How do you decide which razor, blade, and soap to use each morning?

[dantheviking]

Personally, I use a Google Docs spreadsheet for keeping track of which blade I use with each razor, soap used, number of shaves on the blade, etc.... Google Docs are an easy way to access both at home and work ( I sit in front of a computer all day long anyway). I am 6 months into DE shaving and have amassed 10 razors and 18 soaps and creams. For a while, I would just decide at shave time what I would use. But I found it too confusing to keep track of what I had used and with what. So I plan my weeks out in advance. I use one razor, one soap and one blade per week. I rotate each in order, and then make notes on what I like and don't like. It's a lot easier to keep track of everything. With my spreadsheet, I'll also be able to track how long a certain products lasts. Not that that is such a big deal for how cheap software is anyway, but it's good to know. Maybe I am doing this because it is all so new yet. Perhaps after a year I'll give up just because it's "another thing" to do.
I easily have about 6 years of soap to use up, but my hope is that my spreadsheet data will help me narrow down my favorites so that I just have a couple razors, soaps, and favorite blade. So far, I like everything which isn't helping me much. I tried MWF for the first time this morning. Great stuff!

Dan

 

[Kooze]

I choose my soap and after shave based on the weather. Today is a nice, sunny non-humid day, so I went with RR don Marco and la toja. Brush is chosen based on the soap.

blade- I generally keep 1 blade out at a time and toss it after 3-6 uses depending on the type of blade (3 shaves for Astra sp, up to 6 with SI).

 

[Mick]

I first pick out which razor I want to use. If there are no restrictions (i.e. it is not Single Edge Sunday, Merkur Monday, or Tech Tuesday) it might take a little while to decide. I will then look at the dozen or so blades that I have unwrapped and choose one I want to use with the razor I picked out.

After my razor/blade combo is picked, I look at my aftershave shelf and decide what I want to smell like when I am done, grab something and put it on the counter.

With razor/blade and aftershave finalized I then decide if I want to face lather or bowl lather. That will narrow down which brush I want to use.

Once I have my razor/blade, aftershave, and brush picked out I can then decide what soap or cream I want to use and whether I want to warm water shave or cold water shave. This picks out the soap or cream and the lather bowl or scuttle I will use.

When that is all done I grab my camera and take a pic of what I will shave with that day so that I can go back and see what I used over the past few years This is better than a spread sheet any day as a picture is worth a thousand words.

All of this takes about as much time as it takes me to shave

Today's shave (It is Tech Tuesday so my razor choices were narrowed down to 6 Tech razors so the choice was a quick one today)

It also happens to be Speick shave stick for the item of the week so no decision on the soap/cream and one of my 6 face lathering brushes was picked out for use today

It is hot so no brush scuttle and the choice of aftershave was one with a clean spring/summer scent.

 

[santamariasteve]

I always write a "to do" list late in the day or in the evening, for things I wish to do tomorrow. And that philosophy carries into my daily morning shaving activity too, and is useful when selecting which of my 55 (at last count, one one on the way) safety razors.

Typically, in the evening before retiring I wander into my shave den and meditate for a minute while listening to classical music, and then select my soap and razor and aftershave and set them out, so early tomorrow morning when my mind is befuddled from sleep I can grab 'em and hit the road running.

Works for me!

 

[dantheviking]

I always write a "to do" list late in the day or in the evening, for things I wish to do tomorrow. And that philosophy carries into my daily morning shaving activity too, and is useful when selecting which of my 55 (at last count, one one on the way) safety razors.

Typically, in the evening before retiring I wander into my shave den and meditate for a minute while listening to classical music, and then select my soap and razor and aftershave and set them out, so early tomorrow morning when my mind is befuddled from sleep I can grab 'em and hit the road running.

Works for me!

I do that too. Even though I know what I'll be using the next morning, I still like to lay my choices out on a towel the night before. I don't keep any shave gear on the counter, and getting my stuff out from the undercabinet is just one less thing to do in the morning when getting ready. I have no idea what my wife thinks of all this ritual. One thing she does notice is how nice I keep the sink area clean and tidy after my shave.

