The Shaving Thread

Very good point about the vintage razors.

:oops: I keep forgetting not everyone is a butcher like me & has all the waterstones, diamond sharpeners, whetrocks, strops, steels, and sundry blade sharpening equipment hanging about like I do.
 
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Always fun to necro a thread. Is there any particular DE razors that people would recommend? I have a Parker shavette, a Parker 3-piece safety razor that’s just slightly too big on the housing to get under my nose (the local place has parker for DE’s and Dovo for straights despite Merkur and Dovo being the same company), and a shitty Van der Hagen that’s ever so slightly misaligned. I’m leaning towards an adjustable one, but I’m open to just about any option.
 
I just buy the blue razors that come in a bag and use them until the blade rusts. Not irritating your skin is just a matter of using light strokes and keeping everything well lubricated.

Y'all overthink this.


EDIT: Washing your face really well before, and rinsing with the shower for a while are also helpful if you're a huge pussy like me
 
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Ped Xing said:
I just buy the blue razors that come in a bag and use them until the blade rusts. Not irritating your skin is just a matter of using light strokes and keeping everything well lubricated.

Y'all overthink this.


EDIT: Washing your face really well before, and rinsing with the shower for a while are also helpful if you're a huge pussy like me
Click to expand...
On top of that use moisturizer after shaving. Helps kill most post shave irritation and redness.
 
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I've had this recurring problem where my neck gets covered in red bumps no matter what I shave with and no matter what I put on it. I use clean razors, I put on aftershave, I use witch hazel, I've even bought a shaving cream with aloe but I still get red bumps on my neck and they don't go away. It's ridiculous and I don't know what to do about it.
 
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Baldur's Gait said:
I've had this recurring problem where my neck gets covered in red bumps no matter what I shave with and no matter what I put on it. I use clean razors, I put on aftershave, I use witch hazel, I've even bought a shaving cream with aloe but I still get red bumps on my neck and they don't go away. It's ridiculous and I don't know what to do about it.
Click to expand...
What kind of razor are you using? Cartridge razors do that for some people in particular. Also, is it a cream from a can or something in a tub? That might affect it too.
 
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Safety razor blades and solid shave-soap. Cheap as fuck and those blades are handy for other little jobs. The amount of faggotry that has come to surround hair removal astounds me: cartridges with 7 blades, lube strip, vibrating handle? Pink shit for women that is more expensive than the equivalent marketed at men? The cola wars were bad enough, I'm sitting out the razor wars.
 
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Baldur's Gait said:
I've had this recurring problem where my neck gets covered in red bumps no matter what I shave with and no matter what I put on it. I use clean razors, I put on aftershave, I use witch hazel, I've even bought a shaving cream with aloe but I still get red bumps on my neck and they don't go away. It's ridiculous and I don't know what to do about it.
Click to expand...

Grow a beard.
 
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We don't do gay

20190707_133329.jpg
 
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Buster O'Keefe said:
Safety razor blades and solid shave-soap. Cheap as fuck and those blades are handy for other little jobs. The amount of faggotry that has come to surround hair removal astounds me: cartridges with 7 blades, lube strip, vibrating handle? Pink shit for women that is more expensive than the equivalent marketed at men? The cola wars were bad enough, I'm sitting out the razor wars.
Click to expand...
I don't know much about razors. I actually thought safety razors and cartridges were the same because they weren't straight razors. I'll have to look into it.

Ped Xing said:
Grow a beard.
Click to expand...
I have one. I just hate neck hair.
 
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Yeah, razor cartridges are just stupid marketing. Regular old El cheapo safety razors with two blades (single blades are easy to cut yourself with) are the way to go. It's not about having sixteen razors; it's about lubrication, and that's not complicated or expensive to achieve.

I feel for you on the razor bumps thing, man. Some people's skin just does that at the slightest irritation. And neck hair is indeed disgusting. If you already have a beard, I'd just use clippers on zero guard to keep those weeds hacked back. Kudos on not being one of those exceptional individuals who think having a beard means you should stop grooming.
 
Baldur's Gait said:
I don't know much about razors. I actually thought safety razors and cartridges were the same because they weren't straight razors. I'll have to look into it.


