The Handlebar Club Forum

Well, I have to laugh (with you). I have always been one to capture the earliest part of the day (normally get up around 05h00). This has always afforded me some alone time to have coffee, read the paper, etc. It never occurred to me...

In any case, I like to shave daily as it makes me feel clean and refreshed, as apw noted above; and, will always shave off the 5 o'clock shadow if going out for the evening to some event - just the way I was brought up. For those who like to keep some stubble as a fashion statement or otherwise, I think it looks great on some guys and makes some others look just, well, unkempt. To each their own.

Personally, I really do not embrace the ritual of shaving and actually find it to be more of a bother than anything else; notwithstanding how fresh I feel post-shave. When I was a teenager I, like many of my generation, received an electric razor for Xmas (Philishave, I think) and used it for a number of years; however, it NEVER gave me the kind of shave a wet shave does. I moved onto the Gillette Trak II and used that for some twenty years before trying out the Sensor Excel cartridge system - which I liked and have stayed with since (oh, I've received other cartridge products in the mail and tried them, but...if it ain't broken...).

Yes, disposable cartridges are quite an expensive way to go, but one must find ones own niche in the shaving world - hence the variety, I guess.

For Bearwolf: One's gotta do what one's gotta do, but I have to say that your stache is outstanding and it would be ashame to see its greatness muted by the addition of a beard...just my 2 cents...

Cheers

The glory of the handlebar should never be diminished.

I haven't used a blade since i first started shaving, like the speed and convenience of electric, but for those of you who use disposable blades I ran across an article like this a while back, on how to make them last for supposedly months. http://consumerist.com/2010/03/make-your-disposable-razor-blade-last-for-20-months.html

Being a high school teacher, I shave every day, except on weekends. Now that summer is here, maybe I shave 2x's a week, but my wife hates when I do that.

After 16 years with a full beard that never saw a razor I find it too painful to shave more than twice a week, I use a modern black safety razor by Wilkinson sword http://www.bruceonshaving.com/wp-conten ... azor-3.jpg

And in the UK in Wilko [ a chain of shops ] you can get packs of 5 blades for 40p

Those are the blades I use, Lazer or something to that effect, and I find they last longer than Merkur blades.

That's the ones Nick ! Good blades for the money....West Yorkshire eh....I'm in Dewsbury

My straight razor started getting dull a while back so I started using my old Gillette Sensor Excel (I still had a bunch of blades lying around). I wanted to get the razor back into shape, but there is a nick in the blade too, and a guy I talked to wanted to charge almost as much as the razor to hone it back into shape So, I looked into buying the proper equipment to do it myself but that is expensive too

When I was back in Canada this summer, I asked my dad if he had an old style safety razor kicking around that I could use while I tried to figure out what to do about my blade (and also avoid paying the horrendous costs of modern razor blades). And he goes down into the basement and comes up with this gold-plated Gilette Tech style razor that my great-grandfather used to use!

After a somewhat bloody first attempt, I searched youtube and found a super video about shaving with an old-school double-edge safety razor. The guy said two things that made all the difference:

1. Let the weight of the razor do the work (you don't press it into your face like modern multi-blade razors)

2. It is about progressive hair removal (don't try to get super close on the first pass: 1st pass = down, with the grain; 2nd pass = ear to nose; 3rd pass = nose to ear; 4th pass = up, against the grain - if you feel like you need it).

After that, I have been getting closer, more comfortable shaves than ever before! No more nicks either!

I don't want to give up on my straight razor however, but I think I will use the family heirloom for a while

By the way, here is that video I mentioned (a different style of razor than I have, but very thorough instructions!).

I always get better results with my old Gilletter DE safety razor than I do with many disposable or cartridge. I wouldn't mind trying straight razor shaveing but the initial start up cost is what's holding me back right now but I'm sure I'll get around to it before too long. I did try it years ago (like 30 when I was in my twenties) but had terrible results and didn't have the internet as a rescource. I'm sure you guys would help me get started if (or should I say when) I decide to give it a try again.

The guy that made the video I posted has a whole bunch of videos about shaving, including straight razor stuff. I haven't looked the other videos, but judging from his thoroughness in that video, I would guess he can tell you every thing you need to know.

http://www.youtube.com/user/geofatboy

And there are also these guys:

http://badgerandblade.com/

Great video, thanks for posting. I enjoyed it all, except for his shaving the upper lip - my hand don't go there.


1066? Here's me thinking you came from that place where Harold received his poke in eye with sharp stick.

I enjoyed watching those videos after stumbling upon them on youtube a while back. I'm not a great fan of passing over the same area time and time again as shaving too close causes me too much grief. As previously mention I was bearded for many years and one of the reasons for this was because I had sensitive skin [still do to a certain extent]. I will often use one of my ancient Gillette safety razors but my chops just cannot get on with the modern multi blade affairs or going over the same area several times from different directions.

I have some straight razors including one that belonged to my Grandfather who passed away back in the '60's. That said I usually confine my straight razor use strictly to those mornings when I feel up to it - which I confess isn't all that often. I find using them takes a good deal of concentration as, well, you can't afford to take chances with those things.

A couple of years ago I treated myself to a new rechargeable Braun electric affair complete with natty slide out trimmer. I use this as and when the fancy strikes but find it will irritate if used aggressively.

I alway use a double edge "gillette"....
I want a straight razor, however don't wanna spend the cash people ask for them....
...........I'm interested in a used shave ready one, the skill or honing my Dad taught me, He was a Butcher by trade and could sharpen, anything.......

I usually use the trimmer on my electric shaver (generally once a week).

I love to shave, I use Sensor Excel and a shaving brush with soap. But what I like the most is going to a barbershop and have a man shave me the old fashioned way: hot towel, rich hot lather, strop and straight razor. Feel soooo good!