Board 8 > ATTN: Yoblazer, need your advice...

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Could've sent you a PM but those aren't really noticeable.

Anyway, I'm looking for a decent straight razor and shave soap set thing. Any recommendations?

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What is this beautiful topic.

Your two main options are either a disposable straight razor or traditional razor. I don't have much experience with traditional razors, but I do own one and have given it several uses. Let me give my pros and cons:

Traditional


+ Absolutely beautiful piece of craftsmanship
+ Honing and stropping your own blade might result in you feeling like a total boss.
+ If well kept, can last forever. You can give it to your son or grandson.
- Expensive first investment. Quality blades can cost well over a hundred dollars (I've seen over a thousand)
- Time intensive. Stropping and the occasional hone takes longer than simply switching blades.
- It probably won't be as sharp as disposable blades (mine isn't)
- Seems to have an even greater learning curve than disposable straights


Disposable


+ Insanely sharp every single time
+ Less time and effort intensive than a traditional straight razor
+ Much less expensive as an initial investment ($25)
- Not as boss
- More expensive in the long haul (like "several years" long)


As an initial purchase, I have to recommend the disposable. It's much cheaper up front and requires less effort. Since it's so sharp without needing a hone or strop, it'll probably require less time to get good with it. My first disposable razor is the one I still use today, and I love it. It's so, so, SO much cheaper than the Gillette Mach 3/4/5 stuff, and it gives me amazingly close shaves every time. Since individual blades cost like 5 cents, you can toss em after one use, so every shave will be just as sharp. Specifically, I recommend this Parker:

http://www.amazon.com/Parker-SRW-Stainless-Razor-120/dp/B002ONHBBW/ref=sr_1_2?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1324498596&sr=1-2

Depending on how often you shave, 120 blades can last a damn long time. Additional blades are like $10 for a pack of 120 (LOL Mach 3). However, I gotta give you the old

CAUTION: Straight razor shaving, whether by disposable or traditional razor, is much different than using modern blades. There is definitely a learning curve. Your first shaves will not be good. You will draw blood. Whether you decide to stick with it is up to you. It took me a while before I could develop my "own style" so to speak, but I'm really glad I stuck with it. Close shaves, safe shaves, inexpensive shaves, and it's fun when people get all interested once they learn how you shave.

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As for everything else, my advice is to keep it cheap. You might enjoy spending more for luxurious items once you become a connoisseur, but I never do and still get great shaves.

Brush

http://www.amazon.com/Tweezerman-2801-h-Mens-Shaving-Brush/dp/B000G647Y8/ref=sr_1_1?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1324500035&sr=1-1

Got that two years ago. Still love it. Some people prefer synthetic brushes over actual badger-hair ones. I've used a synthetic brush once and hated it. Authentic badger or boar hair all the way.


Soaps

http://www.amazon.com/Van-Hagen-Select-Shave-2-5-Ounce/dp/B001A3FLF0/ref=sr_1_5?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1324500263&sr=1-5

That's what I pick up from Rite-Aid at like 2 bucks a bar. They last a long time and smell clean. There are zillions of different soaps out there in all different scents. I've tried Colonel Conk's (lol) lime scented soap before. It smelled great but was a bit more expensive. Up to you.

So yeah, overall, you can probably get yourself started for around $50, and you'll have enough blades and soap to last a good long time.



There's a picture of everything I'm currently using. I keep the soap in that little mug for easy lathering. That tiny vial in the front is pre-shave oil, which works so damn well that I sometimes skip the soap altogether and just use a few drops of that.

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i had no idea that yo was the resident authority on razor blades

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This is interesting. So what are the actual benefits of straight shaving? Just that it makes you a more interesting person?

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I would be scared to death of straight shaving tbqh.

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It's much cheaper than modern shaving. You can get 120 blades for like $10. I usually shave every few days, so those 120 blades can last me a whole year. There's no way I could have used my Mach 5 (yes, I was using the 5 by the end) for $10 a year. The closeness is also amazing. I love to have girls feel my face right after I shave. Their eyes always light up, especially since my face feels not too unlike barbed wire after half a week of not shaving.

I forgot to mention this one in my original posts, but for me, it's also better for my skin. I'm double-cursed in that I have barbed wire hair but wimpy sensitive skin. Taking five blades to my face with the Gillette usually left a lot of irritation. The single straight blade leaves much less.

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Yoblazer: http://8board.webs.com/ariel.jpg
Watch and you'll see... SuperNiceDog own me... in the Guru!

And just to be fair, the cons: it does take a bit longer for me, since I do have to be careful around the curved jawline. Mixing your own shaving lather also takes longer, but that can be done with any type of shaving, and I recommend it to everyone because it's so awesome and relaxing. Of course, the risk of getting a big cut is there, but it's highly exaggerated. I've nicked myself several times, but I've never had a "holy ****" cut from straight razor shaving.

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Yoblazer: http://oi53.tinypic.com/2hd0dh1.jpg
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I'm also blessed with silky skin and a manly growth. I may give straight shaving a whirl.

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Thanks Yo, I was mainly curious about the shave soap since I can get it at work, but for some reason they have it in the women's beauty supplies (that exact one) so I wasn't sure if that was the stuff or not. I probably will end up going with the disposable, mainly because I'm lazy and probably wouldn't keep a traditional sharp for very long.

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No prob, hope you find it helpful. Of course, even if you end up not liking straight razors, you can use a shaving brush with soap for any type of shaving. I bet you'll probably stick with that no matter what, since it's just better than the canned foams and gels.

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Yoblazer: http://8board.webs.com/ariel.jpg
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http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2009401/Worlds-expensive-razor-goes-sale-100-000--SAPPHIRE-blades.html

From: PartOfYourWorld | Posted: 12/21/2011 8:18:52 PM | #011
you can use a shaving brush with soap for any type of shaving. I bet you'll probably stick with that no matter what, since it's just better than the canned foams and gel

Was planning on switching to that anyway, this will give me an excuse to do so.

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Bumpo.

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