Multi-blade razors

[snowy slopes]

Soovy said:

snowy slopes said:

Its the future trust me

It's rare these days that I get excited about anything, but I really am quite excited to discover this new thing.

I've been out this morning for proper soap (Ingram) that my Dad used when I was little. Can't wait to get home and try it with the proper razor. Will do the head as well tonight (was too tired last night and scared I'd lacerate myself!!)

Funny how it's the little things that make you happy innit!

If you google timothy edwards male grooming, english shaving company or connaught that has been mentioned already, these places sell so many goodies for shaving, its unbeleivable. Soap in wooden bowls, skin food, ingrowing hair stuff, oh you could spend a lot of money very quickly, especially as you have found out soovy, it's addictive

[T84]

I use the Wilkinson's Sword cheapo one from Boots with Tesco Value blades (On recommendation from here) with King of Shaves Gel and I get a great result.

I want a Futur also

[snowy slopes]

T84 said:

I use the Wilkinson's Sword cheapo one from Boots with Tesco Value blades (On recommendation from here) with King of Shaves Gel and I get a great result.

I want a Futur also

Try switching the gel for cream or soap, it will be much better. Also helps if you make sure your beard is nicely soft before starting to shave, by using a facecloth in hot water, then place on face. Do this a few times, and it softens the beard up no end

Edited by snowy slopes on Tuesday 30th November 11:48

[ponchie]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

Grasped that in the end, was having a bit of a blonde moment. Probably the fear of slicing my face off

I'd just like to add I normally have a shave after a hot shower to soften the hair when using a cartridge, I managed a better result without any kind of shower/hot towel using the DE razor. Looking forward to doing it 'properly' in the next couple of days.

[snowy slopes]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

[covmutley]

Soovy said:

I went out and bought a £4 Wilkisnon sword starter pack yesterday.

First day in 20 years my face hasn't been sore for the first hour.

Love it. Very much bitten by the safety razor bug.

Snap! I thought i would give it a go too so went to Boots. Quite scary putting it to my face, but it went well and by that I mean it was an ok shave and my face remains intact. Strange sensation as you can feel it cutting, but not dragging. I only did 2 passes as I have been using an electric and i did get some redness but that subsided after half an hour or so. Hopefully my face will adapt to it within a few days.

Need to read up more on technique for chin to neck transition area as I found this the trickiest part.I think my lather could have been better. A Merkur HD and a better quality soap will be on my list to santa!

[snowy slopes]

covmutley said:

Soovy said:

I went out and bought a £4 Wilkisnon sword starter pack yesterday.

First day in 20 years my face hasn't been sore for the first hour.

Love it. Very much bitten by the safety razor bug.

Snap! I thought i would give it a go too so went to Boots. Quite scary putting it to my face, but it went well and by that I mean it was an ok shave and my face remains intact. Strange sensation as you can feel it cutting, but not dragging. I only did 2 passes as I have been using an electric and i did get some redness but that subsided after half an hour or so. Hopefully my face will adapt to it within a few days.

Need to read up more on technique for chin to neck transition area as I found this the trickiest part.I think my lather could have been better. A Merkur HD and a better quality soap will be on my list to santa!

The thing is, preperation is the key to a really good shave. Also, when you get your merkur razor, you have to remember to let the weight of the razor do the work, as it is a lot heavier by all accounts, and if you drag it across the skin, you wont be getting the best results. Like everything, it is down to practice, or so it seems. Help videos can be found on line at the usual place, although if you go to timothy edwards male grooming, then click on the merkur link, there are videos showing hot to use their products

[covmutley]

Thanks, I will check out that website. I watched a few of the Mantic59 videos which were helpful for prep etc. I used a hot flannel before, but will try a shower first next time.

One thing I am not sure of, that I think I saw on one of the videos, is with the lather you should be trying to 'lock in' a small layer of water on your face as this provides some lubrication- is that right? I think my face was pretty dry when I put the lather on.

[ArtVandelay]

Straight razor has arrived (none of this safety nonsense..) along with blades, a brush, soap, a box of styptic pencils and a first aid kit.

