SE) using either a snapped Half DE blades (H-DE) or ready made SE blades in a DE form factor. Some injector blades which can be really nice and B20's, but unless you really want to get into that then H-DE blades are just fine imo. The same thing with AC blades. I don't use GEM blades but I do have a GEM featherweight as a collectors piece.

There is so much to write about shaving it could be a long essay, but most would find it boring I suspect unless your really into the hobby of shaving. A short version could be some of the shaving aspects to talk about such as the razors and their designs both functional and aesthetically, blade angles, blade gaps, blade exposure, soaps, creams, splashes, aftershaves, brushes, bowls, personal preferences and skin types, beards, head and body shaving, etc.... ok, I'll keep it "short" and just say it's a very personal experience of what many say is a bit of "quality time" for one's self, but which can also be shared with others as a nice hobby also if that's something you're into.

Lastly, I'll say there is no one "best" overall razor for everyone, it doesn't exist and never will because shaving is such a personal experience. I'm biased towards my own SE razor because I designed it, but some people want a straight, some a DE safety, some a SE safety, some an electric, some a cartridge, some this blade type or that blade type, some an open comb some a closed comb etc... it just goes on.

Ok enough, I just think it's cool a razor thread is on this forum, didn't expect that and happy to see it. May all you shaves be BBS

Cheers, Rob

 

[gurdygurds]

Haven't bled out yet! Trying a pre-war Gillette Tech head on a Durham Duplex handle. Also not sure I'm all in on the brush and soap deal. Canned gel seems to work just as well for me. Canned gel or cream, a razor or two, and some after shave that I like is what I'm after. Again I bought it bunch of razor blades so not worried about playing around with new kinds until these are gone. Fun hobby and definitely made shaving more interesting and enjoyable for me.

 

[IMA SOL MAN]

Sounds like you are having fun. Good. It should be enjoyable, just be careful how far down the rabbit hole you go. I know some of those gents over on B&B are so far down the rabbit hole, they can't see the light of day. Just one thing, try a brush and a popular shave cream in the tube--give it a try, and if you don't like it, you can always go back to the canned goo. I predict you will like the tube shaving cream. Best to use a warm lathering bowl. I have tried face lathering, it is faster, but IMO the lather isn't as good as bowl lathering. Have fun, enjoy.

 

[gurdygurds]

Sounds like you are having fun. Good. It should be enjoyable, just be careful how far down the rabbit hole you go. I know some of those gents over on B&B are so far down the rabbit hole, they can't see the light of day. Just one thing, try a brush and a popular shave cream in the tube--give it a try, and if you don't like it, you can always go back to the canned goo. I predict you will like the tube shaving cream. Best to use a warm lathering bowl. I have tried face lathering, it is faster, but IMO the lather isn't as good as bowl lathering. Have fun, enjoy.

I have a brush, that green Proraso and another soap I got on Amazon called Viking shaving cream. Don't dislike it, although the I found the Tech was getting clogged using the Viking stuff, but I like to keep it simple. Proraso smell is crazy strong and sticks around FOREVER. Not my thing. Trying some Nivea gel and post shave. Plus the hardware is the coolest to me 😃.

 

[IMA SOL MAN]

I have a brush, that green Proraso and another soap I got on Amazon called Viking shaving cream. Don't dislike it, although the I found the Tech was getting clogged using the Viking stuff, but I like to keep it simple. Proraso smell is crazy strong and sticks around FOREVER. Not my thing. Trying some Nivea gel and post shave. Plus the hardware is the coolest to me 😃.

I haven't tried Proraso. I know it is popular with some guys on B&B, but from what they describe the scent as, it just has no interest for me.

When I first started with the Nivea Sensitive Shave Cream, it had a nice, woody smell, maybe cedar, but they must have changed the formulation, as that scent is not detectable to me in it anymore. I loved that original scent. I don't know what to tell you, other than to maybe read the threads on B&B and maybe post what you like and get a recommendation.

 

[StillHere]

Haven't bled out yet! Trying a pre-war Gillette Tech head on a Durham Duplex handle. Also not sure I'm all in on the brush and soap deal. Canned gel seems to work just as well for me. Canned gel or cream, a razor or two, and some after shave that I like is what I'm after. Again I bought it bunch of razor blades so not worried about playing around with new kinds until these are gone. Fun hobby and definitely made shaving more interesting and enjoyable for me.

