My New Shaving System....

[knightmare1015]

After looking at the price of Gillette's razors such as the Fusion and Mach 3, I decided to go to a much cheaper shaving system. Shortly after I placed my order for an "Old School" safety razor, Rick Harris off Pawn Stars started advertising something similar. In fact it's extremely close to the one I bought online:



I also got 100 Personna medical prep blades for $32.00 bucks good luck getting the same amount of Gillette fusion cartridges for the same price. Especially when the regular proglide are $16.00 bucks for just 4 cartridges:



^This razor has held up pretty good, but I have to be careful when removing the blade because one of the hinges has already came loose:



With this in mind, I ordered a strait razor and some pre-shave cream and they came in today:



I bought the shaving mug set at Walmart for around $25.00 bucks which came with a brush, stand and a cake of glycerin based shaving soap. I've got around $50.00 bucks invested in this system. Now according to Gillette, they say I can buy a year's worth of razors for $40 bucks which is pure B.S. I went through a "years worth of cartridges" in 6 months. So if you're interested in a much more comfortable shave at an extremely lower price, you should really look into getting one of these. Here's where I get my stuff from:

http://www.westcoastshaving.com/.

[cvar]

Cool beans! I thought those razor blades were no longer available. I wonder if I still have my old safety razor, too? Maybe deeply hidden inside some box in the basement. Maybe it's time to ressurect it?

[02BLUEdge]

I am jealous, mainly because I can't really grow any facial hair. You know how Joe Dirt's grew in all "white trashy like that"? Same kinda thing except no side burns.

[OhioMike]

I know what you are talking about, and I am familiar with that website. There are a couple others that escape me at the moment. Shaving is definitely not inexpensive and it is frustrating the cost vs the longevity of the blades.

[knightmare1015]

Originally Posted by cvar

Cool beans! I thought those razor blades were no longer available. I wonder if I still have my old safety razor, too? Maybe deeply hidden inside some box in the basement. Maybe it's time to ressurect it?

Yeah you can get the double edge blades anywhere that shaving accessories are sold. Each blade is good for about 5 or 6 shaves. Just look real close the next time you're out for shaving cream or cartridges.

Originally Posted by 02BLUEdge

I am jealous, mainly because I can't really grow any facial hair. You know how Joe Dirt's grew in all "white trashy like that"? Same kinda thing except no side burns.

That's too bad man.

Originally Posted by OhioMike

I know what you are talking about, and I am familiar with that website. There are a couple others that escape me at the moment. Shaving is definitely not inexpensive and it is frustrating the cost vs the longevity of the blades.

Each side of the blades is good for 6 shaves. So each blade that I have is good for 12 shaves total. Good luck getting a Gillette Fusion or Mach3 cartridge to last that long.

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Now Gillette does make a really good shave foam. This is one of my favorite varieties that they do make and it duplicates the scent that you get from a barbershop exactly:



My barber takes a nice hot towel and places it on the back of your neck and leaves it there for a couple of minutes. Then he puts this ultra smooth and soft shave cream on the back of my neck and side burns and shaves it with a strait razor like the one I posted earlier. It's the absolute best and most comfortable shave you'll ever have in the world. Here's a Closer look at the shave foam:



Remember the scent is an exact match.

[ranger024x4]

Originally Posted by 02BLUEdge

I am jealous, mainly because I can't really grow any facial hair. You know how Joe Dirt's grew in all "white trashy like that"? Same kinda thing except no side burns.

same lol

[knightmare1015]

I'll have almost a full beard in 3 to 4 days. It won't be like Joe Dirt or Billy Gibbons from ZZ-Top now, L.O.L. This saves me alot of money compared to the $16 bucks for 4 standard Gillette Fusion Pro-glide cartridges.

[cvar]

Originally Posted by 02BLUEdge

I am jealous, mainly because I can't really grow any facial hair.

Lucky you, cuz that also means your head won't go bald. Shaving is PITA. Besides, sweetie doesn't like scratchy beards.

