Getting it straight-- the razor obsessed shaving megathread

I stopped shaving over 2 years ago. we were doing some work for the razor companies litigations, and I was just that fed up with the project that I didn't want to give money to either one of those damn companies.

that, and I am lazy. even clipping the beard every week or so is a hassle for me. then again, I go months between haircuts.

old british guy at work uses a straigt razor, and I heard somewhere that the shaving soap and a good brush are supposed to be the bees knees too. I think they said boars hair is the best. shaving in the shower or afterwords is supposed the best too, the hot water is supposed to open your pores up and pushes the hairs out a bit to get that closer shave

In my youth, I hung with a few guys that used straight razors. Personally, I always preferred an ice pick.

You got an address ... something to find this guy? Thanks ...

Shave, then coffee.

OK ... gime a hand ... exactly where in cowtown?

Vacaville off of I-80. Vaca is Spanish for cow. Not too many Spanish city names in Canada, eh?

I've been wanting to do this now for a while. Think I might try to order some stuff this weekend.

I tired for about 6 months to get it down and i just kept knicking myself. I used hot towls to prep the hair on my face and make it soft and I used a strop (canvas side then horse leather side) to sharpen it after and before every shave. Good luck.

A steady hand helps. (Oh, and lay off the PCP beforehand).

Don't get it near your penis.

oser oser oser oser oser oser

I'd love to try a straight razor (on my face) but I'm scared I'd bleed out in the process. I too have a beard that eats Gillette blades for breakfast. I'm using the 5-bladed thing they sell now, and even at Costco the blades cost a small fortune. I miss my old Atra.

If you're in the Bay Area:

When Gillette came out with those dual-blade disposible razors back in the 70's, I thought to myself, "If two blades are better, why not FIVE?" Razor blade escalation has finally heated up to the point where Gillette has released a razor called the Fusion. It has SIX blades. There are five blades on the front, along with a rubber bumper and a teflon strip. There is one more blade and another teflon strip on the back for trimming sideburns or carving designs. Out of the clear blue, Gillette sent me one in the mail. I tried it this morning. NICE RAZOR...

http://www.gillettefusion.com/us/

Think the Mach 3 is the shit? This thing shaves 30% closer. (WtF?)
http://money.cnn.com/2005/09/14/news/fortune500/gillette/

Want one for free? Fill out this survey...
http://gilletterazor.shopherefree.net/?partner=g_gilletterazor&gclid=CNHux9bNsIoCFRNGGAodUA4suQ

Disclaimer: I don't work for Gillette. Hell, I don't shave all that much, just my neck cuz I have a full beard. But this razor has impressed me so I thought I'd mention it.

Note: NOTHING beats hot towels and mint shave cream while layed back in a professional barber's chair and the closeness of a shave with a straight razor wielded by said professional. (Ok... so maybe bewbies has that beat. But this is a close second when it comes to sensual delights.)

I have the one with the single AA battery, and it vibrates.

Really makes for a nice shave. I have one of those fog-free shower mirrors too. Makes all the difference in the world.

I got a shaving set for christmas and what I found makes a huge difference when using a traditional razor is the weight of the handle. This set I got is solid nickel and the razor accepts the Mach 3 blades and I have to say having the extra weight in your hand when shaving makes a much improved difference over the lightweight handle the mach 3 comes with. Also a good boars bristle brush and shave soap works well compared to gillete foam crap. Then using a high quality face lotion like that from Anthony Logistics also helps the whole process.

Good stories.

I used to shave with my grandfather's straight razor until it was stolen. I wanted to replace it, but it was too expensive.

For about 10€ you can get a Turkish shave at the local mosque.

Helps a lot if you're shaving around a beard.

Something that is half-way between a multi-blade money hole and a facial near-death experience is one of the old gilette single blade double edged razors. They do a good job, and a pack of 10 blades (that means 20 edges!) is less than $1.50.

The down side is that I bet you cut the crap out of your face a few times before you get the hang of it. I posted this earlier, but I've found the best one is a razor that has a graduated ring that you can twist and it adjusts the blade. I figure this out by buying a collection of about 20 razors off ebay and using different ones for a few days until I found one that I liked.

Be warned that if you slide the razor sideways even a fraction of an inch you will cut yourself, but not as bad as a straight razor. You might want to hit up an antique store or 2 and pick up one, I bet you can get a razor, then go to wal mart for a pack of blades and it will cost less than $5 total.

Try it for a while and then decide if you want to try using a straight razor or if you're comfortable with that.

My wife uses that to shave my head. I don't shave my whiskers anymore.

I guess I don't need one, but it sure makes it a lot easier. I can tell where I've shaved (or not) by whether there's shaving gel (or not).