It'll be tested shortly

[the_lone_wolf]

snowy slopes said:

Yep, it's surprising how much difference a cheap DE razor from boots can make isnt it?? Boots sell styptic pencils, or you could look on t'web for an alum block which does the same thing, but you will only nick yourself a few times before you get used to using your new razor. Might i recommend looking up the shaving tutorials on youtube to get some extra tips, i thought i knew how to use a DE razor, then i looked up the tutorials on youtube, and found out so much more information than i thought i needed. It is worthwhile taking the extra time to shave though, my face doesnt feel so much like sandpaper after a shave anymore. Be warned though, this can and possibly will get out of hand, as you will look at stuff on the internet and think, hmmmmm i need that for when i shave

Funnily enough Boots in the biggest town on the Island didn't have any, but I found one in town after visiting the gym yesterday. Seen lots of the videos on technique and the like and I'm definitely getting better with each go, couple of nicks here and there but hardly life threatening. Using Nivea aftershave balm (the sensitive one) and it seems to do the trick limiting any irritation and seems to improve my skin when I'm outside in this cold weather. As for getting out of hand I think it's already there, wooden bowl and all, next it'll be moisturising cream, oh god!!

[freecar]

snowy slopes said:

T84 said:

I use the Wilkinson's Sword cheapo one from Boots with Tesco Value blades (On recommendation from here) with King of Shaves Gel and I get a great result.

I want a Futur also

Try switching the gel for cream or soap, it will be much better. Also helps if you make sure your beard is nicely soft before starting to shave, by using a facecloth in hot water, then place on face. Do this a few times, and it softens the beard up no end

Edited by snowy slopes on Tuesday 30th November 11:48

You really do need to ditch the KoS gel, I used to use it myself and know it is the best of the crap available, yet a proper soap is leagues ahead and I'm going to explain why!



The Brush.

The brush is important, firstly it provides a source of exfoliation, it removes dead skin cells and dirt from around each hair and it also brings the environment to create "emulsion" with your soap but more on that later. The brush is generally made from Badger bristle, the finest type is often referred to as "silvertip" badger and comes from the neck of the badger in winter, this is the softest, most absorbent type of brush you can get and it makes a fine lather.

When using a brush, the first time you lather up your face in the morning (or whenever you shave) you should grip the brush by the bristles, this tightens them up and makes them more aggressive. This will ensure that the bristles have picked up all the laying down hairs and surrounded them with gooey lather. Further latherings can be done by gripping the handles and letting the brush remain more floppy.


The Soap.

Shaving soap should be alkaline (which is why you shouldn't use face soap which is acidic!) which is essential to cause the little plates that "armour" each hair to split apart and allow moisture within the hair shaft. It is this process that swells each hair and makes it easier to cut, it also allow for a tiny bit of stubble "retreat" after your shave leaving you very smooth, but not so far beneath the skin that it will cause irritation and ingrown hairs like hysteresis (the proces by which cartridge razors work, they don't shave, even the manufacturers admit it!)

They key to creating a good lather is to make an emulsion of soap and water. Just the right amount of water will make you lather tenacious and slick, I ususally put my soap, brush and razor in my mug in the sink full of the hottest water my tap can muster while I have my shower. Once out I give my brush a good shake to remove the excess and tip the water from inside the soap, 80-100 whirls of the brush 'pon my puck and I have enough soap to make a decent three pass and polish shave. I put this into the hot mug and start adding water while mixing it up, it is actually surprising how much water you can add to make it good and slick (something you can do in the early days while learning is to make up a batch and ruin it by adding too much water, this will give you experience of the stages it goes through so you can spot when it's just right) and provide enough cushion for the blade.

It is also worth mentioning that the first time you use a new brush it will smell a bit like dead wet dog! The best thing to do is to shampoo the bristles a few times to get rid of the smell!





So there you have it, a comprehensive reason why crap in a can just isn't up to the job, the brush and soap do so many tasks between them, it is not simply a case of lubrication.

[andy400]

Anyone mentioned Alum blocks yet?

