Safety Razor Virgin

[holliscx]

I’m a Philips electric shaver lifer. Rubbing circles around my face with underwhelming devices is what it is but it gets the job done. My facial growth isn’t a huge job so this is what I’ve done most of my life and I barely replace the blades either. Speaking of blades, when traveling I usually drag 5 blade Gillette grocery store razors across my face. I note the closeness; I like the ritual of a clean shave followed by about a week of nothing; rinse and repeat. And I do like to splash after shave on my face and then hover near my wife. This has me thinking that I need to own a double edge safety razor. I appreciate simplicity. Full disclosure: I ride rim brakes and have never owned a bike with suspension. I’m posting because I don’t want to go down a rabbit hole. Any advice to keep it simple? What’s recommended just a badger brush, cup for lather, and a few blades right? What is the Bialetti moka of safety razors i.e. the original and best?

[spopepro]

I think it’s worth it to splurge a little on an adjustable. Different blades interact better or worse with the razor and your face and an adjustable makes it much easier and faster to dial it in. I really appreciate my mergress, but the merkur progress it’s based off of is good. If there’s a reliable way to get a clean fat boy that’s also a great choice. I think most folks like the astra or feather blades best reliably. I like the astras.

When traveling I just use a tube of cream and lather it up with my hands. The brush and soap is nicer I think, but hardly needed. I prefer horsehair brushes—badger is too soft, boar is too stiff, and the horsehair can be gathered without harming the horse. And they’re cheap. I don’t use a mug and generate lather on my face.

It’s worth noting that you can carry on a cartridge for a razor when flying but you can’t carry safety razor blades. I tried once by leaving a blade in the handle and they would not allow it. Really a bummer if you need to travel by plane and aren’t checking luggage.

[Too Tall]

Welcome to the club ;)
1. Unscented shaving soap. Shop around, there are some really well done soaps. Even the pedestrian Williams soap avail. from most chain drug stores is fine enough.
2. I've been thru a few adjustable razors and keep coming back to: Merkur Futur Safety Razor. This is well made, not expensive'ish and easy to clean. If you wish to spend you children's college fund Feather makes an amazing razor. It makes no sense to me why it is better, but it is and I switch between the two.
3. Feather blades in the red pack. Full stop. A crazy sharp blade is a good thing.
4. I use a Simpson Super Badger brush. Buy it once, faint over the price and know it will last many many years with zero maintenence.

Everyone's face is different as are rituals so I'll just give you the short version. I shave after showering or a warm water soapy face wash to prep. Soak the brush in hot water, don't shake it out than spin it ontop of the soap cake and go nuts. I lather the soap ontop of the soap cake, yes this is illegal in most western societies please don't judge me...it gets the job done and is actually efficient.

The above is the truth. In my mind I'm slow smoking a camel cigarette in a steamy bathroom mirror, shaving and listening to the mechanic adjusting valves on the Jag. No music required.

Enjoy.

[holliscx]

Josh this is invaluable. I’m loving your recs. The Merkur Futur is my razor I think and while the Simpson Super Badger brush is over the top for me I’m seriously considering especially if it will last as you say. I love the idea of a blade sample pack but I’ll probably start with your Feather red. If I went for a more economical brush any recs? Damn your suggestions are the business thanks so much!

[Curt Goodrich]

Mercur Futur with Feather blades is the best combo I have experienced.

[rydesteel]

Does anyone here have experience with Safety Razors and Vascular Birthmarks? I have a Portwine stain on the left temple with some raised vessels. I've been using Harry's Razors and Creamo, still occasionally nick a spot and bleed for a good long while. I also shave daily if that makes a difference. Thanks

[Corso]

"a few blades"... yes to start- but if you purchase in larger quantities, the cost per blade goes down.

I'll add to the good advice already posted: I have several razors, and use 2 per shaving session. I shave with a more aggressive head first, re-lather and use a different razor for a second pass. I find that different angled heads will produce a nice, close(er) overall shave. I shave daily, and change blades (both) once a week.

Take your time at first, but after you get the hang of it, you'll be shaving faster. And yes, Feathers are the best. Also Kai. Both Japanese. After that, I prefer Russian made blades. I find Indian made blades are junk. Sharp blades cut, less-sharper blades pull.

It's all very personal, what alleviates the border of shaving is trying different products out. Have fun with it!

[Too Tall]

FWIIW I'd advise against shaving your legs with this rig. Stick with disposables. Plant a tree or something ;)

[rsl]

Not a ton to add, but I'm chiming in just for fun. I've used the same Merkur Heavy Duty for almost 20 years with feather blades. I use a badger brush bought at the same time as the razor, but I've long forgotten the brand. I've tried a bunch of different soaps, but have settled on using Dr. Bronner's bar soap--lather's well, affordable, certified B-corp:)

[j44ke]

FWIIW I'd advise against shaving your legs with this rig. Stick with disposables. Plant a tree or something ;)

Oh geez. Don't remind me. What was I thinking...

