Wet Shaving, anyone?

[DrunkenMonkey]

my [evil] ex-girlfriend got me a straight shave voucher at an upmarket barber, looking forward to it!

I'd be suspicious.

[MIKA27]

I'd be suspicious.

The barber is waiting Dicko.....

[MIKA27]

Just wondering if any of the gents on these forums indulge in the holy ritual of shaving with straight razors, DEs, etc? I have been a member on a few sites for some time and have senior member status on most of them. Just wanted to see if anyone else on here had the same habit of spending tons of money on old stones, straights, strops, soaps too! I just had an amazing shave with an old Gotta Hamburg 6/8s straight and I had to ask!

It's fun and a real bank breaker!!

BTW Disburden.... A very interesting thread bud.

Any recommendations for sensitive skin?

I hate shaving every day but unfortunately for my work, I have to.

[gfoster]

I have a nice collection of straights and have been wet shaving with them exclusively for several years now. I used to hang out over at straightrazorplace but haven't been there in a while. I might show up and poke my nose in the door again.

-- Gary F.

[Disburden]

BTW Disburden.... A very interesting thread bud.

Any recommendations for sensitive skin?

I hate shaving every day but unfortunately for my work, I have to.

Mitchell's Wool Fat shaving soap and a brush should help with the skin issues, it has lanolin in it. Canned goo is horrible for your skin to begin with and has a ton of chemicals in it that actually do the opposite of what a shave cream/soap is supposed to do.

Also straight shaving leaves your face feeling like a baby's ass and pretty much all the bumps and redness from Mach 3 type razors is gone in a few weeks/a month.

you don't need to shave daily. I grow a full beard a few weeks ago and when it got hot out I swiped it off with one pace of a straight razor. It's neat to watch your whole beard peel off as if it was glued on when your straight shave it off!

[Disburden]

I have a nice collection of straights and have been wet shaving with them exclusively for several years now. I used to hang out over at straightrazorplace but haven't been there in a while. I might show up and poke my nose in the door again.

-- Gary F.

Nice! If you ever feel up to it, I always like looking at some razor porn!

[habone]

Yep!!!!!!

YEP...if u stood Brutus next to a yeti...they would look like twins!!! fury basterd!!!

[jay8354]

Used to use a Mach 3 and some form of shave cream from Body Shop.

Then I found BladeandBadger and found Shaving heaven of info.

Now using a DE with Red blades, Mitchell's Wool Fat shaving soap, with some quality Shave brushes from QED, shave brush stand from Shane Silcox, Moss Scuttle and Ayers Bowl.

I will never go back to multi-blades.

[Fuzz]

Used to use a Mach 3 and some form of shave cream from Body Shop.

Then I found BladeandBadger and found Shaving heaven of info.

Now using a DE with Red blades, Mitchell's Wool Fat shaving soap, with some quality Shave brushes from QED, shave brush stand from Shane Silcox, Moss Scuttle and Ayers Bowl.

I will never go back to multi-blades.

Jase, next time you look in the mirror, take a real good look and realise... you're ASIAN!! You ain't got no bloody stubble to begin with!!

[josie67]

I belong to badger and blade as well....I LOVE DE shaving.. I currently use a '59 Gillette Fatboy with Crystal blades. Going to buy a Rooney 3/1 brush next month.

[Disburden]

Used to use a Mach 3 and some form of shave cream from Body Shop.

Then I found BladeandBadger and found Shaving heaven of info.

Now using a DE with Red blades, Mitchell's Wool Fat shaving soap, with some quality Shave brushes from QED, shave brush stand from Shane Silcox, Moss Scuttle and Ayers Bowl.

I will never go back to multi-blades.

Shoot me a PM over there sometime, I am a member there too!

[Disburden]

I belong to badger and blade as well....I LOVE DE shaving.. I currently use a '59 Gillette Fatboy with Crystal blades. Going to buy a Rooney 3/1 brush next month.

IF you're ever looking for me, shoot me a PM, I have a ton of DE and SE razors lying around. Every try the Gem SE razors? I Think they're better than the DEs and shave more like a straight.

[mbrody]

Disburden, Thanks for a fun topic. I am reading up on it each night. When I figure out how I would like to explore, I will look to buy something...

[thechenman]

I may just have to look into this as my Braun just crapped out on me this morning. It's nto even a year old yet. Anyway...Disburden...what do you recommend as an initial setup for a novice...preferably nothing hard to find. Something that I could just pick up at the shaving shop in Grand Central.

[Disburden]

I may just have to look into this as my Braun just crapped out on me this morning. It's nto even a year old yet. Anyway...Disburden...what do you recommend as an initial setup for a novice...preferably nothing hard to find. Something that I could just pick up at the shaving shop in Grand Central.

I would get a razor from straightrazordesigns.com a basic Dovo is fine. If you buy from a retailer it WON'T be shave ready (sharp enough to shave you well) and you will be frustrated. The ones from the site I have mentioned are honed on the stones, by hand, and are very very shave ready. I can not stress enough that if you buy a razor from a store in the city it WILL be dull, no questions asked and you will either cut yourself or wonder why the stubble is still on your face. This is the biggest mistake new guys make in buying.

