Mod Edit: Split this topic off from the Tips and Tricks thread. Go to town folks. New tip: Buy a double edged safety razor and not worry about how long your blades last so much (because $24 for 50 blades.. seriously)
Re: TiB Tips and Tricks My razor arrived literally this morning and I had my first shave with it. EJ DE86. I feel like Don Draper. Y'know, without the alcoholism and domestic abuse.
Re: TiB Tips and Tricks At risk of derailing this into the shaving thread, do you really not mangle yourself with one of those things? I'm all about speedy shaving, and it sounds like I'd end up looking like ground beef if I tried to use an old school razor. It also doesn't seem like it would work in the shower, which reminds me, I strongly recommend everyone get a small fog-free mirror and shave in the shower. It's just better.
Re: TiB Tips and Tricks Get yourself an adjustable saftey razor and go slow. <a class="postlink" href="http://www.leesrazors.com/products/Merkur-510-Progress-Adjustable-Safety-Razor-with-Long-Handle.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.leesrazors.com/products/Merk ... andle.html</a>
Re: TiB Tips and Tricks Could you also provide some servicing advice on T-Model Fords and the best wireless programs currently playing? Seriously, if you’re a man who shaves get a Gillette Fusion. Best razor I've ever owned.
Re: TiB Tips and Tricks Im talking something like the merkur linked, not a straight razor (which is easier to use than you'd expect) I use a safety at the same speed as a 2-or3 blade razor its really not hard, just push less pressure down. Of the cartridge razors I always liked the Sensor Excel two blade.
Re: TiB Tips and Tricks There's also the fact that cartridges cost, at lowest, $3-$4 a blade, whereas an old school DE blade costs $0.15-$0.50. You end up saving at least $100 a year, and once you've got technique down end up with a better shave as well.
Re: TiB Tips and Tricks It also costs something like 20 bucks for a pack of five razors. Fuck that noise. A DE razor is very easy to use once you get the technique down. I shave just as fast as most people do with a multi-blade razor, and the results are the same. The only place you actually have to be careful with is the chin. A pack of ten razors costs $1.59 where I am. That means that I can use a new blade every day, and I spend less than three bucks a month on razors. Fuck you, Gillette.
Re: TiB Tips and Tricks To be fair, Gillette makes DE blades as well and they're priced at about $0.25 each.
It's not located with the rest of the slickly designed shaving cream canisters, but it works really well and it leaves your face smelling like oatmeal. What's not to love?
I dunno, maybe the smelling like oatmeal part? I like "The Art of Shaving" products. They are a little expensive, but totally worth it as they really make a really rough shave, smooth and painless.
I shave my entire head with the same razor that I use on my face. There's no fucking way I'm trying to shave the back of my own head using an old school razor. Hot shower, good quality shave foam, good quality after shave, you can't get a better shave.
Antifocus: I am rarely fully clean shaven. I have a babyface and thus prefer to keep a bit of stubble. And seeing as my workplace isn't specific about it, I have no reason to change. Twice a week I'll take a beard trimmer with the guard off and just buzz it down. Then I'll take an electric to clean up my lines and my neck, etc... I'm thankful I don't have to shave heavily daily, but I also don't love having to seemingly manufacture my 5 o'clock shadow.
I have skin and facial hair that makes shaving an absolute pain, especially on my neck. Unless I have to, I will go several days between shaving to allow some healing time. I tried a whole range of shaving foams and lotions to try and get as painless a shave as possible. While I like the King of Shaves shaving oil, it makes the razor a bitch to clean out. The best thing I've found is plain, old, unscented sorbolene cream. It performs better than anything else I've tried, and it's cheaper by a mile. An old friend of mine swore by olive oil, but I've never tried it.
I hate everything about shaving. To my poor shaving technique to the amount of time it takes up due to my lack of prowess with a razor. I also hate having facial hair, so I'm fucked either way.