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[Quote]

Yup, pricey but still better than the mainstream blades. I think the whole point is that they're not charging monopoly pricing. So if you're in the market for something like that, it blows away that store bought stuff.

On the study subject, sadly the only studies I can find out are from like the '70s, and they were done by companies like Gillette, so I can't take any of that information at face value.

 

[Taborcarn]

I think part of the reason you can get a better shave with a safety razor is the disposables have extra plastic guards and buffers to protect the user from cutting themselves. This adds to the convenience, but now to shave as close as a DE you need to apply extra pressure with the razor against your face. This pressure is the primary source of irritation. The manufacturers try to compensate for this by adding the extra blades and tilting heads and such, but the need for the pressure against the skin is still there.

 

[clav]

Anyone here use hair conditioner for emergencies when you don't have any shaving cream/gel?

I think it works great.

 

[ramyeon]

Anyone here use hair conditioner for emergencies when you don't have any shaving cream/gel?

I think it works great.

...can't say I do. I use canned shaving cream when I don't have soap or a tub of cream.

Wouldn't be too keen to try putting conditioner on my skin tbh.

 

[systemfehler]

I used to take those face wash gel/soaps sometimes with the cheap plastic razors - never hand any troubles but I can't say the shave was very good either.

Got the probably most expensive shaving ingredient (in my arsenal at least) today - "Alt Innsbruck" 100ml pre/after shave oil for 20€. Hope it is worth the money - I still have some red parts, bumps, ingrown hair sometimes.

 

[Horse Detective]

Has anyone in here used a hot lather dispenser?

Soap and bowl is simple and effective, but nothing beats what they do at a shop.

 

[zbarron]

I finally convinced my wife to make the switch as well.

And a more dramatic shot:

My Parker 91R is on the left and is one of the most aggressive razors I know of. I had that, the brush and the Feather blades before I made this most recent trip to my local shaving store. Everything else is new. She was out of blades one day and really needed to shave before going out so she used mine and didn't cut herself once but got some minor irritation. Her razor is the Edwin Jagger Pearl Effect in Lilac. The color really is gorgeous in person and it's the same head as the De89.

I decided to give the Astra SP a try after all the rave reviews in this thread. After using exclusively feathers for the past year or so I thought I had the best blade there is. I have to agree that this one is much smoother. I'm not sure if I can compare the sharpness but this was a damn nice shave and the Astras are considerably cheaper.

 

[mkenyon]

Has anyone in here used a hot lather dispenser?

Soap and bowl is simple and effective, but nothing beats what they do at a shop.

I actually heat water in a big pot while I take a shower. I then pour that into the sink, and then put both the brush and my soap dish (L'Occitane one), into the sink to heat up for a bit.

When the dish is hot as hell, and my brush is full of super hot water, it makes nice hot lather that feels like the stuff you get at a barber shop.

 

[leakey]

Just ordered the Merkur HD, 30 pk of Astra blades, and a Gentleman Joes alum block off Amazon. Was using a Schick Hydro 5, but still getting some razor burn, so I'm hoping this will help me out Wish me luck GAF!

 

[Grimm Fandango]

Just ordered the Merkur HD, 30 pk of Astra blades, and a Gentleman Joes alum block off Amazon. Was using a Schick Hydro 5, but still getting some razor burn, so I'm hoping this will help me out Wish me luck GAF!

Nice!

What are you using for shaving cream?

 

[leakey]

Everything arrived yesterday. I'd been letting my face go while I waited so that I could give it a good test. Wow. That was the best shave I've had sans the few times I've had a good barber do it. Face felt amazing afterwards.

Nice!

What are you using for shaving cream?

I switched to non-scented hand soap a while back, as anything scented typically causes irritation on my face. It works well, but I'd be happy to hear any suggestions for something more awesome/luxurious.

 

[clav]

Does anyone find BBS overrated? I'm think I want to stop shaving ATG because I feel like the smooth effect wears off after 5-6 hours.

