Rusty Blade’s Wet Shaving Journey

[AimlessWanderer]

Ha! I've stopped buying for the foreseeable future.

Brushes - enough
Blades - an abundance
Razors - more than enough
Soap/Cream - too much
Post shave - plenty

I have caught myself browsing occasionally, and asked myself "why?", but not been able to give myself a satisfactory answer. Buying anything else shaving related at this stage would be foolish. Maybe not foolish on other people's systems of measurement, but foolish enough to make me angry with myself afterwards, and I'd like to avoid that.

 

[Rusty Blade]

Ha! I've stopped buying for the foreseeable future.

Brushes - enough
Blades - an abundance
Razors - more than enough
Soap/Cream - too much
Post shave - plenty

I have caught myself browsing occasionally, and asked myself "why?", but not been able to give myself a satisfactory answer. Buying anything else shaving related at this stage would be foolish. Maybe not foolish on other people's systems of measurement, but foolish enough to make me angry with myself afterwards, and I'd like to avoid that.

I admire your stick-to-it-ness. I guess I am just easily wooed by the next best soap or razor out there. And again, I say why not? Life is short. My pleasures are few. What's a bit less space in my sock drawer?

 

[Rusty Blade]

Summer is finally here on the east coast of the great northern land. And scents of summer are running through my mind. Proraso green pre shave. DR Harris rose scented unscented balm...pardon me, post shave milk. SV soap. Even Cella and Barrister and Mann Seville. All wonderful summer scents. But we must enjoy these fair winds of summer and because even today in the local department stores I see the autumn back to school products lining the shelves. The plastic fall leaves, the fake pumpkins, back to school sales all speak of a cooler days to come.

 

[Rusty Blade]

I've been surfing around lately looking at some of the new upstarts in the razor category. The new single edge and double edge razors are pretty neat looking and reasonably priced. I won't bother naming any of the ones I been viewing, but there are several that have caught my eye and I am intrigued. I feel my RAD starting to re-ignite. I have always been a vintage Gillette devotee, yet, I have to admit there is something pretty darn cool about some of the new razors hitting the market trying to grab their slice of the wet-shaving market. And I might just spring for one. Just not sure which one. I have my eye on a Razorock Single Edge (Black Hawk in stainless) or a Vikings Blade adjustable. Decisions...decisions....

For those of you who know me my lifelong hunt for the next Gillette antique store find is ongoing. I recently picked up a 1934 Gillette Aristocrat. I find it hard to imagine a more perfect razor.

 

[Rusty Blade]

I'm going out on a limb here, but I think most razor blades are sharp. What seems to separate them in terms of perceived sharpness when shaving is the thickness or stiffness of the blade. Example: most would say Derbys are not sharp and Feathers are sharp. But if you look at the stiffness of the blades the Derby is quite thin and the Feather is quite stiff. If you put a Derby in a shavette or SE razor you will see it is stiffened by the blade holder and it makes them very sharp. And most SE blades are very thick and stiff and thus very sharp when shaving. Anyone care to comment?

 

[Rusty Blade]

There is no doubt that edge quality and coatings of various sorts does make a difference in terms of smoothness and longevity. But if you consider initial sharpness of a blade on a first shave they are all pretty much the same, perhaps with a few exceptions. From all the blades I have tried blade thickness or stiffness seems to make the biggest difference. I also notice that the stiffer blades seems to lose their edge/sharpness quicker than a more flexible blade. If I had the energy or set up I would do some kind of test to see if this theory holds water. And yes, I know...blades are one of those YMMV things.

 

[Rusty Blade]

I dont get all the fuss about adjustable razors. Dont get me wrong. I have a Slim and a few Fatboys. But the idea of needing to adjust your blade during a shave is beyond my understanding. The majority of my razors are plain old razors. One level of blade setting. And I adjust my shave accordingly. More pressure, less pressure. Turn left, turn right.

For my Slim and Fatboys I usually shave on 4 or 5. And I leave it there. Never to be adjusted again, likely for as long as I am living. I understand back in the day that Gillette was searching for a gimmick to get guys to buy a new razor and the adjustable thinggy was kind of neat. It was the next best thing in razor technology. But I see now adjustable razors have crept into the modern razor lexicon. But I still dont get it. But then again, we still seem prone to buying the razor with the cool gimmick. And regardless of what I just said above, I have my eye on a Parker Variant. And if I buy it, I will probably set it on 4 or 5 and leave it there. But, boy oh boy, its gonna look cool on my shelf.

