Three-month old Indian newbie checking in

[ticor]

Hi @malocchio. My prep work varies a lot. This time around, I showered with hot water before the shave. Maybe that made a difference too. I'll have to perform some experiments to narrow down the factors. Yeah, I gave up on my horse hair brush. The Gillette nylon brush is quite like the Gillette Guard razor: looks cheap, feels cheap, but does its job well. I'll never buy a badger brush, for the usual and predictable reason, but given your recommendation, I will be on the lookout for sales on Omega boar brushes. I placed an order at a vendor selling Proraso shaving pots for 10 USD. Now I have to wait for 3 weeks for it to arrive! I just don't understand Indian shipping times

 

[ackvil]

Welcome to B&B.

 

[alex2363]

Technically, I'm about 40 years old, and only used safety razors when I began shaving in my late teens. However I got tired of bleeding all the time, as a combination of El cheapo razors and awful technique, and moved over to cartridges. But recently, I came across more and more people online recommending traditional safety razors. And so, I began to rediscover the old ways for myself. I'm trying to stay cheap for the moment. I'll write reviews of my equipment, in the order I've used them. I have still not perfected my technique, so please let me know if I'm doing it wrong.

Razors:

Feather Popular: (900 INR, 14 USD) Extremely mild, as everyone says, so much so that I don't know when I'm actually shaving, and not just sliding the razor across my face. Whenever I use this, I end up with a bloody face. I think I might have used it about 10 times so far, and I still end with a bloody face. And I've never gotten a good shave with it either, especially around my chin and below my jaw.

7'o Clock Sterling: (80 INR, 1.25 USD) It's supposed to be a more aggressive version of Gillette Tech. I can feel the blade on my face and have learnt how to be careful with it. I get decent shaves, and a couple of cuts each time.

Baili BT171: (560 INR, 8.7 USD) It's supposed to be a closer clone of Gillette Tech, and it's milder than the Sterling. But again, I can feel the blade on my face, and can judge how to be careful. I get nearly perfect shaves with this.

Shaving creams and soaps:

Old Spice shaving cream, original scent: (~60 INR) Mild scent, and loses most of its slickness after a pass.

Godrej shaving round: (~20 INR) Mild scent, and hard to find. I only bought it after seeing very positive reviews. I hate it. It lathers up quickly enough, but the foam loses nearly all its slickness after the blade goes over it. Subsequent swipes (of the same pass) with the razor become very difficult unless the foam is reapplied.

Gillette series shave gel, the kind that comes in a tube: (~60 INR) Works perfectly for me, and I like its fragrance.

Shaving brushes:

Gillette nylon bristle: (~60 INR) Very basic, and feels rough, but it works well enough.

Venus horsehair brush: (200 INR) I found something cheap on ebay, so I decided to try it out. It's awful. The knot is too long, and the hair is pretty sparse, so it's hard to build up (or retain) a good lather. Moreover, it sheds so much that I get to shave a horse while I'm trying to shave my face.

Others:

Kashish Lucas alum block: (~20 INR) I found it at a local grocery. Though the box doesn't say what kind it is, some website says it's potash alum. It works well enough.

Gillette Guard: (~20 INR) Though it's a cartridge razor, it's got a single blade. Anyway, it works perfectly for me. Though not as mild as a Mach 3, I get perfect shaves with it.


I'm open to trying out more expensive imported stuff, but I refuse to pay the stinking government exorbitant import duties, as a matter of principle. I'll ask friends who travel to bring me stuff.

I guess my first question is about the Feather Popular: how do you get it to work? I have tried to keep the top plate flushed against my skin, but I still bleed a lot, and continue to get awful shaves.

PS: I have only tried Feather blades and Gillette Wilkinson Sword salon pack blades so far. I'll try other local options soon.

Sent from my Moto G4 Plus using Tapatalk

Welcome to B&B keep us updated on other blades choices

 

[ticor]

@alex2363 Will do. I picked up a nice stash from a local grocery. I'll let people know how they turn out.

