Safety Razors

real ballix

Wow lads! Over the last week I have read all 205 pages of this thread (and a few others!). Monster of a thread.

I'm DE shaving about 2.5 years. Current razor is a Merkur 34C. For the most part I use Feathers (and this week just received a 100 new ones from Shaving.ie).

Current shave methodology is
Shower
Apply Proraso Sensitive Pre-share Tea-Tree cream.
Apply Soap (In my rotation is Proraso, Tabac, Colonel Conk and yesterday I received Mitchell's Wool Fat). I also have a old TOBS Lavender soap I received as part of a starter kit 2.5 years ago, but it's barely used. Loved the smell, but was never convinced by it's lubrication/ moisturisation qualities....
Between passes I reapply Proraso Sensitive Pre-share Tea-Tree cream.
Once I've finished I either use the Proraso Green (old formula) or Lime Skin Food. I have a replacement Green with new formula, but I haven't opened it yet.

I'm reading with interest peoples choices of razors etc, and how they find them. To this point I have been a one razor man. I am interested in trying out Straight (and have bid on a few on ebay), and maybe checking out the old Gillettes ... You have piqued my interest gentlemen!

I'm sure I'll talk to you lads soon!

Mullins

Michael G

i've just started using the Mitchell's. The crock it came in is too fragile, so I keep the soap in an old enamel campingmug (it fits perfectly). I fill the mug with hot water before I get into the shower, and put my (bristle) brush in it too. I'm pleasantly surprised by how easy it is to work up a lather and how rich it is.

real ballix

The crock is fragile in that if it or the lid falls from a height on a tiled floor it's gone, but I like it and the old style.

When you say you fill the mug, do you mean that the soap is under 2-3 inches of hot water for the length of your shower? Does that not mean that the soap is shrinking/dissipating once you empty that water out and go to form a lather? The soap will last no time then, no?

I live in a hard water area, and had heard that it was difficult to get a good lather going with MWF, but it's a decent lather in texture/richness if not in quantity... I've only used it once so far so it may take a few more shaves to find it's sweet spot, but I did have to add water a couple of times more than what I normally would with the other soaps in my rotation.

Michael G

I'm usually no more than five minutes in the shower, which is long enough to soak the brush and soften the top layer of the soap. I don't think I'm wasting any.

I live in a very hard water area, so hard that I had to install a water softener. It's very effective, so I have no difficulty getting a good lather. I think it's the brush that's important; the boar brush works up a lather very quickly but my (much more expensive) silvertip badger, which works beautifully with cream, is totally defeated by the soap.

CrowdedHouse

I'm in a hard water area too.I get a great lather with MWF using a small dense brush - a Rooney 1/1

BTW I should say I always face lather with soaps. I remember trying to use MWF in a lather bowl but it was quite finicky

real ballix

Michael G wrote: »

I think it's the brush that's important; the boar brush works up a lather very quickly but my (much more expensive) silvertip badger, which works beautifully with cream, is totally defeated by the soap.

Is that all soaps, or just the MWF? I have Best Badger brushes and I get a good lather, but I have been looking at a Muhle Silvertip brush from shaving.ie....

real ballix

CrowdedHouse wrote: »

I'm in a hard water area too.I get a great lather with MWF using a small dense brush - a Rooney 1/1

BTW I should say I always face lather with soaps. I remember trying to use MWF in a lather bowl but it was quite finicky

I also face/shaving bowl lather...

markesmith

Those ramekin bowls you get in Dunnes/SuperValu are really good cheap shaving bowls. I just put some hot water in a larger bowl and drop the ramekin bowl in there, keeping it warm. Have to say I prefer the shaving bowl method, as it keeps the lather nice and warm.

Got the brother to try the safety razor yesterday, he had his first safety razor shave and didn't spill a drop of blood. I was caught in a mixture of pride for him and envy of him - I hacked the face off myself with my first shave

Michael G

real ballix wrote: »

Is that all soaps, or just the MWF? I have Best Badger brushes and I get a good lather, but I have been looking at a Muhle Silvertip brush from shaving.ie....

My only other experience with soap has been Proraso, but that definitely needed the boar brush as well.

real ballix

Michael G wrote: »

My only other experience with soap has been Proraso, but that definitely needed the boar brush as well.

This week I picked up the MonSavon "Bol a raser", it's e1.11 in the local supermarket. worth a look...

Gran Hermano

real ballix wrote: »

This week I picked up the MonSavon "Bol a raser", it's e1.11 in the local supermarket. worth a look...

Local as in an Irish supermarket ? I normally pick it up when in France but have yet to see it stocked in Ireland or UK.

real ballix

Gran Hermano wrote: »

Local as in an Irish supermarket ? I normally pick it up when in France but have yet to see it stocked in Ireland or UK.

nah, sorry. i'm living foreign in Luxembourg. I picked it up in a French supermarket based here. There's also a supermarket here that stocks Tabac, soI'm lucky enough....

Michael G

Michael G wrote: »

i've just started using the Mitchell's. The crock it came in is too fragile, so I keep the soap in an old enamel campingmug (it fits perfectly). I fill the mug with hot water before I get into the shower, and put my (bristle) brush in it too. I'm pleasantly surprised by how easy it is to work up a lather and how rich it is.

