safety razors

[Psycho Sonny]

i know there was another thread on this but it was full of people not having a clue what is was all about and only a handful knew what they were talking about, anyway after doing my own research i have found out that the merkur HD or 34 is one of the best to go for if you are a beginner. later on if i like the shave, after a year i probably will upgrade to something like the vision, anyway all i need is information on the best places to buy my gear from. the gentlemans store seems to be out of stock on a lot of goods, so my guess is they dont hold much stock and is just a small company. i need a good highly reccomended store that has stock. been looking at brushes and lets be honest there isny much difference in them, silver tipped ones are reccomended though. so basically im looking for a stand, a beginners razor which will still give me a damn good shave, a badger brush and some shaving soap. there is a set which comes complete in at £170 from gentlemans store from merkur but if i were to just get my own razor, brush, soap and stand for just my brush it comes in at £135 ish, but the thing is the set includes an advanced users razor. would the £65 vision razor which is only reccomended for advanced users be okay for me? ive been shaving for about 3 years now with a mach 3?


1. is there a better razor than the merkur HD for a beginner?
2. what is the best place to buy shaving stuff from that has stock?
3. is there any real difference in the badger brushes or can i just buy any £30 one?
4. is there any reccomended shaving sticks (soap) or shaving creams?
5. or should i just go for a cheap £20 merkur because the difference is negligible?
6. is there anything else i should know?

i would prefer replies only from people that have these types of razor and have a vast knowledge on what is best for me as a beginner and what i should upgrade to? maybe start off with a cheap brush then later maybe get a £60 one thats ort of thing, anyway my budget is probably around £150-£250

 

[Psycho Sonny]

well i know which razor im going to get and im gonna get a cheap badger or synthetic brush depending on which website i decide to order from, now all i need to know is


1. shaving soap
2. shaving cream
3. other

and do i need one of those fancy bowls?

 

[Psycho Sonny]

this is what my current basket looks like




comes to £120 all in, just gettin a cheap badger brush for £30 gonna try some expensive soap and that cheap cream, will report back to you guys with my results

 

[Psycho Sonny]

Futur Safety Razor 700 1 £34.04 £34.04
- Finish: Polished

GS Silver Tip Shaving Brush 1 £25.53 £25.53

GFT Rose Shaving Soap 1 £14.04 £14.04

Imitation Ivory Brush Stand 1 £2.13 £2.13

Proraso Shaving Cream Jar 1 £4.25 £4.25
150ml

Moustache / Beard Razor 1 £17.02 £17.02

Safety Razor Blades - 10 pack 1 £2.98 £2.98

Beard Razor Blades 10 Pack 1 £1.70 £1.70

TH Limes Aftershave Balm + 1 £21.28 £21.28
FREE SHAVING CREAM

Proraso Aftershave Splash 1 £8.50 £8.50
======================================================================
Subtotal: £131.47
Shipping (Next Business Day Courier): £2.98
VAT: £23.53
Total: £157.98





all in all i have got 21 blades for safety razor and 11 blades for beard moustache razor that i purchased which should last a long time, anyone have any idea how long a single safety razors blade should last? also any idea on how long a single jar of shaving soap should last?

im hoping the blades last me a year, also since i got 1 soap and 2 creams they should also last me a year, would this thinking be correct?

i also bought the beard moustache razor because i put lines in my eyebrows and when my beard becomes a lot thicker i may start to design it, ive been shaving for about 4-5 years now and theres still bits missing in my beard but only under my mouth an to the sides of my lips, i dont know why these bits are missing but it prevents me from stying just now, i change my style every now and again, clean shaven, number 1 all round and sometimes slightly styled.

all in all i think i got a good choice of products, the only thing i didnt buy was the leather pouch for the razor because i dont think i would have ever used it, and to gt a stand you need to buy the very overly priced sets so ill just let it sit in the cupboard naked

 

[Psycho Sonny]

i like the idea of these razors but can they be done on the cheap? my budget is around £15. also how do you sharpen the blade?

put it this way for £16 you could buy a gillete fusion

or for £30 you could get a merkur

say you use 52 blades a year, which is 1 a week

gillete fusion blades 52 x 2 = £104
merkur blades 52 x 0.35 = £18.20

now your £16 razor has cost you over a hundred quid in blades whereas my £30 razor has cost you a measly £18

 

[Psycho Sonny]

my order should be arriving tomorrow and if it does ill have a shave tomorrow evening, otherwise i wont be using it until monday, got a hot date on sunday and 3-4 day stubble looks god dam sexy on me, so i hope mine arrives tomorrow or i will have to wait til monday because ill be using my m3 turbo instead 2moro

 

