Boar is fine. They area little firmer-bristled (and can be more strong smelling at first), but it's a matter of preference.
OK, I'm sold. Col Conk's Bay Rhum, a badger brush.
Has anyone tried getting shaving supplies secondhand (e.g., through antique stores)? I'm not sure if I'd be OK sharing something as intimate as a shaving brush, but shaving mug and brush stand would be OK by me.
You could just boil a used brush in borax.Originally Posted by fire
That sounds... intimidating.
Jesus, I just read that method shaving link (the second, no-bullshit one on the previous page).
It is terrifying to contemplate the number of things in the world that I could be putting enormously more time and effort into. I mean, I had no idea that shaving could be both so complicated and so ritually pleasurable. As an addictive personality inclined to the pleasures of ritual, this is disturbingly appealing.
But where does it stop? I'm sure there are housecleaning sites that wax lyrical over the utter bliss of a truly dust-free bureau. Or car mechanic sites that sing the praises of a really well-done engine cleaning. And look no further than the weightlifting thread here for huge tracts of glee relating to lifting large lumps of metal.
There's just too damn much interesting stuff in the world. And thank God for that, I say. Now I am going to get back to work and then play the fuck out of Halo: Reach tonight, serene in my poorly-shaven comfort zone.
I recently tried the new Fusion Proglide razors and found them to be good, but when I saw refill packs were $16.00 at Target I decided to try Schick's new five blade Hydro. Replacements for that are a much more reasonable $10.00 or so. I've been pleasantly surprised so far. The pivoting action on the blade head makes for a very gentle shave on my neck and chin and the comfort strip is far better and more lubricating that anything Gillette has ever made. I also tried Nivea's new Revitalizing Shave Gel and found it to be their best yet. It's very thick and provides a very nice barrier between face and razor.
I am tempted to get an old-fashioned safety razor, not because of the cost of replacement cartridges for my twenty-blade Gillette Super Guillotine Ultra MX, but because they're no longer put out in the aisles at the supermarket, you have to go request them from customer service where they sell the cigarettes. Well, YEAH, when it's $17 for a pack of five, of course people are going to steal them.
Lots of people get old shaving stuff from antique stores, including razors themselves, so I wouldn't worry. You don't necessarily need a mug/bowl, but you definitely do need a stand.
Why does one need a stand? I've never had one and don't notice the lack.
I have a stand and never ended up using it because my razor lives in the shower, suspended from a shaving mirror.
Speaking of shaving mirrors, mine fogs up much more than I expected it to. I happen to be near-sighted, but I don't think that's the problem. Am I wrong in thinking there might be better mirrors out there? Don't remember the brand.
I looked into this a few years ago. There's no such thing as a good shave mirror for the shower.
Oh well. I've memorized the layout of my face in that mirror now so it's not much of an issue anymore, but every now and then it bugs me.
The three and five blade razors are the greatest things ever invented w/re to men's personal shaving. The five blade Gillette i use essentially never goes dull (or close enough). I could easy shave with one for a year, though it would become a bit rougher on my skin over time. Going back to the safety razor for reasons other than cost are inane.
You either must be high or have such fine hair that you don't even have to shave all that much to start with.
If you don't store the brush upside down, it doesn't dry out right and it can rot and get mildew and stuff.
Not true at all. Capillary action, boyeee.
Whatever, I don't speak Italian.
FWIW my brush points bristles end down whilst suspended from my mirror.
I concur. There are certainly some advantages to the multiple blade razor, but they don't stay any sharper because of the design. And they certainly work terribly for longer hair, and they don't give nearly as close a shave as the safety razor does. They also have a tendency to cause ingrown hairs since they pull at your hair more causing it to curl.
I recently started to shave with a DE razor and it feels much better then my electric shaver and the various cartridge shavers I have been using before but I'm having problems with a few hairs on my upper lip just under my nose that I'm having problems with shaving off and wonders if anyone has any tips on how to get those hard to reach hairs?
Smash the top of the razor against your nose before the blade is on your skin. Not hard or anything, but if you can collapse your nose a little bit, this might get the blade to where you need it. Also make sure you stretch out your upper lip as much as possible.
After I started a beard recently I was advised to get a Philips Norelco T980 for grooming. That model is no longer available via Amazon, so is there an equivalent that's also recommendable? I'd rather not spend more than $50, but I don't think that's realistic. Also, I already have some $10 no name that I used for sideburns that works OK, but I don't think it would be quite up to handling a full beard.
I had the same problem. Instead of shaving straight down, I angle the blade at a 45 degree angle. It's been working for me, but I'm a newbie to all this DE raz-ma-taz.
I'm also a recent DE convert (thanks mostly to this thread, and the fact that I am sick and tired of paying a small fortune of paying for blades).
I have this shaving under the nose trouble too, which several people have posted on recently.
First, I figure it's not as noticeable as you might think (people probably aren't watching me as closely as I think). Second, do take care with the recent suggestions on how to deal with this issue. In my own methods of trying to shave that area closer I've given myself a couple nasty nicks. I still have one of those illegal sticks they banned in the US for whatever ingredient it has in it that's what, carcinogenic? Otherwise it's a little embarrassing until you find a way to staunch the bleeding.
Styptic pencil? I still have one. I believe that the main ingredient is alum. I almost never use it now; not cut myself bad enough to need it.
Thank you JMJ. I thought at one point they had been banned (some ingredient being dangerous) but as usual, I am a font of not only useless, but often incorrect information!
Please resume slicing yourselves with your DEs and straight edges immediately.
I hear cauterizing the wound staunches the bleeding well too....
Any recommendations on an alternative to the Norelco T980 for general beard grooming? Last bump to my earlier question, I promise.
Interesting... how about the T780? That seems to still be available.
Yeah, I might just pull the trigger on that or on something similar. Just looking for hive mind approval/guidance, probably being too needy and fussy about it. :)
Edit: And now both the T780 and T980 are unavailable via Amazon. Wonder if this suggests that some new model is coming out soon, or if there are just a lot of guys with scraggly new beards.
Last edited by barstein; 11-20-2010 at 12:06 PM.
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