Do you turn the hobby off?

[Chandu]

That's good that you get people to pledge money for you not shaving 11 months out of the year for charities.

I tend to be a natural born contrarian. My behavior is nothing do with any particular cause or charities. As somewhat of a curmudgeon too, I will say I liked life better before "awareness" became synonymous with helping. Awareness probably does no harm, but it isn't the same thing as kicking $25 to a worthy cause either.

So for movember, there is a form and you go about collecting pledges? If so I did not realize that.

 

[PreachTheWord]

I have not owned canned goo or a cartridge razor in over 10 years. I also don't own an electric. When I want to shave I have to use my good gear. So I don't ever turn the hobby off. My facial hair does not grow fast, so I shave at night when I get out of the shower. That way I have all the time I want.

 

[Clay S]

I tend to be a natural born contrarian. My behavior is nothing do with any particular cause or charities. As somewhat of a curmudgeon too, I will say I liked life better before "awareness" became synonymous with helping. Awareness probably does no harm, but it isn't the same thing as kicking $25 to a worthy cause either.

So for movember, there is a form and you go about collecting pledges? If so I did not realize that.

Yes. It is for raising funds for men's health. Originally it was for prostrate cancer but it has expanded to include testicular cancer, mental health, and suicide prevention. In addition to growing a moustache, they have walking or running, and where singly or as a group you can invent your own challenge or object in order to raise money. https://us.movember.com/?home

Started in 2003 with 30 participants to try to increase the number of moustache wearers, the next year they changed focus, had 480 participants and raised $40,851 that went to prostrate cancer. in 2015 they had 5,232,625 participants raising $710 million in total from 2003 through that year.

 

[Tirvine]

Well, I started with a mug, brush, and SE in the mid-1960s. I took breaks from shaving for a couple of backpacking trips. I used cartridges on a couple of trips involving post-9/11 air travel. In the Navy on board ship I had to endure some aerosol shave cream. So yeah, a few breaks.

 

[dieselfuel79]

I’ve been classic shaving for almost 10 years. I haven’t picked up a cart or canned shaving gel since I’ve started. To me, this is the way shavings was meant to be.

 

[Yg420]

I used to be a member here in ‘07 I believe and shaved with a can of goo and a shavette for years. For the past 5 years or so i just trimmed my face with clippers and for the past year ive jumped in head first into wetshaving with proper brushes, soaps, straight razors, etc. so still have alot to learn.

 

[stoof2010]

I used to be a member here in ‘07 I believe and shaved with a can of goo and a shavette for years. For the past 5 years or so i just trimmed my face with clippers and for the past year ive jumped in head first into wetshaving with proper brushes, soaps, straight razors, etc. so still have alot to learn.

You're definitely in the right place to learn!!! These gents (and some ladies) have alot of knowledge if you need it.

 

[Kel]

I can’t shave with cans, I don’t enjoy it.

 

[Yg420]

You're definitely in the right place to learn!!! These gents (and some ladies) have alot of knowledge if you need it.

Ive learned artisan soaps can add up rea quick! Lol

 

[Dovo1695]

My standard shave with a DE takes around 90 seconds, so I'm never tempted.

RR Gamechanger .68
Arko stick
hand lather

Does a much better job than a cartridge/gel in the same amount of time. I now prefer the quality of hand lather over brush lather strangely enough!

 

[rbscebu]

I use to turn the hobby off 4 days a week when shaving with carts, only shaving Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Why? Because I didn't like shaving. Then I discovered SR shaving. After developing a good basic SR technique, I started to really enjoy my now daily shaves. I even bought a few DE razors just to remind me of my teenage years.

Oh, why did I ever succomb to those slick cartridge razor commercials that lead me to decades of displeasure.

 

[thombrogan]

My test for a properly hydrated lather is to fill my sink with water, leaving a slight trickle. Then as I shave, I gently dip my razor into that water. If the lather sticks to the blade, I need to add more water to the lather. If the lather immediately leaves the blade and dissipates, then I have too much water and need more soap. If the lather is properly hydrated, it will quickly release from the blade, but float to the surface of the water largely intact. Some of the better soaps have a very wide range of acceptable hydration so your can tailor the lather to the balance of slickness and cushion you desire.