I have one. I just hate neck hair.
Click to expand...
If you switch over to soap, be sure to not make your lather too thick. For the longest time I had soap just stick to blade instead of washing off without effort. You should be looking softer whipped cream as opposed to meringue. And again, anyone got a recomendation on for a 2-3 piece or adjustable razor? The local place carries Parker and it’s head is just slightly too big for me.
 
The Flightless New Zealand Fruit Horticulturist's Guide to Shaving

Quite a few people in the Gillette commercial topic expressed an interest in a shaving discussion. I had originally planned to make this the first post of a shaving topic, but it turns out there already is a shaving topic. Hurr. I already wrote it though, so maybe this will help people out and revive some interest.

This is intended to be an introduction. I won't get into topics like open VS closed comb, slant razors, single edge, vintage razors, etc. Let's start with basics. Some of it may seem TOO basic, but keep in mind that some people may want to switch from an electric, so I'm going to play it safe and assume minimal knowledge.

I'm not a barber or any kind of expert, I'm just a guy with a touch of shaving autism. All opinions expressed are my own and do not necessarily reflect those of Kiwi Farms or its affiliates.

So why a safety razor?

Multiple reasons. The blades are INSANELY cheap, as low as a dime each if you buy in bulk. It gets a closer shave. It causes less ingrown hairs and irritation due to a better, cleaner cut. Cartridges can irritate your face, since any more than two blades is pointless. It can help with acne since a safety razor won't trap and spread around dirt as easily. It's less waste. Some people find it to be sort of a Zen thing, doing it every morning. Plus, they have a certain oldschool cool factor.

So what's the catch? Well. It has more of a learning curve, it's less idiot proof, it takes a bit more time, and it has a higher up front cost. Personally, I think it's worth it.

With that in mind, let's talk about how to get started.

Razors are one of those things where you generally gets what you pay for. For a beginner, I would recommend looking for something in the $30 to $50 range. I wouldn't go lower. You can go higher, but you may not know exactly what you're looking for in a razor until you try one and figure out what you don't like about it. There are a wide variety of factors to consider when selecting a razor, such as material/plating, blade exposure, handle size, and more. But we're going to try to keep it simple.

Merkur is probably the most commonly recommended brand for beginners, especically the 34C model. Having owned two Merkur razors myself, I'm not a fan, but I accept that I'm in the minority on that. My experience has been one of poor quality control, with bad blade alignment and regular chipping of the plating. If I were starting from scratch, I would get the Rockwell 6C. It's a chromed razor with 3 reversible base plates, allowing for 6 different blade exposures depending on your needs. It's not absolutely top of the line quality, but I found it to be excellent for the price, usually around $50.

I would say that the blade is the single most important part of your equipment choice. Keep in mind that everything else in the whole shaving setup is just there to make the blade work better. It's easy to look at safety razor blades and think that they must all be pretty similar. Far from it. Changing your blade will change your shave more than anything else, and there are a lot of options. The good news is, they're cheap. You can usually get a 100 pack for $10-$25 on Amazon, depending on the blade.

Let me run through some of the more popular ones. It's worth noting that I have a relatively tough beard, and I select blades accordingly.

Astra Superior Platinum - When I first started, I found this blade a little unforgiving, but now it's by far my favorite. Sharp, cheap, and high quality, without being too brutal.
Gillette Silver Blue - A very popular, well balanced blade. Not QUITE sharp enough for my taste, but still usable.
Rapira Platinum Lux - Smooth as butter. I would highly recommend this for sensitive skin, especially if your beard isn't too heavy.
Feather - The sharpest blade in history, made of grorious Nippon steer, forder over a mirrion times. They really do work, especially if you have a very tough beard, but I find that they wear out pretty quick. These will absolutely cut you if you're not careful. Also a bit on the expensive side.
Gillette 7 O'clock Super Stainless - A very underappreciated blade in my opinion, and definitely one I would recommend for beginners. Sharp enough to get the job done while still being easy to use.
Personna Lab Blue/Med Prep - Some people swear by these. The only blades I know of that are American made. Nobody can seem to agree if the Lab Blue and Med Prep are the same blade in a different package or actual different blades. I seem to do a little better with the Med Prep. They're not a favorite though.
Personna Platium/Red/Crystal - All different names for the same blade. These are Israeli made. I've never been able to get to the bottom of the shared name with the American Personna blades, but I don't think they're the same company. Another decent medium blade.
Derby - This is a love it or hate it blade. There's absolutely no in between. Try it if you have a very light beard, otherwise stay the hell away.
Shark Super Chrome - Reasonably popular, and they get the job done, but I find them to be a little rough on the skin.