Gillette 7 O'Clock Super Platinum (blacks): INR 55 for 7 blades
Gillette 7 O'Clock Permasharp Stainless (green): INR 30 for 5 blades
Vidyut Super-Max Stainless economy pack (brown): INR 25 for 10 blades

What's funny about these is that they are available on amazon.in and ebay.in at about 5-10 times these prices, and the MPQ is also about 10 times what I have. Odder still, is that they are all imported from the US. In a way, it's understandable; Indians who can afford to buy stuff online nearly always use Mach 3. DE blades are usually not worth stocking. In contrast, the friendly neighbourhood grocery has them available as loose packs.

 

[Try em all]

I am located in Bombay. I have been DE shaving since the 90's.
I am not sure how much of of my experience will be of use to you, but for what its worth, here it is.
Previously I used the Wilkinson Bonded as a teenager in the 80's.
After my stash of Bonded blades finished around 1988, I was forced to grow a beard, as the Gillette offerings in India were terrible. This includes the Gillette disposables, PII (Wilkinson branded Track II clone from Gillette) & its ilk. In 1993 shifted over to a Gillette Slim Twist (It's the Brit version of the Gillette Knack) with Gillette platinum blacks, badger brush & Old spice cream. Got a good but not great shave.
When my Slim Twist was lost while shifting house, around 1999, I switched to the newly launched Sensor/Sensor Excel & found it very good. Some years later, Gillette made Sensor carts impossible to find & 3 times the price. I wasn't affected for a few years, as I had a large stash of carts, but later was forced to switch to M3.
Later I discovered B&B in 2013, I read about the Gillette Guard. I then switched to using the Guard & DE's. Still using them.

I'd suggest you shelve that metal Gillette 7'o clock Sterling. The unsupported part of the blade is too long. More than 1.5 mm. This causes chatter. I used it for several months before I gave up on it. The plastic Gillette 7'o clock Super Platinum razor is much better. It's around 75 rupees.(Just under 1.5 US$) You may or may not need to use a little pressure with it.

The Feather Popular is a great razor, if....you tighten it down while loading thoroughly. Otherwise it chatters.
BTW you paid too much for it. Even in Bombay its available in specialty stores for 650/-. I bought a spare one two weeks ago as my son is just beginning to shave. (I've gifted him a Guard & an M3 travel set. Planning to give him the Popular once he is ready.)
I also use only Gillette platinum blacks in it. (Rs 55 for 5). Any other blade cuts my face, & yes that means feathers too.

The Guard is superb for a first WTG pass. No better razor for that purpose. Unfortunately, it does not shave too close. I usually follow it with the Feather Popular, another DE or a Mach 3/ Sensor/ARC's Tri flexx Sensor clone for an XTG pass.

The Gillette Gel is good, but ONLY in its squeeze tube version. Avoid the pressurized cans. The Nivea squeeze gel tube is even better. I'm not a great fan of the Old Spice today. I like the Godrej Menthol cream & the Dettol creams. The best cream in India is, IMHO, the Biotique Bio Palmyra. Difficult to find, but currently its on discount at Amazon. New Palmolive creams have just been launched. They are imported from Europe, & smell a lot better than the Indian versions.
I make sure I have a hot shower just before I shave. I have found it makes a huge difference, and if I do, I don't need to do any other prep. When I'm in a hurry, I don't use a brush, but apply cream by hand. I find it makes no appreciable difference to the quality of the shave, but a part of the aesthetics of a great shave are lost.

Omega boar brushes are available at specialty beauty stores in the barbers/men's section. They're quite good. If you compare with the Gillette nylon brush then there is really no comparison.

Technically, I'm about 40 years old, and only used safety razors when I began shaving in my late teens. However I got tired of bleeding all the time, as a combination of El cheapo razors and awful technique, and moved over to cartridges. But recently, I came across more and more people online recommending traditional safety razors. And so, I began to rediscover the old ways for myself. I'm trying to stay cheap for the moment. I'll write reviews of my equipment, in the order I've used them. I have still not perfected my technique, so please let me know if I'm doing it wrong.

