DE/straight shavers?

[lxskllr]

When you look for strops, make sure they're from a good country. You don't want anything from Asia, and some of the new "vintage looking" strops are. USA, England, and Germany should be a safe bet. A general rule of thumb I use for anything is I look for a prominent brand name marked on the item. If the manufacturer is proud of their work, they want you to know who they are. Conversely... This only generally applies to higher dollar items, and isn't a foolproof strategy, but I find that's generally the case.

[GoVegan]

Lxs- The only reason I needed a stone is because the edge on the blade I got, while not marred or damaged, is (was) very dull when I got hold of it. I got it pretty sharp, but I am interested to see what a good stone could do. Thanks for the advice on the strop though. Now that I think about it a bit, I think I am gonna hang back and try and find one in an antiques shop. The process of sharpening things is not at all unfamiliar to me, but I would hate to go out and buy a nice new strop from amazon only to immediately hack chunks out of it in my amateurish fervor.

Vegan-Yeah, it has been difficult to get a good angle, especially around the chin. It seems like it is going to take a good while to really get the hang of it, but I am sure it will be well worth the time. And that razor you got a hold of is pretty slick looking.

Thanks - I am actually looking forward to shaving now and I used to hate it before. My next purchase will be some really good sandalwood scented shaving lotion and I also have been seeing sampler packs with different brands of razor blades I want to try. I am curious now about the DE blades snapping in half. I don't see a way to do that and am wondering if that is only with certain brands. I have to be honest here and say that I am the proud owner of a pack of K Mart house brand DE blades and I don't see a way for them to snap in half.

[Monkey]

A good place to get cheap DE razor blades is a barber supply shop. They usually have decent prices for all shaving stuff.

[GoVegan]

How does an auto stropper razor work?

[KarlvB]

Thanks - I am actually looking forward to shaving now and I used to hate it before. My next purchase will be some really good sandalwood scented shaving lotion and I also have been seeing sampler packs with different brands of razor blades I want to try.

Glad to see that you are enjoying it so much. Switching to DE shaving was a revelation to me. Since I made the switch a month ago I have wondered what took me so long.

By shaving lotion do you mean shaving cream or aftershave balm?

In terms of shaving cream your options are endless.

The most popular would be the three Ts - Trumpers, Truefitt & Taylors of Old Bond Street. Art of Shaving is also highly rated but more expensive. The other option is Crabtree & Evelyn's Sandalwood.

Also check out some of the smaller soap & cream manufacturers like Mama Bear and The Gentleman's Quarter for alternatives to sandalwood.

For aftershave balm/lotion etc the same manufacturers would be a good bet.

[Ringer]

Glad to see that you are enjoying it so much. Switching to DE shaving was a revelation to me. Since I made the switch a month ago I have wondered what took me so long.

By shaving lotion do you mean shaving cream or aftershave balm?

In terms of shaving cream your options are endless.

The most popular would be the three Ts - Trumpers, Truefitt & Taylors of Old Bond Street. Art of Shaving is also highly rated but more expensive. The other option is Crabtree & Evelyn's Sandalwood.

Also check out some of the smaller soap & cream manufacturers like Mama Bear and The Gentleman's Quarter for alternatives to sandalwood.

For aftershave balm/lotion etc the same manufacturers would be a good bet.

These are good suggestions. I would add that Bath and Body Works has a shaving cream that is made by C.O. Bigelow and is in green tube. The consensus is that this is the exact formulation of the very popular Italian shave cream Proraso. It's super cheap and provides a great shave. It's eucalyptus scented which may not be your thing, but it's a great cream to have in your arsenal nonetheless.

[GoVegan]

Actually I was looking at a brand called Cyril R Salter. It is only $15.00 and I love the smell of sandalwood.

http://www.westcoastshaving.com/Cyri...am_p_371.html#

Also there is this cream called Speick that has pretty good reviews that I might try at some point.

When I got the energy, I would also like to try hot lather. I remember when I was in the military there was a barber who used hot lather and a straight razor. It felt great!

[Owens187]

What equipment do you guys use? I just scored this sweet little gem from Blackstangal over on the Badger and Blade forums.

