Safety Razors

run_Forrest_run

I love TOBS Sandalwood. Also Crabtree & Evelyn do a nice sandalwood, in a wooden bowl. The scent isn't overpowering.

lomb

Just some thoughts on someone who went from electric shaving to Quattro- fusion- Mach 3- Double Edge

Philishave- no cuts, very clean, but quite abrasive, not so close a shave, relatively cost effective though the blades needed changing every 2 years and the unit every 4.

Quattro- very long lasting blades, one blade could last many months, not as comfortable as a fusion or mach 3,not as close a shave as these but not bad at all, didn't rinse clean easily, clogged and not suitable with thick shaving foams or gels because of this. Very good in retrospect for good, economical safe shaving

Fusion- Very good but expensive, and too bulky, blades not so long lasting maybe 2 weeks

Mach 3- Very very good but expensive, blades not so long lasting also maybe 2 weeks, virtually a perfect shave.

Double Edge- So I recently bought an Edwin Jagger DE89, EJ soap, shaving brush , Astra Gillette blades and thought Id try it out to see what the fuss was about. Very cheap blades obviously, clean, very rinseable, looks great ,safe if you are gentle and know what you are doing. Not so close a shave as even a Quattro if you want to avoid razor burn or serious cuts as you can safely shave with or across the grain and not really against especially on curved areas like chin. Feels very different, not so well engineered as a Mach 3 or Quattro in terms of shaving not looks(not by a long long way) Probably feels like a 1908 Buggatti would next to a brand new one.
Still good though in its own way, more of a classic really. I wouldn't really recommend anyone ditch their Mach 3 for one but I do like the shaving soap and brush versus canned foam or gel.

Michael G

How long have you been using a DE razor? It takes a lighter touch, and after a few weeks it becomes easy to shave across or against the grain with no risk at all. I never had as smooth and safe shaves with Gilette or Wilkinson cartridges as I have been having for the last five years with DE razors and Feather blades.

However, you might be better off staying with cartridges and using a brush with soap or cream if that works for you. There is no RIGHT way to shave.

Gran Hermano

I have to agree with the above, I get a much closer shave (don't think I could get closer!) with a triple pass DE shave.
Yes there is an initial period perfecting technique but once you nail the correct angle and are using a razor and blade that suits your particular situation it should surpass a cartridge shave. I also experimented with numerous razors and blades until I found the right level of mildness/aggressiveness. Using an adjustable razor like the Merkur Progress can shorten the process.

lomb

Just a few days. I tried the Derby blades that came with the EJ this morning and they feel much smoother than the Astras much nicer shave. Il crack on with the EJ. I actually prefer the shave to a Mach 3 now its no where near as close but feels more classic and the EJ is a lovely piece of kit. Perhaps shaving against the grain is possible with a very light touch or adjustable razor on a low setting.

A question though. Why did cartridge systems take off versus double edge to the point where double edge is more or less only available from specialty sources. Persumably the majority of men didn't rate the safety or comfort of double edge versus cartridge.

source

lomb wrote: »

Just a few days. I tried the Derby blades that came with the EJ this morning and they feel much smoother than the Astras much nicer shave. Il crack on with the EJ. I actually prefer the shave to a Mach 3 now its no where near as close but feels more classic and the EJ is a lovely piece of kit. Perhaps shaving against the grain is possible with a very light touch or adjustable razor on a low setting.

A question though. Why did cartridge systems take off versus double edge to the point where double edge is more or less only available from specialty sources. Persumably the majority of men didn't rate the safety or comfort of double edge versus cartridge.

Two words: convenience and marketing.

hitemfrank

It was the fact that Gillette pushed marketing for cartridge razors heavily because there was more money in it for them.

They could only really sell one safety razor to each person and then hope the person would keep buying the blades that Gillette made for them. Anyone was able to make blades that fit Gillettes razors so they came up with razor handles that only take Gillette cartridges.

