Cut-throat shaving

Anonymous

I have the bottom one, the EJ DE89, but with that grippier finish. Highly recommended.

Anyway, question to the hive: I can't get a good lather at all with my brush/soap combo. I find that it all goes up into the brush so I have to squeeze it out between my fingers. Then I use the brush to take it off my index finger and apply to my face.

I have an EJ synthetic brush and am using this soap. I just try to whip it up straight into the dish. How much lather am I going for? As above - pics paint 1000 words! Thanks!

alfablue

coriordan wrote:

I have the bottom one, the EJ DE89, but with that grippier finish. Highly recommended.

Anyway, question to the hive: I can't get a good lather at all with my brush/soap combo. I find that it all goes up into the brush so I have to squeeze it out between my fingers. Then I use the brush to take it off my index finger and apply to my face.

I have an EJ synthetic brush and am using this soap. I just try to whip it up straight into the dish. How much lather am I going for? As above - pics paint 1000 words! Thanks!

Yes, that soap is rubbish!

I use this soap. Hand made, £3, makes a great foam, has a pleasant but mild smell, feels good on the skin. You just cut it into cubes and melt into your shaving mug (I use a wide coffee cup) using the microwave. I bought this in October and only two thirds of it has been used. Having tried this I won't bother with more commercial brands, this is perfect.

The seller isn't currently listing it but he will make it to order if you contact him/her.

alfablue

Razor blades - found Astra Platinum blades, £10 for 100 delivered. Great blades, found them sharper than Derby and milder than Feather. Should be a years supply

Anonymous

Got the blades, good call! Just emailing the soap people now. Thanks all.

CiB

coriordan wrote:

IAnyway, question to the hive: I can't get a good lather at all with my brush/soap combo. I find that it all goes up into the brush so I have to squeeze it out between my fingers. Then I use the brush to take it off my index finger and apply to my face.

Ditch the bowl to get a decent lather.

Sink of hot water; wet the face, brush and soap stick; rub the brush round the soap, then rub the soap stick round inside the bristles. Then start massaging your face with the brush. At first just you get a pale skin effect but v quickly you get the full lather equally spread round your chops. When there's plenty on stand the razor on its base, do the first pass, then use what's left in the brush to re-lather for the second pass. It only takes 2 or 3 tries to be able to gauge how much soap / brush interaction it needs to generate enough lather for 1/2/3 passes. With the Palmolive and a Wilkinson soap stick this works a treat.

UndercoverElephant

A decent later is pretty easy. Instructions below are for solid soap:

1) Dip brush in hot water.
2) Rub brush around soap cake for four seconds.
3) Make cup shape with left hand and rub brush vigorously but relatively lightly in a circular fashion on palm.
4) Your foam may be a little dry, if so dip the tip of the brush in the water and go to step 3.
5) Apply to face, using a circular motion.

After about 20 seconds of step 3, I have huge amounts of silky, soft foam. I live in a quite soft water region, though, so you London types will have to work a bit harder. Mitchell's Wool Fat soap is the shizzle.

It's a matter of preference how much watery you like your foam, but too dry and you won't get much at all.

Anonymous

Cool i'll try that. I usually spend a while at it, but will keep going!

Also, sorry alfablue - just bought the last 2 bars of that hand made soap!

Thanks again all, appreciated.

Subaqua

This is mostly O/T but the debate on this thread has inspired me to give proper wet shaving another go.

I've generally been a braun guy, for convenience more than anything else but I've been getting increasing hacked off with the low quality results.

Last week in invested in a Merkur 38c... an EJ super badger brush, soap etc and it all came early this week. This morning, even though I needed to be in work for a 7.30 call I thought I'd give it a crack and if it was taking too long, I could always bail and finish with electric.

After some pre-shave prep, lathering up didn't take too long.... I started shaving and .... wow... it just seemed to easy. Just short easy passes... barely any pressure needed and the job (seemed to be) mostly done in one pass... but it was probably two. I reckon it took a couple of minutes longer than the usual electric job... which involves half a dozen passes everywhere to get a half decent result.

The result was easily the best shave I have had in years and not a single nick to boot. I am a convert to wet shaving already... the braun is likely to end up as a back up (maybe I should bite the bullet and put it on ebay).

I've now realised that after almost 30 years of shaving... with the right mindset it can be fun... a pleasure rather than a chore! And back on-thread... I'm also going to try a cheap cut-throat too and see how that works out. If I find I like that I'm tempted to get my hands on a japanese blade!

lostboysaint

Subaqua - the most important thing you've found is that you don't use any pressure, just let the weight of the razor do the job.

I have just been given some EJ pre-shave cream http://www.traditionalshaving.co.uk/en/Edwin-Jagger/5325435-edwin-jagger-hydrating-pre-shave-lotion.htmland that is brilliant. Not only does it seem to do exactly what is says on the box but the combination of ingredients makes for a very powerful "wake you up" menthol type smell when you apply it.

I am a complete convert. I am so impressed by how much smoother the shave is now and how straightforward it is.

prawny

Broke out my (dad's) old Gillette DE razor last night on the back of this thread, ahh, bliss. I put it away when the kids were really small just in case they tried to eat the blades or something but now they're 3 & 5 I'm comfortale enough to use it again. I need to get around to getting some decent soap and an alum block, luckily there's a decent shaving shop in town, opposite the fountain pen shop.

lostboysaint

Stanley222 wrote:

I'm gonna have to try some now!
How much do you use pre-shave?

