Chemicals, the missing bit that's holding me back from it all

[eugene42]

Prologue:

Hi there, first time caller, long time reader.

I'll keep it brief: I'm a 21yr student. So obviously not rolling in money right now.

I started off investing way too much time and money on the best electric shaver I could find. A Braun Series 7:
http://www.braun.com/global/male-grooming/shavers/series-shavers/series-7.html

That turned to be less than great. At first I was pleased but my face ended up being hot and irritated after every shave. And those cleaning cartridges are way too much hassle to be worth it (not to mention that I live in Israel and would have to import them every couple of months, as well as a new head - got expensive quickly).

Then I figured Stubble is the way to go. I had a friend who used a basic cheapish beard trimmer and somehow managed to get his looking exactly like I wanted. Unfortunately, I'm not manly enough, and my beard would always come in patchy and string-y and the trimmer would get caught on it.

I was a sad panda.

Then finally I broke down and tried moochin off my dad's Fusion system. I hate gillette with a passion, I've always known the razor and blades business model was a giant rip off, especially now a days with big *** conglomerates and brainwashing marketing...

But I'll be damned if it didn't sort of fit my face and sensitive skin type. It wasn't perfect by any means, really inconsistent experiences (sometimes it goes great, other times my skin gets irritated almost as much as with the electric razor and I get cuts).

So I've long known there was A Better Way, and finally this gizmodo post squared away any doubts about it: http://gizmodo.com/5472426/razors-under-a-microscope

 

[Dharion]

Welcome to B&B, the place that has all the answers you need. But what exactly is your question? You sound like you might need a hand, so I'd advise you to start here, if you haven't already.

 

[eugene42]

So I ended up lurking here and reading way more than I ever expected (or probably needed to know, frankly, heh) about shaving..

The consensus seems to be:

- Get a Markur HD
- Try a bunch of safety razors, can't really go wrong with the spreadsheet
- Settle on one of those, bam, done.

I only need to shave about twice a week at most (like I said, not very manly). So a 200 pack is liable to last me, oh, 10 freakin' years!

So that's all great. I'm sure one could be all OCD about it and try a million other razors, but the law of diminishing returns kicks in.. and as hobbies go, its a pretty weird one. But I get it, some people collect guitars or other gear like that (that would be me).

I'm definitely not going to spend hundreds of dollars on a badger brush, that's for sure.

I really like the notion that shaving consists of Simple Machine Physics, and that a safety razor is the perfect compromise because at first its just as good as a proper straight razor.
The little handle bit (i.e. razor), doesn't matter that much once you get past a certain level of quality (Markur HD seems to be the baseline), its just a matter of properly using and making the most of whichever model you happen to own. So The Perfect Shave is really possible and within your grasp, and be your friend a rich man or an aristocract he has no advantage over you or significantly better gear available to him.

What gets to me is the chemicals part of it. The last missing part of the puzzle. With the gillette fusion system there's stuff that comes in a can. It's horrible, but it is cheap and more importantly, its available on every corner. At least I know that all the other poor chumps who use fusion have access to the exact same stuff as me.

With your way however.. well, there's a dizzying array of obscure creams and soaps, 'etc.. way more expensive, but worse, sparsly available.

a $35 Markur and $70 in blades seem like a really attractive proposition until you realize you have to order tiny $30 tubes of shaving cream from Italy and pray to god that it something that will work for you and that you'll like. I just know that I'm liable to end up with a dozen different brands on my shelf until I land on The One for me, and even then, it will always be a huge pain in the butt to acquire.

So what's a poor student to do? Isn't there a way to simplify this last bit of the process?

 

[wdwrx]

You're making a mountain out of a mole hill: you do not need to buy rare expensive creams and soaps. Nivea was my goto for years, $3.00/tube, available, AFAIK, world wide and performs as well as the more expensive brands..
I would also not reccomend buying 200 blades until you try a sampler pack of a variety of different blades from West Coast Shaving. Also, if you are young now, your beard may still thicken or fill-out over time, so that life-time supply might not be the best for ya 5 years from now.
If you can avoid the AD's, this really can be a very cost-effective way to shave, regardless of where you live!

