HeathfieldRoad1874 - 17/10/2014 09:59
Villan Of The North - 12/10/2014 21:18
Villan57 - 12/10/2014 20:51
I am growing this multi coloured Goatee at the mo, just to annoy the Mrs , she says I look like a thug .
on the subject of shaving, I had a badger hair shaving brush last Christmas, it's really good , combined with old fashioned shaving soap and a Mach3. I've given up on the cut throat , I was losing too much blood and bits of chin.
Why not try something like this?
http://www.traditionalshaving.co.uk/merkur/4132669-merkur-hd-34c-safety-razor-chrome-4045284011133.html
It takes a bit if getting used to, shaving like that looks the same as using a Mach 3 but it's really a different skill. When you have learnt it you get better results and it's kinder to your skin, although it does take a bit longer.
Great post. I've been through the whole range.
I started with an electric shaver, following my Dad's lead. The best one was a Panasonic, which oscillates far quicker than any other make, and it wasn't too bad. It did miss hairs that lie flat, and sometimes I got a bit of a rash in places if I pressed too hard. Still, it was the best I could find.
I've then tried the Gillette/Wilkinson Sword, but never really found it as good as I expected.
Recently I just let it grow, but it was patchy and itchy. Apart from that, I was nagged by all my female friends to get rid of it. I bought a stubble trimmer and kept it at around 0.5mm for a while, which I liked.
The problem is, I do feel that when I see clients I should shave, so I bit the bullet a few months ago and bought a safety razor. What a difference!!! With proper soap and a brush you do get a great shave. Don't use the cheap foam, it's useless.
I use the Derby blades, and they are £3.99 for 50 on ebay, so it's really cheap. Apart from anything, it makes shaving a bit more fun!!!!
After buying my safety razor I bought a variety pack of blades, having read that different blade are give a very different experience dependant on skin type, beard growth and not least which razor you buy. I hated the Derby blades, I have a strong beard growth so thought I'd try something that is really sharp, that left Feather or Personna Medical Prep. Feather are a bit pricey compared to most brands so I ordered the Personna Med Preps (not available everywhere as they are not produced for the personal grooming market, they are, as the name suggests, produced for the medical profession in the USA) I've never looked back, I was luck enough to find the right combination for me and my razor after about 2 months of experimenting.
The one really important piece to add is that, even with the best combination, everything still depends on good preparation. Having done a fair bit of reading and personal experimentation I have found that I get the best and most comfortable results if I follow this routine:-
1.Put badger hair brush to soak in warm water
2.Hot(ish) shower
3.Use a decent facial scrub whilst in the shower
4.Apply a couple of drops of shaving oil on exiting the shower (do not dry face)
5.Work up a good lather in a heated soap bowl using a decent quality soap or cream (foam from a can is slimey chemical crap)
6.Massage foam into skin with badger hair brush using a circular motion in order to lift all hair that might be lying flat.
7.Shave with "the grain" applying only the pressure that the weight of the razor provides naturally - re-apply foam and repeat if you are shaving off longer growth.
8.Reapply lather and shave across "the grain", again, only minimal pressure.
9.For an ultra-close shave, re-apply lather and shave against "the grain" - note that until experienced in shaving with a safety razor this is a bad idea as will often lead to cuts and possibly razor burn, it is also dependant on how aggressive your razor is and how new the blade is (new blades often have microscopic rough edges that can scratch the skin), blades that have been used for s couple of shaves are often best in for this.
10.Wash face with plenty of cold water (as cold as you can stand) to close pores and any other nicks (these blades are so sharp - much sharper than Gillette etc - that you will often have small cuts that are so small that you can't see them and they don't bleed but can lead to minor infections that will cause shaving rash and /or zits).
11.Apply an alum block whilst skin is still wet
12.Gentry pat skin dry
13.Apply a moisturising aftershave
The products I recommend are:-
Any decent facial scrub - Boots do some great pre-shave facial scrubs for men. I find that many of the scrubs traditionally sold to women are lacking enough abrasive material to do a good job on men's skin tougher skin.
Blades - needs experimentation to see what suits peronally. Most shaving equipment web-sites will offer variety packs to let you try a few different ones. Remember, unless you don't get on with a blade it's not a case of one blade = one shave, often a blade will be at its best on the 3rd or 4th shave. I get about 8 shaves from each blade including shaving my head (which took a fair bit of practice and courage when I forst started, and some blood loss - not for the) faint hearted.
Oil - you can spend a fortune on various oils that come in small bottles - Body Shop is particularly expensive for oil in my experience. The simple fact is, you should use vegetable oils not mineral oils and as such you can mix your own. Olive oil is good for the skin and castor oil has natural analgesic properties but it a bit to viscous to use on its own. A mixture of about 2/3 to 3/4 olive oil with the rest being castor oil is a great blend. As oils age they can start to smell a bit reisty so I'd recommend a few drops of any perfumed oil that takes your fancy - many use sandal-wood but I use Olbas oil - I like the menthol smell and feeling on my skin.
Soap/cream. There are many out there, I find it easiest to make a good lather using creams. I tried a cream form Palm Olive for a while but it's a bit to stiff a cream for my soft brush to work with. Now I stick to Body Shop shaving cream, it's a reasonable price and dopes a good job.
Alum blocks can be easily obtained from most shaving suppliers and last for years. They sterilise the skin and close any small nicks after shaving.
For moisturising I don't bother with any expensive after-shave creams, unperformed Nivea does a great job.
Sorry if I'm coming across as a bit of a bore but this is something I looked into in quite a big way a couple of years back. I also have a shavette (like a cut throat razor but with changeable blades) but never really enjoyed shaving with it, too much concentration and control required for it to be a pleasurable experience for me but I do find it great for shaving up to my beard (goatie) and I know others like to use them to trim up to side-burns.
