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Hello. Headshaver checking in.

Good afternoon.

My name is Chris (toff) and am 46 (born in 74)

Been shaving my head with clippers since i was maybe 20. Now 46 I was in need a new challenge and change to the lockdown routine.

Why not try proper shaving my head? I decided to buy a Wilkinson Sword Safety Razor with matching razors and a number of creams and oils to help with the slickness.

My first headshave was, how can I put it, like a scene from Reservoir Dogs! And the aftershave balm was like pain I'd never felt before.. Fast forward 2 months and I can now shave my head blemish free and with no pain after. My pre-shave routine is vigorously rubbing my head with shaving oil and then using short quick strokes against the growing direction (not au fair with the acronyms yet). Sometimes one handed, sometimes 2, depends on my mood. My post shave is a splash of cold water and a Harrys post shave balm.

Why change something that works? I was looking for a more elegant preshave routine when fortunately/unfortunately came across this site. Fortunately this site has a wealth of information about such things, unfortunately (for me and my wallet) i have a 'got to collect them all' disorder. I'm scared of what this may become! I've spent the last week researching creams, razors, bowls, brushes whilst the patchy head hair is starting grow and i'm starting to resemble Friar Tuck.

I've read the FAQ's, I've trawled more websites and the wife has rolled her eyes at the thought of me having a new 'hobby'. I still don't know where to start.

Do i go vintage? Modern? Brushed steel? open comb? I don know.

My initial thoughts were a Mekur Futur set which comes with shaver, brush, stand and bowl, some DR Harris Cream and i've no idea what goes on my head after. Is it the same as what you put on your face? if so, my normal 'aftershave' eventhough I don't shave my face.
 
Welcome aboard!

The Futur is a classic, for sure, but I actually prefer shaving with the 34C! That’s me, a guy who prefers mild/moderate razors paired with sharp blades. The main thing is to enjoy the journey!!
 
Thank you for the advise.. I'll take a look at both both your recommendations.

Looking forward to see how this develops..
 
For me the back fringe is darn near impossible to get acceptably smooth. Merkur 34C was my first razor, now my son has it. It might be too mild for the head. I bought a Merkur open comb (15c/25c). It is just as mild, if not more. I have to use a shim to get acceptable results with the Merkur open comb, face or head.

I purchased two adjustables on ebay right before Christmas: Merkur Progress and my "birth year" Gillette Slim. They are both awesome, and my very favorite razors. You cannot go wrong with either of those, as they provide the greatest amount of flexibility in one razor. From what I have read, Parker Variant is similar in performance to Merkur Progress.

Never tried a Futur. Could be a love it or hate it thing from what I have read.

I have also had very good success using the Henson AL13. Based on their website descriptions, I purchased the "mild." It turns out my coarse stubble requires a more aggressive razor. This is a very good razor nevertheless, and it is still in my regular "rotation."
 
Welcome
I shave my head every 2 days. Have tried a lot of razors, blades and stuff.
Currently best razors:
Razorock 0.84 OC
Karve OC place C
Blades:
Gillette made in Russia
Vikings Sword Israel (they last long)

I don't use preshave
Shower first
Any brush (prefer synthetic)

Use aftershave w alcohol then a balm which I repeat.

Cheapest way to shave head : Gillette Guard....cheap and easy.....last 10 shaves.
 
While I added a bunch of DE razors to my den since joining here I prefer to shave my head with a single edge razor (Razorock Eco Hawk). It takes half DE blades and due to the head design is easy to use.
 
Hi Chris, welcome to this Brotherhood of Baldies. I’ve shaved my head since I started to go bald in my late twenties; never regretted it. I shave my head each time I shave my face, which tends to be every two days, unless I’ve somewhere to go. I always prep with a shower, and although I use a preshave on my face, currently PAA Ice Cube, I don’t bother on my nut. Cold water shave for both. I do my face first, then continue on my head using the same razor and blade. I always get a nice result on the dome, and it seems less sensitive than my face. I can usually do it (head) with one pass, ATG (against the grain) although I often can’t resist some buffing. Balm is whatever I’m using for my face, aftershave too.

