Cut-throat shaving

shirley_basso

cooldad wrote:

Probably are, but not buying a brush is not going to stop it if they eat the things.

Also.

In rural Northern China, badgers multiply to the point of becoming a crop nuisance, and village cooperatives are licensed by the national government to hunt badgers and sell the hair to processors.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shave_brush

Yeah but they typically just slit its throat and turn it inside out while still alive.

It's not a humane practice like some animals in Europe which are killed for their pelts but not eaten. (These animals are typically given general anaesthetic gas then killed with carbon monoxide). So at least it's painless.

bibimbap1424

What are your preference regards to blades + shaver combo?

Im doing EJ DE89 + gillette.

Do you soak your brush in warm water, cold water or hot water ( i know...just asking as some people like the glue coming off and having badger hair on their face ??! :P)

wolfsbane2k

bibimbap1424 wrote:

What are your preference regards to blades + shaver combo?

Im doing EJ DE89 + gillette.

Do you soak your brush in warm water, cold water or hot water ( i know...just asking as some people like the glue coming off and having badger hair on their face ??! :P)

I'm currently using a Feather Hi-Stainless, have tried the Personna Platinum and the Gillette, to be honest, no real preference either way at the moment, but I'm a 2-3 times a week shaver, rather than a daily, so the blades are lasting a very long time...

I'm soaking the brush from that pack in hot water straight from the tap ( 55 degrees ish) , and not had a problem, but a very cheap brush I got given when I first asked for a shaving brush fell apart over the space of 2 weeks for that exact reason..

shirley_basso

I soak in hottest water as it comes out the tap.

Shave after shower to soften hair.

I use the same combo as use (blades in the yellow box). Currently using rapha shaving cream but will buy the one above when it runs out.

wolfsbane2k

Shirley Basso wrote:

I soak in hottest water as it comes out the tap.

Shave after shower to soften hair.

I use the same combo as use (blades in the yellow box). Currently using rapha shaving cream but will buy the one above when it runs out.

One thing I've found, better/more effective than a shower, is to have a steaming hot face towel on your face for 2-3 mins while watching TV before hand, makes a massive difference to me.

bibimbap1424

im running out of shaving cream, i was using taylor of bond street.

any inexpensive cream/gel you recommend.

Recently im having some problems lathering, i dunno why.... i guess i was being a bit frugal and i left the brush in cold water...

preference ? steaming towel + pre shave oil or just come out of the shower? or just a face wash and lather up more.

shirley_basso

Sometimes it depends on the water where you are.

See above for a good, cheap cream.

I find the hotter my face has been prior, the easier it is to shave as it softens the hair more.

bibimbap1424

bibimbap1424 wrote:

What are your preference regards to blades + shaver combo?

Im doing EJ DE89 + gillette.

Do you soak your brush in warm water, cold water or hot water ( i know...just asking as some people like the glue coming off and having badger hair on their face ??! :P)

Just called them, they have a big delivery come in, was hoping to pick one up today actually. hahaha.

cooldad

bibimbap1424 wrote:

im running out of shaving cream, i was using taylor of bond street.

any inexpensive cream/gel you recommend.

Recently im having some problems lathering, i dunno why.... i guess i was being a bit frugal and i left the brush in cold water...

preference ? steaming towel + pre shave oil or just come out of the shower? or just a face wash and lather up more.

Read a few posts up. The Proraso stuff. In various flavours.

I shave after I shower, basin of hot water, sluish the brush, make foam, apply, shave. It's just shaving.

CiB

Ha. 6 years on since I kicked it off and this thread still lives on. Neat.

FWIW my original migration to a cut throat was short lived; too many wounds. On the suggestions proffered in the first couple of pages a Murhle DE arrived as a surprise Christmas present and it's still in use. The badgers brush works fine, a face rinse in warm water before or after a shower and a dob of shaving cream in the wet brush is enough to generate the lather, then a two pass shave going in opposite directions the second time. A box of blades costs about £8 and lasts a couple of years, and that was the original point of the thread - Gillette blades had crept way over twenty quid a packet and most of that cost seemed to be for the ads starring famous sports personalities. No thanks.

Anyone pondering the switch should give it a try. A better shave for a lot less cash.

Whatever happened to Suzyb, from the first couple of pages? Tremendous and fun contributor to this parish but like many others, yours truly included, long since gone. 6 years eh...?

pblakeney

CiB wrote:

FWIW my original migration to a cut throat was short lived; too many wounds...

