Blade disposal

I tend to use my blades maybe four to six times before they get too dull for an effective shave.  At this point they tug rather than cut the hairs and are uncomfortable.

Generally I remove the blade from my razor and drop it in the trash.  Recently I was out in the sticks, and didn't want to leave the blade lying around, so I put it in the front pocket of my Dopp kit to dispose of later.

Then I completely forgot about it.

A few weeks later, I was emptying out my Dopp kit and felt something in the front pocket (it turned out to be a pair of tweezers).  I reached in to pull them out and my finger nail caught the fabric, tearing it a little.  I jerked my hand out with a mental "WHAT THE HELL?!?" and stared dumbly at my split nail.  Being more careful this time, I reached in again, and cut nearly half of my finger nail off.  It was as painful as it sounds.

It wasn't the fabric catching my nial (duh); it was the used blade I had forgotten about.  It decided to remind me.

So I carefully removed it, tossed it, and examined my injuries.  My middle finger nail was cut about halfway across and halfway down.  It sucked.

So, I began looking into ways of safely getting rid of blades, when I found these:

I found a few on Amazon for three to six bucks.  There are vintage ones too, that look like lighthouses, barber poles, UPS trucks, snowmen, and who knows how many other things.  But you could always make one like the tin can example above.  The idea is to have a place to store them that they won't spill out of and won't cut through.

There are plenty of good reasons to do this; I will cover two. 

One, you can be sure what happened to my finger won't happen to yours, or anyone else's in your family - this is especially important if you have small children in the household.

Two, the blades are made of high quality steel.  Keeping them together like this makes it easy to recycle them.  You won't likely get any money out of it, but it's thre right thing to do.

Plus, if you get one of the vintage banks, think of the style and character you can add to your shave den!

Edwin Jagger Best Badger Shaving Brush

I had heard a lot of chatter about how much of a difference a good shaving brush makes. I didn't know first hand, since most of my shaving was done with a boar hair brush someone gave me.

I received an Edwin Jagger for Fathers Day. It's a Best Badger with a faux ivory handle, and it is all I have used since I took it out of the box.

Imagine the difference between driving a Maserati and a Pinto. That's about the feeling.

The brush lathers so much better than my boar brush that it isn't even possible to do a fair comparison. The lather these guys on the shaving vids on Youtube get? I can do that now. With far less effort, I get way better results. I can stir up a mountain of cream in no time, and it stays ready until my last pass. Plus, it's much softer and comfortable on my face.

One problem I have with this is that I need to reevaluate all my soaps with the new brush. So far I have only used Lavanda and Mikes.

Honestly, though, this isn't a problem I mind having. I'm looking forward to trying everything again and seeing how it all works under new circumstances.

Resources

There are a lot of sites on the internet that you can go to for information on wet shaving.

One site I really enjoy is Badger and Blade. The forums there are so full of good information, good links, good supplies and good people that I haven't been able to scratch the surface after more than a year.

If you have a question, it's likely been answered there. If not, ask! Someone (several someones, in all likelyhood) will be along shortly with some clarification.

If you want to get started in wet shaving, B&B has advice, tutorials, vendors, reviews, links, and a buy/sell/trade marketplace where you can find absolutley anything you'd need.

Check it out at http://badgerandblade.com/

There are plenty of other fine shaving forums that I haven't explored yet, so I can't give any recommendations for them. But you should be able to find one or several that suite you.

Another great site is Youtube. There are so many videos on wet shaving I don't even know where to begin. The subjects cover the entire range of knowledge, including face, bowl and palm lathering; shaving creams vs sticks vs soaps; badger (and grades thereof) vs boar vs horse vs synthetic; straight, single edge and double edge razors; blades and strops and hones and techniques and...

Well, you get the idea.

Once you have decided on what you want to get, some vendors I have used include BullGoose Shaving, The Italian Barber, West Coast Shaving, and Mikes Natural Soaps. I have had great experiences with each of them, and I am affiliated with none. I get no kickback for guiding anyone to them, I'm just telling you how it went for me.

One thing there doesn't seem to be a lot of is brick and mortar stores (as opposed to internet storefronts). The area I live in is an absolute barren wasteland as far as B&M stores go. I did get to go to Merz Apothecary in Chicago, which has so much stuff geared toward wet shaving that it's almost overwhelming.

