Shaving your Face - without shaving your wallet

  • 🐕 I am attempting to get the site runnning as fast as possible. If you are experiencing slow page load times, please report it.
mr_negativity said:
There is an amount of autism in wet shaving. Some of it is some sort of displaced form of trichotillomania combined with a collectors mentality. They'll insist your technique of lathering is incorrect and can't possibly work. Ignore them. Shaving is one of those things is if it works for you, it works for you. My one and only brush and one and only razor works just fine. Some people literally have 100's of different soaps and dozens of brushes. Others collect the lastest custom CNC produced razors in various exotic alloys. Then there are the people who have a collection of straight razors and strops.
Click to expand...
The autism of wet shaving was created out of thin air just like any other CONSOOOOOMER hobby generated on the many subreddits (knives, flashlights, firearms etc etc). I've been using a DE razor since like 2009 and anymore I just squirt some proraso in my hand, lather up, and put on my face and shave. All the extra shit is just a byproduct of guerilla marketing jew-trick BS.

All of this "you must use a badger brush and an ivory bowl and do 3 passes" is bullshit to sell you more stuff. No need to make shaving your face that big of a part of your identity unless you're really that uninteresting.
 
  • Agree
  • Dumb
Reactions: Phantom, Soyjack Pinhead and John Andrews Stan
A straight razor has always given me the cleanest shave at the barber, but my face is like a damn chia pet so a while ago I spent a pretty penny on a Braun series 9 electric shaver to keep the neck clean. It's lasted me for over a decade, I only need to get the cleaning refills twice a year and it wasn't cheap, but the amount of time spent shaving and cleaning up messes made up for it. The rest of the face is usually taken care of with a 20 dollar Wahl buzzer with a 1/16th trim because I prefer having some clean looking scruff.
 
  • Agree
Reactions: quaawaa
Duiker said:
They are cheap, can be found used online, and is a simple and timeless design. Usually with only three parts that screw together, it will last you a lifetime. You never have to worry about the blades not fitting, as compatibility is never an issue.
Click to expand...
I'll share what I know
This guy, a former aerospace engineer, makes probably the best razors I've ever used (and still use). 100% buy this when it's available, money and shipping time are worth it. Similar razors like Rockwells and Merkurs probably work too but Idrk
Before this I used a butterfly-style Gillette, which is much easier to swap blades with but tends to be impossible to fully clean once it starts to rust. Tossed it and haven't looked back since.
Soaps - Stirling Soap Co. has probably the cheapest puck-stype soaps out there, have been using them since I basically began. Their menthol stuff is amazing and feels like a coat of aftershave once you're done
Razors - I've tested several, and essentially landed on Kai Razors and Wilkinson Swords (BE 100% SURE YOU'RE BUYING THE GERMAN-MADE ONES, AND NOT THE INDIAN GILLETTE TYPE, German ones will have black covers). Kais are essentially direct competitors to Feather razors, except they stay sharp for much longer and shave much smoother. The only downside is that they aren't as sharp, but if you shave consistently this shouldn't matter.
WSwords are sort of a hybrid between Feathers and Voskhods, in that they're grittier but still sharp. Obviously be careful with these if you're starting, but imo they're super underrated (and cheaper) than a lot of razors often discussed. Try to buy them off resellers on eBay, you can find great bulk deals
The actual cost savings compared to shaving with multi blade Gillette shit is absurd (basically zero, everything I just listed can last you several years), and this stuff makes shaving much more enjoyable once you get the hang of it.
 
  • Informative
  • Like
Reactions: Xenu, Dean Pentel and S3y88
PFM said:
All of this "you must use a badger brush and an ivory bowl and do 3 passes" is bullshit to sell you more stuff.
Click to expand...
Yeah.
I recommend at least trying an old-fashioned safety razor to anyone who hasn't. I found them considerably easier and faster than multi-blades.
But you don't need the whole hipster kit.

Anything works as shaving cream with these things. Regular soap, shampoo, yak cum, whatever's nearby. You can get away with water if you need to, although it's not the best idea.
A brush will make this a little easier but I'd just do a lather with my fingers half the time even when I had all the gear anyway.

Not that you won't necessarily enjoy some products and accessories if you fork out for em, but don't think you need more than the stick and some blades to find out if you prefer it (but if you don't, you're wrong).

Although what you should actually do is throw all this shit away and grow a full human lumberjack beard instead of trying to look like a smooth baby on purpose.
 
Blitzsneed said:
but I still only use the Feather razor blades
Click to expand...
Fuck yeah, those Japs know their shit. Even their nail clippers are fantastic.

Speaking of, a thing I can recommend as an investment that will save one a good bit of money over time is purchasing a kamisori. I started out with traditional English style straight razors (and their badger hair brushes, which nobody can beat) decades ago. They work well once one gets good at using them, but I never liked having to fold them out of the scale.

Then I came upon kamisoris in about 2015 and haven't looked back. The link I provided gives one a blade with a traditional geometry so the technique to sharpen and strop it is one most are used to. It may seem expensive up front but if you care for them there's no reason they won't last you the rest of your life.

Kamisori.jpg


Get them with straight handles. Curves or any other bullshit are dumb. Had to have these handles straightened later on.
 
