The Manly Shaving Thread

[Mekrel]

You can generally tell if you've got the angle correct because you'll hear the blade cutting. The razor should sit with both the top and the bottom parts against your skin to hold the blade at the correct angle, there's a great tutorial on B&B here.

I don't hold my skin taut at all, I just move my face to stretch the skin slightly and haven't felt the need to do any more than that. I would suggest that while you're getting your technique sorted out that you just do two passes, with and across the grain and hold on with an against the grain pass until you're confident.

I think you were low on product for your lather. I have to use significantly more than all the guides say to get a good lather for three passes because the water here is so hard. Don't be afraid to add extra product into the bowl or even a few drops of water if the lather isn't up to scratch. A good lather is important and if that was below par then you wouldn't be getting the protection from the razor and that could help explain why you cut yourself. You said that the blood wasn't caused by cuts - If you weren't cut, where did the blood come from? You _did_ cut yourself!

I've not tried TOBS coconut but I love TOBS Shaving Shop and really like their Sandalwood. A lot people rave about TOBS Mr. Taylors but that doesn't do anything for me at all. I've got over two thirds of a tub left and I'm trying to swap it.

I've gone from hating shaving and only wanting to do it once or twice a week to really enjoying it and looking forward to my daily shave. I've now got two razors with a third on the way (a vintage Gillette Super Speed from my birth year), a couple of brushes and a handful of creams and soaps with more on the way.

Finally pressure - Don't use any! Let the weight of the razor do the work. I made the mistake of not remembering that on my second shave and my face was a bloody mess.

I guess I'm referring to cuts as once that draw quite a lot of blood, which only tends to happen one a very light and lightly raised mole under my nose. The blood came from "wounds" that stop bleeding once you've washed your face after finishing.

Cheers for the tutorial, I'll check it out and we also have hard water here so I'll try a bit more cream, maybe half a tea spoons worth. I'll check out the TOBS stuff once I've finished this bowl.

Thanks again

 

[mrk]

I want in on this now considering how expensive off the shelf blade packs are for mach 3 etc I figured I might as well spend that money on a proper product so men, where do I begin :S

I've had a browse and it's alll a bit...complex!

You're dealing with a Wilkinson Sword Quattro user here ¬_¬

 

[JonB]

My stuff arrived today. Looking forward to the first proper wet shave. Hopefully this will cut down on the irritation / rashes I get from cartridges!

 

[RoboCod]

I want in on this now considering how expensive off the shelf blade packs are for mach 3 etc I figured I might as well spend that money on a proper product so men, where do I begin :S

I've had a browse and it's alll a bit...complex!

You're dealing with a Wilkinson Sword Quattro user here ¬_¬

See the post above what he bought, that's a good starter kit, or consider these two posts made earlier. Not complex at all, enjoy!

This has been answered loads of times throughout the thread but I appreciate it's difficult trawling through all these posts as there are so many now. Maybe the OP should change their post and answer these regular questions

I'll help though, by recommending some of the more popular products in this thread:

First brush? - keep it cheap to start.

Proraso is a no-brainer
Or a gift set maybe? TOBS soap is good

Merkur 34C or the
Edwin Jagger are both beginner favs in here.
You will also want a trial pack of razors to see which you prefer.
I'd also get a drip stand for your brush and/or razor.


HTH

Heres what I got as a birthday present, all products that were recommended here.

Razor - Edwin Jagger DE89

http://www.shaving-shack.com/edwin-jagger-double-edge-razor-de89_plus-5-derby-de-blades.html

Brush

http://www.shaving-shack.com/progress-vulfix-660_pure-badger-shaving-brush.html

Shaving Creme

http://www.shaving-shack.com/taylor-of-old-bond-st-shaving-cream-almond-150g.html

Whichever free gift from shaving shack you fancy, blades are a good idea.

Then the Sample pack from Connaught shaving Captain Planet has linked.

Blades and cremes are much a muchness it's mostly down to personal preference.

On to blades after my second shave with the Feathers I find they seem to dull very quickly, felt like it was tugging and I got a very small patch of minor irritation. So I'm going to try the Astra Superior Platinum in the morning and see what they are like.

