Straight or DE razor fans?

[slayer9019]

Thought I'd see if there was any shared interest in my new in straight razors and double edge safety razors. I personally like it better than the regular razors and it is hellva lot cheaper when you shave your face everyday and your entire one leg every other week to get tattooed/drawn on. I know my father got a kick out of it as he grew up on them and "moved off of the ancient technology" Anyone else use em?

[smiling.politely]

I've started buying a few here and there from antique shops, with plans for the future to try and restore them as best I can, then set up to use them. Thankfully, with a background in fine art sculpture, I know a lot about finishing steel and honing blades... casting new scales in various resins would even be pretty simple.

I also made a sculpture of one from cast aluminium and birch plywood that opens to be 12 feet long.

[jade1955]

@slayer9019 I was watching YouTube a couple of months ago and I just happened to watch a video made by this guy

Shave Nation Shaving Page. Visit ShaveNation.com - YouTube. He posts some really great reviews of various shaving products and tutorials on shaving technique.

I've now gone back to using a DE razor and have spent a shit load of cash on shaving products from Baxter of California & L'Occitane and a nice Edwin Jagger safety razor I only use that stuff at the weekend as a treat as it's expensive. This weekend it's Baxter of California products (how sad is this?). I also bought a straight razor shavette. Cut the shit out myself trying that out. Can you believe I thought that was pretty funny. I will learn though as some of those straight razors are truly beautiful and give the best shave possible. Next on the list though is a decent shaving brush.

There is no doubt you get a better shave with a DE razor and like you said it's cheap. The blades work out at less than £3 for 10 and they will last about 8 weeks.

I've even started to collect vintage razors from ebay for a display.

Watching videos of a man shaving and buying old razors ?????? This is either a healthy new interest or I'm having some sort of mental meltdown :cool:

[kylegrey]

A while back I found this guide to getting started

http://boingboing.net/2012/08/25/switching-to-a-straight-razor.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+boingboing/iBag+(Boing+Boing)

[slayer9019]

@slayer9019 I was watching YouTube a couple of months ago and I just happened to watch a video made by this guy

Shave Nation Shaving Page. Visit ShaveNation.com - YouTube. He posts some really great reviews of various shaving products and tutorials on shaving technique.

I've now gone back to using a DE razor and have spent a shit load of cash on shaving products from Baxter of California & L'Occitane and a nice Edwin Jagger safety razor I only use that stuff at the weekend as a treat as it's expensive. This weekend it's Baxter of California products (how sad is this?). I also bought a straight razor shavette. Cut the shit out myself trying that out. Can you believe I thought that was pretty funny. I will learn though as some of those straight razors are truly beautiful and give the best shave possible. Next on the list though is a decent shaving brush.

There is no doubt you get a better shave with a DE razor and like you said it's cheap. The blades work out at less than £3 for 10 and they will last about 8 weeks.

I've even started to collect vintage razors from ebay for a display.

Watching videos of a man shaving and buying old razors ?????? This is either a healthy new interest or I'm having some sort of mental meltdown :cool:

I'm glad to know I'm not then only guy here that is having a mental brakedow.....I mean has a new hobby. I am personally waiting until I feel a bit more comfortable with the DE before I go for the straight edge. At which point I am eyeing up a fancy dovo but I gotta take this one step at a time. Startup cost is a bit much.

Also anyone here check out the store the art of shaving?

[gougetheeyes]

Love me some straight razors. Funny story, one of the very first guys I was tattooed by -- Matt Lautar at Great Southern on Rt. 1 in MD -- gave me my first straight razor. We were talking during the tattoo and I mentioned being intrigued by them, etc. and when we finished up he opened a drawer filled with old ones. He fished one out and said, "Ok, here you go, this can be the start to your collection."

I've gotten a few since then, a couple from my grandfather and another from a friend. Had 'em all hanging up and then we moved so now I gotta find another spot for 'em.