[Psycho Sonny]

well my Futur Safety Razor arrived today along with all my other goodies,

i must say it feels very well made but is a bit on the heavy side and its rather chunky, that was my first impressions and i didnt like it, anyway thats all aesthetics next to preperation

well the blades were very easy to put in,first i got my GS Silver Tip Shaving Brush wet then gave it a quick flick to take off any excess water, i then rubbed the GFT Rose Shaving Soap on my face against my stubble, after a good rubbing i noticed that it wasnt doing much,the soap had a cover on it (doh). i had to peel this thin cover off it isnt noticeable and im sure many people have made this mistake, how many times have you bough soap that has been cling filmed, anyway i rubbed it on my face then got the brush and created a nice thick lather, it felt amazing, it went everywhere and the whole experience was better than being at a turkish barbers, next to shaving

well the razor had a setting adjustment 1 to 6 and it can be set anywhere in between like 1 and 3/4 or 2 and a 1/2. i set it at 1 and started to shave going with the grain, i wasnt getting a smooth shave so i decided to wack it up to 4 and the same thing so i wacked it up to 6, now when i did this i got a million small nicks all over my face, although the shave was very smooth it wasnt worth the pain, so i put it back down to 1, now i decided to go against the grain and whoala it worked perfectly, i dont care how many shaving experts say go with the grain throughout my whole life no matter what razor ive used going with the grain has never given a good shave. so go against the grain always, all in all for my first shave it was very good and smooth, but i missed bits, but i was in tooo much pain from all the cuts, now i know how to use this razor, ill let my stubble grow for about 5 days now and ill shave again and i know now how to use this razor and i now know not to use the higher settings, ill stick to 1 for the first month, then progress to 2 then upwards until i start cutting myself again, next after shave treatment

well after shaving i washed my face and it was now time to spash on some Proraso Aftershave Splash, i spashed 2 or 3 drops on my hands rubbed them together, braced myself, then slapped my face, yowzaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa, it was the most painful thing ever, i think it was because of all the cuts, and it was burning, it kept burning for ages and then it started to feel refreshing in a funny burning sort of way, its still burning now but i think its just my cuts that are sore.

conclusion

that razor cannot be used to give a precise design for my sideys so i tried using my smaller merkur the one for moustaches and beards but i couldnt judge it, need more practice but theres no way in hell you could use the merkur to style your sideys properly, its far too big and chunky, i like my sideys shaped nice and thin and small and pointy so i think ill need to use my mach 3 for my sideys, the shave was very good for my first time using it and it does feel a lot better than a mach 3 but only i would really know the difference, ill need to give a proper opinion on it when ive got 6 months experience using it properly, the shaving soap was a complete nightmare, and ill be using the cream next week and i think it will wield much better results, the soap is fun but is very hard to use, all in all im very pleased but dissapointed about not being able to do my sideys, i give it a 4 out of 10 for control but a 9 out of 10 for closeness of shave, mach 3 gets 8 out of 10 for control and 7 out of 10 for closeness of shave.

my mach 3 is the m3 version that vibrates

 

[Psycho Sonny]

I dont understand how people can shave against the grain - any time I try it just rips my face up. I can use my futur on 6 (most aggressive) without a scratch but against the grain, even on 1 I'll ruin my face for a week!

at 6 going with the grain i get ripped to shreads, with 1-2 going against the grain gives me my best shave ever, until i try 3 lol

 

[Psycho Sonny]

The weird thing is I'm actually looking forward to the next shave these days, I'll be on the cutthroats before I know it!

you bought the same shaving soap as me, how do you use it, i know there must be many methods and im using the wrong one for me, the soap was terrible, hopefully the cream will be a lot better


the ths limes stuff i bought smells so nice you wanna eat it, im definetely gonna get a lime cream when all of this stuff runs out, probably be next year by then

 

[Psycho Sonny]

I'm considering upgrading my M3 Power to either a Fusion or a Merkur. Now reading around there doesn't seem to be a general consensus as to which is the better. Some prefer fusion, some prefer safety razors.

Is there anywhere on the highstreet that sells Merkurs or is it online only?

i used to hate shaving now after buying a proper shaving set, i look forward to it, i used to use the m3, which is the mach 3 that vibrates. the fusion is basically another gilette gimmick i wouldnt upgrade from an m3 to that, now as for merkur the only bad thing i can say about my futur razor is that the head is too big and i cant use it to style my sideys, i also bought a small moustacher merkur but i couldnt judge it properly with that either, so im going to use my m3 to do my sideys and the futur for my face and the small merkur for the hard to reach areas like directly under the nose. depends on how much your willing to spend, but as i have said before fusion blades cost £2 each and you can get 10 merkur blades for £3.50, each merkur blade should last you 3-5 shaves is the general consensus, so for £3.50 you should get 30-50 shaves, whereas with the fusion 2 blades at £4 should get you maybe 10 shaves, i did spend £160 though on my kit just because i could, but you could get a kit for quite cheap,

