***The Official Manly Shaving Thread***

Do you relather between passes? Always relather.
Also, rinse blade (and clog) off after each swipe.

I relather with shaving soap with the badger brush but not the pre shave?

I always rinse after a couple of swipes by giving the razor a shake (not sure on the right word there) in the bowl of water but when I use the pre shave I find I have to actually use running water from the tap to clear it.
 
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One question I have got is that Ive been using Proraso pre shave cream but Im not sure how much good its doing as it just seems to clog the blade up on the first pass and then there doenst appear to be any left for the second or third passes? Im not sure whether an oil might be better? Having said that Im not experiencing too much redness when Ive not used it the past couple of shaves so unsure what to do for the best.

I wasn't a fan of the Proraso pre-shave - there's a nice Edwin Jagger one I use - it's not a huge tube, but it lasts for ages

Don't worry about pre-shave for the 2nd/3rd passes, just re-lather and go
 
Alternating between Astra and Derby blades. Leaning towards the Derby! Though both are still giving me a red neck. I'm thinking my technique is a bit off. Any advice on post shave balms I can use to calm my skin as it gets a bit red. Hate having to shave every day for work.
 
I've never tried pre-shave before but did try King of Shaves oil, didn't really notice any difference so have never bothered with anything other than the cream/soap applied by a brush since.

I still get redness on my neck a bit after shaving (been DE shaving for around 5-6 years now) and I don't think I will ever stop getting it, I do use a couple of balms that seem to sedate the fiery redness though and the best I've found is L'Occotaine but it's really expensive so at the moment I have the following and just use one of them:-

Bluebeards Revenge After-Shave balm
Dove Sensitive balm
Body Shop Macca Root balm
Nivea Soothing balm

All seem to work fine and soothe the fires that burn (I also use an alum block after every shave).
 
Alternating between Astra and Derby blades. Leaning towards the Derby! Though both are still giving me a red neck. I'm thinking my technique is a bit off. Any advice on post shave balms I can use to calm my skin as it gets a bit red. Hate having to shave every day for work.

I alternate between Huygens and Cornerstone. Both a bit pricey but I find I get much better results with them, the Cornerstone one in particular is good for the price. I got it in a skin care sub box aimed at men, PowMan it was called, quite cool if you want to try a range of products.

It included a penhaligons face scrub which, whilst awesome, I would never be able to afford to buy regularly. It does help that, if you are so inclined, you can recoup the cost of the box by selling 2 of the products on the bay.
 
Tried a Super Max Super Platinum blade last night for the first time and was really impressed with it. Very close finish and very little redness and I skipped the preshave this time too. Its interesting how the blades are so different and also have different results for different people!
 
I have some of those, I always found that the second shave was brilliant but the fist was a tad rough. I stopped using them because I couldnt be bothered with the first shave bleeds when an ASTRA Platinum gave as good anyway.

Just tried the med prep blade for the first time, really liked it but I did get a few nicks, maybe I was being a bit heavy handed and I did have a week old Beard in place.
 
As I said in my last post I find it really weird how blades and beards can be so different but I guess thats the reason why we are using safety razors rather than Mach3's! Got to say though now that Im getting the hang of it Im really starting to enjoy shaving and the fact Im getting no ingrown hairs is amazing after all these years!
 
As I said in my last post I find it really weird how blades and beards can be so different but I guess thats the reason why we are using safety razors rather than Mach3's! Got to say though now that Im getting the hang of it Im really starting to enjoy shaving and the fact Im getting no ingrown hairs is amazing after all these years!

It is kind of weird - I've been through a boat load of different shaving products in the last few months and come back (made decision today) to using a combination of Wilkinson Sword Hydro 5 blades and Gillette Fusion Proglide gel - for some reason it works significantly better than Wilkinson's own shaving foams and gels with Wilkinson's blades - atleast for me. I know how to shave and if I do say so myself pretty good at it but if a bit costly that combination gets me 95% of the quality shave of the very best safety or straight, in less than half the time and with little to no irritation - atleast for me it just isn't worth use a DE, etc. even with the cost saving.
 