The only potential benefits to using a brush and soap is maybe ease of application and that the activity itself is a relaxing part of shaving if one takes the view of wet shaving as a bit of quality time for yourself. A lubricant when shaving is usually necessary to guard against irritation, but even cold water can do the job if being careful. The actual lather is of little actual benefit (imo) other than keeping track of where you have shaved, but many people like a good lather as it adds to the shaving experience. The main functional consideration is how slick the lubricant material is on the skin (whatever it is being used )as that is one part of what will help with reducing/eliminating irritation. The gel you have is just fine for shaving. Using what you have at first is a great idea because it helps not unnecessarily get carried away down that rabbit hole. Focus on technique and then change lilted bits as required or desired.

 

[gurdygurds]

The only potential benefits to using a brush and soap is maybe ease of application and that the activity itself is a relaxing part of shaving if one takes the view of wet shaving as a bit of quality time for yourself. A lubricant when shaving is usually necessary to guard against irritation, but even cold water can do the job if being careful. The actual lather is of little actual benefit (imo) other than keeping track of where you have shaved, but many people like a good lather as it adds to the shaving experience. The main functional consideration is how slick the lubricant material is on the skin (whatever it is being used )as that is one part of what will help with reducing/eliminating irritation. The gel you have is just fine for shaving. Using what you have at first is a great idea because it helps not unnecessarily get carried away down that rabbit hole. Focus on technique and then change lilted bits as required or desired.

Great advice and thank you! Just got home from a long weekend and had a shave using the Nivea gel. Worked great and I think I'm giving up on the whole brush/soap thing for now. I shaved back and forth between the two razors I have and think I'm leaning towards the Merkur. Zero clogging on the Tech using the Nivea gel which was nice, but for some reason I think I prefer the 41c. 🧐
By the way Rob, I'd love to see some photos of your razors! I haven't been drawn to single edge razors but that could always change.

 

[vincent3685]

The only potential benefits to using a brush and soap is maybe ease of application and that the activity itself is a relaxing part of shaving if one takes the view of wet shaving as a bit of quality time for yourself. A lubricant when shaving is usually necessary to guard against irritation, but even cold water can do the job if being careful. The actual lather is of little actual benefit (imo) other than keeping track of where you have shaved, but many people like a good lather as it adds to the shaving experience. The main functional consideration is how slick the lubricant material is on the skin (whatever it is being used )as that is one part of what will help with reducing/eliminating irritation. The gel you have is just fine for shaving. Using what you have at first is a great idea because it helps not unnecessarily get carried away down that rabbit hole. Focus on technique and then change lilted bits as required or desired.

The benefits for me of using shaving cream is it lubricates the skin, making for a smoother and less irritating shave. Also makes the whiskers stand up for easier cutting. I use Proraso for the economy of a concentrated cream. One tube will last many months. Not paying for added water or an expensive can to throw away is far more economical. If you're using a can, you're most likely leaving cream on your hands after rubbing it on your face. It's messier and just gets washed down the drain. A shaving brush and bowl prevents a lot of that. The less I throw away, the more economical shaving becomes.

 

[Monocrom]

I got tired of paying big $$$ for those multi-blade cartridges, so started searching for alternatives....

I've actually found that those modern-day multi-bladed razors stay sharp for significantly longer than the razor companies (specifically Gillette, and Schick) like to let on. Typically I can easily get three months of use out of one multi-blades cartridge. To clarify, I don't have excessively rough or tough skin. Though I do have very tough whiskers. Even on the last day of month 3, I can get a smooth shave. Don't use any fancy creme either. Just Barbasol shaving creme with Aloe.

Makes the high price-tag of such cartridges far more reasonable. Once in an extremely rare while I'll get a cartridge that ends up being just too rough or dull after significantly less than 3 months of use. I just toss that one in the bin and use another.

My Late father gave me my first shave with his Safety razor. Over the years I've had the occasional Straight razor shave at the barber shop. (Very enjoyable experience, but pricey.) Those modern-day razors are just very safe and very convenient from a time management perspective. I can go hard and fast, not worry about nicks or bleeding; all in just a few seconds.

 

[Monocrom]

i still like my cheap eletric. bought in july walmart still works good long as you dont go over 3 days between a shave

My tough as nails whiskers hysterically laugh at any electric shaver I've ever used over the years on them. Electric shavers just massage my face. That's literally all they do for me.

 

[StillHere]

The benefits for me of using shaving cream is it lubricates the skin, making for a smoother and less irritating shave. Also makes the whiskers stand up for easier cutting. I use Proraso for the economy of a concentrated cream. One tube will last many months. Not paying for added water or an expensive can to throw away is far more economical. If you're using a can, you're most likely leaving cream on your hands after rubbing it on your face. It's messier and just gets washed down the drain. A shaving brush and bowl prevents a lot of that. The less I throw away, the more economical shaving becomes.

