Grow a beard?

**** me if you believe a brush will affect your shaving you really have been conned.

Have you actually tried it Al or are you talking from a position of blissful ignorance?

turboferret – Member

Does anyone use a straight razor?

Clearly the consequences of getting it wrong could be pretty severe

Considering trying one, thoughts appreciated.

Cheers, Rich

If you have a steady hand and plenty of time i.e. more than 15 mins, go for it otherwise there is a reason why safety razor is called safety razor.

Not for me I am afraid … shaky hand etc …

😯

Nothing beats a shave done by a professional with a straight blade. Mainly practised on the continent these days.

ScottChegg – Member

Nothing beats a shave done by a professional with a straight blade. Mainly practised on the continent these days.

Yes, that's the best but it's not common nowadays.

Check out Youtube as there are two to three clips on shave done by professionals. I think one in casino somewhere in the state and the other I think is in Ireland or London. One of them also explained his technique.

🙂

woody yes I have and I don't buy into brushes.

a proper razor

If ever there was a sign of mindless snobbery, it's people saying "PROPER" next to something just because it's old our outdated somehow.

Really gets on my tits.

A Gillette Fusion is a "proper" razor. It works very well, shaves your beard nicely, does exactly what it's meant to – what's not PROPER about it?

I once came over all nostalgic when I was a student and bought a shaving brush, old skool soap and an old fashioned safety razor. My god, it was agony – seriously. Extremely painful all day.

Nothing beats a shave done by a professional with a straight blade

Yes it does. Having a couple of mm of stubble maintained with a Babyliss iTrim. Skin is unaffected so zero irritation, hairs are soft and silky and grow much more slowly, you only have to do it every few days max and when you do it only takes a couple of minutes 🙂

Al

I've ordered a budget badger brush today THIS ONE so will report if I notice any difference from the current Wilkinson nylon jobbie I currently use and don't like one bit.

I hope you're wrong 😉

woody, a mate of mine got one, its a cracker for the money.

Make sure you don't leave it in any hot water, the resin on then will go soft and it will shed hair like Bobby Charlton.

book yourself in here for a proper, erm sorry 'old fashioned' shave…

http://www.trumpers.com/shaving.cfm

not quick though….

I guess I should probably try it before dismissing the whole thing (but I'm not going to…) but I really can't see the appeal. Is it about cost or closeness of shave? Although I was happy enough with 4 blades the 5-blade Fusion still gives me a close shave, anything closer and don't you risk in-grown hairs? Fusion blades are a total rip-off but for me the convenience of not having to concentrate as though my my life depends on it when using one far out-weighs what may be cheaper running costs with a traditional razor.

think hot towels work well..

did try this stuff (it was on offer) for a tube..

seemed to work well as a diy hot towel ish thing

http://www.realshaving.com/products/pre-shave/self-heating-hot-towel-mask/

but I really can't see the appeal

It's just.. better.. more real, you know? You feel in touch with your ancestors, somehow.. like a mystical link back across time and space to a simpler time when people shaved differently. Everything was better and more honest back then, you know?

If you have to ask, then you just don't get it and never will…

first of al its cheaper.

then the shave is better

its a bit self indulgent (nowt wrong with a bit of that)

and its niche

ticks all the boxes for me

Woody – Member
Al

I've ordered a budget badger brush today THIS ONE so will report if I notice any difference from the current Wilkinson nylon jobbie I currently use and don't like one bit.

I hope you're wrong

I bought one of those back in November of last year and it worked really well for 6 months. The it started shedding…

montylikesbeer – Member
woody, a mate of mine got one, its a cracker for the money.

Make sure you don't leave it in any hot water, the resin on then will go soft and it will shed hair like Bobby Charlton.

I can understand that may be a reason why it is shedding, but I always used the same routine and the water was warm to hot.

I have written to Shaving Shack about my brush shedding and it will be sent back soon.

How did you resolve your shedding brush?

sent mine back to shaving shack, got a credit and got my replacement BLK2 from then

There is no need to drop the brush in any kind of warm water, just dip the brush tip in and off you go.

I now rinse the brush in cold water and it has not lost one bristle in 6 months

You're supposed to hang them upside-down after use to drip dry too.

Cougar you are right, mine sits in a drip stand as well

Daro O Briain sums it up in his stand up. Modern shaving is a marketing mans wet dream. Gillette Fusion Power Stealth – FFS

Other than he word Gillette what does this have to do with shaving?

A straight foward razor soap and a bruish does just as well if not better than a five bladed techno razor and a five pound bottle of super gel utra slick gubbins that last about a month.