There are plenty of other quality blades available. These are just a few popular ones and personal favorites. If you're not sure what you want, you can buy sampler packs on Amazon. If you want to try something specific without committing to a 100 pack, check out Try A Blade for singles with flat shipping. I've ordered from them a couple times and they do exactly what they claim to do.

Blades lifespan varies wildly. Change it out when it starts pulling hair or is otherwise uncomfortable. I've heard of people who change the blade every time, I've heard of people who use the same blade for a month. For me, it's about 3 uses.

Don't throw blades directly in the trash. Some blade packs come with a little place to put used blades. If yours doesn't, buy or make a blade bank. I've seen people make them by cutting a hole in the top of an empty tin can, for example. Just make sure they won't come out in the trash.

What, you thought we were done once we covered razors? HAHAHA HELL NO

You can use standard foam in a can with a safey razor if you want. I really have nothing against foam. The chemicals can be a little harsh on your skin, but it's not THAT bad. I still use Barbasol Original here and there. If you're new to safety razors, it's probably a good idea to use whatever shaving cream you're used to with the new razor for a little while, just to avoid changing too many things at once.

Buuuuuuut as long as you're going oldschool on your razor, you might want to consider ditching the can as well. I've never been quite clear on the difference between soap and non-can cream, but in practice they seem to work basically the same except for the contianer.

Without getting into too much detail on all the different kinds of soap, I'd recommend Proraso soap for the beginner. The jars come in three colors with slightly different types of soap. Green is the "default", and it works fine, but it gives your face a cooling sensation that not everyone cares for. Red is for dry skin and heavy beards, and is my preferred type. White is for sensitive skin, though I've never personally used it.

If you decide to go oldschool shaving soap or cream, you need a brush to lather it with. They come in different sizes and handles, which are largely down to person preference. There are four primary types of brushes: Badger, boar, horse and synthetic.

Badger is the most popular, the softest among animal hair brushes, and comes in a wide variety of qualities. The quality ratings (best, pure, silvertip, etc) are supposed to mean something specific, but these days I think they're mostly marketing terms. Check reviews for the individual brush you're looking at.

Boar tends to be the cheapest, and the stiffest. You'll love it or hate it.

Horse isn't as popular, but it's a decent medium between the two. It also doesn't require killing the animal to get it, for those concerned about that sort of thing.

Synthetic is my preferred. Hypoallergenic, low maintenance, and relatively inexpensive. They don't smell as much either. Quality varies a lot, but there's good stuff out there for not much money. I recommend the Razorock Plissoft line for the beginner. Pick whichever handle looks comfortable to you.

Most aftershaves are based on either alcohol, or witch hazel. The one I recommend for a beginner is neither fish nor fowl. It's called Lucky Tiger, and it's mostly based on aloe vera. It won't sting and contains good healing juices for your face. The scent is quite mild and smell a bit like orange Pledge. If you don't like the smell, don't worry, it fades fast.

It's hard to recommend anything else specific because scent is so personal. I'd strongly recommend trying to find a local shop that sells this sort of thing so you can try samples. I've had (for example) some lavender aftershaves that smelled very good, and some that smelled disgusting. Try before you buy if at all possible.

I would recommend getting a bowl for your brush/lather. You can use a coffee mug in a pinch. A razor and brush stand is also useful. Make sure it will fit your equipment, as the brush stands and brushes come in a variety of sizes. There are a lot of other accessories but the basics are covered at this point.

First, install blade.

Then get your water nice and hot. If you're using a hard soap, you'll want to soak it in water for a bit. Usually not needed for soft soap or cream. You'll want to soak most animal brushes as well. For a synthetic brush, just run it under the hot water.

Get your face wet with hot water or soak it with a hot towel.

Shake out the brush a bit. It's very possible for it to be too wet and your lather will be too thin. It's easy to add water, it's hard to take it away.

Swirl the brush around against the soap to create lather. You can be relatively aggressive with it. This is sort of hard to explain, and I honestly found it a little tricky to get the consistency right the first couple times. If it's too wet there will be a lot of bubbles, but it's it's too dry it will be sort of flakey and thick. Hard water can make it difficult as well. You may want to take some lather and put in in your mug to work it further there. Some people face lather. I've never had much luck with this.