If you are in an area where you can find a shop like that, by all means check it out - the advantage of being able to see, touch and smell the things you are thinking of buying is incomparable. Especially if it's colognes, aftershaves, scented soaps, etc. There is no way to know how you will like a scent based on someone elses review.

Merkur Trimming Razor Pt 2

I got one of these yesterday as a birthday gift. It came with a small pack of razorsmade by, of course, Merkur.

I couldn't wait to try it out. So, this morning, I did.

I prepared myself in the usual manner (see The Routine) and went to work with my '67 and an Astra blade over Musgo Real shave cream. I used the trimming razor on the first and third passes. It worked brilliantly, making easy work of the small, hard to get to areas right under my nose. The wider side seemed to work a little better, while the smaller side was a little difficult to get proper placement with.

The blade wasn't the best - there was a lot of tugging and it almost felt like dry shaving. I think this might have had to do with my technique though. I will be using this daily so I will have plenty of time to refine my methods.

It is also easy to misjudge the angle with this because the head is sort of oddly sloped. Once I get used to it I don't think it will be an issue.

If there were competing blade manufacturers for this razor I'd jump at the chance to try them out, but I'm pretty sure Merkur is the only company making them (it is their product after all).

So, minor blade dissatisfaction aside, the Merkur Trimming Razor is everything I hoped it would be.

Trimming Razor - day 2

Still a bit of pull and tug, but it seems to be limited to the initail pass with this tool. It's still a little hard to figure its nuances as far as blade angle and such, but it does an admirable job of clearing the moustache area.

Merkur Trimming Razor

Someday I will own this. It is absolutely perfect. It is a very small razor that is designed for trimming beards, moustaches, and eyebrows. All I need it for is the little tight corners under my nose - the very upper edge of the moustache that is almost impossible to get with a cartrige blade and very difficult with a Safety Razor. It wouldn't get a whole lot of use, but it would be used every day. Whoever thought of this needs a Nobel Peace Prize (since they just hand them out anyway).

My stuff

It occured to me that the things I use are pretty under represented on this site. I aim to correct that.

Lets start with the Razors.

I have three Gillettes - a Fatboy, a 40's era Super Speed, and a '67 Super Speed.

The Fatty:

Note the numbers near the head of the razor - this is the adjustment dial.The lower knob twists to open the butterfly doors.

The '67:

This isn't mine, just a picture of a similar razor.

And the 40's (Gillette didn't mark specific years of manufacture until the 60's I believe. Correct me if you have better info):

This is also not mine. Just a picture of the same type. This one is much cleaner than mine.

The brush I will have to take an actual photo of - more on that later.

The lathering bowl:

I picked this Cappuccino mug up at Target for $4. It does a decent job.

C.O. Bigelow Shave Cream:

This has been the most successful cream for me so far. I really like the Menthol in it.

AoS Peppermint Face Wash:

The peppermint really helps give you a kickstart in the morning. I love waking up to this scent.

AoS Toner:

Toner is a vital part of keeping your skin healthy. Google it now, thank me later.

AoS Sandalwood Aftershave Balm:

This is the stuff that kicked off my personal shaving revolution. Once I tried it there was no going back.

Lucky Tiger Moisturizer (that's right, I kick it old school.):

Good stuff - been around since the '30s I think...

And of course the Bay Rum:

This is what your Grand Dad's barbers shop smelled like. I told you - old school.

So apart from the things I can't add photos of yet, that is my set up. The razor blades will be added on an as used basis.

So there you have it. Add a bathroom sink, a washcloth, and my face, and you have my complete morning ritual.

Fat Boy

Go on any wet shaving forum, and browse the buy/sell/trade section.  There will be all manner of razors, blades, soaps, creams, brushes, etc etc etc. Do a simple search in said section of the forum for a Fatboy.

What you will see is Gillette's highly prized Fatboy adjustable double edge safety razor. And you will see that it has been sold.

The Fatboy, you see, is perhaps one of the most popular and sought after Safety Razors I have seen. If you catch one on sale for a price you can afford, buy it. I assure you, if you don't like it, you will find a buyer. Quickly.

It's a very nice design, as DE Safety Razors go. Beefy yet sleek, simple but complex. The thick handle is topped with a twist to adjust dial, crisply numbered from one to nine. The bottom of the handle is a twist to open knob, which, at the other end, opens the top butterfly doors like a missle silo. It is here that the blade is placed.

