What do you use to shave?

[57plymouth]

Oh happy day!

On may way home from a Scottish Rite class I was teaching I stopped at a brother Mason's house. He gave me a cake of Col. Conk Bay Rum and a boar bristle brush to replace my cheap plastic Burma Shave brush!

It's like a whole new world.

But I need to change my blade in the ol' WWI Gillette double edge. It's dragging and needs a swap out.

 

[David Conwill]

Is there no love for the Single Edge?

I read that excellent introduction to wetshaving that was posted, and I read a similar bunch of first-time-wetshaving FAQs on Badger and Blade recently, and both completely skipped over the SE to dive straight into DE territory.

I love my SE! Maybe it’s just that my technique has developed to favor it (I’ve had it much longer), but I think it gives a far superior shave to my Gillette DE.

-Dave

 

[Mid-fogey]

I've used both...

Is there no love for the Single Edge?

I read that excellent introduction to wetshaving that was posted, and I read a similar bunch of first-time-wetshaving FAQs on Badger and Blade recently, and both completely skipped over the SE to dive straight into DE territory.

I love my SE! Maybe it’s just that my technique has developed to favor it (I’ve had it much longer), but I think it gives a far superior shave to my Gillette DE.

-Dave

...over the years. I find that my Mekur slant with a good blade exceeds SEs both back "in the day" and now.

 

[57plymouth]

Well Dave, I had the DE razor. I would have to buy a straight razor. I have not spent the money, nor do I think that I am realistically capable of maintaining the blade edge to convert to straight razor shaving.

If I came across a deal on a razor and strop, I would try it. I just have not given it much time or thought.

 

[John in Covina]

By Se do you mean an injector blade?

 

[David Conwill]

I would have to buy a straight razor.

By Se do you mean an injector blade?

Fellas, I’m not talking about a straight razor or an injector, but rather a single-edge safety razor.

I use a GEM Micromatic (Cost me $5.00 at an antique mall about four years ago):

Typically with Treet blades and C&O Bigelow shaving cream applied with a Burma Shave brush, FWIW.

-Dave

 

[John in Covina]

Can you show us a pix of the blade please?

 

[David Conwill]

They look like this:

-Dave

 

[John in Covina]

They look like this:

-Dave

I don't recall seeing this type of blade as a shaving grade blade but only as a hardware store "get the paint off the window" blade or "box cutter" blade.
WOW.

 

[David Conwill]

I don't recall seeing this type of blade as a shaving grade blade but only as a hardware store "get the paint off the window" blade or "box cutter" blade.
WOW.

Darn, I lost a whole reply.

Shaving-grade blades are still readily available at Walgreens and Rite Aid. Walmart doesn't carry SE blades, and Meijer (local equivalent to Walmart) devilishly carries hardware-grade blades in the toiletries section.

Walgreens carries GEM-brand blades, which are ironically my second choice. Rite Aid carries Treet-brand, which I swear by.

I hear a lot of guys talking about Ted Pella as a source for SE blades, but when I checked, it appears they carry the GEM blade. I'd say grab Treets if you can find them.

-Dave

 

[Feraud]

I usuallly see SE blades where double edge are found.

 

[davestlouis]

I'd try SE shaving, if I could find a razor. There was a 1920s era Auto-Strop at a local antique store, but I don't know if normal SE blades fit that particular one or not, and I was too lazy to find out. I strongly prefer my early-50s SuperSpeeds to my late 60s Schick Krona, I just have better success with the Gillettes. I have 2, and they perform identically as far as I can tell.

 

[St.Ignatz]

Auto-strop is a whole other critter. It uses a long term blade for want of a better term. The strop is a small belt that comes with a complete kit. The strop fits under the blade and the razor is then drawn the length of the strop to give you the desired edge. The method is much simpler than I am eloquent, or more eloquent than I am simple.
Tom D.

I'll see if I can find the directions for mine.

 

[davestlouis]

I'm under the impression that the Auto Strop blade is different than the normal SE blade, but that some Auto Strop razors will work with a normal blade. It has something to do with where the holes are in the blade, so a normal blade MAY have to be modified to work with some Auto Strop razors.

 

[St.Ignatz]

I'm under the impression that the Auto Strop blade is different than the normal SE blade, but that some Auto Strop razors will work with a normal blade. It has something to do with where the holes are in the blade, so a normal blade MAY have to be modified to work with some Auto Strop razors.

I'll recheck my gizmo.

 

[MikeBravo]

Not a guilty pleasure as such, and not sure I should admit this but ...

Sometimes in the bathroom, usually after cleaning my teeth, I will pick up my bowl of shaving soap (currently Crabtree & Evelyn, 'Nomad") and just have a quick smell of the soap. Just to breathe in the scent.


Is it just me?

 

[Shangas]

I've found now, that after using a shaving-brush for a long enough period of time to whip up your lather, the brush retains the smell of the shaving-soap. Sometimes it's fun to sniff it and smell the scent of the soap.

 

[davestlouis]

I must need som nicer soap, because mine, that came from CVS pharmacy, smells awfullly like Ivory bar soap...not a bad smell, but nothing to jump up and down about.

 

[MikeBravo]

I must need som nicer soap, because mine, that came from CVS pharmacy, smells awfullly like Ivory bar soap...not a bad smell, but nothing to jump up and down about.

It's the subtlety of the scent that I enjoy. I'm looking forward to getting different types in the future

 

[Michaelshane]

Not a guilty pleasure as such, and not sure I should admit this but ...

Sometimes in the bathroom, usually after cleaning my teeth, I will pick up my bowl of shaving soap (currently Crabtree & Evelyn, 'Nomad") and just have a quick smell of the soap. Just to breathe in the scent.


Is it just me?

Not just.... you I often open my bowl of Nomad for a sniff....Good stuff.