[Closed] I Just Ordered a DE Safety Razor!

Just make sure you order a stypic pencil at the same time to try and stem the bleeding!

Was in the same boat as you I Ache. Shaving is now a pleasure. I ended up with an [url= http://www.theenglishshavingcompany.com/cgi-bin/psProdDet.cgi/DE89BA11bl||@cTraditional%20safety%20&%20double%20edge%20razors@bEdwin%20Jagger|0|user||25| ]Edwin Jagger[/url]. Magic to use, and not too pricey.
+1 for the stypic pencil though.

I was in the same boat too. Only shave once or twice a week - DE razor copes with long, thick stubble much better than cartridges.

Alum block is an alternative to the stypic pencil. My DE razors rinse very well, happy that I made the swap.

I am going to see how it goes and if I like it before ordering a stypic pencil or an alum block. If I don't like how it feels there is no point dropping more money on it. Likewise I will continue to use my existing shaving gel until I have run out of that then I will buy some nice soap and a brush.

Really looking forward to it in a nervous kind of way.

Remember not to apply any pressure whilst shaving and take your time.

I would never go back to cartridges again after 2 years DE shaving.

A common early mistake is to have the blades cutting into the hair like you are peeling an apple whereas it wants to be closer to 90 degrees to the face. I rarely cut myself but find a rinse with cool water stems small nicks quite quickly

As others have mentioned DE razors are the way forward.

Would highly recommend an Alum block as well, the stypic pencills, although cheap, only lasted me a week at most. The alum block lasts much longer and doesn't contain the salts that need washing off like the stypic pencil.

I treated myself to a Merkur Futur for christmas which along with some feathers blades gives a magnificent shave.

Wont ever go back to cartridges.

A common early mistake is to have the blades cutting into the hair like you are peeling an apple whereas it wants to be closer to 90 degrees to the face.

Good to know!

I bought the kit required this weekend, just a cheap Wilkinson sword razor for £5 and cheap soap, brush and stypic pencil to try it out. Hoping for it not to result in a bloodbath tonight.

A common early mistake is to have the blades cutting into the hair like you are peeling an apple whereas it wants to be closer to 90 degrees to the face. I rarely cut myself but find a rinse with cool water stems small nicks quite quickly

That is, the [i]handle [/i]should be closer to 90', not the blade.

I'd like to try the WS or similar razors but the last time I tried a razor blade the blade holder, which was made of plastic, broke after a few months. are there any all-metal razor blade holders available?

That is, the handle should be closer to 90', not the blade.

Yes that was a bit misleading but I mean the 'head'

I bought the kit required this weekend, just a cheap Wilkinson sword razor for £5 and cheap soap, brush and stypic pencil to try it out. Hoping for it not to result in a bloodbath tonight.

I started with one of those and I am surprised I continued, I found I had very little control over it. I must have had faith in the idea I have and Edwin Jagger now and love it.

I am planning on watching a few YouTube videos before I have my first shave. I have read a bit about it but could do with watching a few vids so I don't cut my face off.

BTW this is the razor I have ordered. From Shaving-shack.com half price in the January sales.

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"Lord have mercy" etc.

Take your time and you'll be fine. It's easier / safer than you think, and being terrified won't help. It's a shaving razor, not a chainsaw.

I started with one of those [WS] and I am surprised I continued, I found I had very little control over it. I must have had faith in the idea I have and Edwin Jagger now and love it.

That's interesting. I've got the ubiquitous el cheapo WS razor and I struggle to want to pick it up in preference to my Sensor. Would you say there's a big difference, then?

^^^

Yes, the various razors that are available do have different characteristics.

I found a massive difference going to a metal headed razor. The blade is far more open but in a good way as you can vary how much it bites with ease and you are far less likely to cut yourself.

The weight of the head also makes shaving easier. The Edwin Jaggers are beautiful items as well and at about £15 on Amazon, not expensive.

I started off with the WS plastic, and then moved to an Edwin Jagger. To begin with I thought there wasn't much difference. I keep the WS one in my washbag, and find it horrible in comparison nowadays. I find the metal razor much smoother on the face, and the blade is closer to the sides meaning its easier to shave accurately around the nose etc.

Blade choice makes a big difference too. Found Derby and WS blades to be poor.

Edit: As said above ^^^ the weight of a metal razor makes a big difference to the shave too. Like playing darts with plastic darts or tungsten...

The Edwin Jaggers are beautiful items as well and at about £15 on Amazon, not expensive.