Brush the lather in circles against your face until fully covered, then continue for say, 30 seconds. Then use the brush to smooth it out.

You'll be doing 3 passes, more or less. The order and direction you should shave in is... a bit of a tricky topic. The usual answer is with the grain, then across, then against. Everyone's face has a different grain, and it can vary between different areas of your face. Some people actually try to roughly map their own beard grain. I've never found that neccesary. For your first try, I would shave down, then across, then up. If you difficult or painful to shave up (which is USUALLY against the grain), don't panic. I can't either. Every time I've ever tried, it's hurt me badly. Instead just shave across the grain in the other direction. Or try it at an angle, part across and part against. But if it hurts, don't do it.

Now here's how you actually do the shaving bit. Place the razor against your face, 30 degree angle, ZERO PRESSURE. Do NOT press against your face. At all. You don't need to and you'll hurt yourself if you do. Pull it across your face in short, smooth strokes. Rinse the shaving cream off the razor frequently. Do that until you've achieved full face coverage.

Wet your face again, reapply lather, then shave again across the grain.

One more time, but this time against the grain, or across in the opposite direction if you can't go against.

If you missed any spots, put shaving cream on them and clean them up.

Now there are two standards of a good shave. A damn fine shave, which feels smooth with the grain, or baby butt smooth, which feels smooth AGAINST the grain. If you achieve DFS, you're doing just fine. Don't worry about BBS at this stage. And even if it FEELS smooth, you may still be able to see some hair if you have dark beard and light skin. They call it blue beard. Not much you can do about this as far as I know.

Once you're sufficiently smooth, grab a washcloth and wash your face with hot water, then again with cold. Apply aftershave.

Wash out your mug and brush and squeeze out the water as much as you can. Put away your razor and other gear.

Your face is now shaved. Congratulations!

You can check out this quick demo video for extra info. Picture is worth a thousand words and all that.

For your razor, just use soap, hot water, and a tooth brush to clean it as needed.

For your brush, give it the occasional GENTLE scrub with pet shampoo.

Don't clean blades, new or old. For new ones, you may strip the coating. For old ones it's not worth it. Just replace it.

We've all seen the movies where the guy has a bad shave and ends up with his face covered in toilet paper. It's not QUITE like that, although you CAN hurt yourself with a safety razor if you're not careful.

You'll probably cut yourself quite a bit when learning. I still do here and there. It's not as bad as you think. There are a lot of times when I've gotten a cut and not even realized it until I saw the blood. I'm not what you'd call a tough guy, but it just doesn't hurt that bad. I can count the number of BAD cuts on one hand, and even those aren't THAT big a deal.

In case you get cut, pick up some styptic. You can get it in either powder or pencil form. Just get a bit of cold water on it then put it on the cut to close it. Do NOT let styptic get on your clothes, it will destroy the dye.

While cuts aren't that bad, what you SHOULD be afraid of is razor burn. Razor burn occurs when you either don't prep your face correctly with water and shaving cream, or when you press the razor too hard (which is to say, at all) against your face, thus taking too much surface skin away. Do not do that. Razor burn hurts like a MOTHERFUCKER.

Aside from your friendly neighborhood search engine, my preferred specialty site is Badger and Blade. They have a very active forum, as well as product reviews and a wiki. If nobody in this thread can answer your question, one of those magnificent autists can.

There are lots of other good resources out there, that just happens to be the one I'm most familiar with.

Q: Okay, you convinced me. Where can I buy all this stuff?
A: Amazon carries the basics, except for maybe Barbasol if you decide to go that route. You can get that at any Wal-Mart or drug store. There are online stores that specialize in shaving gear, but be a little careful. I've never had occasion to buy from any of those types of stores outside of some direct manufacturer purchases, so it's hard for me to recommend anything specific. But there are some shady sites out there. Always look at outside reviews. When in doubt, ask here or Badger and Blade.

I have a local men's gift shop where I buy a lot of my stuff, especially if it's something I want to smell before I buy. Check your local area.

Q: If safety razors are so great, why are they not more popular?
A: Partly because disposables are more idiot proof, but mostly marketing. Gillette and friends figured out they could make more money by selling the handles cheap and charging far out the ass for blades, so that's how they started advertising.

