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Any Double or Single Edged Brush and Blade Shavers Here?

R3alJim Shady

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Yea, I gave the 7 O'Clocks a trial. They are pretty decent, but lose the edge after 3 shaves. I use my feathers and Gillette Thai Ultra thin blades in rotation with Gillette Blue blades (Russian). I like the 7 O Clock's, but not enough to recommend buying a sleeve of 100.
That makes sense. I enjoyed them just as much as Gillette Silver Blues. Makes sense since I believe they're made in the same factory.


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Zamazam

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That makes sense. I enjoyed them just as much as Gillette Silver Blues. Makes sense since I believe they're made in the same factory.


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True. I've got about 50 left of the Original Gillette Blued Steel blades from the early 80's before they shifted manufacturing overseas and coated the steel with a SS topping. Those old blued blades are great, 5 shaves easy from them and they stay sharp. Shame Gillette canned the manufacturer of them and moved all the manufacturing overseas.
 

Zamazam

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So I gave the Maggard V3 head a spin last night. I heard it was pretty mild, so I paired it with a Kai blade that I had leftover from a sampler pack that I ordered.
Smoothest, closest shave I've had in months!! The head is, in fact, pretty mild. Paired with a nice, sharp blade it makes for a great experience!

I can't say enough about the value of Maggard's house razors and would definitely recommend them to a beginner who wants to try wet shaving or even a pro on a budget that wants options without breaking the bank.


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Try the V3A. My kind of aggressive, but not too much.
 

Zamazam

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Definitely more aggressive then the V3. I'd say it's about even with my Merkur Heavy Duty model. If I don't shave for a long weekend, or a week camping, my favorite is still the Merkur Slant Bar.
 

Hank F. Spankman

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So @UncleRJ turned me on to a really unique shave soap - Cryogen by Chiseled Face. This stuff will freeze your face while shaving, the most menthol ever in shave soap. I'm a convert. After shaving, my face feels cool to cold from the Menthol for almost an hour. Amazing stuff.

Chiseled-Face-Cryogen-Artisan-Shaving-Soap.jpg
I don't know if you saw it or not, but Fine makes a aftershave named "Snake Bite". It'd prolly be a real nice pairing with this soap
 

R3alJim Shady

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Definitely more aggressive then the V3. I'd say it's about even with my Merkur Heavy Duty model. If I don't shave for a long weekend, or a week camping, my favorite is still the Merkur Slant Bar.
I enjoy the V2 open comb as well. I think that Maggard razors are the best option for beginners. Great quality for the price.

My next razor will definitely be of the slant variety. I might discover that it's not for me, but it's definitely worth trying!


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UncleRJ

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So @UncleRJ turned me on to a really unique shave soap - Cryogen by Chiseled Face. This stuff will freeze your face while shaving, the most menthol ever in shave soap. I'm a convert. After shaving, my face feels cool to cold from the Menthol for almost an hour. Amazing stuff.

Chiseled-Face-Cryogen-Artisan-Shaving-Soap.jpg


What @Zamazam failed to mention is that this soap will also clear your sinuses when you use it.

Also you don't want to bloom this soap. Period! As the water will dilute the Menthol.

Just use a very slightly moist brush and be careful not to load very much soap at all.

Add about HALF a Tsp of water into your mug or cup as again the name of the game is not to dilute it.

Like ZZ said, a little goes a long way to building a respectable amount of soap!

And for a really unique feeling, follow up with a generous splash of Clubman Virgin Island Bay Rum to add a Burn to your already frozen face.
 

Hank F. Spankman

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What @Zamazam failed to mention is that this soap will also clear your sinuses when you use it.

Also you don't want to bloom this soap. Period! As the water will dilute the Menthol.

Just use a very slightly moist brush and be careful not to load very much soap at all.

Add about HALF a Tsp of water into your mug or cup as again the name of the game is not to dilute it.

Like ZZ said, a little goes a long way to building a respectable amount of soap!

