When I first started shaving, that is, when I sprouted my very first whiskers, I used a Gillette Techmatic razor band cartridge shaver and/or the Schick competitor. Hardly needed these, but I had hoped that by shaving what few hairs I had that I would encourage a full beard/mustache and more importantly, Sideburns! After all, it was the late sixty's and long sideburns, mutton chops, or whatever style you called them were the height of fashion in men's tonsorial embellishments (as Dad called them). I was a few few years behind my classmates as far as beard growth was concerned. Dad never taught me to shave with a blade since he had abandoned wet shaving back in the fifty's and only used an electric razor. Not much to learn here: slap some pre-shave on and run the razor over your face until it was clean.
Dad would get new electrics every couple of years, so I got one of his cast offs when I started college. Only needed to use it once a week or so. By sophomore year I actually had enough facial hair to warrant shaving on a regular (or more often irregular) basis. I had always dug the whole shaving cream in a can, razor blade experience so I next tried a Wilkinson Sword Bonded Blade razor. A single bladed cartridge system. One of my dorm roommates used a Gillette adjustable and Barbasol shave cream in a jar. I always thought of him as being stuck in the past, but he turned out to be a true Renaissance Man. He used no products that came in aerosol cans and now I see how using DE blades can save tons of platics from ending up in landfills.
Warm lather at the barber shop always felt good so I bought an electric hot lather maker. It came with a *Free* Gillette TracII (imagine that: a Free Razor!), what must have been the beginning of the multi blade cartridge razor wars. I used this for a couple of years before shunning aerosol products. I hunted for Barbasol in a jar but couldn't find it, but was able to find Noxema shave cream in a jar. Always liked the stuff, but it's no longer available. Dad told me about using it in WWII as a vehicle for applying antibiotics to wounds. Other salves and ointments would melt in the heat of the jungles of the South Pacific. (He got a commendation from the Army for this.) For about ten years, I stuck with the TracII, with brief returns to the electric razor arena. Various electrics from Norelco rotaries to foil types. Never really satisfied with the results except for a Panasonic foil wet/dry shaver. When its battery wouldn't charge anymore it got pitched. Looking for the close shave and using shave cream again, I hunted for a Gillette adjustable like my buddy in college used. None to be found in the 1980's, so I settled for the black handled, plastic base plate Super Adjustable. Using foams and gels, I never got the hang of the DE razor and eventually abandoned using it, but held onto it nonetheless.
For the next couple of years I tried every new razor that came out from Gillette and Schick. Didn't stick with any of them for long, though. In the 90's Norelco came out with a wet/dry rotary and I was back on the electric kick. Blades are expensive for these babies, about half the cost of a new razor, so I went through two models before acquiring the newest one about two years ago. I have bought one set of blades for this one but will not replace them again. The first model I had (Advantage?) gave me the best shave, but when its batteries died, I replaced it with the first of two Cool Shaves I have had.
Always preferred the electrics over blades as far as my skin was concerned. I am prone to getting ingrown hairs and razor bumps whenever I use a blade, as well as nicking myself, so it was with great interest that I read how using a DE razor with a proper shaving technique could actually prevent ingrown hairs and razor bumps. Fast forward to about a month ago when I dug out my Super Adjustable from my bathroom drawer. Now, how about some blades? Not so plentiful on the shelves of drug stores anymore. Found some no-name ones at Rite-Aid. Not very comfortable. Two weeks ago I bought a pack of Wilkinson Swords at Wal-Mart: Much better, that and coupled with finding a lot of info on the net about wet shaving. I have now purchased a starter kit by Art of Shaving. The brush is small but decent and their other products are nice. I also picked up some Arko cream (as well as some tobacco after shave) from a Turkish barber shop nearby. Haven't quite got the hang of making really good lather yet, but I'll keep trying. I think I need a bigger/better brush. It will do for now, though. I am also trying Kiss My Face shave cream with the brush. I have been using their Patchouli for several years with my Norelco instead of buying their expensive Nivea cream packets/jar (Ahh, patchouli! Reminds me of college daze.).
My results are getting better with each shave. I am currently doing three passes: WTG, XTG ear to nose, and finally XTG nose to ear. Fewer weepers as I learn the best angle and No Pressure. The bumps/ingrown hairs are fewer and I hope they will resolve in the coming days. I have my razor set on 3 now after starting at 1 and moving up as my skill level improved. 4 was not comfortable so I have backed down to 3. Thinking of trying a Merkur 34C: Would this razor's aggressiveness be similar to the Gillette at a setting of 3?
