Shaving 101

After watching those videos, I want to make my own lather, but still keep my Gillette Fusion Power. They make the compressed lather seem so terrible.

I recently tried a Gillette Fusion Power razor. Yuck. It was worse than my Mach 3, which was worse than the 2 blade razor I had before that. What’s next, 6 blades with infrared? Screw that. I’m going to try old school.

I stumbled across the videos linked above. Good stuff. The main shaving websites seem to be:

https://www.shavemyface.com
Badger & Blade

I located an old razor that my grandmother had. Cleaning off the ancient caked-on crud wasn’t too difficult. It’s a 1957 (C 2) Gillette Super Speed. The plating is gone in a few places, but it opens and closes easily and seems to be in fine shape for a daily user. I’ll give it a try.

First, I need a brush. I haven’t decided what to get, but a popular bang for the buck recommendation in the lower budget realm (that’s me) is a Crabtree & Evelyn Best Badger Shaving Brush (BBB). They run $35.

I have found “old school” razors to be only marginally better than my trusty Sensor Excel. (And like hobby, I have found that razors with more than two blades tend to be the worst.) I do, however, enjoy whipping up and applying my shaving cream with a badger brush. The brand “Kiss My Face” actually makes an excellent cream for lathering up — I’ve found it to be about as good as the premium English brands, but at a fraction of the price (11-ounce pump containers for about $5). Much more comfortable and effective than the compressed stuff blown out of a can and applied with one’s fingers.

I use the store brand 3 blade razors and I hardly ever even use shaving cream I just scrap the hair off and as long as the blade is good “no worries”

Since I discovered electric razors I haven’t gone back to regular safety razors. I’m currently using the Panasonic Arc IV and I couldn’t be happier with it, 3 minutes dry shave with 0 mess, and a very very close shave, as well as a nice trimmer.

How can you spend that long shaving? I consider shaving my face as a chore.

I rub Neutrogena’s body oil on my face before the shaving cream - it’s a light sesame oil. I use the oil then both the mach 3 cream and razor and haven’t had a nick in years.

I see they have a fragrance free version (Link ). If I can find some locally I’ll try it. I’m sensitive to, as in can’t stand, scented laundry detergents, hand soaps, perfumes, etc.

I agree, in fact I still have a couple of the old stainless still razors that adjust and I use them to finish off after a the Gillette Excell Sensor. Gives me a really close shave. The only problem is finding the blades for the old school and what is becoming the old school. So when it comes to blades and peter pullers, more is not necessary better.

Para and tnt, how many shaves do you get from your Sensor Excel cartridges? I tend to stretch my Mach3 ones out way too long because they are expensive. I’d be more inclined to pitch a $.30 blade at the first signs of tiredness than a $2+ cartridge.

From looking at pictures, I had either a Sensor Excel or something with the same latching mechanism before the Mach3. I liked it better.

That Amazon deal is excellent. I have found that a single pump produces more than enough lather (after being whipped up with the badger brush) for a twice-over shave. I hope the fragrance-free version doesn’t irritate your skin.

I’m not sure how many shaves I get from my Sensor Excel cartridges. I would guess they last the same time as the Mach3 ones. You might want to check prices on eBay; I’m not sure SE cartridges are much cheaper than M3 ones anymore, given the ubiquity of the latter. I just find the SE to be a more comfortable razor — three blades is overkill.

You don’t have my cheap, cheap Irish skin.

I really get a kick out of the 5 blade razor. It is so big that it can’t get into tight spots so they include a 6th blade on the back.

The blades are 30% closer together than on the Mach3 and friends have told me that if you have any kind of stubble build up the 5-blade jams and grabs at your face. If you shave every day and if you use looong strokes the 5 blade is noticeably smoother. Neither of the two guys I talked to felt it was enough better to justifying switching and both went back to their previous razors.

I will often not shave every day and have found that a basic 2 blade sans lubricated strip is best for me.

I using the Gillette M3 Power for a couple of years now and it’s been good. I always shave in the shower since it gives me a closer a shave. I really dislike shaving. Since I mostly work out of the house I only shave twice a week.