EDF Wet Shaving Thread - Page 2 - EDF Forum

Slow Play Ray · 10-09-2007, 05:06 PM

somewhat unrelated, but i picked up a prototype gillette razor for a marketing study today. i love getting paid to shave!

your setup looks way cooler though...makes me wanna go old-school too. nothing beats a warm foam, straight-razor shave at the barber shop...man, it's been ages.

By-Tor · 10-09-2007, 05:08 PM

Quote:

I find I get more razor burn with an electric and never have as close a shave...am i doing something wrong?

are you using a pre-shave like...

?

I have never gotten a burn from an electric, but always use this. Figured it was SOP.

LFS · 10-09-2007, 05:24 PM

Quote:

How long does it take you to shave with this setup vs. regular shaving cream/razor?

It probably doesn't take THAT much longer, except I used to shave in the shower and now I don't. I'm sure I could figure out a way to use this setup in the shower, but I really use the mirror a lot, which is harder in the shower. My process after I exit the shower:

1. Put brush in the sink and turn on hot water.
2. Apply pre-shave oil.
3. Dip brush in shaving cream.
4. Apply lather.
5. Shave with the grain.
6. Re-apply a layer of lather (I've left the brush in the sink during this time so this layer is hot and lathery and awesome).
7. Shave against the grain.
8. Rinse with cold water.
9. Apply after shave balm and moisturizer.

The only little problem I still have is that the hair at the bottom of my neck changes direction in a couple of places, so it's very difficult to stay with or against the grain. I'm still really nailing down the area around my Adam's apple, but I've had that problem forever.

I've owned two electrics in my life: a dry Braun, and a wet/dry Panasonic. The Braun absolutely destroyed me and I have up after about three months. The Panasonic that I used in the shower was pretty OK, but my neck would be bright red and swell after I shaved. I stuck with the Panasonic for almost a year.

jzpiano · 10-09-2007, 05:55 PM

I have a straight razor that I've been using on and off per the recommendation of a previous thread a while back. I love the close feel that I get after using it and would like to do it more often. However, I'm a little lazy so I do switch back to the electric for a while given that it is faster. Combine with the fact that I also can't seem to shave my chin area without cutting the [censored] outta my face, not quite sure why this is because I can do everywhere else just fine.

Any tips for that area because if I could wet shave that area and not look like I got caught in a weed wacker doing it I might be inclined to use my set more often.

Jeff W · 10-09-2007, 06:45 PM

Have you tried shaving with just water+razor? I stopped using shaving cream/gel months ago and that seems to have eliminated cuts and razor bumps.

I've heard good things about Merkur safety razors. I will probably purchase one when I run out of Mach 3 cartridges.

dtemp · 10-09-2007, 06:53 PM

Ever since I started rinsing with cold water after shaving, I haven't had any razor burn. It supposedly closes up the pores. And I just use the cheap gillete two blade disposables.

Hobbs. · 10-09-2007, 07:02 PM

I'll echo that the truefitt and hill products are amazing. While I still use a mach 3 and shave in the shower just adding the high end shaving cream really increased the experience quite a bit for me. I bought a tube of the their shaving cream after getting a straight razor at their store in Caesars which now is must for me every time I visit vegas these days.

onthebutton · 10-10-2007, 07:09 PM

I've been on this bandwagon for a long time, and most of the things I'd say have already been said here (nice thread, LFS). There are only a few things I'd add.

1. Try different brands of blades. There is a big difference, and lots to choose from. You can buy sampler packs that let you try lots of different blades via some online Paypal stores.

2. Try different creams. I have 3-4 that I alternate between. They're all a bit different. For someone looking for one to buy, you cannot go wrong with Taylor of Old Bond Street or Truefitt.

3. Shave after you shower. The 5-10 minutes in the hot water and moist air will make a huge difference in comfort. I read once somewhere that the average whisker has the same tensile strength of copper wire of the same diameter, so it definitely helps to soften it up.

4. Just as poker and general time-wasting has 2p2, wet shaving has a message board also. Badger and Blade is a great site with tons of info, and lots of serious bzness posters who take this stuff really seriously. They're very helpful, and this is also the place you can find the guys selling sampler packs of blades above.