Q: I'm a girl on the internet. Tee hee! Can I use a safety razor on my ladypits/legs?
A: I've never tried to shave these areas myself, but there are definitely women who use safety razors for it. One thing I've heard is that a long handle tends to help with the hard to reach places. Beyond that I don't have much info, but there are resources out there.

Q: I like to feel the breeze. Can I use a safety razor on my junk?
A: Again, never tried it myself, but general consensus is no, due to increased risk of cuts. If you decide to try it anyway, you best have your local hospital on speed dial.

Q: What's the deal with straight razors?
A: I honestly don't know. I own two. A disposable shavette style, and a traditional. They don't see much use. Even after spending quite a bit of time trying to learn it, the disposable has never let me get away without at least one bad cut, usually a couple. The traditional doesn't cut well even after being professionally sharpened, and despite being stainless steel it developed bad rust when I looked at it funny.

The angle is VERY hard to get right, and you wouldn't believe the number of times I've heard people talking about using a straight razor only to "clean up with a safety razor". I've been shaved by multiple different professional barbers with a straight razor, and each time I ended up going home and having to finish the job myself with a safety razor. At that point, why bother with the middle man?

They also require a lot more maintenance, needing to be stropped, honed, and occasionally sent away for professional sharpening.

Straight razors are expensive, high maintenance, hard to use, and worst of all, don't give a good shave. Just get a safety razor.

Q: Gillette's commercial made me Mad on the Internet. Can I avoid them entirely if I switch to a safety razor?
A: If you want. They do make some safety razor related equipment, especially blades. I find some of their Russian blades to be the best around, but if you want to boycott them for moral reasons, you do what you gotta do. There are plenty of blades available from other sources.

Q: How much are you being paid to shill for these companies?
A: I wish.

Whew. Please hold your applause and/or autistic ratings.
 
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Lord of the Large Pants said:
The Flightless New Zealand Fruit Horticulturist's Guide to Shaving

Quite a few people in the Gillette commercial topic expressed an interest in a shaving discussion. I had originally planned to make this the first post of a shaving topic, but it turns out there already is a shaving topic. Hurr. I already wrote it though, so maybe this will help people out and revive some interest.

This is intended to be an introduction. I won't get into topics like open VS closed comb, slant razors, single edge, vintage razors, etc. Let's start with basics. Some of it may seem TOO basic, but keep in mind that some people may want to switch from an electric, so I'm going to play it safe and assume minimal knowledge.

I'm not a barber or any kind of expert, I'm just a guy with a touch of shaving autism. All opinions expressed are my own and do not necessarily reflect those of Kiwi Farms or its affiliates.

So why a safety razor?

Multiple reasons. The blades are INSANELY cheap, as low as a dime each if you buy in bulk. It gets a closer shave. It causes less ingrown hairs and irritation due to a better, cleaner cut. Cartridges can irritate your face, since any more than two blades is pointless. It can help with acne since a safety razor won't trap and spread around dirt as easily. It's less waste. Some people find it to be sort of a Zen thing, doing it every morning. Plus, they have a certain oldschool cool factor.

So what's the catch? Well. It has more of a learning curve, it's less idiot proof, it takes a bit more time, and it has a higher up front cost. Personally, I think it's worth it.

With that in mind, let's talk about how to get started.

Razors are one of those things where you generally gets what you pay for. For a beginner, I would recommend looking for something in the $30 to $50 range. I wouldn't go lower. You can go higher, but you may not know exactly what you're looking for in a razor until you try one and figure out what you don't like about it. There are a wide variety of factors to consider when selecting a razor, such as material/plating, blade exposure, handle size, and more. But we're going to try to keep it simple.

Merkur is probably the most commonly recommended brand for beginners, especically the 34C model. Having owned two Merkur razors myself, I'm not a fan, but I accept that I'm in the minority on that. My experience has been one of poor quality control, with bad blade alignment and regular chipping of the plating. If I were starting from scratch, I would get the Rockwell 6C. It's a chromed razor with 3 reversible base plates, allowing for 6 different blade exposures depending on your needs. It's not absolutely top of the line quality, but I found it to be excellent for the price, usually around $50.

I would say that the blade is the single most important part of your equipment choice. Keep in mind that everything else in the whole shaving setup is just there to make the blade work better. It's easy to look at safety razor blades and think that they must all be pretty similar. Far from it. Changing your blade will change your shave more than anything else, and there are a lot of options. The good news is, they're cheap. You can usually get a 100 pack for $10-$25 on Amazon, depending on the blade.