  • Thunk-Provoking
Reactions: Cirrhosis_of_Liver
I can too recommend Feather razor blades. Incredibly cheap relative to the multi-blade Gillette shit. 10 blades (3 bucks) lasts me 8-10 months, shaving two to three times a week. I swap out blades when they start pulling on hair or leave hair behind.
As for soap, you can buy the cheapest Proraso (2 bucks) and it will last you for a couple months. It does its job and that's it, hardly smells nice at all.
You can go a bit fancier with soap and buy shit that actually smells good, if you care about that. Can't comment if fancier soaps lather better or not, cause of all soaps I tried they passed the minimum requirement of "it works".
As for the razor itself, I bought some cheapo shit off amazon many years back. It works.
 
I've been using electric razors most of my shaving life.

1725233388633.jpeg

When I've tried various types of manual razors in the past I found them to have trouble negotiating my chin, but the electric ones with the adaptive surface heads handle it fine. I also find it easier to trim around my mustache and side burns with an electric. Once the hair gets long enough the razor doesnt cut it as easily as the shorter hairs next to it. Plus the pop-out trimmer on the back is useful.

Since this is the self sufficiency section I presume there's some discussion of how to shave in a SHTF scenario, but personally I think in such a situation shaving is a very low priority and a mountain man beard is cool.
 
Premium Dog Food said:
10 blades (3 bucks) lasts me 8-10 months, shaving two to three times a week. I swap out blades when they start pulling on hair or leave hair behind.
Click to expand...
I guess on the SHTF side I should mention that they last way longer if you keep the used ones in alcohol. It hardly matters normally since they're so cheap, but I found when I was living somewhere they weren't as easy to get that you could stretch a single blade out from a couple weeks of daily shaving to a couple months this way.
Presumably it's a corrosion thing, so some kind of oil would probably do the job too. Protip for when you're shaving with engine grease anyway.
 
  • Informative
Reactions: Dean Pentel and Premium Dog Food
In the event of societal doom, shaving our manly faces is paramount, of course. BIC won't be able to provide their substandard products in regards to those cartridge-thingys and cheap shaving cream and stuff, so going old school would be preferable.


The way William Tavington shaves himself in the beginning of this scene with what seems to be just water, a straight razor and a handheld mirror looks so good, but I've yet to buy a straight razor and learn how to handle them.

I have two Mühle razors: one R89 and one R41. The R41 made me bleed a lot in the beginning, but I have a knack on how to handle it now without too many cuts. The R89 is great, but it doesn't shave as much as I'd like it to. To get that really close shave, the R41 is needed.

I use the sharp blades from the Japanese company Feather Safety Razor Co., and I use shaving soap from Benjamin Barber. My shaving soap bowl is from Benjamin Barber as well.
I have three shaving brushes: one made of badger which I bought many years ago from a local shop, one Omega Professional Nº49 made of boar, and one Mühle Classic Silvertip Fibre Large made of synthetic hairs.

I used to apply pre-shaving oil and stuff, but I've noticed it doesn't provide much noticeable benefit. As far as I can see, the routine of washing your face, lathering your face up with a good brush and some shaving soap, and then shaving with a safety-razor and ending it with washing your face clean again in order to prevent ingrown hairs as much as possible seems to do the trick for me.
 
I picked up a Henson razor after using a cheaper safety razor for a few years, I forget the brand. I was sold on the blade support, seems like it'll keep the blade in better shape for longer. The blades they sell are dirt cheap too, unfortunately they're made in INDIA. Otherwise a great razor.
 
Electric hair clippers to trim the beard once a month.
Clear shaving gel and disposable razor to line up the beard around the neck and cheeks once a week.
Shavette + half razor blade to clean up around the mouth and below the nose when I'm feeling extra fancy.
 
I feel like a douche saying this
But I'm going to say it anyways
Not using shaving cream is not a 200 IQ move
I was surprised when I learned that shaving cream EXISTS
It's straight retarded
Soap and water dumbasses
 
Who even bothers shave-shaving anymore?
Like every weekend or so I use an adjustable length trimmer to maintain a tasteful level of stubble. No need for products or changing blades, just a little oil to keep the trimmer running.

I've known multiple other dudes who insisted to me that they wouldn't look good with some scruff, and every single one has come around at this point. There's nothing that punches up a man's appearance quite like some tactical stubble.

I just don't understand shaving unless a person really can't grow full facial hair: why work harder to look less good? It seems like an old man habit.
 
I wish I looked good without a beard. I just use a rechargeable trimmer to take care of my neck, and then my regular buzzer on my beard to trim it down to the length I want. Sometimes I'll use a razor but it gets irritating after a while.

Since I'm slightly-annoyingly hairy (but not indian-level hairy) I pretty much just do what I mentioned because otherwise I'm spending hours dealing with hair. It's already annoying enough cleaning off my floor and sink when hair shards go flying everywhere.
 
Decided to try a new shaving soap. Found Boca Negra by Ariana and Evans, and bought it solely because the label looks like something out of a horror movie and the description included the phrase "hauntingly erotic". Solid soap; no complaints. If anyone was wondering what the fuck "hauntingly erotic" means, like I was, it smells pleasantly of spice cake.
 
It's amazing what bad advertising can do for a brand. I used to buy the Gillette multi-blade cartridges (because all my friends and family did) until I saw the follow up "apology" ad for the "be better" ad and realized how insanely expensive cartridges are to safety razors.

I had a cheap plastic razor until I broke it by screwing it too tight (OOPS) but now I got a fancy metal one (made by Gillette ironically).

I stopped using aftershave and use an ice gel that does the same thing without burning you.
 
  • Feels
  • Like
Reactions: Dean Pentel and Frostnipped Todger
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back