Wet Shaving
 

Do we have any afficionados of traditional wet shaving here on the planet? I have taken up this art recently.

If you're a n00b, I'm talking about this:

http://toolsandtoys.net/wp-content/u...-shave-kit.jpg

Yeah. I posted a razor thread not long ago that got a lot of traffic for it.

I use the mug and soap, but haven't gone back to a safety razor. Mach 5 and an old patch of denim.

Electricity and water are not a good combination.

I don't shave. Can't remember the last time I did. Has to be at least 5 years ago.

Dollar shave club might be a little more expensive, but a LOT less dangerous.

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/doe...-1334930885394

If you find a safety razor dangerous, you might want to skip the steak knife.

The wife got me a Merkur DE safety razor and all the old school shaving accoutrements for my birthday. Used it for the first time this morning. It's like a hot knife through butter. Love it.

If your hands are so shaky that you can't use a DE without slicing your jugular, you may have Parkinsons.

Oh! Oh! Do "Sharp Dressed Man" as your next song!

Yep , safety razor here. Shaving cream, soap , water are for pussies.

Once I figured out that you don't need any pressure at all to get it to cut closely, like you have to with a cartridge, it is fine. The angle is all you have to be mindful of.

There seems to be a lot of difference in blades. I had some Personna blades that worked fine and were only like 15 cents each (and made in the USA if you want to know). I am pretty settled on Feather blades for now. They are among the most expensive but when the difference is only 10 or 20 cents a week, why not.

I've been doing for about a year now. I am currently taking it a step further and trying to learn to shave with a straight razor.

For the first time since it was a big deal to reach the age of shaving, I am enjoying the act.

I like the Shark Super Chrome blades. They are samurai sharp.

Oh, cool. I bought this sampler from Amazon that has 5 Shark blades, but I haven't used them yet.

whats the denim for ? to sharpen it or some shit? longer life?

teach me

god damn blades are expensive

I'm definitely an enthusiast! I've been wet shaving since the early 1990's. I started using a DE eight years ago, and a straight razor about 4 years ago. I've got a nice little collections of DE and straight razors (new and vintage), a few brushes, a bunch of soaps and creams,and a bunch of aftershaves. I also have about 100 blades left...I bought about 300 blades once I decided I liked Derby's, Sharks, Astra SPs (the Astra and Shark blades are my favorite).

Nope, tried it when I was a young pup at the advice of my dad and grandpa. Made my face look like a sloppy joe

www.westcoastshaving.com

www.maggardrazors.com

www.shavenation.com


There are several others out there as well. And a bunch of artisan soap and after shave makers if you really catch the "disease".

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Jeez. 21 posts into a thread titled "wet shaving" and no one has mentioned beaver once? This place is slipping.

Bro, that's why you gotta get a double-edged safety razor. It is an expensive initial outlay ($50 for a chrome Merkur, $15 for a badger hair brush), but the razor blades can be bought in a pack of 100 for like $10, and each blade lasts 3-4 shaves. So in my case (shaving three times per week), that $10 pack of blades will last me about two years.

And DEs don't give you razor burn like a Mach 3 hack job.

Yep. I am doing it and don't mind a bit. Yes, the single blade doesn't quite get as close as the multimillion dollar 5 blades but the single blade stays sharper for a longer time IF you dry your blade and razor after every use. Now of course there are variables like the density of whiskers a man has I get that but I refuse to buy the 5 blades that last only about a week for medium whiskers.

No need, I look good with a constant light beard/5 o'clock shadow. I only shave my neck and use an electric Braun for that.

I've been using the Merkur 39C for a while. The slant bar is where it's at if you have thick/coarse hair. I started with West Coast's choice sampler. Feathers have to be the sharpest blade made by man, but I like them. My go to blade is the Derby Extra. It's a durable edge and a little forgiving in case you get a little hurried. I use them three times on face and head.

No love for Harry's I know guys who switched from Dollar shave to Harry's and like the quality better. Also got a tip that works great from them. Cheap hair conditioner as a shaving gel. Any will do the cheaper the better I go with suave coconut as it doesn't smell to girly. Smooth shave work great and worth a try although all whiskers are different.