Blade choice makes a big difference too. Found Derby and WS blades to be poor.

All my DE safety razors are Gillette from 1920s - 1970.

half price in the January sales

but an amazing 4quid for postage!

I started using a DE after reading about them on here, cheapo wilkinson from boots then got a merkur for christmas. Love it, the weight and heft is so satisfying plus makes shaving more interesting (for me) so tend to do it more often. I'm sure I'll get more and more drawn in, don't have a brush and lather for example. Yet.

I've just started with a DE after reading various threads on here. I have starte with a cheap Boots DE. So far had maybe 6 shaves. It is easier to nick yourself but so far only one proper bleeding session. I think I will get a decent one once my blades run out. Or maybe in the January sales.
Question for regular DE shavers - how many shaves do you get with each blade?

DE is just ace.

I have been using a Merkur 34C for just over three years.

Best tip is have a shower or a hot face wash first.

Lob the razor in hot water.

Use a good soap or cream, I use this [url= http://www.shaving-shack.com/the-bluebeards-revenge-luxury-shaving-cream-100ml.html ]bluebeards[/url]

Now never get a nick, its in the wrist as they say.

Enjoy

gavtheoldskater - Member
half price in the January sales
but an amazing 4quid for postage!

For some reason they didn't charge me for postage.

nacho - Member
I've just started with a DE after reading various threads on here. I have starte with a cheap Boots DE. So far had maybe 6 shaves. It is easier to nick yourself but so far only one proper bleeding session. I think I will get a decent one once my blades run out. Or maybe in the January sales.
Question for regular DE shavers - how many shaves do you get with each blade?

3 shaves and I put a new blade in and I regularly turn the razor during the shave so the wear is even on both edges.

Cheers Ho Hum, bout what I was thinking.

how many shaves do you get with each blade?

3 usually for me too. Maybe 4.

The cheapo Boots DE is pretty crap tbf. Its really light weight which means you have to use pressure which is not a good idea.

If you're on a budget then I guess (but I've not done it personally) a good bet would be to buy one of the popular merkur DE razors (with the free sample blades), try it for a week or two and if it's not for you then sell it on. Ebay prices for nearly new 34c, 38c, progresses / futurs arent far off new prices (in some cases exceed new prices!).

Or another bargain is the Parker 99r from shaving shack; now £15 for a long handled parker clone of the 34c (ie a clone of the 38c).

My only tip - start using them on a weekend - or a day you're not in a rush. Stick with it for at least a week. At the very least you should learn that a good brush and bowl improves a wet shave 10x the canned stuff. If you end up back on a disposable - the brush and bowl is still a huge improvement.

Question for regular DE shavers - how many shaves do you get with each blade?

That depends as I have about seven safety razors in rotation so few months ... yes, few months. It seems to go on forever but I am no bluebeard so perhaps that helps a bit too.

I only ever shave in the evening so time wont be a problem. I really cant be doing with the rush in the morning, I have enough problems trying to get out the front door without having to worry about shaving too.

Got a Merkur 34c plus all the gubbins for christmas after sticking it on my list thanks to all the threads here.

Started with the Feathers from the assortment pack of blades after reading all those threads.

Maybe I'm just lucky or am a 'natural' DE shaver but have only had one very minor nick so far and the shave is at least as close as my old multi-blade disposables. Easily getting a week (5 shaves) from each blade.

Throwing myself to the SW dogs possibly, but probably my only deviation from the 'classic' DE shaving dogma (and only remaining concession to modern shaving marketing) is a decent post-shave moisturiser.

slainte 😀 rob

Shave night before so no rush.

I can go without shaving for 3 days.

the stypic pencills, although cheap, only lasted me a week at most

I've only had to use mine twice in over a year and it looks like new

colournose,

have to agree on a good quality moistueriser, i use (god i hate to say it) Chanel Blue lotion, bit pricey but very good and the misses likes the smell, in fact so do i as i bought it in Cyprus last April and it is a feel good sunshine and sand smell for me...perfect for after the DE

I am genuinely intrigued by all the retro shaving talk. A few years ago I believed that most of the so-called innovations in shaving were marketing hype and of little real substance. I toyed with going back to a cut- throat but was worried about the fag and the time required.

Three things changed my mind:

1. Bought latest Gillette fusion power - best, fastest shave I ever had. I had been overly cynical. Haven't cut myself ever and it shaves close and easily.

