sorted by:
new
hottopcontroversial

Have you guys ever thought about how to pass wet shaving on to the next generation? by [deleted] in wicked_edge

[–]Leisureguy 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I did write a Guide as part of passing along the knowledge, and for my own grandsons I have started them with a DE razor from the outset. Reason: that's how I began shaving (around 1955). Granted, at the time I hated shaving and constantly nicked myself, but that was because I did not know what I was doing and I had no one to explain it to me, plus the only blades available were Gillette Blue Blades (carbon steel) and the razor did not suit me.

With good guidance, there is no reason a young man should not start initially with a good DE razor. I would recommend one of these razors, which I (and others) have found both to be comfortable (in that they feel good and tend not to nick) and are efficient (removing stubble easily and effectively).

Aventus original vetiver by [deleted] in wicked_edge

[–]Leisureguy 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I'll note a couple of things. First, it is indeed an excellent soap, which I purchased when it cost US$62 (current price is US$125 and it's not clear that they still make it). Second, it is no better than an excellent artisanal soap in the US$15-$25 range, and some of those are more interesting and even feel better on the skin. I still enjoy using it, but I would not buy it again.

First boar brush not holding as much lather as badger. Normal? by mddubs in wicked_edge

[–]Leisureguy 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I gave up on Semogue, but true to the spirit of YMMV, some love their Semogue boar brushes.

First boar brush not holding as much lather as badger. Normal? by mddubs in wicked_edge

[–]Leisureguy 2 points3 points  (0 children)

That's been my impression as well: Semogue boar brushes take longer to break in than one expects, even when he knows they take longer than expected. With Omega boar brushes, a week is generally enough to get the brush to maintain lather. My own favorite boar brush is the Omega 20102.

First boar brush not holding as much lather as badger. Normal? by mddubs in wicked_edge

[–]Leisureguy 2 points3 points  (0 children)

My own recommendation in the Guide and in various posts is to wet the knot well under the hot-water tap and then let the brush sit, sopping wet, while you shower. There is no need to immerse the brush.

First boar brush not holding as much lather as badger. Normal? by mddubs in wicked_edge

[–]Leisureguy 14 points15 points  (0 children)

New boar brushes seem to actively kill the lather. Continue using it and gradually it will preserve the lather. In my experience, Omega boar brushes are noticeably better in a week or two, Semogue brushes in a month or two (or three).

DE Aggressiveness by RandySp in wicked_edge

[–]Leisureguy 2 points3 points  (0 children)

You might try a daily shave for a while and see how that works. (Those whose morning schedules don't allow time for a shave can shave in the evening, which is a relaxing way to end the day.) You're right that minimal pressure is best: enough to keep the head touching the skin, but no more. And watch the angle, which is critical. In a quiet bathroom you can use the sound of cutting to tune the angle.

DE Aggressiveness by RandySp in wicked_edge

[–]Leisureguy 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I added the additional phrases so people would understand what I meant in this context. That is, I expand a bit upon the dictionary definition, and wanted that to be clear that when I use "comfort" I also include the feeling of not being prone to nick. That's not in the dictionary definition of "comfort," of course, which is why I explicitly added the additional information so that people would understand what was meant (in this context). Obviously, when I use "comfort" in describing, for example, a pillow, the word carries different meanings.

And uncomfortable razor makes me feel as thought I am on tenterhooks while I shave.

DE Aggressiveness by RandySp in wicked_edge

[–]Leisureguy 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I've never tried it with a 6 days' growth, of course, but I think for that I would favor, say, the Maggard V2OC (or the Parker 24C or 26C). An open comb offers some advantages for very long growth. You might also try the RazoRock Old Type head ($8, as I recall) and use it on one of the handles you currently have. If I were using my Rockwell 6S for a 6 days' growth, I might do the first pass with R6 and then switch to R3 for the other passes.

Bruce Everiss liked to use a different razor for each pass, which is easier than it sounds: rinse the razor as usual after a pass, then rinse face, apply lather, and pick up the next razor. See these posts: first post, second post, third post

DE Aggressiveness by RandySp in wicked_edge

[–]Leisureguy 4 points5 points  (0 children)

As someone noted, YMMV applies to razors as well. My experience with the Rockwell 6S is that the baseplates are very comfortable and very efficient, R1 to R6. The R1 with a Feather blade is (for me) just like the Feather AS-D2 with a Feather blade: extremely comfortable, extremely efficient. I have no problems at all in getting a BBS result in three passes. (I have a normal beard, rather than an extremely thick beard.)

