What do you use to shave?

[Chainsaw]

Thank you profusely, for all the help, and knowledge. I have my "gear" on the way. I'll post a pick when it arrives.

I Believe I'll invest in a straight razor in the fall (just on principal, yes, no?).

 

[rmrdaddy]

Just on principle, yes, fine.
But for me, the maintenence on a straight is more than I'm willing to realistically invest in, time-or-money wise.

 

[Chainsaw]

A straight razor saves money, doesn't it my friend?

Although prices are ridiculous, and for plastic handles too! Time wise it's not much of an inconvenience is it? I don't find using a French blade for cooking inconvenient (sharpening et-cetera).

Does anyone else shave at night? I read an article in G.q. on the matter (gives the face time to heal), and much prefer it.

Thank you RmrDaddy

 

[Mr_D.]

A straight razor saves money, doesn't it my friend?

Although prices are ridiculous, and for plastic handles too! Time wise it's not much of an inconvenience is it? I don't find using a French blade for cooking inconvenient (sharpening et-cetera).

Does anyone else shave at night? I read an article in G.q. on the matter (gives the face time to heal), and much prefer it.

Thank you RmrDaddy

I don't use a straight razor, but i use a double edge razors, they are $1.25 for a pack of 10 compared to $14.00 for new age razors.

 

[rmrdaddy]

A straight razor saves money, doesn't it my friend?

Although prices are ridiculous, and for plastic handles too! Time wise it's not much of an inconvenience is it? I don't find using a French blade for cooking inconvenient (sharpening et-cetera).

Does anyone else shave at night? I read an article in G.q. on the matter (gives the face time to heal), and much prefer it.

Thank you RmrDaddy

Valid points.
The initial investment in a new straight razor can be similar to the investment in a good chef's knife. While I feel that steeling a knife is sufficient for the majority of my needs, solely stropping a straight razor is not. That leads to investing in a variety of hones and strops, and acquiring the skills to use those items, and possibly jeopardizing the very pricey straight razor Mrs. Daddy purchased for me one birthday. Yes, there are honemeisters out there, and I've considered sending out to one with expertise. Bringing me to point two....
So, the other side, as Honda brought up, is that DE razor blades are very cheap and readily available. I get several days out of a DE blade with corking and hand stropping. It's literally costing me cents per week, perhaps less than a quarter, in raw blade cost (but, I'm not counting the investment that Mrs. Daddy made in the Theirs Issard straight she got me, but hell, it was a gift!)

 

[Selvaggio]

A straight razor saves money, doesn't it my friend?

Does anyone else shave at night? I read an article in G.q. on the matter (gives the face time to heal), and much prefer it.

I get the theory, but for this to work in practice you would have to be quite slow and low in the stubble department?

I know for me, this would mean I would already have a five o'clock shadow when I board the ferry for my morning commute. By the return commute in the evening I would be looking very shabby indeed. I think this would be the case for many, if not most, gentlemen.

 

[Shangas]

Today marks a milestone, gentlemen.

Today, I threw out my first DE razor-blade since I started DE safety safety shaving, at the start of January.

One blade.

Three and a half months use.

Thanks to my blade-sharpener.

That thing is a real moneysaver.

Current blade: Vintage Gilette 'Thin' blade.

 

[dnjan]

Does anyone else shave at night? I read an article in G.q. on the matter (gives the face time to heal), and much prefer it.

Thank you RmrDaddy

I assume that there are a number of wives who would prefer that their men shaved before coming to bed ...

 

[morgan]

I shave at night because I bathe at night. I don't have a job that requires me to be clean shaven so I only shave ever three days or so. I used to shave with a cheap can o'foam and a disposable and my neck was always torn up. I then switched to a more quality shave lotion/cream and one of the modern 4 or 5 blade razors and my neck improved somewhat. I now use "Secret Shave" and have had very few problems with razor burn and I can shave more often.

Morgan

 

[Michaelshane]

 

[WineGuy]

I've been using a Mach 3 turbo for as long as it's been around and have been more or less satisfied with it. Recently I caught the straight razor bug and went for my first straight razor(disposable type) shave in Manhattan and was surprised how much closer a shave I could get...I actually did not need to shave the next morning. So I went and purchased a vintage straight razor in a flea market last weekend and sent it to Lynn Abrams, founder of the straightrazorplace forum, who is a honemeister. While waiting for the razor to come back I started to experiment with my regular shaving routine borrowing from the barber experience and I've now managed to achieve a significantly better shave with the Mach 3 than I ever would have believed possible. I do the following:

a. Shave right after a hot shower.
b. Prep my face with a hot washcloth for 10 seconds.
c. Use 50% less of my shave gel than before but really work it into my beard by massaging it in all directions.
d. Shave as usual going exclusively WITH the grain of my beard.
e. Wipe down my face again with a hot washcloth.
f. Apply another,even lighter, amount of gel.
g. Shave exclusively AGAINST the grain of the beard.
h. Wipe down my face again with a hot washcloth
I. Apply a post shave balm such as Nivea or Clinique
J. With my face slick from the balm, I rub my fingers all over my beard feeling for missed stubble and then spot shave.