 

[RoboCod]

Ooh 100 x Feather blades < £13

EDIT: works out the same as the ones you posted Feek (because this listing charges postage this time).

 

[mrk]

Excellent cheers!

 

[Sonea Fifer]

I've found the bluebeards revenge is really quite good stuff. However if I were to make any suggestion re your recent purchases it would be to use the Derby blades first if as you say this will be your first *proper wet shave* before going anywhere near the Feather blades.

As I've said before: those feather blades are sharper than a sharp thing on a sharp day. Be careful buddy.

 

[Zatoichi.uK]

I just bought a straight, thought about it for a few months & always chickened out, now wishing I had chickened out again.

It'll take a few weeks/months to get used to I'm sure. Which one did you buy?

 

[G|mp]

Does anyone know where the Merkur 34C is in stock?

My Goolefu has turned up nowt :/

 

[Feek]

They do seem to be in short supply, my 39C came from Amazon and it was the last one showing in stock.

The vintage Gillette Super Speed I bought on eBay from my birth year arrived today. I'll be using it this evening

 

[RizZy]

If you can't find a 34C anywhere email the shaving shack & ask them to let you know when they get them in, that's what I did, didn't take long.

 

[Zatoichi.uK]

Sweet. I'd be interested to hear how the shave goes. I bought a 1969 Gillette and whilst I love the look of it, the shave it gives is terrible.

 

[sarge78]

^ Which one?

Snip

Congratulations! Both my Rockets (#59 and flair tip) are daily drivers Similar to a DE89 but with more angle to play with. The smaller handles need a different grip though. I'd recommend using your ASCO blades first, it's a perfect pairing for me.

 

[Feek]

The Gillette blade lasted three strokes and felt really poor so I swapped it for an ASCO and using my normal three passes and a touch up, I got an almost perfect shave with just one tiny patch I must have missed on the touch up on my neck below my right ear. I had to be critical to find that spot though!

 

[sarge78]

Excellent! A nice shave in your first attempt is always a good sign It's amazing how different blades work in different razors...

Here's that #59 set I purchased recently (Rocket HD in a fancy metal box, click here for a 1956 ad)
The build/finish on these Isleworth built razors is always first class! (will post some proper pics soon. )

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/GILLETTE-RAZOR-VINTAGE-BOXED-NO-BLADES-/181016928496?_trksid=p2047675.l2557&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&nma=true&si=ZHdKL2zy8iwzDn94ptlnm5ZMEdM%3D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc

 

[Gavin]

Gonna give these ASCO a go

Is that blue beard cream any good?

 

[DJMK4]

Cant you people just use a normal razor?

 

[ShaolinDreams]

Cant you people just use a normal razor?

I'm a normal razor user (Gillette Mach 3) tbh it drives me mad, hardly ever get a shave that feels nice and it generally leaves some irritation after a shave or becomes very itching after a day or two. Plus having quite coarse hair the blade heads never last long and theyre cost a bomb to keep replacing.

The whole point of these Safety Razors is that you get a much better shave with less irritation, as well as saving money in the long term, plus the fact that it turns a chore into an enjoyable routine.

Will be ditching my Gillette Mach Ultra Glider Turbo Pro 19... for a proper shaving set soon

 

[sarge78]

^ Amen!

Here's some pics of the #59/Rocket HD after a bit of spit and polish! (Patent Pending stamped in the head, so it was made between ~1951 and 1954)

Compared to a 2012 Edwin Jagger DE89 and 1964 Gillette Slim adjustable.

Hopefully this picture illustrates the amazing craftsmanship of these old English razors.
This -well used- 60 year old has better plating than my new Edwin Jagger! (The Yank Slim is still in great condition too <3 )

(#59, Slim, DE89)

 

[spaceman]

that's a very nice HD Rocket, mine is around 1956 i think, as it's 71g with the Patent number. It's my favourite vintage razor to shave with.

i need to take some better pic's, but these are my razors

From the Left:-

Weber Bulldog DLC
Merkur 34c HD
1970's English Gillette Tech
1976 (W2) Gillette Superspeed (Birth Year and Quarter)
1961 (G4) Gillette Slim
1960 (F2) Gillette Fatboy
1956 English Gillette HD Rocket

The Weber is the one i use the most, before i bought that i was rotating between them all.