merkur - £20-£40 depending on what model you choose
brush - £20-£30 for a cheap one
proraso shaving cream - £6
cheap stand for brush - £3
10 pack of blades - £3.50

total cost of kit - roughly £65 but this kit should give you 30-50 shaves dont know if the cream will last that long though as i havent used mine yet but im sure that the shaving soap for £16.50 or £8.50 if you just buy a refill should last for 30-50 shaves, £65 isnt a lot of money with all the savings your going to make on the blades, also its worth it for the whole shaving experience, using a proper badger hair brush and shaving soap, etc, etc, it beats a gillete by far

that kit would do anyone nicely, the only thing missing is a shaving bowl or mug but you could use a normal coffee mug or cereal bowl for free

as to where to get it from, i would reccomend the gentlemans store, i found that mankinds store wasnt that easy to use and they dont have a great choice, there is only 1 shop in glasgow that i know of which sells some stuff but not the actual razors, just brushes and shaving creams and cut throats, your better off buying online because its cheaper

 

[Psycho Sonny]

Cheers for the reply - Im sure my dad used to own one in days gone by so hoping he'll find it so I can give it a try. Considering the Futur is only £40 on its own its not a big investment, though I might end up importing this from the USA as its dirt cheap considering:

http://www.classicshaving.com/catalog/item/522942/283752.htm
+ £10 delivery = £95+customs+VAT < £160 by a mile hopefully...

ps3ud0

i wouldnt buy a set like that, although if you do get it from america it is much cheaper, you would be better off buying them individually i reckon the only down side being you wouldnt get a stand for everything, but you can get stand for your brush for £3 which is really the only thing that needs a stand, and if you buy individually you get a greater range of brushes and soaps to choose from, but i would say shaving soap is very hard to use and i would reccomend a cream to noobies, and a shaving bowl aint really neccessary you can just use a coffee mug or a bowl

also the person above reccomended using it on 6 which is a definete no-no, you need to start off at 1 and work your way up, i doubt i will ever use my razor ar 6, also i need to shave against the grain to get a decent shave, everyone is different and you need to test it for yourself to find out what is best for you, but most people from the badger and blade forum use the number 3 setting, which gives you a much better idea, 6 is far too aggressive and i got a million cuts going with the grain, with it on 1.5 going against the grain i never got a single cut, trust me my face was bleeding everywhere when i tried 6

 

[Psycho Sonny]

Seek and ye shall find ...
Generic Stands

Its quality Im willing to pay for, so for a very decent razor, silvertipped basil brush and stand say (what do you use the bowl for?) for £120 max - its an investment. Psycho Sonny, tell me how you get on with the bread trimmer as it seems ideal for shaping me sideburns...

ps3ud0

lol yeah well the beard/moustache trimmer is £20 on its own and i tried to do my sideys with the futur, saw there was no way in hell it was gonna work becuase its so chunky so i thought ill use the small razor, and what do you know i completely messed it up, also couldnt judge it properly, ill try again next time, but i reckon im gonna have to use my m3 for my sideys, for the top lip you can easily use the future, you just need to angle it properly its just when you want to cut a specific design you get any problems with it


as for the bowl i would take a small chunk of shaving soap, throw it in the bowl, add a small drop of water and start whipping it up with my brush, creating a nice thick lather, this is the best way i can think of to use shaving soap efficiently

 

[Psycho Sonny]

just had my second shave with my futur, i got a few nicks but no cuts, i got 3 large cuts on my first shave so i am improving, im using setting number 2 and a half and it gave me a dam fine close shave, and all the bits i have to go over about 10 times with a mach 3 were done in 2 or 3 passes, i still had to use the mach 3 for my sideys due to the head being too big, never even used the moustache trimmer the futur can do my upper lip fine, so i may keep the moustache trimmer for styling my eyebrows, hair and beard when i want to put lines in them, all in all the razor is very good, but i think the HD is the best you can get


nobody else got theirs yet?

 

[Psycho Sonny]

Still waiting on mine. Ordered mine from Carter and Bond with brush and soaps etc last week. Not that impressed with them so far

i would phone them or email them personally, i never liked the look of their site so i didnt bother ordering from them, it looks so stupidly designed, im thinking about getting some blades from an auction site, its like £10 for 100 blades by a very good company and are supposed to be better than merkurs blades

 

[Psycho Sonny]

Yep I have called as I wanted next day delivery and you have to phone them to do that as it's not an option at checkout. Only get an answer machine Also emailed them today but no reply yet. I am sure it will turn up it's just I am an impatient git

As for the blades I ordered one of those sampler packs that the guy over at Badger and Blades puts together. He is his site Link

