How do You Shave?

[Patton]

For the one or two guys looking to get a double edged safety razor I got lucky and found two for $10 at an antique store.

[maroonandwhite]

Has anyone experienced the water dulling your DE blades? I have an old Gillete Fat Boy I have been using for a while before we moved to Nashville with no problems. Once we moved we have noticed the water here is harder than where we moved from. I only get one shave out of the blades before having to change them. I do not dry the blade off other than a good shake. I never did this before either though and they would last a good while longer.

[Oh Shoot]

Has anyone experienced the water dulling your DE blades? I have an old Gillete Fat Boy I have been using for a while before we moved to Nashville with no problems. Once we moved we have noticed the water here is harder than where we moved from. I only get one shave out of the blades before having to change them. I do not dry the blade off other than a good shake. I never did this before either though and they would last a good while longer.

 

There are folks who swear that keeping a blade submerged in shallow container of various stuff between shaves prevents the minute rust that makes it dull more quickly.  Usually mentioned: mineral oil, baby oil, olive oil, and alcohol.

 

- OS

Edited May 16, 2014 by Oh Shoot

[maroonandwhite]

There are folks who swear that keeping a blade submerged in shallow container of various stuff between shaves prevents the minute rust that makes it dull more quickly.  Usually mentioned: mineral oil, baby oil, olive oil, and alcohol.

 

- OS

Gonna have to try that then.

[GlockSpock]

[quote name="Oh Shoot" post="1149454" timestamp="1400259327"]There are folks who swear that keeping a blade submerged in shallow container of various stuff between shaves prevents the minute rust that makes it dull more quickly. Usually mentioned: mineral oil, baby oil, olive oil, and alcohol. - OS[/quote]

Gonna have to try that then.

I thought that would work. My blade actually rusted in the highest proof alcohol I could find. I completely submerged it though so who knows? Would like to get some of that blue liquid barbers use. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[creeky]

I have used the Mach 3 in the past but have went back to the DE razor. I use my father's (he was a barber, still have his german staright razors) gillette DE Razor that is adjustable. It's about 40 years old. Works great and I think shaves closer than that Mach 3. Much cheaper too.

[Oh Shoot]

I thought that would work. My blade actually rusted in the highest proof alcohol I could find. I completely submerged it though so who knows? ...

 

Try one of the oils. I might at some point when I'm through with my blade tests and settle into just 2 or 3 brands to see if it actually makes a diff.

 

Another thing some people do is "cork" their blades initially. But that's a smoothness thing, not a rust thing.

 

- OS

[Oh Shoot]

Oh, one more trick, and it works at least up to a point -- if you have a fixed angle double edge, and find you need a bit more aggressiveness, you can shim the blade to increase gap.

 

Take a used blade and cut off sharpened edges with scissors (yes, you can, pretty easily). Then put it under regular blade (toward handle).

 

Some folks even use 2 or 3 shims. I've experimented just a bit with that, and once I settle in with my fav blade or three, gonna do some consistent testing. Preliminary ones suggest that my Edwin Jagger with one shim might actually be optimum for my face/beard.

 

I have a mild razor (Feather) which is too mild, and an aggressive one (RazoRock Jaws) that is too aggressive, looking for the perfect combo.

And yeah, I had an old Gillette adjustable, but never got great results. Mainly I believe because it only increases gap. Optimal aggression is acheived with combo of gap, angle, and exposure, and many aficionados agree it's hard to beat a fixed type that has the degree of aggression that works for you built in from the gitgo, and I'm in that group.

 

- OS

[Raoul]

This will fix the need to shim your blades.

Mekur Futur

 

[Oh Shoot]

 

This will fix the need to shim your blades.

Mekur Futur

 

 

 

Yeah, read a good bit about it. Neg opinions, even though in the minority, and 75 clams has kept me from grabbing one, though.

 

- OS

[GlockSpock]

Yeah, read a good bit about it. Neg opinions, even though in the minority, and 75 clams has kept me from grabbing one, though.
 
- OS

I've thought about getting either it or the Vision, but I've read that the head is so bulky it prevents getting under the nose well. My 39c Slant gets here today. I suppose I'll give it a try. Sorta excited about it and also sorta scared about it (mainly that I'll regret paying $50 for it when you can pick up nice vintage razors for $5 typically at the right shop).

[GlockSpock]

By the way, here are my razors:

(I know longer have the black handled tech)
 

[GlockSpock]

When my wife and I purchase a house someday what I would love to do is take some quality wood and make a "shelf" that has about 3/4" holes drilled all the way down it. Stain the wood to match the bathroom and then keep a set of my favorite razors on display out of the way.

We will see someday what the Wife thinks about that idea... :shrug:

[peejman]

Has anyone experienced the water dulling your DE blades? I have an old Gillete Fat Boy I have been using for a while before we moved to Nashville with no problems. Once we moved we have noticed the water here is harder than where we moved from. I only get one shave out of the blades before having to change them. I do not dry the blade off other than a good shake. I never did this before either though and they would last a good while longer.

