Safety Razors

Michael G

I have been using a Merkur Vision (absolutely fantastic after a fortnight of getting the hang of it) for the last 10 weeks and I am now trying out a Dovo straight blade. Before the Merkur I had been using a Gilette Fusion since it came out.

All along, I have been using Taylor's or Trumper's soap, but over the last few weeks I have started getting a rash. I gather it is possible to develop an allergy to something that one has been using for years. But I wondered whether it had anything to do with the fact that I had been applying shaving soap more vigorously since I started with the Vision, or have I just become soap-intolerant?

Shaving.ie

coolmoose wrote: »

bought the shaving cream and after shave cologne in tk maxx in cork today. €9.99 for each of them down here, cream down from €22ish and cologne down from €44...good savings. had a shave earlier, very impressed with the lather. very smooth, works up nicely, the blade just skims through it.

quite liked the scent myself, seem to prefer the "older" smells of sandalwood and cedarwood.

this shaving lark has gotten out of hand now though...have 8 creams and soaps, loads of blades, including some vintage WW2 blades, mugs, brushes, alum block, balms etc etc. so much for a cheaper way of shaving! :pac:

I have to agree with the points you made there. The lather is substantial and slick. I also like the scent, not incredible but it’s pretty good.

coolmoose

@ Shaving.ie...make that 10 creams, just ordered two more TOBS tubs. You've a nice selection at good prices, I'll be back for more no doubt.

Cabaal

coolmoose, whats the shave cologne in TK Maxx like I didn't really look at it

coolmoose

It's a 50 ml spray top bottle, reduced from €44.something to €9.99...for that price I said I'd try it. I bought the cedarwood & clarysage cologne, but they had the mandarin & patchouli in stock which smelt nice also...might buy it.

It smells slightly different to the cream in that it seems sharper for want of a better description. It's not overpowering, more of a fresh smell.

Herself has described it as a "proper manly smell" and couldn't stop smelling it all evening! Gets the thumbs up from me, but may not suit those who aren't keen on the "old" type smells.

MediaTank

Amalgam wrote: »

Slightly daft questions, I'm just not to sure how to maintain the puck and mug in between shaves, that's all.

A well loded brush will do the trick as the other posters have said. I find it pretty difficult to use soap consistently as it's hard to know how much is in the brush and hence the soap to water ratio is tricky to establish. I mostly just use it to make superlather.

Amalgam

MediaTank wrote: »

I mostly just use it to make superlather.

I have been super-lathering.. I take a can of La Toja and turn it on its head, this prevents the gas from agitating the product, it is pushed out like milk, I just add a few drabs of it to my usual slug of shaving cream..

I avoided soaps generally because no matter what promises were made by the product, I always felt my skin was quite tight after using just a shaving soap. A sensation that makes you want to stay with the likes of Proraso, TOBS, etc..

Fajitas!

I'd agree on just using it to make superlather, I much prefer creams - Although, I am beginning to give my mug a quick going over with a shaving stick before I put in the cream more and more often.

CrowdedHouse

Fajitas! wrote: »

give my mug a quick going over with a shaving stick before I put in the cream more and more often.

Now that's an idea :pac:

As it happens I used a Palmolive stick this morning - Lads for something that's nearly free (69c in Tesco) it's great.
If I had to complain I'd say it feels a bit hard on me face,that's all.

Amalgam

CrowdedHouse wrote: »

As it happens I used a Palmolive stick this morning - Lads for something that's nearly free (69c in Tesco) it's great.
If I had to complain I'd say it feels a bit hard on me face,that's all.

You were robbed..

Fajitas!

I think it was 40 pence over in Tesco in Ealing :P

CrowdedHouse

Amalgam wrote: »

You were robbed..

I'm claiming a typo

Johnny Utah

MediaTank wrote: »

Sharp usually means cuts rather than rash in my experience. Can we go through your shave routine in detail and we can try to help out.

I use Nivea for Men exfoliating scrub and a face cloth in the shower beforehand. Then, when I'm out of the shower I apply the shaving cream using my hands (I'm still waiting on delivery of a shaving brush, but it should be here in the next few days). I always ensure that the shaving cream is well lathered up before I shave.

I've used the Derbys and the Wilkinson blades so far. I got one decent shave with the Derbys. I've only tried the Wilkinson blades once but they left a bad rash the one time I tried them. After shaving, I usually wash my face with a face wash in cold water ( I don't use any face wash on my neck area- just cold water). Then, I dry my face and apply a moisturiser.

Fajitas!

Popped into the Waterford TKMaxx today, got the St. James cream and picked up another one called 'Pecksniff's'... Half for the name. Smells grand. Like a strongish cologne rather than anything more exotic. Will give it a try later on.

Michael G

Micilin Muc wrote: »

Has anybody noticed the difference that hard water and soft water makes to their shave?

My shaves at home in Dublin are great but the only bad shaves I've had have been in Donegal and Galway. My skin has been very red after my rural shaves! My prep and equipment have stayed constant.

I live in Wexford where I have had to get a water softener to deal with the heavy limescale in our supply. But even with a softener here at home, I get a far smoother and softer shave when I go to my mother's house in Cork (where I use a Palmolive stick instead of the expensive creams I have in Wexford).

But I'm surprised about Galway. I suppose it depends on where you go. Some parts have beautiful soft peaty water. Perhaps you were in the area where they had all the excrement in the water.

Johnny Utah

What's the best way to clean a new brush?

