- Thread starter
- #21
DCR, I'll be 72 this summer. And I recently got a great shave from a Personna Red blade. They're surely nominees for the finals.
Have You Found Your Balance?
- Thread starter Carson West
- Start date
DCR, I'll be 72 this summer. And I recently got a great shave from a Personna Red blade. They're surely nominees for the finals.
For about 90% of my shaves I use a Feather AS-D2 razor with a Feather blade. If I use a different razor it's pretty much to justify keeping them around cluttering up my medicine cabinet.
Lately I have been shaving every day with a Razorock Plissoft brush. It's that good. Since I prefer larger brushes I'm going to order the next size bigger and then I may be done buying brushes.
I shave every day I usually do a 3 pass shave Monday and then again midweek. The rest of the week it's 2 passes. Except for soaps and maybe aftershaves I may be finished acquiring shaving stuff.
Lately I have been shaving every day with a Razorock Plissoft brush. It's that good. Since I prefer larger brushes I'm going to order the next size bigger and then I may be done buying brushes.
I shave every day I usually do a 3 pass shave Monday and then again midweek. The rest of the week it's 2 passes. Except for soaps and maybe aftershaves I may be finished acquiring shaving stuff.
The timeless 0.68 is now my flagship razor. I’m actually getting rid of my others. I like Nacet, Astra SP and Voskhod. Barrister and Mann reserve is my favorite soap to date. Wholly Kaw is also very good.
I've pretty much settled on a Feather Artist Club DX with Professional blade, Shavemac 2-band badger brush and Cella (brick) soap. For aftershave I use balms and lotions from Proraso, Cella and Weleda. I get can get DFS/BBS shaves with 2 passes most of the time but I don't really 'chase' them. As for blade longevity, 20 to 30 shaves is about average which translates to about 1 blade every 2 months.
[QUOTE="Lately I have been shaving every day with a Razorock Plissoft brush. It's that good. Since I prefer larger brushes I'm going to order the next size bigger and then I may be done buying brushes."[/QUOTE]
you and me both friend. I have been using the big bruce handled RR plissoft for about 2 years straight and honestly can't be bothered to use any of my other brushes. it is that good.
that brush with my #66 vintage British Gillette razor are my go to tools and if all my other gear suddenly disappeared, it frankly wouldn't bother me … or my wife
you and me both friend. I have been using the big bruce handled RR plissoft for about 2 years straight and honestly can't be bothered to use any of my other brushes. it is that good.
that brush with my #66 vintage British Gillette razor are my go to tools and if all my other gear suddenly disappeared, it frankly wouldn't bother me … or my wife
I now only use my Fab4 razors (ASD2, Timeless .68 OC, Gamechanger & Rocca) with either a Kai, rPersonna or Derby Premium. 2 passes on the face & the head respectively (WTG/XTG) gives a damn fine & close shave every time. I don't do more because I shave every day.
I also rotate 3 synthetic & 3 boar hair brushes as well as my shaving soaps or creams.
Aftershave is pretty much always Speick & Bulldog Moisturizer (in Summer the one with sun protection)
I also rotate 3 synthetic & 3 boar hair brushes as well as my shaving soaps or creams.
Aftershave is pretty much always Speick & Bulldog Moisturizer (in Summer the one with sun protection)
I have my daily kit, a 1953 Tech, green proraso cream and as balm, Astra SP blades, razorock big Bruce. Other stuff gets worked in but this is my comfort shave 5 days out of the week.
The challenging thing is the balance would have us find a place where we exist with equal parts. I like to use a musical metaphor, with is similar to balance, but significantly different; Harmony. The greatest compositions, whether musical, chemical, or gastronomical, seek to find a harmony with the desired components.
If Balance is about compromise, Harmony might be about Truth.
The harmony I seek is with Gillette Razors, whatever blades, and a great shave.
That is all. Happy 4th of July.
If Balance is about compromise, Harmony might be about Truth.
The harmony I seek is with Gillette Razors, whatever blades, and a great shave.
That is all. Happy 4th of July.
AimlessWanderer
Remember to forget me!
I didn't really answer the OP's question when I last added to this thread, so I'll expand on what I've found to be my own point of balance.
Soaps:
Keep it simple. One for home, one for travel. A consistent lather from a product I understand properly in terms of my own needs and preferences. Ideally unscented, so I can add the scent of my choosing afterwards. Should have good post shave feel too, in order to minimise the need for post shave products. Mitchell's Wool Fat and Palmolive shave sticks are my own top two choices.
Brushes:
Again, one for home (boar), and one for travel (synthetic). Consistency and familiarity being sought, just like with the soap. The lather (and prep) are the foundation of the shave, and I get better results more often, by keeping to tried and tested methods and products. Don't make things harder than they need to be.
DE Razors:
DE is my mainstay, and my daily preference is mild closed comb (Edwin Jagger DE3D14) for regular shaving, and open comb for when sideburns, tache or goatee need reshaping. I currently have 5 DE razors in total, and will pick from them according to my needs, should I require different characteristics for any given shave or trip away.
