What do you use to shave?

[Dennis Young]

You use Badgerandblade or the one from the Old School kit, Dennis.


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The Old School kit(The Parker)

Badger and Bade is a good site too!

 

[hatguy1]

Just purchased a ceramic shaving mug and a cheapo brush off of ebay (nothing elaborate. The brush is coming from China.) But I'll try them out with some actual shaving soap here soon. I may even break down and buy a badger hair brush along with the soap from the local barber supply when that time comes.

 

[Hat Dandy]

I was a frequent visitor and contributor to the Badger and Blade website. Currently, my main tools are a Merkur Futur razor, a custom silvertip badger brush and a extra large ceramic shaving mug. My preferred double edge blades are Derby or Gillette Blue Extra. For pre-shave, I use Proraso pre-shave cream. For shaving lather, I typically use Proraso shaving cream or J.M. Fraser's original shaving cream. After the shave, I either use a alum block or a favored aftershave such as Pitralon or other old school aftershave. Old Spice is surprisingly good.

 

[hatguy1]

I paid a visit to my local barber supply again yesterday to add to my "equipment list." I bought a badger hair brush, a puck of Col Cronk shave soap and a stand to hold my Mehaz safety razor and the new brush.

And I have a Gentleman's Regiment shaving mug enroute from Monday. (Not all that vintage but I liked the logo and price.)

Have a small glass shelf for it all to set it on in my WC. (Once I get it all set up, I'll try and post a photo.)


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[hatguy1]

Finally got the shelf up. Now all my shave stuff has a place.....

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[big lad on a spree]

I use nothing.

Nothing!

 

[Shangas]

I use nothing.

Nothing!

What are you, Sergeant Schultz?

 

[brendanm720]

What are you, Sergeant Schultz?

Shultz shaved.

 

[Thunderhead19]

I've been using a 1940s Gillette Heavy Tech with a Parker Badger brush and an ARKO shave stick for the last two weeks. Before that I was using a 1940s Schick Injector.

 

[Trenchfriend]

Merkur 15c + Grey-Badgerbrush + different soaps and creams (Tabac Original, Speick, Palmolive, Wilkinson, etc.)

 

[csmorris]

I alternate between several DE razors, occasionally SE, boar or badger brush and various soaps and creams. Also about 20 different aftershaves to choose from.

 

[newsman]

This was my morning shave:

• Razor - Birko 6/8 full hollow
• Brush - Rooney 1/1
• Soap - Palmolive
• Other - Alum bar & witch hazel
• EdP - Creed Royal Water

My morning shave....


One clam shell...bee from the garden.

Just kidding. Couldn't resist.

 

[Rodney]

I have an older Gillette (sp?) DE razor I use. From the looking online I did I think it was put together from the head and handle of 2 different models. It doesn't matter. I like the balance of it and the way it shaves.
Like many here I prefer it to the modern cartridge razor I used before. I'm still working on putting together a decent shaving kit. Maybe I'll get serious after I run out of my can of foam.
Rodney

 

[PHIL1959]

just bought The Phoenix Dbl OC Safety Razor. its one of the nicest razors i own. produces a great close shave,and looks the part.

 

[Edward]

That Phoenix looks lovely!

I've now been shaving my face with a DE for about seven years or so. I started with a Merkur Progress (since sadly lost), and now have a vintage Gilette Fatboy along with a new Parker butterfly-opener (and a cheap no-name of the same for travel, since I lost my Progress that way). Collection also includes a repro of the British Army WW2 era issue razor, a Merkur 34G HD, a Merkur 42 C. I still want more... turns out DE razors are a bit like leather jackets that way! Odd, as back when I was using a cartridge razor, I only ever needed one...

My head, however, is another matter. I learned - quickly, but the hard way - that I'm not able to use a DE successfully on my own head. So out came the cartridge razor again. Thing is, cartridge razors are terribly expensive by comparison to DE. I soon went back to a Mach 3 (from the 5 blade option) - just as effective, but much cheaper. For some years I've been using the disposable versions thereof. I hate the extra waste (as compared to just the cartridge), but the saving is significant over buying cartridges for a handle. Shame, as I was considering an ice handle to go with my other shaving bits. Recently, I stumbled across www.beardedcolonel.co.uk . They have a new five-blade cardridge razor which seems to review well. German made. The handle is free when you sign up to their blade subscription service. It's £10 for four cartridges (including postage), which you can choose to receive monthly, bi-monthly, or quarterly. If they are as good as they claim to be, the higher price could be offset against how quickly my cartridge razors seem to blunt these days. You can quit - there's no minimum period - so I've signed up to give it a shot. I'm hoping it lives up to the reviews on their website: if so, it'll be well worth it. This is the handle:

More modern than my regular tastes, but if it works for my head, it'll be great. I am encouraged by their website, which seems to envisage shaving with a brush and soap rather than foam in a can. If anyone else is interested in giving it a go, pm me as I now have a discount code that will get you your first order free. (Full disclosure: as an existing customer, this also earns me a discount on my next purchase, though I am in no other way affiliated with the company).