I received my Semogue brush this morning in the post. Mantic, in one of his videos recomends to use either Borax or vinegar and hot water when cleaning a new brush. What exactly is borax? And would vinegar leave a smell on the shaving brush?

thehomeofDob

Borax is a type of crystal/salt. I remember using it in a primary school project to make snowflakes. Can't for the life of me remember where I got it, but it came in a big bag and it dissolves in water.

Gran Hermano

Johnny Utah wrote: »

What's the best way to clean a new brush?

I received my Semogue brush this morning in the post. Mantic, in one of his videos recomends to use either Borax or vinegar and hot water when cleaning a new brush. What exactly is borax? And would vinegar leave a smell on the shaving brush?

The easiest way to clean it is to use shampoo. Whipping up a couple of
bowls of lather with Proraso or similar will help as well plus give you some
excuse to practise. Shampoo and rinse well with hand-warm water a few times
over the first week and it'll help speed up the break in.

Keep us posted on how you're getting on with the brush and whether it helps
the shaving problems you're having. I'd a look at your post re: your prep and
the only suggestion I'd have is to maybe ease up on exfoliating scrub each day
and ditch the facial wash post-shave.

If you strip too much of the natural oils from your skin it can make it more sensitive
and you should not need to use face wash after a shave,
a warm water rinse followed by cold will get rid of the lather and close the pores.


And now that Leon's back from hols and his house move I can get a resupply from Vintage scent in

Which Semogue did you order?

Amalgam

Gran Hermano wrote: »

And now that Leon's back from hols and his house move I can get a resupply from Vintage scent in

LaToja here I come.. AIB take ages to lodge money internationally, Oxford Punts, bah.

Fajitas!

For any folks in Waterford/South East - Mulligans chemist in City Square are after getting in a full stock of St. James of London - pre shave, creams, post shave, and two different scents. There's a range from some other 'different' shaving crowd there, but it all looks gack tbh

All St. James stock is €9.99 - So €2.99 more than TKMaxx, but there's far more products. The mandarin shaving creams sounds good to me

mantic59

Johnny Utah wrote: »

What's the best way to clean a new brush?

I received my Semogue brush this morning in the post. Mantic, in one of his videos recomends to use either Borax or vinegar and hot water when cleaning a new brush. What exactly is borax? And would vinegar leave a smell on the shaving brush?

Borax, AKA sodium borate, is a cleaning and laundry "booster" found very commonly here in the US (most supermarkets). I did a quick Google for UK sources and it appears that it is far less known across the pond, sorry. One UK source is greenshop if you want to pursue it. Here is some more information on the uses of Borax.

A diluted vinegar solution, as well as animal/pet shampoo will work fine on a brush and won't leave a smell if you rinse the brush thoroughly.

Johnny Utah

Gran Hermano wrote: »

Which Semogue did you order?

The 2015:

http://vintagescent.com/shaving-brushes-c-5/semogue-2015-shaving-brush-p-13

Gran Hermano wrote: »

Keep us posted on how you're getting on with the brush and whether it helps
the shaving problems you're having. I'd a look at your post re: your prep and
the only suggestion I'd have is to maybe ease up on exfoliating scrub each day
and ditch the facial wash post-shave.

If you strip too much of the natural oils from your skin it can make it more sensitive
and you should not need to use face wash after a shave,
a warm water rinse followed by cold will get rid of the lather and close the pores.

I don't shave everyday, so therefore, I don't use the exfoliating scrub everyday either. I usually only shave and use the scrub beforehand about 3 times a week, which is fairly appropriate according to the instructions on the exfoliating scrub.

The reason I use the face wash afterwards is just personal preference really, as I find it cools down the skin. I don't use the face wash on the neck area at all as it's usually too sensitive, and furthermore I don't think it's causing any problems on my face as my skin is quite good overall.

MediaTank

Johnny Utah wrote: »

What's the best way to clean a new brush?

I received my Semogue brush this morning in the post. Mantic, in one of his videos recomends to use either Borax or vinegar and hot water when cleaning a new brush. What exactly is borax? And would vinegar leave a smell on the shaving brush?

Borax is hard to get, so stick with viengar. Don't use malt, use white wine vinegar. The smell dissapates when you next use the brush.

Dord

Micilin Muc wrote: »

<snip>

Micilin, This isn't the place for advertising items for sale. You can place an ad on http://www.adverts.ie if you wish.

Micilin Muc

Dord wrote: »

Micilin, This isn't the place for advertising items for sale. You can place an ad on http://www.adverts.ie if you wish.

Sorry about that, didn't think of it that way!

Dord

Thanks for your understanding. It's best to keep this to the discussion.

emmemm

worst blades I ever bought were Boots own brand saftey razor blades...very blunt before the shave...but you are very likely to get cut closing the yoke:eek:

Amalgam

emmemm wrote: »

worst blades I ever bought were Boots own brand saftey razor blades...very blunt before the shave...but you are very likely to get cut closing the yoke:eek:

Wouldn't Boots just rebrand a blade lot, I wonder who they buy blades from.. I'm curious now, in search of the crappest blade.

MediaTank

Amalgam wrote: »

Wouldn't Boots just rebrand a blade lot, I wonder who they buy blades from.. I'm curious now, in search of the crappest blade.

Dorco, Tiger, Lion, Lord or anything from the Middle East or Far East

Amalgam

I've tried Dorco, I now know why you can pick up a 100 for less than ten pounds sterling..