Octopus Overlords

Chaz wrote:I've got this mix of blades already. I started with the Gillette ones by random chance. How much of a difference does the blade make?

You'll be surprised at just how much of a difference the right blade can make. There's certainly no such thing as a 'best' blade, as it is a particularly personal decision. What works perfectly for one person could just as easily be far too aggressive for another.

Personally, I've always found Derby Extra blades to be among the most forgiving while still providing a decent shave, and Feather blades best in terms of acheiving the absolute closest shave possible (though they can be somewhat bloodthirsty if I'm not careful).

Yes, the blade makes a world of difference. For me the Israeli Personna blades are awesome. A lot of people rave able the Japanese Feather blades, but I never cared for those, which is nice because they are kind of pricey. I think the Personna blades are 100 for $16.

Smoove, that slant blade isn't nearly as aggressive as it's made out to be. I've tried a ton of different razors, including that slant, and you're not going to notice a much smoother shave with any of them. If you're going against the grain then that's as smooth as a DE is going to take it, so I wouldn't drop that kind of money expecting much of a change.

I used that Gillette Adjustable model for a few years along with shaving soap and brush. Inherited from my grandfather.

I really enjoyed the ritual (warm lather is the best!) and the blade prices are certainly more affordable. But I'll admit the one glaring downside. It cuts my neck whereas the new mult-blades do not. However, it only appears to do it in one specific place so I'm prepared.

I may pull my old razor out again after reading this. It was always a very clean feeling afterwards.

Man, just thinking about bringing an actual blade near my neck gives me the heebie jeebies.

When you have a little practice with DE razors you really do fly over your face just a quickly as you do with Fusion or other cartridge blade. It takes some time to figure out how to hold the razor at the proper angle, but once you get that down it's a breeze.

Gavin, I have no idea why a DE would cut your neck while a cartridge would not. It could be the type of razor blade you're using. I've found that some brands will cut me a little more than others, so maybe that's it. You could also try dialing the adjustable down to around 3 or 4 for that part of your neck just to be a bit safer.

Okay, broke down and made the last jump into hipster shaving-land. Ordered this sample pack of blades and this shaving brush as a starter. Once I've decided if I like the brush thing, I'll think about getting a better one.

I like that about $15 has gotten me probably a year's worth of blades.

Guapo, if you won't get a blade near your face, how do you get the hairs off now? Harsh language?

Good move, Chaz. I've tried many of those blades and you'll have fun with them. I also have that soap and it's good stuff. Never tried that brush, but I've heard good things about Omega boar brushes. Don't be put off by the smell of boar brushes, or any brush. Animal brushes can have a smell at first, but it goes away after a few shaves.

Let me know if you have any questions about getting a good lather going. It can be tricky to get the combination of soap and water, so just keep at it and remember that it's better to start off with your brush too dry that too wet. You can always add a little more water to your brush or to your bowl if you're using one.

Did you say what kind of DE you were using?

I wanted to keep it basic at first, so I got one of these.

I'll be honest, I like playing with the bomb bay doors. I may or may not make motor noises when I open and close it.

One thing no one told me at first - if you're using a puck or even a container of soap or cream and a brush, after you wet the brush you don't want to just jam it into the soap and swirl it around. Choke up on the actual hair (not the handle) and pinch them together. Then, just swirl the tip into the puck to get it all soapy. FWIW, I've been using a ~$20 boar brush for 5+ years now. I noticed a difference when I switched from a synthetic to actual boar hair but in terms of price, I'm still using the same one without a problem.

McNutt wrote:When you have a little practice with DE razors you really do fly over your face just a quickly as you do with Fusion or other cartridge blade. It takes some time to figure out how to hold the razor at the proper angle, but once you get that down it's a breeze.

Gavin, I have no idea why a DE would cut your neck while a cartridge would not. It could be the type of razor blade you're using. I've found that some brands will cut me a little more than others, so maybe that's it. You could also try dialing the adjustable down to around 3 or 4 for that part of your neck just to be a bit safer.

Hmm, I hadn't really messed around with the adjusting part of it. Didn't really know what the numbers were trying to tell me but I'll try that.