Generally it sports a chrome finish, but can also be found in brass and rhodium. Mind you, rhodium plated razors are stunningly beautiful, as well as the most costly of the lot. If I aquire one, I don't know that I'd actually shave with it so much as admire it from a modest distance.

It is beautiful, markedly masculine in a category of manly items.

They are prized razors, usually selling within hours of a posting, fetching $35 to $300 or more, depending on the finish and condition. With its dedicated following, I knew I couldn't go wrong with one. A garden variety "user grade" model will go for about $50 on Ebay, which is about what I paid for mine. I couldn't wait to try it.

So I went through the regular routine, using my boar brush and C.O. Bigelow shave cream (which has yet to fail me). I dropped in a brand new 7 O'clock blade, battened down the hatches, and went to work.

The first pass at setting 4 knocked a little of my stubble down, but there was still quite a bit to go. No problem, I still had a few passes to go per my normal routine.

Next pass, not much better. I turned the knob to five. That didn't help. Not at six, not at seven. Or nine. Or one. No setting on my newly acquired Fatboy was doing the job. My whiskers were winning.

I had now spent over twenty minutes just on the shaving portion of my routine, when usually the whole process, start to finish, takes that long. And I still had very noticable stubble. Something was wrong here.

I was now running late to work. I had to get this shave over. So I reached for my trusty 40's vintage Gillette Super Speed, and the job was over in one pass.

I don't yet know what went wrong. I am investigating this curious set of circumstances, but have been limited by time and availability of a decent digital camera. For all its wild popularity, the Fatboy can't just be another pretty face. I am going to find out why I'm not getting a shave with mine, and post the solution (and pics) here.

The Routine

This is how I prepare for my shave. I like to make sure I have enough time to get it done without rushing.

First and foremost, I heat the soap and brush by placing them in hot water while I shower. I use conditioner on my face to soften the beard, then wash it with Art of Shaving Peppermint Face Wash.

Getting out of the shower, I dry off (not my face) and reheat the soap dish/brush. Then I apply a hot washcloth to my face and soak it for a few minutes.

Not my mirror. Not me in the mirror. I don't have a decent camera or camera skillls at the moment, so this will have to do.

After that I begin lathering the soap and apply it to my face.

Now the shaving begins.

I learned quickly not to use hot water to rinse the razor, since it's all metal head heats up fast. Warm water is good.

First I shave with the grain, then re-lather and go across the grain, then re-lather and go against the grain.

Afterwords I rinse my face thoroughly, splash it with cold water to close the pores, and use a toner, after shave balm (on areas I shave), moisturizer (on areas I don't shave), then apply a styptic pencil to any nicks I have. If I think of it (I should more often), I apply a little bit of lip balm at this point. Usually I forget.

A little splash of Clubman Bay Rum, if I'm in the mood, or maybe some Michael Jordan, and I'm done.

My Stuff

I am using a 1940's vintage Gillette Super Speed double edged safety razor. I have another Gillette Super Speed from 1967. I bought the razors for about $12 including shipping on Ebay.

My brush is a Boar bristle of unknown make that was given to me by a generous member of a forum I belong to.
I bought a stand for my razor and brush for $40. For my Col Conk's soap I use a small wooden bowl I found in the pantry, and lather up in a cappucino mug I picked up at Target for $4.
Some C.O. Bigelow (aka Prorasso) shave cream cost me $10, a can of Prorasso cost me $9, and I was given a puck of Col Conk's Bay Rum shave soap.

I ordered a sampler pack of razor blades, too numerous to list here. I will name them off as I use them. The cost was around $30.

And of course the scents and skin care:

Clubman Bay Rum. Very inexpensive and smells like an old fashioned barber shop.

Art of Shaving Peppermint Face Wash. Awesomesauce.

Art of Shaving toner. Unscented, good for the skin. Tightens the pores.

Art of Shaving After Shave Balm, Sandalwood. One of my favorite scents and a fantastic after shave. Very soothing.

Lucky Tiger Moisturizer. Old school goodness.

Michael Jordan cologne. Smells as good as he plays.

Once a week I use french green clay mask to clean my face thoroughly. Its inexpensive and very effective.

So I'm off and shaving. Bear in mind that I have several soaps and blades to experiment with. Once I figure out what works best for me I'll cut the recurring costs down substantially. Especially when the occasional after shave or brush pops up for a birthday or Christmas ;)