[Closed] few questions about DE razor shaving......

well, another shave gone, experimented with the cut-throat this time 😀

bluebeards revenge shavette. bought a little bowl too for whipping up the lather, looked to have it about right, so gave it a go. interesting. yes i cut myself a few times but in the main it wasnt as bad as i expected. started well, the strokes down from sideburns were easy, its just all those contours! i even cut my cheek above the moustache line just trying to get it into 'start position'.
that was the hardest bit i found, getting your arm/hand in the right position for the stroke. left hand or right hand? and in a lot of places my arm was blocking the view in the mirror so i couldnt actually see what i was about to cut, so change hands and that made me a bit cack handed and i wasnt happy with how i was positioned. i think id be better shaving someone else than myself because of this. looks easy enough on youtube, but it really does take all your concentration.
in the end it was taking so long the lather was starting to dry on my face.

after the first pass i thought thatd do for my first go, so i did last passes with DE razor. swapped my feather for an israeli blade and this seemed to glide lovely on my face. could be cos id done most of the work with the shavette, but im gonna try a shave from scratch with israeli next time. cut-throat can be every now and then when ive got loads of time.

in the meantime, if anyones got any advice on the arm position/mirror thing please fire away. ive seen all the vids, got a pretty good idea of how to do the shave, but i just couldnt position my arm/face/hand to effectively see in the mirror all of the time. anyone else have that problem?

thanks for sticking with me, its a work in progress 🙂

[too late for edit]

also. how do you clean a shavette during shave? the vids show them being wiped after each cut on a towel beneath the neck. i was just swishing it around in the sink with a little finger wipe.

[/too late for edit]

sadex, are you making sure that the safety blade razor is at the correct angle against your face? Ideally, it should be at about 30dg, shallower than you might think.

My best lathering results are with a dollop of Proraso tubed cream in a bowl, give the brush a couple of shakes out of the water soak so that it's just wet but not waterlogged and mix it into the cream thoroughly - should take about ten seconds of strong mixing/pumping (don't forget, you're in a hard water area). "Paint" the face after lathering to even out the layer of foam.

I changed from Derby blades to Feathers myself. The feathers give a much better shave and I find I can make one blade last for six shaves although the sharpness does fall off a bit. I leave the face to rest on Saturday (before my Sunday morning ritual comedy 😀 ). I use some pre-shave oil for the longer growth.

I make two of my 3 passes against the grain, using short repetitive strokes. Any rawness is calmed by the post-shave balm.

Make sure you use just the head weight of your Merkur, don't press.

EDIT: Plus, the skin-stretch gurning is always good for a laugh...

Second DE shave for me last night.

Went much better that the first one in terms of less burn from the Alum block.

My Proraso [url= http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0082BYLS6?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00 ]Pre and Post Shave Cream[/url] and [url= http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B009VZNV3I?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00 ]Aftershave Balm[/url] arrived yesterday morning so I slapped both on after the shave and felt great.

Next shave will be tomorrow night which will fit my real world / working week routine of shaving every other day.

sadex, are you making sure that the safety blade razor is at the correct angle against your face? Ideally, it should be at about 30dg, shallower than you might think.

My best lathering results are with a dollop of Proraso tubed cream in a bowl, give the brush a couple of shakes out of the water soak so that it's just wet but not waterlogged and mix it into the cream thoroughly - should take about ten seconds of strong mixing/pumping (don't forget, you're in a hard water area). "Paint" the face after lathering to even out the layer of foam.

I changed from Derby blades to Feathers myself. The feathers give a much better shave and I find I can make one blade last for six shaves although the sharpness does fall off a bit. I leave the face to rest on Saturday (before my Sunday morning ritual comedy ). I use some pre-shave oil for the longer growth.

Make sure you use just the head weight of your Merkur, don't press.

thanks

New DE'er here thanks to santa bringing me a nice Edwin Jagger for cribo.