Chaz wrote:Okay, broke down and made the last jump into hipster shaving-land. Ordered this sample pack of blades and this shaving brush as a starter. Once I've decided if I like the brush thing, I'll think about getting a better one.

I like that about $15 has gotten me probably a year's worth of blades.

Huh? hipster? This is a returning trend? I'm not so sure isn't just a rebellion of the exorbitant blade prices at the moment.

Can hipsters adopt really old trends? I guess they can. But that just kinda makes old timers or people like me trendy and that's certainly not what I am...

Chaz wrote:Okay, broke down and made the last jump into hipster shaving-land. Ordered this sample pack of blades and this shaving brush as a starter. Once I've decided if I like the brush thing, I'll think about getting a better one.

I like that about $15 has gotten me probably a year's worth of blades.

Guapo, if you won't get a blade near your face, how do you get the hairs off now? Harsh language?

I mean putting old school blades near my face, which seem much closer to, well, a traditional blade than the modern cartridge blades. To be fair, when I read McNutt's OP about his first old school shave, I was basically picturing him as using a machete.

Gavin wrote:Can hipsters adopt really old trends? I guess they can. But that just kinda makes old timers or people like me trendy and that's certainly not what I am...

I think this Portlandia clip answers that
http://vimeo.com/36293215" target="_blank

But the joke is self-referential to this clip from an earlier show
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FE_9CzLCbkY" target="_blank

silverjon wrote:

Gavin wrote:Can hipsters adopt really old trends? I guess they can. But that just kinda makes old timers or people like me trendy and that's certainly not what I am...

I think this Portlandia clip answers that
http://vimeo.com/36293215" target="_blank

But the joke is self-referential to this clip from an earlier show
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FE_9CzLCbkY" target="_blank

Haha, hadn't seen the new one.

Gavin, the numbers on an old Gillette adjustable determine the exposure of the blade. 1 is minimal and 10 is max. 10 leaves more of the blade exposed and makes it easier to scrape the blade along your skin, for better or worse. I don't recommend that unless you are VERY comfortable with that razor. Some people use different settings for different parts of their face and others use the same setting all over and gradually increase until they find the right setting for them. I've been using a Gillette Fatboy adjustable this week and mine is set on 7. I don't usually go much higher than that.

Got the brush and soap in last night and tried them this morning.

Since it was a new brush, I filled my bowl with hot water and stuck it in there to soak while I showered. After showering, pulled the brush out and shook the excess water out. THERE'S that smell I've heard so much about. Really, wasn't so bad.

Soaped up the brush for 30 seconds (I counted), and whipped up a lather in the bowl. It lathered really easily. I added a touch more water toward the end, but not really sure if I needed to. It was kinda fun watching the bowl go from empty to full of lather. Like magic!

The shave initially went well. The razor seemed to glide better on the first pass. I do my cheeks and left/right of my neck first, then come back for the goatee area, and I noticed that by the time I got there, the lather was starting to dry, and the razor didn't glide as well. Any advice for how to fix this? More whipping before putting it on my face? More/less water? I wound up having enough lather for another two passes, so that's a win.

I also picked up some Nivea after shave over the weekend, and like that. So far, I'm digging the brush thing. Didn't take as long as I was expecting either. I might try hand and face lathering at some point too. If I stick with the bowl, I think I'll want something a bit smaller than what I'm using now. It is big.

Chaz wrote:The shave initially went well. The razor seemed to glide better on the first pass. I do my cheeks and left/right of my neck first, then come back for the goatee area, and I noticed that by the time I got there, the lather was starting to dry, and the razor didn't glide as well. Any advice for how to fix this? More whipping before putting it on my face? More/less water? I wound up having enough lather for another two passes, so that's a win.

Wet your face with water to start. Use hot water when lathering the soap. Overlathering your face is ok so don't be stingy with it and you shouldn't have a problem by the time you get there.

Shaving mugs are typically smaller and not all soap is equal. Keep that in mind. The brush itself can play a roll but lathering brushes are typically standard. Done right, all these elements can create a much more enjoyable shaving ritual.