At one point Gillette used to post out a free handle and a cartridge to guys in America once they became 18 (think it was that age anyway) to try and get them using their system.

lomb

But why in countries like India today do Gillette have what is it 20% of the market with their single blade 12 us cent per cartridge that is marketed on safety. The double edge has 80% of the market there but a large enough contingent still think cartridge is the way forward.

hitemfrank

The cost of a double edge blade is even less than the 12c cartridge in India. The 12 cent sounds like nothing to most of us in the west but it can be pretty expensive in India.

Michael G

lomb wrote: »

Just a few days. I tried the Derby blades that came with the EJ this morning and they feel much smoother than the Astras much nicer shave. Il crack on with the EJ. I actually prefer the shave to a Mach 3 now its no where near as close but feels more classic and the EJ is a lovely piece of kit. Perhaps shaving against the grain is possible with a very light touch or adjustable razor on a low setting.

A question though. Why did cartridge systems take off versus double edge to the point where double edge is more or less only available from specialty sources. Persumably the majority of men didn't rate the safety or comfort of double edge versus cartridge.

You're right; a very light touch is the secret to using DE kit successfully. Your new razor is balanced very differently from the Mach 3 or any of the other cartridge devices. The weight of the head will keep the blade against your skin and you are better off applying the slightest pressure you can achieve.

As for why cartridges took over the world: we are men, and most of us can't resist a new gadget. That's why I have about €3,000 worth of fishing tackle in my garage that I haven't touched for five years, but I can't admit to myself or anyone else that I will probably never fish again. It's also why I have a camera and a set of lenses that cost €2,000 between them and I use them about once a year for family snaps. Similarly, I've been through every cartridge system since the first G2 advertisement that told us it shaved close, and closer still. And I have a straight razor that I have used five or six times. The Gilette marketing people understand this.

hitemfrank

That's a lot of unused stuff you've got. You should really use the straight razor more often.



Maybe the other stuff too.....

Michael G

hitemfrank wrote: »

That's a lot of unused stuff you've got. You should really use the straight razor more often.



Maybe the other stuff too.....

Can you claim, seriously, that you never bought a gadget that you didn't use? I'm just a bit worse than most, probably.

Is the straight really better than a DE with a Feather blade?

hitemfrank

Oh, I've done it plenty of times. Just couldn't pass up the chance to tell someone to use a straight razor more often

Whether or not it's better than a DE and a Feaather blade is subjective really.

Uriel.

lomb wrote: »

But why in countries like India today do Gillette have what is it 20% of the market with their single blade 12 us cent per cartridge that is marketed on safety. The double edge has 80% of the market there but a large enough contingent still think cartridge is the way forward.

Have you ever seen an advert for a double edge razor? I never have.
Never saw Thierry Henry, Fernando Alonso or whoever the flavour of the month happens to be appear on tv or billboards with a DE Razor.

Without a doubt it's marketing and also convenience that sells cartridge kits. Sure, over time when you build up experience, technique, comfort with a DE kit you'll get quicker at the process, but at the end of the day, to do DE "right" you have a decent amount of pre and post shave routine and the shave itself a three or even a two pass may be slightly slower too.

It's the name of the game. But my God, the shaving experience from a DE is far before a cartridge. The "whole experience" with pre, post and shave creams etc. is amazing. Any you know what, it's just so much more interesting in terms of how it all looks and feels compared to the cartridge shaving.

A good few years on now... and I won't be going back. Hoping to try get into a bit of straight shaving when I get the cash and a bit of courage.

barrybones_wx

I'm still going through my starter kit from shave.ie after three or four months now. Fantastic purchase I must say - highly recommended.

Anyway, i stuck on a new Derby blade this morning and had the most uncomfortable, sorest shave I've had since I got my DE.

I had just showered; pre-shave oiled, usual prorasso soap bowl etc... basically, my usual regime but a totally different outcome to the normal experience. The shave itself was ok, second pass not overly sore, but the first pass felt like it was pulling and cutting at the same time. Really very uncomfortable.

I had used 3 of the five blades in the Derby pack before and never had an issue... So I'm just wondering, aside from the fact that Derby might not be as good as other blades, what could have happened? A dud blade?

hitemfrank

A dud blade is the likely issue. Just throw the blade out and move on to the next one in the pack. The blades are cheap enough that it's not really worth trying to persevere with a bad blade.

barrybones_wx

So the one i used this morning is ditched - thanks hitem.