The instructions say to dry disassembled which makes sense.

How do you all clean/dry/store your razors?

Er, disassemble and use a tea-towel... "Store" on a Bluebeards Revenge razor-and-brush stand.

i just swill the razor in hot clean water after the shave, and ill use a toothbrush and toothpaste i think to clean it properly when i disassemble to change blades.

btw, whats the best thing for healing cuts fast? 😀 ive got a few nicks on my face, (a couple that i made worse by going over them with my second shave), so i want to make sure theyre healed this time before i wet shave again. witch hazel? anything else? ill be using a leccy razor for the next few days til theyre healed 🙁

Alum Stick for nicks then witch hazel.

djambo - Member

How do you all clean/dry/store your razors?

I've got one of these and I just give the razor a wipe over whenever I put a new blade in.

[img] [/img]

Alum Stick for nicks then witch hazel.

then balm, then aftershave lotion? and then witch hazel cream each day til cuts healed?

Isn't the last post enough proof to move on to modern shaving equipment? I can't remember having a nick in ages - if you need that much contingency planning/equipment, why bother?

Now a nice shaving brush and soap is a different matter!

Rinse with cold water once you've done your last pass then run the block under the cold tap and rub it all over, you'll feel it tingle where you've used too much pressure or too many strokes without lather and it'll sting like a bugger on the cuts. Leave on for about 30 seconds then rinse with cold water again.
After the balm you might notice cuts starting to bleed again, I just wet the corner of the block again and apply to the cut and leave it like that.

w, whats the best thing for healing cuts fast?

[url= http://www.shaving-shack.com/proraso-shave-cut-healing-gel-10ml.html ]Healing gel.[/url]

sadexpunk - Member
ive got a styptic pencil, or do you mean an alum block? and how do you do it so the block isnt covered in blood? wet the block, quick wipe of face with a cloth then wipe the block over the whole shaving area quickly?
and then when the bloods stopped smear witch hazel cream over the whole shave area too? or just the cuts?

then balm, then aftershave lotion? and then witch hazel cream each day til cuts healed?

Mine is alum block so easily washable. I just wet the alum block a bit then apply to cuts. Press it to the cut for a while until blood stop. Wash alum block then apply to other area quickly (optional but just a habit of mine) then apply witch hazel (the one from Boots as I don't have the cream type). Leave it for a minute or two then apply aftershave lotion. Yes, apply witch hazel everyday or as require until healed.

Styptic pencil will do too but it tends to suck up blood so you may need to wash away the blood after use. If you apply styptic pencil you only apply to the cut area. Press it for a while until blood stop. I don't apply to other area like alum block as styptic pencil is a bit rough. Then witch hazel as above.

😀

PSA - 20% off sale at [url= http://www.lookfantastic.com/home.dept ]lookfantastic[/url] for2 days only.

ive just bought an alum block and a tub of proraso pre/post shave.

thanks for the advice gents, much appreciated.

another PSA - i cant quite work out whether its a mistake or not, but....

[url= http://www.tesco.com/direct/search-results/results.page?catId=4294967294&searchquery=bluebeard&SrchId=4294967294&_requestid=6829008 ]bluebeards revenge eau de toilette half price gift set offer from tesco[/url]

didnt even know they sold BR stuff, my daughter told me. im confused tho that the EDT/ shower gel gift set includes 100ml EDT. if you look at their other products, the same 100ml EDT is for sale on its own at £14.99. if you look further along, the same 100ml EDT is for sale at £19.99.
ive looked at all the info on them and they seem to have different dimensions/weights/product codes, yet a quick look on the bluebeard site shows they only make one EDT anyway, so its got to be the same one?
bonus points if anyone can make sense of it, but anyways, ive ordered 2 gift sets just for the EDT's 🙂

if you look further along, the same 100ml EDT is for sale at £19.99.