Let me run through some of the more popular ones. It's worth noting that I have a relatively tough beard, and I select blades accordingly.

Astra Superior Platinum - When I first started, I found this blade a little unforgiving, but now it's by far my favorite. Sharp, cheap, and high quality, without being too brutal.
Gillette Silver Blue - A very popular, well balanced blade. Not QUITE sharp enough for my taste, but still usable.
Rapira Platinum Lux - Smooth as butter. I would highly recommend this for sensitive skin, especially if your beard isn't too heavy.
Feather - The sharpest blade in history, made of grorious Nippon steer, forder over a mirrion times. They really do work, especially if you have a very tough beard, but I find that they wear out pretty quick. These will absolutely cut you if you're not careful. Also a bit on the expensive side.
Gillette 7 O'clock Super Stainless - A very underappreciated blade in my opinion, and definitely one I would recommend for beginners. Sharp enough to get the job done while still being easy to use.
Personna Lab Blue/Med Prep - Some people swear by these. The only blades I know of that are American made. Nobody can seem to agree if the Lab Blue and Med Prep are the same blade in a different package or actual different blades. I seem to do a little better with the Med Prep. They're not a favorite though.
Personna Platium/Red/Crystal - All different names for the same blade. These are Israeli made. I've never been able to get to the bottom of the shared name with the American Personna blades, but I don't think they're the same company. Another decent medium blade.
Derby - This is a love it or hate it blade. There's absolutely no in between. Try it if you have a very light beard, otherwise stay the hell away.
Shark Super Chrome - Reasonably popular, and they get the job done, but I find them to be a little rough on the skin.

There are plenty of other quality blades available. These are just a few popular ones and personal favorites. If you're not sure what you want, you can buy sampler packs on Amazon. If you want to try something specific without committing to a 100 pack, check out Try A Blade for singles with flat shipping. I've ordered from them a couple times and they do exactly what they claim to do.

Blades lifespan varies wildly. Change it out when it starts pulling hair or is otherwise uncomfortable. I've heard of people who change the blade every time, I've heard of people who use the same blade for a month. For me, it's about 3 uses.

Don't throw blades directly in the trash. Some blade packs come with a little place to put used blades. If yours doesn't, buy or make a blade bank. I've seen people make them by cutting a hole in the top of an empty tin can, for example. Just make sure they won't come out in the trash.

What, you thought we were done once we covered razors? HAHAHA HELL NO

You can use standard foam in a can with a safey razor if you want. I really have nothing against foam. The chemicals can be a little harsh on your skin, but it's not THAT bad. I still use Barbasol Original here and there. If you're new to safety razors, it's probably a good idea to use whatever shaving cream you're used to with the new razor for a little while, just to avoid changing too many things at once.

Buuuuuuut as long as you're going oldschool on your razor, you might want to consider ditching the can as well. I've never been quite clear on the difference between soap and non-can cream, but in practice they seem to work basically the same except for the contianer.

Without getting into too much detail on all the different kinds of soap, I'd recommend Proraso soap for the beginner. The jars come in three colors with slightly different types of soap. Green is the "default", and it works fine, but it gives your face a cooling sensation that not everyone cares for. Red is for dry skin and heavy beards, and is my preferred type. White is for sensitive skin, though I've never personally used it.

If you decide to go oldschool shaving soap or cream, you need a brush to lather it with. They come in different sizes and handles, which are largely down to person preference. There are four primary types of brushes: Badger, boar, horse and synthetic.

Badger is the most popular, the softest among animal hair brushes, and comes in a wide variety of qualities. The quality ratings (best, pure, silvertip, etc) are supposed to mean something specific, but these days I think they're mostly marketing terms. Check reviews for the individual brush you're looking at.

Boar tends to be the cheapest, and the stiffest. You'll love it or hate it.

Horse isn't as popular, but it's a decent medium between the two. It also doesn't require killing the animal to get it, for those concerned about that sort of thing.

Synthetic is my preferred. Hypoallergenic, low maintenance, and relatively inexpensive. They don't smell as much either. Quality varies a lot, but there's good stuff out there for not much money. I recommend the Razorock Plissoft line for the beginner. Pick whichever handle looks comfortable to you.

