[Closed] That razor you lot recommend?

j-cru - Member

And enjoy all the ingrowing hairs this will cause

Please can you expand on this?

If you are talking about the stubble around your jaw line and chin I'd say try going across the grain but I wouldn't go against too much if you can help it. I do use a few upward stokes right under my chin just to sort the last few bits. If you hold the razor at the right angle and do not use any pressure you should get a better result than a 10 bladed uber disposable, same technique under the nose across but not upward strokes, it will take a few goes to get a result you like.

freddyg - Member
j-cru - Member
And enjoy all the ingrowing hairs this will cause

Please can you expand on this?

Some people can get away with the final against the grain pass others can't.

I am in the others can't camp.

I have tried it once or twice and it did give me an excellent shave, but I had a lot of irritation (not ingrown hairs mind) as the whiskers grew back and came back through the skin.

It's one of those Your Mileage May Vary things you get with shaving.

I've never followed the 'with-sideways-against growth direction 3 passes' as that just doesn't work for me and almost guarantees redness or nicks if I go against the grain in certain areas. Never had an ingrowing hair either, even in areas where I do shave against the grain, which could be down to using a good brush and soap.

All I can say is what works for me and that is a couple of passes changing direction in certain areas and then, if necessary, going over any bits that I can still feel stubble using the remaining soap squeezed out of the brush. It doesn't take long to get to know your own face and hair growth direction and everyone is different.

^^^^

It certainly helps when you have mapped your face well, eh Woody?

And isn't that last bit of lather squeezed out of the brush divine in terms of consistency? 🙂

Agreed.

I tend to mix it in a bowl with the block of soap still in it and get the lather consistency I want that way but Mantic (vid below) spends a lot of time, 3 minutes, just lathering and [url= http://wet-shavers.com/how-to-lather-shaving-soap/ ]This Lather Blog advice[/url] is different again!

I face lather with soap, have done since I started DE shaving. Luckily I can get a decent shave with two passes which is just as well as that is how much lather I can produce when face lathering.

j-cru - Member

"So a normal shave should be with the grain, across the grain and finally against the grain. After some practice you should be able to finish shaving in maximum 15 mins. "

And enjoy all the ingrowing hairs this will cause

Not necessary as that depends on individual so just have to find what's suitable for you. Some can and some can't. I have always shave against the grain for the final pass even in my younger days with Sensor (two blades cartridge). Most importantly if you prepare well your shave will be more enjoyable or effective. Perhaps you can to let your beard grow a bit to see the direction of the hair so that you can apply the right shaving passes to them. In my opinion, if the blade is sharp there will be less possibility of causing in grown hairs then a blunt blade or even a blade that does not match the razor you are using but that's just my experience and might not work for you. Give it a try but take note.

🙂

If anyone who has been caught by the traditional shaving bug is interested in buying a better brush then can't go much wrong than buying a brush from this chap:

[url= http://newforestbrushes.blogspot.com/ ]badger[/url]

Peter spent a long time trying out lots of different brushes before deciding on what suited him best and what he thought the market would want. I have one of his best 2 band knots in a wooden handle and it is a great brush to use when shaving and performs above its weight for the price he charges.

Ho hum - Member

If anyone who has been caught by the traditional shaving bug is interested in buying a better brush then can't go much wrong than buying a brush from this chap:

badger

Peter spent a long time trying out lots of different brushes before deciding on what suited him best and what he thought the market would want. I have one of his best 2 band knots in a wooden handle and it is a great brush to use when shaving and performs above its weight for the price he charges.

Any idea who his suppliers/manufacturers are? i.e. from which country(s)?

🙂

Nevermind ... got it from his blog.

"We think it's bad here in the UK. Well it's cold in China. Production of my new brushes has been delayed because it's difficult for badger hair to dry in extreme cold. And in North West China they are having their coldest spell for 60 years. The New Forest High Mountain brush should still be ready for an early January launch."

Okay, this is just me so you can decide if they are for you as I am not telling you what to do. Your choice.