Razors:

Feather Popular: (900 INR, 14 USD) Extremely mild, as everyone says, so much so that I don't know when I'm actually shaving, and not just sliding the razor across my face. Whenever I use this, I end up with a bloody face. I think I might have used it about 10 times so far, and I still end with a bloody face. And I've never gotten a good shave with it either, especially around my chin and below my jaw.

7'o Clock Sterling: (80 INR, 1.25 USD) It's supposed to be a more aggressive version of Gillette Tech. I can feel the blade on my face and have learnt how to be careful with it. I get decent shaves, and a couple of cuts each time.

Baili BT171: (560 INR, 8.7 USD) It's supposed to be a closer clone of Gillette Tech, and it's milder than the Sterling. But again, I can feel the blade on my face, and can judge how to be careful. I get nearly perfect shaves with this.

Shaving creams and soaps:

Old Spice shaving cream, original scent: (~60 INR) Mild scent, and loses most of its slickness after a pass.

Godrej shaving round: (~20 INR) Mild scent, and hard to find. I only bought it after seeing very positive reviews. I hate it. It lathers up quickly enough, but the foam loses nearly all its slickness after the blade goes over it. Subsequent swipes (of the same pass) with the razor become very difficult unless the foam is reapplied.

Gillette series shave gel, the kind that comes in a tube: (~60 INR) Works perfectly for me, and I like its fragrance.

Shaving brushes:

Gillette nylon bristle: (~60 INR) Very basic, and feels rough, but it works well enough.

Venus horsehair brush: (200 INR) I found something cheap on ebay, so I decided to try it out. It's awful. The knot is too long, and the hair is pretty sparse, so it's hard to build up (or retain) a good lather. Moreover, it sheds so much that I get to shave a horse while I'm trying to shave my face.

Others:

Kashish Lucas alum block: (~20 INR) I found it at a local grocery. Though the box doesn't say what kind it is, some website says it's potash alum. It works well enough.

Gillette Guard: (~20 INR) Though it's a cartridge razor, it's got a single blade. Anyway, it works perfectly for me. Though not as mild as a Mach 3, I get perfect shaves with it.


I'm open to trying out more expensive imported stuff, but I refuse to pay the stinking government exorbitant import duties, as a matter of principle. I'll ask friends who travel to bring me stuff.

I guess my first question is about the Feather Popular: how do you get it to work? I have tried to keep the top plate flushed against my skin, but I still bleed a lot, and continue to get awful shaves.

PS: I have only tried Feather blades and Gillette Wilkinson Sword salon pack blades so far. I'll try other local options soon.

Sent from my Moto G4 Plus using Tapatalk

 

[Try em all]

There is also a plastic Gillette 7 o clock Permasharp for Rs 22.
I don't know how good it is as I've never used it.
I have also found that tubed gels work better without a brush.
The creams do lather rather better with my Omega, but twice the amount of cream is needed. As I said earlier, no appreciable difference in shave quality either way.
I find the Guard shaves very similarly to a DE, (if there was such a thing as a swiveling DE) & if you are not happy with your current setup, for now, you may want to use a Guard followed by another cart.

BTW where did you manage to pick up the Gillette blacks with 7 blades in them? I had some earlier, but the new packs seem to have but 5 blades.

 

[germanshepherd]

Welcome!! Lot of great tips here, some I'm going to try myself.

 

[LexM]

Glad to have you on B&B! Keep us posted on your shaving adventures.

 

[razorhead63]

Hello sir!
You could try using a a blade that's considered less sharp, that might help.

I don't know much about the Popular but as others have mentioned, pay careful attention to your pre shave prep...

Just some thoughts.

 

[Try em all]

As far as the Gillette Guard is concerned, you might want to read my thread here-
Gillette Guard longevity test

 

[ticor]

The plastic Gillette 7'o clock Super Platinum razor is much better. It's around 75 rupees.

I saw quite a few of these at the local grocer's. I'll pick up one, the next time I go there.

BTW where did you manage to pick up the Gillette blacks with 7 blades in them? I had some earlier, but the new packs seem to have but 5 blades.

The package date is 09/16, and it comes with a "5+2" offer. Maybe they have ended the offer now. The grocer had a mixed collection of all kinds of blades.