One's a bottle, the other's a spray?

you say that, but they both say

Presented in an atomiser spray for easy and efficient use,

well, 2 more shaves down, and im slowly getting there 🙂

israeli blade a couple of days ago passed without incident, tonight i upped the ante to a feather again. not one drop of blood 🙂

my proraso pre/post stuff came, so did the alum block. that proraso stuff is ace! feels so tingly. forgot the alum block at first so wiped it around my face on top of the proraso which is wrong way round i think, but no harm done. just need to get the routine dialled now, i can see me totally ignoring all the other balms and creams ive got and just using proraso, really impressed with it all.

my other PSA, bluebeard EDT, came as well, cant believe its a big bottle of decent aftershave for £7.50!! ive ordered myself another two sets, plus 2 for my lads christmas pressies next year.

ill have another couple of shaves, see if i can get my lather perfect, then ill try the cut-throat again 😀

well i think im gonna ditch the cut-throat. had another one tonight, only 1 small nick, but its just too time consuming. so tough keeping your concentration all that time, the lather starts to dry out, its awkward getting your hand in the right position and still be able to see where you want to shave.....do i use left hand or right hand for this bit etc etc.....
the 'cross cut' is even more awkward, and to be honest, it doesnt seem to be any closer than the merkur DE.

so, its decided. been there, done it, but its DE all the way from now. just need to fine tune my lather, settle on a blade (pretty sure ill stick with feathers) and im gonna be a happy bunny 🙂

It's all about practice so in few months time you shave within half the time. 😀

Might be worth trying some 7 O'Clocks at some point. I default to feathers but the 7s are good for a daily shave. I have some very old blued, high carbon steel blades which are terrifyingly sharp but I cant find any more for sale.

Anybody using vintage DE razors? Waiting for a super speed to arrive and contemplating getting a slim adjustable too ... just wondering if anybody here had experience of using them, and how they compare against a modern razor??

It's all about practice so in few months time you shave within half the time.

Might be worth trying some 7 O'Clocks at some point. I default to feathers but the 7s are good for a daily shave. I have some very old blued, high carbon steel blades which are terrifyingly sharp but I cant find any more for sale.

thanks for all the input gents.

Can’t quite believe I'm showing this - but here is my set up thanks to you guys and a good local knife shop:
[img] [/img]

Merkur razor is wonderful, Merkur blades are rubbish! 2nd set are wilkinson sword ones which I find amazingly good, and quiet. The merkur blades were noisy, scraping, and just not very good. Will try something else no doubt. But the swords seem very good.

Re lather - the proraso stuff with aloe Vera is bloody fabulous. I wet my face with hot water, take the lid off soap, use the brush that has been soaked in hot water directly in the tub to get a good foam, then apply luxuriously to my stubble. If brush too dry, then lather is too thick and dries out too fast as well as clogging up razor.

Other tip I have not seen on the thread (afaik), is to rinse the blade in cold running water between each stroke/scrape. That was advice from my dad, Jamie Oliver and 'Good Morning Vietnam' - seriously! It's a lovely feeling.

I agree with previous comments that no face pressure should be applied with razor, and that alum block is a great part of post shave routine - just seems to 'ready' my face (as well as being dramatically good for the odd nick).

Basically, this set up seems bloody lovely and gives me a fab shave, and has remarkably easy to change to.

Thanks all!

which proraso soap is that then mate, this is my stuff in a green pot....
[img] [/img]

really impressed with proraso tho, ive got loads of other decent luxury creams and balms that are just at the back of the cupboard now, proraso's my goto stuff.
just another point while i remember, that proraso pre/post cream...... feels ace pre-shave, really tingly, but does anyone find it doesnt quite work as well post-shave? doesnt seem to absorb into the skin as well and leaves white streaks and blobs on mine. this is after alum block, then a rinse. interested in opinions on that.

