What do you use to shave?

[Feraud]

I had used a Gillette Slim Adjustable for twenty something years of great shaving.
Since I acquired the Gem razor it is hands down my favorite razor to shave with.

I notice my sixteen year old son always reaches for this one too.

 

[Bourne ID]

I've been shaving with a DE for a few years now. It was my grandfathers, since then I've picked up a few more as rummage sales and flea markets. Nothing fancy I don't think, one GEM and a few Gilletts. Don't know how I got on without them.

 

[Michaelshane]

[/IMG]
Fatboy red dot.

 

[eveready]

The Mach 3 blade and some Edge-Gel.....always in a hot shower.

 

[Adcurium]

I picked up a tube of TOBS 'Mr. Tayloy' on a whim (it was 15% off at my Barber's shop) and I am loving it!

 

[maduro 5]

I sold all my Superspeeds and ended up with 2 DEs a Merkur 38C and a Bullmasiff Deluxe XXL with a Merkur HD head that I canibalized. Plus 10 straight rasors that I shave with several times per month when I am not away on business.

 

[Michaelshane]

Got this today....

[/IMG]

 

[Charlie Huang]

Got sick and tired of the mumbo-jumbo Gillette 5 or 100 blades malarky and have switched to a straight razor last month.

 

[DeaconKC]

Merkur makes great razors, I have had a couple and liked them, but their blades are poor. Also, try the Derby Extra blades, I have had very good results with them. There is a reason Gillette was the dominat power in razors for so long, they made very usable razors, the later "slim" adjustables may be the best ones of the type ever built for comfort and ease of use. I recently picked up some second hand Gillette in a flea market, cleaned them up and they still deliver an outstanding shave. Check out Badger and Blade for more in depth reviews, you will see many familiar faces from here there too. As far as soaps, Crabtree & Evelyn have some hard milled soaps that deliver excellent shaves.

 

[senoreme]

A straight razor is the only razor.

I'm with you buddy. Sick and tired of paying so much for Gillette, etc. Now I am into straight shaving though I started with a Japanese, non-folding, razor. Great shave.

 

[Spw4922]

I was perusing the CVS "Manly Mens" aisle this week to stock up on some clubman items Talc White (never seen the "Flesh" colored one there...and Who's flesh?? ), Bayrum and ASL. It's always stocked in it's own area with a lot of other old school "Vintage" items, so I decided to take the plunge and pick up a few.


I grabbed (and actually paid for) the following:

A tube of Groom & Clean (wanted something that would wash out easily)
An actual barber/hairstylists comb
A VDH Shaving brush
and A box of Williams Mug Shaving soap....I was bored.

Well, Holy Cow!!..I did some research on here and Badger & Blade about how to use all of it and I really like all of them.(I did kind of know how to use the comb beforehand)

My Hair looks great and I love the odor of the Groom & Clean but the most eye opening (pore opening??, I dunno) product(s) was/were the Shaving Brush and Soap!

Following a bastardization of a few posts here & there I was able to come up with a great lather and I've been getting the closest shaves I've ever had.

Now I've been using one of those 75 blade thingies for years and whining about how much the blades cost, so today I took the whole thing a step further and bought a 1940's Gillette Tech Gold (plated) Ball-End DE razor off of a guy on ebay. For a reasonable price (compared to other similar ones listed) I got some questions answered and am anxiously awaiting it's arrival along with some Gillette 7 o'clock Blades (manufactured in Russia...by unemployed cossacks maybe).

After they arrive, If I don't slit my own throat I'll report back on the next step in another magnificent and hopefully not too costly, obsession.

TTFN
Steven

 

[rmrdaddy]

Steven,
Bravo on the plunge! If you have been visiting Badger and Blade you will be ok, but I also HIGHLY recommend the series of shaving videos by Mantic59. You can see them on Youtube, here .
You've probably heard these tips a thousand times, but NO PRESSURE and let the weight of the razor do the work, maintain blade angle, and take your time. The difference will be startling.....

 

[Spw4922]

Steven,
Bravo on the plunge! If you have been visiting Badger and Blade you will be ok, but I also HIGHLY recommend the series of shaving videos by Mantic59. You can see them on Youtube, here .
You've probably heard these tips a thousand times, but NO PRESSURE and let the weight of the razor do the work, maintain blade angle, and take your time. The difference will be startling.....

Now bookmarked. Many thanks!!

 

[DeaconKC]

SPW, welcome to real shaving. Pick up some of the VDH soap at Walmart or the C O Bigelow shaving cream at Bath and Body Works. Both are far superior to William's .

 

[Spw4922]

I doubt this VDH brush will be the last I ever own, but I'm a bit concerned about making sure it dries correctly after usage. I don't have a stand so I have it sitting horizontally on it's handle so air can get to it.....just found a few notes on it.....guess I'm on the right track.

 

[DeaconKC]

SPW, I have never had a stand for my brushes in several years of using them. I make sure the are shaken as dry as possible and then letting them stand upright in the air, not in a cabinet.

 

[fiddletown]

I do use a stand that hangs the brush with the handle up and business end down. I've used it for about 30 years. As I recall, it wasn't expensive and I suspect it has prolonged the life of my brush. It's a very simple plastic deal, but I have no idea now where I got it.

 

[St.Ignatz]

Art of Shaving sells a plastic brush stand for about 6 bucks last time I was in the store. It has some stick-um on the back if you want to hang it. I've seen them a bit cheaper at All-Makes electric in phila. but only by a dallah.
Tom D.

 

[Giftmacher]

Some unidentified old classic metal safety razor (little bit worn, so I'm looking for new), Wilkinson Sword blades, brush with "reine borsten" and Pitralon shaving soap. If I decide to take aftershave, Pitralon is my choice. Alum is important too!

 

[Shangas]

Used these to shave today, with pretty darn good results. Bought them both today at the flea-market.