I made the switch and I'd certainly never go back. Takes a little why to get used to, but it's worth it.

Everything arrived today and I gave it a try. The first thing I noticed was the razor itself - heavy with a short handle. It's a beautiful piece, I really like Edward Jaggers' especially at the price they sell them for. The brush was supple yet bristly if that makes sense -- enough that you could feel it working as you apply lather but not uncomfortable and definitely not mushy. The Tabac soap smells nice, lathers well and comes in its own bowl, but I found it dried quickly. It may be because I'm a newb and didn't apply enough lather to my face to keep it wet though. The blades were thin and extremely sharp; I didn't know what to expect til they showed up, wow!

The shave itself was great. Very close and I had all the control I wanted. Trimming up my sideburns and the side of my neck was always a problem with 2+ blade razors, but with the safety razor I can just pick the spot I want to trim and get to work. Short, delicate strokes get the job done easily which is a nice change from what I was using before. I cut my neck around the Adams apple three times; my neckline tends to grow weird and I wasn't used to holding the razor at odd angles so I got a couple of small nicks. Because my Adams apple sticks out a bit it nicked myself on the tip from pressing too hard but I'll remember to hold a swallow next time and not apply any pressure. *Pro tip: Watch mantic59's videos on Youtube!

All in all a great experience and something I will certainly be getting up 20 minutes early for. My face hasn't been this smooth since I was 14!

I like to give a man a nice shave. I find it relaxing and I enjoy the ritual and caretaking aspect. I have done this for my patients when they are too sick/unconscious and for guy's that I've dated. I enjoy going through all of the steps from the warm towel to after care.

I'm wondering if many of you have been given a shave by your lady and if you would enjoy it as a relaxing treat. I'm also curious how many of you have had a professional shave at the barber with a straight razor and what the experience was like for you.

I go to Art of Shaving in NYC a few times a year. It's a very nice experience. Very relaxing, almost to the point that I find myself nearly falling asleep.

It's nice to be pampered! I would love to shadow them for a few hours, just to pick up on some of the techniques! I think I've seen a video clip from them or somewhere similar showing how it's done.

I've had a few. Art of Shaving in Vegas was the best, though it may have been my sleep deprivation. Heimies Haberdashery in St. Paul was so-so. The Gentleman's Barber in Chicago was good.

I'd like to have a Turkish shave someday, if I work up the nerve. Check out a video of that, the finish is a real eye opener.

Whoa. I think I'll leave the fire and threading to the pros! The massage looked amazing though - I'd do that for someone deserving!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sbOuCslWosQ

Worth every penny, visited Turkey for 2 weeks few years ago and went directly from the Airport to a barber. My girlfriend wanted to drop the suitcases at the hotel right away : when the barber finished I told her right away "I might not need sex at all tonight"

bump

I had just made a thread in the Lounge about wet shaving, but someone posted and suggested that I look here instead. There is a lot of great stuff here. I've been using soap and brush for a few months to lather, though I still only use a Mach 3 Turbo to actually shave. I just wanted to recommend a brand of soap that I'm currently using that is simply amazing, and better than anything I've ever used before. I have tried many different kinds of soap and creams: TOBS, AoS, Tabac, Mama Bears, T&H, GFT, Castle Forbes, Domenico Caraceni, and a few others. The brand I currently use predominantly is a phenomal quality product. The soap is made by Al's Shaving Products, and is called The Bomb. You can find reviews in the wet shaving forums like Badger and Blade and Straight Razor Place. There is also a website (cue shameless plug): www.alsshaving.com. You should definitely check it out if you're interested. They make custom scents too, and I love the lavender. Cheers

^^ Thanks.

I recently switch over from Trumpers to Mitchells Wool Fat. This stuff is amazing. I read lots of articles about how hard it is to later, but I have no issues and the lather is great.

Just ran out of AOS lavender pre-shave oil, so am looking for a replacement product.

I gave MWF a try but it just didn't compare to Tabac for me. Lathered up fine, but I felt some razor chatter which I never feel with Tabac. It didn't dry out my face as much as Tabac tends to, though.

Does the soap by Al's have tallow in it?

I went to the Art of Shaving in New York a few weeks ago - very nice experience and an excellent (though not perfect) shave, but this may be more of a "life check-off list" item rather than a something I'll repeat.

As a result of this thread, though, I have gone to a wet-shave routine using a Panasonic electric (sacrilege!), which for me is both more comfortable and more effective than a manual razor, closer with much less irritation, and overall better to me even than the above AoS shave. Dry, the Panny is quite good with a certainly acceptable shave, but add the wet shave components and it becomes incredible.

Right now I have AoS and Taylor, and after a week or so with each feel that I prefer the Art of Shaving products.

Hey Borders,

Al's cream does not have tallow in it. However, as you may know, you can get excellent lather from a fatty acid profile that does not come from tallow. Tallow is simply the easiest thing to use to get enough lathering power in a shaving product. Some of the best creams on the market do not have tallow, for example, CF and DC are good creams that do not use it. Also, TOBS.

well get a Merkur and some feathers and report back!

Will have to do this for sure

I have a (fogless) shower mirror set up in my shower for shaving. Unfortunately it was only fogless the first day. I just throw some water on it and it clears up long enough for me to shave.

If I slack of on shaving and my beard starts getting thicker I have an electric raver/trimmer set I use to thin it out before I razor shave.

I just use the basic Fusion,Gillette shaving foam and after shave. I have use shaving lotion and after shave lotion I liked how it worked but I'm not paying $20 for it just to shave. I'm so cheap I usually just steal the fusion blades from wal-mart when we are up there shopping for something else. **** paying $20 for 4 blades also.

Professional Barbers straight razor shave with the warm lather is the best. I've never had a better shave before than or since then. The problem is where I live now they aren't allowed to use straight razors anymore. So I haven't had one in years.

are you allowed to cut your steak with a knife?

Did you pay for it, or run out the door?

Last time I asked for one the barber told me they weren't allowed by law to use straight razors. I live in NEPA BTW.

Put a little shaving cream on the mirror and wipe it off with a towel. Try it on only part of the mirror to see how well it works.

UK's King of Shaves promo video NSFW

The girl is NY barber Diane Wood who shaved Letterman's beard on the show after the writer's strike a couple years ago.

Just thought I'd bump this great thread up as I'm finding a certain problem with shaving myself atm

i've used 2 blade disposable razers + standard gillette shaving cream for 5 years now