DFS seems good enough (i.e. WTG and XTG).

 

[ramyeon]

Anyone tried Personna blades before? Apparently Mühle are releasing their own line of blades that are manufactured by Personna.

 

[Taborcarn]

Does anyone find BBS overrated? I'm think I want to stop shaving ATG because I feel like the smooth effect wears off after 5-6 hours.

DFS seems good enough (i.e. WTG and XTG).

Gotta do whatever works for you. My stubble actually grows in pretty quick and thick, so personally I'd say 5-6 hours for the smooth feeling is pretty good.

Anyone tried Personna blades before? Apparently Mühle are releasing their own line of blades that are manufactured by Personna.

There's a bunch of different types, but most are generally regarded as pretty good. The Personna Lab Blues are my daily go-to blades. If these are the blades made in Israel they are probably the same as the Personna Reds, which are also good.

 

[Quote]

Funny enough at the Gun Show today there was a shaving booth. I picked up a pack of Lord blades (the dude's recommendation) and a green tub of Proraso, which I've been meaning to get. Immediately when I got home I shaved with the Proraso and an Astra blade I just started using. I love the smell and that cool-methol feel. I was really impressed, I'll probably never use my mug and puck again.

Is there any normal places you can pick up Proraso in NA?

 

[Taborcarn]

For the tub of Proraso soap, not really. There's a few specialty stores that will have it, like Pastuer's Pharmacy in NYC and Merz Apothecary in Chicago, but not really widespread or mass market.

The Proraso cream on the other hand is easier to find. It's re-branded as C.O. Bigelow and sold in Bath and Body Works stores.

 

[Business]

I'm using a vintage Gillette and even if I try to dry it every time after use, it tends to accumulate rust over time.

First, how can I avoid this besides making sure it's totally dry every time, is there a brand of double edge razors that tends to rust more than another?

And second, how do I clean the rust in the safest way possible?

Here's a pic of the thing:

Cheers.

 

[Taborcarn]

Probably the easiest way to avoid that is to just remove the blade after using it. The brand for the DE blade shouldn't matter much though.

To get rid of the surface rust you can use some Scrubbing Bubbles foaming bathroom cleaner. Just spray some on, let it sit for a minute, then scrub it gently with an old toothbrush and rinse.

 

[Business]

Thank you Taborcarn, much appreciated.

 

[stn]

Do any of you not use any aftershave or whatever after shaving? I just shave and rinse my face.

 

[Azulsky]

Do any of you not use any aftershave or whatever after shaving? I just shave and rinse my face.

If single pass I don't need to, which is fine during the work week because I shave daily. Letting it go an additional day I make multiple passes on the chin and cheeks so it helps then.

 

[Calvert]

Do any of you not use any aftershave or whatever after shaving? I just shave and rinse my face.

Im the same way.
Ive never even tried aftershave.

 

[Big Takeover]

Here's a pic of the thing:

Cheers.

I've got a slightly mangy looking Slim Adjustable too that I'll probably just have replated to keep it rust-free. Anyone got a service they can recommend?

 

[clav]

Do any of you not use any aftershave or whatever after shaving? I just shave and rinse my face.

No.

Just rinse.

I went back to ATG again. Really depends on the blade.

 

[Rest]

My straight razor is at the point that it needs to be sharpened, but the only place I know of to have it sharpened has been "closed for remodeling" for about four months now. Anyone know if a regular knife sharpening service is generally up to the task?

 

[ramyeon]

My Muhle R89 Grande took a bad fall today and the screw that keeps the head pieces together fell apart. Decided to take the opportunity to switch things up a bit and ordered a Merkur Futur. I'm not that fond of how it looks, I prefer the more classical stylings of the R89, but I'm keen to try out the manual controls on it. Anyone have any first hand experience with the Futur?

