A good shave.

[dnjan]

A 4-sided pasted paddle strop from The Well Shaved Gentleman http://shop.thewellshavedgentleman.com/product.sc?categoryId=27&productId=124 is what I use instead of hones/stones. Mine is pasted with 3.0, 1.0 and 0.5 micron diamond Amplex, and 0.5 micron Chromium Oxide.

Thanks for the link for the 4-sided strop. Do you know of an alternate source for the diamond pastes? Those seem a bit pricey. Also, do you have any problem with rounding the edge with the strop (as opposed to using stones)? I will need to have something for sharpening to go with the razor when I send the reapiered one I have to my son.

For myself, I am a sharpening stone fan because I already have those for my woodworking.

 

[dman]

I make 3 passes, with the grain of the beard, against the grain and across the grain.

Not with, across, against?

 

[pgoat]

Tell me about it..... I switched from a Mach 3 to a Fusion, which is certainly a closer shave. But the price of the cartridges..... mamma mia, if I manage to use the DE well enough, I could save the price of the razor in about six months!



Yeah, i first went to a buzz cut about ten years ago. Originally it was a punk thing (after some years of fairly long hair), though by early 04 I was buzzing it back to a 2 all over to hide the bald. I went for the full shave just under two years ago when it finally became obvious that the number-1-twice-weekly I was sporting at the time wasn't hising the thinning any more. I've used both a Mach 3 and the Fusion on my head. Funnily enough, I cut my chin more often than I do my head.... I'm not sure whether that's because I'm going by feel alone round the skull, somehow makes me more aware of pressure? The Fusion, though expensive, does work very well for the head. I shave my head in the morning, every other day normally. First time it took me half an hour, now I can do it in five minutes. Hopefully I'll find that same with the DE, but I think I'll stick with doing just the chin on that til I'm really sure I've managed it and see where I go from there.

One thing I would say with the 'chrome dome' approach.... if you're anything like me, when you finally do do it for the first time, it's a liberating experience. After about four years of worrying about thinning hair, since gonig over to the full shave, I've never thought twice about it. Feels great (and you'd be surprised how much attention it gets from the ladies!). Actually, if I let it grow for three days without a shave now I start to feel a bit 'unclean'.... [huh] My only regret is that I didn't start doing it a few years earlier!



I'm the same. The DE I'm a little afraid of, but I believe it is mangeable.... the straight razor, cool as it would be, scares the hell outta me. Next time I have a big occasion, though, I think I might treat myself to a barber's straight razor shave - 'all off bar the eyebrows!'

I actually feel a little safer about the straight razor than trying the DE again, but I am probably wrong there. Just be careful!

I appreciate the words of encouragement about going all the way & shaving the head. Judging from the response the ladies give you here on the FL you are totally in the right !! I worry that I don't have the Jean Luc Picard/Yul Brynner/Michael Jordan et al suave to pull it off - but then again it's not like my current buzz cut is anything special either so what the heck?

 

[freebird]

Not with, across, against?

No, although I don't suppose what order the last two steps are as long as the first is with.

 

[rikrdo]

Head to toe - WTG
Ear to nose - XTG
Toes to head - XTG

ATG ONLY on "date night"

 

[rtaylor61]

I have a feeling anything from Colleen is gonna be good!

I've been working with Colleen since she joined a "straight razor forum" some time back. While I have never tried her shaving creams, I find her shaving soaps (glycerin based) to be the best. The scents are original, and the quality is top notch. Colleen's soaps are the only non "triple milled" soaps I use. I prefer the Cavendish Black over any others, although they all perform the same.

Randy

 

[Edward]

Well, my Merkur Progress arrived from ShavingShack.co.uk on Saturday morning, so I set to trying it out. Wow that's a closer shave than ever I've had with a cartridge.... Didn't need to shave my chin again until this morning!! Saturday, I gave myself a bit of a nasty cut on the chin (I have a difficult area just on the tip due to a scar sustained from a fall in early childhood), but nothing unmanageable. Actually rather enjoying the 'sting' from the alum block. This morning I did the chin again, and have an excellent shave. a little bitg of razor rash from where I foolishly did a second pass on the underside of my chin without re-appoying soap, but I'll learn. I reckon within a week or two I'll be very adept on the chin, and as so many have said, I doubt I'll go back to a cartridge for that.

Now, on the other hand, my head.... well..... this morning i tried to do the top of it, and I managed to give myself a bit of a gouge, so I retreated back to the cartridge for that. I'm in two minds about whether to stick to the cartridge on the bonce and just use the DE on my chin. I know I'll feel like I chicked out if i do that, but better that than too many scars!! I reckon I'll stick with doing just the chin with a DE for a while yet until I can do it without thinking about it, then I'll maybe look at the head again. It did take me a little while to master the head with a cartridge, so (about four weeks).

 

[pgoat]

i used to look forward to the str8 razor edge trim at the nape of the neck and around the ears at the barbers - until the last two times they used a brand new disposable 'safety razor' in the ersatz straight handle. Kinda disappointing, even if it was more sanitary.

Part of the fun was watching the old timers strop the blade to deadly sharpness...

 

[pgoat]

I am getting the hankering to try a DE shave again (maybe only on the weekends this time - I'll allow an hour or more for each side of my face! ).

Is there a big difference between the Merkur DE razor (adjustable or not?) and the garden variety?

I have three old DEs - an ancient one my dad used till the day he died, my own more recent one, ca. 1970, similar to my dad's (I didn't buy it; not sure where it came from....I think my dad got it somewhere in the 70s but kept using his old one) and my sister had a cutesy one (Lady Schick? Lady Gillette?), with a longer handle (for reaching the legs - tho I can't imagine going near an Achilles' tendon with one of these things!!) in light blue, with little matching light blue stars on the chromed head.

