***The Official Manly Shaving Thread***

Checking in 2 weeks on - haven't murdered myself just yet...

Have "mapped my face" and now happy doing 2 passes - WTG/ATG which seems to work pretty well (a middle XTG doesn't seem to work very well for me - seems more difficult with little reward).

With regards to blades:
Derby - never again - fairly blunt so needed multiple passes/pressure to get any results, led to overconfidence and ultimately cuts :)
Astra SP - slightly better, but similar to the above
Gillette Silver Blue - 2 shaves with this, and fairly happy - best shaves so far, but similar to the other Gillette (7'O clock Sharpedge Yellow), lots of "micro cuts" - most of which disappear/heal after using alum block - not sure what is causing that?

I've got Gillette Green, Personna and Feathers left to try, so likely going to try Persona next.
 
Armageus said:
Checking in 2 weeks on - haven't murdered myself just yet...

Have "mapped my face" and now happy doing 2 passes - WTG/ATG which seems to work pretty well (a middle XTG doesn't seem to work very well for me - seems more difficult with little reward).

With regards to blades:
Derby - never again - fairly blunt so needed multiple passes/pressure to get any results, led to overconfidence and ultimately cuts :)
Astra SP - slightly better, but similar to the above
Gillette Silver Blue - 2 shaves with this, and fairly happy - best shaves so far, but similar to the other Gillette (7'O clock Sharpedge Yellow), lots of "micro cuts" - most of which disappear/heal after using alum block - not sure what is causing that?

I've got Gillette Green, Personna and Feathers left to try, so likely going to try Persona next.
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Congrats on not dying :D

Don't stress the XTG - it can be useful to mow the hair down in stages, but if WTG to ATG works for you, that's fine.

As for the microcuts, are you getting any chatter, where the head of the razor does little jumps as you're shaving? That causes those for me. If so, try doing an XTG on that bit of face before an ATG and do short strokes, whichever way you're going. Otherwise, silly as it sounds, check the razor is screwed together properly and the blade is even both sides - some blades just seem to fit better than others
 
Tried the Personna yesterday.... think I have a winner :D Less effort needed, less irritation and aside from 2 microcuts, a great shave.

Going to stick with Personna for a while, as seems to have given me the confidence that I can get a good shave, so with more practice should only get even better.

shorttricky said:
As for the microcuts, are you getting any chatter, where the head of the razor does little jumps as you're shaving?
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Does seem to be that, and after switching to the Personna it was a lot more noticeable, especially where my face had dried out / didn't have enough lather. As soon as I noticed it though, reapply some more shaving cream (probably more than I need), and glides nicely and no issues.
 
Armageus said:
Does seem to be that, and after switching to the Personna it was a lot more noticeable, especially where my face had dried out / didn't have enough lather. As soon as I noticed it though, reapply some more shaving cream (probably more than I need), and glides nicely and no issues.
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Are you wetting your face before putting the shaving soap/cream on?
 
Armageus said:
Yep - rubbing/wetting with hot water flannel, then applying frothed cream from shaving bowl with badger brush
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Sorry, I was meaning in between passes? You said that you reapplied soap but didnt mention any water. Its just that when I first started I would only wet my face at the start but now after each pass I rinse away any soap left on my face with more hot water then reapply more soap. I used to get some drag before I rinsed but now I get none.
 
Mark M said:
Sorry, I was meaning in between passes? You said that you reapplied soap but didnt mention any water. Its just that when I first started I would only wet my face at the start but now after each pass I rinse away any soap left on my face with more hot water then reapply more soap. I used to get some drag before I rinsed but now I get none.
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Good call, as I can't actually remember - but probably not. Would make sense.
 
I would also try some shave oil as well, I'm currently using Clarins but it's quite expensive (£20 a bottle) but started out with the King of Shaves stuff you can get from Tesco (Also available in other supermarkets lol) and at 1st thought it was a gimmick but now wouldn't shave without it.

The Clarins stuff is great as it comes with a pump top so 3 little squirts is enough for a full shave (I only put on before the 1st lather some people put it on before each lather) so I guess the bottle will last ages.
 
Can anyone recommend a good post-shave balm? I've been using some Nivea stuff for a while which is about to run out. Looking at Shaving Shack and places but not sure whats good :)
 
ToBS aftershave gel. The 'Shaving Shop' is practically unscented, gives a good base for whatever smelly you want to wear or if you want something that's actually scented then I'd recommend ToBS Sandalwood. It's a classic scent and lasts for ages.

You only need a tiny amount, the tubes last for many months.

Also, Trumper West Indian Extract of Lime Skin Food is a fantastic product. Again, you only need a tiny dob on the end of your finger so although it seems expensive, it really doesn't work out that way.
 
Zaphan58 said:
Can anyone recommend a good post-shave balm? I've been using some Nivea stuff for a while which is about to run out. Looking at Shaving Shack and places but not sure whats good :)
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My favourite is Huygens but it's absurdly expensive so I don't use it all the time. The cornerstone one is good but I got it from a subscription box, might want to check ebay.
 
Good lord, had a shave last night and for some reason had an inkling to try using some oil first to soften the hairs. I've never looked into pre-shave oils as I've never felt I've had a problem with preparing my hairs, but I've got a bit lazy recently with it and have felt it a bit tough going sometimes.

So I used some almond scented oil the wife left around, and cutting through the hair was like going through butter. I just rubbed a bit in after the usual quick scrub with facewash and hot water, and before face lathering with shave cream. If you have any desire to make your hairs easier to cut through, give it a go.
 
My cat has whiskers, I would definitely call mine hair!

I know what you mean though, hair makes it sound more like bum fluff than proper beard stubble. I might be calling it hair because I have a beard currently, so most of my face (apart from the neck which I'm shaving) are actually hairy, rather than just stubble.
 
My D89 is dead :( Dropped and snapped, it has lasted a loooong time though.

Thinking about the Futur. Anything else to consider? The Drake looks pretty nice for £20!
 
Looks like an attempt to upscale prices for safety razors. They are coming back on trend - because with proper technique they give a better and cheaper shave than cartridges - and naturally someone is now trying to cash in on that. Charging at prices like $399 is just appealing to people who like to spend lots of money for the sake of it.
 
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