Safety Razors

[kbailey]

I'm thinking about ditching my disposable razor and getting a safety razor. Does anyone have any experience with them?

This is the razor I'm thinking about buying:

Muhle R89 Double Edge Safety Razor

 

[chocktaw2]

I recently started using my fathers, which was made in the 50's. Feels good in the hand, nice and solid. Gives a great shave.

 

[Hammer]

Get some small band aids too. Your gonna need them.

 

[chocktaw2]

Get some small band aids too. Your gonna need them.

I have yet to nick myself, knock on wood. Just take it nice and easy, let the weight of the razor do all the work. Do NOT push on the razor,, just let it glide.

 

[riverman67]

Do it, do it now

I made the switch about a year ago.
I started out with a cheap travel razor that I found in a flea market for 10.00.
I now have a merkur,and I am never going back.once you purchase the razor shaving becomes much cheaper.

 

[Hammer]

I have yet to nick myself, knock on wood. Just take it nice and easy, let the weight of the razor do all the work. Do NOT push on the razor,, just let it glide.

I shave with one of these, and there is a learning curve.

 

[BGDave]

Manly Man

I shave with one of these, and there is a learning curve.

You have my admiration and rep.

 

[Sylvain]

Get some small band aids too. Your gonna need them.

It's a safety razor, it's pretty much just like the disposable ones when it comes to using it.You dont cut yourself more with one of those.

 

[kbailey]

How about soaps? I was pointed towards these three by others:

For Men - Napa Soap Company

Acca Kappa 1869 Almond Shaving Soap Refill | RoyalShave

Taylor of Old Bond Street Shaving Soap in Wooden Bowl | RoyalShave

Other suggestions?

 

[Hammer]

It's a safety razor, it's pretty much just like the disposable ones when it comes to using it.You dont cut yourself more with one of those.

The older ones do cause nicks more than the newer designs.

 

[joslar15]

How about soaps? I was pointed towards these three by others:

For Men - Napa Soap Company

Acca Kappa 1869 Almond Shaving Soap Refill | RoyalShave

Taylor of Old Bond Street Shaving Soap in Wooden Bowl | RoyalShave

Other suggestions?

I have TOBS Lavender which I like very well. Mitchell's Wool Fat and L'Occitane soaps are in my rotation as well. I have several badger brushes which see regular use. My daily razor is a Pils; occasionally I'll go "old school" with my Dad's 1954 Gillette SuperSpeed. As far as blades, my favorite is Feather.

 

[dwh79]

I switched to a double edge safety razor about a month ago. I love it. a much better shave. I went to Art if Shaving and picked up the starter kit and it is wonderful. Walgreens had a good price on blades. I ordered them on-line and with a big enough order shipping was free.

 

[greenie100]

Been using a merkur with derby blades for about three years now. Will never go back....

 

[chris46131]

How about soaps? I was pointed towards these three by others:

For Men - Napa Soap Company

Acca Kappa 1869 Almond Shaving Soap Refill | RoyalShave

Taylor of Old Bond Street Shaving Soap in Wooden Bowl | RoyalShave

Other suggestions?

I like Proraso or the TOBS Avacado.

 

[Leo]

I have an old Gillette Razor. That was pretty much standard issue for every post puberty boy while I was growing up. All the others like the shick stick (with the knob that looked like a car shifter handle) and some of the injector blade models have gone away. You just have to be careful about keeping the corners of the blade away from loose skin, especially in wrinkles. The last package of no name double edge razor blades were awful, they were hardly sharper than my pocket knife, stay with the brand names.
I have worn a beard for well over 1/2 the time I have walked the earth, so I only touch up on Wednesday evenings and Sunday mornings. Even when I am using a disposible, I submerge the head in a coffee cup of mineral oil or baby oil to keep the edge from rusting. That makes them last a LOT longer. I mostly use Barbasol shave cream because it is the cheapest.

 

[perry]

Switched to safety razors a little over 6 years ago. Right now I'm using a Gillette Tech razor from the 50's I think. I also have a similar vintage Gillette Fat Boy adjustable and a modern Merkur HD. And a couple badger hair brushes.

I got so far ahead on creams and soaps that I haven't bought much of anything in probably 18 months now! I may have to get some new stuff this year.

Truefiit & Hill makes a really nice soap. I will buy another puck of that when it's time. I think if you stick with the British brands that you won't be disappointed. T&H, Taylor of Old Bond Street, Trumper's, Castle Forbes, D.R. Harris...

West Coast Shaving is an excellent vendor. Also Vintage Blades LLC. Classic Shaving has a wide variety of things, but they're a bit pricier I think. Mama Bear and Saint Charles Shave are a couple of small artisan shops that make highly respected products. Both are relatively inexpensive so you could try several things and not break the bank.

I'd recommend the Merkur 34C / HD for just getting started. Few other good things to look at - blade sampler, Vulfix Super Badger brush, Musgo Real cream, and Speick after shave splash.

Watch Mantic59's videos too.

 

[thatguy]

Check out Wicked Edge on reddit. Information overload, but a lot of people that currently use them.

 

[Llamaguy]

I bought mine from Amazon at least a year ago and still haven't run out of the samples that came with it! I love it so much. Not that a Mach 3 Turbo is bad, but damn they are expensive.

 

[kludge]

I have my dad's old Gillette, and it does a nice job... and great for trimming necks...

but the Mach 3 is where it's at.

 

[beardedbrodel]

Be a man. Grow a beard.