Gift from a girlfriend who knows nothing

[prodgirl]

My boyfriend has recently expressed a great deal of interest in using a straight blade razor. As I am fed up with his scritchy beard growing for a week before he shaves (and then having less than a day of smooth faced kisses) I am ready to get him set up as a gift.

He has been using the super expensive multi blade crappy disposable razors, and they irritate his very sensitive skin. His beard also grows every which way. Apparently this makes shaving a real pain to do. He also gets ingrown hairs very easily.

My goal is to get him shaving more often. His goal is to not have all the regular problems the old razors give him, and to maybe have a bit more fun shaving.

Here’s the question. What do I get him? I don’t want to buy him a 300$ straight blade as he may hate shaving that way. I am happy to pay up to 150$ for the razor though… that seems like a reasonable amount. I also don’t know which one to buy. What length? 5/8? 6/6? I also don’t want any real ivory as that stuff is harvested badly. I worry wood will not do well in the moisture of the bathroom, but I am not sure.

Any ideas as to what I should get for a man’s first foray into straight blade shaving would be great. A Canadian connection so I don’t have to ship over the border would be fantastic.

Thanks in advance for all the help!

 

[BeeWolf]

I found this guide to be very helpful.

 

[ada8356]

As you'll see in post linked above, you'll be much better off gifting a safety razor such as a Merkur "HD" (hefty classic) along with a brush and some quality cream.

You could easily get a nice starter set-up (razor, blades, brush, cream) for $150.

 

[MattH]

Is there a reason for going from multiblade to straight ? I would have thought to a safety razor would be a good first step, plus you could get him one to try for as little as $7.50 (Feather Portable) or the very popular Merkur HD for $30.

If you wanted to splash out then theres always the Merkur Futur or Vision 2000 for the more expensive end of the market Plus you could get him a sampler blade pack from on here... and that way he could found out very cheaply which blades work for him.

If hes determined to go for a straight I'll leave the advice to others here

(As to ivory I would have thought its illegal to buy supply anything new with ivory.. though I'm not sure as to antique products...)

Good luck

Matt

 

[Smedley]

I am learning to use a DE before I go to a straight. Plus a DE makes a good travel razor, while a straight will doubtless get lots of questions from airport security. If he enjoys the DE, the straight should be an easier transition.

 

[michaelskar]

I agree with the other folks...it would probably be an easier transition to safety/DE razors first and then graduate to straight razor (although there are several folks here who went straight from multiblade to straight without too much trouble).

i would recommend a Merkur HD and a badger brush, then a few nice shave creams. I was in the same boat...shaved once a week (with not very good results even then) with disposables/mach3. Since switching to the DE I shave every day with (usually) no irritation or ingrowns...and my neck hair grows every which way, too. It will take a little practice, but I think he will be very very happy with the change...I now actually look forward to shaving every day! If I can be changed like this anyone can. i was one of the most vocal "antishaving" people around before switching to the DE.

Good luck!

Also...tell him to check in at this forum and I guarantee he will be hooked in no time!

 

[Leisureguy]

If you do decide to get him a safety razor, I *highly* recommend you also get LetterK's sampler packet of blades so that he can find the blade that works best for him. The blade is the key component: it's what does the cutting, yet it's often overlooked as being so important.

And, of course, let him know about this forum so he can ask questions and get help.

 

[Dennis]

What a lucky guy your boyfriend is... This is a very nice thought. If he is interested in shaving with a straight razor, I would recommend talking to Tony Miller at The Well Shaved Gentleman. He will be very helpful for you and has a variety of starter packages at varying prices depending on what you want to go with.

Best of luck -
Dennis

 

[rum]

I won't say anything about razors, brushes and so on (hardware), but I will provide a link to this now famous article. It should give you an idea on what creams and soaps are out there.

As you are totally new to all this, my advice is to go and try the creams that you like in a high street store - that way you can see what you like best, smell wise and so on.

Here's the link: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6886845/

 

[hedliniv]

Seriously, don't worry about transitioning to a straight!!
Personally I hate when people try to talk someone out of something just because they do not prefer it. (this is in reference to all the DE comments)

I personally transitioned directly to a straight razor directed from a Mach3. Feel confortable in giving his that surprise! He will absolutely love it!

 

[Doc4]

Here’s the question. What do I get him? I don’t want to buy him a 300$ straight blade as he may hate shaving that way. I am happy to pay up to 150$ for the razor though… that seems like a reasonable amount. I also don’t know which one to buy. What length? 5/8? 6/6? I also don’t want any real ivory as that stuff is harvested badly. I worry wood will not do well in the moisture of the bathroom, but I am not sure.

Any ideas as to what I should get for a man’s first foray into straight blade shaving would be great. A Canadian connection so I don’t have to ship over the border would be fantastic.

Thanks in advance for all the help!

I went straight (heh heh) to straights, but the advice about double-edged (DE) razors is pretty common and good. You can order everything you need from Menessentials.ca which is a canadian outfit, and they have good products. (They don't sell straight razors, though, but everything else.)

If you go for a straight, I can say that I have never seen an ivory handle marketed, other than antiques or mammoth ivory. So no harvesting worries. I understand that properly treated wood is just fine as long as you don't, oh, soak it in water overnight or something. Or you can get buffalo horn, for example, or synthetic handles.

 

[gar1013]

If he goes straight to a straight razor (pardon the pun), be sure he knows EXACTLY what he's doing at first.

I got a straight razor back in college, and didn't really have a clue. Stopped using it after I gave myself a wicked cut in the sideburn area.