2. Read about London barbers who had finally moved from cut throat to modern razor

3, slightly tangentially, was bought two Trumpers products - shaving soap in a bowl and shaving cream. Former was not great, dried out half way through shave and left skin very dry. Latter was lovely but only on a par with normal gel. So currently interchange the two but have abandoned the soap..

So maybe there is a reason why shaving has moved on? The thing that always strikes me more than anything else is watching people shave at gyms or on films. I wonder if most of the problems people have is simple ignorance of the correct technique and angle of shaves. Nearly always seems to be the case on TV and films where people use short, aggressive strokes against the grain.

Still I will enjoy this thread with interest. Not sure about needing to retrieve a pencil to stop any bleeding though. Seems to miss the point or maybe that's just me?!?

Er shaving on films ? , I would have thought that actor may have been acting and would maybe think twice about the analogy of it,

You have to try and find soaps etc that are good, I use arko , still using the same stick 1 yr on and at the current rate it will last around another 2 yrs !!! I think it was about 4 quid,

I use a range of blades mainly feathers , I find th the best , I think the whole point of converting is based on costs, those plastic Gillette's etc are just so expensive especially when you need a new pack of blades and a tin of squirty foam, I'm Pretty sure they didn't design the Gillette plastic razors just to give you a more smoother shave but to put you in a position from which they can charge you a stack of cash for something you think is better than before,

The major reason that a DE razor works for me is cos I'm a lazy sod who can't be arsed shaving. The resultant 3 or 4 day stubble clogs and kills a Gillette/Wilkinson Sword razor head in about 3 strokes. The DE razor just washes free.

Skilboy - sure you're right and interested and not trying to be argumentative! But screen shavers nearly always seem to be going against the grain. I am naturally cynical of mega corps like Gilette but latest razors seem to last a long time. Plus surprised by my different experiences with Trumpers.

Still I will keep reading with interest.

I got some bic disposables, 10 for 99p, they work great.

The only time I went near my face with those horrible Bic disposables I ended up with a red face they really are crap.

I am naturally cynical of mega corps like Gilette but latest razors seem to last a long time.

Why is a DE or similar better than the cut throat style?

Does anyone use the cut throat style with the replaceable blades?

I would be intrigued to see the actual profit margins for Gilette. I would suspect that they are lower than one thinks hence the need for massive marketing and potentially spurious innovations (some may argue). I am intrigued by the irony within marketing especially in the FMCG world. The objective of marketing is to make selling superfluous and yet the companies who are held up as top marketeers spend their whole lives having to convince us to buy their products. Something strange there?

The razor came with a blade but I also ordered a pack of 10 Gillette 7 o'clock blades hoping they are better than what is already in there. Once I get the technique down I will order a mixed pack of blades but initially I think consistency is better.

good call i ache, you are right, zero post, so just ordered a lord as well to give it a try.

good bargain especially as a cheap n' nasty plastic boots own brand one that i looked at yesterday was more expensive.

My stash of DE equipment (razors, razor blades, soaps, brushes, etc. ) has been growing quite well since I started into DE shaving.

I used the "it's cheaper than cartridge shaving" reason to justify my initial expense, but I found the allure of buying shiny little razors and cool looking brushes too much of an allure and I have become hooked, ha, ha!

At current usage I now have enough blades to last me 35 years :O

Oh well, it satisfies my desire to tweak and find the ultimate shave and my DE shaving spend per year is less than I spend on MTBing. Also, I don't get the macho man stigma associated with not using products that keep the skin on your face in good condition. I see lots of blokes my age or younger and their skin looks really old and parched and it does not look very attractive in the slightest.

teamhurtmore - Member
Why is a DE or similar better than the cut throat style?

I would not say it is better, they both have pros and cons, one obvious downside with the cut throat style razor is the investment in time required to perfect your technique.

For a cheap way into DE shaving, I'd recommend a Gillette Superspeed from Ebay - around £10 and a pleasure to use.
I also use Gillette 7 O'clock blased, but that's because there's a shaving shop in town, I like having it there so try to use it for soaps, aftershaves and the like. Treated myself to a Futur there - £50 isa lot for a razor, but it loos and feels awesome.
I don't use the cheaper arguement to justify DE, it's just better.

Why is a DE or similar better than the [b]cut throat[/b] style?

Soz teamhurtmore,

wasn't trying to argumentative,

i did convert because i hate big corps like Gilette, they have definitely
done us over with a product that is a lot more expensive and about the same quality shave wise, good trick, even my Dad siad no don't use a DE you will cut your head off etc, never have yet tho'

For a cheap way into DE shaving, I'd recommend a Gillette Superspeed from Ebay - around £10 and a pleasure to use

if I'm going to lose that much blood, i'd be as well donating it to something useful and getting a cup of tea and biscuit out of it

But no badge?

