Traditional shaving! Who here partakes?

[Samon]

Yo,

Topic of the morning: Traditional shaving!

I'm a fan of taking my time and making a ritual of certain aspects of life, like I'm sure alot of you dudes and dudettes are too.

I use cut throats but I'm edgeing towards old school double edge safety razors as a new 'try' for my head as I like a clean shaven head and although I'm completely competant with a cut throat, I find it a little rough at times.

My favourite razor, The Baron! (oiled up atm)




And two Kropps, one of which I revamped , the other larger one I will do in time.




And my latest aquisition, a rare, Gillette Coronation set from 1953.



And for when I need to prune my head to begin a fresh shave after neglect.




I strop with a triple layer belt system, one jewellers rouge loaded leather, one course paste leather and a canvas. I also have a 10k grit Welsh dragons tongue slate hone. A boar har brush lathers up my simple soaps nice and good too. (no badger hair will willingly cross my face!) I usually finish with an alum block rub over and a little coconut oil.

Let's see yours!

 

[Tony]

Ahh, i've created thread on this before when I tried to get into it and failed, I'd love to go down the route of the straight edge, it just didn't come together for me after a few tries, I need to try again but I think my razor needs some work.

I was thinking of getting one of these on Kickstarter but decided that as it's US based it might be a pain getting blades in the future.

Your post does encourage me to have another go...

 

[John Fenna]

Nice bits of steel, but....

I aint shaved since I was 16!

 

[Samon]

Ahh, i've created thread on this before when I tried to get into it and failed, I'd love to go down the route of the straight edge, it just didn't come together for me after a few tries, I need to try again but I think my razor needs some work.

I was thinking of getting one of these on Kickstarter but decided that as it's US based it might be a pain getting blades in the future.

Your post does encourage me to have another go...

For the beginners, most people try a single or double edge safety razor. I persnanlly feel confident with most things and jumped in head first with a full with and against the grain head and face shave with a cut throat.

Months on, I've got it down to how I like it with no nicks or nasties. Just a lovely, clean and fresh feeling result after an albeit more time consuming affair, but one I will do for the rest of my days!

Tony, if you need a cut throat razor, I have more than I need and I can hook you up (the larger Kropp is due a refurb and hone ). I will make it fully shave ready and also have a spare brush, soaps, strops etc.

Infact I have this Chniese Gold Dollar 66 (new they are less than £10! bought honed though for £20 as they come like a butter knife otb) that I was going to modify and tart up. A good and cheap place to start, they are bloody thick and heavy, but the edge works just as good as budget branded one.

 

[mick91]

Nice bits of steel, but....
View attachment 37262
I aint shaved since I was 16!

I've sported mutton chops since I was about 16 (because I'm a very fasionable man!) although intend to stop shaving altogether when I'm about 40. A full beard is a commitment! Shave the middle of my face and my head with a straight though

 

[Paulm]

I've been using double edged safety razors for a few years now, after refusing to pay the ridiculous costs for the cartridge systems that I used to use, well I am Scottish !

Took a while to adjust the technique from press and plough to just the lightest of touches and understanding grain directions and stuff, but great fun experimenting with different razors, blades, soaps and creams etc to try and home in on the preferred combinations for me.

Currently using a customised merkur progress (mergress), vintage gilette fatboy and a futur, usually with supermax or shark blades and soap/cream of choice that week



The blades cost pennies and last for several shaves, so once your razor is bought it saves you a small fortune as well as being great fun and with practice the best shaves ever.

Don't find myself hankering to try a straight edge for some reason, partly fear and partly being very happy with current results !

Cheers, Paul

 

[Wetneck]

I've been a fan of traditional shaving for about 5 years now, although I do sport a full beard I tend to get very straggly looking edges and I tidy them up a couple of times a week, just enough to avoid looking like one of these trendy types who try too hard.

I have had many, MANY, straight razors over the years and like buying the older ones and then reconditioning them but recently I took a trip to my favourite knife shop in Cambodia where I had a custom folder made for me and saw at the same time they'd started making straight razors so purchased my first "new" straight, custom made for me with a bone handle and damascus steel blade, and have been hooked on it ever since.



This is my true favourite though, a 1934 rare 3 peice Eclipse of Sheffield "Red Ring"
I had it re-plated about 4 years ago and it really does look like new.

I bought a pack of 200 blades for it from eBay 4 years ago for £11 and I still have about half the pack left, much MUCH cheaper than anything put out by Gillette or the likes these days!