Even in Bombay its available in specialty stores for 650/-

Omega boar brushes are available at specialty beauty stores in the barbers/men's section.

Could you post the names and locations of the stores? I have some relatives there. I could ask them to pick up stuff for me if they are close enough. Otherwise, maybe I could recommend something for them to buy for themselves. The price of Omega boar brushes is about 1000 INR these days. They have Omega nylon bristle brushes (mislabeled as "boar") cheaper. Maybe I'll have my contacts in Bombay pick them up for me cheaper.

More than 1.5 mm. This causes chatter.

The Feather Popular is a great razor, if....you tighten it down while loading thoroughly. Otherwise it chatters.

I don't get this part. I've not had chattering with either the Sterling or the Popular. Both razors visibly bend the razor along the long slot when I tighten the razors with a force that a 5-year old would find easy to unscrew.


I have managed to raise my skills with the Feather Popular now. I can use them without giving myself cuts and razor burns. However, I still need way too much time to get perfect shaves with it. The easiest razor for me is my Baili BT171. I can get pretty good one-pass shaves with the BT171, and without even rinsing the razor. Even I'm surprised at how fast I am with it. I still need to do at least 2 passes to get it perfect.

 

[Try em all]

I saw quite a few of these at the local grocer's. I'll pick up one, the next time I go there.



The package date is 09/16, and it comes with a "5+2" offer. Maybe they have ended the offer now. The grocer had a mixed collection of all kinds of blades.




Could you post the names and locations of the stores? I have some relatives there. I could ask them to pick up stuff for me if they are close enough. Otherwise, maybe I could recommend something for them to buy for themselves. The price of Omega boar brushes is about 1000 INR these days. They have Omega nylon bristle brushes (mislabeled as "boar") cheaper. Maybe I'll have my contacts in Bombay pick them up for me cheaper.






I don't get this part. I've not had chattering with either the Sterling or the Popular. Both razors visibly bend the razor along the long slot when I tighten the razors with a force that a 5-year old would find easy to unscrew.


I have managed to raise my skills with the Feather Popular now. I can use them without giving myself cuts and razor burns. However, I still need way too much time to get perfect shaves with it. The easiest razor for me is my Baili BT171. I can get pretty good one-pass shaves with the BT171, and without even rinsing the razor. Even I'm surprised at how fast I am with it. I still need to do at least 2 passes to get it perfect.

For the Feather Popular, you can pick it up at Musafirkhana/ Crawford market in south Bombay, or at Alfa if in the northern suburbs / Irla. Blades & brushes too. Some good creams as well. I bought my last one at Alfa.
Crawford might be cheaper.

I picked up my Omega at a specialist beauty shopping centre about five years ago for about Rs 400. Will try to recall the name.
Not sure of todays prices for the Omega's.
But there seems to be a decent Omega on sale at flipkart.
Omega Shaving Brush Price in India - Buy Omega Shaving Brush online at Flipkart.com
Beauty Centre at Khar is 4 floors of beauty equipment for salons/spas/hair saloons.
Get your shavettes here.

 

[Try em all]

I don't get this part. I've not had chattering with either the Sterling or the Popular. Both razors visibly bend the razor along the long slot when I tighten the razors with a force that a 5-year old would find easy to unscrew.

I have managed to raise my skills with the Feather Popular now. I can use them without giving myself cuts and razor burns. However, I still need way too much time to get perfect shaves with it. The easiest razor for me is my Baili BT171. I can get pretty good one-pass shaves with the BT171, and without even rinsing the razor. Even I'm surprised at how fast I am with it. I still need to do at least 2 passes to get it perfect.

Two passes is quite good. Even for an experienced DE shaver.

A DE razor has to bend the blade to increase its strength & rigidity as I'm sure you are aware. The more the bend, the greater the rigidity.
But the Popular is a TTO, so it also uses the process of tightening to angle the blades correctly.
If not properly tightened, the blade sticks out, kind of flutters, the razor becomes aggressive, & then it misses some hair on the pass. Properly tightened, I can get decent one pass WTG shaves with it if in a hurry.
It's been a long time since I've used a sterling, but I remember it as the worst I've ever used.