Most aftershaves are based on either alcohol, or witch hazel. The one I recommend for a beginner is neither fish nor fowl. It's called Lucky Tiger, and it's mostly based on aloe vera. It won't sting and contains good healing juices for your face. The scent is quite mild and smell a bit like orange Pledge. If you don't like the smell, don't worry, it fades fast.

It's hard to recommend anything else specific because scent is so personal. I'd strongly recommend trying to find a local shop that sells this sort of thing so you can try samples. I've had (for example) some lavender aftershaves that smelled very good, and some that smelled disgusting. Try before you buy if at all possible.

I would recommend getting a bowl for your brush/lather. You can use a coffee mug in a pinch. A razor and brush stand is also useful. Make sure it will fit your equipment, as the brush stands and brushes come in a variety of sizes. There are a lot of other accessories but the basics are covered at this point.

First, install blade.

Then get your water nice and hot. If you're using a hard soap, you'll want to soak it in water for a bit. Usually not needed for soft soap or cream. You'll want to soak most animal brushes as well. For a synthetic brush, just run it under the hot water.

Get your face wet with hot water or soak it with a hot towel.

Shake out the brush a bit. It's very possible for it to be too wet and your lather will be too thin. It's easy to add water, it's hard to take it away.

Swirl the brush around against the soap to create lather. You can be relatively aggressive with it. This is sort of hard to explain, and I honestly found it a little tricky to get the consistency right the first couple times. If it's too wet there will be a lot of bubbles, but it's it's too dry it will be sort of flakey and thick. Hard water can make it difficult as well. You may want to take some lather and put in in your mug to work it further there. Some people face lather. I've never had much luck with this.

Brush the lather in circles against your face until fully covered, then continue for say, 30 seconds. Then use the brush to smooth it out.

You'll be doing 3 passes, more or less. The order and direction you should shave in is... a bit of a tricky topic. The usual answer is with the grain, then across, then against. Everyone's face has a different grain, and it can vary between different areas of your face. Some people actually try to roughly map their own beard grain. I've never found that neccesary. For your first try, I would shave down, then across, then up. If you difficult or painful to shave up (which is USUALLY against the grain), don't panic. I can't either. Every time I've ever tried, it's hurt me badly. Instead just shave across the grain in the other direction. Or try it at an angle, part across and part against. But if it hurts, don't do it.

Now here's how you actually do the shaving bit. Place the razor against your face, 30 degree angle, ZERO PRESSURE. Do NOT press against your face. At all. You don't need to and you'll hurt yourself if you do. Pull it across your face in short, smooth strokes. Rinse the shaving cream off the razor frequently. Do that until you've achieved full face coverage.

Wet your face again, reapply lather, then shave again across the grain.

One more time, but this time against the grain, or across in the opposite direction if you can't go against.

If you missed any spots, put shaving cream on them and clean them up.

Now there are two standards of a good shave. A damn fine shave, which feels smooth with the grain, or baby butt smooth, which feels smooth AGAINST the grain. If you achieve DFS, you're doing just fine. Don't worry about BBS at this stage. And even if it FEELS smooth, you may still be able to see some hair if you have dark beard and light skin. They call it blue beard. Not much you can do about this as far as I know.

Once you're sufficiently smooth, grab a washcloth and wash your face with hot water, then again with cold. Apply aftershave.

Wash out your mug and brush and squeeze out the water as much as you can. Put away your razor and other gear.

Your face is now shaved. Congratulations!

You can check out this quick demo video for extra info. Picture is worth a thousand words and all that.

For your razor, just use soap, hot water, and a tooth brush to clean it as needed.

For your brush, give it the occasional GENTLE scrub with pet shampoo.

Don't clean blades, new or old. For new ones, you may strip the coating. For old ones it's not worth it. Just replace it.

We've all seen the movies where the guy has a bad shave and ends up with his face covered in toilet paper. It's not QUITE like that, although you CAN hurt yourself with a safety razor if you're not careful.

You'll probably cut yourself quite a bit when learning. I still do here and there. It's not as bad as you think. There are a lot of times when I've gotten a cut and not even realized it until I saw the blood. I'm not what you'd call a tough guy, but it just doesn't hurt that bad. I can count the number of BAD cuts on one hand, and even those aren't THAT big a deal.

In case you get cut, pick up some styptic. You can get it in either powder or pencil form. Just get a bit of cold water on it then put it on the cut to close it. Do NOT let styptic get on your clothes, it will destroy the dye.

