[Infoseeker]

Quote:

Originally Posted by JonM /img/forum/go_quote.gif Shaving habits: Avoid shaving whenever possible.

QFT, lol I only shave when I have to; mostly because I get something of a baldspot playing with my chin while thinking. xD

I also have to buzz before I shave my face. I usually only need to shave downwards after a buzz. I don't use aftershave; I simply soap my face after (anti-bacterial handsoap!).

hehe, offtopic but anyone here deal with their armpit hairs? I use some weird caramelized sugar product meant for plucking hair; I buy it from some arab imports shop by me.
Shaving armpits is not an option.
I swear when you hear women mentioning how nice their legs feel after a shave; that's how nice your armpits feel after plucking them (not shaving).

 

[rockin_amigo14]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Infoseeker /img/forum/go_quote.gif hehe, offtopic but anyone here deal with their armpit hairs? I use some weird caramelized sugar product meant for plucking hair; I buy it from some arab imports shop by me. Shaving armpits is not an option. I swear when you hear women mentioning how nice their legs feel after a shave; that's how nice your armpits feel after plucking them (not shaving).

i just don't take off my shirt...

 

[analogbox]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Infoseeker /img/forum/go_quote.gif hehe, offtopic but anyone here deal with their armpit hairs? I use some weird caramelized sugar product meant for plucking hair; I buy it from some arab imports shop by me. Shaving armpits is not an option. I swear when you hear women mentioning how nice their legs feel after a shave; that's how nice your armpits feel after plucking them (not shaving).

I did it a few weeks ago and I have to confess it was the most stupidest thing I've ever done. It was the most irritating 3 weeks of my life. It feels as if you have hundreds of tiny needles poking your armpit. I know I'm supposed to keep shaving it so that it stays virtually invisible but I couldn't help but feel like a girl stuck in a bathroom grooming her hair. From now on, I'm trimming it from time to time but never a shave. I'm a man and I'm proud to have my arm pit hair.

 

[Golden Monkey]

 
Shave-Fi was what took me away from this place for a long time and sated my need to obsess over details.  My daily shaver is a 1938 British Gillette Aristocrat #21 with a Gillette Swede blade, a Rooney Finest 1/2, and an ever-rotating arsenal of soaps, aftershaves, and scents.  The hardware is important, the software is negotiable.  Some pics of my razors and stuff:
 








 
1934 US Aristocrat, 1934 British Aristocrat #15, 1938 #21, 1956 #66. The last three are rhodium plated. The other pics are the majority of my "stuff". Not pictured: approx. 1,000 blades, duplicate items (I hoarded Aqua Velva when they switched from glass to plastic), creams, and a bunch of other crap.

 

[Uncle Erik]

Nice collection, Golden Monkey! How do you like the Czech & Speak 88? That's one I've been on the fence with for awhile. Sounds great, but my trigger finger keeps getting doubts.

This reminds me that I haven't poked around the shaving forums for a bit - I've been pretty wrapped up here. Also, I found bliss with a Feather SS, Pils, large Rooney Beehive, a stick of Irisch Moos, and my Dirty Bird 1.5. Suppose I could start collecting those cool vintage razors, but what I have makes me pretty darned happy.

 

[Golden Monkey]

I LOVE the 88!  There are others that are more refined and "dignified", but the 88 is very unique.  You won't smell it on every other guy around you, like Gio, and I like that.  I love the complexity of the rose, wood, leather, earth, and dark notes.  it's a pretty bold statement, lol.  It lasts a ridiculously long time on me, which I love.  It changes throughout the day, and ages like a fine wine.  Starts off a little bright and intensely floral, but dries down to an amazingly complex and layered scent that reminds me of old wood, leather, and dried flowers. Goth girls love it, lol.
 
I haven't been around B&B in ages either, lol...it became a little all-consuming, and I have more stuff than I need, and will for some time (although I'm getting a package tomorrow of Harris Arlington splash, cologne, and a couple of Shulton Old Spice Fresh Lime from WCS).  As for the collection mania, I did a good job of limiting myself to just those insane Aristocrats.  I've sold off all of my others except my Futur, and a 1958 TV Special.  Once I settled on my ideal razor and brush it got easy to rein in.  And then I went through TAD (Tube Acquistion Disorder).  I hate my expensive and frivolous hobbies, lol.

 

[Uncle Erik]

Maybe I'll have to order myself some 88 for Christmas! For refined and dignified, I already have some Blenheim Bouquet in the den.

 

[Golden Monkey]

I love the BB so much...amazing stuff.  Dignified yes, refined, absolutely...but I appreciate that it has those qualities withiut being "old fashioned" or stuffy.  I need to get a full size bottle so I stop hoarding it, lol.

 

[Uncle Erik]

Yep, I need to step up to a big bottle of BB, too! Probably my favorite scent - there is something timeless and classic about it. Another I wear regularly is Mr. Taylor. Not quite as classy as BB, but it does well on me and is nothing like thosr aquatic/soapy scented department store scents.

Also - props for the Clubman! I remember it from my childhood barbershop, but didn't know it was Clubman until recently. It is sort of my "comfort food" aftershave.

