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

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.

😀

I have just won a bid for two Gillette safety razors on ebay.

Nothing expensive as both are 3 piece safety razors. One is fat handle tech while the other is aluminum tech so might sell the aluminum tech on later on. Both are in ok condition.

I am keeping the fat handle tech for backup as I like this very much.

Enjoying the thread! I use straight edge, double edge and single edge razors and thoroughly enjoy using them after the early days of cutting myself to ribbons - it's a rite of passage. I'm not a zealot (I have an electric razor too), but love the event and ritual of proper shaving and the quality of the shave is something that people who've never tried to perfect it will never understand.

The Badger and Blade forum (US based) is an invaluable source of info and helped me through my early days of discovery. I was posting there one day about my experience with a Gem Micromatic Single Edge razor and it sort of turned into a half poem/rambling description of a shave. I'm in the middle of a foreign country on business and a few sherbets into the evening, so I'm brave enough to post it

Some notes from my first SE shave with a Gem Micromatic.

Sshhhh, keep quiet and listen to the shave - you need to hear it to make sense of it...

The Gem Micromatic - a double-edged sword masquerading as a single-edge razor. On the one hand, it's impeccably simple, on the other it requires a subtlety of touch that begs, nay requires, the use of a sense not oft associated with an activity embued with anecdotes of touch and feel.

Listen to the shave. Hear the blade at work to reveal the key to SE heaven. When you feel the blade you're pushing past the sweet spot and dallying with the threat of razor burn. Don't feel it, hear it.

A Gem Micromatic is a compact but weighty item, reminiscent of a tugboat: unassuming power and ability to carve a steady path whatever the drag. Its large head, liquid smooth, intimidating yet elegant. Proportions and angles of its spade head echoing an inorganic HR Geiger creation.

Whatever the model, flat against the face is the technique. The feeling of no feeling is the way. Lather, skin, razor head, face - smooth and noisy.

A slow sure drag, an angle just off flat and the first plinks of the single edge doing its job can be heard. All that can be felt is the silky progress of the razor head on barely touched skin. A few more practice strokes will get to the right place - the place where the blade plinks and scrapes the hair and nothing more, the save getting closer yet the skin feeling nothing other than displacement of lather.

Second pass. Lather up. This is the addiction zone, the place where the clear timbre of whiskers being cleanly is discordant with the action taking place - how can it be working? But it is. And it is liberating.

legalalien - Member

Some notes from my first SE shave with a Gem Micromatic.

Ya, I have two of those SE razors not because I want or use them but I bought them in an oily bag of 4 safety razors from a car boot sales for £5. I bought them because included in the bag was a fatboy and a slim. Once cleaned everything is in working condition.

I have just won a bid for two Gillette safety razors on ebay.

legalalien - Member
Some notes from my first SE shave with a Gem Micromatic.

Ya, I have two of those SE razors not because I want or use them but I bought them in an oily bag of 4 safety razors from a car boot sales for £5. I bought them because included in the bag was a fatboy and a slim. Once cleaned everything is in working condition.

So Chew, your [i]weapon of choice[/i] is a DE? (See what I did there...fatboy slim...weapon of...ok, I'll get my coat)

Ya, double edge safety razor not single ... 😆

sadexpunk - Member
thats my dream now! im always refusing to go to car boot sales with mrs expunk, now she'll think im the most considerate bloke ever! pretending to look at all her sh*te but really looking all the stalls over for old razors, shaving mugs, scuttles etc
i think im turning into my (grand)dad :-/

Just make sure you don't look too enthusiastic otherwise the price will go up if the seller(s) know you are desperate for them. I have seen various type of razors but some are simply overpriced so I let them be. As long as the condition is good all you got to do is clean it up then it's good to go.

Oh ya ... the two I have won in ebay just now cost me £13.19 (including postage of 3.29).

To me the fat handle tech should worth, I think, around £15 to £20 (exclude postage) in mint condition but since this is not mint the price of around £10 or less (exclude postage) is the right price, while the aluminum one is around £8 to £12 (exclude postage) in mint condition.

