State of the Razor Address

[Kohai999]

What piqued my interest in shaving(historically, have not liked it, and have avoided it for most of the week, rolling with perma-stubble) started with a trip to New Orleans for business last year.

My co-workers and I were walking to the French Quarter, and we passed a store called Aidan Gill, which was closed. The signage touted "hot towel shaves".

http://www.aidangillformen.com/

Interested, went back the next day, and attempted to schedule a hot towel shave and haircut, but an appointment was not to be procured with a convenient time. Perusing the voluminous wares, I came upon a brochure.....please note, from both the website and brochure:

Mr. Gill says. “In recent history, a pioneer of the razor blade, Mr. King Camp Gillette, has produced the finest blade edges in the history of Christendom and the world. We have now arrived at the pinnacle of the sharpest of edges with the Gillette Mach 3, which we recommend as the best blade at this point in time."

Lest we close our minds to other possibilities, however, Mr. Gill amends: "If something were to surpass it, we will immediately inform the shaving public."(imo, after experience, Mr. Gill is better at his marketing/pushing of BS than he is at espousing the best choice of razors, but what can one do?)

At time, I was using a Schick Quattro, but shortly thereafter, got a Gillette Mach 3 as a promotion, and started using it, along with some Truefitt & Hill pre-shave oil ....thought that the shave was good, but not superb...there had to be something better.

Fast forward from last year, to this past Christmas, when my good friend Chuck Gollnick was fondly waxing on these Forums of his great love for his Merkur Futur...I had to see what this is all about....and got a bright chrome Parker razor twist-to-open, made in India, on Amazon.com for about $23.00, free shipping. Got it, and have been hooked ever since...shaving daily, even on Sundays.

Have been purchasing mostly on ebay, due to availability and convenience...so far, I have:

Gillette Super Speed 1 piece, made 1949 or so(no date code), with red case-cost(with shipping) $20.50
Gillette Super Speed Blue Tip, made 1955, with blue case-cost(with shipping)-about $20.00
Gillette Super Speed Red Tip, made 1956, with burgundy case-cost(about) $40.00
Gillette Fat Boy, made 1958, with case, overpaid for this one-cost(with shipping) about $75.00
Gillette Slim Adjustable, made mid-60's with white case/gold foil-cost(with shipping) about $45.00
Gillette Black(Super) Slim Adjustable, also mid-60's, with white case-(cost) about $38.00
Gillette Knack in blue, Early '70's, NEW old stock, cost $22.00

Am pretty much done buying razors at this point, but do have a nice mini-collection.

I shave with a Gillette Black(Super) Slim Adjustable from the late '60's(with Bic blade, this week), set on "5", using a Rooney Super Badger brush, style 3-2 in faux horn, and citrus/spice Classic Shaving soap.

How about you?

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson

 

[Durwood]

I stumbled on to this forum and saw you posting STeven... Did a little research and am now watching about a dozen Gillettes on eBay. Won my first a tonight a '74 English slim twist in near mint condition for $16.00 plus shipping. I'm probably going to get a couple more and some blades and accessories this coming week. Looking for a good deal on an adjustable now. I have no experience with double edges, but thought I'd try it.

 

[FortyTwoBlades]

I have a butterfly (twist-to-open) adjustable Gillette safety razor with a herringbone Bakelite handle that belonged to my great grandfather. It was my first razor, and it still shaves great.

I've since moved mostly to straights, but when I'm in a hurry I still reach for great granddad's razor. Ironically many of the straights I use are much older than he was, so if anything I've delved deeper into the depths of shaving history. Can't beat the feeling of a good straight razor shave.

 

[Alanp]

I have quite a few double edged razors. It's great and i won't go back to normal razors. Be warned though, there is something that the razor forums refer to as RAD. You'll know it when you get it. I think it stands for Razor Acquisition Disorder.....Once you get hooked you buy tons of them. I stopped myself luckily after about 30.....My wife was soooo tired of scouring antique shops that it wasn't even funny.

 

[Kohai999]

Looking for a good deal on an adjustable now. I have no experience with double edges, but thought I'd try it.

How about free?