 

[jmudrick]

I dont get all the fuss about adjustable razors. Dont get me wrong. I have a Slim and a few Fatboys. But the idea of needing to adjust your blade during a shave is beyond my understanding. The majority of my razors are plain old razors. One level of blade setting. And I adjust my shave accordingly. More pressure, less pressure. Turn left, turn right.

For my Slim and Fatboys I usually shave on 4 or 5. And I leave it there. Never to be adjusted again, likely for as long as I am living. I understand back in the day that Gillette was searching for a gimmick to get guys to buy a new razor and the adjustable thinggy was kind of neat. It was the next best thing in razor technology. But I see now adjustable razors have crept into the modern razor lexicon. But I still dont get it. But then again, we still seem prone to buying the razor with the cool gimmick. And regardless of what I just said above, I have my eye on a Parker Variant. And if I buy it, I will probably set it on 4 or 5 and leave it there. But, boy oh boy, its gonna look cool on my shelf.

I'm also of this perspective. My fondness for my vintage Progress, Gibbs and Apollo adjustables has more to do with their history than the fact they are adjustable as both I'm happy at a mid setting and call it a day. As the shaves from the Gillette adjustables are unexceptional and they're ubiquitous I have no interest in acquiring any more of them beyond the one Slim I've kept for reference.

Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk

 

[Rusty Blade]

I have never used a shave stick. There, I said it. I am kind of embarrassed to say that after 45+ years of shaving I have never used a shave stick. I seem to gravitate to pucks, tubs, tubes of cream etc, but no shave stick. Truthfully, I will have to go to YouTube to see how to properly use a shave stick. I have an idea of how it would be done: wet face, wet shave stick, rub shave stick on face until you get enough soap on and then take a brush and work it up into a lather. Am I right? I see many in the online stores and I think to myself I should try one. One of these days. I am pretty picky about my soaps and creams. I dont like underperforming product. One of these days. Now if you will excuse me, I am going to switch over to YouTube and watch a video on how to use a shave stick.

 

[Rusty Blade]

How do I justify buying a new brush when I already have 14?

 

[Rusty Blade]

Just when I thought I had tried it all I realize I still have more to experience and learn. Two things lately have entered my morning shave routine: first, is what I have come to learn, is called the Daily Double (thanks @Twelvefret ). I now do my first pass with a DE or SE and then do a second pass with a SR. Incredible smooth shaves. And, best of all, it allows me to use both my passions, SRs and safety razors. I get the best of both worlds. Every day!

Second,I have been enjoying tiny brushes. I recently purchased an Omega 10086 and I am blown away by how nice it is to use. Great lathers and ease of use all in one. I know it's a travel razor, but I am using it daily lately. I have a Simpsons Special, which is small, but I don't think it qualifies as as tiny brush. I enjoy this brush as well. Here is a pic of my tiny and large Omega brushes.

 

[Twelvefret]

Just when I thought I had tried it all I realize I still have more to experience and learn. Two things lately have entered my morning shave routine: first, is what I have come to learn, is called the Daily Double (thanks @Twelvefret ). I now do my first pass with a DE or SE and then do a second pass with a SR. Incredible smooth shaves. And, best of all, it allows me to use both my passions, SRs and safety razors. I get the best of both worlds. Every day!

Second,I have been enjoying tiny brushes. I recently purchased an Omega 10086 and I am blown away by how nice it is to use. Great lathers and ease of use all in one. I know it's a travel razor, but I am using it daily lately. I have a Simpsons Special, which is small, but I don't think it qualifies as as tiny brush. I enjoy this brush as well. Here is a pic with my tiny Omega brush and my big Omega.
View attachment 1003572

I love those brushes.

Thanks for joining the Daily Double.
Using more than one brush or mixing menthol soaps is always part of the insanity.

 

[Rusty Blade]

And here is a pic of my Daily Double. I love these two razors. The Schick Type G and the Carbo-Magnetic are top performers.

 

[Rusty Blade]

I ordered a Omega Mixed Midget and I am anxiously waiting by the mailbox for it to arrive. I am quite enjoying using a tiny brush as a daily lather maker. The Omega 10068 travel brush is a boar brush. I do find however that I need to soak it well to soften the bristles before I face lather. the bristles are long-ish and if not softened can make lathering a bit of a chore.