As far as Omega brushes go, it doesn't really matter if they are boar or synthetic. Both give good results. But now I'm wondering if mine is really boar, as it was supposed to be.
It does say ' Pura Setola' which ought to mean its pure boar.
I find mine to be a bit big & hold too much moisture/ lather. These days I find myself using a Gio, made in Italy. A real steal for Rs 200, at a store that placed it next to the Omegas. Since the package was opened, it looked cheaper next to them. No doubt the reason for the price.

 

[Try em all]

Update: Just confirmed I have the 10065 in pure bristle.
The same model is also available as an S-brush.

I use three or four rubber bands just above the knot to control the excess lather/moisture.

Which part of India are you from?
There are threads started by Indians which give great information about Indian products & their availability in different parts of the country. In particular, chinmusic's thread on Indian shaving cream reviews is informative.

 

[ticor]

Which part of India are you from?

Bangalore. Apart from Truefitt & Hill, I don't know any speciality stores for shaving products here.

I have placed an order for an Omega boar brush. I'm looking forward to its delivery. I have put a moratorium on my shaving soap purchases for now. I have 4 kinds already, so I'll buy one when one of them gets over. I might want to buy another couple of razors though. I have eyes on Mingshi 2000s (Futur clone) and another Baili razor.

 

[ticor]

But now I'm wondering if mine is really boar, as it was supposed to be.
It does say ' Pura Setola' which ought to mean its pure boar.

Yeah, this part confuses me too. Omega just says "pure bristle", and while historically, bristles referred to animal hair, synthetic bristles changed its original meaning.

I find mine to be a bit big & hold too much moisture/ lather.

This was very useful advise. I thought I'll go for a 95mm brush based on this comment, but then impulsively went for a 105mm brush because it looked cooler. Ah, well... next time

 

[Try em all]

Yeah, this part confuses me too. Omega just says "pure bristle", and while historically, bristles referred to animal hair, synthetic bristles changed its original meaning.

According to the Omega website, their synthetic brushes will have 'S-brush' stamped on synthetic boar brushes, & 'Hi-brush' on
synthetic badger.
The boar brushes will have 'Pura Setola' and their badger 'Puro Tasso'

There are two ways to control a brush thats too big. I have a 105 mm, and I use 3-4 rubberbands just above the knot to reduce the exposed length of bristle.
I have also, sometimes held the brush just above where the handle meets the bristle- I have noticed many barbers holding the brushes like that.
T&H is also here in Bombay.
I have, & use their Luxury shaving soap.
Works well enough, bit better than the Godrej soap, but nothing to justify the rave reviews one reads about T&H products.
Tabac cream was equally disappointing.
All I can say is, don't waste your money.
Stick to Indian creams.
They may not smell the best, but they function as well as the best in the rest of the world.

 

[Try em all]

I have put a moratorium on my shaving soap purchases for now. I have 4 kinds already, so I'll buy one when one of them gets over.

May I ask which soaps you have, & how well they lather?
I believe the Trigodon range of soaps is made in Bangalore.
Indian Made Wet Shaving Products

 

[ticor]

I reviewed 3 creams and soaps in my first comment. After that, I found a Proraso Sandalwood shaving round at a decent price (for an imported product). The Proraso is very good at lathering and maintains its slickness well. However the smell is way too mild. It's possible that I have too much water in my brush and that's why the shaving rounds don't perform as well as others would expect. I'm still learning, but so far my preference is: Gillette gel tube > Proraso shaving round > Old Spice cream > Godrej shaving round.

I came across a thread here yesterday where a forum member's friend was mistakenly using a Mysore Sandal soap for shaving. Apparently, he had no complaints. So that's what I'm gonna try today. After all, the Mysore Sandal soap smells way nicer than the Proraso Sandalwood shaving round.

 

[ticor]

Apparently, he had no complaints. So that's what I'm gonna try today.

Verdict: try again. Either the blade was too old (definitely 5+, but I lost count) or the soap is unsuitable for this purpose. I basically ended up flaying myself. The soap foams a lot, but the foam is made of relatively large bubbles. I'll try again in a couple of days with a fresh blade and with less water.