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6 Months In and What I have Learned

I thought I would put all of this into one singular post as it has to do with all types of classic razors. I hope this can help some of the newer folks with a little bit of what I have learned through searching and asking many questions here at this Incredible Collaboration of Ladies and Gentlemen at Badger and Blade.

DE's (Double Edge Razors):

I started my Journey in Wet/Classic Shaving as many of us did. With the Micro Touch One Razor. This razor is definitely in my opinion a terrific starting point as it is well made, (At least the one I got was, I know that many have not been for others). The blades that come with it will shave, but they are definitely lacking in QC.

Maggard Razors Open Comb and Closed Comb were my next Razors. These are both very mild razors as is the M/T One and although they provide a close comfortable shave, the shave does not last as long as I needed it to having 13 to 16 hour work days.

My Next Step was a Black Beauty 1975 Super Adjustable by Gillette. This opened a Whole new world of shaving Joy for me as I could dial it up and get that Uber Close BBS Shave that lasted my entire day and well into the next.

So Loving the adjustable nature of this razor I also bout the Merkur Futur and 2 more of the Gillette Cousins the Slim and the Fat Boy. All Awesome Razors and what I would consider to be a perfect starting point for any New DE Shaver to invest in to give them all of the settings they would need to dial in their specific liking for aggressiveness.

At this point in my Journey, what is known here as R.A.D., (Razor Acquisition Disorder), had thoroughly set in and I added to my Shave Den with the Gillette NEW, the Gillette NEW Bostonian, The Gillitte MiLord, the Gillette Old Type, the Gillette Single Ring, the Pre-War Gillette Tech. Many More are on my list of "Must Haves" but I have time to acquire those at a price I am willing to pay for them.

My Latest Purchase was the Shavecraft Tech Head and I placed this head on my Maggard MR6 Handle and I have to say that it is positively the most Aggressive, yet Efficient and Comfortable Razor in my current collection for DE Razors. I absolutely Love Shaving with it when it comes up in my rotation.

The bottom line is that there are Many, Many choices out there that are perfectly suited for each and every type of facial hair you may have. So experiment and find your own Perfect Razor and above all, enjoy the journey. This style of shaving has many twists and turns and if you just relax and enjoy immersing yourself in the process you will find that shaving becomes more of a joy and relaxing experience then it is a chore that has to be done fore whatever reason you may have that requires it. For me it is a requirement of my profession.

DE Blades:

This is a serious point of controversy here at B&B and I have to say that ONLY YOU will know which blade is the "End All and Be All" of the available blades on the market.

However, that being said some of my personal favorites are:

1: The Polsilver Iridium
2: The Voskhod Teflon Coated
3: Feather Platinum Coated Stainless Steel, (Yellow and Black Package)
4: The Personna Comfort Coated, (Blue and Yellow Package)
5: Gillette Platinum
6: Gillette 7 O'Clock

These are my Top Six Picks for DE Blades and In Order of Preference and compatibility with All of my DE Razors.

SE's (Single Edge Razors):

My Experience here is limited to only 2 SE Razors:
1: The GEM 1912
2: The 1912 Variant GEM Junior

Both of these are incredible shavers and SE Razors differ from DE's as the blade and edge are far thicker than the standard DE Blade. This allows for, (In my own Opinion), a longer lasting edge which equals to more shaves, and a lot less blade flex which adds to control in shaving. If you want Simple, effective and low muss and fuss then These are a Great Choice for you.

SE Blades:

Once again my experience is very limited here but I have found that the Personna GEM Single Edge blades work Very Very well in both of the SE razors I have tried. I PIF'd the GEM 1912 and I still have the GEM Junior and these blades work amazing in this razor. Make absolutely sure though that you buy the correct blades for these as there are a LOT of single edge blades out there but a lot of them are for scrapers and box cutters, these ARE NOT SUITABLE FOR SHAVING, You Must be sure to get one that is in fact for use in a Face Shaving Razor. This is the most Paramount bit of advice I can give for these razors.