I used my old standby the last time I tried the DE shave. I do not think any of these three are 'adjustable'.

Can anyone explain the difference in adjustable vs. standard, compare the brands and tell me if a good sterilization is advisable after these have been sitting around collecting dust for decades?

Also, any discernible difference in quality between Merkur blades and the standard Wilkinsons on the local drugstore/Walmart?

 

[Edward]

The difference with an adjustable is that it allows you to alter the angle of the blade, to lower it to give a more agressive shave (or raise for the opposite effect). I opted for that to begin with for the flexibility in case I had trouble adapting. When comes the time to buy more razors, I'll be asking the seller how they compare to the angle on my chosen setting on the Merkur.... there's also loads of useful information on this on the Badger & Blade forums.

Blades, I don't know about - so far I've only used the Merkurs that came with my Progress. The received wisdom seems to be not to buy the very cheapest of the cheap, and to try a few here and there as different brands can work better for diferent folks. I strugge to believe it can be that different, myself, but I'm no expert by a long shot.

I definitely would suggest sterlising your old razors before use. Some recommend boiling them in a saucepan for ten minutes, others fear that this might warp parts. A safer way seems to be to drop the razor into boiling water and leave it there to cool - mix in some detergent, fairy liquid or similar.

As to brands.... many people still seem to swear by vintage original Gillettes. You'll pay far more on eBay for a boxed FatBoy than for a new Merkur. The new Parkers also seem to be nice - and have the butterfly opening style of the Gilettes. I'd definitely, as a newbie, recommend the Merkur Progress; the (non-adjustable) Merkur HD Classic also seems to come highly recommended for new (or lapsed) DE shavers.

 

[pgoat]

Thanks so much, Edward! Good food for thought here.

I just got some Badger brushes I ordered and luckily there was a nice new styptic pencil thrown in as a bonus!

 

[Vardeman Sneed]

Thanks for the link for the 4-sided strop. Do you know of an alternate source for the diamond pastes? Those seem a bit pricey. Also, do you have any problem with rounding the edge with the strop (as opposed to using stones)? I will need to have something for sharpening to go with the razor when I send the reapiered one I have to my son.

For myself, I am a sharpening stone fan because I already have those for my woodworking.

Actually, Tony's prices are not too bad, considering he uses real Diamond Amplex ($6.25 for a 2+ application container.). There are cheaper diamond pastes out there, but they are thought to have less diamond in them (or so I have been led to believe from the members of SRP). The pasted strops that I gave the url for are very high quality (as well as anything that Tony sells.):eusa_clap

So far, I have not had a problem with rounding. From what I understand, there is less chance of rounding with a pasted paddle strop then there is with a pasted hanging strop.

Considering that one uses the same stropping motion on the pasted strops as one uses on a hanging strop (lead with the spine), there is less potential for error. Just don't lead your pass with the edge side.:eusa_doh:

If one really wanted to use a stone in addition to the pasted strop, I would suggest a 4k Norton, or equivalent. This would only be needed if the razor shows signs of rounding, which it shouldn't.

I would suggest searching the forums at StraightRazorPlace for more complete (and possible more accurate) information.

 

[pgoat]

I took the plunge this morning....again!

Ok, the FL wins again! I swore never to try the DEs again after my bloody fiasco a few years ago, but there I was last night, searching my neighborhood stores for blades whilst my three ancient safety razors rested in a pot of boiling water with a dash o' Clorox bleach.

I checked these for the first time and they are all of the same type - Gillette (no model name I can see) with butterfly opening, not adjustable and the older one my dad used is heavier - about 65 grams vs. 45 grams for the one of the same size that I used as a teen.

I was only able to find "Personna" brand blades last night - chromed steel (Carbon?) $1.59 for 5. It gave a so-so shave this AM, using a brush and cream plus a pre-shave oil. I am going to try it with out the oil tomorrow. It feels like the blade was getting dull already.

The main issue I have with these razors is the time factor - I need to start shaving at night or else it's cartridges in the AM - I am just in too much of a hurry in the morning and the cartridges are much faster and safer. I also definitely have to get used to the pressure and angle differences with the two types (modern pivoting cartridges and safety), which obviously weigh differently and are used differently as well...

I will say this - I tried to take my time today and was very careful and I only drew a wee bit o' blood in one tiny spot, and that was from an overzealous second and third pass at a difficult spot on my chin.

 

[pgoat]

If you put up the website they will log on....

So I was poking around trying to find some info on my old safety razors.

Turns out there are websites for EVERYthing!

I not only Id'd my razors, I found a date code chart that perfectly matched my guesses as to their ages.

My dad's (the heavier of two identical Gillettes) is a late 1957 Speed Shaver, with the red twister handle (heavier weight, for more aggressive shaves). It makes sense that he bought it then; he had just emigrated from Europe and the few belongings of his I still have and treasure are from then (his Bulova watch is dated 1957 as well; I had a pair of ancient Ray Bans he sported in photos from his earliest days in America, but those sadly fell apart eventually). This is not mine, but it looks like this:

The blue starry ladies model with longer slimmer handle and less massive butterfly head was introduced in 1963, and mine is a late 1973, which makes sense as my sister would have started using one around then; it is the same as the one one numbered 7 in this photo:

Number 4 in that same photo is the black later model Speed Shaver; mine is from late 1975. That is certainly around the time I remember it popping up, but I didn't buy it (I was 10 at the time!) and my dad never used it. When I started shaving a few years later it was my daily user till I got an Atra cartridge sometime in the early 1980s. It is definitely lighter than the old red handle model. You can see the difference in the heads here (The older style Speed Shaver is to the left of the black style, introduced in 1969):