I'm never without one for post-shave soothing and healing (after rinsing, before 'balm')

[snowy slopes]

covmutley said:

Thanks, I will check out that website. I watched a few of the Mantic59 videos which were helpful for prep etc. I used a hot flannel before, but will try a shower first next time.

One thing I am not sure of, that I think I saw on one of the videos, is with the lather you should be trying to 'lock in' a small layer of water on your face as this provides some lubrication- is that right? I think my face was pretty dry when I put the lather on.

Freecar just provided a much better answer than i could have done on this subject. Lone wolf, yes, it will get very very expensive, depending on what you think you desperately need for your shave. Almond face cream, sandalwood soap and after shave, alum block, certain types of blades are better than others, a decent quality brush, a merkur razor, the list is endless. Then of course, you run the risk of going down the straight razor(or cut throat route) as you think this might be even better, and you have to start from scratch again.

[ponchie]

andy400 said:

Anyone mentioned Alum blocks yet?

I'm never without one for post-shave soothing and healing (after rinsing, before 'balm')

Been using one of these for about a year now, they are great! It's not a proper shave without using one imo.

[mickk]

ArtVandelay said:

Straight razor has arrived (none of this safety nonsense..) along with blades, a brush, soap, a box of styptic pencils and a first aid kit.

It'll be tested shortly

Now that's another step up altogether, do you live near a hospital?

[ArtVandelay]

mickk said:

ArtVandelay said:

Straight razor has arrived (none of this safety nonsense..) along with blades, a brush, soap, a box of styptic pencils and a first aid kit.

It'll be tested shortly

Now that's another step up altogether, do you live near a hospital?

No but the crematorium is nearby, I'll just cut out the middle man

[the_lone_wolf]

snowy slopes said:

Lone wolf, yes, it will get very very expensive, depending on what you think you desperately need for your shave. Almond face cream, sandalwood soap and after shave, alum block, certain types of blades are better than others, a decent quality brush, a merkur razor, the list is endless. Then of course, you run the risk of going down the straight razor(or cut throat route) as you think this might be even better, and you have to start from scratch again.

I posted previously, got a bit of unexpected freelance work worth a few hundred quid so I've already got the Futur, Wooden bowl of Mitchell's soap, Omega brush etc - not quite ready to go the whole hog back to the days of cut throats just yet!!

Can echo the sentiments towards KoS gel, it's not bad for what it is but even my ham-fisted attempts at lather are chalk and cheese in terms of glide and feeling

[snowy slopes]

the_lone_wolf said:

snowy slopes said:

Lone wolf, yes, it will get very very expensive, depending on what you think you desperately need for your shave. Almond face cream, sandalwood soap and after shave, alum block, certain types of blades are better than others, a decent quality brush, a merkur razor, the list is endless. Then of course, you run the risk of going down the straight razor(or cut throat route) as you think this might be even better, and you have to start from scratch again.

I posted previously, got a bit of unexpected freelance work worth a few hundred quid so I've already got the Futur, Wooden bowl of Mitchell's soap, Omega brush etc - not quite ready to go the whole hog back to the days of cut throats just yet!!

Can echo the sentiments towards KoS gel, it's not bad for what it is but even my ham-fisted attempts at lather are chalk and cheese in terms of glide and feeling

I have a cheap and nasty brush, and a generic shaving soap and bowl from boots(as you can see,i got most of my stuff from there) and my lather is pitifull by ptoper shaving standards, but its just soo much better than a gel or foam from a can. I have already pointed mrs slopes in the general direction of some decent soap, a merkur futur etc etc for when it is my birthday

[andy400]

ponchie said:

andy400 said:

Anyone mentioned Alum blocks yet?

I'm never without one for post-shave soothing and healing (after rinsing, before 'balm')

Been using one of these for about a year now, they are great! It's not a proper shave without using one imo.

[WorAl]

andy400 said:

ponchie said:

andy400 said:

Anyone mentioned Alum blocks yet?

I'm never without one for post-shave soothing and healing (after rinsing, before 'balm')

Been using one of these for about a year now, they are great! It's not a proper shave without using one imo.

Do you find you have to wet it first or it sticks to your skin?? Or am I doing something wrong?