SR's (Straight Razors):

Here we come to my personal favorite in Razors. I have had many Straight Razors and currently have 8 in my rotation. This Style of Shaving, (In My Opinion), is the Ultimate in Classic Shaving as they were in fact the beginning of shaving for the most part.

There as many types of straight razors as there are types of faces on this Earth. from 4/8 Inch all the way up to the Big Blade Beasts at 8/8 and above they ALL have their own qualities and shaving abilities that will ALL ultimately remove your stubble efficiently. I Currently have 8 Straight Razors that range from small thin and light all the way up to Wide Blade, (13/16), and heavy. The Grinds, The Edge and the Width are ALL a Matter of personal preference. I personally love them all as they all give me the advantage of being able to dial in my shave based on the growth I have at the time of shaving.

My top Three Favorites Are:

Who am I kidding? ALL Of them Are my Favorites because they all possess qualities that perform perfectly based on the growth on my face at the time and I have such a varied selection that no matter how thin or thick my stubble may have grown ONE of my Razors WILL shave it clean, smooth and BBS every single time.

My Favorites of the ones I have though are:
1: Aporis Chemical Steel 13/16 Half Hallow
2: ERN 1106 6/8 with Epic Spine Work
3: ERN 32 5/8 Also With EPIC Spine Work
4 GENCO Master Cutler 5/8 Uber Light Blade with a Super Sharp Edge

So as you can see they are all different in size and Grind yet they all have a place in my rotation.


Honing:

Once again there are a Myriad of choices here. You can, (As I do), Hone, or learn to hone), your own razors or you can choose a Honemeister of your choosing that can give you a consistent edge that meets your personal needs every time you send it to them.

I personally have found my own Niche in this realm with a 1K, 6K, 12K and Diamond Sprayed Strop progression that works extremely well for me and affords me the ability to maintain my own edges as well as dial them in to my own specific needs.

Stones range from the Synthetic to Natural Stones of varying varieties like Japanese Natural, Arkansas, Slate's and Coticules to name a few. There are many others and all deliver fine and amazing edges to these razors, it is just a matter of personal preference as is the case in so many aspects of this type of shaving.


Brushes:

There are also May Types of Brushes From Badger to Synthetic and just as many folks will tell you that the one they use is "The Best". Well for them it is. For you, your opinion may vary from there's and that is perfectly Okay. I myself prefer Fine to Silvertip Badger Brushes and make ma of my own brushes from scratch. I also Like the Omega 49 Boar Brush as it is an amazing face lathering brush For Me. You simply Have to try them and find your own liking on this front.

Soaps/Creams:

These also require experimentation and personal findings of favorites. Some of my personal Favorites are:

The Art Of Shaving New Old Stock Tallow Sandalwood and Their Lavender Line of the New Formula both for Soaps and Cremes.

I also am finding a liking of Mystic Waters Soaps as well. Another favorite that will always be in my rotation is a classic, C.O. Bigelow Creme. Great performance and Great Slickness and feel for wet shaving.


Post Shave:

This as well is ALL about Personal Preference as everyone has a different take on what "Smells Good" and "Feels Good" after a shave. My Go To After Shaves are TAOS Lavender After Shave Balm and Aqua Velva Ice Blue After Shave Splash. Lavender relaxes me to no end and Qua Velva Wakes me up for the work day on a morning Shave.



I Sincerely Hope that this Helps Someone out that may have questions regarding what their next step may be or even where to start as far as Wet Shaving is concerened.


Wishing Everyone a Great Journbey and as always Many. Many Great Shaves!:thumbup:

Sincerely;
Nate
 
Wow, that's an impressive amount of gear for 6 months. Great read though, picking up little tips all over the forums here.
 
Wow, that's an impressive amount of gear for 6 months. Great read though, picking up little tips all over the forums here.