As I wrote earlier - UK prices are silly expensive.
It is easy to get carried away bidding, I set myself a £25 limit P&P included.
Sometimes I miss out by double my limit and sometimes by less than a quid.
Thing is - there is always another one a week or so later ... Patience

mooman - Member

As I wrote earlier - UK prices are silly expensive.
It is easy to get carried away bidding, I set myself a £25 limit P&P included.
Sometimes I miss out by double my limit and sometimes by less than a quid.
Thing is - there is always another one a week or so later ... Patience

I only bid for it today due to sadexpunk asking about safety razors so had a look at what's available on ebay, only to stumble upon one that I wanted as backup. British fat handle tech ... the head is very different from those USA made. Think the British one is more solid.

Yes, my budget for vintage safety razor is around £40 including postage if I really like it otherwise much less.

I once bought a Gillette Aristocrat gold plated for around £35 to £40 including postage from ebay. None of my safety razors are more than £45 including postage. The most expensive one is fatboy at £45 it has been replated and recondition so looked new when I got it.

I saw an open comb two piece Gillette No.77 on the ebay just now that went up to around £80 excluding postage. I think it might have ended at around £82 ...

Well, the only price I will pay premium for is Feather AS-D2 (£132 to £158) which I will buy in future.

😀

The Feather just seems so over priced for a modern razor.
Only modern I fancy getting is the Merkur Future. But I read it is THE best. So it will be the last purchase.

But none of them in my opinion look as good as a Fatboy or Slim. Some of the replated Fatboys in black rhodium and rose gold look breathtaking. And for me - it's something special to be using a 55-60 year old razor.

So far the closest & smoothest has been my 1954 (z1) superspeed flair tip ... I can't imagine anything doing a better job.

Just make sure you don't look too enthusiastic otherwise the price will go up if the seller(s) know you are desperate for them.

I only bid for it today due to sadexpunk asking about safety razors so had a look at what's available on ebay,

Some of the replated Fatboys in black rhodium and rose gold look breathtaking. And for me - it's something special to be using a 55-60 year old razor.

sadexpunk - Member
dont worry, im very good at appearing uneducated. "£5 for a rusty razor, youre having a laugh!! ill give you £2.50 mate"

When I bought the bag of 4 I pretended to look like a fool saying that I wanted it to show someone about old razors. 😆 They wanted £5 for it so I gave it to them because I thought the blokes need to earn a living too so I just paid what they wanted for them. Anyway, nobody was going to touch the plastic bag because it was oily and dirty.

sorry
but then again, i only bought 3 razors the other day cos mooman got me into them. who's next?

Actually, it was good that I got alerted to search for safety razor as I have been wanting a backup tech so I just bid for it. The bloke refused to split them up (two together in auction with one being the cheapo aluminum one) and I was the only bidding ... 😆 I think most of the other bidders went for the No.77 ... crazy price that.

Some of the replated Fatboys in black rhodium and rose gold look breathtaking. And for me - it's something special to be using a 55-60 year old razor.

Yes, if they are replated they will look awesome as if they were made yesterday.

I should be getting the last o the Slim's I need doing this week (otherwise I will really be worrying!!).
If you want I can email you the firm I intend using. They are fairly local to me, so I was intending to go there for n person to see how they intend jigging it to replate.

I just phoned/emailed local metal finishers to find somewhere who could replate them.
There is a guy in UK who replates safety razors. Razorspa.xyz ... Looks like he does a good job. But a bit pricey.
As you have prob Sussed yourself now, the superspeeds are simple to service yourself, so only a replate required.

As you have prob Sussed yourself now, the superspeeds are simple to service yourself, so only a replate required.

btw, been googling metal finishers, chrome plating etc local, but not coming up with much. were you quoted £15 for all 3 total, or each?

cheers

Abandoned the Feather blades, just left my face red and lumpy. Currently auditioning "Blackbeards Revenge" against good old "Wilkinson Sword". The BBR's are just edging it...

Yeah, my face was the same after my 'feathers' shave the other day, that's why I was asking for opinion on whether it was the blade or aggressiveness of the razor. I'm just going to use some of the milder blades for a while now tho, hopefully I'll still get a nice close shave with no irritation.

I didn't know BBR did blades, I use some of their other stuff tho, I'll have a look out for those. Blades I'll be using over the next few weeks will be 7 o clock green and yellows, israeli, astra and sharks.

back on Astras, but with a shim. Excellent results......

