After my latest purchase of some vintage razors, my beloved told me she would like to have a razor that is hers! I decided that her razor should be something other than the ordinary, so I am going to make a custom handle and put one of TGN's DE heads on it. My thoughts are the handle should be slightly longer than usual, and a little larger in diameter than that of a Gillette Fat Boy. I recently made my own shaving brush, and decided to make a custom razor as well. So now my custom razor will be hers and hers alone. So, what are some ladies opinions on what makes a good razor as far as handle size and shape? I'd hate to make it and it be unusable for her.
SWMBO wants to start using a DE!!
- Thread starter JLKuehl
- Start date
First off I am not a lady so...
My wife got into using DEs with me. Her favorites are the Krona & Lady Gillette Stars(both are popular with most the ladies I believe) so I would think a longer thinner handle is best. That said you might need 2 handles as lately my wife is complaining she can't do her armpits very well with the longer handled DE. She hasn't tried my shorter DEs she just fell back on my old atra for that. Hope that helps.
Jay
My wife got into using DEs with me. Her favorites are the Krona & Lady Gillette Stars(both are popular with most the ladies I believe) so I would think a longer thinner handle is best. That said you might need 2 handles as lately my wife is complaining she can't do her armpits very well with the longer handled DE. She hasn't tried my shorter DEs she just fell back on my old atra for that. Hope that helps.
Jay
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I've found that a normal short-handled DE works just fine for shaving (I use my husband's Merkur HD) but I imagine a longer-handled one would work equally well, perhaps better for some of the harder to reach areas around the ankles and back of leg, etc. I suppose it depends on what she's used to; I used single-blade Bic disposables for years, so a thinner handle seems natural, but if she's used to shaving with the kind of disposables with the giant handle she may prefer that. It might be an idea to have her try out a few razors before you make the handle and get some feedback on what she does and doesn't like about them.
OooooOOooo!!!
Lucky lady!
What material are you making it out of. Man I wish I could get a custom brush made for me!
Send me a PM and I can talk through some ideas with you if you like.
Lucky lady!
What material are you making it out of. Man I wish I could get a custom brush made for me!
Send me a PM and I can talk through some ideas with you if you like.
- Thread starter
- #5
The handle is going to be ebony, with ivory (thanks to a fellow B&B'er) at both ends. I've gone as far as deciding to engrave her name in the ebony, and fill the engraving with gold leaf before the final finishing with CA. I'm pretty excited, as it's one of my first projects using exotic woods, and my very first with ivory! I guess you could say it is a very special project for the very special lady in my life. 
If it turns out well, I may make her a brush to match, perhaps with a silvertip knot like the brush I made for myself. For now, though, she can use whatever brush of mine she wants, who knows, she may find she likes the stiffer boar brush.
If it turns out well, I may make her a brush to match, perhaps with a silvertip knot like the brush I made for myself. For now, though, she can use whatever brush of mine she wants, who knows, she may find she likes the stiffer boar brush.
+1
Unfortunately my SWMBO is of this school.
Try as I might, I cannot get her interested in the luxury side of DE shaving.
She wants to have it simple and get it over with.
I got a shipment from Drugstore.com which included a Schick Xtreme 3 and she pounced on it and uses it instead of her Lady Gillette.
While looking for a razor for her, she liked the Feather Popular better than the Lady Gillette.
Count yourself a lucky man.
unfortunantly i must agree, i was very excited to get my wife a lady gillette, she was happy to get it....... then.
she used it, with shower soap (problem 1), most likely too much pressure (problem 2) and the result was a couple nicks on the back of her ankles and general post shave irritation on her legs and armpits.
back to disposables she went.....
But im not done trying to convert her, she just needs to get some instruction when time allows.
she used it, with shower soap (problem 1), most likely too much pressure (problem 2) and the result was a couple nicks on the back of her ankles and general post shave irritation on her legs and armpits.
back to disposables she went.....
But im not done trying to convert her, she just needs to get some instruction when time allows.
- Thread starter
- #9
I would consider her getting her an injector or similar razor, but part of this isn't actually the razor, more of the hand made just for her aspect. I shaved her legs for her once, and she was impressed with how smooth the shave was using the DE. I took time to also buy her her own shave soap, in lavender scent (I'm going to sneak a shave or two off of it too...shhhh, don't let her know 
), and for now she can use any of my brushes, until I decide to make one to match her razor. I consider myself to be very lucky, as she likes many of the same things I do (old cars, hot rods, motorcycles, music...) and she doesn't complain about my expanding shave den, rather the opposite, she's quite supportive, and will point out razors and the like when we are out in flea markets and antique stores.
), and for now she can use any of my brushes, until I decide to make one to match her razor. I consider myself to be very lucky, as she likes many of the same things I do (old cars, hot rods, motorcycles, music...) and she doesn't complain about my expanding shave den, rather the opposite, she's quite supportive, and will point out razors and the like when we are out in flea markets and antique stores.- Thread starter
- #10
SWMBO's razor, just now finished. Ebony and ivory, with her name set in gold under the finish. 20 coats of CA, sanded to 600 grit, then polished with Simichrome polish for a nice luster, topped with 2 coats of turtlewax. Her birthday is on Thursday, and although she has seen it and given her approval of every bit of it, she hasn't seen it since it got finished. I'm quite pleased with how it looks, even if her name isn't quite how I saw it in my vision, but I never said I was any good at handwriting! 
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I bought my wife an EJ DE86, an EJ Best Badger brush and a tub of TOBS Rose, she hasn't looked back. She enjoys using it and claims to get much better results than any cartridge or disposable razor she has every used before. As for a ladies blades, she really rates German made Wilkinson Sword Classics and Gillette Bleues.
SWMBO's razor, just now finished.
For your sake, I sure hope her name is Denise!
Looks great, and I hope she likes it.
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- Thread starter
- #13
Oooo I LOVE the finished result! 
I'm sure she will too.
I'm sure she will too.
- Thread starter
- #15
Thank you for all the comments! When I was in the process of turning the handle, I kept bringing it to her for her input, and as a result, she got exactly what she liked, in the shape I wanted to see it in. She has yet to try it, but now that it's done, she said she might not use it at all, for fear of accidentally dropping and damaging it.
Anyway, I'm thinking about making a few more like it, using other woods for the handles now, just because it was such a fun project.
Anyway, I'm thinking about making a few more like it, using other woods for the handles now, just because it was such a fun project.
I could not DIS-agree more.
My wife who never even saw a DE razor before I started using one, has a preference of shaving with a DE Lady Gillette.
Why:
1) DE shaves closer than her modern razor.
2) She shaves fewer times per week because of the closeness of the DE shave.
3) The savings. She pays nothing for blades and lets me supply her.
4) She has turned a chore into a shared hobby with me!!
SWMBO's razor, just now finished. Ebony and ivory, with her name set in gold under the finish. 20 coats of CA, sanded to 600 grit, then polished with Simichrome polish for a nice luster, topped with 2 coats of turtlewax. Her birthday is on Thursday, and although she has seen it and given her approval of every bit of it, she hasn't seen it since it got finished. I'm quite pleased with how it looks, even if her name isn't quite how I saw it in my vision, but I never said I was any good at handwriting!
Looks great!
Custom items are always remembered.
JB
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OMG!!! Love the razor, It is awesome looking. I love my DE's. I use a Lady Gillette the most, but occasionally I will use a Gem or some other type of DE. I like the Lady Gillette because of the longer handle which makes shaving easier for me. I have no issues with the long handle and the underarms. Of course as with anything, YMMV. I like the variety of blades you can use with a DE as well. You can get a totally different shave using the same razor and a different blade.
