Gillette (the all things Shaving Thread)

[ajaxlepinski]

Man, I remember the first time I DE shaved....
On that day, my Merker Long Handled Classic arrived via USPS, along with Merker blades (which I hate), an Edwin Jagger brush and a puck of cheap soap.
I unpacked the box and took my new treasures to the sink and with glee in my heart, I proceed to hack my face to bits!
I gave myself about 80 tiny paper cuts and a serious case of razor burn.

I used too much pressure, went too fast and started off with the wrong angle. I held the razor like it was a Gillette Sensor... BAD IDEA!!!
Here is the advice I give to anyone getting into DE shaving:
Holding the razor at the proper angle is incredibly important....
To picture the correct angle, start by holding the razor handle parallel to the floor and the top of the razor touching your side burn area.
While making short North to South strokes, slowly drop the handle towards the floor - you have the correct angle just as the blade starts cutting stubble.
If you begin with the handle perpendicular to the floor (blade edge against your face) , you will get a lot of blade chatter and you will wind up with a ton of nicks - this was the mistake that I made and I wound up a bloody mess!
Do one pass with the grain, one pass across the grain and one pass against the grain - each pass reduces stubble. Each pass is all about stubble reduction.
Be sure to keep the pressure as light as possible, take your time and good luck!!!
Just keep in mind that it takes about 20 saves before you get good at it.

Watch this series of Mantic59 videos. He's the best! He's got a ton of instructional videos - these three will help keep your face in one piece.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjhIy9rgWQU[/youtube]
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4ezJNJfygw[/youtube]
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPLfCyGMm9o[/youtube]

[BroSlinger]

FWIW, not everyone can do against the grain. Be careful.

I usually get by with about 1.5 passes. People who do 3/4/5/10 passes are bonkers!

[andvari7]

Thank you. I know that repetition is key, and that I won’t be a master of the safety razor in one shave; happily, facial hair grows back, so I’ll live to shave another day.

[newholland]

bonkers 4 passer here . i blame my sicilian genes for Hellbeard. itd probably grow out of my eyes if i didnt shave in two weeks.

[BroSlinger]

:lol:

bonkers 4 passer here . i blame my sicilian genes for Hellbeard. itd probably grow out of my eyes if i didnt shave in two weeks.

Dan, I'll bet I'm the hairiest person on the board. I have a perpetual stubble shadow even with a BBS. If I didn't have baby skin and I wasn't in a rush, I would try to do more passes.

This is me 1 hour after the best shave I've had in a month.

[BroSlinger]

BTW, SOTD: March 4F4 kickoff!!!!!!



So, I really took a gamble today. Used a new razor, and I'm committing to it for the whole month.
Razor: Karve Brass D Plate - wow. just gorgeous. intuitive feel. Somehow it pulls off smooth/gentle/aggressive all at the same time.
Blade: Dorco Prime Platinum. My new gold standard.
Brush: RR 400 Butterscotch
Soap: Looks like we're going with TFS DiVino. Amazing again.
Aftershave: Technically not part of the 4f4, but I am planning on 3017'ing this Fine L'Orange Noir, and the subsequent RR Son of Zeus, as they are both Terre D'Hermes flavored.
EDT: Then, I am going to spray on some TDH every day this month.

I want to be in a rut again. I want a signature scent. I want patina on my stuff.

[ajaxlepinski]

Now, that my sideburns and beard are completely gray, you can't see my 5 o'clock shadow until the next morning... and I can grow a Sam Elliot mustache!


Back in the day....

[BroSlinger]

You should grow a Sam Elliott mustache.

Day 2 of 4f4 went awesome.
This Karve razor rules. I just bought the e plate to go with my d.
The dorco prime rules. I can finally give one a longevity test since I’m not shuffling razors
Tfs divino is so freakin good. I’m going to burn through it this month. If I didn’t have so much soap, I would buy another wine glass of it.
I’m enjoying my terre d’hermes routine.
Fine l’orange noir
Stirling arkadia balm
Terre d’hermes edt

Face feels so soft and smooth. Bummed I can’t use my new Blackland dart until April.

[andvari7]

Oh, and I have 100 Feathers coming in a few days. Sucks that I’ll be in Milwaukee when they get here.

[BroSlinger]

Oh! Btw!

Razorock wunderbars are available at Italian barber. Milled slant. Bought one.

Also bought a Blackland Blackbird. :0

[BroSlinger]

Gave up on the March challenge. Didn't see the point. The new razor didn't need any "learning". I didn't want to "Learn" some shitty soap. I was just using good stuff that shaved well. Doing an endurance challenge when there's so much to learn about other stuff I have seemed futile at best. I don't NEED to 3017 anything when I can store it or give it away.

SOTD:


Dayum. Lots of good and bad today. This is why I quit the March challenge:

Razor: Blackland Dart. Boy Howdy, this thing is aggressive. Lots of blade at a shallow angle with a steep face. Biggest cut I've given myself in many years. That said, the rest of my face is quite smooth, and this razor is just flat out sexy.

Blade: Did the Dorco Prime again.

Soap: Barrister & Mann Reserve Classic Sample. So, this is a clone of the Gillette Sun Up cologne from the 60's. Amazing smell. Lather was amazing. I think it shaves well, but I would have to be using a razor with which I'm more familiar.

Aftershave: Tcheon Fung Sing - Per Bacchus. GAAAHHHHH. It BURNS IT BURNS!!!!! UGHGHHHH> I had to scrub my face with cold water and Stirling Arkadia Balm. Damn. It burned for a good half hour. Awful. Interesting fruity smell though.