I have a black Super Slim Adjustable(now have three of them) that cost me about $15.00 in EXCELLENT shape that I would be happy to send you if you PM me your address.

This DE shaving is an incredible amount of fun, and turns shaving from a chore into a welcomed ritual. Let us know what you think.

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson

 

[Durwood]

That's a great offer STeven, but I won a couple more auctions today And one is what appears to be a really nice slim handled, Black Beauty adjustable for $22. For now just need advice on a good place to buy pre-shave oil and cream.

I really appreciate the gesture, but please save the razor for someone else who stumbles along I can tell this is gonna be fun:thumbup:

 

[Kohai999]

That's a great offer STeven, but I won a couple more auctions today And one is what appears to be a really nice slim handled, Black Beauty adjustable for $22. For now just need advice on a good place to buy pre-shave oil and cream.

I really appreciate the gesture, but please save the razor for someone else who stumbles along I can tell this is gonna be fun:thumbup:

Very well, Durwood, and congratulations on the wins, that IS part of the fun. An undated and in superb condition Super Speed with box was waiting for me in the mailbox yesterday.

The Art of Shaving makes a very good pre-shave oil and cream(used some rec'd as a sample pack today, it was good.)

They have a VERY affordable starter kit:

http://www.theartofshaving.com/shop/product/98034/1

I use the unscented(it still smells of clove, but not like a cologne)

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson

 

[TyMathews]

IMO pre-shave oil is mostly hype. Doesn't mean I haven't TRIED it, but honestly I don't think it does much of anything.

 

[Kohai999]

IMO pre-shave oil is mostly hype. Doesn't mean I haven't TRIED it, but honestly I don't think it does much of anything.

I have very thick, tough facial hair, and noticed much less pulling of hair and a smoother overall glide with the pre-shave oil.

Honestly, at about $20.00 a bottle, it isn't a major investment for a new DE shaver to try, and see for themselves.

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson

 

[Gollnick]

one is what appears to be a really nice slim handled, Black Beauty adjustable

I've got one of those... courtesy of Steve. And it's a great shaver. I suspect that you'll be quite satisfied with it.

For now just need advice on a good place to buy pre-shave oil and cream.

I'm not a pre-shave oil user. I have oily skin and so any oil product isn't a good idea for me. I personnally prefer soap to cream (though I have only used one cream and liked it too). My personal favorites are:

http://www.thegentlemensquarter.com/category.php?cid=1

I can tell this is gonna be fun:thumbup:

It really is, actually. I am preventing myself from becoming a shaving hobbiest, but I do allow myself to enjoy DE shaving. And, of course, the superior shave is something to enjoy itself.

Lately, I've been using the Black Beauty and getting great shaves from it with Feather Blades. Today, I switched to a new Super Iridium blade in my Futur for the first time. This is a new blade that's fairly recently appeared on the American market. It's made by Petersberg Products International of St. Petersberg, Russia. In the last 90s, Gillette bought 100% of the shares of Petersberg Products. They kept it as a separate company, though wholely owned by Gillette. In the mid 2000s, Gillette began putting some of the stock on the public market... in Russia. Today, Gillette remains the majority share holder, but it is an independent company. 100% of their exports to America are to Gillette and the bills list the contents as "Razor Blade Cartridges." I wonder which Gillette cartridges are made by Petersberg?

Anyway, these DE blades are not intended for the US market and do not get into the US through Gillette distribution.

Based on one shave with one so far, they seem like a great blade, very close the legendary Feather and for less than half the cost. Of course, I'll need to put three or four dozen shaves in with them before I'll make any conclusions since durability and consistency are very important to me.

 

[Gollnick]

Here's a thought:

Gillette Fusion handle with two blade cartridges $11
180 Days @ 10 saves-per-cartrige (optimistic by most reports) = 18 cartridges
Cartriged come six/package so you'll need to buy three more packages at $25 each = $75
So, for your first 180 shaves, your total cost with Fusion is $86.

A brand new Merkur Futur (a very well-reputed and high-end razor indeed) retails for $65 (maybe less if you shop around).
180 Days @ 4 shaves-per-blade (and most DE blades will deliver six or eight shaves) = 45 blades.
Bic Chrome Platinum blades are 100 for $20 typically. So, to get 180 shaves, you'll need just $10 worth of blades.