Started DE a few months back actually enjoy shaving now... never had an issue with the multi blades just my crappy facial hair blocked them up too fast. Anyway think it's the Gillette seven supers (greens) that are the best just need to buy a better brush. Otherwise happy with the shave lounge sensitive skin kit.
 
I'm currently using Gillette Mach 4 blades and their shaving gel. I shave everyday (well the evenings) and I'm finding that the shave isn't close enough and that my skin can be a bit irritated. I was wondering what you chaps could suggest as I've been using this combo for years and maybe its time for a change in both products/blades and technique.

Would a safety razor with different shaving process and applying post shaving lotions help me? If so what "starter" kits would you recommend.
 
I actually find that a DE / safety razor doesn't cut as closely as a cartridge razor, but it results in far less in-grown hairs and irritation. I guess it depends on what you want to achieve. I tend to use DE daily then the cartridge if I want something closer (e.g. looking very smart / dinner date with the wife).
 
I'm currently using Gillette Mach 4 blades and their shaving gel. I shave everyday (well the evenings) and I'm finding that the shave isn't close enough and that my skin can be a bit irritated. I was wondering what you chaps could suggest as I've been using this combo for years and maybe its time for a change in both products/blades and technique.

Would a safety razor with different shaving process and applying post shaving lotions help me? If so what "starter" kits would you recommend.

I started DE shaving several years ago due to cost of the Gillette heads and also the rash I used to get on my neck due to irritation.

My recommendation to start with would be:-

Muhle R89 or Merkur 34C razor
Mixed DE blade starter pack (to find the best blades for you)
BodyShop Brush, Shaving Cream and Aftershave balm (have grouped these together as they are always on 3 for 2 offer)
Alum Block (I found this to make the most difference to irritation as I also use it after I have had a quick shave with a Gillette Mach 3).

Also as CI mentions it doesn't appear to cut as closely but the lack of irritation means I shave every other day instead of 1 in 3/4 days.
 
I'll add to what the others say and agree too.
If you want a close shave then cartridge is better. If you want to save money, reduce issues such as have been mentioned and have better skin then go for DE.
Since switching a few years ago, I haven't missed using a cartridge razor at all.

I should point out that the technique is different so expect a few nicks when you first start. I found a good blade to start with as its more forgiving are the Derby's.
 
I don't agree, I get a better shave with my DE than I ever did with cartridge razors. The whole thing is just better, I always got razor rash on my neck and swapping completely stopped that, most times I get a baby smooth shave too.....am I just lucky?
I've been using DE for a few years now so maybe if I went back to cartridge with my current prep it would be better, not an experiment I can be bothered to try though.
 
I don't agree, I get a better shave with my DE than I ever did with cartridge razors. The whole thing is just better, I always got razor rash on my neck and swapping completely stopped that, most times I get a baby smooth shave too.....am I just lucky?
I've been using DE for a few years now so maybe if I went back to cartridge with my current prep it would be better, not an experiment I can be bothered to try though.

Perhaps a combination of luck (favourable skin type), and good technique? I agree with you, I get a better shave from DE in all respects. I see no advantage to returning to cartridges. I shave every single working day ( :()
 
Thanks to the above poster for recommending the DE kits. I'll check them out and get back to you.

What makes a safety razor a closer shave than say the common/more modern Gillette 3/4/x number blades? Surely having several blades close together helps to get that closer shave?
 
What makes a safety razor a closer shave than say the common/more modern Gillette 3/4/x number blades? Surely having several blades close together helps to get that closer shave?

I find I don't get as closer shave but far less irritation (only 1 blade does the cutting hence the multiple passes) as the multiblade heads only the 1st 1 or 2 blades cut and the rest just cause irritation against bare skin as there isn't any more hair to cut.

Someone mentioned Cornerstone and I got 1 as a test, found a half decent shave but my god did it get clogged up, gave it my nephew who loves it to bits (and his bum fluff doesn't clog the heads).

If only I could get my technique right to use my shavette properly I'd be a happy bunny (as it is I can only shave once every 2-3 months as it takes that long for my skin to heal :mad:)
 
Haha, with me it's not that I don't get a fantastic shave from my straight razor, it just takes me a few months to forget how scared I get using my left hand to shave my neck, scary scary stuff.
 
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