Personally, I don't like foamy aerosol can stuff -- very messy, less lube. I prefer the shaving cream (gel?) in a toothpaste-style tube, that you'd mix a dab onto your wet hands & face, cuz I get less razor burn. And Lilac Vegetal for a mild aftershave.

[Twin City Ranger]

I've been seriously considering going to a double edge safety razor myself.
After the initial investment it will be far less expensive over time.
I shake my head in disbelief every time I by disposables, and the cheap ones are like shaving with a cheese grater.

[86indy]

DE razors are where its at! I have a Lord L6 razor as ive only been DE shaving for a month or two GREAT starter razor around $12 and is not super aggressive blade exposure. I use royal shave shop for my online store, they have been great to me. Do your self a favor DITCH the can cream its horrible when compared to what you can do with a brush! Also dont buy the cheapest brush (like i did) buy a $20 brush at minimum image-2444951590.jpg Speick shave cream is the best I have used. I have tried the Omega bowl soap and it didnt lather well with my cheap brush and the lather died before I could even get 2/3 through a shave. You will also want a septic stick to stop bleeding, it happens and you wont mess up it wont happen much when you get more practice. Derby and sharp are great starter blades. I love the Shark blades I will buy more when Im out of all my blades. Tip: keep a small roll of tape in your shave kit. Tape your blades up before you throw them out, for your safety and others.

[86indy]

Knitemare how do you like the poraso product you have in the picture? I was think of buying 3-4 shave creams next order and considered this brand. Also Ill have to check out the wally mart by me for that shave kit, I want a brush stand and shave mug instead of my small SS bowl. If you love your old time shave cream smell, Speick fits the bill and its a only like $7

[MajorWedgee]

Safety Razor is the way to go, I switched about 2 yrs ago and haven't looked back. I got tired of paying for the refill cartridges, and could never stand using an electric. I've found my skin gets less irritated as well.

Just a piece of advice if you're just starting out, buy a decent quality razor, and a sampler pack of blades. You'd think a razor blade is a razor blade, but they can cut quite a bit differently. It may take a bit of experimenting to find what works best for you.

I usually use a Merkur 25c, with a Gillette 7 O'Clock Platinum blade, and Taylor of Old Bond Street Sandalwood cream. Afterwards a splash of Thayer's witch hazel - cucumber scent.

[OhioMike]

Originally Posted by 86indy

Tip: keep a small roll of tape in your shave kit. Tape your blades up before you throw them out, for your safety and others.

What I try to do with disposable razers is to save the plastic guards, so I have them when I dispose the razer.

Originally Posted by MajorWedgee

Just a piece of advice if you're just starting out, buy a decent quality razor, and a sampler pack of blades. You'd think a razor blade is a razor blade, but they can cut quite a bit differently. It may take a bit of experimenting to find what works best for you.

Yep. Even in a Gillette commercial they allude to the fact that everyone's face is a little differently shaped. Also, I two couldn't justify the cost of Gillette Fusion razers. Last, Merkur is a brand that keeps showing up in my research.

[knightmare1015]

Originally Posted by cvar

Lucky you, cuz that also means your head won't go bald. Shaving is PITA. Besides, sweetie doesn't like scratchy beards.

Personally, I don't like foamy aerosol can stuff -- very messy, less lube. I prefer the shaving cream (gel?) in a toothpaste-style tube, that you'd mix a dab onto your wet hands & face, cuz I get less razor burn. And Lilac Vegetal for a mild aftershave.

You mean I won't go completely bald because I'm nearly there on top, L.O.L. I used my shave soap that came with my kit yesterday and it was awesome. I also discovered how to get an even closer shave.

Originally Posted by Twin City Ranger

I've been seriously considering going to a double edge safety razor myself.
After the initial investment it will be far less expensive over time.
I shake my head in disbelief every time I by disposables, and the cheap ones are like shaving with a cheese grater.

I would get one because the double edge blades are everywhere and they don't cost anything compared to the usual stuff. I think you can get 5 double edge blades for a $1.00 give or take a little at most places and each side is good for 6 shaves. Each pack is good for approximately 60 shaves.