PSA. i know a few of you use lookfantastic for your grooming needs. ive been sent a code for an extra 20% off if youre thinking of ordering anything? use VIP2015.

cheers

I couldn't get a decent lather up with the "potted" Proraso cream. I find a small amount of the tubed stuff into a bowl and a good whipping (ooh matron!) with the brush, does it.

do proraso do a potted shave cream? thought they only did the soap in a pot, or cream in the tube. or pre/post shave in a pot. you havent been lathering up in pre-shave cream have you? 🙂

think my next purchase will be some of that tubed stuff, along with a sample pack of blades. ill need a bigger cupboard soon 😀

I'm a big fan of the GF Trumper shave cream (Lime flavour FWIW but will be getting coconut next time, for that tropical paradise feeling)

A small hazelnut sized blob in the palm of my hand, brushed to a lather with a distinctly average brush and applied to the face. Merkur razor and Astra platinum blades.

My thoughts after about 6mo of this malarkey is that it easily gives as good a shave as fancy KoS or Gillette razors at a fraction of the cost. I rarely nick myself despite not being particularly careful and have a Boots styptic pencil for when i do.

Standard routine is to shave every other day - i do grow beard but where I'm quite fair it's not so visible. And then most days i only do one pass, which reduces any growth to well below the visible level - in fact sitting here i can't feel stubble when rubbing cheeks or neck with the grain, only against. For special occasions, and once a week on Sunday evening i change the blade and do a full 3 pass luxury shave.

My only slight grumble is that the Astras do seem to dull quite quickly, so by the end of the week i can feel a bit of drag. I'm going to get me some of those Feathers and see if they make a difference, but any other suggestions from the genuine experts - it's not so much sharpness of the Astra's that's an issue as opposed to how quickly they dull, would i be better with something equally as sharp but with a bit better lifespan (as if 7p a week is costly anyway - maybe I'll change twice a week and spend 14p!!)

at a fraction of the cost

(as if 7p a week is costly anyway - maybe I'll change twice a week and spend 14p!!)

cant help on the blade info, but interested in that myself too. only tried 3 so far, and feathers win at the moment, but will try a few more varieties before settling on one. more expense eh? 😀

I guess it suits some people and not others. I've tried several types of razor and many types of blade, soap etc and can't get results even close to what I get with my Mach 3. Plus each Mach 3 lasts me at least three weeks (used every day).
The DE razors look nice on the bathroom shelf though 🙂

Since I was suffering from a rash from the multi blade razors so I thought I'd give this ago. Merkur, 7 o'clock, Arlo soap and badger brush. It's been nice. Much better shave, a whole lot less irritation and so far no ingrown hairs. Mrs 10 thinks I look better too.
I've been 3ping with the 7 o'clock and only had a couple of minor nicks. I have other blades to try from the sampler, but I'm not sure right now how much improvement they could get. Thanks for all the good info here gents.

10 - Member

Since I was suffering from a rash from the multi blade razors so I thought I'd give this ago.

If you suffer from rash then you do the following.

Pre-shave.

1. Apply some Jojoba Oil or any oil to protect the skin.
2. Leave it for few minutes.

Then shave as normal.

Post-shave.

1. Use styptic pencil or alum block for nicks.

2. Apply (wipe your face) Witch Hazel with 2 to 3 drops of Tea Tree oil after you have shaved.

3. Apply aftershave (alcohol or not) or shaving balm (Nivea sensitive non-alcohol) and a bit of Jojoba oil.

There done. All the rash will calm down or gone.

😀

edit: same can be applicable to shaving the beaver ... 😆 (I have not tried this so don't blame me ... )

Feathers here, they're sharp but that's a good thing providing it's not your first effort. Shave every 2-3 days and get about 4-5 shaves per blade so cheap enough!

i prefer feathers so far, but just ordered a sampler pack including 2 different types of 7 o'clocks, astra and some red personnas, so ill be trying all those over the next few weeks.
also bought a proraso shaving cream in a tube to try.

another PSA. [url= http://www.edwinjagger.co.uk/ ]edwin jagger[/url] got a 20% sale on now, just spunked another £20 on a DE89L razor. grrrrr must stop doing this >-(

do proraso do a potted shave cream?