Other Razors:
I'm currently dabbling with straight and shavette. They're fun and interesting for the occasional shave. "Nice place to visit, but I wouldn't want to live there". I'm also preparing to stray into vintage hollow ground SE razors that I'm restoring. Again, I don't expect to use them frequently, but they'll be fun for occasional shaves. While DE is my mainstay, I'm not bothered about trying great swathes of them. Yet another DE isn't different enough from me, should I want a change from my usual razor.
DE Blades:
As eluded to above, DE blades aren't really dissimilar enough for them to be a real point of interest for me. Yes, they have their own unique traits, but they're all along the same vein. I'm having fun exploring different brands to see how their longevity varies, but there's a few brands I could happily settle down with and get consistently good shaves from. Other disposable blades? Not really interested. I'll stick to my regrindable blades or shavette for variety. Gems, injectors, lond blade shavettes, and everything else don't hold any interest for me.
Methods/Passes:
This varies. Some folks stick rigidly to a routine, and vary the product. I stick to a product, and vary the routine. The analogy I've used before, is I'd rather walk a different path everyday with the same boots on, than walk the same path everyday with different boots. Sometimes it's hot towel, sometimes not. Anywhere between one pass and four. I'll just go with whatever I'm in the mood for, or whatever the day has in store for me.
Post shave:
My preferred approach, is rinse and go. Alum and balm (Nivea Sensitive - again preferring unscented) are used occasionally, but only as a corrective measure, should I have taken a blade a shave too far, gotten overzealous with a new one, or if my technique wasn't up to par.
Fragrances:
EdTs, and a very limited array. Nothing well known, no keeping up with the Jones' here. Sometimes I will, sometimes I won't.
Summary:
I prefer a no frills shave. Nothing elaborate, neutrally scented, and technique comes before kit. Consistency of result comes from good technique and familiarity with what your using. Swapping things around can really mess that up. Variety here comes from change of method, or using an entirely different type of shaving method. No boredom here, but no blood loss, no storage issues, no addictive behaviours such as having to hide credit card bills from anyone, and I do actually continue to save money over cartridge and canned foam shaving. I'm both settled, and trying new stuff frequently. It works for me.
Soaps:
Keep it simple. One for home, one for travel. A consistent lather from a product I understand properly in terms of my own needs and preferences. Ideally unscented, so I can add the scent of my choosing afterwards. Should have good post shave feel too, in order to minimise the need for post shave products. Mitchell's Wool Fat and Palmolive shave sticks are my own top two choices.
Brushes:
Again, one for home (boar), and one for travel (synthetic). Consistency and familiarity being sought, just like with the soap. The lather (and prep) are the foundation of the shave, and I get better results more often, by keeping to tried and tested methods and products. Don't make things harder than they need to be.
DE Razors:
DE is my mainstay, and my daily preference is mild closed comb (Edwin Jagger DE3D14) for regular shaving, and open comb for when sideburns, tache or goatee need reshaping. I currently have 5 DE razors in total, and will pick from them according to my needs, should I require different characteristics for any given shave or trip away.
Other Razors:
I'm currently dabbling with straight and shavette. They're fun and interesting for the occasional shave. "Nice place to visit, but I wouldn't want to live there". I'm also preparing to stray into vintage hollow ground SE razors that I'm restoring. Again, I don't expect to use them frequently, but they'll be fun for occasional shaves. While DE is my mainstay, I'm not bothered about trying great swathes of them. Yet another DE isn't different enough from me, should I want a change from my usual razor.
DE Blades:
As eluded to above, DE blades aren't really dissimilar enough for them to be a real point of interest for me. Yes, they have their own unique traits, but they're all along the same vein. I'm having fun exploring different brands to see how their longevity varies, but there's a few brands I could happily settle down with and get consistently good shaves from. Other disposable blades? Not really interested. I'll stick to my regrindable blades or shavette for variety. Gems, injectors, lond blade shavettes, and everything else don't hold any interest for me.
Methods/Passes:
This varies. Some folks stick rigidly to a routine, and vary the product. I stick to a product, and vary the routine. The analogy I've used before, is I'd rather walk a different path everyday with the same boots on, than walk the same path everyday with different boots. Sometimes it's hot towel, sometimes not. Anywhere between one pass and four. I'll just go with whatever I'm in the mood for, or whatever the day has in store for me.
Post shave:
My preferred approach, is rinse and go. Alum and balm (Nivea Sensitive - again preferring unscented) are used occasionally, but only as a corrective measure, should I have taken a blade a shave too far, gotten overzealous with a new one, or if my technique wasn't up to par.
Fragrances:
EdTs, and a very limited array. Nothing well known, no keeping up with the Jones' here. Sometimes I will, sometimes I won't.
Summary:
I prefer a no frills shave. Nothing elaborate, neutrally scented, and technique comes before kit. Consistency of result comes from good technique and familiarity with what your using. Swapping things around can really mess that up. Variety here comes from change of method, or using an entirely different type of shaving method. No boredom here, but no blood loss, no storage issues, no addictive behaviours such as having to hide credit card bills from anyone, and I do actually continue to save money over cartridge and canned foam shaving. I'm both settled, and trying new stuff frequently. It works for me.
Great post by @AimlessWanderer. KISS. Familiarity doesn’t necessarily breed contempt, it can, with maturity build excellence.
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