What do you use to shave?

[Bruce Wayne]

Great piece on how to clean used, vintage razors on the Art of Manliness site:

http://artofmanliness.com/2010/08/19/how-to-buy-and-restore-vintage-shaving-gear/

Thank you for posting that. It is very useful for people such as myself who are just getting into the DE & cutthroat shaving techniques to know that.

Thanx!!!
Charlie

 

[Bruce Wayne]

I was doing some reasearch this evening on this site & if my calculations are correct, my new to me Old Spice mug was made in the early fifties based upon the "O" in Old Spice, the use of the ship Friendship, & the fact that the inside has six ribs to hold a cake.

Also, I just finished polishing the DE razor that can be seen in the previousl pic that I posted & I discovered that it was made by Gillette because I found a small diamond Logo on part of it.

Thanx!!!
Charlie

 

[Shangas]

Once I've got the hang of it, I hope to use this to shave...

 

[John in Covina]

Best of luck Shangas, it takes a little bit of a learning curve but you can do it. There are a number of tutorials on line that you can read first.

One thing I will tell you is that every move is deliberate, and no two moves at the same time. So when the razor is moving on your face you don't move your head. If you move your head don't have the razor on your face.

Second is be aware of both ends of the razor, if you are concentrating on the middle of the razor you can get a nick from either end by being un-aware.

Third is there is no rushing when you use the razor.

Fourth when you start off and you get to a challenging area like below the nose or on the chin- slowly and carefully shave with a regular razor and watch how the blade(s) move in that area. You can usually safely mimic the angle and direction of the ordinary razor with the straight.

Lastly, a straight razor that is not shave sharp will lead to problems and discomfort always shave with it properly sharp.

There is a group called something like Straight Razor Place with forums and a lot of thread sections to ask questions. Also the head guy and others have posted videos on you-tube to watch that can help a bunch.

Best wishes for minimal used of the stiptic penciL!

 

[Shangas]

I've actually already sharpened it, stropped it (on an old belt) and had a shave with it.

It does the job pretty well. I had one bit of razor-burn, but no actual cutting or slicing up. And it does actually shave everything right off! I was quite surprised at how well it worked!...I've never sharpened a razor before! lol

 

[flylot74]

I highly recommend the aforementioned site:

http://straightrazorplace.com/forums/

Sharpening a straight razor is nothing like sharpening a knife. The stones start at 1K grit and go up to 16k and the technique is different. Read all the wikis on the site and don't be afraid to ask questions. There are many informed and experienced people there willing to help.

Once you've shaved with a straight, you will never go back to anything else. Baby butt smooth shaves are the norm.

 

[Feraud]

Here is a mid-50s Flair Tip -

 

[John in Covina]

I highly recommend the aforementioned site:

http://straightrazorplace.com/forums/

Sharpening a straight razor is nothing like sharpening a knife. The stones start at 1K grit and go up to 16k and the technique is different. Read all the wikis on the site and don't be afraid to ask questions. There are many informed and experienced people there willing to help. Once you've shaved with a straight, you will never go back to anything else. Baby butt smooth shaves are the norm.

They also give a lot of info on stropping. A common mistake is to roll the blade on the sharp end instead of the spine which can dull the edge.

 

[Shangas]

This photograph marks my third, and thusfar, most comfortable and best-quality straight-razor shave to date. It was a three-pass shave and it really got nearly everything off with hardly any razor-burn. There was a small patch where I got a bit too eager, but it was easily patched and I can confidently say I'm getting better at using a straight to shave with.

It's quite fun and thrilling to see the physical evidence of a good sharp blade at work...all those little stubbly bits collecting on the blade...

 

[Feraud]

First shave with this Gem Micromatic. The case is bakelite and has two containers marked for new and used blades. It's an aggressive razor and gives a close shave! Patience is a virtue when using this one. Take your time..

 

[St.Ignatz]

Nice looking razor Feraud. I used a 1914 American Razor Co. Mahoganite that looks like a Gem clone. Great shave even with a Gem blade. You do have to pay attention with it that's for sure.
Tom D.

 

[Michaelshane]

[/IMG]

 

[St.Ignatz]

[/IMG]

Nice. You've got the DE's covered. Anything more is just sort of neat to have. That Superspeed w/ comb looking razor is very interesting.
Tom D.

 

[Michaelshane]

That's a sheraton.

[/IMG]

 

[Shangas]

A week later and I'm still alive. And I am loving straight-razor shaving! There's a lot of fun to be had shaving this way. I don't know why, but it's very satisfying.

 

[John in Covina]

First shave with this Gem Micromatic. The case is bakelite and has two containers marked for new and used blades. It's an aggressive razor and gives a close shave! Patience is a virtue when using this one. Take your time..

If you get any irritation you can try preshave oil or cremes for extra lubrication and protection. You can also try putting a little shave balm on as a preshave.

 

[St.Ignatz]

That's a sheraton.

Thanks

 

[Feraud]

Thanks for the tip. I don't do much pre-shave prep but will take my time with future shaves using the Micromatic.

 

[repeatclicks]

A week later and I'm still alive. And I am loving straight-razor shaving! There's a lot of fun to be had shaving this way. I don't know why, but it's very satisfying.

You really ought to get that blade properly honed on proper sharpening stones, and get a horsehide strop.

By the time your blade is done on the last stone, you will be able to drop a hair on it and it will fall in half. I promise you, your blade is nowhere near as sharp as it could be.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UF-ayPofWpY

 

[Feraud]

Now that is a sharp SE!