Its a vintage 5/8 SPERRY & ALEXANDER Co. Solingen German steel, spike point. Woodgrained Bakelite scales w/ silver Bolsters. From what I've gathered manufactured between 1893 and 1927.

I also shave my head daily, along with the face, except for a mustache and goatee(ie. "circle beard"). Any of you guys ever use a straight for your dome?

[Monkey]

I shave my melon with a DE.

The proper angle with a straight is hard enough for me on my face, I can't imagine trying it on the melon. I also think I'd lop my ear off with a straight trying to get the back of my head. Just me though.

[GoVegan]

Glad to see that you are enjoying it so much. Switching to DE shaving was a revelation to me. Since I made the switch a month ago I have wondered what took me so long.

By shaving lotion do you mean shaving cream or aftershave balm?

In terms of shaving cream your options are endless.

The most popular would be the three Ts - Trumpers, Truefitt & Taylors of Old Bond Street. Art of Shaving is also highly rated but more expensive. The other option is Crabtree & Evelyn's Sandalwood.

Also check out some of the smaller soap & cream manufacturers like Mama Bear and The Gentleman's Quarter for alternatives to sandalwood.

For aftershave balm/lotion etc the same manufacturers would be a good bet.

Thanks for the suggestions. DE shaving is like using snus in that you have may different options but want to try all of them at least once. I gave up on the Barbasol which in my opinion is the equivalent of Camel snus. Barbasol comes in a nice can with a great price but the product inside doesn't quite work as well as you want it to. I found some stuff at Whole Foods called Alba Moisturizing Mint Aloe Shaving Cream. It is strange in that and does not lather at all but it gives a fantastic shave. I think that this tube may last months as you just use a tiny bit of the Alba Cream for best results. It is almost like using an oil and not a cream. I am also having fun playing with the blades and a sampler pack of 13 different blades is on it's way to me. I started with K Mart's Good Sense DE blades. They are pretty good and each blade lasts easily lasts a week. I almost feel guilty changing the blades after a week as they still give a decent shave. Next I tried the Personna Chrome DE Blades form Wal Mart. I have used Personna in the past and like their products so I was looking forward to trying these but they are crappy! I get 2 to 3 shaves from each Personna blade at best and feel like I am playing tug o' war with my razor when I am shaving. I also end up with a lot more nicks as I have to make many more passes with these blades to get a close shave. I have decided to put the Personna blades away and save them for those times when I am broke or when I forget to pick up some good blades. I have also found a forum at badgerandblade.com which is very interesting in fun. If you ever want to learn more about DE or straight shaving, that is the place to go. People love shaving with vintage razors! Now I also am having fun hitting the antique stores looking for DE razors.

Owens that is a beautiful razor! Did you have it restored? I can see what you would enjoy using that.

[Owens187]

Owens that is a beautiful razor! Did you have it restored? I can see what you would enjoy using that.

No, if you go to the "Shaving Mall" section over there(at badger and blade), you can find some really sweet deals on equipment. I got it from a guy named Blackstangal, looks like he restores and sells tons of razors over there. Even hones them for you so they arrive "shave ready".

[GoVegan]

No, if you go to the "Shaving Mall" section over there(at badger and blade), you can find some really sweet deals on equipment. I got it from a guy named Blackstangal, looks like he restores and sells tons of razors over there. Even hones them for you so they arrive "shave ready".

I think they have everything there. I even found a snus section and I just found the shaving mall section you are talking about.

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/group.php?groupid=74

[ratcheer]

I've been DE shaving for almost four years, now. I love Feather blades, Mitchell's Wool Fat soap, and witch hazel.

Tim

[lxskllr]

That's a good looking razor Owens. I don't shave my head, and I'm not sure I'd be comfortable doing it with a straight razor. You could hit all the easy stuff, then use a DE or something for the spots behind your head. That's the approach I'd take, at least until I felt comfortable enough shaving blind.

[Owens187]

This dude is one baaaad muthafu*ka with a straight razor! Even using some cheap-ass ebay razors!