So I just received the razor and it seems ok, nothing special and clearly cheap but fine. I had a mess around with one of the blades and a piece of paper and I didn't realise how sharp they were 😯

Anyhow tonight is the night I will let you know how it goes!

[url= http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7003/6719446233_7e6caf63ae_o.jp g" target="_blank">http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7003/6719446233_7e6caf63ae_o.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/29930426@N04/6719446233/ ]IMAG0023[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/29930426@N04/ ]i_ache[/url], on Flickr

I didn't realise how sharp they were

The only time I went near my face with those horrible Bic disposables I ended up with a red face they really are crap.

You're obviously a softy then. Us Desperate Dan types can shave with owt. 8)

razor sharp, perchance?

Yes funny that isn't it.

What I meant is that because I have been mollycoddled by modern enclosed disposable razors I didn't actually realise how sharp actual razor sharp is.

IIRC you haven't got a good brush and soap, which really make a difference as they lift and soften the hairs.

Make sure you soften the beard ie. have a shower and remember the golden rule, let the razor do the work with no pressure.

LOL, the trendy razor fad is outed:

[s]Make sure you buy a styptic pencil[/s] aka [u]"they're actually crap"[/u]

OP just get a hair trimmer or electric to take the long stubble down to something shave-able, ad use an old toothbrush or similar.

Bath/shower helps immensely, some soaps/gels are better than others (and it's personal) no need for fancy brush though.

OMG I just saw this

my DE shaving spend per year is less than I spend on MTBing

Are you fanboys for real?

Well I have just had the shave, I was a little nervous as people always talk about cutting their face quite a lot. So I had a long shower before shaving to soften up the 3 weeks of growth, yes I know its not ideal for a first shave. Anyway the shave went well the razor feels good but very light compared to how I expected it to feel. I only manages to get two very small nicks under my nose, that I didn't even notice until I finished. It wasn't the closest shave I've ever had but I am putting that down to it being my first time so I didn't want to push my luck too much and the razor being very cheap, it only actually cost £2.50. I will have another go tomorrow night as, for the first time, I quite enjoyed it.

cynic-al - Member

Are you fanboys for real?

Yeah, baby! Ha, ha 😉

I'm sure that you have some "odd" habits as well mate! Most people on this forum are at least part geek/obsessive in some way.

I may well do, I just don't get the whole "this way of shaving is better, just make sure you have something to mop up the blood" aspect.

Bit like riding a retro bike, cool in theory, but actually no fun - progress has in fact been made.

And, yes, I've tried both...

^^^^

Thank you for a decent reply 🙂

I was sort of expecting something cheeky, but you have pleasantly surprised me.

I am feeling a little odd..... 😉

I'd love to "get" it, but I just don't, it's like learning to shave again - so I'd just end up using the modern stuff.

It's not for everyone.

Thankfully you/we have a choice nowadays 🙂

my lord razor has also just arrived. i'm really impressed, its actually heavier than i expected. and for just 2.50, whats too lose (except blood)

anyhow, shave tonight and we'll see.

I had another shave after posting last night and managed top get it much closer without spilling any blood. It really is surprisingly enjoyable and satisfying.

It really is surprisingly enjoyable and satisfying.

^^This.

I had my 2nd shave with the DE last night and it feel's alot less like a chore than shaving used to. Haven't cut myself any worse than I have in the past using a King of Shaves razor either, just 2 tiny nicks. Really need to get some decent soap though, the Gilette stuff I'm using is terrible, having to reapply before I've even finished the first pass. Also need to get better at going against the grain!

I was feeling myself getting sucked in, I was looking at a shaving site wondering what to buy...but cynic-al has bought me back down to the ground again, I'll stick with the rechargeable remmington for a bit longer. 😳

One thing I did find was that listening to the shave really helped. I used to leave the tap running because I needed the flow to un-clog my fusion but with the DE I found it better to just put a bit of hot water in the bowl and shake the head in the water as it is much more open and this is sufficient to clean it. This way I can hear if I have the right angle as well as feeling.

This way I can hear if I have the right angle as well as feeling.

I was feeling myself getting sucked in

2.50 posted, whats to lose!

but cynic-al

the clue is in the name really, and since when did any one cynical have fun? ; )

no offence cynic-al!!

Just think of all the water you're saving

Im on rates for water not a meter. Its the gas I'm happy about.