Well, the one I bought - red pot - was advertised at the Shaving Shack as:

Proraso Sandalwood Oil and Shea Butter Shaving Cream Jar

When I raised the issue of lack of not getting a good lather, they gave me a few tips to cope with living in a hard water area. I went the route of the tubed cream, which seems to work for me!

That BR Tesco offer ^^^ (100ml EDT/150ml shower gel) is £3.74 with free click & collect!

BOOM! thanks for top trumping my PSA 😀

another 4 sets ordered for family next christmas. cant go wrong at that, its a crazy price!

My only slight grumble is that the Astras do seem to dull quite quickly, so by the end of the week i can feel a bit of drag. I'm going to get me some of those Feathers and see if they make a difference,

Feathers are slightly sharper than Astras but dull quicker than Astras so I don't think Feathers are your solution. I love feathers but save them for when I want a really really close shave and only use them for 2 or 3 shaves.

After trying quite a few blades, I think that the Astras are the best compromise between sharpness/smoothness/longevity, in a merkur 38c anyway. They are also currently one of the cheapest if you get from the guy on Ebay which is nice...

7o'clocks would be next on my list for you to try for longevity but only the black packet ones, not the green or yellows.

sadexpunk - Member
BOOM! thanks for top trumping my PSA
another 4 sets ordered for family next christmas. cant go wrong at that, its a crazy price!
POSTED 43 MINUTES AGO #

🙂

well, im getting on great with this shaving lark now, hardly ever cut myself, and just keep flitting between blades, see which i prefer.

i bought myself an edwin jagger de89l as they seem quite popular, and i wanted to compare it to the merkur im using. side by side i can see the heads are identical, so theyll give exactly the same shave, the EJ is a bit lighter tho, and after a few shaves with each, i think i prefer the weight and looks of the merkur. ill probably sell the EJ on with a few other bits and bobs ive tried.

the lack of blood now has got me wondering whether id like to try an aggressive razor, maybe a slant or something, just to see what difference that makes. my searching took me to this video, so ive done the same, cut up an old blade and used it as packing to give a greater gap. ill report back when ive tried it out.

You could just adjust your razor to a closer setting. That's what I did after awhile but then I got too brave adjusted it some more. It then got messy a couple of times so took it back down.

i dont have an adjustable razor tho mate, theres only a couple that i know of that can adjust, both of them are merkurs i reckon.

mines just like most of em, take it aprt, new blade, screw back together, thats it.

thanks

I've also switched to a de for the past 3 months on the advice of this thread. Definite improvement. One thing though, and I'm not sure it's been mentioned...I absolutely can't shave with any type of razor unless it's in the shower. Have tried all the techniques but the stubble just seems to tear at my skin if it's in a traditional way in front of the mirror. The heat in the shower just seems to soften the stubble and make it comfortable, also easier to get through the stubble. Anybody else in the same boat?

i dont have an adjustable razor tho mate, theres only a couple that i know of that can adjust, both of them are merkurs i reckon.

Ah! In that case get one one of those. 😀

I've also switched to a de for the past 3 months on the advice of this thread. Definite improvement. One thing though, and I'm not sure it's been mentioned...I absolutely can't shave with any type of razor unless it's in the shower. Have tried all the techniques but the stubble just seems to tear at my skin if it's in a traditional way in front of the mirror. The heat in the shower just seems to soften the stubble and make it comfortable, also easier to get through the stubble. Anybody else in the same boat?

Ah! In that case get one one of those.

Gillette slim or Fatboy adjustables ... retro too!

ooh i do like those mooman, just had a google, very nice.

too rich for me tho unfortunately :-/

You prob looking in wrong place. I got a Fatboy for £40 delivered.
And 2 SlIm's and a Black Beauty for less than £30 each delivered.