I did wet my face before putting the lather on, just forgot to mention. Water was hot for both that and whipping the soap up.

Omega soap is good and a nice lather from that shouldn't really dry out. If you're using a bowl to whip up a lather you should be using just enough water that you get nice peaks of lather that can stand up when you pull your brush out of the bowl. A coating of that should not dry out while shaving. If you aren't getting some peaks then add a few drops of water and keep whipping.

Here's a shot (not mine) of somebody bowl-whipping a glycerin-based soap. This is the kind of lather you're going for.

Woah, I'm supposed to have the bowl actually full of lather like that? I didn't wind up with nearly that much. I think I need to whip harder/longer.

Which is also what she said.

Oh my gosh it's exactly like egg whites.

Yes, just like egg whites. Now you can go crazy and overwhip it and then the lather will get too airy and lose all cushion. That's the balance you have to find. That picture is close to being too whipped, but you can see by the thick peaks that it still has a lot of cushion left in it.

Omega is a very soft soap, so you don't really need to rub the soap with the brush for very long to load the brush. Just press hard and swirl a couple of times and you should have enough on the brush to start whipping.

Have a butcher's at mantic59's shave tutor Youtube videos (especially his 'Introduction to Traditional Wetshaving' series). They can be particularly helpful when you're first starting out.

Trent Steel wrote:

Cesare's Divine Spark wrote:

You people are all weirdos.

That post is all this thread is worth.

What they've said.

Chaz wrote:Woah, I'm supposed to have the bowl actually full of lather like that? I didn't wind up with nearly that much. I think I need to whip harder/longer.

Which is also what she said.

Ah yes, that'll do it if you stopped at the bubble phase. It'll literally look like shaving cream when it's time.

I think I've decided part of my lather problem may have been too much water. I think I've been expecting the boar brush to take longer to lather and require some extra water be added. I haven't been adding much, but I think it's thinning out the lather more than it should be. I will continue to experiment.

Even so, I'm liking it better than with gel from a can, and I'm definitely getting faster and missing fewer spots with the razor. I think I hit the end of the useful life of the Shark blade I've been using after 4-5 shaves, which is good information to have. Going faster is probably helping with the lather not drying out too.

I use a Gillette Whatever with just water. It's super fast, cheap, feels fine after, and I nick myself very very rarely.

I got my razor a couple of weeks back and so far, so good (or, at least, I haven't cut open my jugular). Since I have a beard, I'm only shaving my cheeks and part of my neck and only doing those twice a week or so; any idea how often I should replace the razors with that sort of light use?

It's up to you. Wait until you feel the razor pulling a bit. With that kind of use it could last weeks.

Ralph-Wiggum wrote:I got my razor a couple of weeks back and so far, so good (or, at least, I haven't cut open my jugular). Since I have a beard, I'm only shaving my cheeks and part of my neck and only doing those twice a week or so; any idea how often I should replace the razors with that sort of light use?

It's difficult to say, as it's likely to depend on a variety of factors (such as the thickness of your particular beard and how quickly it will dull the particular brand of blade you're using).

Generally speaking though, I've found that a good DE blade should provide around one week of great shaves in normal use, so in your case you might get twice or even three times that. In my experience, it's not been worth messing around with trying to extend blade usage beyond their useful life, as the few pennies you may save end up becoming rather insignificant when you have to live with the irritation that will result.

So I prefer to buy the best blades available, and change 'em at least once each week. I usually assign one particular day of the week as 'blade changing day', and make it part of my routine.

I'm trying out different blade brands, and I just tried a Derby Extra this morning. Holy hell, does that seem sharper than the Shark I was using. I managed to nick myself pretty well in two spots, which I haven't done before. It did shave super close, even with just two passes. After the cuts, I didn't have the courage to try a third against the grain pass.

Of course, one of the cuts was on a mole on my neck that I wasn't nearly careful enough with. Note to self: go AROUND the stupid mole.

