What do you use to shave?

[BR Gordon]

I inherited my father's shaving kit but haven't thought of it in years. Maybe it's time to break it out and put it to use. Can you still buy blades for double-sided safety razors?

There are dozens if not hundreds of brands of DE blades. I tried a dozen or more brands before I decided on my favorite.

 

[HudsonHawk]

I inherited my father's shaving kit but haven't thought of it in years. Maybe it's time to break it out and put it to use. Can you still buy blades for double-sided safety razors?

Sure. That's what I've been using for years. A pack of 100 is about 10 bucks.

 

[Shangas]

Absolutely. Several companies still manufacture them.

 

[Feraud]

Feraud-got any recommendations for San Antonio, Texas? OR products?-I can probably get it on the web.

Don't know of any brick and mortar in San Antonio. I've tried and enjoy Taylor of Old Bond Street, Geo. F. Trumper, or Speick shaving creams. The first two are available in many different scents. Speick has an acquired floral/evergreen scent which I personally enjoy.
Proraso is another brand with a cooling menthol/eucalyptus fragrance.

 

[DougC]

Thanks!

 

[BR Gordon]

It's my understanding that C. O. Bigelow and Proraso are the same. It may be easier to find Bigelow, which is carried at Bed Bath and Body Works. Either Proraso or Bigelow is my favorite shaving cream. Since they are in tubes, they're really convenient while traveling.

 

[Feraud]

Yes they are the same. C.O. Bigelow repackages the Proraso product.
A couple of years back Bath & Body works had a sale and I purchased 4-5 tubes for around $2.50 a piece.

 

[stevew443]

My shave kit consists of an Edwin Jagger DE razor, an Edwin Jagger badger brush and whatever mug soap I can find when I need it. Right now I am using Van Der Hagen soap purchased at Wally World. To maintain my mustache, I use an old Schick adjustable injector which is the same model razor I began using back in 1965. Sometimes I will just shave with that old Schick injector and use Barbarsol shave cream.

 

[HudsonHawk]

Don't know of any brick and mortar in San Antonio. I've tried and enjoy Taylor of Old Bond Street, Geo. F. Trumper, or Speick shaving creams. The first two are available in many different scents. Speick has an acquired floral/evergreen scent which I personally enjoy.
Proraso is another brand with a cooling menthol/eucalyptus fragrance.

There is an Art of Shaving in San Antonio, but I'm not crazy about their stuff. I'll echo the Taylor of Old Bond Street for cream.

Online, I like westcoastshaving.com. I've always had good luck with them.

 

[David Conwill]

At lunch today I saw a TV ad for an old-style DE razor with Rick Harrison from Pawn Stars shilling. Odd, but kind of intriguing.

 

[DougC]

West Coast looks much better as far as selection goes.

 

[DeaconKC]

I have had great results with any of the Colonel's products, too.
http://www.colconkproducts.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=3

 

[Seb Lucas]

No. Brand new blade, good technique - no pressure and lengthy preparation. Some people just aren't suited to DE shaving. By dad - who is 90 used a DE for 40 years. Cut himself all the time. Never enjoyed shaving until he went electric. I'll keep trying but I suspect that the amount of time needed to do this and the focus needed will eventually tick me off.

Now using Astra blades instead of Arrow. Far less aggressive and only a couple of cuts. Will keep trying to make this work.

 

[Missouri Mason]

I use a Mühle heavyweight razor with Feather blades, Art of Shaving cream and a silvertip badger brush. Sometimes I use the AoS pre shave oil, but I don't see a huge difference either way. The feather blades make all the difference in the world. Sharp!

 

[Feraud]

West Coast looks much better as far as selection goes.

I have had great results with any of the Colonel's products, too.
http://www.colconkproducts.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=3

Agreed. These two online retailers have a nice selection of quality shaving products.


Some see shaving as a chore to be done as fast as possible or while multi-tasking. Any time I take a razor sharp object to my face I'll choose the best possible tools and appreciate the process. This is the face we show the world. I don't go for cheap disposable products and rush the job.

 

[Biopro]

I last perfected my shaving technique some 20 years ago and have had no need to change it. Apologies if this repeats earlier comments, but I haven't had time to read all 126 pages. My father used the safety razor like the Merkur - I think it was Wilkinson Sword. I never got a close shave with it and then the Gillette Mach systems came along and I have stayed with them since. I can't honestly say whether the number of blades makes any difference apart from the prices.

Like almost everyone else I found a badger hair brush was essential and that other bristle ones did not do a good job. I tried all the creams and oils, which were adequate but not brilliant until I stumbled on an obscure English Cream called Ingram. By far and away this makes the most difference to shaving IMHO. The reason is because it contains menthol and lanolin.

The menthol anaethetises your skin and the lanolin gives wonderful wetting of the bristle and smooth sliding of the razor across the skin.

Best of all, it is cheap as chips - £1.75 in the UK and $5.00 in USA. The link below is to Superdrug, but I prefer to support my local independent pharmacy - in the UK if they do not have it in stock ask them to get it and they will have it delivered the same day if you ask in the morning.

http://www.superdrug.com/ingram-quality-lather-shave-100ml/invt/42275

http://www.westcoastshaving.com/Ingram-Lather-Shave-Cream_p_356.html

I really strongly suggest you try it and I would be very interested if anyone else agrees with my findings.

NB there are 2 type: the blue which you apply with the brush and the green which you apply with your fingers without a brush - I found the blue is much better.

 

[Biopro]

cheers Shangas, I'll try it out soon, I used the razor out of the grooming set I found earlier in the year, the set was unused and the blades unopened...result ...a shave that's as good as any other I've had though admittedly you need more care(or I need more practice with it?) but at 100 blades for a tenner I think I'll be shaving vintage style in future!

Wonderful - whereabouts in the UK do you find them?

I inherited 2 hair brushes from 1920's and they are so much better than ones you can buy today - better made and better bristles.

 

[tonypaj]

I have a Merkur 43 DE razor (rather heavy), use Feather blades, Taylor of Bond Street shaving cream for sensitive skin, a badger brush, and Clarins after shave lotion. No need to experiment or change.

 

[HudsonHawk]

Some see shaving as a chore to be done as fast as possible or while multi-tasking. Any time I take a razor sharp object to my face I'll choose the best possible tools and appreciate the process. This is the face we show the world. I don't go for cheap disposable products and rush the job.

Amen. A man should put his best face forward, even if he's not a matinee idol (that's not really me in my avatar...).

 

[esteban68]

Wonderful - whereabouts in the UK do you find them?

I inherited 2 hair brushes from 1920's and they are so much better than ones you can buy today - better made and better bristles.

car boots, charity shops and they are on Ebay all the time ....never fetch loads of money the earlier the better as they tend to have full leather cases and glass and chrome containers.