And for a really unique feeling, follow up with a generous splash of Clubman Virgin Island Bay Rum to add a Burn to your already frozen face.
I say go full overkill!
http://www.maggardrazors.com/product/fine-accoutrements-snake-bite-aftershave/
 

Moueix

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Well, it finally happened. I always had an electric in my backpack and car. After switching to a Straight, and now having some detail to my facial hair that REQUIRES a straight, I forgot them at home. So I begged a Quad disposable off an employee to make a meeting without a 3 day shadow.

WTF? It isn't even shaving. It was like passing a business card over my face. NO danger whatsoever. It was actually a reasonably close shave, but the detail got left out, I need to get home to define the lines. I guess I see how people get addicted to em. I DID however, have a Merkur Futur brush, bowl, and some good shave cream, so the process wasn't ENTIRELY foreign.

BTW, the Merkur Futur brush SUCKS. It seems we are in a race to see who can lose their hair faster, and I have a hella head start.
 

UncleRJ

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Well, it finally happened. I always had an electric in my backpack and car. After switching to a Straight, and now having some detail to my facial hair that REQUIRES a straight, I forgot them at home. So I begged a Quad disposable off an employee to make a meeting without a 3 day shadow.

WTF? It isn't even shaving. It was like passing a business card over my face. NO danger whatsoever. It was actually a reasonably close shave, but the detail got left out, I need to get home to define the lines. I guess I see how people get addicted to em. I DID however, have a Merkur Futur brush, bowl, and some good shave cream, so the process wasn't ENTIRELY foreign.

BTW, the Merkur Futur brush SUCKS. It seems we are in a race to see who can lose their hair faster, and I have a hella head start.


I remember a last minute business trip where I forgot to pack my razor and soap. The front desk of the hotel was out of disposable razors so I ended up purchasing one at a gas station and shaving in the gas station bathroom using hand cleaner for soap.:gaah:

Not my finest hour.
 

Zamazam

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We've all had moments like that. I ended up using some hand lotion for shaving lube when my bags were delayed, put on a separate flight. Used an el cheapo bic disposable, when I was at a high profile client meeting. It worked.
 

R3alJim Shady

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My father sent me one of those Harry's razors. I think I would have been better off with a disposable. German-engineered, my ass.


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Zamazam

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My wonderful wife bought me a Feather AS-D2S Stainless Steel DE Razor. This thing is completely SS and will out last me easy. The shave is a medium mild one and perfect for every day shavers, either single pass or multiple pass. It works amazing with Feather blades (of course) and better in my view with Polsilver or Gillette Ultra thin blades. It took a long weekend worth of growth off in a single pass with short strokes and frequent rinsing in very hot water. I used the Cryogen face freezing soap and had Zero irritation or razor bumps.

An incredible razor, but kinda pricey. Never would have bought one myself, but the wife knows best most of the time.:D
 

R3alJim Shady

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I almost signed up for Harrys today is it worth it?
My father gifted me a Harry's razor. I absolutely hated it. Pulling and tugging the whole time. Cheap, but a good safety razor, good blades, a brush, and soap will be even cheaper in the long run and a MUCH better shave once you have the technique down. Just my two cents.


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MrScaryZ

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I tried it a while back . Lousy for me , and not a close shave but YMMV, as is always the case with shaving
dammed and I orderd the sample this morning.. jesus how the hell do they stay in business I guess the cost of all the marketing is shaved literally from the quality?
 

Zamazam

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You can have a top notch razor that will hack your face up with the wrong blades, or a crappy brass Chinese one that will shave like a dream with the right blades. I've settled on Polsliver, Gillette Blue (Russian), Feathers, and Gillette ultra thin (Thai) as the blades with the best edges for my razors and durability, lasting more than 3 shaves.
 