Not a lot at all, it covers very easily. Not just that but if you slathered it on you'd knock yourself out with the fumes

twist83

I am off to Lannndann Town this weekend for 4 days.

I fancy getting into this Safety razor shaving lark. Any ideas where I might go to procure some of these set devices and creams?

Anonymous

Online?

EKE_38BPM

twist83 wrote:

I am off to Lannndann Town this weekend for 4 days.

I fancy getting into this Safety razor shaving lark. Any ideas where I might go to procure some of these set devices and creams?

Boots?

twist83

Guessing online is the best bet.

I cannot see Boots stocking a lot of the stuff mentioned in this thread...

Anonymous

Seriously, Penhanigon's is quite nice for lotions + brushes. (kings road) Dr Harris (St James - by Green Park) also for creams, lotions and brushes.

Not sure where to get razors, but the Edwin Jagger DE89 is raved about by everyone here and I'm certainly v happy. I paid an extra few quid to have the grippier "barley" handle:

http://www.traditionalshaving.co.uk/en/ ... -de89.html

I think I have spent about 60 quid (Razor, brush (synthetic), 100 blades + soap) and that should easily last a year.

twist83

Lovely thank you for the sensible advice

Anonymous

http://www.murdocklondon.com/our-stores/

Could be a place to get and get some not so impartial advice.

kenan

I'm sure this has been covered but couldn't find the question.

Would it be ok to use normal shaving foam/gel with a safty razor to test the water before ordering brush, bowl etc?

alfablue

kenan wrote:

I'm sure this has been covered but couldn't find the question.

Would it be ok to use normal shaving foam/gel with a safty razor to test the water before ordering brush, bowl etc?

Yes, but the aerosol foams seem to be quite dry and seem to sit on top, a better result may be had with a non-aerosol oil or gel.

( reminds me of The Swedish Chemist )

UndercoverElephant

kenan wrote:

I'm sure this has been covered but couldn't find the question.

Would it be ok to use normal shaving foam/gel with a safty razor to test the water before ordering brush, bowl etc?

Of course, a razor is a razor after all. Like Alfablue says, though, worth working it into the stubble well - but the same goes with any razor.

I made a mistake, I ran out of soap and happened to be passing Arran Aromatics (posh smellies place up here), so popped in and bought their fantastic-smelling Bay Citrus shaving soap. Perfectly good, but it's really underlined to me how good my previous "Mitchell's Wool Fat" soap is, all through this winter and last summer I've had really great feeling skin without using any moisturiser or balm, even in the coldest months, no chapped skin or anything.

One week on the new stuff, and my face is getting rough as hell.

flimflam_machine

UndercoverElephant wrote:

..it's really underlined to me how good my previous "Mitchell's Wool Fat" soap is, all through this winter and last summer I've had really great feeling skin without using any moisturiser or balm, even in the coldest months, no chapped skin or anything.

That good? Really? I mean I'm really enjoying using it and it's better than any other soap (and most creams) that I've used but I don't feel that I can give up on my aftershave moisturiser. Perhaps it's the hard water where I live (or my immense metrosexuality).

Anonymous

Might as well keep it in the metro thread -

Which is a good post shave moisturiser/pre shave exfoliate? I think I am using the wrong moisturiser as it is as thick as tar! Don't have a pre-shave exfoliate, but always on the look out for something.

walkingbootweather

I just use Nivea After Shave Balm. Was able to pick it up for about £3 a bottle recently at the local supermarket.

lostboysaint

I do like my Edwin Jagger aftershave lotion. I don't use a pre-shave exfoliate, just a good hot water/towel steam and a covering of EJ pre-shave lotion.

flimflam_machine

coriordan wrote:

Might as well keep it in the metro thread -

Which is a good post shave moisturiser/pre shave exfoliate? I think I am using the wrong moisturiser as it is as thick as tar! Don't have a pre-shave exfoliate, but always on the look out for something.

There is a moisturiser thread somewhere (manly cyclists we are!) Liz Earle After-Shaving Moisturiser is lovely; quite pricey, but you don't need a lot. On a budget, the Nivea Mens post shave jollop, which you can get from Boots, is pretty good and not to heavy. I don't exfoliate pre shave as I find it tends to over stimulate my skin and I get spots. Also I find any little bits of scrubbing material left on my skin make shaving really difficult.

Edit: +1 for the Nivea then

graeme_s-2

I've been beardy since the onset of winter. Have decided to shave it off again for the spring, so have just ordered an Edwin Jagger and a selection back of blades. Quite looking forwards to shaving again now!

DonDaddyD

Alright chaps I'm doing this. I don't shave often (twice/three times a week) but when I do I get about two shaves from my Gillette Fusion Proglide and even then my face is left with bumps. - I don't grow facial hair all that quickly but when I do the hair is quite coarse.

So I'm doing this.

Would this be suitable: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Edwin-Jagger-Im ... 189&sr=8-1

Also what shaving foam, gel, soap should I get? I've been using Gillette Fusion Tough Beard Gel... I don't want to go mad mad.

walkingbootweather

If you are going to do this properly you need a razor, some blades, a brush and either shaving cream or soap.

A decent starting point is one of these kits. There is a code somewhere on this thread to get an extra 10% off but other suppliers will have competitive prices too. I'd recommend a mixed pack of blades so you can try a few different ones and find one that works well for you.

DonDaddyD

Thank you