This has been the one change to my daily routine over the past 10 years that has had the most positive impact. Regular shaving with disposables and cheap creams and gels ripped me up, made my complexion terrible, and generally made me dread shaving. I have none of those problems now.

imozyslow · 10-10-2007, 07:52 PM

order these products

use this razor

seriously. i had a terrible time for like a decade trying to get a good shave. this combination has worked the best for me thus far.

oh and i have pretty much the same routine as LFS minus the brush and lather -- i just use products i linked above.

DukeSucks · 10-10-2007, 11:22 PM

Quote:

I've been on this bandwagon for a long time, and most of the things I'd say have already been said here (nice thread, LFS). There are only a few things I'd add.

1. Try different brands of blades. There is a big difference, and lots to choose from. You can buy sampler packs that let you try lots of different blades via some online Paypal stores.

2. Try different creams. I have 3-4 that I alternate between. They're all a bit different. For someone looking for one to buy, you cannot go wrong with Taylor of Old Bond Street or Truefitt.

3. Shave after you shower. The 5-10 minutes in the hot water and moist air will make a huge difference in comfort. I read once somewhere that the average whisker has the same tensile strength of copper wire of the same diameter, so it definitely helps to soften it up.

4. Just as poker and general time-wasting has 2p2, wet shaving has a message board also. Badger and Blade is a great site with tons of info, and lots of serious bzness posters who take this stuff really seriously. They're very helpful, and this is also the place you can find the guys selling sampler packs of blades above.

This has been the one change to my daily routine over the past 10 years that has had the most positive impact. Regular shaving with disposables and cheap creams and gels ripped me up, made my complexion terrible, and generally made me dread shaving. I have none of those problems now.

I agree with all of this. It seems like not every blade works best for every person. I like the Israeli Personnas the best. I also like using soaps better than the creams. I shave after I shower, and to help take some of the time off, I have my bowl and brush soaking in hot water while I shower.

While you can spend lots of money on this, you can also get a decent setup for very cheap. I spent $10 on 100 blades, $5 on a vintage Gillette razor, $7 on a soap from Mama Bear soaps, and about $15 on a Tweezerman badger hair brush. The blades and soap should last a long time, and the price is a lot cheaper than the Mach 3 cartridges.

Manque · 10-10-2007, 11:38 PM

I use:

a Vulfix super badger brush
Merkur Vision Razor
Feather blades
Several shaving creams from Trufitt & Hill and Taylor.
Trufitt and Hill aftershave balm Trafalger scent.

When I really want to go to town I do 3 passes. 2 with the grain and 1 against. I only get irritation when I rush. Two areas give me problems, my chin and my adams apple.

jws43yale · 10-11-2007, 01:01 AM

I use a Vulfix brush.

The wonderful moss scuttle to warm my cream and help create a lather: http://www.sarabonnymanpottery.com/moss_scuttle.htm

I use a Merkur DE with Feather blades.

I highly reccommend Trufitt and Hill preshave oil which you put on before cream to give a smoother shave.

I like the Avocado, Rose and Lavender creams from Truefitt and Hill and Taylors.

Last I finish with Truefitt and Hill West Indian Limes aftershave lotion.

I got a shave at Truefitt in London and the barber told me that it is not good to do multiple passes. They do not do it there since it tneds to irritate the skin.

whiskeytown · 10-11-2007, 01:23 AM

I actually have a routine when I shave (rarely these days) where I'll Noxemea up the face and shave in the shower - never have used shaving cream or that electric stuff anymore -

but nowadyas I'll let it go for awhile and then trim it with a beard trimmer - I'm too lazy and fat in the face to shave every day

rb

LFS · 10-12-2007, 10:38 AM

Quote:

Badger and Blade

Jesus, these people DO take wet shaving seriously.

I'm planning on wading through that forum, but can anybody here tell me the difference between shaving soap and cream? Soap appears to be much more economical because it's cheaper and you get more shaves out of a cake than you would a tub of cream, but it also seems like much more work. Are there other advantages I'm missing?

27offsooot · 10-12-2007, 03:00 PM

Quote:

Have you tried shaving with just water+razor? I stopped using shaving cream/gel months ago and that seems to have eliminated cuts and razor bumps.

I have done this for the last couple of years and like it much better. The key IMO is to get water as hot as u can tolerate, splash it on your face, run the blade through the hot water and shave, reheating the razor every once in a while. Then apply cold water as an after shave.

I don't cut myself at all anymore doing this b/c i can see the contours of my face much better. Razor cuts used to be a problem for me. I had heard that it causes less general irritation on your face and makes the skin healthier, but not sure what evidence this was based off of.