MrScaryZ

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You can have a top notch razor that will hack your face up with the wrong blades, or a crappy brass Chinese one that will shave like a dream with the right blades. I've settled on Polsliver, Gillette Blue (Russian), Feathers, and Gillette ultra thin (Thai) as the blades with the best edges for my razors and durability, lasting more than 3 shaves.
And now you tell me :)
 

Zamazam

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And now you tell me :)
Get a decent razor like the Merkur 34C: amazon.com/Merkur-Heavy-Double-Razor-Included/dp/B000QYEK88
61ena0CuEML._SX522_.jpg


And then get a sleeve of Feathers or Gillette Blue's. That razor and those blades will give you a really quality shave if you use a good badger brush and soap/shave cream such as Proraso or Palmolive. Spend a bit more up front and you won't have to ditch a crappy razor and buy a new one. This razor is mild/medium aggressive and perfect for daily shaves.
 

UncleRJ

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I almost signed up for Harrys today is it worth it?


NO!

You would be escaping one trap and then sticking your foot into another.

Seriously, you end up with a much, MUCH better shave with a Double Edged Razor.

Just like vaping, the initial outlay for a good razor, a shaving brush and a mug will cost you a few $.

But from there, there are HUGE cost savings compared to the cost of replacing the multi blade cartridge heads.

A years supply of the very finest Double Edged Razor blades can be had for about $28.

An $10 puck of soap will last for MONTHS!!

And you will find that shaving is no longer a morning pain in the ass but something you actually enjoy.

And after a bit of practice, you leave the house in the morning with a Barbershop Quality Shave!


If you need some help picking out good (and reasonably priced) gear, send me PM.
 

MrScaryZ

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Get a decent razor like the Merkur 34C: amazon.com/Merkur-Heavy-Double-Razor-Included/dp/B000QYEK88
61ena0CuEML._SX522_.jpg


And then get a sleeve of Feathers or Gillette Blue's. That razor and those blades will give you a really quality shave if you use a good badger brush and soap/shave cream such as Proraso or Palmolive. Spend a bit more up front and you won't have to ditch a crappy razor and buy a new one. This razor is mild/medium aggressive and perfect for daily shaves.
gotcha so basically go back to what I saw in the medicine cabinet in the 70's
 

MrScaryZ

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NO!

You would be escaping one trap and then sticking your foot into another.

Seriously, you end up with a much, MUCH better shave with a Double Edged Razor.

Just like vaping, the initial outlay for a good razor, a shaving brush and a mug will cost you a few $.

But from there, there are HUGE cost savings compared to the cost of replacing the multi blade cartridge heads.

A years supply of the very finest Double Edged Razor blades can be had for about $28.

An $10 puck of soap will last for MONTHS!!

And you will find that shaving is no longer a morning pain in the ass but something you actually enjoy.

And after a bit of practice, you leave the house in the morning with a Barbershop Quality Shave!


If you need some help picking out good (and reasonably priced) gear, send me PM.
Gotcha well I guess I just got duped luckily I only did the sample on Harrys thx
 

Zamazam

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gotcha so basically go back to what I saw in the medicine cabinet in the 70's
Kind of. The old ones were so-so quality with the exception of the Gillette razors, but they no longer make them. most of the folks here can help with finding some deals on good razors and blades/soaps/brushes. Multiblade cartridges are great, but seriously, $18 for 6? they last the same amount of shaves as the DE razor blades, and as UncleRJ said, you can get a sleeve of 100 of them from $20-28. Saves money plus you can get a terrific shave and not have to think about the cost, nor get ingrown hairs (that was a constant problem for me with the 4 blade cartridges).
 

R3alJim Shady

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gotcha so basically go back to what I saw in the medicine cabinet in the 70's
You can snag a decent vintage Gillette Superspeed for around $20 on EBay. I've got a couple and they shave really well with Astra SP blades, which are about $10 for 100 on Amazon.


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R3alJim Shady

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So I've figured out what works for me. I use an aggressive head (V3A Maggard), a smooth blade (Gillette Silver Blues), shave every 2-3 days with a good amount of shave prep. I'll never get a BBS, but I'm good with a DFS every other day!


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scottw

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Actually was out in Vegas and walked into a great little shave shop. Ended up with a great shave from a guy that has been doing the straight blade for 35+ years. Picked up a setup of my own and used it for the first time today. No accidents and the best shave of my life. True believer here!


