The Manly Shaving Thread

Kainz · 17 Nov 2009 at 17:38

james.miller said:
Thats bizzare, its not loose in my futur. i really have to shave after i get out of the shower otherwise i have problems with my top lip. For those occasions...shhhh....i still have a KoS azure razor on standby.

It's hard to describe but since the blade isn't under any real tension in the futur, it makes for a rather noisy shave. I noticed it right away. I've only used it 4 times mind you, prefer the 34C now.

Given that I've still got my fusion and 3x blades, I think I'll keep that on standby until I develop a good technique for doing me lip!

Mr. Anderson · 17 Nov 2009 at 17:50

just had a shave with some multi-purpose oil as a test to see if oil is better than foamy gell stuff. Turns out, apart from the smell of machinery it is a lot nicer to shave with! Probably good for the skin too!

Still prefer my electric shaver for ease though.

JAMAL · 17 Nov 2009 at 17:56

How are the parker razors? they seem quite cheap, could anyone recommend a model?

johnny6 · 17 Nov 2009 at 18:23

Been using the Merkur 38002 since Christmas and I have to say its so much better than my old M3 power.

In my lazier moments I can use the Merkar after not shaving for 7-8 days without skin irritation, something I could never do with the M3 power.

mjt · 17 Nov 2009 at 22:16

how easy is it to slice your face open with a merkur?

Mansize_tissue · 17 Nov 2009 at 22:51

mjt said:
how easy is it to slice your face open with a merkur?

I've had a couple of little nicks around the awkward chin area from using safety razors. No more than if I were using my old Fusion, certainly. Although you have to consider that I'm now taking more time shaving. Shaving as quickly as I was with the Fusion I imagine I'd have suffered a few more injuries!

[FnG]magnolia · 17 Nov 2009 at 23:02

gam3r said:
Snap.

How many passes are you doing and in what order? What problems are you experiencing exactly - cutting yourself, patchy shave etc?

gam3r · 29 Nov 2009 at 18:07

[FnG]magnolia;15339442 said:
How many passes are you doing and in what order? What problems are you experiencing exactly - cutting yourself, patchy shave etc?

On the chin where the stubble is thick, I get a patchy shave so I have to go over it a few times, in the direction of the stubble to get a decent shave, sometimes leading to small cuts...

Cookie-Monster · 29 Nov 2009 at 19:57

for those that are still considering it, mankind have a 15% discount code at the moment,

not sure what the deal is with posting those sort of things on here so will leave it at that.

Vanilla · 29 Nov 2009 at 21:12

Woohoo, just ordered the following after reading this thread and a few others including some of Scuzi's recommendations.

Product: Merkur 34C Heavy Duty Classic
Item Price: £26.99

Product: 10 Feather Hi-Stainless Double Edged Razor Blade
Item Price: £3.49

Product: Shaving Brush Drip Stand (Cream)
Item Price: £3.99

Product: Taylor Of Old Bond St Sandalwood Soap and Bowl
Item Price: £12.99

Product: Proraso Pre and Post Shave Cream (100ml)
Item Price: £8.95

Product: Progress Vulfix 660 Pure Badger Shaving Brush
Item Price: £14.99

TOTAL: £75.40

J1234 · 29 Nov 2009 at 21:42

Sounds good, I use the feather and 34C set up which is perfect for me.

PishY · 29 Nov 2009 at 22:46

u use a Fusion, does the job for me

Mobius 1 · 29 Nov 2009 at 23:31

i HATE my wilkinson sword razor.. cuts my throat to hell.

what do you guys think of this one? seems a pretty good price and seems well made. good ratings too!

http://www.shaving-shack.com/merkur-42-nickel-1904-replica.html

2StepSteve · 29 Nov 2009 at 23:37

I finally bought a King of Shaves Razor today.. last time I checked this thread no one had dared to buy one and report back.

As I started shaving with it seemed pretty decent but it soon became very clear during the shave that it is not as close as a Fusion or even a Mach 3 blade. The angle of the blades are in such a way that it is very hard to cut the hairs shortly, I found myself having to go over an area 4 times using different angles of attack for the razor to be some what effective, even when I did this it still didn't do a good job. There was no bleeding though I must add, just lots of irritation after the shave due to going over my skin too many times.

A shame as I was hoping these would be decent, for the price they are a bargain and was hoping for a cheap Fusion or Mach 3 alternative.

I wouldn't bother with king of shave no matter how much the price is reduced in the big stores.

Not really king of shaves

Scuzi · 29 Nov 2009 at 23:46

I had a bit of a shaving epiphany recently. I was in the US on holiday and a few days in when I went to shave, I realised I had brought my Merkur but I had forgotten blades. DE blades in that size are hard to get over there so I went to the nearest Walmart and bought the cheapest Gillete disposables.

I was amazed at how well they performed! My previous experience of disposables was that they butchered my face even worse than your average razor.

I concluded that it was down to a change in technique. I have been shaving with a DE Merkur for a few years now and as a result my technique has improved massively out of necessity. If you get it wrong with the Merkur, you bleed. If you get it wrong with a Gillette, you get a bit oif a rash.

