Switching to a DE safety razor or Cut Throat

FIFTY

FIFTY

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CatmanV2 said:
Interesting. I find the 34C is a bit trick to get under the septum. Might give one of those a whirl. Ta!

C
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Likewise very difficult on the Edwin Jagger, the angle you need to pitch the razor to present the blade means really the only way to shave there is accross the grain. But the slant gets almost all the stubble under the septum with the grain it's awesome

Considering it was only the 4th time I used a DE I didn't cut or irritate my skin once with the slant bar and it is supposed to be for more advanced users.

CatmanV2 said:
Think I'll probably go for the shorter handle, 37C

C
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That's fair it is what you are used to. While I did not mind shaving with the short handle on the EJ I kept dropping by accident the longer handle definitely suits me better - the added weight helps me along also.

Another note on Merkur VS Edwin Jagger - the Merkur is definitely superior quality, the blade sits perfectly centre with no wiggle room, beautifully machined and nicely weighted. It is double the price naturally you get what you pay for.

Yet to be convinced by the mug though.
 
CatmanV2

CatmanV2

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FIFTY said:
short handle on the EJ I kept dropping by accident
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This is something I avoid quite vigorously, given I shave in the shower.....

In other news a few weeks ago I learned, in a way not previously done, precisely the reasoning behind the saying 'Never try to catch a falling knife.....'

C
 
FIFTY

FIFTY

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Ebenezer said:
So how does it compare to gilette/wilkinson sword multiblade cartridge razors (not disposaables)
Eb
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In what sense Eb?

The end result is a much closer shave - like you have been to a barber's. I find that it takes about 18 hours for my stubble to grow out to the point of a fresh cartridge razor shave - works great for me as I prefer to shave once or twice a week

The sensation (once you get a razor and blade combo that works for you) is a much smoother shave with less irritation than cartridges which tend to pull and cause rashes (for me)

Time/convenience - at first it will take a little longer to shave but I am already not far off how long I took with cartridges. It is a little more tricky on your jaw line and under nose but I found that changing to the slant razor which exposes a tiny bit more of the blade has made it much easier to tackle these areas without several passes

Cost... Upfront is a little higher but replacement blades can be had for £0.10 each and last 2-3 shaves or more so you quickly make your money back... Less plastic waste more money for super unleaded and wine/vodka

Finally it's a nice precision engineered item you can display in your bathroom. Cartridges and their razors are made from mixed materials which cannot be recycled. Most of the cost of them goes to fueling a marketing machine to keep people buying more cartridge razors... Don't get me started on Gillette's marketing, they are absolute barstwards
 
FIFTY

FIFTY

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CatmanV2 said:
This is something I avoid quite vigorously, given I shave in the shower.....

In other news a few weeks ago I learned, in a way not previously done, precisely the reasoning behind the saying 'Never try to catch a falling knife.....'

C
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Don't try to catch it and get your toes out of the way!
 
E

Ebenezer

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4,503
FIFTY said:
In what sense Eb?

The end result is a much closer shave - like you have been to a barber's. I find that it takes about 18 hours for my stubble to grow out to the point of a fresh cartridge razor shave - works great for me as I prefer to shave once or twice a week

The sensation (once you get a razor and blade combo that works for you) is a much smoother shave with less irritation than cartridges which tend to pull and cause rashes (for me)

Time/convenience - at first it will take a little longer to shave but I am already not far off how long I took with cartridges. It is a little more tricky on your jaw line and under nose but I found that changing to the slant razor which exposes a tiny bit more of the blade has made it much easier to tackle these areas without several passes

Cost... Upfront is a little higher but replacement blades can be had for £0.10 each and last 2-3 shaves or more so you quickly make your money back... Less plastic waste more money for super unleaded and wine/vodka

Finally it's a nice precision engineered item you can display in your bathroom. Cartridges and their razors are made from mixed materials which cannot be recycled. Most of the cost of them goes to fueling a marketing machine to keep people buying more cartridge razors... Don't get me started on Gillette's marketing, they are absolute barstwards
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Thanks for this FIFTY. Personally happy with cartridge but can see the aesthetic attraction of using a safety razor. Almost fetishistic / ritualistic!
Eb
 
Wattie

Wattie

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Interesting reading this.

I once treated myself to a proper barber shave , hot towels etc and was left somewhat underwhelmed with the result........despite their claims that shaving with the grain produced closer results it didn’t feel that way to me.

