Shaving

grumblethorn_sl said:

I keep my razors in baby oil to prevent micro corrosion.

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I just throw mine away after a week. At my current rate I still have 3 years to go before I am out of my initial pack of razors.

Exactly. I buy blades on Amazon for $8/100. Each lasts about a week.

Eric

cowman_sl said:

2 reasons, 1. The shaving cream most people switch to when they go to safety razor shaving is generally much better for your skin. 2. With a multi-blade razor theres, well, more blades. So say you have a 4 bladed razor and you make 3 passes, thatskindalike doing 12 passes with your safety razor...more passes is more irritation.

Prep is the best thing for sensitive skin, hot shower, pre shave oil, alum afterwards, whatever floats your boat.

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anyone got any recommendations for electric razors, i think i might get the best result out of this, i cant shave everyday like i would want to and keep a clean cut cause of the irritation.

and what cream would you use for a safety razor, im assuming i could just use it for my gillette, but yeah that does make alot of sense the whole 3 blades =/= 12 passes = more irritation.

Yeah, you could just upgrade shave soap/cream and that will do you some good. I really enjoy Razorock since its cheap and works well. I've heard people say Mitchells Wool Fat is great for sensitive skin. Play around till you find something you like. (also get a brush, scrubbing the lather onto your face with a brush stands up your stubble more, meaning better/closer shaves is less passes meaning less irritation)

TecKnoe_sl said:

so is a safety razor better if i have sensitive skin? someone wanna give me the simplest explanation how a safety razor is better/different than my run of the mill gillette fusion proglide.

i have very sensitive skin, i have the extra sens shaving cream but it does not do much for razorburn, ingrown hairs etc.

so for you guys with baby skin like me, how do you shave? and with what.

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For pretty much my whole adult life, I either had to deal with using an electric razor, and looking like I needed to shave again by about 10am, or using a gilette or whatever and getting bad razor burn/bumps all over my neck, looked like a teenager with acne on my neck pretty much constantly.

After switching to DE shaving, and finally figuring out the best razor for me, I'd say the razor burn/bumps have reduced by 80% at least. And I actually shave every day now, as opposed to only every other day previously to minimize irritation. A lot of that probably is the extra time spent prepping, and using better shaving cream than I did with a disposable cartridge razor, but the total result of DE shaving has been amazing. Now, if I'm careless and don't prepare properly, or use a blade for too long and let it get dull I still get irritation, but at least now I have options for almost completely elimitating it.

TecKnoe_sl said:

anyone got any recommendations for electric razors, i think i might get the best result out of this, i cant shave everyday like i would want to and keep a clean cut cause of the irritation.

and what cream would you use for a safety razor, im assuming i could just use it for my gillette, but yeah that does make alot of sense the whole 3 blades =/= 12 passes = more irritation.

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You need to joinBadger and Blade
and ask some questions there. That's a whole community devoted to wet shaving and although you've gotten some good advice here, you will do better there.

My skin is probably not as sensitive as yours, but I've gotten a better less irratating shave since I started making my own lather in a bowl with a brush and using an old double-edge Gillette razor I bought on eBay. I used an electric for years and this is better for my face.

Grandpa may not have been hi-tech, but he wasn't dumb either.

Eric

I've never gotten a good shave from the standard cartridges. Plus, since they're insanely expensive I find myself shaving as infrequently as possible to avoid spending 15 - 20 dollars a month on them. In an effort to improve the closeness and comfort of my shave as well as save money in the long run I'm going to ditch the shitty Fusion/Mach 3 cartridges and go with a safety razor + brush/soap. Here's what I have picked out based on this thread + reviews:

Merkur Model 180 Long Handled Safety Razor
Van Der Hagen Men's Luxury, Shave Set
16 FEATHER DERBY 7 O'clock ASTRA NACET BIC BLUEBIRD Blade Sampler Count

Any suggestions?

I have a Merkur safety razor and one thing I would warn is mine is very heavy. I don't remember what model. I remember trying Merkur blades and they fucked up my face too. Derby are great.