 

[Monikieman]

That's a nice Red Ring. I picked one up a couple of weeks ago and passed it onto a friendy (he's Yorkshire made).

I was using a £4.00 1912 patent Everready and loving it but I've gone back to the SE side with a nice stainless weber and a Lab Blue.

Have you tried Myrsol emulsion and then hit it with Mitchells wool fat? It just explodes. (Sorry if you've got hard water!!!)

 

[Yorkshirewanderer]

I keep thinking of trying the double edge safety razors, I hate paying for razor blades, I buy the Asdas own 3 blade ones at £4 for a pack of 4 and that's still too much for a Yorkshireman to pay! especially when I went yesterday to buy more blades only to find that they had changed the design so now I have to buy a new handle too!!!

 

[Samon]

I keep thinking of trying the double edge safety razors, I hate paying for razor blades, I buy the Asdas own 3 blade ones at £4 for a pack of 4 and that's still too much for a Yorkshireman to pay! especially when I went yesterday to buy more blades only to find that they had changed the design so now I have to buy a new handle too!!!

Lidl sell two bladed disposables that are decent for the price. Get about 10 for a few quid. Best disposables I've used.

For those of you interested in double edged safety razors, the blades can actually be stroppe dto last longer. The strops are usually half pipe shaped ceramic doo dahs and look quite fancy, especially the uranium glass versions.

Is anyone interested in my Gillette coronation no45 set? they are particularly collectable and for that reason I am hesitant to use it.. nothing decent should touch my ugly face, apart from mmy wife.

 

[Monikieman]

Buying blades by the 100 works out about £6 to £10 depending on the blade. nice fresh blade every 3 shaves.

 

[Alan 13~7]

Nice bits of steel, but....
View attachment 37262
I aint shaved since I was 16!

I like that saying Mr Fenna.

 

[rik_uk3]

A tidy well trimmed beard may look OK on some men but when you let the beard grow wild you tend to just look like a scruffy git IMHO. I like smooth skin on my face and the wife made it plain 37 ago that we would not be 'sharing the love' if I even had stubble.

Just my pennies worth

 

[mrcharly]

I'm using feather blades in the razor I bought when I was 16. Combined with cream from taylors of old bond street, mmh baby smooth face.

 

[Samon]

John, do you wear skinny jeans and scarf with your trendy hipster beard?

A good clean trimmed, cut in beard is for the real men. Or the elegant hairless but done so with a real razor!

 

[John Fenna]

John, do you wear skinny jeans and scarf with your trendy hipster beard?

A good clean trimmed, cut in beard is for the real men. Or the elegant hairless but done so with a real razor!

Me a Hipster?
Trimmed - but only once a month...

 

[demographic]

Nice bits of steel, but....
View attachment 37262
I aint shaved since I was 16!

Meh, What's an orifice surrounded by hair called?

Got a 1964 Gillet Slim Adjustable double edged razor which my wife bought me. Nice item and I much prefer it to the twelve blade with lubristrip contraptions that they get whoever footballer is doing well to advertise. Those things are clogtastic and no good for shaving my head at all.

Tried straight razors but its a step too far.

 

[Samon]

Hunting fleabay for a DE user.. some serious dreamers on there lol and a bunch of 'well used' ones sadly.

You guys got a tech or something simple and basic spare? good nic' and all that.

 

[demographic]

Hunting fleabay for a DE user.. some serious dreamers on there lol and a bunch of 'well used' ones sadly.

You guys got a tech or something simple and basic spare? good nic' and all that.

Technique?

Wash face with hot soapy water, rinse with hot water.
Lather (currently using the Wilkinson Sword stuff in the blue placky tub stuff) and a badger brush.
Shave, (possibly repeat lather and shave depending on who pesters me during that phase) then rinse face in cold water.
Maybe put something on the skin after depending on the time I have.

Marvel at my face that doesn't look like a social worker who's trying to grow a chin.

 

[Samon]

Technique?

Wash face with hot soapy water, rinse with hot water.
Lather (currently using the Wilkinson Sword stuff in the blue placky tub stuff) and a badger brush.
Shave, (possibly repeat lather and shave depending on who pesters me during that phase) then rinse face in cold water.
Maybe put something on the skin after depending on the time I have.

Marvel at my face that doesn't like a social worker who's trying to grow a chin.

Tech is a model of vintage Gillette razors. It's a basic one, but a solid user. I have one.. but it's in that collectable set I'm too chicken to use.