For $22.75 you get 10 each of the following blades:-
Merkur Super Platinum
Feather New Hi-Stainless Platinum
Crystal ("Israeli")
Derby Extra
Gillette Platinum ("Swedish/Euro")

At today's exchange rates that just over a tenner for 50 blades. Once I find the ones that work best for me I can place a bulk order.

thank you so much for telling me about this pack, at least this way i can find out which is best and then place an order for 100 of them for cheap

all i need to find now is a cheap shaving bowl or jar, or i might just wait until my soap runs out and use the wooden bowl it comes in, unless i can find a nice looking cheap one

anyone got any other tips on where to buy gear from at a good price?


just ordered those blades and with shipping it comes to about £14-£15

 

[Psycho Sonny]

Still not too bad. At least it gives you a chance to test the most popular blades before bulk buying.

i just found an even better deal and im in the process of ordering that as well

https://www.secure-sales.org.uk/shavingshack/shop/home.php


spend over £10 excluding postage and packaging and you can choose 1 of 2 free gifts

gift 1 - a small tube of shaving cream worth a tenner
gift 2 - 30 israeli blades worth £6.50 ish

just ordered a soap bowl with free soap for £12 and gonna get the blades


also for every £1 you spend you get a point and after 15 points you get £1 off this website is dirt cheap, make multiple orders of over a tenner and you could end up with lots of blades and cream for free, well you would need to pay for the extra postage costs, postage is £3.95 for uk so well worth it


CodeProductItem PriceQuantityTotal

SH016BChrome Effect Shaving Bowl with Mirror and Soap £11.99 1£11.99 FREEBLADE30 Israeli Made Double Edged Razor Blades £0.00 1£0.00 Subtotal: £11.99 Shave Points Discount: £0.00 Shipping cost: £3.95

Total: £15.94

Thank you for your purchase!


also if you are a real cheapo you can get this

http://www.blademail.co.uk/acatalog/bulk.html

but the blades have been reviewed as being low end average, good for 2-3 shaves but not very sharp

 

[Psycho Sonny]

just had my 3rd shave, moved it up to level 3 and i cut myself to peices, got a nasty rash too, looks like level 2 is the best, also i found out that i need to buy a stypic pen or alum block because these cuts get dam sore when i splash on the after shave

 

[Psycho Sonny]

have you tried a 3 or 4 going with the grain? I'd give it a shot, but it might not be close enough for you. Then again, if you're happy with the 2against the grain, why change?

going with the grain does nothing on any setting, doesnt matter how long the hairs are they just dont budge, 2 against the grain works best, when i get my sampler blade pack i may see a difference going with the grain, etc

 

[Psycho Sonny]

got all my stuff today, after royal mail robbed me 8quid for the privillage of making me pick my package up the useless buggers.
Had a quick shave after discovering id actually bought a tub of shaving cream and not soap but i stuck the merkur on 2 and shaved away, i had a good weekish growth which was a few mm long and the razor went through it no problem which if id tried using a mach 3 it would have clogged and died very quickly.
Finished my shave and ive got a face like a babys bum definatly the best shave ive had in a while and as a bonus no niks or cuts.

shaving cream is easier to use/lather but soap lasts a lot longer, especially if its a decent soap, trumpers should last 6 months, creams on the other hand may only last 2 months, i found number 2 to be the best setting with my futur

 

[Psycho Sonny]

Same here got mine today and had a great shave on setting 1. Also got my sampler blade pack so will try a few blades out over the next week or so.

Funny thing was I was very nervous to try it out as I was sure I would slice my face. Not only did I have the best shave in over 25 years of shaving I had no cuts or nicks so I am well pleased

ive not actually tried any of the blades from my sampler pack, but i did already have the merkur's, ive been told the best order to go through them is

Merkur
Israeli
Derby
Gillete (Swedish type only the others are crap)
Feather

so i used the merkur that came with my futur for 3 shaves and then used an "israeli" that i got for free from the shaving shack (place an order over £9.99 and you get 30 of these blades for free with every order).

the israeli i got from the shaving shack is different from the one in the sample pack, but i aint used any of the sample pack yet will take me about 2 months to go through each type of blade (i only shave once every 4-5 days), but so far the one from the shaving shack has given me the best shave yet, i dont know if its because my technique is improving or its simply a hell of a lot better currently my scores are

merkur - 6/10 (its nice but takes a lot of passes to get a decent shave, might have been a duff blade or my technique was newbie style so will try them in the future and report back)

israeli from shaving shack - 9/19 (no major cuts, only 1 or 2 small nicks but gives an amazing shave from only a few passes definetely 1 of the best out there)

next ill try the israeli's from the sample pack and see if they are any different but i would reccomend you all put in a small order for anything from the shaving shack and get 30 of their israeli's for free