I just marked my third month using a safety razor. Like many of you I grew up using cartridge razors - Gillette Trac II, Atra, MACH3 and Fusion (my first razor was actually a Schick Injector). I was annoyed by the cost of cartridges, and disturbed by the environmental impact of cartridges and disposable. Sometime during 2017 I read about double-edge safety razors on the Wirecutter. I did some research about safety razors and left it at that. Then, during the week of Christmas 2017, my daughter visited with a Merkur 23C and 100 Astra Superior Platinum (SP) blades. I took the gear for a test drive with a can of foamy goo and the rest, as they say, is history.
The first razor I bought was an Edwin Jagger DE89 (with the knurled chrome handle), but the first razor I took possession of was a vintage "birthday" Gillette Super Speed I bought on Etsy. With a tub of Proraso Green, 100 Astra SP blades, a bottle of Nivea Sensitive Post Shave Balm and and my father's (or grandfather's) old boar hair Fuller brush, I dove in - deep. What had been a chore now became a ritual and a hobby. I was hooked!
Next I found Nick Shaves on YouTube (thank you, Nick) and caught a bad case of RAD: vintage 1938 Gillette Tech, Merkur 34C, Derby Extra, Feather, Personna "Lab Blue", Badger & Blade 10th Anniversary boar hair brush, Stirling Bay Rum, Soap Commander Respect, WSP Citrus Blast and Mike's Lime.
Then I discovered the Badger & Blade shaving forums - and in particular the Blade Wars (thank you, cw62803). Now it was Gillette 7 O'clock Super Stainless, Gillette Nacet, Gillette Silver Blue, Perma-Sharp Super and Polsilver. And I started conducting my own battle of the blades. I also began to learn the lingo - BBS, DFS, RAD. What a hoot!
But then something unexpected happened. I had dove too deep and found myself overthinking and heading toward the obsessive. The good news is I finally woke up and realized I was having a ton of fun and I was better off just enjoying the ride. My new mantra is "If it feels good, it's good!" This evening my gut said 34C, GSB and Citrus Blast - and I had a thoroughly enjoyable shave!
A few things that I have learned:
Attached are a few photos.
Shave on!
The first razor I bought was an Edwin Jagger DE89 (with the knurled chrome handle), but the first razor I took possession of was a vintage "birthday" Gillette Super Speed I bought on Etsy. With a tub of Proraso Green, 100 Astra SP blades, a bottle of Nivea Sensitive Post Shave Balm and and my father's (or grandfather's) old boar hair Fuller brush, I dove in - deep. What had been a chore now became a ritual and a hobby. I was hooked!
Next I found Nick Shaves on YouTube (thank you, Nick) and caught a bad case of RAD: vintage 1938 Gillette Tech, Merkur 34C, Derby Extra, Feather, Personna "Lab Blue", Badger & Blade 10th Anniversary boar hair brush, Stirling Bay Rum, Soap Commander Respect, WSP Citrus Blast and Mike's Lime.
Then I discovered the Badger & Blade shaving forums - and in particular the Blade Wars (thank you, cw62803). Now it was Gillette 7 O'clock Super Stainless, Gillette Nacet, Gillette Silver Blue, Perma-Sharp Super and Polsilver. And I started conducting my own battle of the blades. I also began to learn the lingo - BBS, DFS, RAD. What a hoot!
But then something unexpected happened. I had dove too deep and found myself overthinking and heading toward the obsessive. The good news is I finally woke up and realized I was having a ton of fun and I was better off just enjoying the ride. My new mantra is "If it feels good, it's good!" This evening my gut said 34C, GSB and Citrus Blast - and I had a thoroughly enjoyable shave!
A few things that I have learned:
- Your technique will improve over time
- Everyone is different and you need to try different products to figure out what works best for you
- YMMV
- Use a light, light touch, especially with a sharper blade
- I prefer shorter, simpler razors - like the 34C
- The PPI Russian Gillette blades work well with my beard and skin
- If I need to shave for 5 to 6 days in a row, tallow-based soaps seem to give me slightly better protection and less irritation
Attached are a few photos.
Shave on!