I'm a simple man I don't like complex stuff unless it has a genuine benefit over what went before, that's why I cook on gas not in a microwave, listen to records (still, – I know what a luddite) and shave with a saftey razor with one blade.

If a think it's genuinely better I'm all for it but a Gillette Fusion Power stealth is just a way of turning shaving into a DDI for the Gillette company.

then the shave is better

I am highly sceptical.

montylikesbeer – Member
ticks all the boxes for me

Shouldn't 'convenience' and 'speed' be massive boxes that need ticking for something that generally just needs to be done so you can get on with life. It's not like shaving is a hobby, is it?

Cougar – Member
You're supposed to hang them upside-down after use to drip dry too.

Someone posted a thread about this on Badger and Blade and most people agreed that capillary action is stronger than gravity within a brush so you are better standing them bristles up to get them to dry.

The stands that are available are really just for show!

I just would not go back to cartridge systems again.

Two quick passes with a DE is as good as it gets or needs to be

FuzzyWuzzy – Member

montylikesbeer – Member
ticks all the boxes for me

Shouldn't 'convenience' and 'speed' be massive boxes that need ticking for something that generally just needs to be done so you can get on with life. It's not like shaving is a hobby, is it?

It can become quite addictive once you get into it 😳

most people agreed that capillary action is stronger than gravity within a brush so you are better standing them bristles up to get them to dry.

Right. I'm happy to accept that perhaps hanging upside down has little effect if capillary action is stronger than gravity, but even if that's true I'm not seeing why standing upright would be better? It's not like it's either / or is it?

It has to be a lot more environmentally friendly too. An occassional blade with none of that plastic surround, not to mention the enormous amount of plastic packaging that multi-blades come in. The only thing that concerns me a little is where they find all the badger hair for the brushes….roadkill ? 😯

Cougar,

I am not sure why it is better. I think that it just boiled down to not having to fork out for a stand for each of your brushes.

I will see if I can find the thread on B&B when I get home from work.

To be honest though, you should really shake your brush enough to get rid of all of drips before stwoing it away.

Sorry, that sounds awful **** doesn't it? But, that is what I read somewhere.

If you wanna be eco friendly, don't shave at all!

Woody, spend your money where you like, one brush against another (or none) doesn't give you a better shave.

I'm not anti-old fashioned razor, in fact I may give it a go as I despise the designed obsolescence of modern shaving, but the nonsense around it sometimes goes a bit too far.

But as I say, spend your money where you like.

My Kent H8 brush only managed to shed around 20 hairs then it stopped shedding, yes I counted LOL! Because I bought it for £49! I tried both way of drying the brush by upside down or simply let it stand. Not notice any different really. Also before using it I tend to submerge it in the bowl of hot water for 2 minutes or so but now I will try not to submerge it for that long. Dipping the brush should be sufficient.

I actually started using shaving brush after a long period of using shaving cream as cream tend to be a bit messy and difficult to rinse. There is also a possibility of clogging your sink as I noticed a while back hence ditching the cream but it could just be me.

My reasons for using safety razor:

1) Cheap. Initial investment might be a bit "high" but after that cheap.
2) Comfort. I don't get nick as often as my double blade Gillette Sensor.
3) Durability. The razor head & handle are made of metal(brass). I am getting stainless steel version soon.
4) Feel. Well, it's kind of "therapeutic" shaving the old ways.
5) Old Skool. Like I said I only managed to progress to double blade Sensor and even that I get nick often as I refused to keep changing blade due to cost.

cynic-al – Member
Woody, spend your money where you like, one brush against another (or none) doesn't give you a better shave.

I'm not anti-old fashioned razor, in fact I may give it a go as I despise the designed obsolescence of modern shaving, but the nonsense around it sometimes goes a bit too far.

But as I say, spend your money where you like.

I am not going to argue with you Al.

However, in my opinion you are wrong 😆

scaredypants, just sent you an email 🙂

Razor sorted (hopefully), now all the associated paraphernalia that goes with it 🙂

If you're unsure of whether the claims that DE shaving can be better it's well worth having a look at:
http://www.badgerandblade.com/vb/forumdisplay.php?f=55

Loads of good advice. I started using a safety razor about 3 months ago and will not go back. After the initial expence of buying hard/software it's very very cheap and quite fun.
I love the idea of shaving with a 50 year old razor – it's a great way to stick two fingers up to the marketing people 🙂

Personally, I couldn't give a toss if I'm using someone's grandad's old razor that he used in the trenches, y'know. I do kinda understand where the whole ritualistic "I AM MAN, RAWR!" thing comes from when it comes to shaving, but usually I just want less hair on my face.