Well you guys have gotten me into trouble now. I too am fed up with paying exorbitant prices for razor blades and this whole DE shaving thing seems to have a bit more cachet than the regular plastic razors.
I went to the West Coast shaving link that someone posted and got the Merkur 34C (what is up with the Merkur naming system? 23C is the same as 180? What is a 34C?)
I also got the sample pack of blades, a thing of Tabac soap and an Omega badger brush that was well reviewed and only $13. Total came to $86 but I had to pay a grand total of $112 with shipping thanks to the "living in Japan" tax. Still, it's no doubt a lot cheaper than if I had bought it all here in Japan.
Looking forward to trying it out! I can get the Feather blades for only about $3.60 for a box of 10 so I'll probably do that once my sample pack runs out. Looking forward to joining the club!

I'd maybe hold off on the Feathers. If they're as sharp as I've heard, tread carefully. I thought my technique was getting pretty solid, but switching to the Derby blade has pointed out that I still need some improvement, since I keep cutting myself on the right side of my neck, which has been a problem area for years. If you're not careful, a sharp blade will hack you pretty damn good. The plus side is that it's so sharp that you probably won't know it until you see the bleeding.

Well I got the sample blades pack so hopefully by the time I get through those I'll be a pro!
I actually don't spend that much money on cartridges because I make my Mach 3s go for about a month. That's not to say that I don't need to change them more often than that but I'm just so damned cheap! I don't cut up my face with dull razors but it isn't a very pleasant shave. With cartridges being so cheap I won't mind changing them every three or four shaves.

What do people use for a good aftershave? I used the cheap old man stuff when I was young (Aqua Velva, Old Spice) and for the past two or three years I haven't been using anything-just splashing cold water on my face.
Any suggestions? I was looking at Pinaud Clubman After Shave Lotion ( http://www.westcoastshaving.com/Pinaud- ... p_683.html" target="_blank ) which gets a lot of high reviews but I suppose they could all be old men. Is that a decent lotion? Can I get away with it at my tender 34 years old age? Or is my wife going to tell me how terrible I smell like she does whenever I get out the old Adidas aftershave that I got like 6 years ago as a birthday present from my sister?

I started using a Nivea aftershave, and I like it. It comes in a white glass bottle, no idea what it's actually called. Some kind of balm.

I like aftershaves that don't have a scent. I prefer alcohol-based aftershaves because I'd rather put up with a second of burn than have goop on my face. Unfortunately most alcohol-based ones have a scent. The best unscented one I've found is Proraso. For creams Nivea is pretty good.

Big fan of the Lucky Tiger aftershave and disappearing cream. I don't find them to have overwhelming scents, but neither are alcohol based.

Canuck wrote:What do people use for a good aftershave? I used the cheap old man stuff when I was young (Aqua Velva, Old Spice) and for the past two or three years I haven't been using anything-just splashing cold water on my face.
Any suggestions? I was looking at Pinaud Clubman After Shave Lotion ( http://www.westcoastshaving.com/Pinaud- ... p_683.html" target="_blank ) which gets a lot of high reviews but I suppose they could all be old men. Is that a decent lotion? Can I get away with it at my tender 34 years old age? Or is my wife going to tell me how terrible I smell like she does whenever I get out the old Adidas aftershave that I got like 6 years ago as a birthday present from my sister?

Speick makes an excellent German aftershave splash and balm, both of which contain several ingredients that are incredibly soothing/healing for your skin (e.g. speick plant extract, witch hazel, glycerine, menthol, camphor, and alum), making it a great choice when you're just starting out. The difference between the splash and balm will likely boil down to personal preference. If you prefer a more bracing approach, go for the splash. For more moisturizing, go for the balm. Altough one nice thing about the Speick splash is that it does not burn anywhere near as much as most splashes, and has a much shorter-lived sting.

Another brand worthy of consideration would be the Portuguese Musgo Real. Both the splash and balm are ideal if you should ever get a little overzealous, and it has a fairly unique scent that's almost reminiscent of fresh-cut grass. Like Speick, it'll also do an amazing job of healing your skin.

On the rare occasion that I use a scented aftershave, Musgo Real is amazing.

Hmm according to this thread: http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread ... ftershaves" target="_blank there are some great aftershaves in my own backyard yet for some reason Japanese aftershaves are not well known. I will definitely be dropping by the drugstore tomorrow to pick one of those up.