Thank you Shavehappie. I consider my collection a very small one by comparison to some of the collections I have seen in my time here. However it is a very specific collection of Items that are either Perfect for my Shave or, and for me this is one of the most important aspects....... Historically Significant from a Family Standpoint. I have now collected ALL of the Razors that I remember my Grandfather shaving with when I was growing up and a few of the types of blades he used as well. I also find that these memories are some of the most vivid memories I have of him and therefore I have taken to sharing the shaving experience with my Sons and they both now have Two Brushes Each as well as Two DE Razors Each and they even each had a hand in designing their own brushes that they now fully enjoy using. These are memories that I hope that they will always cherish as truly productive and quality Father Son time that we have spent together even long after I have gone from this world. These are the kinds of things that hold the most importance to me in this Wet Shaving Journey. Time Spent with my Sons and the Strength of Bond Built between us.
 
Great post, I feel that this is a similar progression that I have experienced, and I'm sure many more here also.
 
Nice way to remember him, I only remember my grandfather using a Mach 3. I'm sure at some point he DE shaved as he was born in the 20s.
It's nice you're sharing this with your sons, passing on traditions. Can't wait to be in that position one day.
 
Nice way to remember him, I only remember my grandfather using a Mach 3. I'm sure at some point he DE shaved as he was born in the 20s.
It's nice you're sharing this with your sons, passing on traditions. Can't wait to be in that position one day.

That's an exhaustive post. Sounds like you're doing great.

Thank you guys very much. You are correct, it is a long post for sure. It took me about an hour or so to really get everything the way I wanted it though so not that long really. I just wanted it to kind of be a good starting point to answer some of what were my most common questions I asked when I first started. Kind of my small way of giving back to such a terrific community.:001_smile
 
IMPRESSIVE! Definitely a great hobby.

I spend a fair bit of time mastering any new hardware or software before moving on. Obviously YMMV as the key is to have fun! :thumbup1:
 
Hi Nate,

Nice write up. I've been at this about the same time as you have, and I too have developed quite the RAD. The straights are what drew me in, but I have realized I need to dedicate more time to honing, and as a head shaver I usually don't have the time for a straight shave. I do like to grab my Weck if I have the time to play. I really love all the vintage SE and DE razors I have found on my wild hunts. It's like I'm shaving my way through history.

I also want to say that I have very much enjoyed your straight razor restoration threads. Especially the Father Son rescale projects. Your Son is doing some great work sanding and I wish you two many more projects together. :thumbup1:
 
IMPRESSIVE! Definitely a great hobby.

I spend a fair bit of time mastering any new hardware or software before moving on. Obviously YMMV as the key is to have fun! :thumbup1:

This is absolutely a test of patience with these devices and software because even though it does take some skill, once mastered there is no more relaxing a shave than this style of shaving whether you use DE's, SE's, Straights or Shavette's they ALL have their benefits over cartridge razors in so many ways it isn't even funny.

Hi Nate,

Nice write up. I've been at this about the same time as you have, and I too have developed quite the RAD. The straights are what drew me in, but I have realized I need to dedicate more time to honing, and as a head shaver I usually don't have the time for a straight shave. I do like to grab my Weck if I have the time to play. I really love all the vintage SE and DE razors I have found on my wild hunts. It's like I'm shaving my way through history.

I also want to say that I have very much enjoyed your straight razor restoration threads. Especially the Father Son rescale projects. Your Son is doing some great work sanding and I wish you two many more projects together. :thumbup1:

We have been on this journey about the same time and in that time we have both learned so very much and added to our individual collections of gear and software. The beauty of this hobby is that there is so many different ingredients to be had it is absolutely amazing.
 

Claudel Xerxes

Staff member
Great post, Nate.

Soaps, creams, brushes from scratch, DEs and SEs, straights, stones,... it sounds like you are a very well-rounded, self sufficient shaver. :thumbup1: Glad to be part of the community with you!
 
Great post, Nate.

Soaps, creams, brushes from scratch, DEs and SEs, straights, stones,... it sounds like you are a very well-rounded, self sufficient shaver. :thumbup1: Glad to be part of the community with you!

Thank you very much Claudel, it is an absolute Honor for me to be surrounded by such sincere and true Gentlemen and Ladies here at B&B. I feel privileged to have gleaned so much knowledge and tips from the Fine Folks at this site.
 
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