Safety razors

[lyingonyourdriveway]

Ive been meaning to post this for a while now

I was antiquing and i noticed in a display case a bunch of old gilette and other safety razors from the 60s and earlier.

Thinking about the small craze on mens forums about the use of safety razors, i bought one of the nicer ones to actually try to resell, rofl.

of course, ebay is flooded with antique razors so instead of selling it, i bought some blades and have been using it for a couple months now.

this is easily the best razor i have ever used

this exact razor: http://cgi.ebay.ca/Gillette-Double-Edge-Butterfly-Safety-Razor-TTO_W0QQitemZ260036169004QQihZ016QQcategoryZ35989QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

it provides the smoothest shave, the least irritated face and with my neck and sharp jawlines, is able to actually remove all the hair from those hard to get places

i am so happy with it, and how long the blades last. I suggest everyone to try it out, the handles are cheap, the blades are cheap, why not?

[denimdestroyedmylife]

that's a handsome razor.

i can definitely see the appeal of collecting vintage razors.

i remember seeing my grandfather's old razor. i wish i had taken it.

[hawkeye]

I agree, my safety razor has been one of the best investments I have ever made. I'm positive that I have already paid for the razor with the money I have saved paying for expensive blades. I think it's about $1 for 10 at the neighborhood pharmacy and they last so long.

[denimdestroyedmylife]

i like to change blades after a couple shaves, just because i like the sharpness and what the fuck, it's less than 10 cents.

[englandmj7]

One time I was shaving my anus........

Safety razors are awesome.

[cheapmuthafukr]

^^and it has never been so smooth. thanks for that england... the rug burn was killing me

[minya]

Are they hard to use? I wouldn't mind switching since I always seem to end up with a few blood spots every time I shave. Either I suck at shaving or modern razors just don't agree with my face.

[englandmj7]

^^ You have to take it slow and practice for the first couple weeks. Also, depending on how sensitive your skin is, different brands of blades will suit you more. Derby makes a lighter, ever so slightly less sharp blade (these are what I use), than say, Feather does. Check out Badger & Blade and you can pick up some razor sampler packs. If you do get a safety razor, I will send you a pack of Derbys for free. I have shitloads.

^^and it has never been so smooth. thanks for that england... the rug burn was killing me

I always put my lover first. Remember when you shaved your whole body so we could wrestle in rancid butter?

[cheapmuthafukr]

I always put my lover first. Remember when you shaved your whole body so we could wrestle in rancid butter?

ahhhh..... yeah.... how could i forget? and the derby blades worked so much better than my mach 3...

[eastcoastrider27]

I have a 1940's Gillette Superspeed. It's really nice.

I bought 100 Israeli blades on ebay for $20, so I change the blade every Monday.

As far as cutting your face goes, it's not an issue at all. As long as you don't drag the blad side to side, you won't cut yourself. I haven't cut myself in the four months I've been shaving with a DE.

[snugglepony]

blade sample packs

[lyingonyourdriveway]

Yeah, i have yet to cut my face as well, and as ive been shaving with the razor more and more, i am not as slow and gentle as when i started

they are extremely easy to use. Some areas such as your neck, its akward at first angling the blade so that you can feel the edge running against your skin removing the hair. but you will get used to it.

i own a gillette excell, a mach3, a quattro and a fusion, and i find as the blades increase, the surface area of the damn thing proves to be too great to get anything more than the flat expanses of your cheeks. +

[PQRS7]

bumping this up

I'm tired of paying $16 for four fusion cartridges

looking to get a double-edge safety razor

any suggestions of where to buy, and what to look for?

I like the brand feather.

[scfdefinit]

^ www.classicshaving.com

has a lot of stuff. I've ordered from them before and my stuff came in 2 days. So I recommend them.

There's a bunch of styles of DE safety razors. Open comb, closed comb, butterfly, adjustable... The badger and blade forum has a bunch of reviews.

Can't go wrong with a Merkur "Heavy Duty" or "Hefty Classic" though. The long one with the barber pole is a favorite amongst many wetshavers.

[Vitamian]

Safety razors are the best alternative to straight razors if you want a quality shave.

[pikler]

I was just about to buy the basic DE feather

but

$11.54 for shipping?

http://cgi.ebay.com/Feather-Double-Edge-Safety-Razor-n-Travel-Case-NIB-3-in_W0QQitemZ350027791687QQihZ022QQcategoryZ40945QQtcZphotoQQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp1742.m153.l1262

[shut up alex]

i bought a merkur sr from an art of shaving store in vegas. i think they sell them at nordstoms too

[Crhistoph]

If you start going on the Badger and Blade forums this safety razor stuff can become a bit of an addiction.

I now have:

Razor: Merkur 34C (Great starter razor)

Blades: Got a 100 or so Derbys to start but I'll be doing a sampler back after these.

Brush: Taylors of Old Bond St. 2236

Shaving Soaps: 2x Floris JF. DR Harris Arlington. 2x Sandalwood Vanilla from Mama Bear.