For me something I would simply not buy no matter how cheap or good they are for two simple important reasons:

1) The country of origin i.e. are they ethical in treating the workers or animal etc?

2) Are we going to destroy our own industry by not supporting them? i.e. the knowledge, skills and craft etc will disappear in the long run.

🙂

p/s: I think most commercial badger hairs are from China but at least have the handle made in UK.

I hear what you are saying chewkw.

Given that badgers are a protected species in the UK and they are considered as vermin in China then I think we both know where the knots will come from.

I am quite certain that Peter's handles are turned in the UK.

I received my new brush that was my 40th birthday present yesterday (Saturday). The handle was turned in Wales, but I am not sure where the knot was produced, but if I was a betting man I would say China.

Ho hum - Member

I hear what you are saying chewkw.

Given that badgers are a protected species in the UK and they are considered as vermin in China then I think we both know where the knots will come from.

I am quite certain that Peter's handles are turned in the UK.

Glad to hear the handles are turned in UK so that's good as that can maintain some sort of skill work in the UK.

Why don't the Govt/law let people harvest the local badger without killing or causing harm to them since hairs can grow back again. I mean not shaving the badger bald but shave their hairs to certain length during summer season perhaps. Then let them go back to the wild.

🙂

Opinion towards badgers in this country is quite polarized, isn't it?

You either see them as quite cool looking smallish animals with nifty hair colouring or you see them as virus carrying vermin who are only intent in spreading TB to your cattle 🙁

I would guess that a lot of the skills required to carry out what you are proposing above no longer exist in this country and China has picked up the demand given how it views the local badgers.

Yes, pity that everything has been outsourced so now we can never know how the badgers are treated there. Just don't search yout*be.

🙂

Just getting on the shaving bandwagon after getting a nice brush and soap/bowl from Santa. Now what razor do I get ?

I've got one of [url= http://www.amazon.co.uk/Parker-Daytona-Safety-Nickel-Finish/dp/B004XUV3X6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1326064889&sr=8-1 ]these[/url] with a load of [url= http://www.amazon.co.uk/Derby-Stainless-Available-different-quantities/dp/B0031BDGKQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=drugstore&ie=UTF8&qid=1326065002&sr=1-1 ]these[/url] and am very happy. Others, I'm sure, will recommend something different.

Mmm I didnt get on with the Derby blades, Astra or 7 o'clock by Gillette or Feathers if you want a close shave but they are very sharp!

Inspired by a number of DE shaving threads here, from my Christmas list I got a [url= http://www.amazon.co.uk/Merkur-Double-Razor-Safety-razor/dp/B002A8JO1Q/ref=sr_1_1?s=drugstore&ie=UTF8&qid=1326065157&sr=1-1 ]razor[/url] and accessories (assorted blade pack to see which ones I like, a nice [url= http://connaughtshaving.com/muehlebowl.html ]soap bowl[/url] with sea buckthorn soap, and a [url= http://connaughtshaving.com/11712.html ]brush[/url]).

So far, so good. Not quite as close as a modern multi-blade (threw all mine of those out today actually) but a more satisfying experience and gives a nice (if possibly pointless and misguided) anti-corporate afterglow. I have sensitive skin so was worried about nicks and irritation, but so far that's not been an issue (using the Feather blades from the assortment first as they always seem to get a good review here).

slainte 😀 rob

I use soap at the end of a shower (still in the shower) and shave by feel! Once i get dried i finish off the shave in the mirror just by wetting my face. I dont go putting on more soap or foams. The joys of not having crazy stubble.

The guy in the vid spends about 8 mins longer than i do. He should shower shave and get to work sooner.. to earn more money so that he can then afford to sort out the massive blemishes he has that,to be honest,are far more noticeable than a slight bit of stubble on his face!

Or maybe his boss feels his face on arrival at the office to see if its smooth enough for the job at hand.

I have seen that some people have purchase their razors from ebay. If your on a budget (OH thinks im being silly) is a secondhand good quality one going to be much better than a mid level new one?

What about hygene?

Does the quality of the razor really make that much difference?