A dovo Strop of Russian leather is the best I can think of for a low price range, you can find that online. Just make sure it has a linen side to, very important.

Tabac soap refill is a soap that is very very good and is cheap, get the puck refill and just use that in a tupperware if you don't want to buy the bowel with it.

A brush you can get at the drug store but it will probably fall apart after some time since they're cheap and not made well. Straightrazordesigns.com also has nice brushes.

I wouldn't just dive into this, the learning curve just for shaving technique is VERY steep and most people have to practice for about 4 months to get the results they want, that's why I recommend reading straightrazorplace.com first to learn as much as possible before you dive in.

[Disburden]

Disburden, Thanks for a fun topic. I am reading up on it each night. When I figure out how I would like to explore, I will look to buy something...

It becomes an expensive obsession, be warned.

[mbrody]

It becomes an expensive obsession, be warned.

LOL, you do know where you posted this right?!?

Seriously though, would you do a DE or SE before jumping into the Straight? I am not sure if I can get the time to perform the daily straight ritual. So if I go with the Straight, it may be for the weekends, until I get addicted enough to get out of bed earlier...

[Disburden]

No going to DE/ SE first isn't necessary at all, I did do it that way though. The only beneifit I see from going that route first is that you learn how to prep your face, mix lather from soap and brush and know the consistancy it needs to be before trying to hold a three inch blade that's as sharp as a surgeons tool to your face. Once you get used to straight shaving you can do 3 passes in about 15 minutes, but be warned that speed takes months to develop or you can seriously injure yourself and be scarred for life.

LOL, you do know where you posted this right?!?

Seriously though, would you do a DE or SE before jumping into the Straight? I am not sure if I can get the time to perform the daily straight ritual. So if I go with the Straight, it may be for the weekends, until I get addicted enough to get out of bed earlier...

[Habanos2000]

you can seriously injure yourself and be scarred for life.

Cool! I'm in!!

[mbrody]

Thanks Disburden, I think I will start with the Straight...probably the basic Dovo 6/8 as you mentioned prior from Lynn. He has a kit listed with a strop, brush and soap. Would that be a good starter? Upgrade to the 3" Strop?

[ZinZan]

Hey Disburden,

You've picked my interest as well, initially i thought this was crazy but i wasn't with my Mach 3 shave. Honestly I doubt i can do the straights, DEs are a bit more attainable.

[thechenman]

I would get a razor from straightrazordesigns.com a basic Dovo is fine. If you buy from a retailer it WON'T be shave ready (sharp enough to shave you well) and you will be frustrated. The ones from the site I have mentioned are honed on the stones, by hand, and are very very shave ready. I can not stress enough that if you buy a razor from a store in the city it WILL be dull, no questions asked and you will either cut yourself or wonder why the stubble is still on your face. This is the biggest mistake new guys make in buying.

A dovo Strop of Russian leather is the best I can think of for a low price range, you can find that online. Just make sure it has a linen side to, very important.

Tabac soap refill is a soap that is very very good and is cheap, get the puck refill and just use that in a tupperware if you don't want to buy the bowel with it.

A brush you can get at the drug store but it will probably fall apart after some time since they're cheap and not made well. Straightrazordesigns.com also has nice brushes.

I wouldn't just dive into this, the learning curve just for shaving technique is VERY steep and most people have to practice for about 4 months to get the results they want, that's why I recommend reading straightrazorplace.com first to learn as much as possible before you dive in.

Many thanks for the advice.

[Disburden]

Thanks Disburden, I think I will start with the Straight...probably the basic Dovo 6/8 as you mentioned prior from Lynn. He has a kit listed with a strop, brush and soap. Would that be a good starter? Upgrade to the 3" Strop?

That package is awesome, I would recommend that to anyone. The 3 inch strop isn't needed imo but it may make things easier for you. On stropping a 3 inch wide strop you should still use an X pattern stroke to get all over the blade correctly aligned on the leather anyway so it would be the same thing.

[Disburden]

Hey Disburden,

You've picked my interest as well, initially i thought this was crazy but i wasn't with my Mach 3 shave. Honestly I doubt i can do the straights, DEs are a bit more attainable.

If you go on badgerandblade.com and look in the shave mall area there is a lot of DE razors for sale from good people there. When looking for disposable blades only use good ones, I would say use Derby, Gillette 7o' clock (Yellow pack), or Feather blades.

I think the old Gillette DE razors are better then the new Merkur ones but they say that's just a preference thing. Overall for safety razors I think the old GEM SE razors are even better, they use Ted Pella Stainless blades, you can find those on his site.

[Disburden]

Cool! I'm in!!

When a lady sees you shave with a straight you instantly turn from a boy to a man that can ravage like no other in their eyes. I'm serious.

So yeah, it's bad ass.