So, for your first 180 shaves, your total cost with Futur is $75.

While a $65 razor may seem extravagant when you can get a Fusion for eleven bucks, you will save a real $11 in the first six months.

And what about the second six months? With Fusion, you'll need another three packages of cartridges for $75. With Futur, you'll need $10 more worth of blades. So, you'll save $65.

And the second year? With Fusion, you'll need six more packages of cartridges for $150 (this would shock most men away from Fusion, but you won't buy them all at once... it's a slow bleed, so nobody notices it). With Futur, you'll need to spend another twenty bucks for another 100 blades, but that will be more than enough for a full year. This is a very real $130 savings.



This is making optimistic estimates of blade life with Fusion and pesimistic estimates with Futur. I think your actual savings will be two or three times what I've estimated here. And this is very real savings. Once you've purchased your razor (and if you can get a nice Gillette TTO off of eBay for $20, then all the better) and bought your $20 pack of 100 blades, you will stop buying a $25 package of cartriges every other month for a whole year. This will be a very real savings. Of course, you've got to spend $85 up-front vs. eleven bucks with Fusion and you've got to think about accumulating that savings over the course of the year. In this respect, DE Shaving is the thnking man's shaving and saving method.

 

[Durwood]

Thanks for the tips and insight guys:thumbup: With any luck at all I should be trying out one or more of my new found double edges by this coming weekend.

I'm going to ease up on buying razors a bit now and concentrate on finding my preferences for blades, creams, brushes etc once they arrive. I have some of these accessory items coming too in entry to mid level price ranges.

What's kind of odd is today (I was off work) I started Jonesin' to try out a double edge so I scoured 3 local flea markets and not one was to be found in any condition. Guess, I'll be waiting on the mail

 

[Kohai999]

What's kind of odd is today (I was off work) I started Jonesin' to try out a double edge so I scoured 3 local flea markets and not one was to be found in any condition. Guess, I'll be waiting on the mail

Nothing odd about that, Durwood.

"Society"(razor companies/advertising agencies) tells us that the new/better is THE BEST...it ain't.....my face knows that given a supple wrist, and attention to detail, that a DE shave is superior....but most of the buying public doesn't care enough to pay attention to what might be better.

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson

 

[cybrok]

I'm not a pre-shave oil user. I have oily skin and so any oil product isn't a good idea for me. I personnally prefer soap to cream (though I have only used one cream and liked it too). My personal favorites are:

http://www.thegentlemensquarter.com/category.php?cid=1

+1 on everything he said.

The lady who cuts my hair used to be a barber to, she just mixed vitamin E to the lather. Most shave oils are too expensive, especially AOS and T&H. If my shave prep is good and my lather is good, the shave oil is useless.

Check this thread, no need to register:
http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?t=9745&highlight=kyle+prep

Or if you are too lazy to read:
[youtube]PwIP9K2VKXY[/youtube]


You can buy samples from the site Gollnick gave. Most of my soaps and cream now are from TGQ.

Try it, seriously.

 

[TyMathews]

Mantic's youtube vids are great. Mark is a really good guy and has put a lot of time into making shaving easier for everyone.

-Tye

 

[Gollnick]

+1 on everything he said.

Thanks for your vote of confidence.

I should make clear that I have only ever tried three soaps, Classic, C&E, and TGQ. I couldn't get a decent lather from C&E. I liked Classic. And I love TGQ. But, I haven't tried some of the more expensive soaps. The Truefitt & Hill Luxury Soap is particularly well-recommended on the forums and, someday, I suppose I will have to get a cake just to try it. But, given how good I find TGQ, I'm just not sure how much better anything else could possibly be.

I have only tried one cream, Vars. I like it. But I like soap a bit better since I get a lighter lather from soap than from Vars. I like Vars, though. For travel, cream in a tube is more convenient.

I have never tried a pre-shave oil. I don't have anything against them. But, for my complexion, I just don't think it would be a good idea. I'm sure that, for many other guys, it's the way to go. I always complete my shave with a liberal splash of rubbing alcohol. I know that the thought of that makes a lot of other guys blanch. But it's right for me. And that's why there are so many different products out there.

