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Old Type, cold water, blade buffing = My solution!

Hello Gents,

After 35 years of plastic cartridge razors, I switched to the classic wet shave 5 years ago. Back then, the prices for the plastic things won me over, and I also asked myself why you have to produce so much unnecessary waste. Anyway, after 5 years of classic shaving, I'm finally at a point where I can say that I can get a very close and mild shave every day. Before that, I easily bought 150 razors, sold a lot, but still kept a lot (and became a collector on the side). But the problem was my technique and, above all, the preparation. My skin seems sensitive, I have a dark Mediterranean beard.

During time I have radically reduced the preparation and only wash my face with cold water and soap. When it came to shaving, the solution was blade buffing. Very little pressure and the whole thing with a steep angle. After 3 passes, the shave is perfect. The razor of choice is the simplest razor, an old type with a thin cap.

It took me 5 years to try out all the combinations and come up with the solution for myself. It was a great journey, but maybe someone would like to see their trip as a short trip.

Best wishes,

Sami
 
Hello Gents,

After 35 years of plastic cartridge razors, I switched to the classic wet shave 5 years ago. Back then, the prices for the plastic things won me over, and I also asked myself why you have to produce so much unnecessary waste. Anyway, after 5 years of classic shaving, I'm finally at a point where I can say that I can get a very close and mild shave every day. Before that, I easily bought 150 razors, sold a lot, but still kept a lot (and became a collector on the side). But the problem was my technique and, above all, the preparation. My skin seems sensitive, I have a dark Mediterranean beard.

During time I have radically reduced the preparation and only wash my face with cold water and soap. When it came to shaving, the solution was blade buffing. Very little pressure and the whole thing with a steep angle. After 3 passes, the shave is perfect. The razor of choice is the simplest razor, an old type with a thin cap.

It took me 5 years to try out all the combinations and come up with the solution for myself. It was a great journey, but maybe someone would like to see their trip as a short trip.

Best wishes,

Sami
Alot of threads on new love for the old type lately.
Risking sounding like a broken record, many say Gillette simply got it right the first time.
 
Alot of threads on new love for the old type lately.
Risking sounding like a broken record, many say Gillette simply got it right the first time.
And for me they lot so beautiful... Single Ring Bulldog in particular. I have one but it's base plate is bent so that I cannot really enjoy shaving with it.

I really think that Gillette got it right the first time. I belong to those who think that TTO is just a gimmick...
 
By blade buffing, do you mean short strokes throughout the whole shave or do you mean the razor requires you to do a lot of buffing? Good read, thanks.
 
By blade buffing, do you mean short strokes throughout the whole shave or do you mean the razor requires you to do a lot of buffing? Good read, thanks.
I mean short strokes throughout the shave. It did this before on the mustache area for a long time. The key is not to use pressure at all and cold water, the combination of both. Now I can shave my whole face in 3 passes with short strokes.
 
And for me they lot so beautiful... Single Ring Bulldog in particular. I have one but it's base plate is bent so that I cannot really enjoy shaving with it.

I really think that Gillette got it right the first time. I belong to those who think that TTO is just a gimmick...
Gimmick being safety, not having to touch the blade and all. I do enjoy TTO's... especially my 1934 aristocrat, the first ever TTO. Bull Dog beauty, TTO style. Best of both worlds!
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I mean short strokes throughout the shave. It did this before on the mustache area for a long time. The key is not to use pressure at all and cold water, the combination of both. Now I can shave my whole face in 3 passes with short strokes.
That is really great to hear, I had recently advised somebody to try this and I was second guessing myself. I received this advice some time ago and was afraid I had mis remembered. Thanks again.
 
Gimmick being safety, not having to touch the blade and all. I do enjoy TTO's... especially my 1934 aristocrat, the first ever TTO. Bull Dog beauty, TTO style. Best of both worlds!
View attachment 1360133
Don't get me wrong. I have a number of classic TTO such as a Senator and a 1938 Aristocrat and like them all. They will never leave me, nor my Fatboys (I have 5!). Great pieces of shaving history. I like looking at them 🙂
 
That is really great to hear, I had recently advised somebody to try this and I was second guessing myself. I received this advice some time ago and was afraid I had mis remembered. Thanks again.
It really works even if it seems to be counterintuitive. Also cold water...
 
Yes. It's a good feeling when a serious shaver discovers a useful truth.

For me, it was to discover how to tame my 1920's Gillette New Improved triple-plated silver razor. To tame an aggressive razor, put one shim ON TOP of the working blade. I don't know why it works. But it works. Reverse shimming, I would call it.
 
Don't get me wrong. I have a number of classic TTO such as a Senator and a 1938 Aristocrat and like them all. They will never leave me, nor my Fatboys (I have 5!). Great pieces of shaving history. I like looking at them 🙂
Hard to pick a favorite right?
I must say though, the total package with the ABC sets is NOICE! Plush velvet, silver plated empire and basketweave cases...
 
Yes. It's a good feeling when a serious shaver discovers a useful truth.

For me, it was to discover how to tame my 1920's Gillette New Improved triple-plated silver razor. To tame an aggressive razor, put one shim ON TOP of the working blade. I don't know why it works. But it works. Reverse shimming, I would call it.
I know this is a derail, but that is exactly what I had thought about doing to tame blade vibrations when going ATG. Instead of a cut DE blade, I wanted to use either rigid plastic or a stiffer metal and have it extent past the cap.
 
Yes. It's a good feeling when a serious shaver discovers a useful truth.

For me, it was to discover how to tame my 1920's Gillette New Improved triple-plated silver razor. To tame an aggressive razor, put one shim ON TOP of the working blade. I don't know why it works. But it works. Reverse shimming, I would call it.

In fact I shim my Old Types with thick cap to use them. But I put the shim below the blade. I don't know why but the Old Types with thin cap do not seem to need a shim. Never tried reverse shimming.
 
I know this is a derail, but that is exactly what I had thought about doing to tame blade vibrations when going ATG. Instead of a cut DE blade, I wanted to use either rigid plastic or a stiffer metal and have it extent past the cap.
I use a piece of plastic to shim. Seems to better reduce chatter.
 
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