UK prices are silly.

mooman - Member

You prob looking in wrong place. I got a Fatboy for £40 delivered.
And 2 SlIm's and a Black Beauty for less than £30 each delivered.

UK prices are silly.

Did you order from the State?

I want to get one of this as the one my father gave me is very worn.

[img] http://wiki.badgerandblade.com/wiki_asset.php?pid=1416&x=180 [/img]

I got one of those black handled super speeds in a R1 (my birth year).
Lovely shave. They easy to take apart to get replated if yours is a bit rough.
I found a local replater. Dirt cheap too.

too expensive (he says, looking at how much hes spent so far...) and i dont think they look as nice. one of thems got a plastic end too. yuk!

Usually deals available. When did they switch to plastic? 😕

You prob looking in wrong place. I got a Fatboy for £40 delivered.
And 2 SlIm's and a Black Beauty for less than £30 each delivered.

UK prices are silly.

Usually deals available. When did they switch to plastic?

mooman - Member
I found a local replater. Dirt cheap too.

Yes, very nice razor.

What's the cost of replating the black handle super speed above? Do you have the contact details like website link etc?

I think my black handle super speed might be late 70s.

😀

sadexpunk

That Merkur is nice.

Been trying these feathers for a few shaves now and while they are sharper, I've found that leads to a bit more razor burn than my Astra plastinums. Probably technique, maybe they need even less pressure, but I'm back to my astras again now. For a daily (actually every other, I'm not that beardy) shave they're just perfect, most days I single pass and OK, it isn't baby bum smooth, it's pretty damn good, easy, comfortable, and cheap. I save the double and triple pass for special occasions!

The Black handle superspeed were the last of the superspeeds. 1968 - 198?.
Google how to date a Gillette razor. They all have a letter and number (except late 1940's). The letter is year and number is the quarter it was made ... mine is R1 ... 1971 between Jan - March .... = birth razor!
The handle is anodised so needs to be taken off before replating obviously, which is easy on a superspeed.
I shall be replating the adjustables and a red tip. A local metal finisher quoted me £10-15 to do the lot.
They were originally plated fully assembled - so no need to disassemble for them to replate.

There are silly prices in UK for them. I see them go on USA EBay for less than £30 delivered atleast a few times a week. Just keep a look out.
Worth adding that the Black beauties/black handled adjustables are a pain to disassemble, so don't buy one if it needs replate.
From the little I know of the vintage razors. The gillettes super speeds peaked at around 1955. Ones made around this time are said to give the perfect shave ... before they went all 'technical' with the adjustables.
I read for this reason, the 40's style superspeed and red tip of this era are a must ...
Red tips go for similar prices as adjustables and 40's style a lot less.
If you struggle for a local firm to replate yours let me know. I shall be taking mine to be done hopefully next week or the other.

You really need a Slim. It's what James Bond uses

[url= http://wiki.badgerandblade.com/US_Gillette_Dating_Information ]gillette dating codes[/url]

been looking at US ebay. some say will not ship to UK, but i got a mate over there who could bid and send one over if it was the right one.

so......all a bit confusing. which are the best ones to look out for then? fatboys, slims, adjustables, superspeeds, 40s, 50s, 70s,its all a blur now! 😀

The Fatboys are the most wanted. Simply because they had a run of only 4yrs.
The Slim's were made for 8yrs I think, so there is more about.
It's own preference between these two for shave quality.
The Black beauty or Super adjustable is said to give the superior shave ... but they not as lusted after as the Fatboy or Slim. Plus they need stripping to replate and are a swine to reassemble.
The superspeeds are not adjustables. the red tips are most desirable. The best shave is said to be the 40's style superspeed or any made around the mid 1950's.

Moonman,

I think I may have collected several Gillette safety razors over the years.