 

[Alec79]

Products like Palmolive Classic, Ingram and Erasmic are inexpensive and produce an excellent lather.

 

[Jim]

Gene,
Where are you located in the world? The BST here at the B&B is a better bet to try different razors out. A superspeed may be less expensive for you. Its a very good choice for a new shaver.

 

[Chimensch]

Gene,
Where are you located in the world? The BST here at the B&B is a better bet to try different razors out. A superspeed may be less expensive for you. Its a very good choice for a new shaver.

Israel.

 

[Carlin]

Ughh, I'm an 18 year old vietnamese guy with the same crappy beard growing skillz =/

I second the notion of getting a blade sampler pack (vs the 200 blades) so you can see which blades work best for you.

$30/little tube? ha! Poor college student also and soaps/creams aren't that expensive! Palmolive is one I could use every day and I bought it for $4 which includes shipping from the UK! TOBS is also a nice and cheap one.

Get a superspeed or an HD
buy a tweezerman brush $12 on amazon, dunno if they ship to israel

 

[buyandhold2018]

Eugene,

After the initial expense of the safety razor and a decent brush (Merkur HD + Omega boar = $50), you can keep your expenses quite low if you choose to.

-10 good blades for $3.50 (if you only shave twice a week these should last you 6 months)

-An Arko shave stick is about $2, should last you a year at your rate of shaving

-maybe a bottle of Witch hazel, $5 (will last easily a year)

-an Alum Stick, $6 (at your shaving rate it should last 2 years.)

so, $7 + 2 + 5 + 3 = $17 per year to get a great shave

Even if you subbed the Arko stick for some Proraso soap, or Cella, or Tabac, you would still be in the $25-30 range.

 

[Chevyguy]

Prologue:

Hi there, first time caller, long time reader.

I'll keep it brief: I'm a 21yr student. So obviously not rolling in money right now.

I started off investing way too much time and money on the best electric shaver I could find. A Braun Series 7:
http://www.braun.com/global/male-grooming/shavers/series-shavers/series-7.html

That turned to be less than great. At first I was pleased but my face ended up being hot and irritated after every shave. And those cleaning cartridges are way too much hassle to be worth it (not to mention that I live in Israel and would have to import them every couple of months, as well as a new head - got expensive quickly).

Then I figured Stubble is the way to go. I had a friend who used a basic cheapish beard trimmer and somehow managed to get his looking exactly like I wanted. Unfortunately, I'm not manly enough, and my beard would always come in patchy and string-y and the trimmer would get caught on it.

I was a sad panda.

Then finally I broke down and tried moochin off my dad's Fusion system. I hate gillette with a passion, I've always known the razor and blades business model was a giant rip off, especially now a days with big *** conglomerates and brainwashing marketing...

But I'll be damned if it didn't sort of fit my face and sensitive skin type. It wasn't perfect by any means, really inconsistent experiences (sometimes it goes great, other times my skin gets irritated almost as much as with the electric razor and I get cuts).

So I've long known there was A Better Way, and finally this gizmodo post squared away any doubts about it: http://gizmodo.com/5472426/razors-under-a-microscope

Hey Gene, welcome to B&B. DE's are a great razor to shave with and I really like my superspeeds. couple of questions about the braun, first off I own one. Were you using a preshave lotion on your beard?, if not that might cause you irritation due to overshaving an area. Preshave lotions help your beard stand up. Were you using any razor lube on your cutters and foil, it cleans and lubes and helps with heat build up on the foil. The cleaning system has lube in it but I've found a can of spray lube cleaner really helps to extend the life of not only the cleaning solution but also your foil and cutters. You should really only have to replace them about once a year, unless you tear the foil from pressing to hard. Another way to extend the life of the cleaning solution is to brush the whisker stubble out of your shaver before you place it in the cleaning station. Hope you don't think I'm trying to turn you away from DE shaving, I'm not. I just know that you already have a good sum of money invested in a shaving system that might still work for you. Feel free to ask me any questions that you might have.

