I'm almost ready for my first DE shave.

Morrow

Morrow

Don't make this weird
Joined
Apr 11, 2007
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I picked up a 1966 Gillette Super-Speed in excellent condition. Kohai999 recommended a starter kit from theartofshaving.com which I also ordered. I picked up some blades from Walmart and plan on ordering a sample set of blades that I've seen online to get an idea of which ones work best for me.

The handle seems a little short on the Super-Speed but I'll wait to saying anything else until I've actually used it.

Thanks for all the good advice. :thumbup:
 
The handle may seem short, but if you hold it like a dart and just let the weight of the head do the work. Do not press at all.
 
morrowj_98 said:
I picked up a 1966 Gillette Super-Speed in excellent condition. Kohai999 recommended a starter kit from theartofshaving.com which I also ordered. I picked up some blades from Walmart and plan on ordering a sample set of blades that I've seen online to get an idea of which ones work best for me.

The handle seems a little short on the Super-Speed but I'll wait to saying anything else until I've actually used it.

Thanks for all the good advice. :thumbup:
Click to expand...

PM me your addy and I'll send you some Israeli Personna blade. They are pretty mild and do a great job. Remember, NO pressure and take it slow. It's not a race, it's your face.

-Tye
 
Glad to hear you've joined the 'sect' Jason:thumbup:

You won't want to leave either:D

I actually prefer a short handled razor, the Barber Pole Merkur I have is too long&un-wieldy for my style. Angle is the thing rather than pressure in my experience. You'll be soon trying out Feather blades, they are the I.XL of the blade world.
 
So...I couldn't wait for all my additional shaving goodies to arrive from The Art of Shaving so I stopped at Target. My neck is prone to irritation so I came home with some Neutrogena pre-shave stuff....and Nivea after shave balm.

This morning I took a shower....after which I used the pre-shave....shaved with my Gillette...no extra pressure...and slow. After the shave...a rinse and then the balm.

I'm very happy with the results. This obviously took more time then what I'm used to but.....I'm happy to say....minimal neck irritation. :thumbup:
 
I get my best shave from my 58 when i've got the time... poraso (?) Makes a great shave soap and you can't go wrong with a kent brush
 
So I've been using my DE for almost a month now. I started off a little rough. I was nicking up my neck pretty good in the beginning and initially blamed it on the cheap blades I got at Walmart. After watching some Youtube vids and reading I decided my technique was faulty. I decided to not change any equipment until I've had some consistently good shaves with what I had on hand already.

Sure enough....very light pressure...small strokes and not rushing proved to be the key for me. My preparation didn't change as I was shaving after getting out of the shower and using a good quality brush and cream. I've actually started getting even better results now that I'm making my skin tight when I shave.

I've been getting some great results for the past 2 weeks and I think I'm ready to start trying some new gear. I like the 1966 Gillette Super-Speed I've been using but it still doesn't feel quite right to me. The handle still feels a bit short. I'm also going to order a sampler set of quality blades and start working my way through them to see what suits me best.

I've been having a lot of fun with this.
 
I stated DE shaving about a month ago.. takes more time, but wow, what a shave. I'm using a Mekur HD and Derbly blades.
 
Hang in there you'll get the hang of it. The neck takes the longest to get right, took me a few months before i could shave my neck without razor burn. A few tips.
1. Shave prep is very important. You want your beard to be well hydrated and soft before you start. So either shower before or use a hot/wet towel for a few minutes before you shave. You can even rub some cream into your beard and then put a hot towel over your face for 2 or 3min to really soften your beard if its very tough.
2. Until you really get your technique down dont go for a baby butt smooth shave, stick to one or two wtg passes and once youve mastered that then you can try across and against the grain passes to get a really close shave.
3. Mantic's videos on youtube are excellent I highly recommend checking them out.

Hope that helps a bit. Good luck and happy shaving:)
 
scrapir0n said:
I stated DE shaving about a month ago.. takes more time, but wow, what a shave.
Click to expand...

In the coming months, you'll streamline the process and your technique and end up taking just a few minutes more than your old method did... but with much better results and considerable cost savings.
 
Honestly though guys, I enjoy the extra time it takes for the shaving process. It seems like nowadays I never stop. But whenever I go through my whole shave routine, it seems like things slow down for just a bit. Quite relaxing to me.


Also....If your into older razors, hit up your local antique shops.....they'll have several, feel them up and see what feels good to you. Go from there. I've acquired several very excellent condition Gillettes from antique shops in my local. I bought my first Fatboy off the bay for like $35 is great condition.....A week later I mint (no box) fatboy that I paid $6 for. There are some steals to be had if you look hard enough.
 
morrowj_98 said:
I've been getting some great results for the past 2 weeks and I think I'm ready to start trying some new gear. I like the 1966 Gillette Super-Speed I've been using but it still doesn't feel quite right to me. The handle still feels a bit short. I'm also going to order a sampler set of quality blades and start working my way through them to see what suits me best.
Click to expand...

You could look for a Gillette slim adjustable. They have longer handles and you can alter settings for how aggressive you want the shave to be.
The black/nickel plated one has a longer handle than the all nickel plated. I think the black/nickel came out about 1970. If you search for "gillette adjustable black" on e-bay you get several hits for this DE.

It is my most used DE. It is also available in Gold/black and that is gorgeous:D

Sverre
 
NoFair said:
You could look for a Gillette slim adjustable. They have longer handles and you can alter settings for how aggressive you want the shave to be.
The black/nickel plated one has a longer handle than the all nickel plated. I think the black/nickel came out about 1970. If you search for "gillette adjustable black" on e-bay you get several hits for this DE.

It is my most used DE. It is also available in Gold/black and that is gorgeous:D

Sverre
Click to expand...

Thanks for the info. :thumbup:

I'll pick one up.
 
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