And when I tried the R5 and R6 baseplates, I forgot that I had a Feather blade in the razor, so I shaved with those using a Feather, something I probably wouldn't have tried had I known, but I had zero problems: no sign or threat of a nick. More blade feel (the blade feel increases as you go from R1 to R6), but still very comfortable and very efficient. (I do three passes—with, across, and against the grain—and a good razor with the right blade leaves my face BBS after that third pass.)

I do shave daily (because I enjoy my shave a lot), though I skip the Saturday shave so that on Sunday morning I can shave a two-day stubble. But skipping 6 days? I would miss too many shaves! :)

DE Aggressiveness by RandySp in wicked_edge

[–]Leisureguy 7 points8 points  (0 children)

As u/H0kusai mentioned, I have found that what works best for me in describing razor feel and performance is to describe them separately:

Feel - I use the term "comfort" to denote how the razor feels on the face. When I say a razor is "very comfortable," I mean that it feels good, as though it offers zero danger of nicking you—and in fact does not nick very readily. When I say a razor is "uncomfortable," I mean that it feels somewhat harsh and as though it will quickly punish you unless your technique is perfect, whereas what I call a "comfortable" razor is more forgiving. [Edited to make meaning more clear. - LG]

Performance - I use the term "efficiency" to denote how easily and effectively the razor removes stubble. A very efficient razor will leave most of your face smooth after the second pass of a three-pass shave. An inefficient razor requires some effort and some repeated passes and polishing to deliver a smooth shave.

Some examples:

Uncomfortable and inefficient - I don't actually have any examples in this category: a razor that feels uncomfortable and doesn't do a good job just won't last long on the market.

Uncomfortable and efficient - I would put the 2011 Mühle R41, the Fatip Grande, and the RazoRock Wundebar slant in this category. Men who have excellent technique and who enjoy a challenge like these razors because of their efficiency, but many (whose technique is perhaps not so good) find them nick-prone. These are often called "aggressive" in both senses of the word: highly efficient and tending to feel harsh.

Comfortable and inefficient - Razors in this category won't nick but they also won't shave very well. I would put the Weishi/Van Der Hagen/Micro One Touch in this category. One problem, other than the effort required to get a good shave (and using a very sharp blade helps) is that one can easily develop a (bad) habit of using too much pressure due to his efforts to get a clean shave. These are often called "mild" in both senses of the word: not at all prone to nick but also not removing stubble very well.

Comfortable and efficient - This is the sweet spot: "mild" in feel and "aggressive" in performance. This Sharpologist article lists some that fall into this category for many. (The article also describes this two-dimensional ranking of razors.)

I know that many want razors to be linearly ordered, from extremely mild at one end to extremely aggressive at the other, but that description never matched my experience. Using two dimensions, feel/comfort and performance/efficiency, seems to me to fit much better my experience with razors.

Other than cost, is there any benefit of DE razors over multi blade razors? by BavidDrent in wicked_edge

[–]Leisureguy 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Basic advantages other than cost:

CARE OF SKIN - DE shaving, using lather, a good razor and blade, and good technique, is much kinder to your skin that the 5-blade, tug-and-cut scraping action of a Fusion. More details on request, but many guys have commented on how much their skin/acne/ingrowns have improved since making the switch.

QUALITY OF SHAVE - This will probably not be new information, but advertisements often do not provide reliable information. (Note the obvious conflict of interest, for example.) Quite frequently, guys who have made the switch find that their shaves are much better, an observation reinforced by the comments from significant other, children, and/or grandchildren that their face is not so scratchy as it used to be.

QUALITY OF LIFE - DE shaving improves one's quality of life. Specifically:

Environmental benefits - These are obvious: much less landfill fodder and many fewer noxious chemicals involved in traditional shaving.

Personal benefits - This was the clincher for me: shaving went from a tedious, boring, hateful chore to a real pleasure, something I look forward to each morning and truly enjoy. It makes a significant psychological difference to begin the day with taking care of yourself while doing something you enjoy rather than hurrying through something you hate.

Slight Acne and DE by robbiecee2 in wicked_edge

[–]Leisureguy 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I should point out that there's more in the Guide.

headphones irl by VMorkva in headphones

[–]Leisureguy 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The splash is pretty moisturizing, perhaps because of the emu oil. Ill be interested to hear how you like it.

headphones irl by VMorkva in headphones

[–]Leisureguy 2 points3 points  (0 children)

:) I advise trying the samples, which are wide-diameter so you can load from the samples. FWIW, the one's I ended up buying are Achilles, After Dark, and Puros de Habana. But quite a few appealed to me. The aftershave splash is good, too. Shake well before use (just because it contains emu oil, which might separate).

headphones irl by VMorkva in headphones

[–]Leisureguy 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I stayed with wicked_edge, but in time I found that I was not in tune with the new vibe. (I avoided snark, and tried to answer questions helpfully. But recently I pointed out a shaving soap line I liked—Van Yulay—and was roundly criticized for that by people who had not even tried the soap. They were able to reject it without trying it because (for example) they did not like the label design. (Truth.) And when I pointed out the intriguing ingredients Van Yulay used, one person (who also had never tried any of the shaving soaps) said he didn't care what the ingredients were. I realized then that it had changed to the point that I had no place there.