Clayton

 

[Gray Wolf]

The blade sample pack is a good idea, you will find that some blades give you better shaves than others. The B/S/T area here at B&B is a good resource for finding razors at a reasonable price. I recommend starting with a Tech, they can often be found for $10-$15, are very forgiving and easy to use, and give great shaves!

I went back to a DE razor when I got tired of paying $3.50 for one Fusion cartridge that did not give me any more shaves than a 15 cent DE blade!

 

[Pogo]

eugene42:

You might find this thread helpful: http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?t=70210.

Tom's of Maine is no longer available; however, you could try Kiss My Face, Alba, or Avalon Organics if you can't find C.O. Bigelow or Florena. Health food stores usually carry shave cream in tubes. Don't obsess over which cream to buy; they're essentially fungible.

Hope this helps.

Good luck.

Pogo

 

[Jopo]

Welcome Eugene. I agree - you don't need to try all the fanciest creams. I'd recommend getting an Israeli cream - they might not be the absolute best (haven't tried them myself) but based on the reviews I'm sure they'll give you a good shave, much better than a can:

MEM

[if you can't find this in stores near you, I 'd call manufacturer Pharmagis (35773700) and ask where it's available]

Lavandor

I believe Gillette in a tube made in Lebanon is (or was) available too

 

[miamimoe]

Israel.

I live in Israel. I am going to the states in June, and I am bringing back shaving stuff for me. I can bring you a tube and some soap (inexpensive) with my stuff, along with some blade samples. PM me for more info.

 

[eugene42]

Thanks for all the replies (read every one ).

For some reason there was a very strong separation in my mind between the shaving methods, or "schools" of you will and their associative products.

I didn't realize for instance that Nivea is somehow applicable. I figured the stuff that comes in the can (like the blue fusion goo) is only good if you use the modern multi blade nonsense.

After watching the video tutorials online and reading way too much about it.. some people here just make such a big deal about the product you put on your face, and getting the proper lather with zen like patience, and those damn brushes.. it just seemed like the secret to making this work is getting that part exactly right.

If its not such a crucial deal breaker and is more for the ritual/luxury/personal-preference angle of things.. I think that's great!

Whatever cream I do get is still a step up from the blue fusion can goo anyways.

So if I can just get whatever and make do with it for a whole without really compromising the benefits of this whole safety razor method.. I'm sold.

I'm ordering my Markur HD and DE Blade Sampler Pack, Choice from West Coast Shaving right now (that's what I was planning on doing from the start, sorry if I wasn't clear).

I forgot all about Lavender, it is definitely floating around and shouldn't be too much of a hassle to find. Yay. Thanks!

Edit: miamimoe, you got mail! Awesome.

 

[Jim]

Get a cream from John also while you are ordering from WCS. You can use your hands and a washcloth to get a lather that will be better for your face than the canned goo.

 

[ouch]

Poor lad. The myriad creams, soaps, and aftershaves may be the best part of all.

Try perusing the b/s/t- folks are always giving things away to newbies.

 

[eugene42]

Get a cream from John also while you are ordering from WCS. You can use your hands and a washcloth to get a lather that will be better for your face than the canned goo.

But which one? It's like a lottery only more expensive tickets and much smaller prices.

Ouch: That may very well be, but my goals are humble. I don't want to irritate my skin or cut myself. Right now a decent shave usually results in one or the other.
If I can successfully switch to your world and reap some of those rewards.. that's a major step for me as it is. I could always go for the fun/luxury/perfection thing a bit later. You know, when I'm less broke.

 

[markb]

But which one?

Musgo Real & Proraso are definite winners.

I've heard good things about Ingrams & Derby creams but I have no first-hand experience.

 

[Trawlerman]

Eugene,

Please forgive me if I'm missing something here. A fellow B&B member posted only a day or so ago and commented on how astonished he was at finding a wealth of cheap shaving products on the shelves in the stores in the Middle East.

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?t=147837

I would be well worth checking out stores in your area.