Really want to give this a go as i hate shaving due to my face falling apart and never feeling that well shaved.

My daughter calls me spikey daddy after a few days.

I've got three razors, a Merkur Futur (bought new 18 months ago) and two Gillettes dating back to the early '60s.
Although I pretty much only use the Merkur day to day now the Gillettes are pretty awesome - very well made and quite fun to play with. They made razors properly back then, so I wouldn't have an issue with a used Gillette.
That said the Merkur's are made very well and weigh a ton which actually helps as it stops you applying pressure.

Hygiene isnt an issue as you will be using a new blade. Something secondhand will be fine I got my Gillette from eBay.

EDIT: Its a Gillette Tech Ball End, must stop looking at eBay!

How big a deal is the brush? I've got a Merkur Futur, '60's Gillette Superspeed and a Parker, all excellent razors. Soap is Arko, recommended on here someplace, and is also excellent with rich creamy lather. Brush is a £3 Wilkinson's which works fine - is there ny real benefit to spending £40-£50 on a badger's pubes?

Has anyone worn their Merkur out?

Mine has corroded inside where the blade is held, and the satin finish has worn away on the leading edge. It's looking quite tatty now 🙁

It's about 4/5 years old.

I've not found the "knitted from virgin badger nose-hair using Ti needles by a bloke with a beard" brushes to be no better than a decent (£6) brush from Body Shop.

BigButSlimmerBloke - Member
How big a deal is the brush? I've got a Merkur Futur, '60's Gillette Superspeed and a Parker, all excellent razors. Soap is Arko, recommended on here someplace, and is also excellent with rich creamy lather. Brush is a £3 Wilkinson's which works fine - is there ny real benefit to spending £40-£50 on a badger's pubes?

If you can whip up a good lather with your Wilkinson's brush then there probably is no benefit going to a more expensive badger brush, but in the grand scheme of things £40-£50 isn't that much really and you will get a little bit of luxury 🙂

nickf - Member
I've not found the "knitted from virgin badger nose-hair using Ti needles by a bloke with a beard" brushes to be no better than a decent (£6) brush from Body Shop.

I have, all of my brushes have their own little character 😉

If anyone's DE curious, I have a cheapy wilkinson sword razor and a few blades that I just don't get on with. Drop me an email and I'll post them to you. Assuming you're not suicidal that is 🙂

It's [url= http://www.amazon.co.uk/Wilkinson-Sword-Blades-Classic-Double-Edged/dp/B0012Y1**** ]this one[/url]

decent (£6) brush from Body Shop.

I ahve that brush and it's awesome [touch wood]

Does using the correct soap and brush really make that much difference? Now I know that you need to prep your face but once this is done couldn't you just use your normal foam/moose?

Not gone to the single speed shave yet but really want to.

It makes a different in my opinion.

Is it worth paying the extra for it? Hmmm not sure. I would say so as I would not go back to the canned stuff but others will say otherwise.

I've been using the Merkur Progress for the last year with Feather blades. It gives as good a shave (even a touch beter) than the multi-blade efforts I was using before, and I'd definitely not go back to the Mach 3-type razors.

On a whim I bought a Muhle R41, which is said to be a real love:hate affair. It's meant to be a very aggressive razor - lots of exposed blade, easy to make a mistake, and generally not recommended for beginners. But those that like it seem to love it. At £25 it's not throwaway money, but equally it doesn't break the bank.

Tried it today for the first time, with a new Feather blade, Proraso shaving soap, and a lot of trepidation. 5 minutes later, minus whiskers and with no blood loss, I was completely stunned. That was the single best shave I've [i]ever[/i] had, and that was the first go. I'd never have believed that the actual razor could make such a difference, but it really does, and there's absolutely no razor burn.

Highly recommended, but don't blame me if you cut yourself - a lot of people have tried an R41 and just haven't got on with it.