As for safety razors there is a reason men started bolting from in the 60's when Gillette introduced SS blade and Bic released the first true disposable. Then the 70,s and Gillette released the the twin blades and safety razor all but dissipated from mens shave kits. My dad packed his away but luckly went up in attic where me and my brother picked through after he died. Keep as keepsake rarely use for good reason IMO.

I have a weird, hybrid system. I use an electric razor Tue-Friday mornings. Basically lay in bed and shave. It does a perfectly reasonable job. I typically skip shaving on Sat/Sun, and then on Monday I shave with a Sensor (the 2 blade one). None of that ridiculous five razor crap for me -- seriously why does anyone spend the money on that?? The 2 blades do a good job, and I've learned that using a blade at least once a week reduces ingrowns.

Works very well, and costs very little since I use a disposable blade once a week.

Blade reviews are worthless. What works for one person or razor sucks for another. Try as many blades as you can. Try to limit other variables so they get a fair test. There are some good sampler packs available.

I use a 39c for my first pass and follow up with an HD and then a 1940's super speed for the second and third passes. I used to use Feathers but have switched to Voskhod in the slant and Astras in the HD and Superspeed. Shaving soap has always been Mitchell's Wool Fat.

If you're insinuating that DEs fell out of vogue because they're dangerous, you can't be serious. The reason DEs fell out in the 70s is because companies like Gillette poured tons of money into ad campaigns about how much faster and safer multi-blade cartridges are, but it's a load of horse shit. The real reason is because they can jack up the prices on cartridges and butt rape customers while reaping massive profits. Which they've done for the past forty plus years.

Exactly! By constantly changing the handle/cartridge combinations they can "force" men to constantly buy new handles and blades. DE razors will last for a LONG time if properly cared for (I own a 1954 Superspeed that is still in very good condition). Gillette and other companies can't make mega-profits on DE blades, so they had to come up with a new system so they could make more money.

DEs don't compare at all to straight razors in terms of cost per use. The initial setup for straight razor shaving is much higher: about $120 for a brand-new, professionally honed blade; $40 for a strop; $40 for a hone to maintain the edge yourself (or send it out every year or so); plus mug, brush, soap/cream. The savings come over the very long haul though because a properly maintained straight razor will outlive you. Case in point: I have a straight razor that belonged to my grandfather (who died in 1972) and he got the razor in the 1940's. When I got it, it took 10 passes on my barber's hone to get it back into shaving shape. I also got a straight razor that was just about as old that belonged to one of my great-uncles and with it took just a little more effort to put an edge back on the blade, and now it's as good a shaver as the two Dovo straights I bought new.

Just got into this about 2 - 3 months ago. im loving it. my beard grows mad fast and my skin is crazy sensitive. As long as i keep shaving each day (or two max) i get no skin issues at all. I actually look forward to a shave now. Its relaxing and I have found a new appreciation for good aftershave. one of these days i might try a straight razor, but for now the safety razor (and the COST SAVINGS) is awesome!

If you want evidence that Gillette has been making money hand over fist based on its exorbitant cartridge business model, look no further than the Pats' stadium.

A ****ing shaving company has enough money to name-sponsor an NFL stadium.

Those fusion cartridges are $3-4 each or more at retail. I laid out $40 for a top of the line Merkur that is stainless and should last a lifetime.

There are other initial costs, but it would all pay for itself in about a year and you'd be getting a higher quality shave than with the plastic gillette stuff.

That's really awesome. How hard was it to learn?

I've been using a EJ DE89 with feather blades for a while now. (Since the last thread about this got me to purchase one.) Couldn't be happier.

Never said anything about danger. My dad hardly watched TV, read the newspaper and Popular Mechanics. He most likely tried like most men out of curiosity and decided this is convenient easy gives a quality shave. The styptic pen also disappeared from the med cabinet. Men of that generation were not easily swayed by advertizing you had to prove you had a product that worked and was cost effective.

Merkur #34C
Vulfix 600 brush ("super badger")
Feather "New High Stainless"
Soap, etc. - Taylor of Old Bond Street.

