The most practical and easy way to shave in everyday life

[bc4ao4]

I am looking for a cheap and good way to shave in everyday life. I have been searching a lot in the internet, but maybe I know too few about right terminology.

I don't like electrical shaving equipment. Right now I am using cheap disposable razors, but some of them are quite expensive (like gillette triple blade etc).

BUT I have been thinking, why people here in my country don't use the blades and double-edged safety razor (like this http://www.filedump.net/dumped/srazor1228584228.jpg), because those blades are so cheap to buy.

Are these DE razors history, often cuts in?, or just uncomfortable to use? Or there is no companies nowadays, that produce such razors?

Is the DE razor a good way to shave in everyday life?

 

[wulfgar1976]

A DE safety razor is far superior to a cartridge or disposable razor in almost every way: they give closer shaves, are not nearly as likely to cause irritation, are much cheaper in the long run and have a huge selection of blades available so that you can choose the blade that is best for you. The only disadvantages of using a DE are that it generally takes a bit longer to shave and there is a learning curve in the very beginning.

As long as you use the correct technique (Mantic's YouTube videos are good examples) and don't start off with an aggressive razor and blade combination then there should be little or no risk of cutting yourself. Just take your time and remember not to apply any pressure.

 

[bc4ao4]

Thank you a lot, these were all very good videos. And I almoust like this single blade razor shaving

I have one question more, because I love simple ways to do things.

In the video I saw many special shaving things that I don't need right now:
- soaps
- creams
- badger?
- etc


Right now I only use three things: shaving foam, disposable razer, aftershave (i use my hands to cover the face with it).

Do I really need the badger and other stuff, that I don't own right now?

 

[bradyarz]

Thank you a lot, these were all very good videos. And I almoust like this single blade razor shaving

I have one question more, because I love simple ways to do things.

In the video I saw many special shaving things that I don't need right now:
- soaps
- creams
- badger?
- etc


Right now I only use three things: shaving foam, disposable razer, aftershave (i use my hands to cover the face with it).

Do I really need the badger and other stuff, that I don't own right now?

there are brushless creams out there, but i don't use them. you'll have to wait for someone with experience in that arena to chime in.

i think you will find that pretty much any soap or cream that is used with a brush is vastly superior to any canned foam out there (with the possible exception of the yellow barbasol, which gets some love around here).

a good boar brush can be found online for under $10, while the cheapest badger brushes will go for closer to $30. if you have a target near you, you can check for the shea moisture shave brush. it's a great entry level brush for under $10.

walmart, dollar general, rite-aid, etc are all great places to get aftershaves and soaps. williams and vdh are both available for ~$2 per puck, although some here will tar and feather me for advocating williams. try it anyway, and if you don't like it, you're one step closer to finding what works for you.

also, check out the PIF forum. lots of members post gear there for newbies to get their hands on... and it's all free!

welcome to B&B. enjoy the ride!

 

[wulfgar1976]

Do I really need the badger and other stuff, that I don't own right now?

I would definitely use a brush and soap. The lather is much better than anything you can get in a can. Canned foam tends to sit on top of the beard and doesn't penetrate through to the skin in the way that soap lathered with a brush can. Canned foam is much drier as well and doesn't lubricate the blade properly. Using good soap with a brush is probably the most important change you can make.

I prefer a badger brush made using 'best badger' hair, but a cheaper one will lather just as well. £15+ gets a good badger brush. They feel nicer on the skin and are easier to lather with. There are plenty of tutorials on how to get a good lather.

Whichever brush you get, it will pay for itself in the long term as soap is cheaper and longer-lasting than anything available in a can.

 

[MikeLip]

Using good soap with a brush is probably the most important change you can make.

+1! Even when I'm in too much of a hurry to use a DE and end up using my Sensor, I still use soap or cream and a brush. It makes THAT much difference. And it doesn't really take that long to lather up, especially from a cream.

