Help! Quest for Old School Soap Vintage Blades etc.

[ChiefX]

Warning, I’m a mariner... stand by for sea story.

I started wet shaving (DE) over 8 years ago. Started with store bought DE, soaps, and blades. Restored a brush, used an old flea market mug, but eventually bought a ‘47 Super Speed from a member here in 2012, later getting a birth year ‘63 Slim, and my brother (whom I drug into this) got a birth year ‘69 Super 109. In between I bought a myriad of new repro DE’s including a Rockwell, new brushes, scuttles, and Tabac has been my return-to/go-to soap and aftershave.

Last year I grew tired of all the prep and rigamarole and (mistakenly) went to cartridge shaving and canned cream.
Recently I’ve returned to my Slim, and discovered that using a slickery gel (like Duke Cannons canned (using a scuttle and brush to warm it up, I HATE putting on cold can gel) and Balzano blades, I could carefully get a one pass great shave using the Dukes. I tried this with my Tabac and a drawer full of other blades including my go to Gillette Silvers, but the Balzano combo with the gel was the ticket of one pass. I use light pressure and shorter strokes than I used to and VERY pleased with the results. Using Duke Cannons aftershave gel finishes it up perfect. I still sometimes use an alum block.

I’m attributing this to two things: the blade and that Duke Cannons Fresh Aloe is so slickery even after a pass or so allows me to even follow up/buff areas like my chin without razor burn. The Balzano blade also feels great in my Slim Adjustable turned down to 3. However, like many have found, you either love or hate the Balzano as it’s inconsistent. One blade same tuck goes 5 shaves, next one 2. But when it’s good it’s better than my G-Silvers. (Note the Sharks etc are too aggressive for me no matter the razor or setting).

So...

I’m on a quest to go Old School as much as I can, to include acquiring vintage mug and brush (maybe restoring a vintage EverReady). Might start experimenting by getting a Fat Boy, or an old Gillette comb. No more new production repro’s.
I see guys who actually seek out and buy vintage NOS Gillette blades, and was wondering which one would compare in smoothness to the inconsistent Balzano’s.

I want to stay Gillette, and wondering which Vintage blade y’all recommend, and which shaving soap that keeps the slickeryness of that canned gel. Obviously NOS soaps would be dried out. Hopefully someone recommends a legacy new production soap (ie TOBS, MWF, Poraso , etc which I never tried, and not a fan of the new age “teenager” scented soaps. I’m a recovered alcoholic so not keen on Bourbon flavored and I’m a retired Chief Petty Officer so I don’t know what in the hell a “whiff of bergamot” is and don’t care... ever ever ever [emoji41]). The Tabac looses its “slickery” after one pass. My drawer full of modern production DE’s I might PIF and keep the vintage Gillette’s, and get more. Don’t get me wrong, DE’s like the Rockwell are awesome, but my vintage ones are prolly better. Might just be in my nostalgic mind...

Summery:
1. Which Gillette NOS vintage blades are super smooth?
2. Which current production Legacy soaps are “slickery”?
3. Which legacy new production aftershave? Or do I stick with Duke Cannons?


- -
Chip Hoynes
CPO, USCG (Ret.)

Make it a Great Day...unless you have other plans...

 

[Waistgunner]

Well, for just 3 simple questions, you certainly got your word quota in there!

Just go with what works for you and is good on your face!

 

[KQY61]

Hi,

Blades, I used to use Schick Plus Platinum until they disappeared in the late 1980s. Moved to Personna Med Preps as those were still available from the surgical supply store.

Personna 74 blades were the best of them all, but hard to find now. To compare, the Med Preps go 20-some days for me while the 74s go 45 days. The tungsten in the alloy makes a hell of a difference.

Soap, used to be Yardley and then Old Spice once Rexall pulled back from the US and that drug store was where Yardley could be found. Both are gone now, of course.

I still have some vintage Rubberset horsehair brushes from the late 1940s, early 1950s. And a boar brush I bought new in 1980 and used thru 2013. I have used a Vie Long horsehair since January 2014.

For the vintage stuff, eBay is what comes to mind.

Stan

 

[BigJ]

Great story! Thanks for sharing. And THANKS FOR YOUR SERVICE!

Here are some suggestions in answer to your questions:

1. Which Gillette NOS vintage blades are super smooth?

Spoilers, if you can find some.
Wizamet SI. Gillette bought the company and moved it to St. Petersburg. Polsilver SI is the result.

2. Which current production Legacy soaps are “slickery”?

MWF
Haslinger’s (any of their eight options), especially the schafmilch.
Cella
Tabac

3. Which legacy new production aftershave?

Lucky Tiger, manufactured since the 1930s
Pitralon, my favorite is the classic (German)
Pinaud, especially clubman.
Floid, my favorite is the vigoroso (Spanish, but the Italian options are also fine)

Enjoy!!

 

[steveclarkus]

Soap - I go for Arko. Definitely old school; lathers well and very inexpensive.

 

[JCinPA]

Vintage blades, still pretty available on the 'bay, Gillette Spoilers and Schick Plus Platinums.

Any both of them will shave well longer than this, but I use each for a week then toss them. Who worries about the cost? So I spend $0.70-$1.00 USD per blade. Use it for a week. A medium McDonald's coffee is $1.49.

Vintage razors? I really like the fat-handled Tech, but for a TTO, the 1940's version Super Speeds are very handsome and nice shavers. But the heads are a little tall. The later Super Speed, the so-called Flare Tips, have shorter heads which I find more maneuverable.

 

[JCinPA]

Forgot the soaps!

Currently produced "old school" soaps that are very slick include Cella red and Mitchell's Wool Fat. Unfortunately, Tabac reformulated recently, but if you can find some Tabac with tallow that is super slick as well. La Toja stick is very slick and considered Old School, I believe.

There are some great new soaps, not classics, that are super-slick, however. Ridiculously so. But you specified "Old School" so I'll leave them alone.

 

[KW Driver]

I'd add Hasslinger soap even though they reformulated away from tallow, the performance is indistinguishable. and they're soft floral scents for all but the Aloe Vera. the AV is the only one I can use because of the scent. they've been making soap for a long time.

Speick has a peppery floral scent and they've been around a long time. I think the sticks perform better than the cream. grate up a couple sticks into a mug or container and you're good to go. or learn to face lather a stick.

and if you're going to reknot a vintage brush, you'd likely be as well served getting a new brush if you're looking at boar/horse. putting a badger knot into an old handle isn't too bad if you do it yourself. I have a TGN silvertip in my uncle or grandfather's Ever Ready 150L as a travel brush. the boar knot in it was brittle and broke apart as soon as I touched it

my most used brush is a $8 Omega boar, and one of their boar travel brushes.

 

[JCinPA]

^^^^^^^^^^
Haslinger just blew my mind today, add that to the mix.