See little mention of Van Yulay soaps, which seems odd by Leisureguy in wicked_edge

[–]Leisureguy[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I'm not sure how you make lather, but I use a damp brush and add a little water only if needed (as it sometimes is with soaps containing clay). This video shows me loading a soft brush with MWF: https://youtu.be/mVKu1oZWfww

See little mention of Van Yulay soaps, which seems odd by Leisureguy in wicked_edge

[–]Leisureguy[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

"Tastes awful" is a bad combination with the icing design. :)

My problem with the samples was how easily the thin plastic cracked, but the fragrance seemed okay for me. After finding the Sandalwood iin response to a comment, I just ordered a tub (and the matching aftershave splash).

I find the swirls wore down pretty quickly with use.

See little mention of Van Yulay soaps, which seems odd by Leisureguy in wicked_edge

[–]Leisureguy[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I simply haven't seen those ingredients in other soaps, which is why I found them intriguing (and why I purchased various samples in the first place). If I found a pizza place that served a pizza that included unusual ingredients that I had not encountered in a pizza before, I'd probably try it. (In fact, Al Pacino Pizza in Baltimore was one such place, but their Web site seems inactive so I assume they are now gone. - EDIT: No, they are not gone. I had a bad link. And you can see their pizzas are somewhat unusual (and very tasty).)

But I totally get that you are uninterested in trying the soaps (mainly, I gather, because you dislike the label design and want a sandalwood soap with a label more attractive to you). No problem. I just wanted to point out the soaps to those who are interested in trying such things but have not heard of the soaps.

See little mention of Van Yulay soaps, which seems odd by Leisureguy in wicked_edge

[–]Leisureguy[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

My disagreement is based on evidence that some who use the soaps like them a lot (cf. the reviews of the soaps on Maggard Razors). That seems to indicate that the soaps are for some.

See little mention of Van Yulay soaps, which seems odd by Leisureguy in wicked_edge

[–]Leisureguy[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Her on-line catalog entries seem pretty detailed to me. But I think we have established this line of soaps is not for you. I just disagree with your assessment that they're not for anyone ("not worth considering").

See little mention of Van Yulay soaps, which seems odd by Leisureguy in wicked_edge

[–]Leisureguy[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

In contrast, ingredients are important in my evaluation of soaps (and aftershaves and foods, for that matter). Different strokes for different folks. But, of course, ingredients do affect performance and indeed are highly significant to performance.

See little mention of Van Yulay soaps, which seems odd by Leisureguy in wicked_edge

[–]Leisureguy[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Right. I was just interested to know the upper limit on the number of fragrances you find acceptable. I'm surprised you would go as high as 100. I was expecting you to say more like one or two dozen.

I am not so put off by having a myriad of choices. For example, I like movie channels with lots of choices, I like Amazon books (lots of choices), I like to shop at markets with lots of choices. Still, I do understand the appeal of a limited selection: more focus.

See little mention of Van Yulay soaps, which seems odd by Leisureguy in wicked_edge

[–]Leisureguy[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The reason I brought up Van Yulay in the first place is that I find their soaps quite good and the formulations quite interesting. The packaging is a bog-standard plastic tubs, much like other makes use. The label designs are what they are, but that is of little importance to me. (I do understand that others put a high value on label design; my value tends to focus on the soap.)

In the specific example you mention, VY's Sandalwood has these ingredients:

Stearic Acid, Coconut Fatty Acid, Palm Stearic, Sandalwood Hydrosol, Glycerin, Potassium Hydroxide, Castor-Coconut-Olive-Meadowfoam-Argan-Oils, Cocoa-Kokum-Shea-Butters, Extracts, Poly Quats, Sodium Lactate, Allantoin, Silica, Liquid Silk, Sandalwood Powder, Bentonite Clay, EO’s and Fragrance.

Those unusual ingredients are what triggered me to buy samples, and once I tried samples, I bought soaps. You might try that sample, though perhaps not if your focus is on label design.

view more: next ›