Progress update with my Merkur Future I got at Christmas - had 4 good shaves and two not so good. Working my way through a variety pack of blades and the good ones have been merkur and isreali. Not so keen on Derbys. Yesterdays was with a feather which just felt so sharp I think I got my technique all wrong ending up in a poor shave. I'll try again with all of them before coming to any conclusions I think.

Most of my face is fine, getting far closer than the electric I've been using for the past year. I'm still suffering with rash on the neck though (using good brush and soap). Either get a rubbish shave if too conservative or lots of burn. Is there any specific techniques other than going with the grain?

Does using the correct soap and brush really make that much difference?

I have a cheapy wilkinson sword razor and a few blades that I just don't get on with

Either get a rubbish shave if too conservative or lots of burn. Is there any specific techniques other than going with the grain?

Soap makes a difference - I now use an Arko stick (£3 for ebay and lasts me about 8 months!) which gives a very rich lather.
Do not apply ANY pressure at all when shaving. The Futur is so heavy that you can simply place it against your skin and let the weight do the work.
Don't try and get a perfect shave in one go - do two shaves one going with the grain and then an optional second pass against the grain
Start on number 1 or 2 on the razor and work up. I'm now on about 3.5 and that's fine for a single pass.
New feather blades feel odd at first then become increadibly sharp.

Either get a rubbish shave if too conservative or lots of burn. Is there any specific techniques other than going with the grain?

As above.

But also do not be tempted to shave areas where there is no soap/lubricant. If you need another pass, there should still be planty of soap on your brush. Dip the tip of the brush in the hot water and re-soap 8)

EDIT: Oh, the quotey-thingy isn't working.

Nickf

I own a Muhle r89 which gives a nice shave but I wanted a closer shave

So I bought a R41 put in a fresh 7 oclock sharp blade and had admittedly the best shave ever but it did take over an hour too stop bleeding what a mess yes it is bloody agressive and I would not recommend it to a beginner

Would it be worth trying with a feather blade??????

Sick of paying a fortune for Fusion cartridges, so I eventually took the plunge and decided to buy one of those Merkur razors, brush, shaving and a sample pack of blades. Time will tell whether I've made the right decision.

Would it be worth trying with a feather blade??????

To my mind, a Feather is the way to go in all circumstances. Also remember that a different razor will require a slightly different technique, so make sure you've got an excellent lather and really softened that bristle to give yourself a chance to get to grips with the more aggressive nature of the R41.

2nd time use this morning, and still no cuts/nics/scrapes. Beginner's luck, I'm sure - I'll be reporting severed limbs tomorrow.

wot's the big gap up ^ there ? Is there a pic of somebody's shaving bloodbath or something?

nickf

tried again using Proraso pre shave and shaving soap after a shower left the soap on for 3 minutes then shaved alas I still bleed but not so much

Still gives hell of a good shave but it the R41 is still not a first time users razor

saladdodger - Member
nickf

tried again using Proraso pre shave and shaving soap after a shower left the soap on for 3 minutes then shaved alas I still bleed but not so much

Still gives hell of a good shave but it the R41 is still not a first time users razor

In my opinion you have to accept that there is a fine line between a damn fine shave and one that seems baby bum soft for a limited amount of time and then bites you as your skin starts to hurt and your whiskers start to grow back in.

Once or twice I crossed the line and it wasn't much fun. For some people, including myself, their skin just can not cope with going over the line and I quickly learnt not to see this as a failure.

Find your comfortable limit and stick with it 🙂

Well I'm on board, been a soap and brush shaver for a while but now muhle r89 ordered.

Started using soap a couple of weeks bike with a Boots £3 DE razor and a cheap brush and was really pleased with the results. Close shave and none of the irritation I'd been having with the electric and cartridge.

My Merkur HD arrived on Tuesday and that was another revelation, again really smooth shave.

I do find you need to prep though, I always shave after a shower and also use a pre shave soap but it quickly becomes part of a routine.

It did occur to me as I cycled home in the wind and driving rain earlier in the week that the combination of a bad weather commute followed by a shave was probably part of my original issue. I've never really considered products / grooming in the past but after weeks of balancing a really sore face with looking half shaven at work I'm a convert