Intro to Traditional Wetshaving

ok so is this what I should do then?

I don't get razorburn here, but the hair does kind of get tangled in the razor on my chin and it hurts when shaving, especially if its been a few days and the hair is longer. Am I doing something wrong and/or is there anything I can do to prevent this?

I've been using Feather blades in my Merkur the past couple of weeks. They're so effing sharp that they'll nick me and I wont notice it until later. Hair poses them no threat.

They're like ninja-sharp.

Yeah, that's what you should do if you're serious.

Look at the video icepick posted the link to above, and follow through with a couple of the other mantic videos. He does a great job with them.

Whenever it grows out you will have trouble if not a new blade. I use to get alot of pain when shaving chin (meaning razor is ripping hairs out). Make sure to get your hair super hot and wet by either shaving after shower or using hot towels and then use some kind of preshave oil that softens hairs. That plus a fresh blade has solved all of my problems.

Feather blades are ridiculously sharp but do a great job. I have heard there is nothing else out there sharper although IMO the first 1-2 shaves are a bit much.

Just got a refill of Trumpers Lime Shave Soap. Excellent stuff, very light fragrance to it, and makes a great lather. So far, I like it better than the AOS Lavendar soap I was using before.

+1 thread.

I got onto wet shaving when I was in India. Easier, closer shave, more satisfying, less cuts because you have more idea of the condition/cleanliness of the blade. Back at home I use pears transparent soap which seems to be more effective and better on my skin than any of those aerosol products. Couldn't imagine using anything else now :-).

Trivia: in Kerala, small coins were going out of circulation because the value of the metal for making razor blades was higher than the face value.

Thanks OP...I just purchased a Merkur long classic safety razor as well and I love it.

I also got a badger brush from Crabtree and Evelyn, and preshave oil/shaving cream from 'Anthony' Logistics.

Shaving update:

I now have a favorite shaver: the Gillette Red Tip

So far I have used: Merkur Classic, Goodfella, Gillette Slim Adjustable, Gillette Red Tip

I had bought the red tip for my father's birthday as it is a 1956, his birthday year, but decided to keep it for myself after trying it. Vintage Gillettes are on par or even better than today's top brands (merkur) imo. They are 40-60 years old and still perform as if they were new.

I highly recommend mama bear soaps. I bought 4, rosemary mint, awakenings, ye olde barbershoppe and aged spice.

"awakings" is awesome if you shave in the moring, it freezes your face off. It has pepermint, tea tree, and menthol, loads of it.

I've been wet shaving for about a month now and would never go back to using the mach5. I still get razor bumps as I still need to work on my technique and I'm having trouble building a good lather with the tabac soap I have. I'm going to try some creams to see if that helps.

How to lather shaving soap

While its a okay guide, it starts from a ******ed premise, finishes with a ******ed conclusion, and has a couple other nuggets of stupid in there as well.

At least it doesn't wander all over the place.

It has been confirmed that Aqua Velva will no longer be sold in glass bottles.

Not a big deal to anyone but a fan of the stuff - while Combe promises no changes will be made to the formulation, it's almost certain something will have to change to put it in plastic.

Just a heads up - get your glass bottles now, if you're an AV fan.

picked up a straight razor for xmas, cant wait to hack my face to pieces

Wow. Just started using the Mitchells Wool Fat shaving soap. Works fantastic. Great basic scent. The lather seems nothing great on the brush, but the lubrication on the face is great. Easily the best shave I have had in a while.

Using this with the AOS Lavendar pre-shave oil, and AOS Lavendar After Shave cream. Using a AOS/Mach III razor. Haven't stepped up to the straight razor yet.

Jesse

Think I posted itt a few months ago saying how awesome safety razors are and I'm never going back to disposables.

Just got a new razor cause I was overseas and those pesky face hairs managed to appear after a couple of weeks. Found it by itself in a market in a small town in a country where people don't seem to have any body/face hair at all, so I didn't expect much. But then it's just a safety razor, right? How much can there be between them?

As it turns out, heaps.

This ****er's got a nice heavy handle that makes me feel like some kind of artist stroking it over my face.

And it puts a mother****ing CURVE in the BLADE. Who ever heard of this ****. I thought it was all the cheap rum messing with my vision but no it's supposed to be there and it makes shaving AWESOME.

Best shave I've had ever, using cold water and hotel soap. I feel like I've grown up enough now to smoke a pipe.

I say this only in case there's anyone as nubby as me who thinks these cheapest-of-the-cheap gilette safety razors with plastic handles are actually what it's supposed to be like.

Guess I should actually read this thread to figure out what the rest of my kit should be like. I'm obv not ape-like enough to be in a hurry but every little upgrade makes the experience more like fun and less like a pain in the arse.

i almost forgot how nice wet shaving is. i had taken it for granted.

then i went a few weeks with using cartridge only because i was shaving when at the gym (they have free razors/cream etc).

then the other day i shaved at home using my wet shaving stuff: merkur razor, trumper's shaving cream, and badger brush.

what a difference. such a great shave with that luxurious feel. no comparison.

sometimes you gotta leave something for a few weeks to really appreciate it

I've been without mine for ~6 weeks. I'm currently trying to see if I can fade another week without shaving (Its been 10 days). I look terrible. I'll probably have to suck it up today and probably for one more shave. A third may make me kill small woodland animals.

picked up a new blade today: Dorco 301s for whopping a 99 cents for 10 blades.

reviews at Badger and Blade are here:http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?t=68676

tried them out and not a bad blade. got a good shave, no nicks, no burns, and not too sharp or dull. i prefer the Merkur blade - the only other blade i've tried - but i don't know if the Merkur (at $10 for 10 blades) is that much better than the Dorco. i also have a pack of Feather Hi-Stainless Platinum blades (supposedly one of the sharpest blades) but i haven't gotten around to using it yet.

i think i'll try one of the West Coast Sample Packs.

i just realized it's Friday night and i'm posting about razor blades on a forum. i think i'm gonna end my life now.

I have to take some meds that mean no wet shaving for at least 4 months. Any suggestions on Elec razors? I have thick course hair..

Thanks

Moss Scuttlers,

What are advantagets of the Moss Scuttle vs. say lathering on face or in some kind of bowl? It seems there should be two segments of the scuttle, and there was talk of getting the scuttle warm beforehand. So is warm lather the big plus here or something else? Is getting lather easier/faster than say a bowl with ridges as some have mentioned?

I've tried to find electric shaving cream warmer, but these seem hard to find this year. If I get this, will scuttle be unneccesary?

Thanks,

To answer your last question first, yes.

The scuttle is basically a bowl within a bowl. I fill both the inner and the outter with hot water while I shower. Then dump both, refill with hot water, plop in my brush, and brush my teeth. Dump, refill the outer, and make my lather in the inner. By this time, the porcelain is warm and that's what heats the lather. And it stays warm long enough so that it's warm for my second pass as well.

Time for a bump. After transitioning from the Gillette Fusion to the Mach 3 to some double bladed thing I've decided that more blades are definitely not better for my face. I bought an Edward Jagger DE87, Best Badger by Edward Jagger, some Tabac soap and a few different kinds of blades. I've never used a safety razor before so I'm a little apprehensive but there are some extremely helpful videos on Youtube which instill confidence. Will post a trip report when the goodies arrive.