While cuts aren't that bad, what you SHOULD be afraid of is razor burn. Razor burn occurs when you either don't prep your face correctly with water and shaving cream, or when you press the razor too hard (which is to say, at all) against your face, thus taking too much surface skin away. Do not do that. Razor burn hurts like a MOTHERFUCKER.

Aside from your friendly neighborhood search engine, my preferred specialty site is Badger and Blade. They have a very active forum, as well as product reviews and a wiki. If nobody in this thread can answer your question, one of those magnificent autists can.

There are lots of other good resources out there, that just happens to be the one I'm most familiar with.

Q: Okay, you convinced me. Where can I buy all this stuff?
A: Amazon carries the basics, except for maybe Barbasol if you decide to go that route. You can get that at any Wal-Mart or drug store. There are online stores that specialize in shaving gear, but be a little careful. I've never had occasion to buy from any of those types of stores outside of some direct manufacturer purchases, so it's hard for me to recommend anything specific. But there are some shady sites out there. Always look at outside reviews. When in doubt, ask here or Badger and Blade.

I have a local men's gift shop where I buy a lot of my stuff, especially if it's something I want to smell before I buy. Check your local area.

Q: If safety razors are so great, why are they not more popular?
A: Partly because disposables are more idiot proof, but mostly marketing. Gillette and friends figured out they could make more money by selling the handles cheap and charging far out the ass for blades, so that's how they started advertising.

Q: I'm a girl on the internet. Tee hee! Can I use a safety razor on my ladypits/legs?
A: I've never tried to shave these areas myself, but there are definitely women who use safety razors for it. One thing I've heard is that a long handle tends to help with the hard to reach places. Beyond that I don't have much info, but there are resources out there.

Q: I like to feel the breeze. Can I use a safety razor on my junk?
A: Again, never tried it myself, but general consensus is no, due to increased risk of cuts. If you decide to try it anyway, you best have your local hospital on speed dial.

Q: What's the deal with straight razors?
A: I honestly don't know. I own two. A disposable shavette style, and a traditional. They don't see much use. Even after spending quite a bit of time trying to learn it, the disposable has never let me get away without at least one bad cut, usually a couple. The traditional doesn't cut well even after being professionally sharpened, and despite being stainless steel it developed bad rust when I looked at it funny.

The angle is VERY hard to get right, and you wouldn't believe the number of times I've heard people talking about using a straight razor only to "clean up with a safety razor". I've been shaved by multiple different professional barbers with a straight razor, and each time I ended up going home and having to finish the job myself with a safety razor. At that point, why bother with the middle man?

They also require a lot more maintenance, needing to be stropped, honed, and occasionally sent away for professional sharpening.

Straight razors are expensive, high maintenance, hard to use, and worst of all, don't give a good shave. Just get a safety razor.

Q: Gillette's commercial made me Mad on the Internet. Can I avoid them entirely if I switch to a safety razor?
A: If you want. They do make some safety razor related equipment, especially blades. I find some of their Russian blades to be the best around, but if you want to boycott them for moral reasons, you do what you gotta do. There are plenty of blades available from other sources.

Q: How much are you being paid to shill for these companies?
A: I wish.

Whew. Please hold your applause and/or autistic ratings.
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I’ve heard so many people swear by the Rockwell 6c/s. I’m thinking of getting one just because the razors the local knife shop carries are hilariously aggressive. On the topic of soaps, make sure you know if you’re using a cream or an actual soap. One you’ll apply to your face or brush and then lather and the other generally does most of the work in the bowl. Soaps also tend to last much longer.
 
Baldur's Gait said:
I've had this recurring problem where my neck gets covered in red bumps no matter what I shave with and no matter what I put on it. I use clean razors, I put on aftershave, I use witch hazel, I've even bought a shaving cream with aloe but I still get red bumps on my neck and they don't go away. It's ridiculous and I don't know what to do about it.
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I had the same issue for years, I now use Feather blades and the most basic "old man" shave cream I get from the grocery store applied with a Badger brush, which works well. (bear in mind that I'm an old cunt and work outdoors, so I have pretty dry skin)
I'd got down the path of getting various hipster "artisan" shave soaps and creams, but this stuff is 1/5th the price, and I don't get any irritations.
Also I use Proraso aftershave with Sandalwood and Shea oil, which doesn't irritate my skin.

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