FWIW to anyone else considering the migration...
The solution is practice, but quite often as simple as changing blade model.

shirley_basso

PBlakeney wrote:

CiB wrote:

FWIW my original migration to a cut throat was short lived; too many wounds...

FWIW to anyone else considering the migration...
The solution is practice, but quite often as simple as changing blade model.

This.

Still get some particularly bad shaves though, usually on special occasions.

bibimbap1424

are there any benefits of shaving oil? do you use it?

i bought the rapha shaving soap, but i haven't opened it yet...need to finish my old soap.

Any blades you recommend? i use wilkinson , but i heard feather is good? Derby is good etc.

cooldad

Rapha shaving soap? Seriously?

From a review, I could imagine him getting mildly moist when he typed that.

Reviews:
"Male cyclists who shave their legs, for better or worse, like to luxuriate in the process of lathering up and then lovingly depilating their legs. Rapha, which caters to just such traditions, gives us another reason to savor a shave with this cream. Like other Rapha skin care products (soap, embrocation, and chamois cream), this one takes its inspiration from the slopes of Mont Ventoux, and uses ingredients like Juniper berries, Cypress, Lavender, and pine needles to create a scent that evokes the Giant of Provence. In a hot, steamy shower, the aromas come together in a wonderful way. More wonderful, of course, is the shaving cream’s impressive performance: Use two fingers full on each leg, and work it into lather before shaving. The cream does a better job than most at moisturizing your legs as you shave, leaving them smooth, without any bumps or razor burn."

Maybe it was the hot steamy shower bit.

Blades are personal. Worth getting a selection from one of the online places. They do variety packs.

I use Gillette 7'clock. Up at the sharp end but not as extreme as some.

I tried oil but it seemed a pointless step.

cooldad

ps I just shave my face. I like my legs to look like manly tree trunks.

shirley_basso

I bought the rapha shave cream. It smells nice and lathers well.

Given how cheap cut throat shaving is, you can afford to splash out on creams. It's lasted about 18m for around 20 quid (face shaving only). That's barely a months worth of safety razor blades!

CanalRider

Can anyone recommend a good honer for my straight edges?

CanalRider

UndercoverElephant wrote:

Wolfsbane2k wrote:

davis wrote:

Wolfsbane2k wrote:

What does anyone do about used blade storage?

I have a Feather blade bank which is a little steel box that can be recycled when full of blades. Not fair on the poor buggers who sort the recycling to have sharps in amongst the rest.

I se a beer can, hole in the top is spot on for a DE blade. When it's nearly full carefully crush the top to seal it.

bibimbap1424

cooldad wrote:

Rapha shaving soap? Seriously?

From a review, I could imagine him getting mildly moist when he typed that.

Reviews:
"Male cyclists who shave their legs, for better or worse, like to luxuriate in the process of lathering up and then lovingly depilating their legs. Rapha, which caters to just such traditions, gives us another reason to savor a shave with this cream. Like other Rapha skin care products (soap, embrocation, and chamois cream), this one takes its inspiration from the slopes of Mont Ventoux, and uses ingredients like Juniper berries, Cypress, Lavender, and pine needles to create a scent that evokes the Giant of Provence. In a hot, steamy shower, the aromas come together in a wonderful way. More wonderful, of course, is the shaving cream’s impressive performance: Use two fingers full on each leg, and work it into lather before shaving. The cream does a better job than most at moisturizing your legs as you shave, leaving them smooth, without any bumps or razor burn."

Maybe it was the hot steamy shower bit.

Blades are personal. Worth getting a selection from one of the online places. They do variety packs.

I use Gillette 7'clock. Up at the sharp end but not as extreme as some.

I tried oil but it seemed a pointless step.

someone recommended it, i don't shave my legs unfortunatey :P haha, i bought it...smell wise is acquired, do you think we can put some recommendations and a short writeups of soaps/ blades etc.

like :

Taylors bond Street ( sandalwood shaving cream)- this is what i used when i first starting DE shaving, easy to lather up, i felt it rather dry when i put it on my face...however it did penetrate deep into the hair with minor lathering up needed . I would say this shaving cream would be good with anyone with a thick and hard beard and needs a good clean shave. Smell is nice too!

palmolive shaving cream- i went on holiday and i didn't take any shaving cream with me..doh!. bought a small tube of this. You will have to use a bit larger amount than a pea size. cheap product which goes a long way, i recommend it for beginners which want to slap a huge amount of soap on their face, neutral smell and suits all skins.

i dunno if this is good, but it was a quick write up.

pblakeney

bibimbap1424 wrote:

are there any benefits of shaving oil? do you use it?
Any blades you recommend? i use wilkinson , but i heard feather is good? Derby is good etc.