Sorry for the long diatribe, especially for a first post.
Here is a wish list of stuff I want (or want to try):
Feather Stainless Steel Razor
Feather blades
Col. Conk soaps
Fat Boy adjustable (probably not much different from my Super Adjustable, but nostalgia for things well made (as well as Made in the USA) makes me want one)
Merkur 34C
Pils
Ikon
Dad would get new electrics every couple of years, so I got one of his cast offs when I started college. Only needed to use it once a week or so. By sophomore year I actually had enough facial hair to warrant shaving on a regular (or more often irregular) basis. I had always dug the whole shaving cream in a can, razor blade experience so I next tried a Wilkinson Sword Bonded Blade razor. A single bladed cartridge system. One of my dorm roommates used a Gillette adjustable and Barbasol shave cream in a jar. I always thought of him as being stuck in the past, but he turned out to be a true Renaissance Man. He used no products that came in aerosol cans and now I see how using DE blades can save tons of platics from ending up in landfills.
Warm lather at the barber shop always felt good so I bought an electric hot lather maker. It came with a *Free* Gillette TracII (imagine that: a Free Razor!), what must have been the beginning of the multi blade cartridge razor wars. I used this for a couple of years before shunning aerosol products. I hunted for Barbasol in a jar but couldn't find it, but was able to find Noxema shave cream in a jar. Always liked the stuff, but it's no longer available. Dad told me about using it in WWII as a vehicle for applying antibiotics to wounds. Other salves and ointments would melt in the heat of the jungles of the South Pacific. (He got a commendation from the Army for this.) For about ten years, I stuck with the TracII, with brief returns to the electric razor arena. Various electrics from Norelco rotaries to foil types. Never really satisfied with the results except for a Panasonic foil wet/dry shaver. When its battery wouldn't charge anymore it got pitched. Looking for the close shave and using shave cream again, I hunted for a Gillette adjustable like my buddy in college used. None to be found in the 1980's, so I settled for the black handled, plastic base plate Super Adjustable. Using foams and gels, I never got the hang of the DE razor and eventually abandoned using it, but held onto it nonetheless.
For the next couple of years I tried every new razor that came out from Gillette and Schick. Didn't stick with any of them for long, though. In the 90's Norelco came out with a wet/dry rotary and I was back on the electric kick. Blades are expensive for these babies, about half the cost of a new razor, so I went through two models before acquiring the newest one about two years ago. I have bought one set of blades for this one but will not replace them again. The first model I had (Advantage?) gave me the best shave, but when its batteries died, I replaced it with the first of two Cool Shaves I have had.
Always preferred the electrics over blades as far as my skin was concerned. I am prone to getting ingrown hairs and razor bumps whenever I use a blade, as well as nicking myself, so it was with great interest that I read how using a DE razor with a proper shaving technique could actually prevent ingrown hairs and razor bumps. Fast forward to about a month ago when I dug out my Super Adjustable from my bathroom drawer. Now, how about some blades? Not so plentiful on the shelves of drug stores anymore. Found some no-name ones at Rite-Aid. Not very comfortable. Two weeks ago I bought a pack of Wilkinson Swords at Wal-Mart: Much better, that and coupled with finding a lot of info on the net about wet shaving. I have now purchased a starter kit by Art of Shaving. The brush is small but decent and their other products are nice. I also picked up some Arko cream (as well as some tobacco after shave) from a Turkish barber shop nearby. Haven't quite got the hang of making really good lather yet, but I'll keep trying. I think I need a bigger/better brush. It will do for now, though. I am also trying Kiss My Face shave cream with the brush. I have been using their Patchouli for several years with my Norelco instead of buying their expensive Nivea cream packets/jar (Ahh, patchouli! Reminds me of college daze.).
My results are getting better with each shave. I am currently doing three passes: WTG, XTG ear to nose, and finally XTG nose to ear. Fewer weepers as I learn the best angle and No Pressure. The bumps/ingrown hairs are fewer and I hope they will resolve in the coming days. I have my razor set on 3 now after starting at 1 and moving up as my skill level improved. 4 was not comfortable so I have backed down to 3. Thinking of trying a Merkur 34C: Would this razor's aggressiveness be similar to the Gillette at a setting of 3?
Sorry for the long diatribe, especially for a first post.
Here is a wish list of stuff I want (or want to try):
Feather Stainless Steel Razor
Feather blades
Col. Conk soaps
Fat Boy adjustable (probably not much different from my Super Adjustable, but nostalgia for things well made (as well as Made in the USA) makes me want one)
Merkur 34C
Pils
Ikon
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