Wow. This may be the best shave that I've ever had. It took me a few passes to figure out the right angle to use, but then I relathered and got it all pretty close.

I smell pretty good too!

9/3/2009 11:13:13 PM

and some people thought I was crazy...

awesome, Mr. Joshua....did you hit up Badger and Blade yet?

9/4/2009 3:10:31 AM

Its on my list of things to check out.

I can't keep my hands off of my face.

9/4/2009 3:23:16 PM

^She wont be able to either! </advertisement>

[Edited on September 4, 2009 at 3:57 PM. Reason : -]

9/4/2009 3:57:37 PM

B&B is a great site. Those guys are pretty hardcore with their set ups.

After reading around a bit I'm surprised at how much effort can go into honing a straight razor. I'd like to upgrade to one someday, at least for part-time use, but it sounds like something thats worth doing your homework on.

How's the lavender? I went with Mr. Taylor's Blend and it has a great old time barbershop smell to it. The lady says it smells like a spa.

9/4/2009 4:56:34 PM

love the lavender!

9/4/2009 6:04:18 PM

gay

9/4/2009 6:19:23 PM

lol

9/4/2009 6:34:40 PM

i haven't cut myself too much with the DE but jesus i cut the FUCK out of myself a bit ago. i can never get my chin very well.. manage to put about a 1" gash on it

9/4/2009 8:19:06 PM

I always have problems on the bottom part of my chin because I've got a small bump/mole there...not sure what it is...

don't worry


IT'S NAHT AH TUMAH!

9/4/2009 10:34:27 PM

ah, fuck it.

i want to order a DE razor and whatnot. you people have inspired me.

what should i get?

9/5/2009 12:25:12 AM

depends on how much you decide to spend...I read the article I posted on the first post (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6886845/) and went with that stuff....but, Corey Greenberg (article author) has a blog (http://shaveblog.com) and he is always recommending stuff

also, if you are going to do it, I would highly recomment joining http://badgerandblade.com/ and looking around....they have tips/recommendations GALORE

oh...WELCOME!

or, if your dad or grandfathers are still alive, you could ask them what they use or if they have their old razors

[Edited on September 5, 2009 at 2:58 PM. Reason : more]

9/5/2009 2:56:46 PM

^^I got the Merkur Vision. The negative is it's pretty expensive and it is a little bit big. Kind of makes it hard to reach on the upper lip right where it meets your nose sometimes.



[Edited on September 5, 2009 at 3:17 PM. Reason : a]

9/5/2009 3:17:20 PM

I thought that was why they added the in-razor lazer for those hard to reach places.

9/5/2009 5:11:00 PM

I went the cheap route as I'd never tried it before.

Now that I'm sold on it I think I might buy myself a nice razor/brush/stand combo for christmas.

9/5/2009 6:48:43 PM

Nicked the shit out myself going ATG under my nose.

9/6/2009 5:23:33 PM

yeah....I go across the grain (XTG) when doing my nose area and that works pretty well

Yesterday, I took a shower a few hours before I shaved, then I took a nap.

When I got up, I hot-toweled my face and then did my routine and the results were very evident that my shave wasn't as close as if I had showered immediately before. (wow...long sentence)

but I do like the Personna Super+ blades...

and I made my own blade bank out of a tin can after reading another guy on B&B do it

9/6/2009 10:38:01 PM

I think it was one morning when I was running late for ROTC PT that I said fuck it to shaving cream and just shaved with water. Haven't used shaving cream since.

I've been using Mach 3 blades for God knows how long. They usually last me a week before they get too dull - granted, I have a three o'clock shadow and will sometimes have to shave during the day to freshen up.

9/7/2009 2:05:57 PM

fuckin blade nerds

9/7/2009 2:46:19 PM

Quote :

"ah, fuck it. i want to order a DE razor and whatnot. you people have inspired me. what should i get?"

if you're coming from a disposable like mach3, you should get something long-handled, so as to get used to using a DE...i got the parker 91R for $25 with 10 blades from ebay and i love it

i will be getting a short-handled, heavier merkur for my birthday or christmas, but i'm glad i started with something that helped me make the transition

9/7/2009 5:40:02 PM

Anyone know of a local place to buy quality shaving creams like Taylors of Old Bond Street? I'll order online if i absolutely HAVE to but I'd like to smell a few different creams before making a decision.

9/8/2009 9:32:07 AM

^^ i actually meant 90R >.<

^ good luck...let us know if you find any...in the meantime, here's a list that may or may not be helpful: http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?t=33150

9/8/2009 10:34:05 AM

Thanks for the list, I'm going to try to hit a couple of those places over the next few days. I'll let you guys know what I find. I nabbed a Merkur MK25C for $25 on eBay with free shipping.



I guess the next decision is a brush. According to the article, the Vulfix best badger seems to be the best bang for the buck. What brand are you guys using?



[Edited on September 8, 2009 at 2:43 PM. Reason : .]

9/8/2009 2:42:36 PM

I am indeed using the Vulfix Best Badger. Some guys say they like a huge brush, but this one is great! It's the first brush I've used, and it is a great size for my face.

And that Merkur looks like the one I'm using, although it might be a bit longer than mine.

9/8/2009 3:33:06 PM

i was using a retractable foundation powder brush my girlfriend got in a free gift bag from clinique

now i'm using a boar-hair that came in the $8 walmart kit (brush, bowl, soap)

i can't tell the difference and i'm not entirely sure what the difference is SUPPOSED to be...the boar-hair creates a thicker lather and fairly eats up the soap...the shave doesn't feel any different, though

*shrug*

9/8/2009 3:45:09 PM

^^^ Whats the point of the teeth on that one? Just another safety thing?