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Hank F. Spankman

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Actually was out in Vegas and walked into a great little shave shop. Ended up with a great shave from a guy that has been doing the straight blade for 35+ years. Picked up a setup of my own and used it for the first time today. No accidents and the best shave of my life. True believer here!


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Congrats Scott. Welcome to the club. lol
 

Recan

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Damn, there's a 1967 Gillette double edged super speed black resin handled razor on Ebay with 50 mins. left to bid. Need to bid $7 to get in on it. I don't know if it's any good or not. lol
 

Zamazam

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Dooo Ettt Mon! Super Speeds are great razors!
 

Recan

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Well, the bid is up to $17.60 + 2.95. I tried, Somebody didn't get it for $ 6..50 anyway.

The bid is still going for 29 more minutes.
 

R3alJim Shady

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I've seen them in antiques shops for $20 with the original packaging. Maybe not with the resin handle and all...


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Recan

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I've seen them in antiques shops for $20 with the original packaging. Maybe not with the resin handle and all...


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It has the original package. Oops, no it don't.
 

R3alJim Shady

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Problem with eBay is that people get carried away trying to win and wind up overpaying. I'd pass. Try craigslist. I just found a Parker 22R with a brush included for $15, just to give you an idea of what's out there


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Recan

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Problem with eBay is that people get carried away trying to win and wind up overpaying. I'd pass. Try craigslist. I just found a Parker 22R with a brush included for $15, just to give you an idea of what's out there


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Thanks, I did get a little excited but I got it under control and stopped. lol
 

joeyboy

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Like you I have a thick beard. I've been a DE shaver most of my adult life, the only exception is when I went Grizzly Adams and grew my beard out for 5 years. Since you have thick stubborn whiskers, I'd recommend looking at a heavy duty type razor like a Merkur 34C or 39C. They are a little more expensive than the Parker razors around $35, but they are a bit more aggressive and tend to work well for guys like us with tough, thick whiskers. The other part of the equation is the soap and brush. I like Proraso in the green tub, or Palmolive Original (hard cake soap, or in a tube). A good Badger hair brush is a must for getting the soap under the whiskers and getting them to stand up for shaving. Good luck on your DE shaving quest!
So how do you know if you have tough whiskers? Just started reading this thread and considering the razor change. I use the dollar shave club now and can use one of their blades for a month. With that could it be said I would not need a super aggressive DE razor? Maybe a merkur 34c?
 

Zamazam

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They are densely packed on your face and you get a 5 o'clock shadow at 12:30pm. The 34C is an all round decent razor, not overly aggressive, not too mild either....
 

R3alJim Shady

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They are densely packed on your face and you get a 5 o'clock shadow at 12:30pm.
I never realized what 5 o'clock shadow was until I started wet shaving and not pulling hairs out of my face with multiblade cartridges.

Needless to say, this is me.


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Zamazam

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My problem with the multiblades, while they shaved really close, I got ingrown whiskers because of them. I've got a buddy who is Black, he used to get terrible ingrown whiskers from them, he hated using that magic shave crap that dissolved the whiskers since it irritated his skin, so I get him a Merkur razor and a Brush with a Tub of Proraso for his birthday 5 years ago. He is a convert and has got most of his relatives using DE razors now.
 

joeyboy

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They are densely packed on your face and you get a 5 o'clock shadow at 12:30pm. The 34C is an all round decent razor, not overly aggressive, not too mild either....
Thanks for the info. Guess densely packed isn't me.
 

Moueix

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Well, it took 6 months to get lackadaisical enough to REALLY bite myself with my straight. Never once have I really cut myself, until yesterday. I've scratched myself a few times using the toe in a tight spot, but yesterday I was thinking about something else, just put the razor to my face at an absolutely stupid 45 degrees or so, and applied a little pressure to start the stroke. Boy did I feel THAT one. Got a nice 2" long racing stripe right across my cheekbone. Bled like a stuck pig, for lack of a styptic pencil in my travel gear. I hope I don't do THAT again too soon.
 

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