I'll post a review when I use it first.

I'll

 

[Edward]

A quick update on the Bearded Colonel razor.

I received my order very promptly. The handle is very nice; its ergonomic shape fits the hand well (the angle of use for me feels not unlike the way I'd hold a straight razor, though I daren't shave my head with one of those!). The four cartridges I received came in a nice tin, which I'll keep using in future to store cartridges. I certainly got a good shave on my head with it, though not necessarily any better than with a Gilette Mach III or comparably priced razor. This is a five-blade system, comparable to Gilette's Fusion, though quite honestly I've never found any perceptible difference between using a three and a five bladed razor. (On my face, I've never had as good a shave from any cartridge as I get from a DE, but as already noted this is for my head.) Overall, I'd say it's much the same experience as using any multi-blade cartridge from Gilette or Wilkinson's Sword. On balance, now three weeks in and onto my second cartridge (headshaving three to four times a week, which is probably the equivalent of a daily facila shave for four weeks), I've found it a satisfactory product, though I've not found it to live up to the company's claims that it is signficantly longer-lasting than the competition. To be fair, though, it is possible that this could vary in an area where the water isn't as hard as it is here in London. Would I recommend it? Yes, but qualifiedly-so. It's not hard to find an introductory offer online, and for £5 for four cartridges (plus the free handle), including postage, it's definitely a decent price, with each cartridge working out at GBP1.25 apiece. In my local supermarket, a Mach 3 cartridge is about £2.20, and a Mach 3 disposable somewhat cheaper. The Fusion, probably a fairer comparison, is in the region of GBP2.50 per cartridge. Shopping on eBay and amazon, however, it is possible to find Mach III cartridges - which do just as good a job for me - for just £1.00 each, or less if you're prepared to buy adozen or more at once. This is enough of a constant that I've opted also to finally buy myself a nice handle to go with the Mach III blades. Gilette did run an advertising campaign here in the UK a couple of years ago which was designed to encourage men to 'kick out' (it featured soccer players) the Mach III in favour of the Fusion, but it clearly didn't work as there is no sign of the Mach III disappearing from sale any time soon. If you don't fancy investing in the handle and are happy with disposables, you can probably find an even better deal on there. I've decided to stick with the cartridges in this approach as they're just nicer to use with a nice handle, and I hate the thought of so much more plastic waste. Shop around and you can easily find free postage options.

TL/DNR: The Beareded Colonel is worth trying out if you can get them for £5 for the four cartridges and one handle (it's very easy to cancel your 'membership' afterwards), but their claim to be much cheaper than their rivals is rather over-egged.

 

[DJH]

For the last couple of months I've been using either a Gillette SuperSpeed 1956) or Gillette Slim Adjustable (60's sometime) with Gillette SilverBlue blades.

Over the years I've tried tons of modern multi-blade razors and the DEs work much better for me.

 

[Edward]

Over the years I've tried tons of modern multi-blade razors and the DEs work much better for me.

Absolutely... If I only needed to shave my face, I wouldn't have anything else in the house.

 

[Eddie Derbyshire]

I use an Edwin Jagger safety razor with Derby blades. Does a great shave, and I find the safety razor the least irritant to my skin (and I get less spots/pimples!). Not a fan of multi-razors, and I do have an electric shaver that's very good in a pinch, but I soon regret it!

Other than that I just use hot water to rub around my stubble, and then cold water to shave with. Occasionally some Dove soap to lather up. I've got a shaving pot and badger brush but...I never seem to really need them.

 

[DJH]

Absolutely... If I only needed to shave my face, I wouldn't have anything else in the house.

I've only ever shaved my head once, to support a friend who lost her hair in chemo.

The consensus from everyone was to let my hair grow back as fast as possible

Eddie - my beard is too tough to allow shaving with just water, although I do a final pass that way after most of the mess has been removed already.