So straight razor with a LOT of time and study, or double edge safety razor with a moderate amount of time and study.

I'll say this much: I have tough wiskers and sensitive skin. Going to a double edge safety razor has been a godsend.

 

[prodgirl]

I am amazed at how many replies I have gotten in such a short period of time! I have taken all your advice to heart. I am already looking to start him off with some new creams and a badger brush. I think I will try and find some in montreal where I live so I can pick the one I like the smell of the best.

I also read the articles that I was refered to. Great stuff. The well shaved gentlemen even has a full set for the starter...

"DOVO 5/8 Complete SUPER Straight Razor set w/ 2 Strops !!"

that sounds great. I am sending him on to this site to see what he thinks about the whole thing. I guess in the end, he will have to choose between safety razor and straight.

I am also looking to get him a barbershop shave so he can see if he likes it. I know I will!

Thanks to everyone for such great advice!

 

[JohnP]

I think that would be an excellent choice. Tony as well as his strops and the razors he sells come highly recommended, plus he has his razors honed prior to shipping.
I know a lot of guys recommend the DE first, but you don't have to. I went from a cartridge directly to a straight, and discovered DE's later....
Not to mention your boyfriend is interested in STRAIGHT razors, not "something other than a cartridge". I know during my initial work learning a straight, I was obsessed with learning the thing. A DE would be the equivalent of receiving daisies when you were hoping for roses...I think you've done well.
John P.

 

[m00t]

If there's a Crabtree & Evelyn near you, I would recommend snagging one of their "Best Badger" brushes... there is a consensus of it being one of the best value brushes around, and it's made by the same people (Edwin Jagger) that did the B&B 2006 brush. It's on the scritchy side of badger brushes, which doesn't mean that it's uncomfortable to use - I love it as an everyday brush, as it helps me exfoliate and lather up at the same time

Here's a store locator: http://www.crabtree-evelyn.com/Stores/nonus.asp

This also leaves more room for the razor and creams, aftershave, alum, or anything else you may want to throw into the kit. (and a strop, if he's going the straight route)

I'll echo the importance of finding the right blades - it's one of the best things about shaving with a DE razor: you're not committed to any one manufacturer for blade supply. The sharpness and various coatings vary greatly from different places, and sampling all of them is key to finding shave nirvana.

Also, if you're going the DE route, don't forget that there are *tons* of antique razors out there, and a bunch of them are for sale right here in another section of the board. Quite a few of these are beautiful, and great shavers to boot. Not to mention the whole shaving-with-a-piece-of-history appeal... I love shaving with something that my grandpa put to use in his life as well.

As far as straights - I just shaved with one this morning It's much more involved, but I'd say it is more rewarding in the whole manliness/skill/fun aspect. The razor needs to be stropped before every shave, which adds another thing to consume time - at the moment, I need to have some time to shave with one because I'm still learning, but I'm sure the whole process will speed up as I gain in skill. I love using both kinds of razors - both are a luxurious experience that's very enjoyable, so... well... I'd have to say: get both! If you manage money very well, and check out the for sale section on the board(s) it's probably possible!

 

[thadman]

+1 to getting a brush and some cream and then experimenting from there. The C&E brush is good for me (I have no basis for comparison, but it works!).

I'm a recent switcher (a few months) and here's my thoughts-

I was amazed at how much difference transitioning from Aerosol creams to a water based lather made. I was still using a double blade sensor excel at the time, but the shave was much better. Of course, I also spent a lot more time and was much more patient about the process- but that's half the fun!

After a few weeks, I transitioned to a safety/DE and haven't looked back. At some point, I'll probably try out a straight, but for now I'm really enjoying mastering my current shave.

 

[prodgirl]

Is there any reason why a woman couldn't shave her legs and underarms with a safety razor? I imagine doing your legs with a straight razor to be scary and not too efficient, but why not a safety razor? Any women around who have tried it to good result?

 

[tim8557]

If this forum is anything like the Knife Forums I used to frequent, your post will most probably get about a thousand responses from males trying to help.

Welcome and you have come to the right place. Make sure that you get your boyfriend here as well before he takes his head off with a "cut throat"

 

[michaelskar]

Is there any reason why a woman couldn't shave her legs and underarms with a safety razor? I imagine doing your legs with a straight razor to be scary and not too efficient, but why not a safety razor? Any women around who have tried it to good result?

My wife tried it but said she preferred the mach3 for that...said something about how it seemed like extra work and she had no problems with the mach3. She didn't use any cream with it (which i suggested but she thinks shaving should be done in the shortest amount of time possible) and said that she preferred the mach3 because of the lubricating strips. I explained that she needs to use some sort of cream/lubrication with a DE razor and she said it was all too much trouble for her.

my mother used a DE for her legs while I was growing up, but she has since started using disposables.

So, in short, you can use one...but it seems not to be too big of an improvement for women's legs (at least not with the 2 women i know who have tried it).

 

[ZiggyDeath]

If there's a Crabtree & Evelyn near you, I would recommend snagging one of their "Best Badger" brushes...

i recommend AGAINST this, HIGHLY, i am a fellow montrealler, i work at the Fairview Shopping center where there happens to be a C&E, but the price for their base brush is absurd, we're talking 70-80$ MINIMUM, the Centre de Rasoir in the same shopping center is no better, they sell a Merkur Classic (retails for about 25 USD) for 50 CAD

a C&E soap in the wooden dish starts out at 25 CAD and refills are 15 CAD a pop, honestly, go online

you can score just about everything you need under the 100 USD marker