Even after all this time, I can still nick my head if I’m not careful, and let my attention wander; and it has in the past been known to look like I took a knife to a gunfight. (Then used it on myself...😱) Even Christmas Day last I created a nice slice with a Bolzano blade, and didn’t realise until a bright red stream appeared running around my neck and onto my chest! But it doesn’t ever bother me, and it’s long been a rare occurrence.

So I wouldn’t worry about your head, just look to find a good combo for your face first. Probably best to start mild and take it from there, and don’t worry about chasing a ‘BBS’ - baby butt smooth; seek a comfortable and clean shave and build up from there.

As for rabbit holes...sorry to say it, but if you’re already in one, it’s probably too late. Funnily enough, since I found myself in here, I’ve not seen a single rabbit - just loads of crazed shavers with a ‘stuff’ obsession just like mine...

So happy shaving, and enjoy the disorders. And don’t worry - there’s only one forum you need to be in, and you’re already here! 😝

Al.
 
Thank you for all the wonderful replies. It seems like there’s a lot to learn and in all honesty I’m looking forward on the journey. All the new smells and feels. All for shiny smooth head. I’ll post as frequently as I can documenting the progress (cuts and all). It’s good to know that nicks are acceptable..
 

ajkel64

Check Out Chick
Staff member
Welcome to the forum from Australia Chris. Thanks for checking in and sharing your experience with us.
 
So, day 1 with the new kit:

2 words to explain how it went - ouch and smooth.

I used a pre shave oil and warm towels followed by the Taylor of Old Bond Street Sandlewood shaving cream. Worked it up to a right lather and dolloped it on. I started with a long stroke from the front of the head to the back.. something bad happened. I stripped a good 2cm of skin from the the very top of my head. After pulling it out of the razor i looked at the neck of the shaver to see it was set to 5. Setting it to 1 made for a more comfortable albeit cautious shave. It was definitely a harder shave than the Wilkinson Sword, but closer.

I finished with a lot of Allum'ing and splash of Old Spice (cheap yet cheerful until the good stuff arrives). Once dried I treated my head to a moisture with Keihl's. It feels so smooth, with only a few burny bits. I'm looking forward to trying my neck later. If you don't hear from me by 9pm GMT its all gone horribly wrong..

To sum it up, it was challenging but enjoyable process. I look forward to getting more practice in!

Here's a pic of my kit:

The bowl is just a fancy painted coconut shell.. love it!
gear.jpg
:em19:
 
Great first shave, congrats! This is a great pastime that takes a daily necessity & turns it into a pleasurable daily experience. And the best part is, the only way to get better results is to keep practicing! Stick with it, read the Wiki threads here on B & B, & enjoy your journey. I hope after you shave your neck you're able to still post!
 
Thank you for the warm welcomes :)

Neck shave complete last night.. quite a few red dots still visible this morning, but definitely a lot better than I've done before due to the post shave routine. (rinse, alum, dry, aftershave, dry, moisturise).

The main thing I've learnt from the new razor is take your time. Dont keep going over the same spot! The Futur isn't as forgiving as the Wilkinson Sword.
 
A valuable lesson I learnt today..

If at first you don't succeed, stop hacking and change your blade!!

I wouldn't mind if it was a well used blade, its was fresh from the wrapper! And I bought 100 of them :eek2:. It just didn't work. Tried dialling the Futur to a more aggressive setting. Nah. Was still like trying to shave with a Flat Ended Screwdriver.

My neck hasn't looked like this since i was 16. At least were in a lock down eh? More time to practice and move back to the original WS blades :thumbup1:
 
Welcome
That's an aggressive razor for headshaving. Dial it down, go slow.
If you have never shaved your head, it might be better to start w a cart.....so you get used to it (scalp , hand eye coordination, etc).
 
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