What do you use to shave?

[Shangas]

I know the menfolk here at the Lounge mostly use either DE safety-razors or old-school straight-razors and I have a question for the DE razor users.

Do any of you own a razor-box? I'm referring to those small boxes that you put your razor into for storage. It usually comes with a small compartment for blades as well. They look like this:

Razor-handle on the top, razor-head on the left...and it's meant to be a blade-box on the right.

Razor in the middle, with blade-boxes on either side.

Any of the DE shavers here own one of these and use it? I'm starting to hunt one down to store my razor and blades in. I have lots of blades but they're all over the bathroom, and so is my razor. I want something neat and compact which I can put it all into. The local flea-market is usually crawling with these things, but I couldn't find any this week. One of the stall-holders said he had more, and invited me to his antiques shop to have a rummage. I'll go there this week and see what I can find!

 

[MikeBravo]

Can I assume this antiuqe store is in Melbourne, Australia?

Tell me more

 

[Shangas]

Uh, yes it is. I've NEVER been there before (the guy only told me about it this morning), but I looked it up online. It took a bit of searching, too!

The address he gave me was 77 Whitehorse Road. But one look at the map will tell you Whitehorse Road is about a billion miles long and has about four (that I counted, anyway) #77s on it.

It's "Woodpack Antiques"; 77 Whitehorse Road, Balwyn. I'm going there next time it's open to see if he can help me find a box for my razor.

 

[davestlouis]

I must be losing my mind...I have no earthly reason to shave today, nowhere to be, nobody's going to see me, but I'm looking forward to the ritual of shaving and I'm doin' it anyway.

 

[John in Covina]

The DE razor box was a common item from what I recall. Most razors usually came new in the box which was meant to keep all of the components together for use at home or for travel. As things go these days it seems like that box is considered an add on item no longer part of the initial purchase.

 

[Shangas]

Yes, unfortunately it does seem that way, John. I'm hoping to buy a nice one which I can store my razor and my blades in and make things a bit more neat and presentable on my bathroom countertop.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

I jsut this past week started using a DE razor that belonged to my grandfather. I found it in the basement of our house. It took a couple of tries to get a close shave, but I think that I've got it now. My only complaint going from a Gillette fusion to a DE is the trim work around my goatee & sideburns.

Any suggestions?

Thanx!!!
Charlie

 

[Feraud]

My only complaint going from a Gillette fusion to a DE is the trim work around my goatee & sideburns.

Any suggestions?

Thanx!!!
Charlie

Practice makes perfect. I've used a DE all my life and trimming around sideburns and goatee is easy enough to do.
With a bit of practice your technique will fall into line.

 

[Michaelshane]

Yes, unfortunately it does seem that way, John. I'm hoping to buy a nice one which I can store my razor and my blades in and make things a bit more neat and presentable on my bathroom countertop.

I have a few extra razor boxes,I wonder how much shipping is to Australia?

 

[Shangas]

Thanks, Mike, but I want to check local sources first. I wouldn't want to have you burn up your money on me.

And Charlie, I hope you gave that razor a damn good CLEAN first!

 

[Bruce Wayne]

And Charlie, I hope you gave that razor a damn good CLEAN first!

I let it sit overnight in a mug of peroxide. It is silver. I thought about polishing it up, but it woudl be tarnished again by the end of the week.

 

[Lokar]

Do any of you own a razor-box? I'm referring to those small boxes that you put your razor into for storage. It usually comes with a small compartment for blades as well. They look like this:

I have two:

This one is the original case for the razor inside, dated to the 30s. As you can see, there's a little case to hold blades inside.





This case is older than the above (the original razor would have been the kind with two perfectly round pins that hold the blade in place). There was no razor with the box, but the two metal boxes were full of NOS Gillette blades - a few were the old kind with round holes, most were the more modern kind, and somebody dated the more modern blades for me using the serial numbers - made during the 29th week of 1926.

 

[Shangas]

Hi Lokar!

Yes, those are the kinds of boxes I'm talking about! I want to get my hands on one (a good quality one!) so that I can finally tidy up all the mess of my razor and blades all over the bathroom.

How many blades can you fit into your little metal blade-case?

 

[Lokar]

The top case can fit about 15 blades at once with both the waxy paper and the outer decorative paper still on, the bottom can't fit modern blades in without removing the decorative paper (which is larger), but the wax paper can stay on - each box can fit about 25, so 50 for the entire case.

 

[Shangas]

Oh wow...I have GOT to get myself a complete one, now! I've been collecting NOS razor-blades from the flea-market over the past few months. Mostly Gilettes of various kinds, but also other blades, and I wanted somewhere to put them. Somewhere neat and safe. I hope I can get a box like that with the blade-containers still with it. And maybe a nice razor as well (although I already have one...)

 

[LordBest]

I want a razor like that.

 

[Shangas]

They're called double-edged safety-razors, m'laud. You should be able to buy them easily at shave-shops, body-care shops, flea-markets, antiques shops and online.

 

[LordBest]

Right! Couldn't for the life of me remember what the bally thing was called. Any decent shave shops in the Melbourne CBD?

They're called double-edged safety-razors, m'laud. You should be able to buy them easily at shave-shops, body-care shops, flea-markets, antiques shops and online.

 

[Shangas]

I bought my razor and blades and brush and shaving-soap at the Shaver Shop, near Little Lonsdale St & Elizabeth Street, if memory serves. On the left side (coming from the river) of Elizabeth, cross Lt. Lonsdale and turn left and it's a few doors down from the corner. There's a big orange sign out the front.

http://www.shavershop.com.au/

 

[LordBest]

Thanks, I'll pay them a visit when I'm next in the City. It is my sincere hope that I will be able to remember what a damned razor is on that occasion.

I bought my razor and blades and brush and shaving-soap at the Shaver Shop, near Little Lonsdale St & Elizabeth Street, if memory serves. On the left side (coming from the river) of Elizabeth, cross Lt. Lonsdale and turn left and it's a few doors down from the corner. There's a big orange sign out the front.

http://www.shavershop.com.au/