[11.4]

You're here because you are a cyclist to begin with. So you already have your head around the idea that there's no one opinion and there's always a better one to be had. So here's my warning with a suggestion:

The sharpest blade is usually critical and for that, that Feather blades are pretty much the best that's still easily obtained, consistent in quality, and reasonably priced. But different safety razors offer very different cuts on different faces with different beards. There are plenty of safety razors that are plain and simple bad, but also many good ones. The Merkur line are all solid -- chromed, they hold the blade well, etc., but even among them they vary widely in how the blade is held and the size of the blade gap. The Feather is beautifully machined stainless, holds the blade with superb rigidity, and is notable for having a fairly thin blade gap. Short beard hairs, sensitive skin, regular shaver? That can do it for you. But just check out someone like Timeless Razor. You get stainless, titanium, even bronze razors. Each feels different not only in balance but also in how they slide over the skin. And they have very different designs and different blade gaps. The bronze has an incredibly narrow gap that you think wouldn't work but actually does great, plus it's made entirely of bronze, which has a very smooth feeling on your face. It's about the price of a Feather razor, but gorgeous and for the right face it feels like the perfect kiss. Once you've gotten to your second or third razor (yes, it's an n+1 game), you may start buying vintage razors and even find sites that sell 30 to 50 year old safety razor blades from when they were really made beautifully and hand-honed.

Oh yes, you can hone your blades with a leather strop or a fine Japanese water stone and wonder why you didn't do so previously. I usually get two good shaves out of a duplex blade and then give it about 30 seconds of honing and the third shave feels better than the first two.

Your skin may also prefer different lathers. For routine use I use Cremo, a cheap ready-to-use cream you can get at the grocery store or Target. It's super-slippery and lets you work fast when you don't have the time to take care of the brush and cup. Recently I tried Neutrogena Waterbath body gel and it does a superb job on legs and even a pretty damned good job on my face. I'll buy some amazing lather soaps whenever I'm in Paris, but the last year has been an opportunity to experiment a lot and I've found plenty of good alternatives. It's like chain lubes (did I really say that here, on this website????) -- there are amazing ones but you may just have your own private magic you want to practice.

[holliscx]

Rather than Google, why are they called double edge safety razors? The blades look two-sided but are not flipped and used on both sides right? Does this have anything to do with the badass razors the barbers have? Those look like bone folders.

Just want to thank Josh for the Camel cigarette, steamy bath, mechanic tuning the valves on a Jag analogy. Yes please

[Too Tall]

Hollis, my razors have two exposed edges thus.

Lane, I read your piece. Now, I'm wondering why my cloths are stewn about the floor and there is a faint smell of Chanel No5 and self loathing. Your descriptions are akin to Google-crack.

Anywho, as Mr. L. says there are multitude ways to skin a cat. Recently, I left home without my usual shaving soap and brush. Oh horror. Sitting on the shelves at my local Dollar Store was a can of Aveeno Therapeutic Shave gel (no scent). I'm slayed, the d@mn stuff is great.

My world is sideways.

PS You can play with those other chainlubes, that's fine. Just wear a raincoat and wash your hands before you come in the house.

[holliscx]

Noob question but if you buy a tin of soap and a super badger brush that costs as much as an acoustic guitar, where do you make the lather? Right in the tin or does this require a separate dish, cup, or bowl of some sort? The aforementioned Simpson chubby is likened to patting your face with a luxury pillow.

[Too Tall]

Noob question but if you buy a tin of soap and a super badger brush that costs as much as an acoustic guitar, where do you make the lather? Right in the tin or does this require a separate dish, cup, or bowl of some sort? The aforementioned Simpson chubby is likened to patting your face with a luxury pillow.

Again, several good ways to do this. What I do is the most basic. Stuff the puck into your "Best Dad In the World" coffee mug and twirl your presoaked-in-hot-water Super Record Badger Brush ontop of the puck. There is a bit of lathering on my face, not much.

It is a good idea to hang your brush to dry. I do not rinse my brush out, the soap helps keep it in shape.

[j44ke]

Follow these instructions to make your own shaving soap, adding Shea butter and/other happy skin emollients as needed. I guess instead of popping it out of a mold, you could just pour it into a mug like TT says and let it set up in there with enough space for lather.

https://www.instructables.com/Reforming-Soap-Scraps/

I had an old Old Spice brush with a porcelain handle until I dropped it one too many times. Fun while it lasted.

[Too Tall]

Follow these instructions to make your own shaving soap, adding Shea butter and/other happy skin emollients as needed. I guess instead of popping it out of a mold, you could just pour it into a mug like TT says and let it set up in there with enough space for lather.

https://www.instructables.com/Reforming-Soap-Scraps/

I had an old Old Spice brush with a porcelain handle until I dropped it one too many times. Fun while it lasted.

Fun fact from the MD dept. of ag. website. Irish Spring soap is a effective deer deterrent. This is the truth. For a brief time I fantasized that I could repel deer from decimating my hostas. The deer stayed away, until the next rain.

Anywho, SteveP may remember telling his kids to save soap bits because #thrifty is a lost art ;)

[Dmoeny]

I'd second Lane's write-up. I have a 2 Merkurs, one at the work that I used to go to pre-pandemic, and one at home (and about 4 straight razors with strops and stones, from that particular phase). I use Derby blades, bought in a pack of 100, so that'll last you awhile. As far as where to lather, my approach has always been in the bowl for soap, on the face for cream. But do whatever works for you.

[Rich Beaudoin]

Since we are custom/handmade enthusiasts, it would be easy to make custom handle(s) for your razor(s).
I have been planning to make some for my son and I with heads from eBay.

[holliscx]

I'd second Lane's write-up. I have a 2 Merkurs, one at the work that I used to go to pre-pandemic, and one at home (and about 4 straight razors with strops and stones, from that particular phase). I use Derby blades, bought in a pack of 100, so that'll last you awhile. As far as where to lather, my approach has always been in the bowl for soap, on the face for cream. But do whatever works for you.

What is the bowl? Is this my World’s Greatest Dad mug, something separate, the soap lid or what?

Birthday on the 14th so this will be gift to self