Yeah an so? Men shave put out a good product its going to sell and Gillette is going to make money. Its private enterprise and you choose to go a different direction the majority goes the other direction. I was only stating my opinion your pretty defensive about it.

This...

On a side note, my kids love to shave after me. I just take out the blade and hand them the brush and they have a blast. I could not do that with a Mach 4 or 5. Also, given that those disposable heads are so damn costly...I was more inclined to use them longer then necessary and thus end up with more razor burn and cuts.

I'm not defensive, I just seize any opportunity to inform people that cartridge razors suck and are a waste of money after years of wasting money on them myself.

I rarely use Gillette but I favor the sensor that I got in the mail long ago when a man never had to buy a razor handle. I get double blades from Dollar Store or Dollar tree and good to go. But I am only clean shaven in the summer so its pretty cheap when its just for cleanup.

Cartridge razors are a lot more affordable if you buy the right ones and sharpen them with a piece of denim.

Before I switched to my electric Braun I was using the Dorco Pace 6 plus. MUCH cheaper than Gillette, just as good, and one cartridge would last me a month shaving every other day and sharpening once a week.

Exactly! I haven't spent money on DE blades in about 4 years (I got 300 blades...and a blade lasts me about a week).

Straight razor shaving wasn't too hard to learn, after using a DE for a long time. You have to be really careful with blade angle and pressure (you want no pressure, or you will cut yourself, and I mean cut, not nick), but once you get the hang of it, it's pretty easy. I recommend starting slow and only shaving part of your face, and slowly expanding how much you shave. The guys at the The Straight Razor Place forum were extremely helpful.

You don't mean that literally do you? It makes me want to go change my sheets just thinking about it.....

I use a DE razor on both my neck and my head, and I don't see how I could do both with a straight razor, so I'll probably stick with the DE. I think it's cool that those things last a lifetime and can be handed down, that's awesome.

I shave my head and beard in the bathtub.

I shave a part of my head (the front, there are just a few hairs left) with a DE, but I do my face and neck with a straight. DEs can be handed on as well. The first DE I got was a 1954 Gilette Superspeed that belonged to my grandfather...who got it new in 1954!

I've been shaving in the shower for more than a decade - no mirror necessary here - and use the Mach 3 disposable blades. I had used the Mach 3 or whatever "system", where I replaced the blade every week or so but the handle would get to damaged by the hard water after a few months, it became more cost effective to use disposables.

I've never had an ingrown hair, thankfully. That must be painful.

Love the Feather blades. Reviews will scare you off with tales of how sharp they are but pay them no mind. They are sharp but I've rarely cut myself. If you haven't shaved with Feather blades, give them a try ASAP.

You guys Neckbeards that are straight razoring?

I was using disposable blades until I got a Schick Hydro in one of those men's smell good gift boxes with the deodorant etc for Christmas. I loved the shave after using it and when I ran out of blades I found them on ebay and bought 8 blades for $13.00. One blade is lasting about 2 months, I was spending more than that on disposable. I'm going to try that sharpening on denim trick and see what happens.

I have to use an electric. I recently got a Philips Norelco razor that I could use in the shower with shaving gel. That makes all the difference in the world. A nice close shave with no razor burn.My old razor would make my face itch like mad after a shave, especially if it had been a day or two since the last shave.

Right? I shave in the shower takes 2 minutes. Been using the Shave Club blades for a year or so and they work great.

Vailpass had puberty, but it cleared right up.

:D

Nah, I just live in 2016. If others want to shave like my grandfather did that's totally cool with me.

Maybe you can pull the ring top off a nice cold beer when you're finished. (that sounds kinda good now that I type it.)

I shave wet every day. In the shower or tub.

Hmmm, never thought of shaving as an art. More of an occasional necessity, like taking a dump. But then, I don't have a lot of facial hair either.

I shave in the shower. It's the only way to go IMO. Gillette Sensor Excel, or Schick Hydro 5..

Barbasol and a cheap disposable multi-blade works just fine for me

I still don't do it. My barber trims the crazy out of it every once in.a while

I wet shave my sack as needed

We all do.

I hear NAIR works great for that, give it a try and let us know how that works out for you.