Originally Posted by 86indy

DE razors are where its at! I have a Lord L6 razor as ive only been DE shaving for a month or two GREAT starter razor around $12 and is not super aggressive blade exposure. I use royal shave shop for my online store, they have been great to me. Do your self a favor DITCH the can cream its horrible when compared to what you can do with a brush! Also dont buy the cheapest brush (like i did) buy a $20 brush at minimum Attachment 98860 Speick shave cream is the best I have used. I have tried the Omega bowl soap and it didnt lather well with my cheap brush and the lather died before I could even get 2/3 through a shave. You will also want a septic stick to stop bleeding, it happens and you wont mess up it wont happen much when you get more practice. Derby and sharp are great starter blades. I love the Shark blades I will buy more when Im out of all my blades. Tip: keep a small roll of tape in your shave kit. Tape your blades up before you throw them out, for your safety and others.

I agree with the canned shaving foam/cream. After doing the hot towel trick and using the pre-shave poraso cream and my shaving soap, I didn't need the septic stick pen because I didn't have a single nick. It was the absolute best shave I'd ever acheived. I don't even think my barber could get that close. There are true shaving creams out there. The canned stuff is basically a mess and doesn't really help in terms of glide.

Originally Posted by 86indy

Knitemare how do you like the poraso product you have in the picture? I was think of buying 3-4 shave creams next order and considered this brand. Also Ill have to check out the wally mart by me for that shave kit, I want a brush stand and shave mug instead of my small SS bowl. If you love your old time shave cream smell, Speick fits the bill and its a only like $7

The Poraso cream in the photo is awesome and it's not very expensive. You can use it either as a pre shave or post shave cream and the cooling affect is beyond belief. It cost me around $13 bucks. Thanks for the tip on the Speick because I do love that old school smell.

Originally Posted by MajorWedgee

Safety Razor is the way to go, I switched about 2 yrs ago and haven't looked back. I got tired of paying for the refill cartridges, and could never stand using an electric. I've found my skin gets less irritated as well.

Just a piece of advice if you're just starting out, buy a decent quality razor, and a sampler pack of blades. You'd think a razor blade is a razor blade, but they can cut quite a bit differently. It may take a bit of experimenting to find what works best for you. I usually use a Merkur 25c, with a Gillette 7 O'Clock Platinum blade, and Taylor of Old Bond Street Sandalwood cream. Afterwards a splash of Thayer's witch hazel - cucumber scent.

I never did take to an electric shave either. I'll have to try that Taylor of Old Bond street cream out.

Originally Posted by OhioMike

What I try to do with disposable razers is to save the plastic guards, so I have them when I dispose the razer. Yep. Even in a Gillette commercial they allude to the fact that everyone's face is a little differently shaped. Also, I two couldn't justify the cost of Gillette Fusion razers. Last, Merkur is a brand that keeps showing up in my research.

My search got the same results. I looked at some of the prices for the Gillette Fusion cartridges the other day and it wasn't pretty. The power version runs well over $20 bucks for 4 measly cartidges and I almost had a stroke when I seen that they wanted $32.00 bucks for 8 cartridges. I spent $32.00 bucks on 100 Personna Medical Prep Blades. IMO, these medical prep blades are the absolute best you can get in terms of a close comfortable shave.

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This trick is easy and it does help alot in terms of a good quality shave. What you do is get a hand towel and get it soaking wet. Next ring the towel out, and put in the microwave for exactly 1 minute. When the microwave is finished take the towel out and put it on your face for a couple of minutes. It's a little bit tough to take but once you do this and finish shaving, you won't have any nicks or cuts and you'll have a much closer and smoother shave. Try it and see for yourself.

[knightmare1015]

here's the kit that I bought at Walmart:

http://www.amazon.com/Van-Hagen-Mens-Luxury-Shave/dp/B004L4EING/ref=sr_1_1?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1397151363&sr=1-1&keywords=shaving+kit+men
The soap is very good with the wet towel trick and the proraso cream.