I'm ready to move on and need to know where I should go next. I should I get the profoundly advertised "Pro-Glide...best shave ever" razor, or a boutique 50 dollar safety razor? I don't even know what my choices are because there are too many...multi-blade, double edge, safety, and what brand?? Any help would be appreciated.

I've been a mach 3 turbo user for many years and have decided to give an oldschool safety razor a try. Just picked up a Gillette Red Tip, supposedly in good condition, from ebay. Is there anything in particular I should look for to gauge the usability of the razor? How should I thoroughly clean and disinfect it before test driving?

What blades are recommended for someone making the leap from cartridges?

I'm going to be stopping by the Art of Shaving store in Grand Central tonight to look for a brush and soap.

Bump for anyone. I've been doing this preshave for about a month with vvvg results. I need to do it; others might not. But if your beard is tough and you're having problems, maybe try this out.

I basically do:

1. 2 minutes lather with fingers in shower.
2. 90 seconds steaming towel on top of lather.
3. Relather, 90 seconds steaming towel.
4. Rinse, relather, shave.

Has worked well.

Has anyone tried using a shaving oil instead of soap/cream?

Seems so much easier than lathering up, great for traveling, and I've heard good reviews.

There are a number of options:
- http://www.pacificshaving.com/shavingoil.php
- http://www.somersets.com/products/sh...l-original.php
- even Walmart has something called Shave Secret that apparently works well

Somersets has free worldwide shipping so I ordered some today, will report back with results.

Also anyone who's never gotten a straight razor shave... GO

I thought my own wet shaving was pretty good, but doesn't even come close to a good straight razor shave from your barber.

I too use Kyles Prep. Combining KP with either Proraso or Tabac, a sterile razor/blade and witch hazel with aloe has done wonders for my shaves. I'm always fighting ingrown hairs due to weird/inconsistent graining on my neck and my approach seems to help a lot.

kyles prep works for me. sometimes i use proraso pre/post. <3 wet shaving.

A+, highly recommended. No razor burn or nicks, didn't even need aftershave. Don't think I'll be going back to shaving cream anytime soon. Just used the cheap Walmart oil (Citi flagged the Somersets order as fraudulent lol).

I'd been using the Merkur long-handled safety razor since I started wet shaving, but it actually broke when I dropped it this past weekend. I've been curious about the Merkur Futur so I bought it, and I'm very surprised by how much better the shave is - you can adjust the angle of the blade, allowing for a more "aggressive" shave, and it's just been much, much, closer. I don't feel any more susceptible to nicks, either. So in case you've been wondering about the Futur, I endorse it. Only drawbacks are the shorter handle and the extra weight - when shaving against the grain with the razor upside-down it can be slightly difficult to hold onto with slick hands, but it's getting easier as I get used to it.

Just gave the Pacific oil a try...Wow, it really works! My prep was a mild facial wash as soon as I woke up followed by a shower and then an application of Mentos facial conditioner after drying off. I put 7 drops into my hand and worked it into my coarse two day beard. Mixed with a sprinkle of water, you get a light white film that helps to show you where the oil is being applied. The white soon fades and you're left with just your face, perfect for the guy who needs to see where he's shaving. I put an aggressive Feather blade tied to a Merkur 34c HD razor for this mornings shave and went to work.

I cringed as I angled the razor and made that first pass, expecting lots of chatter and pulled hairs...None. Smoother than Tabac, smoother than AOS, smoother than Proraso. I held my razor with two fingers and kept pressure at a minimum. Because the razor doesn't have to fight the cushion of a thick lather, you can focus on proper angle and letting the weight of the razor do the work. My beard grows every which way, especially on my neck, and combined with super sensitive skin and coarse hair it makes for a miserable shaving experience. Today's shave was quick and painless, a two pass with the grain job. No nicks, no bumps, no burned feeling. After my second pass was completed I washed my face using a mild cleanser, dried off and applied the Mentos conditioner before starting my day.

This stuff is cheap ($8 shipped), you use less than ten drops for the entire shave. No taste, a mild scent that won't mask your post-shave products (or compete with them at all, for that matter), the ingredients are all natural, and my skin feels great after the shave. Usually in addition to nicks, bumps and burns I feel this "been shaved" feeling on my face which is mostly a combination of soap drying out my skin and the feeling that my skin has been worked out by the razor and brush -- no such feelings today. The oil doesn't gunk up the razor and frees up a ton of counter top space.

I have a problem with ingrown hairs so I don't want to claim this product is the best thing ever without evaluating my face over the next couple of days but as it stands now I won't be using anything else for shaving. I've tried a lot of different products and this is the real deal.