I spent my first month of DE shaving largely focused on technique. Then, once I was getting consistently-good shaves, I spend the rest of the first year focused on blades. I've now tried eleven different brands, most of the commonly-available blades. I'm pretty much done with blades now. I'll finish up my evaluation of Super Irridiums, but I'm not going to turn into one of those guys you see in the other forums for whom experiencing every brand of razor blade made in the world becomes a lifequest. You're not going to see me posting a review of Taliblade Islamic Shaving Blades that I found in a back-ally stall in a street market in a village in the province of RehlaRehlaBad in Nohunderstan where I had gone following 36 vaccinations and signing waivers with the State Department on my vacation in search of heretofore undiscovered razor blades. No. I'm pretty much wrapping up my active blade exploration phase.

I had not planned to do anything with any other razors, but Steve changed that plan. Now, I'm enjoying broadening my shaving experience in this dimension,. But, I'm also not going to turn into one of those guys you see on the other forums for whom shaving with every razor ever made is their life's goal. You're not going to see me posting a review of the Quick Cut Razor from the Happy Smokestack Manufacturing Company of Dihg Dung China. Nope.

Eventually, I will explore lathering a bit more, but I'm not going to become one of those latheraholics you see on the other forums whose biggest thrill in life is trying a new shaving cream. I sort of like to try and plan the biggest thrill of the day later in the evening so that I have something to look forward too, so that the day isn't downhill before I'm even out of the bathroom.

And that's my approach to this thing. I'm enjoying a little exploration here. I'm enjoying my shaving. But I'm not allowing myself to become obcessed with it. Afterall, that's what knives are for.

 

[C.S. Graves]

"Society"(razor companies/advertising agencies) tells us that the new/better is THE BEST...it ain't.....my face knows that given a supple wrist, and attention to detail, that a DE shave is superior....but most of the buying public doesn't care enough to pay attention to what might be better.

You'd think razor companies would still be pushing DE's and their blades due to what I can only assume would be a far lower cost of manufacturing the latter... is this marketing of increasingly bulky, costly and wasteful blades just a way to get more money out of consumers, or is it an attempt to appease the uncoordinated and inattentive shaver?

 

[Gollnick]

Calling my DE razor "old fashioned" or "classic" is like calling my computer old fashioned because it plugs into to wall with an old-fashioned Hubbell plug dating back to 1904 (that's right, the AC power plug we use for most household appliances -- including the latest PC's HDTV big-screen plasma panels, gaming consoles, satellite receivers, etc. -- dates back to 1904. The third prong for ground was added in 1926, BTW.) When Harvey Hubbell figured out a better, more convenient, safer way to use the new electric cloths irons and kitchen mixers which were starting to make their way into households, he hadn't the slightest idea that someday we would be plugging in devices no bigger than a shoebox that could calculate answers faster than a whole building full of mathematicians. He had no idea of sound... much less video... much less most of the collected knowledge of mankind coming into your living room over these wires. No. But that's what we do with his invention today.

The fact that the shape of the blade in my razor dates back to the 1920s doesn't mean anything more that the fact that the shape of the power plug on my PC dates back to the 1920s. King Gillette had no more idea about blades that are chromium-ceramic, platinum, tungsten, and polymer coated than Harvey Hubbell had about the Internet. Today's blades and products are so much more advanced than anything old King Gillette ever conceived of that the only thing left of his is the shape of the blade... same as the shape of my PC's plug. There is as much old-fashioned about the modern DE shaver as there is old-fashioned about the modern PC.

 

[ltcnav]

check out http://www.vintagebladesllc.com, also try Duluth Trading. Like my Merkur Classic short handle, been using an italian cream (green tube), can't remember the name. Ran out so ordered cake soap from Vintage blades, plus a better brush and stand and some Bay Rum aftershave, trying "old school", just sticking with Merkur blades so far.

 

[Will Power]

All I know is, I look forward to a shave when using the DE method. The afterglow is significant too, job well done. Just how close can you go.....