The weird thing is that I love shaving and all those products and would love to get a nice razor but I usually have a beard... so I never really get to use all the fun stuff! Maybe this summer. Art of Shaving has some great stuff and I know this place had a beginner's package deal on straight razors that included a how-to but I can't seem to find it now.. Vintage Straight Razor | Home | VintageStraightRazor.com

[JTJTJT]

I love Straight razors I have 3, a restored bone one, an ebony dovo and a non branded one from solingen. Down in Wales there's a few shops that sell them. I've found though that being lazy I don't use them as often as I should so for the most part I shave with a 'shavette' (a straight razor shaped DE) although if I ever need to go to an event I will shave with my straight

[slayer9019]

I love Straight razors I have 3, a restored bone one, an ebony dovo and a non branded one from solingen. Down in Wales there's a few shops that sell them. I've found though that being lazy I don't use them as often as I should so for the most part I shave with a 'shavette' (a straight razor shaped DE) although if I ever need to go to an event I will shave with my straight

Which shavette are you using? I head the Parker is the best while the others are kinda too floppy and get you cut up.

[JTJTJT]

Which shavette are you using? I head the Parker is the best while the others are kinda too floppy and get you cut up.

Just a fiver one from ebay, word to the wise though: do not use a new blade every time. A double edged razor blade is a lot sharper than a straight and really unforgiving so you really need to steam and lube up your face, and invest in some styptic matches ;p

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http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=251251369770 Theres the exact one

[heathenist]

I haven't used this service, but was really looking into getting a straight for a while, but decided to wait until I had more time and money, but I came across this site which is very reputable in the straight razor community, this guy restores vintage straights and sells them really cheap. The only catch is that you don't know what you're getting in terms of how it looks. All you know if that it's probably a good beginner razor and it's already properly honed and in good condition. Also sells really affordable strops and brushes.

Whipped Dog Straight Razor Shaving Equipment

I've been using a DE for the last 2-3 years and I'm very happy with it. I highly suggest getting a shower mirror and shaving in the shower, it makes shaving out of the shower seem terrible.

[heathenist]

I haven't used this service, but was really looking into getting a straight for a while, but decided to wait until I had more time and money, but I came across this site which is very reputable in the straight razor community, this guy restores vintage straights and sells them really cheap. The only catch is that you don't know what you're getting in terms of how it looks. All you know if that it's probably a good beginner razor and it's already properly honed and in good condition. Also sells really affordable strops and brushes.

Whipped Dog Straight Razor Shaving Equipment

I've been using a DE for the last 2-3 years and I'm very happy with it. I highly suggest getting a shower mirror and shaving in the shower, it makes shaving out of the shower seem terrible.

EDIT: DON'T SHAVE IN THE SHOWER WITH A STRAIGHT RAZOR!

[jade1955]

I'm glad to know I'm not then only guy here that is having a mental brakedow.....I mean has a new hobby. I am personally waiting until I feel a bit more comfortable with the DE before I go for the straight edge. At which point I am eyeing up a fancy dovo but I gotta take this one step at a time. Startup cost is a bit much.

Also anyone here check out the store the art of shaving?

Haha yeah. The startup cost is quite a bit but when you look at the price of a top end electric shaver it's comparable. A qualty razor will last longer than its owner.

That store Art of Shaving looks very good. I'll do some fantasy internet shopping later.

[slayer9019]

Haha yeah. The startup cost is quite a bit but when you look at the price of a top end electric shaver it's comparable. A qualty razor will last longer than its owner.

That store Art of Shaving looks very good. I'll do some fantasy internet shopping later.

Yea the startup cost is high but damn these things last (and hold their value unlike electrics or disposables). I got an Art of Shaving actually pretty close to my house that I am going to swing by. I keep hearing their sandalwood stuff is pretty nice.

@heathenist yea straight razor in the shower doesn't seem like a good idea! I might order a straight off that site you linked though.

[jade1955]

Just a fiver one from ebay, word to the wise though: do not use a new blade every time. A double edged razor blade is a lot sharper than a straight and really unforgiving so you really need to steam and lube up your face, and invest in some styptic matches ;p

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STRAIGHT CUTTHROAT RAZOR + 40 BLADES + 20 STYPTIC MATCHES [ same day dispatch ] | eBay Theres the exact one

Thats very interesting I tried a shavette for the first time (with a new blade) and guess what? I cut the crap out of myself.

[heathenist]

I use AoS lavender shave cream. I bought one of the big tubs of it for like $25 or something in March of LAST year, I haven't even gone through 1/4 of it, and I shave 3-4 times a week. It smells amazing and lathers really well, definitely worth the money. Don't bother with the preshave oil though, I got a few samples and it's pretty awful, clogs up the razor, doesn't work all that well. Instead, I use almond oil as a preshave, it's cheap, lasts forever, and works really well.