9/8/2009 3:59:22 PM

It helps straighten out your beard hairs.

9/8/2009 5:42:14 PM

Thats what I thought. Guess I ordered the right one then.

9/8/2009 7:35:13 PM

Disappointed with Crabtree & Evelyn. They carry the Nomad brand of shaving creams, only thing they had in stock was sandalwood, didn't smell good @ all IMO. They did have a couple of generic badger hair brushes for ~$60 each, nothing terribly impressive though.

9/10/2009 4:17:24 PM

http://www.classicshaving.com

http://www.westcoastshaving.com

9/10/2009 4:20:35 PM

Hows the Taylor aftershave?

I've just been using the alum block and my skin is already starting to feel dry now that it feels like fall outside. Some sort of aftershave/moisturizer might be my next purchase.

9/10/2009 4:41:23 PM

Awesome stuff.

9/10/2009 5:55:02 PM

loving it...it really helps keep my face moisturized

9/10/2009 7:00:44 PM

my skin is pretty sensitive to lotions and such...i use burt's bees milk and honey lotion and it doesn't bother me at all

9/10/2009 8:00:35 PM

The Art of Shaving is offering a free startup kit, not a DE razor but its something.

http://www.theartofshaving.com/taos6/emailsignup.php

[Edited on September 11, 2009 at 9:55 AM. Reason : +]

9/11/2009 9:52:16 AM

Got me some $1.99 shaving soap stuff from walmart the other day. works a hell of a lot better than what i've been using..which was either regular foam or regular soap

^I don't see anything about a free startup kit. It's free shipping on orders over $50.

[Edited on September 11, 2009 at 10:25 AM. Reason : a]

9/11/2009 10:25:27 AM

^ i really like that soap...it doesn't dry out my face, it's cheap, and my gf likes how it smells (or, rather, she likes that the fragrance is barely noticeable and doesn't compete with cologne or anything if i choose to wear some after shaving)

9/11/2009 10:38:37 AM

yeah i realllly like it after using it again today

is it suppose to make your face kind of numb?? lol, i swear parts of my face were numb by the second pass. today was probably the best shave i've ever had though. missed a spot or two but i've never been able to get my neck to have that baby ass smooth feeling without cutting myself like crazy. so, yeah, managed to accomplish not cutting myself and my whole face is soft/not dry/not bloody

[Edited on September 11, 2009 at 3:57 PM. Reason : a]

9/11/2009 3:57:29 PM

This thread is increasingly relevant to my interests as a manly man. Now, to prove how manly I am, I'll ask if you guys know if any of this sort of stuff is available at Bed, Bath & Beyond.

9/11/2009 4:30:22 PM

^ i don't believe so...you will most likely need to order the DE razor online and have it shipped (most times they come with at least 10 blades, which should get you through at least two months)

you will then also likely need to order new blades online...as i mentioned above, i know you can get a boar-bristle brush, soap, and soap bowl at walmart for about $8 (i've seen them at two walmarts here, so i assume they're at walmarts near you)...i ASSUME target sells something similar, but i don't know for sure

9/11/2009 4:35:30 PM

Just a quick heads up to the other DE guys out there:

If your razor has a screw tight top like my Merkur, then take the extra 2 seconds to make sure that it is screwed tight before you start shaving or it might come loose by the third pass and CUT THE EVER LIVING SHIT OUT OF YOUR FACE.

It's not that bad, I'm mostly just mad at myself.

9/11/2009 8:24:54 PM

^ pics or it didn't happen

9/11/2009 9:17:31 PM

I shave M-W-F.....when i am on vacation I dont, takes 3 days and it looks like i havent shaved in 2 weeks.

9/11/2009 9:48:40 PM

I shave with a straight razor. I use a Dovo sometimes, but prefer a Hen and Rooster because it has a little more heft. There's nothing like shaving with a straight razor. It reminds me of something classic, and makes shaving more of an experience than simply a task. It's almost peaceful.

9/12/2009 1:06:47 AM

Quote :

"I shave with a straight razor. I use a Dovo sometimes, but prefer a Hen and Rooster because it has a little more heft. There's nothing like shaving with a straight razor. It reminds me of something classic, and makes shaving more of an experience than simply a task. It's almost peaceful."

That's how I feel about using a DE. However, I know that I am clumsy enough to never use a straight.

Quote :

"If your razor has a screw tight top like my Merkur, then take the extra 2 seconds to make sure that it is screwed tight before you start shaving or it might come loose by the third pass and CUT THE EVER LIVING SHIT OUT OF YOUR FACE."

LOL...yikes!

9/12/2009 7:13:14 AM

Quote :

"you will then also likely need to order new blades online"

i've found some cheap-o blades actually at the grocery store down the street from me and in most drug stores. they are in a weird case though that makes them look too long big but they're just put in the case funny.

obviously not much selection, but these work fine for me.

9/12/2009 10:45:48 AM

Wal-Mart usually carries USR Personna DE blades, Rite-Aid and other drugs stores usually have a store brand that's also USR blades. The standard Gillette blades in the stores usually aren't worth the money, overpriced and not one of the better blades out there.

9/12/2009 1:40:01 PM

Bed Bath & Beyond has a selection of DE blades. No handles though, so I'm still waiting on Amazon for that.

9/12/2009 1:53:18 PM

^ & ^^ yeah...i don't care for them...they feel rough, somehow, and cut my face

but, of course, that's the beauty of DE shaving...you can mix and match blades, handles, brushes, soaps, etc. to make the perfect shave

if anyone wants to give them a try, i have some unopened packages

9/12/2009 4:31:29 PM

free blades? i'll take 'em

9/12/2009 8:28:59 PM