I own Muhle R89 and R41. Feather blades work really well on R89 head, but perform too aggresive on R41. Astra Platinum, BIC Platinum and Arco are bestest for versatility. Gillette 7o'clock, Wilkinson were poor on R89 and average with R41.

Razor Head geometry is very important, as that plays perfomance of the blade inserted. I struggle to understand why one thinks Feather Razor mk2 is worth monies. Have you seen eqxcuisite finish of Muhle razors? On razor forums owners of Feathers did say that finishing quality was fine but geometry of head only produced -mild cut- which is even less aggresive than Merkur 34C hd. That places it perfomance wise on par with Edwyn Jagger de89, BBR razor own brand and slightly more aggresive Muhle R89.

Merkur Futur is very special and is in its own category, as its a modern take on design of adjustable razors.

If you want to be Chuck Norris of shaving then Fat tip Picollo or Muhle R41 with open head comb geometries will cater for you well. Merkur Futur could be added in that category too, while iKon OSS with dual head might tickle your quirky fancy.

For me personally -mild geometry head- razors produce perfect smooth shave, if I want impeccable one then R41 razor comes out. But boy, it's one of the quietest and slowest shaves.

I find that if there is no nicks n cuts, there is no need to use allumblock as it dries skin too much and lifts razor burn even higher. Proraso preshave is godsend to eliminate that.

thanks, im always interested in reading about the aggressiveness of different razors. as a newbie still, i fiddle too much, changing blades regularly, shimming my merkur stainless steel and EJ89L with first one shim, then 2 to be more aggressive. i mistakenly thought 2 shims plus a feather blade would give me the closest shave ever 😀 i ended up with a fair bit of blood, and a red, lumpy neck. erkkkk.

im still working out whether its better to have a mild razor and blade, and have an acceptable shave every day vs aggressive every other day. i get impatient waiting for my stubble to grow, i want to keep trying different soaps/creams/balms/blades etc, and waiting for every other day just frustrates me 😀
i think ill go back to square one, take out the shims, use a mild blade and see if i can shave every day.

also finding a bit of a problem with the direction of grain on my neck. it goes up, down and in different cross directions in different parts of my neck. the most frustrating thing is feeling a little patch of stubble that needs finishing off 'against the grain' in the direction of adams apple to ear, but my neck contours are such that when i pass the blade over it, the width of the blade touches on both edges, but leaves lather in the middle where theres a contour. so i end up stretching skin, gurning my face to try and straighten it out to get a close cut :-/ i usually end up with sore skin from trying to get it too perfect. a touch more lather, have another go, no thats not got it, leave it alone its too sore now......

ill probably have it all sussed in a decade or two 😀

mooman, have sent you an email as would like some advice.
Quite simply the best STW thread ever

BIC platinum is not suitable for me with my Gillette Tech for whatever reasons. Fat tip Picollo is very scary looking ... 😯

Sadexpunk.

I think you're over thinking things. Go back to the Merkur and your blade of choice. Astra Platinums? Not too aggressive, feathers can be a bit too sharp if you're doing multiple passes, get your pre-shave prep, soap and lather spot on. Then try a simple multi pass shave. You won't get every bit of stubble every time you shave. There will always be the odd patch until you get your technique sorted. It takes time.

I was once told that DE shaving is not "hair removal" but "beard reduction". A good shave will take multiple passes. I explained my routine on another thread when I asked for advice about a particular razor.

My post is near the bottom of this thread [url= http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/merkur-futur-de-razor-opinions-please ]THIS THREAD[/url]

Holyzeus - replied.

Here are my DE razors. All that is missing is the Merkur Futur and the Red tip.

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I think you're over thinking things. Go back to the Merkur and your blade of choice. Astra Platinums? Not too aggressive, feathers can be a bit too sharp if you're doing multiple passes, get your pre-shave prep, soap and lather spot on. Then try a simple multi pass shave. You won't get every bit of stubble every time you shave. There will always be the odd patch until you get your technique sorted. It takes time.

agree. In fact most days I don't even multipass, where I'm fair enough to get away with a shadow as it's not particularly visible. It's more about the comfort and value for me, compared to the multiblades.