They are mainly Gillettte like red tip, TV superspeed, fat boy & slim adjustable, fat handled Tech, travel razor (unknown brand), tech/superspeed type aluminum, aristocrat, black handled like the above ... I like them all but the 3 piece fat handle tech is the one I use everyday.

My black handled superspeed is 'REG U' (1974) with a 'P' (1970) and 'Made in USA' so I supposed it is the 70s model but produced in 1974 ...

The only one that I need to collect is Feather AS-D2 ... I call this the ultimate forever razor.

That's a good price for plating you got there.

I know nearby city there is one that do plating but I cannot remember what he charges now 😀

That Feather razor is hugely expensive!!
My wife bought me a merkur 23c for Xmas after mentioning I was going to get a safety razor ... It hasn`t been out of the box. I just love using the old ones .. so if anybody wants to buy it?

Yes. The price I was quoted to have them re-plated is good. More so when you look at the price some specialist razor restorers charge to do it.
I was quoted £25 to re-plate just one single speed and £40 to do an adjustable.
The superspeeds are simple to take apart. They are a simple design hence why they seem to last forever. Servicing and cleaning them is easy.
The Slim and Fatboy adjustables are a little bit trickier. Simple to disassemble but bit tricky to crimp the stop clip ... again though. Once you have done it once its a doddle.
The Black beauties?super adjustable is trickier to crimp because the stop clip is a little deeper in handle to reach.

Send me a PM if you want another site to look for gillettes.
Postage from US usually between $6 and $11 dollars depending on seller.

I find three piece safety razor far better to shave with because the head is flat or flatter by comparison to other. Very simple and easy to maintain with no moving parts so not much to go wrong there. 😀

I am not in a hurry to replate but will get it done and will PM you once I can get my heavy bones moving.

The Superspeeds are simple design. Basically a threaded bar that is screwed up and down.
I just looked on site I got couple of mine from. There is a lovely looking Slim that looks to be in excellent condition for £35 delivered.

And a couple of Slim`s with plate loss for less than £30 delivered, these would need a re-plate to make them look pretty again though.

You got a link to that site mooman?

Oh and chewkw, don't spose you selling any of those bad boys? 🙂

PM me for site ... there is a Fatboy on there for less than £31 delivered too ... looks like it would need re-plate to be pretty though.

sadexpunk - Member

Oh and chewkw, don't spose you selling any of those bad boys?

I am a hoarder for safety razor 😕 so not keen on selling them as I spent too much time searching for them when I started collecting safety razor. Not selling at the moment.

However, if you go to ebay UK now then search words "vintage gillette safety razor" (the first on the list) there is one Gillette superspeed (I have one) that I think is good once you've serviced it.

It is listed as "Vintage Gillette Safety Razor (Old 60s 70s Made in England)". £24.99 inc delivery from UK.

The description:

" ...

Appears to be in good/acceptable condition, with evidence of age - needs a bit of a clean. Opening mechanism seems to work OK however one of the doors is slightly hesitant.

Stamped "Made in England" however does not appear to have the usual Gillette date code; only the number "11"."

The opening mechanism can be fixed (not a major problem even if it is slightly lazy to open) if you get mooman to do it as I have never taken apart any of my safety razor so not sure how easy or difficult to fix it.

😀

edit: there is another one of the similar model "Vintage Gillette Safety Razor Twist to Open TTO Pat 694093" but the price is slight more at £29 + £3.99 postage. The condition is normal for the age so a bit of replating could easily bring it back to mint condition.

That one looks to have a damaged adjuster. And the plating looks rough. I personally would not touch it 😕

mooman - Member

That one looks to have a damaged adjuster. And the plating looks rough. I personally would not touch it

Yes, the first one has one lazy door while the second one is a bit worn. I thought the first one might just be fine if the seller sell it as it is i.e. never clean but once clean up it may be good.