Agree completely. I spent years not being satisfied with shaving foams, creams, oils. They don't give a perfect shave and most have nasty smelling/cancer causing chemicals like benzene. I now use regular shower gel/body wash, and it's brilliant:



I smear about a teaspoon on my face without lathering and it's like silk when shaving...no cuts, irritation, and the shave is incredibly close. It sounds funny but once you've experienced shaving with it you don't go back.

So what's the best/cheapest website to order all this good stuff from?

I'm looking at www.westcoatshaving.com but if there's a better site I'd appreciate any recommendations.

You'll be able to find all the best products as well as blade sampler packs on Amazon.

thanks for the http://www.walmart.com/ip/Shave-Secr...75-ml/10324376 recommendation, i cant believe this stuff works but it does and ill never go back to shaving cream and after shave

I picked up the walmart shave oil this week too, having never used an oil before. It works pretty well except for the second or third passes, it feels like I'm getting a few scrapes. The directions say don't add more drops, just use more water. Maybe I'm not applying enough at the beginning, or it's just time for a new blade.

One benefit I noticed is that since my neck hairs grow in all kinds of directions, its easier to get all those spots since I don't any soap covering it up.

I think I still like the soaps better, but will continue using the oil on occasion. It's faster and also will be great for traveling.

Bump.

A) I use the pacific shaving oil when I travel, just because it's so compact and I am a very, very light packer. It's not nearly as good as using a good brush and cream/soap IME, though. I thought this was just because I use a sensor whatever when I travel (TSA will ****ing steal your blades if you take a safety razor) but on my last trip I drove, so I took my Merkur and the shave was still sub-par.

B) I'm currently using burt's bees bay rum shave soap and aftershave, both are A+, but they seem to have been discontinued. I'm not paying $74 for a 3oz bottle of aftershave, wtf. Looking for new products to try here. My sister worked at Origins while she was in school and she gave me some Blade Runner cream and Fire Fighter after shave, they're OK, but kinda pricey IMO. I'm not really opposed to paying $15 for shave cream in principle, but it needs to be really top shelf if they're going to ask that much IMO.

I'm currently using the Pacific oil as a preshave, then I apply Taylor of Old Bond Street avocado creme and I shave with a Merkur 34c and Crystal platinum blades. This combination gives me a close, comfortable shave without the irritation I experienced in the past. The Crystals are super cheap and hold an edge for a long time. I have really thick/coarse hair so I replace them every three shaves (I shave daily) but most people can probably get double that.

My Merkur Futur had a manufacturing defect and I didn't love it, so I returned it and bought a vintage 1967 Gillette adjustable on eBay. It's awesome and really nice-looking, kinda art deco. I like being able to adjust the blade, I can shave at an aggressive setting with the grain, then dial it down when going against the grain.

I get almost all my products at www.classicshaving.com. Their site-brand shaving cream is easily as good as the very expensive high-end stuff and lasts longer imo.

I've also been using a Nivea pre-shave facial scrub, awesome for exfoliating.

My Merkur Vision broke and I'm using a Futur now and don't like it as much. I'm actually quite disappointed with the Futur.

Proraso http://www.amazon.com/Proraso-Shavin.../dp/B000RI8BZQ

My main complaints about the Futur - weight and difficulty handling - are well addressed by the vintage Gillette. Mine is very similar to this one. The Gillette doesn't get quite as aggressive as the Futur, but still shaves closer than a regular Merkur. IMO the Futur was ridiculous at its most aggressive setting - you might as well get a straight razor and call it a day at that point.

You read lots of complaints about shoddy manufacturing by Merkur. I would think they'd take better steps to protect their reputation but it seems they don't.

I have both the Gillette Fat Boy and Slim vintage adjustables. I like the Slim better for shaving, the head is lower profile. But any shaving geek has to own a Fat Boy.

How to tell the difference between a Fat Boy and a Slim

Edit @ pvn: I just use witch hazel for after shave, it works very well at soothing the skin. Then whatever cologne if I want scent.

Been doing this for about 5 months and loving how close of a shave that I get. I do still get some irritation in a couple places where, if I go at them a little too aggressively, I get red bumps. I've been just putting moisterizer on after I shave on my whole face, is there something better to help with the irritation?

For me trying different blades and cremes until I found a combo that worked, performing proper preshave prep, and using proper angle & technique got rid of most of my bumps. I still have work to do with regards to technique due to some weird growth patches on my neck but aside from those I no longer suffer from irritation.

Witch hazel works for a lot of people post shave but it did nothing for me.

I had the worst irritation for a lot of years. I tried expensive creams, after shaves, razors, etc. I made sure to use proper technique and prep. nothing was able to help me get rid of the irritation until I started using this stuff (link below). After two weeks almost all of it was completely gone. This is one of the best prodcuts I've ever bought.

http://www.sephora.com/browse/produc...b2dsZS5jb20%3d