 

 

Could be mineral deposits from hard water.

 

 

I thought that would work. My blade actually rusted in the highest proof alcohol I could find. I completely submerged it though so who knows? Would like to get some of that blue liquid barbers use. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

 

That's because alcohol is hygroscopic.... it absorbs water out of the air.  Hence the reason ethanol in gasoline is so bad for older small engines... but that's another thread. 

[maroonandwhite]

By the way, here are my razors:

(I know longer have the black handled tech)
 

 

 

Just curious but what number do you run the adjustable on. I normally run mine on a 7.

[Raoul]

I've thought about getting either it or the Vision, but I've read that the head is so bulky it prevents getting under the nose well. My 39c Slant gets here today. I suppose I'll give it a try. Sorta excited about it and also sorta scared about it (mainly that I'll regret paying $50 for it when you can pick up nice vintage razors for $5 typically at the right shop).

Yeah I can see how that might be an issue, I haven't shaved under my nose in 25 years however. lol

[Raoul]

Just curious but what number do you run the adjustable on. I normally run mine on a 7.

With the Feather blade I can leave it at 3.

[GlockSpock]

Just curious but what number do you run the adjustable on. I normally run mine on a 7.

 

 

With the Feather blade I can leave it at 3.

 

Well, I used roughly 100 pack of Feathers and always ran it at 10. If I took my time I would not cut myself, but the flipside is that it never produced quite the perfect shave. But it wasn't as scary or bloodthirsty as many people make it out to me.

[maroonandwhite]

I ran mine all the way open this morning and got a little razor burn not taking my time. Nothing some old spice won't cure though haha. 7 seems to be my magic number though.

[Raoul]

Well, I used roughly 100 pack of Feathers and always ran it at 10. If I took my time I would not cut myself, but the flipside is that it never produced quite the perfect shave. But it wasn't as scary or bloodthirsty as many people make it out to me.

I like the Feather, best shave I've had. Keep in mind that I'm pretty (completely) gray at this point so even though my beard is still thick I don't think it's as course as it was when I was a younger man. I used to go through a disposable in 3-4 shaves.

[MacGyver]

I'm going to have to give a safety razor a whirl.  Though, if I'm being honest, while I HATE the cost of refills on my multi-bladed Gillette Fusion - I can run one for at least a month.  I shave every morning, and I would wager that I've not changed a blade with less than 6 weeks on it in years.  Maybe I have tough skin or a soft beard (I don't think either of these are true), but it takes me a good while to feel the need to change a blade.

 

I don't know what I'd do if I felt like I had to change a Gillette blade every few shaves.  I've never had suicidal thoughts, but thinking about the cost of that might push me towards the edge.

 

I guess at the end of the day I'm just cheap.

[GlockSpock]

[quote name="MacGyver" post="1149506" timestamp="1400274346"]I'm going to have to give a safety razor a whirl. Though, if I'm being honest, while I HATE the cost of refills on my multi-bladed Gillette Fusion - I can run one for at least a month. I shave every morning, and I would wager that I've not changed a blade with less than 6 weeks on it in years. Maybe I have tough skin or a soft beard (I don't think either of these are true), but it takes me a good while to feel the need to change a blade. I don't know what I'd do if I felt like I had to change a Gillette blade every few shaves. I've never had suicidal thoughts, but thinking about the cost of that might push me towards the edge. I guess at the end of the day I'm just cheap.[/quote] Well it is hard to beat $0.10 to $.20 a blade. Use will depend upon factors of course but probably a week in many cases? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[tnguy]

Could be mineral deposits from hard water.

 

 

 

 

That's because alcohol is hygroscopic.... it absorbs water out of the air.  Hence the reason ethanol in gasoline is so bad for older small engines... but that's another thread. 

 

OTOH, if you dipped it in alcohol and then shook it off, it would be dry quicker.

[Oh Shoot]

Well it is hard to beat $0.10 to $.20 a blade. Use will depend upon factors of course but probably a week in many cases? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

I've never seen any claim with even the heaviest beards they don't get a least 3 good shaves from one of the better double edged blades and average seems to be 5 and up. Big diff in longevity in shaving daily and only once every three days or so like I generally do, too.

 

And yeah, Amazon 100 packs:

 

Astra: 11.01

Personna: 12.73

Crystal (120 pack): 18.88

Wilkinson Sword: 18.25

Feather: 26.50

Various other Russian, including Gillette brands: 10.00-15.00

 

etc

 

- OS

Edited May 16, 2014 by Oh Shoot

[tnguy]

Wish I had thought to snag my dad's. It was a metal one that he never used after he went electric. Had to let a lot of stuff go though.