No more Mitchell's for me. After using it twice, I had a violent allergic reaction. The skin all over my face - not just the shaving area - went dry and flaky and stayed that way for nearly a week. I had to buy expensive kick-ass Elave moisturiser just to stop feeling sore. Back using Omega cream now with no ill-effects whatever.

It's disappointing, because I was very much enjoying the Mitchell's. I've done some searching on the web, and it seems that a minority of people do have a bad reaction to MItchell's, but there doesn't seem to be a consensus as to whether it is the lanolin or the fragrance that causes it.

hitemfrank

Mitchells has a fragance added to it? I didn't know that.

I would suspect it's the lanolin causing the issue.

Gran Hermano

I recall reading elsewhere about a small percentage of people having a similar allergic reaction to lanolin.

CrowdedHouse

On a slightly related note I used a Palmolive shaving stick for the first time in ages this morning.
It's so good and almost costs nothing, sometimes I wonder why I use anything else

Michael G

CrowdedHouse wrote: »

On a slightly related note I used a Palmolive shaving stick for the first time in ages this morning.
It's so good and almost costs nothing, sometimes I wonder why I use anything else

I used them for years, with a cheap bristle brush, when I was a poor student. Nothing wrong with them at all.

real ballix

Michael G wrote: »

No more Mitchell's for me. After using it twice, I had a violent allergic reaction. The skin all over my face - not just the shaving area - went dry and flaky and stayed that way for nearly a week. I had to buy expensive kick-ass Elave moisturiser just to stop feeling sore. Back using Omega cream now with no ill-effects whatever.

It's disappointing, because I was very much enjoying the Mitchell's. I've done some searching on the web, and it seems that a minority of people do have a bad reaction to MItchell's, but there doesn't seem to be a consensus as to whether it is the lanolin or the fragrance that causes it.

I heard the lanolin can give a reaction. I'm not seeing that, and getting on fine with it, although I did have major stinginess when using recently a Trumpers Coconut oil shaving cream sample... not a fan to be fair.

Michael G

Michael G wrote: »

I used them for years, with a cheap bristle brush, when I was a poor student. Nothing wrong with them at all.

Mind you they are deforesting the jungle to plant more palm trees, which is doing fairly serious damage to the ecology in South-East Asia.

hitemfrank

Well, way to make me feel guilty about using a great project

Michael G

hitemfrank wrote: »

Well, way to make me feel guilty about using a great project

It's very bad news for the Orang-utans.

I wonder what one of those lads would look like after a DE shave.

hitemfrank

Now I do feel not so good about using Palmolive

kaiserjim

hitemfrank wrote: »

Now I do feel not so good about using Palmolive

Think the shaving soap will probably be the least of your worries

http://www.saynotopalmoil.com/palm-oil.php#ProductLists

hitemfrank

Having looked at the list, there is surprising little on it that I use. I would have thought it was more to be honest.

Gran Hermano

real ballix wrote: »

nah, sorry. i'm living foreign in Luxembourg. I picked it up in a French supermarket based here. There's also a supermarket here that stocks Tabac, soI'm lucky enough....

If you can get monsavon locally you should also look out for the Nivea shaving cream in a tube. I haven't seen in in UK or here but widespread in other European countries.
A great product for the price

http://www.en.nivea-me.com/products/Mens-Care/product-type/shaving-Cream

Amalgam

Gran Hermano wrote: »

If you can get monsavon locally you should also look out for the Nivea shaving cream in a tube. I haven't seen in in UK or here but widespread in other European countries.
A great product for the price

http://www.en.nivea-me.com/products/Mens-Care/product-type/shaving-Cream

Connaught Shaving stock it: http://connaughtshaving.com/niveascde.html

..I've been meaning to order the 'Dettol' shaving cream from Connaught for years, sadly, they don't seem to stock it anymore.

Gran Hermano

Amalgam wrote: »

Connaught Shaving stock it: http://connaughtshaving.com/niveascde.html

..I've been meaning to order the 'Dettol' shaving cream from Connaught for years, sadly, they don't seem to stock it anymore.

The Nivea cream is pretty easy to find in most European supermarkets and it is roughly half the price compared to Connaught.

I thin that Dettol cream is Indian. I haven't tried it but I did like the Godrej stuff from India.
EBay is probably your best bet for it - along with the Indian old spice range.

hfallada

I have a Gillette mach and can no longer get blades easily for it. Which if these razors is best for a beginner but I want to use it for years.

Merkur 34C
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Merkur-Double-Razor-Safety-razor/dp/B002A8JO1Q/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

Edwin Jagger De89bl
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Edwin-Jagger-De89bl-Chrome-Plated/dp/B003LW4L2W/ref=zg_bs_74085031_8

Corkfeen

Gran Hermano wrote: »

The Nivea cream is pretty easy to find in most European supermarkets and it is roughly half the price compared to Connaught.

I thin that Dettol cream is Indian. I haven't tried it but I did like the Godrej stuff from India.
EBay is probably your best bet for it - along with the Indian old spice range.

So fairly good odds of finding it in Spain? I know what I'm doing on my holidays.

Amalgam

Just a quick out and about sighting, taken yesterday, in the window of 'Christy Bird', South Richmond Street, Dublin.



It looks like a Gem?