So yeah, if your technique is good then it doesn't really matter what sort of razor you use. Modern razors, even the cheapest disposables are very good. I'll continue to use the Merkur as the blades are much cheaper. My favourite blades, Feather (the sharpest) are less than a tenner for 30 delivered to my door. I get a closer shave with the Feathers on the Merkur, but I can get a quicker shave with a disposable razor and whilst nbot as close as the Merkur, it's more than acceptable.

Technique is key. If your technique is good, the razor you use won't ,make that much difference.

EDIT: I'd just like to say that the King of Shaves Azor is complete ass though. Don't even think of getting it.

2StepSteve · 29 Nov 2009 at 23:53

Scuzi said:
Technique is key. If your technique is good, the razor you use won't ,make that much difference.

EDIT: I'd just like to say that the King of Shaves Azor is complete ass though. Don't even think of getting it.

I was gonna knock you down with that crazy sweeping statement you made! Then you edited.

But I still might!

I take it you have never tried using a BIC disposable razor? It is not acceptable to be needing a blood transfusion after a shave!

But yes I wasted £5 on one of the crappy king of shaves.. truly awful do not buy.

Scuzi · 30 Nov 2009 at 00:01

2StepSteve said:
I was gonna knock you down with that crazy sweeping statement you made! Then you edited.

But I still might!

I take it you have never tried using a BIC disposable razor? It is not acceptable to be needing a blood transfusion after a shave!

But yes I wasted £5 on one of the crappy king of shaves.. truly awful do not buy.

I haven't used a Bic in years but the Gillettes I used previously would have butchered my face just as bad. I might try them just to see what the outcome is!

I had the displeasure of using the King of Shaves Azor on a previous holiday. I'd have had a better have had I ran my thumb over my face. The ergonomics are flawed, the blades are not sharp enough and it does more damage than good. It's a terrible razor and it's cheap for a reason.

2StepSteve · 30 Nov 2009 at 00:08

Scuzi said:
I haven't used a Bic in years but the Gillettes I used previously would have butchered my face just as bad. I might try them just to see what the outcome is!

I had the displeasure of using the King of Shaves Azor on a previous holiday. I'd have had a better have had I ran my thumb over my face. The ergonomics are flawed, the blades are not sharp enough and it does more damage than good. It's a terrible razor and it's cheap for a reason.

So true the blades on the king of shaves feel blunt straight out the packet!

I really need to look again at my shaving routine as it is getting on my nerves now forking out £8 for 4 x fusion/mach3 blades that are only good for 3 shaves each. ******* rip off.

I think I may have to ask the GF for a Merkur for Christmas.

whitecrook · 30 Nov 2009 at 02:16

Scuzi said:
I had a bit of a shaving epiphany recently. I was in the US on holiday and a few days in when I went to shave, I realised I had brought my Merkur but I had forgotten blades. DE blades in that size are hard to get over there so I went to the nearest Walmart and bought the cheapest Gillete disposables.

I was amazed at how well they performed! My previous experience of disposables was that they butchered my face even worse than your average razor.

I concluded that it was down to a change in technique. I have been shaving with a DE Merkur for a few years now and as a result my technique has improved massively out of necessity. If you get it wrong with the Merkur, you bleed. If you get it wrong with a Gillette, you get a bit oif a rash.

So yeah, if your technique is good then it doesn't really matter what sort of razor you use. Modern razors, even the cheapest disposables are very good. I'll continue to use the Merkur as the blades are much cheaper. My favourite blades, Feather (the sharpest) are less than a tenner for 30 delivered to my door. I get a closer shave with the Feathers on the Merkur, but I can get a quicker shave with a disposable razor and whilst nbot as close as the Merkur, it's more than acceptable.

Technique is key. If your technique is good, the razor you use won't ,make that much difference.

EDIT: I'd just like to say that the King of Shaves Azor is complete ass though. Don't even think of getting it.

ding ding!! we have a winner!

Also, part of the 'techinque' is also down to the prep, as with most things. You need to soften your beard to get a good shave... Dry hair is as strong as steel. The point of gels and foams is to hold water against your face for longer, so that the hair becomes softer. If you sufficiently soften your hair with roasting hot water in the shower or a microwaved towel for a couple of minutes, you'll find the easiest shave, without even using any cream or foam...

A brush though, can be very useful (in addition to being a cream applicator) to lift and raise the hair on the face so that the blade cuts more square to the hair shaft, giving a closer shave.

As for the chin / upper lip, I admit, that unless I have spent time in the shower to soften my hair, I just do most of my face with the merkur and then finish off with a few swipes of either a mach3 or a dispoable gillette, whatevers ling around.. I think I've been uing the same blade for about a month or more now. Wors fine, and is a good compromise for quality/speed in those mornings when you have no time.

Freefaller · 30 Nov 2009 at 06:28

I miss my cut throat

Though i don't miss nicking myself with it

However when i got it right it was the best shave I've ever had. However something like a Merkur safety razor is very good. Much better than the "modern" shaving blades which might as well be made of jelly. If you have a thick and tough beard (as I do for example) the modern blades don't last long, and they just don't give you a satisfying shave IMO. Brushes and a hot towel are an absolute necessity though.