@RayClem thank you for that diagnostic method. It made my last two shaves less messy and greatly increased how my skin felt afterwards .

 

[RayClem]

@RayClem thank you for that diagnostic method. It made my last two shaves less messy and greatly increased how my skin felt afterwards .

I have lathered a lot of different soaps. The diagnostic method I outlined has worked with nearly all of them. With some soaps, you will want to work toward the wetter side of the range; with some soaps, you will want to work toward the drier end of the range. As long as you stay within the overall range, though, you will get a good shave.

 

[KrstGor]

I have lathered a lot of different soaps. The diagnostic method I outlined has worked with nearly all of them. With some soaps, you will want to work toward the wetter side of the range; with some soaps, you will want to work toward the drier end of the range. As long as you stay within the overall range, though, you will get a good shave.

@RayClem, maybe this is a bit off-topic, but what would you say about some of those transparent shaving gels?

Gillette has launched one recently, along with their new King C Gillette DE razor

How would these compare to a traditional lather generated from a quality soap/cream. I'm thinking primarily in terms of lubrication and glide during the shave and skin condition/feel after the shave.

Any thoughts...?

 

[cryhavoc]

I never turn it off!

 

[RayClem]

@RayClem, maybe this is a bit off-topic, but what would you say about some of those transparent shaving gels?

Gillette has launched one recently, along with their new King C Gillette DE razor

View attachment 1162256

How would these compare to a traditional lather generated from a quality soap/cream. I'm thinking primarily in terms of lubrication and glide during the shave and skin condition/feel after the shave.

Any thoughts...?

I am not 1qualified to comment on the King C Gillette products as I have not tried any of them.

I have tried a few non-lathering creams like Jack Black, Alba Botanica, and Trader Joe's. Personally, I do not like them and do not use them, For those who shave with a cartridge razor, they might be OK.

I have a similar opinion of shave oils. I have tried them, but do not like them.

The one product I have used that I do like is Cremo. Although it is sold as a brushless cream, you can lather it with a brush and water. It is my product of choice when I travel. When you add water, it becomes incredibly slick. I rate it superior to many shave soaps and creams I have tried.

 

[JRRIII]

I haven't turned it off since the day I got a safety razor several years ago

 

[rapwedinger]

I started DE shaving in December, 2017. I went back to carts for the better part of a year in 2019. I must admit, they give me a good shave. I kept using the artisan soaps and the three pass method, though. Then, around December of 2019, I went back to DE and SE razors. Carts are designed for average man daily shaving. If the typical beard gets longer than 2 days growth, or if your beard/face/skin is not average, carts probably don't treat you well. In my estimation, carts work well for 85% of men. If you look at the ratings on Amazon for cartridge razors, it confirms this. But, 15% of the men's grooming market is still huge.

I got into the hobby because I liked the idea of making shaving less a utilitarian process than a 25 minute morning ritual to relax and mentally prepare for my day. I love the vintage razors. They are real precision instruments, not some cheap plastic thing that you throw away once you've finished a displeasurable task. I also love the soaps, aftershaves and all the other aspects of shaving. Plus, learning to use superior technique with an aggressive razor holds the promise of achieving results that the carts can never give.

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

 

[4and20blackbirds]

I used to be a member here in ‘07 I believe and shaved with a can of goo and a shavette for years. For the past 5 years or so i just trimmed my face with clippers and for the past year ive jumped in head first into wetshaving with proper brushes, soaps, straight razors, etc. so still have alot to learn.

Ha, me, too. 2007 for a couple of months and then time commitments and rough DE shaves put me to electrics until July of this year. Been DE all the way since and enjoying it. And much quieter!

 

[Yg420]

Ha, me, too. 2007 for a couple of months and then time commitments and rough DE shaves put me to electrics until July of this year. Been DE all the way since and enjoying it. And much quieter!

Haha awesome! Welcome back!