Hi, thanks for the reply, I only saw it now. May I say that I understand shaving is a personal experience in that people have many reasons for using what they use. It's nice to see you said " the benefits for me" because that is the way it should be, you should be happy with your shaving. There are other ways to look at this topic though which I'll point out below for consideration.

The main point you make as I understand is it's more economical to use a tube of cream versus a can of gel. Maybe it is on a longevity vs cost ratio, however, if economy is the main is requirement for shaving then we could use cold water from the tap or a solid bar of soap. Could even use a straight razor and cut out (pun intended) buying blades. I was making a point that as the OP already has some gel he might as well use it as it will do the job of lubrication and while using it up he has the time to explore other options. It might well turn out that he has luxury and/or expedience as the priority regardless of cost. There are so many considerations. For example I went down a different path and invested in the items to make my own hot-process shaving soap. I've been using that soap for the past few years and it works perfect. Last month I bought some expensive soap hand-made locally. The stuff doesn't work any better but smells really nice, lol. As expensive as it was, it will last a long time so the cost per shave will not be very much. I've also designed and made various shaving bowls and brush handles which was all fun. I imported the knots from China. Are brushes and bowls really needed? Well, I like them but they aren't needed. Sharing our experiences is wonderful and on the shaving groups I'm in we do that all the time. Some love their cartridge razors, I can't stand those. Some like their DE razors and I like SE razors. Some only use collector razors, some only use expensive razors, some use cheap knock-offs, I only use the razor I designed as it suits me. Just saying there are many considerations.

One thing about whether a lubricant is directly responsible for making whiskers stand up for easier shaving. I've heard this many times but have never seen any evidence to substantiate the claim. Given the usual short length of stubble to be shaved I doubt there is any such action of the hair. Maybe there is sometimes a reaction of the skin in some way, like goose bumps or something, but I generally don't believe a lubricant will do anything to alter the direction of the hair. A lubricant will allow the blade to slide easier on the skin and may also act as a means to suspend cut hair away from the cutting surface.

Ok, enough rambling, please don't take this as anything more than sharing my experience, I'm just passionate about the subject.

Cheers,
Rob

 

[vincent3685]

Hi, thanks for the reply, I only saw it now. May I say that I understand shaving is a personal experience in that people have many reasons for using what they use. It's nice to see you said " the benefits for me" because that is the way it should be, you should be happy with your shaving. There are other ways to look at this topic though which I'll point out below for consideration.

The main point you make as I understand is it's more economical to use a tube of cream versus a can of gel. Maybe it is on a longevity vs cost ratio, however, if economy is the main is requirement for shaving then we could use cold water from the tap or a solid bar of soap. Could even use a straight razor and cut out (pun intended) buying blades. I was making a point that as the OP already has some gel he might as well use it as it will do the job of lubrication and while using it up he has the time to explore other options. It might well turn out that he has luxury and/or expedience as the priority regardless of cost. There are so many considerations. For example I went down a different path and invested in the items to make my own hot-process shaving soap. I've been using that soap for the past few years and it works perfect. Last month I bought some expensive soap hand-made locally. The stuff doesn't work any better but smells really nice, lol. As expensive as it was, it will last a long time so the cost per shave will not be very much. I've also designed and made various shaving bowls and brush handles which was all fun. I imported the knots from China. Are brushes and bowls really needed? Well, I like them but they aren't needed. Sharing our experiences is wonderful and on the shaving groups I'm in we do that all the time. Some love their cartridge razors, I can't stand those. Some like their DE razors and I like SE razors. Some only use collector razors, some only use expensive razors, some use cheap knock-offs, I only use the razor I designed as it suits me. Just saying there are many considerations.

One thing about whether a lubricant is directly responsible for making whiskers stand up for easier shaving. I've heard this many times but have never seen any evidence to substantiate the claim. Given the usual short length of stubble to be shaved I doubt there is any such action of the hair. Maybe there is sometimes a reaction of the skin in some way, like goose bumps or something, but I generally don't believe a lubricant will do anything to alter the direction of the hair. A lubricant will allow the blade to slide easier on the skin and may also act as a means to suspend cut hair away from the cutting surface.

Ok, enough rambling, please don't take this as anything more than sharing my experience, I'm just passionate about the subject.

