Shaving, gents
Apr 30, 2007 at 5:06 AM Post #18 of 943
I'm thinking of going double edge or straight. I have to shave every day, and sometimes in the afternoon if I have an evening activity requiring shavenness. I'm getting tired of shelling out for Gillette refills, basically.
 
Apr 30, 2007 at 5:12 AM Post #19 of 943
I only use Gillette disposables, the twin blade kind, since my facial hair isn't substantial enough to warrant something more expensive. For my moustache, I shave down, and inward to get the hairs that go in that direction. For my chin area, I shave with and against the grain. For the best results, wash your face first with warm water and a facial cleanser, or if you already use it, a facial scrub of some kind to loosen up the hairs and exfoliate the skin. I use Aveeno shaving cream, since I find it milder than the ones made by Gillette. I don't use an aftershave, but I do moisturize with a daily lotion.
 
Apr 30, 2007 at 6:08 AM Post #20 of 943
Quote:

Originally Posted by Samgotit /img/forum/go_quote.gif
Put some cream on your face and shave. Don't parade around the maypole of shaving losers with their 17 blade fast and furious marketed razor. Superimposing a razor over a chalked F-117 while a drift car slides around it makes not a clean shave.


So true...I got a free Gillette Fusion 5 blade in the mail...I do not see how they are charging 20 dollars for refills on that POS.

I have never been more butchered in my life, and yes I know I how to shave properly (if you can shave with a classic double edge with out fancy aloe strips, you can shave with anything). That 5 blade POS yanked my hairs out instead of cutting them, and knicked me good in a few places.

And for the record I did use the Gillette fusion shaving cream that they market with the 5 blade razor (was on sale figured what the hell)

Needless to say both the Fusion shaving cream and the Fusion went in the trash.
 
Apr 30, 2007 at 6:20 AM Post #21 of 943
i use a norelco reflex plus electric most of the time. ive got a little goatee(no mustache) and other than that my facial hair doesnt grow super fast so a shave ever 2 days or so is fine.

plus, im a college student and am really lazy
 
Apr 30, 2007 at 6:24 AM Post #22 of 943
Quote:

Originally Posted by xnothingpoetic /img/forum/go_quote.gif
Am I the only one who thought gents. was short for 'genitals'?


I thought that too. It might have made for a more interesting thread.
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Apr 30, 2007 at 6:50 AM Post #23 of 943
Shaving sucks balls. When I shave every day (with an electric), I get all sorts of bumps and bleeding spots. Unfortunately, I can't grow a decent full beard, so I am forced to shave once a week to avoid looking totally foolish. I refuse to shave any more than that.
 
Apr 30, 2007 at 7:11 AM Post #24 of 943
Out of sheer laziness I use a Gillette Fusion on weekday mornings. I don't think I've nicked myself once with it yet. I'll soap up in the shower and have at it. It gets the job done.

On weekends and vacations, I usually turn to the '59 Gillette Fatboy my grandfather gave me. I've had it since I was 14-15 or so and I've kept it. It gets boiled every so often and is kept clean. I like the Merkur blades, but have used a few others. I'll lather up with a brush and mug and take my time. I really enjoy this, especially because the razor gets warm from the water and it feels great. If only I had time to do this every morning.

I used a straight razor for a few years after I decided not to keep buying replacement cartridges. I can use one without hurting myself, but it takes me 30-40 minutes to get a good shave. That's just too much time when I want to be clean every day. The Fatboy gives an excellent shave faster and without worry.

Also, I buy cartridges on eBay these days. Much cheaper than the store. I also use rubbing alcohol as the first aftershave. Picked it up from my father who does the same. It stings, but it closes all the pores and keeps bumps, etc. to a minimum. After that, I'll put on a fragrant aftershave.
 
Apr 30, 2007 at 11:36 AM Post #25 of 943
I just use a gillette mach 3 with whatever shaving cream mum buys me (where would i be without her?) I'd love one of thoes old school straight razors though. What kind of maintanance do thoes things require? Like how do you sharpen them and all that jazz?
 
Apr 30, 2007 at 1:28 PM Post #27 of 943
i shave with a large knife... while driving...offroad
 
Apr 30, 2007 at 1:59 PM Post #28 of 943
The key is a sharp blade. Ideally, a straight razor that you whet and strop regularly. Next best, the cheapest store-brand razors you can find; $0.50 for a new razor each shave will give you better results than $2.00 for one razor over four shaves.

The face needs to be clean, as any oil in the hair will lubricate the blade and move it over, rather than through, the hair. The kind of shaving cream doesn't matter so much as how it is applied: the idea is to get bubbles under the hair, to stand them up; if you're not using a brush, you're just washing your face again.

Aftershave is just a poorly disguised cologne, if you ask me.
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Straight razors become a hobby. They aren't hard to use or maintain. Sharpening them is simple: the back of the blade is the right width so that laying the blade flat on a whetstone gives the proper angle. Do this maybe once a week. Lots of variety in whetstones, much like choosing an amp. Then there's the strop: a length of leather and a length of rough canvas. Wipe the blade along these to take off the burrs that form when shaving or sharpening. (The blade edge is very, very thin--it is designed to be as sharp as possible, and not at all durable--so your hairs actually knick the blade, and the strop takes off those burrs.) The different materials provide different levels of refinement: the canvas takes off the roughest burrs, the rough side of the leather next, then the smooth leather makes the blade, well, smooth.

Shaving with a straight razor is pretty simple. Never go sideways, or against the grain of the hair. If you shave against the grain, the blade isn't sharp enough. You can cut yourself, but the minor cuts one gets as a learner are painless: they're usually longer than one gets with a safety razor, but they don't tear the skin like a safety blade, so they stop bleeding sooner and heal faster. The biggest hurdle is psychological: just like driving along the edge of a cliff and knowing you could turn the wheel and go flying, some people don't like the fact that this knife could cut through their throat.

It can take as little time as with a safety razor, for the same results; but I always found myself wanting to get a perfectly smooth shave, so I spent more time at it. Never had a shave anywhere near as good as with a straight razor using a safety or electric.

Why past tense? They're expensive. Most of the places that sell straight razors to consumers cater to the cognac & cigar club: they're luxury items, and priced that way. I imagine you could get a decent kit from a barber supply store for $100-150 ... might need to look into doing that ... hm.
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Apr 30, 2007 at 2:00 PM Post #29 of 943
I just smash a beer bottle from the last nights boozing open on the edge of the sink and rasp it over my face.
 

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