 

[Golden Monkey]

Quote:

Yep, I need to step up to a big bottle of BB, too! Probably my favorite scent - there is something timeless and classic about it. Another I wear regularly is Mr. Taylor. Not quite as classy as BB, but it does well on me and is nothing like thosr aquatic/soapy scented department store scents.

Also - props for the Clubman! I remember it from my childhood barbershop, but didn't know it was Clubman until recently. It is sort of my "comfort food" aftershave.

LOL!  Indeed!  The Clubman is my rainy day, Sunday doing housecleaning scent.  It's fun to wear out in public too, and seeing how many well groomed older gents recognize and appreciate it.  I'm no spring chicken myself (just turned 40), but I have long hair and a rock 'n roll sensibility about me, but I get a lot of "your aftershave reminds me of talc and neckbrooms!" from the Greatest Generation era fellas.
 
As for the Pen's, I picked up the five piece sampler (BB, Opus 1870, Endymion, Cuercus, English Fern) of little bottles when I was in Chicago last summer...I got a straight shave at Trufitt & Hill, and was in complete awe of the selection there.  Paying $80 (60 + tip) for a shave is a bit outrageous, but the pilgrimage and experience more than covered the price of admission.  I highly recommend dropping in if you ever visit.  Top shelf folks. Aw hell, you know what?  It may be the Maker's 46 talking, but I think I'll just take the plunge and order the full size BB right now! 

 

[Golden Monkey]

Done...$83.00 for 100ml.  Damn bourbon...

 

[BlackbeardBen]

Anyone else have massive troubles with ingrown hairs (razor bumps), particularly on your neck?
 
No matter what I do, they don't go away.  Short of stopping shaving my neck entirely.  And I'll have none of that, since despite my full beard (a constant fixture for at least 6 years now), I can't stand the itchiness from my neck hair - which extends almost all the way to my chest.  When I don't shave my neck, I end up looking something like Wolverine - in a bad way, without the bada** hair/beard or superpowers...
 
I've even had an over-the-counter antibiotic creams recommended by the doctor, which didn't do anything.
 
I've learned to minimize the pain - but the infections never go away.  I only shave after showering, which helps a lot.  I use Neutrogena Shaving Cream (from a tube), which is by far the best cream or gel out there - and a tube lasts forever too.  My favorite razors are the Gillette Custom Plus 3 razors - two bladed with rotating head.  I find them to cut my hair far better than any 3/4/5 bladed razor (perhaps because of the curve of my neck) - and they're cheap enough that I don't feel like I'm wasting money when I throw out a dull one.
 
I also use tweezers to pull out hairs I see stuck - but I rarely see them actually stuck.
 
So there's all the gross things about me shaving.  If I didn't constantly have a beard, I think I'd learn how to use a straight razor.  That's my kind of thing, I think.

 

[Golden Monkey]

Your best bet would be to switch to DE shaving...ingrowns were what brought me to it, and I rarely get them now.  Join Badger & Blade and you'll fina a LOT of info on combatting ingrowns.  They really suck, so I feel for ya, but the kind gents of B&B will help immensely.

 

[BlackbeardBen]

Quote:

Your best bet would be to switch to DE shaving...ingrowns were what brought me to it, and I rarely get them now.  Join Badger & Blade and you'll fina a LOT of info on combatting ingrowns.  They really suck, so I feel for ya, but the kind gents of B&B will help immensely.

 
Thanks for the tip - no one has even suggested trying a double edge razor.  To be honest, with the showering and the right cream and razors that I've switched to using now, it's been minimized to mostly a looks thing - but I'd definitely change habits again to get rid of them.  Using classic tech to do so is a bonus, too.

 

[Golden Monkey]

Well, one of the main reasons why a DE is better is because of the way the hairs are actually cut.  A DE tends to cut at a "flatter" angle, and cuts close to the skin surface cleanly.  A multiblade cartridge is designed to cut in stages, while "pulling" the hair (The famous "Lift & Cut").  what this does is a couple of things...yes, it shaves close, but in pulling the hair slightly, you are actually cutting below the skin surface, and the angle that the blade cuts at causes the hair to have more of a pointy edge (cuts at more of an angle).  Those two things combine to produce a hair tat lies below the skin surface, and that point actually causes the hair to "curl" as it regrows, so it grows under the skin. 
 
Another thing that contributes is bacteria...you didn't mention wether you use an aftershave or not, but when you've just shaved the surface skin gets scraped away and you are left with an unprotected layer of fresh skin.  Pores clog easier, and bacteria has an easier time getting into your pores, causing inflammation and irritation.  If you use an alcohol based aftershave or something with witch hazel it'll help close pores, kill surface bateria, seal nicks and scrapes, and help protect your skin in the crucial hours after shaving.
 
And ANOTHER thing you might want to consider is your pre-shave preparation...I shave after I shower, and the steam helps soften the beard and open up your pores, but I also lather up with a shaving cream and leave it on my face while I'm in the shower, and when I'm out I lather up with a badger brush.  The scrubbing and softening not only makes the hair easier to cut and helps free any "trapped" hairs, it also feels really good, lol.  Seriously though, the prep step will cut down immensely on hair pulling.