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Also, I've heard pretty bad things about most shavettes, I'd caution against them, particularly the cheapo ones/cheapo blades, I'd say the same thing about cheapo straights, it's definitely something you want to buy quality, not some made in China $12 special.

[JTJTJT]

Thats very interesting I tried a shavette for the first time (with a new blade) and guess what? I cut the crap out of myself.

Yea a couple of hints: firstly do the full face prep

(heat a flannel in the shower/under the bath taps until it's steaming hot then press to the face and repeat a couple of times, then make up your lather with proper soap and only lube up one cheek/section at a time (sections being cheek, cheek, sideburn, sideburn, neck, underside of chin, chin, top lip) if you do it in sections you a) can get away with cheaper soap and b) don't have to lather on 2 inches deep of soap)

Then if you're new to using a shavette nice trick is to cut into the cardboard inside of a loo roll to blunt it just a little around three cuts does it for me.

You HAVE TO and I can't emphasise this enough stretch the skin when shaving otherwise that's it its a splatter orgy.

http://www.dovorazors.com/page49.html my DOVO is the non gold version of this

[jade1955]

Yea a couple of hints: firstly do the full face prep

(heat a flannel in the shower/under the bath taps until it's steaming hot then press to the face and repeat a couple of times, then make up your lather with proper soap and only lube up one cheek/section at a time (sections being cheek, cheek, sideburn, sideburn, neck, underside of chin, chin, top lip) if you do it in sections you a) can get away with cheaper soap and b) don't have to lather on 2 inches deep of soap)

Then if you're new to using a shavette nice trick is to cut into the cardboard inside of a loo roll to blunt it just a little around three cuts does it for me.

You HAVE TO and I can't emphasise this enough stretch the skin when shaving otherwise that's it its a splatter orgy.

Many thanks for the advice. Much appreciated.

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Loving this thread lots of really great links.

[JTJTJT]

Also, I've heard pretty bad things about most shavettes, I'd caution against them, particularly the cheapo ones/cheapo blades, I'd say the same thing about cheapo straights, it's definitely something you want to buy quality, not some made in China $12 special.

I have a bunch of Straights and a Shavette is perfectly passable to use it's just a lot more unforgiving. Cheap Straights on the other hand are downright dangerous. At least the blade on a Shavette is basically just a DE blade and the quality is pretty good. Cheap straights are a whole different thing.

[Graeme]

If I ever start shaving I would like to get into this kind of stuff. I haven't shaved in almost twelve years though, don't see myself starting anytime soon.

[Mark Bee]

This is a clip from Jesse Thorn's new online series called "Put This On." The part about shaving with a DE razor begins at 3:18. Put This On • Put This On Episode 4: Grooming Jesse visits the...

The episodes are about 10 minutes long and cover a range of topics. There are good ones on buying good shoes and another on the production of denim.

I was inspired to start using a DE after watching this episode. (Inspired, yes, but my money seemed to disappear into other ventures.) I still intend to buy one of these razors in the near future. Thorn, by the way, is the host of the brilliant podcast "Bullseye," which originally aired as The Sound of Young America, on NPR. I also recommend his podcast "Jesse, Jordan, Go!"

[jade1955]

It's just gone 1am in the UK. I've taken the plunge and bought this.

A Dovo Dovo Red Black Star Straight Razor.

I blame you @slayer9019 ;)

[JTJTJT]

It's just gone 1am in the UK. I've taken the plunge and bought this.

A Dovo Dovo Red Black Star Straight Razor.

I blame you @slayer9019 ;)

Congrats!! That's a beautiful razor.

If you want a kit list give me a shout :)

[jade1955]

Congrats!! That's a beautiful razor.

If you want a kit list give me a shout :)

Will do many thanks.

[heathenist]

Put This On is a cool blog.

Also, I recommend searching antique stores for DEs, I found a ton of 1950s-60s Gillettes that are really solid and they were $8 each.

[jade1955]

Put This On is a cool blog.

Also, I recommend searching antique stores for DEs, I found a ton of 1950s-60s Gillettes that are really solid and they were $8 each.

Im aiming to get a small collection and get a display case made by this small company in Germany Sora Shop

They made a custom perspex case for my collection of vintage cameras. Cost less than £100 and was ready in less than a week. Amazing.