 

[Thomasorus]

My straight razor is at the point that it needs to be sharpened, but the only place I know of to have it sharpened has been "closed for remodeling" for about four months now. Anyone know if a regular knife sharpening service is generally up to the task?

Normally you'll use leather to sharpen it, not a classic grind stone so ask before going.

 

[Taborcarn]

Normally you'll use leather to sharpen it, not a classic grind stone so ask before going.

The leather is for daily maintenance, not actual sharpening. Actual honing does use stones. You should check with the shop first, because if they're used to knives only they may not have the right ones.

Usually a gradual progression of stones is needed, and some knife sharpeners only go up to 400 grit. But razors generally start at 800-1000 for setting the bevel and use up to 12K grit for finishing.

Some alternative for online mail-away sharpening are:
http://www.maggardrazors.com/services/honing-service/
http://www.straightrazordesigns.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=18&products_id=30

 

[Taborcarn]

My Muhle R89 Grande took a bad fall today and the screw that keeps the head pieces together fell apart. Decided to take the opportunity to switch things up a bit and ordered a Merkur Futur. I'm not that fond of how it looks, I prefer the more classical stylings of the R89, but I'm keen to try out the manual controls on it. Anyone have any first hand experience with the Futur?

I haven't used the Futur, but I have used the smaller adjustable from Merkur, the Progress. That said, people do report that the Futur is an aggressive razor, so I would recommend starting with it set to 1 then increase the setting over time as you grow more comfortable with it.

 

[ramyeon]

I haven't used the Futur, but I have used the smaller adjustable from Merkur, the Progress. That said, people do report that the Futur is an aggressive razor, so I would recommend starting with it set to 1 then increase the setting over time as you grow more comfortable with it.

Yeah I've heard it's a pretty aggressive razor, will definitely start off at 1. I'll give it a go for a week or two and if it doesn't work out I can always go back to the R89 since they're going pretty cheap these days.

 

[ramyeon]

Bumping since I just tried out my new Merkur Futur. Really liking it thus far. Started out with it set to 1 on my first pass and it was very conservative. Couldn't feel the blade at all and at the end of the first pass with the grain I hadn't reduced very much of my beard. Decided to put it up to 2 for the second pass across the grain and it was better, much more comparable to what it felt like to shave with my Muhle R89, but it still wasn't as close as I wanted it. On my last pass against the grain I cranked it up to 3 and I could definitely feel the difference, it got a really close shave and even more so when I put it up further to 4 for some stubborn bits underneath my chin - I don't think I've ever had such a close shave in those areas before!

My skin definitely feels a bit more "raw" than after shaving with the R89, but it's never felt smoother either. No nicks either, which is a good sign. Gonna have to spend a bit more time with it but it feels like a nice upgrade thus far.

 

[rugioh]

Do you guys have issues with badger brushes shedding into your shaving soap? I've had a problem with it and my Proraso soap so I switched over to an Omega Boar Brush instead. Maybe I just had a sort of shoddy brush?

 

[Azulsky]

I have never had to go higher than 1 on my futur. I just make 3 passes.

 

[ramyeon]

I have never had to go higher than 1 on my futur. I just make 3 passes.

1 is so conservative though! I took three passes too and I feel like 3 is the sweet spot, 4 is a bit too rough. That said I've been using the R89 for a year before I tried the Futur. It's definitely something that differs between the user.

 

[Gentleman Jack]

Do you guys have issues with badger brushes shedding into your shaving soap? I've had a problem with it and my Proraso soap so I switched over to an Omega Boar Brush instead. Maybe I just had a sort of shoddy brush?

I lose the occasional bristle into the soap from time to time. I just assume that's normal since it's animal hear and will eventually disintegrate. I'm sure I'm being rough on the brush but it's held up like a champ.

I'm due for another 100 order of blades. Been using the gilette 7ams for a year and they haven't really let me down, but I'm tempted to go with a sampler pack to see if my face can handle something finer.