Overall a 6/10. Very intersting, informative shave.

[_ej_]

Just ordered the kit y'all recommended. I'm excited to try it out.

[Steinmetzify]

Was wondering how long you'd last Gene lol

Good point made tho.

TFS that burns? You know where that needs to go. DG make it to you?

[ajaxlepinski]

...and RazoRock Wunderbar Slants are sold out! That was fast!

[BroSlinger]

Just ordered the kit y'all recommended. I'm excited to try it out.

Razorock Hawk
Kai Captain Titan Mild
?

Did we recommend a brush or anything? I know I sent some soaps your way. You should be getting them today or tomorrow.

[BroSlinger]

Was wondering how long you'd last Gene lol

Good point made tho.

TFS that burns? You know where that needs to go. DG make it to you?

Yep. 3 days was it. I have nothing to prove, only discoveries to be made.

Whoops. Yes, it showed up. THANK YOU!!! I ended up buying the Sni Mato Aftershave from Chatillon Lux. I love it. It's so weird how our noses are all different.

[BroSlinger]

...and RazoRock Wunderbar Slants are sold out! That was fast!

Did you get one?!?!

Whether you did or didn't, check out "Karve" razors at West Coast Shaving.

They are fucking awesome.

This is one of my new favorite razors, ever.



https://www.westcoastshaving.com/collec ... el-d-guard

[ajaxlepinski]

I took a look to see how much the Wunderbar was and to look at some picks. It was sold out so, there wan't an opportunity to buy... I was kind of glad to see it was sold out!


That Karve is a beauty! Love the knurled handle - real old school.
Thanks for the link... man, I gotta slow down on my razor purchases... I bough 3 in the last two or three months... must resist!

[andvari7]

Shave two: The Mehaz is starting to give me loads of information. This felt like a fast, smooth shave; I had maybe three nicks, and really no razor burn. What I really noticed was that this was so much closer a shave than the first one, and much wetter, if that makes sense. It was nearly as close a shave as Mach 3, which is now permanently relegated to the travel kit.

My old habits were to shave once a week, because I had the minimum amount of growth allowed by Minnesota law, and I had no choice. This whole safety razor business has me reconsidering this habit.

Oh, and Ogallala Bay Rum is nice. Cremo is my preferred shaving cream, but I am considering butter. Like, cultured unsalted butter, that you use to fry everything good. I like Cremo, especially the cooling formula. It’s the most economical product I’ve ever owned, and safety razors are all about economy.

[BroSlinger]

Shave two: The Mehaz is starting to give me loads of information. This felt like a fast, smooth shave; I had maybe three nicks, and really no razor burn. What I really noticed was that this was so much closer a shave than the first one, and much wetter, if that makes sense. It was nearly as close a shave as Mach 3, which is now permanently relegated to the travel kit.

My old habits were to shave once a week, because I had the minimum amount of growth allowed by Minnesota law, and I had no choice. This whole safety razor business has me reconsidering this habit.

Oh, and Ogallala Bay Rum is nice. Cremo is my preferred shaving cream, but I am considering butter. Like, cultured unsalted butter, that you use to fry everything good. I like Cremo, especially the cooling formula. It’s the most economical product I’ve ever owned, and safety razors are all about economy.

Congrats! Cremo is excellent. The cooling is tough for me to use in the shower though. It dribbles onto my junk and freezes it off.

[BroSlinger]

SOTD:



Interesting shave today.
Razorock SLOC (self lubricating open comb) maiden voyage. First time I've used a cast zinc razor in quite some time. Worked fine. Blade alignment was great. It shaved nice, albeit very mildly. Not as close as the other stuff I'm currently using, but that's good since I didn't want to reopen the cut from yesterday. It might benefit from a more aggressive blade.

Dorco Prime Platinum. The new gold standard

Stirling Nag Champa soap. First time using this one. My last stirling soap burned me. This didn't. It was quite nice. Damn, I have too many soaps. I'm glad this one worked out though. It starts out smelling like Nag Champa, then the base notes morph into a Rive Gauche type scent. Very barbershoppy. musky, powdery.

Barrister and Mann Lavanille. YES> This is like Sex Panther. Very VERY manly in a good way. ultra spiffy scent. thick and sweet, smoky, brown. awesome.

[BroSlinger]

BTW, I used a Weber Stainless handle today. It was a "Blem" on ebay for like $10+shipping. Awesome handle. Nice rustic, unfinished feel, but super heavy.

[newholland]

hey gene-- do those fit merkur heads?

those're beefcake for 10 bux! just looked on ebay, and they're nice!

[BroSlinger]

99% sure it would fit fine.

weber ebay listing says, "Fits most vintage Gillette and modern razors (Merkur, Jagger, etc.) 3-piece razors"

I used a Razorock head on mine, and razorock ads on Italian Barber say:

"Threading is the standard M5 x .8 and will fit most modern heads from RazoRock, Edwin Jagger, Muhle, Merkur and iKon."

[BroSlinger]

SOTD:



It never fails. bad mood = bad shave. This razor is turning into meat grinder city. dang. I googled what is the damned shaving angle on a blackland dart. Apparently, you are supposed to go all safety bar. No cap riding on this one. Noted. Well, shitty shave. Glad the Myrsol Metal brought my face back from the brink with its antiseptic properties. Shoot, I had to apply some proraso pre/post to my neck in the POST POST phase.

BTW, this blade SUCKS. It's a Red Personna that might as well be a counterfeit. No mention of Israeil on the package or the blade anymore.