It takes me all of 10 minutes and I've been getting results pretty darn close to a straight razor. It's very important to change blades every third or fourth shave.

 

[Chainsaw]

I get the theory, but for this to work in practice you would have to be quite slow and low in the stubble department?

I know for me, this would mean I would already have a five o'clock shadow when I board the ferry for my morning commute. By the return commute in the evening I would be looking very shabby indeed. I think this would be the case for many, if not most, gentlemen.

I guess my beard grows relatively slow, and low. I remember my Italian friends having to start shaving, before I owned my first bike. (I speak ficiously of course)

I just recieved my first badger brush, along with "Col. Conk Almond shave soap". Love it. I'm dying to try the old spice soap, didn't know it existed.

I still have a bunch of fusion blades to burn through before I think about switching to anything else.

RmrDaddy, your bang on with the french blade parrelel. Actually that's part of the reason I wanted a stright razor in the first place. One out of a hundred people actually use a proper knife to prepare their food. It's actually the maintenance that's more important when it come to blades as opposed to cost or quality.

My Germain knife nevers leaves the drawer, while my 17$ Nella has more millage then Buddhas walking stick.

 

[Puzzicato]

My husband uses a Dovo straight edge razor. He gets an incredibly close shave out of that and some Kiehl's shaving balm. I think he finds maintaining the edge part of the fun - he also looks after all our knives.

 

[zeytoun]

I posted somewhat in another thread, but I can restate it here, I guess.

I use an injector-style razor (disposable straight razor), with Feather "Professional Super" blades.
I use a badger hair brush.
When I have the money, I use pre-shave oil, nice sensitive-skin shave soap, and a nice restorative aftershave.

But it can get pricey fast. So, lately, I just use the following budget substitutes (which work just as well!)
-Pre-shave oil: Castor Oil and Olive Oil in a 2:1 ratio, with a little botanical oil thrown in
-Shave soap: a deep-moisturizing hypo-allergenic bodywash (my wife uses Dove, so that's what I use)
-Aftershave: hypo-allergenic deep-moisturizing lotion, maybe with aloe.

 

[St.Ignatz]

I posted somewhat in another thread, but I can restate it here, I guess.


When I have the money, I use pre-shave oil, nice sensitive-skin shave soap, and a nice restorative aftershave.

But it can get pricey fast. So, lately, I just use the following budget substitutes (which work just as well!)
-Pre-shave oil: Castor Oil and Olive Oil in a 2:1 ratio, with a little botanical oil thrown in.

I saw a post elsewhere about using Grape seed oil instead of olive or Castor. It's odorless, less viscous and does a superior job. If you like to make a batch with and essential oil in it you may want to consider squeezing a couple vitamin E's into the container to act as a preservative.
Tom D.

 

[zeytoun]

sweet tip, thanks!

 

[kodou]

When using a DE razor:
Nothing but hot water and the DE itself.
I couldn't believe what I'd read online about not needing soaps/creams (for DE's), and had to try it.
Been doing this since February and my skin is the same.
I use a bit of sweet almond oil after the shave. That's it.

My straight razor was dulled by my newbie-ness back in January, but when I used it:
C&E Best Badger
VDH Deluxe or Institut Karite
Genco USA blade
Nivea Mens ES aftershave (now all used up)

I've come to think of myself as having a very...minimal... approach to shaving. - kodou

 

[David Conwill]

Nothing but hot water and the DE itself.

Can you elaborate on this technique?

-David

 

[kodou]

Can you elaborate on this technique?

-David

Certainly. I dunno if anyone is just curious or wants to try this but, I'd appreciate any advice, pointers, or critiques.

First, on safety and precaution:
One should not go whole hog on the 1st try -- do a test area with the rest done your usual way.
I repeatedly break the "no showering while naked" rule.
I shave before bed.
This is for DE use only. I've not had the chance to try a straight razor and don't know if would anyway, certainly not without more research and advice.

So okay, the shower way:
I shave just before I finish my shower, making sure to keep my skin wet and maybe up the temperature of the water.
I can shave either with my face in the stream of water or not.
I sometimes forget to do a cold water rinse, but the oil is good protection anyway.

If I wanna be less lazy (and more clothed), I shave just after my shower. I make sure to keep applying hot water from the sink, though I think the leftover steam from the shower is what helps most. Basically, I never allow my skin to feel dry or cold.

A small amount of sweet almond oil can be used before (pre-shave oil), during (if you need more peace of mind in front of that sink), or after the shave in either of these cases. It's especially good when one is just starting out.
Personally, I like using it as an aftershave. It has a good scent and is absorbed well by my skin, so not so greasy.
I should also mention that I have an oily skin type.

If there was something I missed lemme know.

 

[icemanxxxv]

My Shave

Restored Rubberset t100 Brush with a 26mm Best Badger Knot
I have a lot of creams and soaps but this mornig it was tabac
1940 Gillette Tech Razor
Astra Platinum Blades
Alum Bar
Clubman After Shave