You’ve purchased quite a paraphernalia of gear their- I had no idea how complex it could become with the different blades/ razor angles etc - it’s almost an art form.

Personally,I hate shaving, total pita. Involves head, chin, chest and occasionally arms for me.....multiple angles involving both hands. With my “get in/get it done/get out with as little future scarring as possible” mindset I think I’m more suited to the simplicity and safety of the Gillette/ razor cleaner solution.

Fair play to you, seems you’ve found a solution that suits you and makes shaving a more enjoyable experience.
 
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FIFTY

FIFTY

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Wattie said:
Personally,I hate shaving, total pita. Involves head, chin, chest and occasionally arms for me.....multiple angles involving both hands. With my “get in/get it done/get out with as little future scarring as possible” mindset I think I’m more suited to the simplicity and safety of the Gillette/ razor cleaner solution.
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I agree and hear what you are saying Wattie - I never enjoyed shaving and decided to go down this route because I ran out of cartridges and fancied changing to a different brand of cartridges to see if there is something better out there (tried changing from Wilkinson Sword to Gillette a few years ago and found them to be essentially the same)

I do shave my head but I use Clippers on grade 1 and buzz cut it. I started losing my hair when I was in my early teens so at 34 my forehead now extends a few more inches than it did back then lol

The last sentence I highlighted I would have agreed with this before I got a DE but I believe the mindset is the result of decades of cartridge razor marketing as I have learned closed comb razor is just as safe on your skin as a cartridge razor. It is also more hygienic as it is possible to dismantle and clean thoroughly
 
rossyl

rossyl

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3,312
FIFTY said:
Just ordered up this beast Merkur 39C long handle slant bar closed comb razor from Connaught.


Also I am going to order a stand and bowl from eBay as its a little cheaper and more selection.

I noticed there are scuttle mugs on there for under £10 but they are not the prettiest things - some of them the remind me of the tatt you get in sea front shops in British resorts! I might order a cheap plane one to try it out @rossyl guess any shave soap bar that slots into the top can work right?
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Hey,

That's not actually how I'd use the scuttle mug. I'd get the mug hot, then wet the brush in warm water, get some shave cream/soap on the brush, then lather it up in the tip of the scuttle which is being "heated" by the hot water beneath it. Hopefully that makes sense!
 
FIFTY

FIFTY

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rossyl said:
Hey,

That's not actually how I'd use the scuttle mug. I'd get the mug hot, then wet the brush in warm water, get some shave cream/soap on the brush, then lather it up in the tip of the scuttle which is being "heated" by the hot water beneath it. Hopefully that makes sense!
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Yes I figured it out after watching a YouTube video. It was nice picking up the brush for a relather and the lather was nice and warm. Definitely has a soothing sensation... It was not the most efficient way of creating the lather in the first place though. I like the look of those splined pottery bowls which seem to whip up the lather nicely
 
rossyl

rossyl

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Ebenezer said:
So how does it compare to gilette/wilkinson sword multiblade cartridge razors (not disposaables)
Eb
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I'd say far less skin irritation, if you get skin irritation.

Think about it, there are three our four blades, the first will get most the hair, the second the last bit of the hair, the third and fourth...probably skin.

With a DE it's one blade, you change the angle of the blade for aggressiveness of shave. It gets the hair, that's it. You can do a second pass, in which case, yes, some will be skin. But you should not need to do a second pass, or a full one.

There are some people who look like tehy put on blusher for hours after they've had a shave. They should switch to DE.
 
FIFTY

FIFTY

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Back again couple of things to report. The Platinum X blades are extraordinary - I have gone through 3x of them all very smooth no nicks, cuts or irritation.

I tried the Wilkinson Sword... Much like the Derby Extra it started off super smooth but once the PTFE coating disappeared I was left with what felt like a blunt blade scraping my skin off... Swiftly back to the Platinum X blades then!

I am guessing that my preference is towards a more aggressive closed comb razor design with blades that are on the sharper end of the scale in order to have the type of shave that I look forward to. So far any platinum PTFE coated blade has been the dream... Yet to try the feathers

Also I got a little too f'd up on the weekend and spent too much bidding late night on vintage razors on eBay auctions... All Gillette - picked up a 1960 Fatboy, 1966 Slim, 1970 Super Adjustable and a 1950s English featherweight ball end tech... Hopefully 2 out of 4 will still be usable or all 4 will need to be sent away for refurbishment which won't be fun - at least I am not spending much on Super-Unleaded at the moment lol.
 
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