1. No.
2. Get the sampler packs. I got 2 to try most of them. Everyone is different.

rrsodl

CiB wrote:

Ha. 6 years on since I kicked it off and this thread still lives on. Neat.

FWIW my original migration to a cut throat was short lived; too many wounds. On the suggestions proffered in the first couple of pages a Murhle DE arrived as a surprise Christmas present and it's still in use. The badgers brush works fine, a face rinse in warm water before or after a shower and a dob of shaving cream in the wet brush is enough to generate the lather, then a two pass shave going in opposite directions the second time. A box of blades costs about £8 and lasts a couple of years, and that was the original point of the thread - Gillette blades had crept way over twenty quid a packet and most of that cost seemed to be for the ads starring famous sports personalities. No thanks.

Anyone pondering the switch should give it a try. A better shave for a lot less cash.

Whatever happened to Suzyb, from the first couple of pages? Tremendous and fun contributor to this parish but like many others, yours truly included, long since gone. 6 years eh...?

Cut throat shaving or Straight razor shaving takes practice, I gave myself 100 shaves to master the technique and I'd say by shave 80 I was ready. I shave with a straight razor at least once a week, when I can allow the time to enjoy it and the results are fantastic.

Shaving with a straight razor, double edge or single edge razor can be addictive and be very expensive in the long run, most people I know that got into wet shaving to save money found out that you need to avoid falling into a huge rabbit hole, I finally have under control my RAD, SAD, BAD and AAD but after 7 DE razors and 5 straight razors, more than 50 soaps and creams, a dozen brushes and a dozen aftershaves.... it is a strange hobby but I enjoy shaving everyday and it keeps the wife happy too

ddraver

I loved it when I did it. Made a horrible mess of my face the one time I tried to use a straight razor but the safety razor was great.

Unfortunatley I just look better with a beard. Covers up the ugly...

Tashman

ddraver wrote:

Unfortunatley I just look better with a beard. Covers up the ugly...

I can relate to this, although I seem to have volunteered for the Movember thing so for a month at least I'll have to dust off the DE razor. Seem to recall mine being a Boots own label with a plastic handle and superdrug blades. Definitely nothing fancy.

mouth

CiB wrote:

FWIW my original migration to a cut throat was short lived; too many wounds.

I took a great deal of advice from my barber, who actually runs an informal session in his shop to show you basic techniques in shaving. He also hooked me up with industrial levels of blades, and blade types. Took a few attempts but I eventually found one I like - turns out to be the same one as he uses in the shop - and about £6 (shipped) for 50 is excellent value when you consider that from my Gillette cartridge razor I was getting one shave per blade.

I use a Wilkinson Sword disposable with regular (lady shave, might as well take just one) gel when we're away, because carting my DE, soap, bowl, brush etc is just effort.

bibimbap1424

I normarlly take my brush + soap tub and my DE when im away. I use the top of the soap tub as a lathering tool.

i currently use the EJ89 + gillete blades with taylor of bond street sandalwood soap.

I been meaning to get a sample of blades , so i think i will shop around and get like a bundle of random to see what i like.

cougie

A recent convert to old school razors here. The selection pack of blades sounds an excellent idea. I've bought a steel tin to ditch the used blades in and the whole thing can be recycled at the tip.

What's the best lather please - not keen on having a brush to clog up the bathroom cupboard with. Currently just using shower gel but it's not the latheriest.

rick_chasey

Curious question - anyone who uses safety razors - are you shaving every day?

I get the impression, which may be wrong, that folk who spend time shaving don't usually do it every day.

cougie

Tbh I've not shaved daily for decades.

shirley_basso

Shower gel?

Lather depends on the water where you are.

The Rapha one, although ridiculed above is really, really nice.

bibimbap1424

but i think for the price of rapha and the quantity, if he isn't using a brush..its going to run out pretty soon.

maybe a shave soap?