Multipass is saved for special occasions.

while we're talking aggressiveness and razor burn etc, could i just ask a question about both my pre and post shave routine, so im totally happy with that side of things?

firstly i run the hot tap and fill the sink. i soak the brush and bowl in the water while i have a bath. id prefer to lay a hot flannel on my chops while im in the bath, but it just doesnt stay hot long enough, so i wait til im out, then keep soaking the flannel in hot water and press it against my face for a minute or so while im stood at sink.

i then leave my face wet and rub some pro raso pre shave cream into face and neck. i let that tingle away while i create the lather. still more work needed here til i find the right soap/cream for me, but that just needs more experimentation.

then its the shave, and as mentioned above, thats a work in progress too but ill be staying mild for a while.

once ive finished shaving, i rinse my face in cold water to close the pores. this is where id like a bit of advice. ive got an alum block, styptic pencil and witch hazel gel.
do you just use the alum if there are blood spots? its an astringent which apparently closes pores and dries the skin. so good for stopping blood, but bad for moisturising? would there be any benefit to using it as part of my routine, or just when needed to stop blood spots?
what i have been doing is belt and braces, ive rubbed wet face in alum, then let it dry whilst i clean up the sink and equipment. then i rinse off, and apply witch hazel gel. (ive read most people seem to apply a witch hazel lotion with cotton pads rather than gel, is there any difference?)
then when WH is dry ill apply a balm, usually nivea sensitive. that will do for most shaves, im finished, but sometimes ill put a splash of TOBS sandalwood lotion on.
again, im unsure about this. its not alcohol free, so will the alcohol cause redness or irritation? is alcohol free better or does this not matter?

fair few questions to go at there, id appreciate any advice, as once i can start doing the same routine time and time again, i can then start changing one thing at a time, blades, razors etc and be able to compare shaves.

cheers chaps 🙂

Jeez - what a faff.

Have a bath or a shower, wash face at same time as shampooing hair.

Get out and while drip drying, fill sink with hot as can be water.

Nut sized blob of Trumper shaving cream in palm of hand, whisk up with cheap brush, apply to face.

Scrape off with newly shimmed Merkur / Astra Platinum combo. One pass* for daily use, after which rinse face with cold water. Styptic pencil for nicks (now very rare).

Finish with a thin rub in of E45 cream.

* special occasions, you can keep your palm and brush loaded while you shave the first time to then enable a second and if feeling really posh, a third pass. Or add extra cream if really really posh.

ive got an alum block, styptic pencil and witch hazel gel.

Witch hazel gel is more than enough while the other two are meant for cuts.

do you just use the alum if there are blood spots?

Yes, just for cuts.

its an astringent which apparently closes pores and dries the skin. so good for stopping blood, but bad for moisturising?

Once you stop the blood wait for a while then apply moisturiser. The idea is to stop the blood then after that as normal with all the applications like after shave etc ...

would there be any benefit to using it as part of my routine, or just when needed to stop blood spots?

Yes, as in your routine but I only use it to stop bleeding nothing else.

what i have been doing is belt and braces, ive rubbed wet face in alum, then cleaned up the sink and equipment. then i rinse off, and apply witch hazel gel.

Ya, that is fine. If no blood just go straight to witch hazel gel.

(ive read most people seem to apply a witch hazel lotion with cotton pads, is there any difference?)

Two possibilities:

i) to avoid wastage especially liquid form. If you pour too much you just waste it while using cotton pads you have control of the amount you use.

ii) to avoid, if you hand is uncleaned, touching your freshly shaved face in case you transfer some unwanted bacteria etc. i.e. help to avoid infection.

then when WH is dry ill apply a balm, usually nivea sensitive. that will do for most shaves, but sometimes ill put a splash of TOBS sandalwood lotion on.

That's fine as I do the same.

again, im unsure about this. its not alcohol free, so will the alcohol cause redness or irritation? is alcohol free better or does this not matter?

Should be alcohol free if you get the one in white colour package Nivea Sensitive while the other one is not alcohol free.

No, should not cause redness. Alcohol supposed to kill off whatever is there on your face but it also can dry your face a bit but not drastically.

Sometimes I apply Neutrogena on my face after applying after shave containing alcohol or vice versa ... I find Neutrogena non-oily at £4 for 200ml that is a bargain compare to after shave balm that can cost £5 for 100ml.

😛