 

[Delawareguy]

It's interesting reading about the little rituals that everyone does but it sounds like a lot of work to me. I basically only use one DE or one straight. Brush and soap/cream selection are spur of the moment for. I just grab whatever strikes my fancy at that moment. Aftershave selection is based on how good of job I did with the shave. If I really damaged my face I go with a balm. If I just didn't get that close than I go with an aftershave that I don't like as much. If the shave is really smooth I go with one of my favorites. It's my own little reward/punishment system. It also helps when your choices are more limited.

 

[Acmemfg]

I am waaaay out of everyone's league it seems here as it appears my "method" is pedestrian as best.

1. Look over whatever brushes are on the shelf (usually 4 with another handful in the cabinet-they all get rotated over time)
2. Figure out what one I used yesterday so not to use it again
3. Pick out said brush
4. Decide what shave media I haven't used in a while; lean towards cream if brush is badger, soap if boar...or whatever feels right
5. Grab the razor currently residing on shelf. I switch them out every so often
6. Have at it..................

Guess that's pretty ho-hum, huh????????

 

[n2hql]

I am waaaay out of everyone's league it seems here as it appears my "method" is pedestrian as best.

1. Look over whatever brushes are on the shelf (usually 4 with another handful in the cabinet-they all get rotated over time)
2. Figure out what one I used yesterday so not to use it again
3. Pick out said brush
4. Decide what shave media I haven't used in a while; lean towards cream if brush is badger, soap if boar...or whatever feels right
5. Grab the razor currently residing on shelf. I switch them out every so often
6. Have at it..................

Guess that's pretty ho-hum, huh????????

No, not ho-hum, that's pretty much my method, The razor on the shelf changes when the blade does, though.

 

[Gissy]

I just pick out what I want before I hit the shower. The last few days I haven't been able to find out what I wanted to use though so I'm growing a beard instead

 

[sarimento1]

For me, I will generally start with deciding on what soap to use. This is because I probably have so many more soap varieties than varieties of razors or aftershaves. All that said, unless there is some kind of Item of the Week that I'm doing. And in my case, unfortunately, it probably takes more time to decide on the elements than actually executing the shave. But that's just the fun of it, I suppose!

 

[Sharecropper]

Pretty much pure whim. But recently I decided to progress chronologically through my razors, from oldest to newest. If I have a particular theme in mind for a photo, I will choose items accordingly. If not, mere whim holds sway.

 

[BubblesTGB]

I use an iPad app called Mr Combo. I have every shaving product entered into the app. Hit the "mix it up" button and it generates a full shaving setup. I can always tweak if needed. Screenshot attached.

 

[Harry Snider]

"eeny, meeny, miny moe!"

 

[Niles]

I don't have any kind of system. Whatever I feel like gets used.

 

[mikey]

It is rather quite simple. I have only one of each item to choose from. One razor, one blade, etc.

Thanks,
Mike

 

[JerYnkFan]

I only have two brushes so I usually just alternate. As for razor, I've pretty much been sticking with my Merkur 1904 OC as I feel it gives me the best shaves. I picked one blade for the week and use that. Creams/Soaps I just choose on a whim and same with aftershave.

 

[dpmtherrien]

I just look at my gear, decide, and go from there. Nothing for sure, but it always works out just fine.

 

[Emanon]

I use the same stuff everyday

 

[Chadao]

In town I use an EJ89 Barley, out of town I use an EJ89L. My blade now is the Feather. I rarely try anything else. I have five brushes, 3 boar and 2 badger, but I use the badgers most of the time. I have lots of soaps but have settled in for a while alternating 3 Mike's depending on mood...or if I feel sorry for one of them because it hadn't seen the light of day for so long. Oh, my favorite is MWF. I use that exclusively on the road. In town, it bumps one of the Mike's...when I feel like it.

 

[RondeB]

One razor until its time to change blades. Then decide on a different razor. Soaps, creams and aftershaves are spur of the moment decisions as is brush choice. Although not usually the same one two days in a row.