Cheers,
Rob

For me, it's a balance of economy and efficiency. I've tried using water alone, and it's just not as comfortable on the first pass as shaving cream. After the first pass, I use only water for touching up and it works well. I've also used the shaving soap pucks. However, I don't like storing a wet puck in a mug. Seems unsanitary and gets messy. I have considered a straight razor, but there is a learning curve involved with that. If I went that route, I would get a shavette that uses half a double edge blade. Stropping is an extra step I'm not willing to take. I appreciate you sharing your experience. That's exactly how I took it.

 

[StillHere]

For me, it's a balance of economy and efficiency. I've tried using water alone, and it's just not as comfortable on the first pass as shaving cream. After the first pass, I use only water for touching up and it works well. I've also used the shaving soap pucks. However, I don't like storing a wet puck in a mug. Seems unsanitary and gets messy. I have considered a straight razor, but there is a learning curve involved with that. If I went that route, I would get a shavette that uses half a double edge blade. Stropping is an extra step I'm not willing to take. I appreciate you sharing your experience. That's exactly how I took it

Good point about the wet puck possibly being unsanitary. I usually give the bowl a quick rinse after shaving and have never seen any mould, but I can see how it could be a potential problem. It's true many people do lather a bit of cream in a bowl or mug every time. I've tried using soap shavings and that works nicely, but didn't continue as I'm too lazy to do it every time, lol. I did look into how to make some very soft or cream like shaving soap for the purpose of scooping a little out each time, but never did it. Might I'll actually try that for some fun. Some people have miniature shovels/scoops which I see them post on shaving forums. I just remembered one bowl I designed was made with a indented "X" at the bottom for the purpose of placing cream. It was a suggestion from a guy really into bowl design.

I used to use a straight, then a Shavette, but these days I don't trust myself to have a steady hand. For a long time I was using cartridge razors but they became so expensive and many times didn't give a nice shave, so switched to traditional safety razors. I don't think the bits and pieces for shaving need to be expensive, they might or might not be, just that whatever is used is good at what one expects from a shave. I can't take as much time anymore in the ritual of shaving due to back pain so speed and efficiency is what I aim for. A fast, clean shave with no irritation. It's so much easier to shave regularly, but many times I've let the hair grow a bit too much which is then a literal pain in the back and hassle to shave off. Times like that it's good to have a razor that is adjustable.

Happy shaving

 

[TPA]

"I HATE shaving"... those 3 words said to an older gentleman almost 2 years ago got me sold on wet shaving with a DE safety razor.

My dad "taught" me to shave by giving me an electric shaver, and not a terribly nice one at that. A few times I tried the Gillette multiblades with Gillette gel and hated it. Messy, hated the greasy feeling, and the terrible smell of the gel. The Gillette razor also chewed up my face and irritated my skin something awful. I picked up a Braun shaver in the early 2000s and had been using that and a beard trimmer ever since...but hated the chore of shaving.

...until I uttered those 3 words to that gentleman who told me that wet shaving with a DE razor would change my mind. He had been shaving with a DE all his life. And he was right. So far, most everything I've bought has been from MaggardRazors.com. They gave me a ton of great advice as a newbie and guided me to what I needed.

Razor: Merkur 34C HD

Blades: Feather blades have become my favorite. Despite what people say, I think I've only nicked myself once with a Feather, but far more with duller blades.

Brush: Maggard synthetic

Soaps:
Lather Brothers' Flamingo Trance
Dr Jon's Anne Bonney
Dr Jon's Hydra
Henri et Victoria La Poire Francaise
Maggard's Orange Menthol
Maggard's London Barbershop
Stirling Peach
Stirling Cherry
Arko*

Alum Block for aftershave

The only potential benefits to using a brush and soap is maybe ease of application and that the activity itself is a relaxing part of shaving if one takes the view of wet shaving as a bit of quality time for yourself. A lubricant when shaving is usually necessary to guard against irritation, but even cold water can do the job if being careful.

I completely disagree, but I also live in an area with hard water. The soap makes all the difference with my shave, including how wet or dry I make the lather. The aforementioned Arko doesn't work well for me, but the others do a great job.

I also find that time-wise, I can do a wet-shave in the same time or faster than shaving with my Braun. I also get FAR less irritation

The old man who turned me onto wet shaving told me, best way to improve my shave was soap #1, razor #2, pre-shave #3. YMMV.

*Arko -- I bought this on a whim due to its cheap price and somewhat controversial reputation. I'm on the hate-it side. It smells like a urinal cake and performs probably as bad as one. My better half also hates the smell... much to my entertainment. I'll periodically open it and hide it in random places. Makes for some good clean fun.