EDF Wet Shaving Thread

[Hobbs.]

I'll echo that the truefitt and hill products are amazing. While I still use a mach 3 and shave in the shower just adding the high end shaving cream really increased the experience quite a bit for me. I bought a tube of the their shaving cream after getting a straight razor at their store in Caesars which now is must for me every time I visit vegas these days.

[onthebutton]

I've been on this bandwagon for a long time, and most of the things I'd say have already been said here (nice thread, LFS). There are only a few things I'd add.

1. Try different brands of blades. There is a big difference, and lots to choose from. You can buy sampler packs that let you try lots of different blades via some online Paypal stores.

2. Try different creams. I have 3-4 that I alternate between. They're all a bit different. For someone looking for one to buy, you cannot go wrong with Taylor of Old Bond Street or Truefitt.

3. Shave after you shower. The 5-10 minutes in the hot water and moist air will make a huge difference in comfort. I read once somewhere that the average whisker has the same tensile strength of copper wire of the same diameter, so it definitely helps to soften it up.

4. Just as poker and general time-wasting has 2p2, wet shaving has a message board also. Badger and Blade is a great site with tons of info, and lots of serious bzness posters who take this stuff really seriously. They're very helpful, and this is also the place you can find the guys selling sampler packs of blades above.

This has been the one change to my daily routine over the past 10 years that has had the most positive impact. Regular shaving with disposables and cheap creams and gels ripped me up, made my complexion terrible, and generally made me dread shaving. I have none of those problems now.

[imozyslow]

order these products

use this razor

seriously. i had a terrible time for like a decade trying to get a good shave. this combination has worked the best for me thus far.

oh and i have pretty much the same routine as LFS minus the brush and lather -- i just use products i linked above.

[DukeSucks]

[ QUOTE ]
I've been on this bandwagon for a long time, and most of the things I'd say have already been said here (nice thread, LFS). There are only a few things I'd add.

1. Try different brands of blades. There is a big difference, and lots to choose from. You can buy sampler packs that let you try lots of different blades via some online Paypal stores.

2. Try different creams. I have 3-4 that I alternate between. They're all a bit different. For someone looking for one to buy, you cannot go wrong with Taylor of Old Bond Street or Truefitt.

3. Shave after you shower. The 5-10 minutes in the hot water and moist air will make a huge difference in comfort. I read once somewhere that the average whisker has the same tensile strength of copper wire of the same diameter, so it definitely helps to soften it up.

4. Just as poker and general time-wasting has 2p2, wet shaving has a message board also. Badger and Blade is a great site with tons of info, and lots of serious bzness posters who take this stuff really seriously. They're very helpful, and this is also the place you can find the guys selling sampler packs of blades above.

This has been the one change to my daily routine over the past 10 years that has had the most positive impact. Regular shaving with disposables and cheap creams and gels ripped me up, made my complexion terrible, and generally made me dread shaving. I have none of those problems now.

[/ QUOTE ]

I agree with all of this. It seems like not every blade works best for every person. I like the Israeli Personnas the best. I also like using soaps better than the creams. I shave after I shower, and to help take some of the time off, I have my bowl and brush soaking in hot water while I shower.

While you can spend lots of money on this, you can also get a decent setup for very cheap. I spent $10 on 100 blades, $5 on a vintage Gillette razor, $7 on a soap from Mama Bear soaps, and about $15 on a Tweezerman badger hair brush. The blades and soap should last a long time, and the price is a lot cheaper than the Mach 3 cartridges.

[Manque]

I use:

a Vulfix super badger brush
Merkur Vision Razor
Feather blades
Several shaving creams from Trufitt & Hill and Taylor.
Trufitt and Hill aftershave balm Trafalger scent.

When I really want to go to town I do 3 passes. 2 with the grain and 1 against. I only get irritation when I rush. Two areas give me problems, my chin and my adams apple.

[jws43yale]

I use a Vulfix brush.

The wonderful moss scuttle to warm my cream and help create a lather: http://www.sarabonnymanpottery.com/moss_scuttle.htm

I use a Merkur DE with Feather blades.

I highly reccommend Trufitt and Hill preshave oil which you put on before cream to give a smoother shave.

I like the Avocado, Rose and Lavender creams from Truefitt and Hill and Taylors.

Last I finish with Truefitt and Hill West Indian Limes aftershave lotion.

I got a shave at Truefitt in London and the barber told me that it is not good to do multiple passes. They do not do it there since it tneds to irritate the skin.

[Los Feliz Slim]

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Badger and Blade

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Jesus, these people DO take wet shaving seriously.

I'm planning on wading through that forum, but can anybody here tell me the difference between shaving soap and cream? Soap appears to be much more economical because it's cheaper and you get more shaves out of a cake than you would a tub of cream, but it also seems like much more work. Are there other advantages I'm missing?

[onthebutton]

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Badger and Blade

[/ QUOTE ]

Jesus, these people DO take wet shaving seriously.

I'm planning on wading through that forum, but can anybody here tell me the difference between shaving soap and cream? Soap appears to be much more economical because it's cheaper and you get more shaves out of a cake than you would a tub of cream, but it also seems like much more work. Are there other advantages I'm missing?

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I haven't tried soap yet, so I can't comment about one vs. the other. But, if you haven't tried cream, don't worry about how long it lasts. Each tub lasts a LONG time (at least 6 months).

Of course, ask that question on Badger and Blade, and you'll likely get 25 responses that actually answer your question. I'm interested to know too, I've been meaning to try the soap.

[gaming_mouse]

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[ QUOTE ]
Badger and Blade

[/ QUOTE ]

Jesus, these people DO take wet shaving seriously.

I'm planning on wading through that forum, but can anybody here tell me the difference between shaving soap and cream? Soap appears to be much more economical because it's cheaper and you get more shaves out of a cake than you would a tub of cream, but it also seems like much more work. Are there other advantages I'm missing?

[/ QUOTE ]

I've been wet shaving for a year. Def stay away from soaps. Nancy Boy is a great brush cream. I've also found to my disappointment that some of the non-foaming creams (kiels has one, and so does aveda) work better for me than traditional brush creams. But my face is sensitive and my over-riding goal is to avoid irritation. If you have no problems with that you can have alot more fun. Also, enchante online hydrolast products make the best oils by far (and i've tried many).

[Brad1970]

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Badger and Blade

[/ QUOTE ]

Jesus, these people DO take wet shaving seriously.

I'm planning on wading through that forum, but can anybody here tell me the difference between shaving soap and cream? Soap appears to be much more economical because it's cheaper and you get more shaves out of a cake than you would a tub of cream, but it also seems like much more work. Are there other advantages I'm missing?

[/ QUOTE ]

I've been wet shaving for a year. Def stay away from soaps. Nancy Boy is a great brush cream. I've also found to my disappointment that some of the non-foaming creams (kiels has one, and so does aveda) work better for me than traditional brush creams. But my face is sensitive and my over-riding goal is to avoid irritation. If you have no problems with that you can have alot more fun. Also, enchante online hydrolast products make the best oils by far (and i've tried many).

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm a member at B&B & yes, some over there take it that seriously!!! Good group of guys with lots of good but varied opinions & information. If any of you sign up over there, just behave yourself or the mods will give you the boot. They won't tolerant some of the 'shenanigans' that 2+2 lets slide...if you know what I mean.

There's nothing wrong with a quality shaving soap. I love them. They just don't offer quite as good of 'cushion' for the razor on your face as a quality made cream. They're 2 different products with their own set of quirks.