Good call on the blade sample pack. Everyones face is different and one blade that someone swears by might cut your face up like a cheese grater, never listen to anyones advice on blades. Try a bunch and use what you like. My only recommendation on blades is to switch them often. I change mine out once a week(5-6 shaves, I usually skip shaving on the weekend), but some people swap out every 2 or 3 shaves. I've almost found that the blades going dull is almost as much a function of time as it is uses, since I shave in the shower so my razor gets wet/humid whether I'm using it or not, making it dull in a week whether I shaved twice or shaved 5 times, a week is about my limit. But honestly, once you decide on a blade, buying in bulk is so cheap you could really use a new blade for every shave and still be saving money over cartridge razors.

Most normal brands of blades (Astra, Derby, etc) can be had for ~$10 per 100, feathers(which I use) run a tad more, but they are still only like $20-$25 per 100. I could swap in a new blade every shave and that $25 would last me a good 3-4 months.

McCheese_sl said:

I've never gotten a good shave from the standard cartridges. Plus, since they're insanely expensive I find myself shaving as infrequently as possible to avoid spending 15 - 20 dollars a month on them. In an effort to improve the closeness and comfort of my shave as well as save money in the long run I'm going to ditch the shitty Fusion/Mach 3 cartridges and go with a safety razor + brush/soap. Here's what I have picked out based on this thread + reviews:

Merkur Model 180 Long Handled Safety Razor
Van Der Hagen Men's Luxury, Shave Set
16 FEATHER DERBY 7 O'clock ASTRA NACET BIC BLUEBIRD Blade Sampler Count

Any suggestions?

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Not bad stuff. Something odd that I would recommend trying is a cold water shave. Pretty much goes against what everyone is taught when learning to shave but I get less irritating shaves (not to say hot water shaves always give me irritation, just cold water shaves never have). Its something that's really nice during the summer with some mentholated soap (Proraso) and after shave (Aqua Velva).

Thanks for the input, everyone. I'll be ordering these today.

I did my first shave with the stuff I ordered a few posts up. I wish I had switched to wet shaving sooner; this was by far the closest and most comfortable shave I've ever had and for the first time in my life I didn't immediately feel irritation after. It was an enjoyable experience from start to finish with the brush, the warm lather, the scent of the soap, and the warmth of the merkur razor as it heated up from the water. So much better than my previous cartridge + shaving cream.

I cut the hell out of half of my face, though. I guess I was too used to cartridges and pressed down too firmly. When I saw how I had butchered that side, I lightened up on the pressure and the other side came out flawlessly.

I just used the default blade that came with the Merkur razor, so I look forward to trying the other 15 I got in my sample pack.

McCheese_sl said:

I cut the hell out of half of my face, though. I guess I was too used to cartridges and pressed down too firmly. When I saw how I had butchered that side, I lightened up on the pressure and the other side came out flawlessly.

I just used the default blade that came with the Merkur razor, so I look forward to trying the other 15 I got in my sample pack.

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Use NO pressure. just let the weight of the razor do the work, pressure is one of the things that will give you razor burn and those lovely cuts you experienced.

Yeah, you might have to do 2 or 3 passes(with a re-lather inbetween)when using no pressure, but it's well worth the time investment to not have any irritation. It's definitely not like a cartridge razor where your face should look clean-shaven after just 1 pass. Usually after my 1st pass it still looks like I've barely shaved, it's basically just taking off the first half or so of the hair, with the subsequent passes taking the hair off at skin-level.

joeboo_sl said:

Yeah, you might have to do 2 or 3 passes(with a re-lather inbetween)when using no pressure, but it's well worth the time investment to not have any irritation. It's definitely not like a cartridge razor where your face should look clean-shaven after just 1 pass. Usually after my 1st pass it still looks like I've barely shaved, it's basically just taking off the first half or so of the hair, with the subsequent passes taking the hair off at skin-level.

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Yes, this is basically the way it should always be done. Single pass with a safety razor will either result in too much stubble or serious razor burn and/or cuts. 1st pass should be with the grain, 2nd pass should be sideways, and 3rd pass should be against the grain. That procedure basically guarantees a close shave with little to no irritation. Ironically, since you aren't focused on going over the same spot multiple times like you do on a single pass shave, a 3 pass have doesn't actually take much longer.

And I personally avoid the against the grain passes, they still irritate my neck too much even with a DE razor. I generally go with the grain, then the 2 across, in opposite directions for my 3 passes. Doesn't leave my face as smooth as a babys butt, but it looks smooth, and I don't end up looking like a 15 year old with acne all over my neck afterwards. Having sensitive skin blows.