If you want quick get Kiss My Face in a pump bottle. Pump 3 times into the palm of your hand. Wet your brush in a sink of hot water and lather in your hand. Apply what's in your hand to your face and finish scrubbing it in with the brush. It takes less time to do than it does to describe and it works very well.

Boar brushes are great and cheap. They are in general better than cheap badgers, and work better on hard soaps than badger, but they work fine with creams too. I'd avoid the Walmart ones (they shed like crazy) and get an Omega for about $15 or $20.

 

[ouch]

You hardly "need" anything, but when you try using superior products, believe me, you'll "want" them.

 

[natchez]

Using a brush and a quality cream of soap is surely a good first step towards a better shave. Even my wife now agrees! I left a stick of Arko in the shower and she used it to shave her underarms and told me it was much closer and better than using her regular soap. There is now a stick in there permanently.

IMHO the biggest difference between DE razor shaving and the newer designs is that the newer razors heads "float" so you do not have to establish the correct angles. Makes it easier, but not better. Again, IMO the blades on the newer razors are just not as good.

I much prefer straights to DE, but it does take me longer to shave with them.

 

[Go West Young Man]

In terms of improving your shave, first priority is technique. Read some of the stickies here about pressure and angle, mapping your grain direction and using 2 or 3 passes in properly planned directions to reduce the beard gradually. Mantic59 on youtube also has good videos that'll point you in the right direction.

Second priority is facial prep. You need to get lots of hot water into your beard, and you need to let a quality lather fully soak in to soften the hairs. Some guys go overboard with hot towels and extensive routines, some just lather up and let it sit there for a few minutes. The worst thing you can do is to throw some aerosol foam on a dry faces!

Third is products. Although there are some exceptions, most aerosol foams/creams don't properly protect your skin and should be avoided. You don't need to get all fancy with brushes and imported soaps (although lathering with a brush does make a noticeable difference for most guys.) Not sure where you live, but in the US most health food stored sell Kiss My Face, Bath and Body Works sells C.O. Bigelow, Rite Aid sells Real Shaving Co, Body Shop sells Macca Root creams, etc, all of which can be applied directly to the skin by hand. Our Euro friends have just as many if not more readily available options. Read through the reviews here for 'brushless' creams, there are tons that are pretty good.

The actual razor you shave with is much less important than all the above. We like traditional double edge/single edge/straights for a variety of reasons, but a lot of us also use cartridges because they're quicker and simpler.

.

 

[klm099]

"Are these DE razors history, often cuts in?, or just uncomfortable to use? Or there is no companies nowadays, that produce such razors?"


The picture you link to is a Parker, currently in production in India, other producers are Merkur, Lords, Pils, Feather, Edwin Jagger, Muhle, Goodfella, Ikon, as well as a few very high end manufacturers and a bunch of low end producers located in Asia and the Middle East. Gillette still makes DEs, just not for sale in the USA.

The fact is most of the world are DE shavers; only here are we so wasteful of our money and resources

I need water to drink, but I chose to have a coke with a pizza or a scotch or two before retiring; its all about how you want to define the quality of your experiences

good luck with your journey,
ken

 

[shecky]

Availability of specific products may be a concern in your country. However, I can tell you the most practical and easy way to shave for me here in the USA. One, use a sharp razor that suits you. Doesn't matter if it's DE, disposable, or cartrtidge. Two, shave immediately after you bathe. Your whiskers are softest when they're freshly waterlogged. Three, use a thin layer of Noxzema cold cream rather than any shaving cream or soap. The stuff is basically an emulsion of vegetable oils, water, and some essential oils. That combination of ingredients lubricates the blade against your skin, doesn't dry out your skin after it's rinsed off, and doesn't demand any aftershave application.

Nothing fancy. Good results.

 

[ChaosSix]

Most practical and easy way for me:Sensor instead of the DE.My DE technique is not that good and I never get BBS The Sensor on the other hand gets the job done unlike the M3 or Fusion/I bought them out of curiosity/