Left to its own devices my face seems to cultiviate hair like dark wire wool, proper(*) Desperate Dan material, coupled with fairly sensitive skin. Shaving is a pain, occasionally literally. To offset this, I shave every few days and usually sport a goatee.

I've tried various products, with varying degrees of success. Disposable razors are the work of the devil, first thing I tried when I started shaving. For ages I thought that either I was simply crap at doing it, or it was normal to bleed like a stuck pig afterwards.

I got a Gillette Sensor, and coming from the Bic it was a revelation. I've tried the different Sensor blades and there doesn't seem to be a lot between them. The Sensor 3 seems ephemerally 'better' but that could just be my imagination.

I've tried the ubiquitous Mach 3, and don't get on with it. I don't like the lack of control that the flappy-abouty head gives you, and I don't like the lack of precision from the big daft blade. I've also tried a couple of the Wilkinson Sword outings, but the 'Protector' idea just seems gormless to me – it lifts the blades away from your face, so you're left still feeling like you need a shave. Ideal if you're going for a George Michael I suppose. (Designer stubble, I mean, not a crafty J Arthur in the local conveniences).

I was going to talk about soap / foam, but I think this is getting a bit wordy now so I'll make a second edit for that.

Where I'm going with this is, I'm keen to improve my shaving experience. Anything that gives me a better (closer / cleaner / less hemorrhaging) shave is a win for me. If I can use quality toys then that's great, but TBH making it 'fun' or getting in touch with my inner pensioner is less of a priority.

I've considered trying the traditional 'safety' razor but never quite been sure about it. I think after reading everything here, I might give it a go.

(* – sorry, Molgrips)

It really all boils down to heat and moisture. Always shave after a shower or a bath and keep rising the blade in very hot water.

In terms of creams etc,

I've used various high-profile named aerosol foams, creams (sorry, cremes) and gels, as well as various shop-own brands. The bottom line is, smell aside there's not much to separate them. I prefer the regular foam to gel; I think the gel's just a gimmick, it's fiddly to use and has a tendancy to messily dribble out of the can after you've put it away.

King of Shaves' oils looked like they could be a winner, but they clog up a multi-blade razor horrificially badly so that was a failed experiment for me. I'll probably give them another punt if I get a single-blade razor, if nothing else the little bottles will be ideal in a travel kit.

The winner here though, by a country mile, is the old brush'n'soap. I chanced an el cheapo Wilkinson Sword shaving brush and soap from Tesco, came to less than ten quid for the pair IIRC. Immediately, exponentially better than anything else I've ever used. Replaced the brush after a couple of years with a good quality one and it's a joy to use, the soap was still going strong into the next year when I got a nice dish of the stuff as a present and semi-retired the old one. For the money, I can't recommend either of them highly enough, shockingly good.

I've considered trying the traditional 'safety' razor but never quite been sure about it. I think after reading everything here, I might give it a go.

To start with maybe try one of Boots' plastic DE razors – it will give you an idea of what it's like to shave with a safety razor.
The razor may not feel that good (weighty or solid) and the blades you get may not be that brilliant but it's a starting point for jsut a few quid.
After that I would strongly recommend trying some other blades such as Derby or [ninja] Feather. The latter in particular will remove your Desparate Dan fuzz without a second thought. You will probably need to get the blades online/eBay.
If you're still with the program you 'may' want to look into getting a different razor (a couple of suggestions are Merkur 34c which is highly recommended for a 'new' non-adjustable or the Merkur Futur for an adjustable – other makes are available). Or maybe an old Gillette (Tech, Fat Boy, Super Speed, Rocket, etc.)

Start small and see where it takes you.

Yeah, thanks for the info. I saw someone mention a 'sampler' pack of blades, that's very tempting.

Presumably "adjustable" razors refer to blade depth? Is that hugely desireable, or just something else to get wrong? (-:

Cougar – I have always found shaving very uncomfortable, especially when coupled with biking and wearing a helmet.

My solution was to just wear stubble and keep it (mostly) tidy. One major source of pain and discomfort totally gone from life. Can't recommend it enough.

The winner here though, by a country mile, is the old brush'n'soap.

For me, this was the absolute opposite. I might as well have used jam for all the good it did my face.

When I did wet shave, I went high tech – as many blades as Gillette would make, and either KoS oil (rinse often) or gel, or both for the ultimate.

A colleague recommended Clinique for men shaving stuff. Didn't work that well for me tho.

But it's all in the past now 🙂