My daily double approach is working well lately as well. My trusted Schick SE and one of my many SRs make up my daily razor lineup. Always a pleasure to get a great shave from two such fine razor styles. I have been using primarily unscented soaps or creams lately as well, followed by an unscented ASB. For some reason lately scented products have been bothering me. This is not uncommon for me. This comes and goes.

 

[Rusty Blade]

I just ordered a tube of Derby Lavender shave cream off Amazon for $9 and change. I am generally a expensive shave cream kind of guy, but decided to go on the cheap and order Derby. I really enjoy the scent of lavender and from reviews I have read this cream is a lather monster. Will post a review when it arrives in a month. I always opt for the free shipping option. I am trying to only buy shave creams in a tube from this point forward because when I buy creams in a tub they tend to dry...because I have a few soaps and creams in rotation. I find tube creams have greater longevity.

 

[Rusty Blade]

My Omega Mighty Midget mixed boar and badger brush arrived yesterday. And it is tiny. I broke it in by soaking it in warm water for about an hour and then hand lathered some Proraso white a couple of times. The remaining scent was not too bad. This morning was my first shave and I must say, I was very pleased. It felt completely broken in, with no scratchy bristle feeling. Lathered well. I soaked it in warm water to soften it up while I showered. I am very pleased. A good investment.

 

[Rusty Blade]

My Omega Mighty Midget mixed boar and badger brush arrived yesterday. And it is tiny. I broke it in by soaking it in warm water for about an hour and then hand lathered some Proraso white a couple of times. The remaining scent was not too bad. This morning was my first shave and I must say, I was very pleased. It felt completely broken in, with no scratchy bristle feeling. Lathered well. I soaked it in warm water to soften it up while I showered. I am very pleased. A good investment.
View attachment 1004631

Correction. It is the Omega Mixed Midget 11047 that I purchased, not the Mighty Midget.

 

[Rusty Blade]

I have been going through a "I love the Schick Type G" phase lately. A few years ago I almost completely abandoned my DE razors in favour of the Type G razor. I eventually went back to using DE razors and occasionally used the Type G. But lately, I have been on another Type G kick and loving every minute of it. This razor truly is an engineering marvel. The shaves they provide are second to none. I love the intuitive feel of the handle and blade angle. And smooth...well, let me tell you, some days I have to check to see if there is actually a blade in the razor it is that smooth. I have also been doing the Daily Double once in a while, because I still enjoy SR shaving and I like to keep my edge with a straight razor (get it...keep my edge...never mind). The Type G and a SR is a near perfect combination.

 

[Rusty Blade]

My shave of the day today was with Martin de Candre unscented soap. I have had this soap for 4 or 5 years now. I use it only occasionally, and haven't even made a dent in the top layer. Every time I open the jar it looks brand spanking new. It is an interesting soap, super easy to lather, but it doesn't have a lot of residual slickness. I always seem to use my Simpsons Special with this soap. I just like the feel of working the brush on the surface of the soap.
I have been cycling through my unscented soaps and unscented aftershaves lately. I go through phases where I am scent sensitive. Can't tolerate fragrances, even mild ones bother me. I do find, however, its not as much fun rotating through half a dozen unscented soaps. They all smell the same.

 

[Rusty Blade]

I know this is an odd thing to think about, but I often wonder what would I replace if aliens came to earth and took every piece of shaving gear I own. Clean me out completely, leaving nothing but empty space in my shaving storage area. Perish the thought I know, but it is a tough question to answer.

My answer to this apocalyptic scenario changes from day to day, but in general I think I would only purchase one cream, one soap, two brushes and three razors, a DE, SE and SR, well maybe 2 SRs. I would probably also replace my Lucky Tiger AS splash because that is a staple. And I would need at least one Preshave cream like Proraso white. And an alum bar. As for which ones among the razors and soaps, now that is an equally tough decision. The SE is easy: a Schick Type G. The DE I am not sure. And what blade? Probably GSB. The SRs I am not sure. As for brushes, probably a solid Omega boar and a Simpsons badger. The soap, probably Soap Commander Integrity or Martin de Candre unscented. The cream, probably Truefitt and Hill Ultimate Comfort. These are difficult choices to make! I am hoping I will never be forced to choose. This requires more thought. I am breaking into a sweat. I will return.