1 is so conservative though! I took three passes too and I feel like 3 is the sweet spot, 4 is a bit too rough. That said I've been using the R89 for a year before I tried the Futur. It's definitely something that differs between the user.

I only go four passes if I haven't shaved in a while. My hair is curly, coarse and literally grows in every direction so I do minimum 3 passes or I end up with a random tuft near my chin that I missed.

 

[Kaladin]

Subbing because I might be willing to give this a try.

 

[wetwired]

Any ideas on where to pick up this stuff in Australia? Specifically Brisbane, I'm over shaving in general but I will never go full beard, my hair is too coarse and irritates me after only a weeks growth to the point of pain and annoyance.

 

[ramyeon]

Any ideas on where to pick up this stuff in Australia? Specifically Brisbane, I'm over shaving in general but I will never go full beard, my hair is too coarse and irritates me after only a weeks growth to the point of pain and annoyance.

I buy stuff online from shaverhut.com.au since they have reasonable prices and great delivery times. Pureman in town do sell shaving stuff too, and there are a couple of shaving stores in the city too, although I can't recall names right now.

 

[thezerofire]

Can anyone recommend a good shaving cream? just ran out and the one I used to get is discontinued

 

[clav]

Can anyone recommend a good shaving cream? just ran out and the one I used to get is discontinued

Gillette foamy for sensitive skin.

 

[threetri333]

I'm interested in buying my first new razor.

Can anyone recommend a good, affordable combination? I've heard of these two so far. Also, if there are good deals going on, I would like to know them please.

Merkur Long Handled Safety Razor: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Personna Double Edge Razor Blades:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[MRSA]

I bought a 12 pack of Arko soap to give out as Christmas presents to only reason I need a new travel brush.

Any recommendations?

 

[MRSA]

Do you guys have issues with badger brushes shedding into your shaving soap? I've had a problem with it and my Proraso soap so I switched over to an Omega Boar Brush instead. Maybe I just had a sort of shoddy brush?

Shampoo the brush and then comb it out.

 

[Knch]

I'm interested in buying my first new razor.

Can anyone recommend a good, affordable combination? I've heard of these two so far. Also, if there are good deals going on, I would like to know them please.

Merkur Long Handled Safety Razor: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Personna Double Edge Razor Blades:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

http://www.italianbarber.com/razorock-classic-long-handle-double-edge-de-safety-razor
Or http://www.italianbarber.com/razorock-mission-3piece-double-edge-de-safety-razor

I have the mission and it's both better and cheaper than the Mühle R89 I started with.

 

[AstroNut325]

So I tried Proraso shaving cream for the first time today. Didn't like it. It would keep getting stuck in the my Feather razor and would clog up the space between the clamps and the blade. I had to keep opening and rinsing the blade every few strokes.

Am I doing it wrong?

Edit:
This is what I got: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00837ZOI0/?tag=neogaf0e-20

 

[Taborcarn]

Are you using it with a brush? Try lathering it with more water next time, adding a little bit at a time as you go.

 

[AstroNut325]

Are you using it with a brush? Try lathering it with more water next time, adding a little bit at a time as you go.

Not using a brush. Perhaps that is required? I will use more water next time.

 

[Taborcarn]

It's not strictly required, but it helps. Proraso is a lathering cream, an almond sized amount should be enough to cover your face 3+ times.

 

[Anjelus_]

Was thrilled to discover today that I'm staying hella close to this place: http://www.oldtownshaving.com

Martin de Candre, here I come.

How's everyone's shaving going? I mixed Trumpers Coconut this morning with Winter Spice from Barrister & Mann. I call it Coconut Spice, and it was damned amazing.

Afterward my girlfriend smelled my face and was all "You smell good, what did you do?! You smell like coconut but it's kinda... Warm???"

And I was like "You mean spicy?"

Feels good man!

 

[Dennis]

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