Does this happen from time to time?

hitemfrank

It's not that common but does happen now and then.

Dyr

I'd use the green astra blades rather than derby

or go for the feather decapitation level 10 blades

barrybones_wx

Interesting! I guess considering the price of a pack of them, there's always going to be the very occasional dud.

Thus far after using 3 or 4 of the razors from each pack provided in the starter kit my preference is...

1. Gillette 7O'clock
2. Feather
3. Astra Blue - Superior?
4. Astra Green Platinum
5. Derby (and not because of this morning, just generally don't get a great result from it)

Uriel.

Interesting one actually for the longer term DE shavers. Have you ever noticed a degradation of an open blade following air travel.

I have noticed that when I pack my DE with a blade already loaded, the blade is effectively mank when I go to use it. It's weird it's happened me on a number of occasions. Both with new blades and ones only on their 2nd or 3rd shave.

No big deal, now I just ensure to travel with a few unopened blades but had been meaning to ask if anyone else has this experience

Uriel.

barrybones_wx wrote: »

Interesting! I guess considering the price of a pack of them, there's always going to be the very occasional dud.

Thus far after using 3 or 4 of the razors from each pack provided in the starter kit my preference is...

1. Gillette 7O'clock
2. Feather
3. Astra Blue - Superior?
4. Astra Green Platinum
5. Derby (and not because of this morning, just generally don't get a great result from it)

7 o'clock yellows or Astras are probably my most used blades.

Also use feathers regularly and occasionally the Tiger blades.

The only particular blade I refuse to use is the well known one from Israel, that having a senior moment and get remember the name. Anyway never ever got a good shave from them.

I have found it important to mix up use though and I'd never consecutively use the same blade manufacturer for more than 2 or 3 months without switching to another for awhile

Michael G

Uriel. wrote: »

7 o'clock yellows or Astras are probably my most used blades.

Also use feathers regularly and occasionally the Tiger blades.

The only particular blade I refuse to use is the well known one from Israel, that having a senior moment and get remember the name. Anyway never ever got a good shave from them.

I have found it important to mix up use though and I'd never consecutively use the same blade manufacturer for more than 2 or 3 months without switching to another for awhile

Interesting. For the last four years I have used nothing but Feathers.

The Israeli blade you're thinking of is probably Personna. I understand they make own-brand blades for Tesco and Asda too. I have found the Tesco ones quite good.

Gran Hermano

Personna med preps are vastly superior to the Personna reds.

Uriel.

Michael G wrote: »

Interesting. For the last four years I have used nothing but Feathers.

The Israeli blade you're thinking of is probably Personna. I understand they make own-brand blades for Tesco and Asda too. I have found the Tesco ones quite good.

Yep personna that's the one. I was originally thinking iridium but think they're Russian or Czech

Corkfeen

hitemfrank wrote: »

At one point Gillette used to post out a free handle and a cartridge to guys in America once they became 18 (think it was that age anyway) to try and get them using their system.

They still do it in fact. Saw a few posts in past on Reddit about them doing this.

Rosahane

I have tried all of the above and have found Polsilver to suit me the best for both performance and longevity. Next best and all with different characteristics are Feathers, Med Personas and Astras.

beardybrewer

Don't forget the ruskies! Voskhod and Sputniks are good and can be had cheaply direct from Moscow on eBay.

I also strongly rely on Feathers, in particular when I have a couple of days of growth.

tunney

Bambi wrote: »

I'd use the green astra blades rather than derby

Each to their own, the astra irritate the hell out of my skin

Risteard

Hey guys,

I ordered a DE razor and other assorted stuff recently and will have it when I get home from college at the end of the week.

I've basically had a beard of some sort for the last 2 years and even then was only clean shaven for a few weeks.

Anyway, I've trimmed my beard recently to about 5mm, would ye recommend trimming further before starting the shave (particularly as I'm only beginning DE shaving) or would the razor cope with that length fine?