That's one reason I prefer 3 piece like Gillette tech as they shave well (some say not aggressive enough) and nothing much to maintain.

I remember once I bought an old dirty fatboy and after a bit of cleaning everything started to work fine. Obviously, the colour on the numbers has all gone once I cleaned them up ... 🙁

I bought a very dirty Black beauty for £25 delivered. Soaked over night in boiling water and vinegar ... then half hour cleaning it with an old toothbrush and some tooth whitening powder ... looks like it was made yesterday 😀

But the ebay flair tip looks dodgy to me. Never seen one in that state.

mooman - Member
But the ebay flair tip looks dodgy to me. Never seen one in that state.

Ok, might be dodgy. Normally, I would ask the seller how good or bad the opening mechanism is before buying.

I have bought a few from ebay and most turn up fine. I think my best buy was my £8 Gillette fat handled tech (Made in England) which like you after cleaning up looked shinny again. 😀

big thanks to mooman who's given me a lot of info on vintage razors, and ive now ordered 3 of them from the states 😀 (my wife isnt quite so grateful 😀 )
i didnt know this world of old razors existed!! ill let you know what condition they arrive in and how they shave when ive got them.

btw, the shim technique for making a razor more aggressive went fine, still no blood so ill maybe try 2 shims tonight 🙂

I must have missed the shim technique what's that

It's on the previous page mate, look for one of my posts near the bottom with a YouTube vid.

ok, couple more questions in my quest for the perfect shave if you dont mind.

ive now tried 2 shims in my razor, and decided to go all in with a feather blade too, aggressive [i]and[/i] sharp. yep, twas a good shave but my neck was ever so slightly tender afterwards with 2 or 3 blood spots. no nicks as such just tiny spots.
so.....im thinking the feather was maybe too sharp for my skin. is that right, or could it be that the gap was now too aggressive?
am i right in thinking that the aggessiveness or gap, will determine how close the shave is, and the blade will determine how tender the skin will feel afterwards? if so im thinking keep the 2 shims, and try the next blade down in sharpness from a feather. ive got a selection of feathers, gillette 7 o clock yellow and green, some 'perma sharps'(?), derby, astra, sharks and israeli. what would you suggest i try? or should i just accept feather is king, stick with them, my skin will adapt?

next question is alum block. my routine goes bath, hot flannel, proraso pre-shave, lather, shave, rinse, wet alum block rub over shaving area, leave for a few mins, rinse off, balm, leave for a few mins, couple of splashes of after shave.
is it ok to use alum block every shave or will it dry out the skin too much and id be better off using it just for when ive got a few nicks?

thanks

Again, only repeating what I have read. Apparently - the sharpest blades do not guarantee the best shaves. I have not used a Feather blade. Bought pack of 100 Astra platinums and just working through them.
One thing I have noticed (Others I read say is a myth) is that by flipping the blade over it gives a smoother shave ... until blade is blunt obviously.

Have you used the 40`s style or flare tip yet? verdict??

mooman - Member

Again, only repeating what I have read. Apparently - the sharpest blades do not guarantee the best shaves.

I think it might have to do with the razor you are using as well as your shaving angle. Some blades are more forgiving then others. I like Personna blades as well as most of the Russian made ones.

😀

Have you used the 40`s style or flare tip yet? verdict??

chewkw, which blades are russian made?

sadexpunk - Member
chewkw, which blades are russian made?

For 40's style or flare tip I would recommend the followings:

The Russian ones are plenty and come in different brands but if you look carefully at the address they are all the same. i.e. from the same factory in St Petersburg.

For example:

1. Gillette 7 o'clock - yellow, green or even black.
2. Astra - green and yellow.
3. Iridium - this is the best but no longer in production. Watch out for Chinese fake ... plenty about.

Polsilver from Poland is also very good.

Personna is very good too and very forgiving blades which I like very much.

Feathers from Japan are good but it depends on your razor angle.

😀