Aftershave: Nivea Extra Sensitive ASB and an alum block.

Colognes: Creed Green Irish Tweed. Floris JF. Prada for Men.

[Got It 4 Cheap]

Recommend classic shaving, Will, the owner, is real helpful. Have purchased several Mastro Livi and Zowada straight razors, I realize this is a "safety razor" thread, but fyi...

[hamburga]

http://bestgroomingtools.com/ is cheaper probably the cheapest site

[TheIntelligentHoodwinker]

Was looking at a safety razor yesterday... The guy in Taylors of Old Bond Street actually ended up putting me off. I'm convinced i'll butcher myself.

The thing is, I get so irritated shaving with a Mach 3 blade I might make the switch.

[carlanton]

I've used safety razors exlusively for the last 4 years, and you can't really compare it to using newer Gilette razors. The internet is flooded with instructions on how to use them, but here are my personal tips.

First, let your beard grow for a couple of days and study how the hairs are growing. No beard is the same, so you have to know the direction of your hair before you start shaving. Then, use very hot water and lather up with a high quality shaving soap. I prefer to buy shaving soaps with as little ingridients as possible, no parabenes, alcohol or sodium laurate sulphate. Let it sit in for a while, then start shaving in the direction of the growth. When you are finished, lather up the soap again and shave again, this time across the growth. Some people shave against the growth, but i always cut myself when i try this. Shaving across the grain will result in an equally smooth shave.

Then I just rinse with really cold water and pat dry with a towel. I rarely use a moisturizer, as it's not really needed.

[conqueror]

i have been growing a beard for the last 3 months - i used to hate shaving until i discovered DE razors (about 2.5 years ago) but now i actually miss it.

[TheIntelligentHoodwinker]

I've used safety razors exlusively for the last 4 years, and you can't really compare it to using newer Gilette razors. The internet is flooded with instructions on how to use them, but here are my personal tips.

First, let your beard grow for a couple of days and study how the hairs are growing. No beard is the same, so you have to know the direction of your hair before you start shaving. Then, use very hot water and lather up with a high quality shaving soap. I prefer to buy shaving soaps with as little ingridients as possible, no parabenes, alcohol or sodium laurate sulphate. Let it sit in for a while, then start shaving in the direction of the growth. When you are finished, lather up the soap again and shave again, this time across the growth. Some people shave against the growth, but i always cut myself when i try this. Shaving across the grain will result in an equally smooth shave.

Then I just rinse with really cold water and pat dry with a towel. I rarely use a moisturizer, as it's not really needed.

I pretty much do the same, aside from the blade. I'm 34, and have always had issues with shaving irritation. I've tried everything - from high street chemists to the specialist shaving shops in Mayfair. Currently using soap from DR Harris, with a badger hair brush, Mach 3 blade, and Proraso preshave - it's about the best combo i've found, but still not great.

I've read that safety razors are better for irritation, but didn't like the sound of adjusting the blade til I find the right setting. I appreciate they'll take some getting used to, but am reluctant to butcher myself in the process!

They don't seem expensive though, so will probably give it a go. Or grow a beard.

[branespload]

I've read that safety razors are better for irritation, but didn't like the sound of adjusting the blade til I find the right setting. I appreciate they'll take some getting used to, but am reluctant to butcher myself in the process!

They don't seem expensive though, so will probably give it a go. Or grow a beard.

Not all safety razors are adjustable. A good beginner razor like the Merkur 34C or Edwin Jagge de89lbl have one setting and are pretty forgiving but can produce a nice shave. The key to no irritation is great prep, then good technique. Soften your whiskers and hydrate your face so you dont tug or pull hair, and good technique so it comes off cleanly in reductive passes without you needing to apply pressure or stroke over one spot too many times..

[ThePhysicist]

warm shave or cold shave?

my skin feels a lot better when i cold shave. my guess is that it doesn't open up all your pores and make your skin soft and susceptible to the blade. shave is real clean with the cold water. saves time too.

[TheIntelligentHoodwinker]

My wife got me one of these for my birthday.

Used it once so far and I think i'm going to really like it.

First off, blades cost next to nothing! Result. Sick of forking out £12 for Mach 3 carts.

Was pretty simple to use. Was very cautious at first, but by the end was pretty confident. No cuts.

Shaved on Sunday morning, and had more growth on Monday morning than I'd usually get. Yes - this is a good thing IMO. I think the problem with Mach 3s for me was that that they'd shave TOO well. My face would be super, super smooth, but also way more prone to ingrowing hairs, redness and whiteheads once my beard started growing back.

They look way doper than a Mach blade on a handle. :-)

[mr.invincible]

i have trouble prepping my face.

 

ive used feather blades and it doesnt cut as well as some people have claimed. i do nick my myself from time to time. 

[conqueror]

feathers are pretty much the sharpest blades on the market, if they aren't cutting well enough then your prep + lather is probably lacking. look up some tutorials by geofatboy and mantic on youtube.

[mr.invincible]

thanks, mayng. will definitely check those out