Does anybody here properly shave their head?

[Snarfblat]

I received my Wahl Balding Clippers and had a chance to try them out. I agree with previous posts that these appear to be well made. The teeth on the top and bottom blades are much finer than my old clippers. They cut very close, closer than I expected. I did catch the blades a few times on my head and neck, but there wasn't too much blood. My old clippers were much more forgiving with the angle, these will take a little practice. I think I may adjust the blades just a little bit back to see if that reduces catching.

Overall I'm very impressed.

[justintempler]

I'm not planning on shaving my head but I am considering buying a DE safety razor. I'm considering buying a Parker 96R and just wanted opinions before I make the leap.

http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-Parker-96R-D...item27b5f38c17


The other purchase I'm considering is 100 Derby blades.
http://cgi.ebay.com/100-NEW-Derby-Ex...item4153304442

[GoVegan]

I'm not planning on shaving my head but I am considering buying a DE safety razor. I'm considering buying a Parker 96R and just wanted opinions before I make the leap.

http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-Parker-96R-D...item27b5f38c17


The other purchase I'm considering is 100 Derby blades.
http://cgi.ebay.com/100-NEW-Derby-Ex...item4153304442

I would really do some research, like you are now, before buying anything and the best place to do that is at http://badgerandblade.com/vb/ IMO, everybody is different and you may have to try several razor and blade combination before you find one you really like. I would recommend going into an antique or thrift store and buying an open comb and a bar razor to try out as a minimum. They should cost no more that $5 to $10. I myself, prefer open combs and they seem to deliver a much closer shave for me. As far as the blades, you will probably have to try several before you find the right combination. Everybody has a different face and add to that the differences in razor design. So I would not buy 100 of any blades just yet. If you PM me your address, I will be more than happy to send you a sampler with some different blades for you to try. The only catch is that I am going on vacation for a few days and probably can't get it in the mail until next week. Once, you find the blade that works for your face and razor, you should easily get a week of smooth shaving out of it. I also do not have any Japanese blades which you might want to try as well.

I do want to add that is a nice looking razor and I like Derby blades myself.

I found a review for that razor here.

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthr...ghlight=Parker

[justintempler]

Thanks GoVegan,

I've already been to Badger and Blade. I have already read the reviews there. I was given as a gift what probably is a Taiwan or Chinese knockoff of a Merker open tooth razor. It has absolutely no markings on it, it came with some Gibbs blades. Being a noname knockoff I can't fairly judge an open tooth by using it. Where I am in Florida, there aren't a lot of antique shops around here so in order to experiment would involve a lot of time and gas money. When I lived around Nashville there were tons of antique malls, down here, not so much.

The reason I want a DE razor is I'm getting tired of paying for disposables that are either way too expensive or that are garbage. I'm not looking for the ultimate dream shave and I don't want to spend a lot of time and money buying 4 or 5 used razors to find one I like, that defeats one of the reasons I am buying a DE in the first place. I'm not looking for top of the line but I don't want to buy garbage either.

What I'm actually asking is.. do any of you think the choices I made are a bad choice? Is either the Parker 96R or are the Derby blades garbage in your experience?

[Mr. Snuffleupagus]

Man you guys are making me want to shave but I'm not gonna do it until I either have to for work or it gets outlawed. "Fear the Beard" haha!

[GoVegan]

Thanks GoVegan,

I've already been to Badger and Blade. I have already read the reviews there. I was given as a gift what probably is a Taiwan or Chinese knockoff of a Merker open tooth razor. It has absolutely no markings on it, it came with some Gibbs blades. Being a noname knockoff I can't fairly judge an open tooth by using it. Where I am in Florida, there aren't a lot of antique shops around here so in order to experiment would involve a lot of time and gas money. When I lived around Nashville there were tons of antique malls, down here, not so much.

The reason I want a DE razor is I'm getting tired of paying for disposables that are either way too expensive or that are garbage. I'm not looking for the ultimate dream shave and I don't want to spend a lot of time and money buying 4 or 5 used razors to find one I like, that defeats one of the reasons I am buying a DE in the first place. I'm not looking for top of the line but I don't want to buy garbage either.

What I'm actually asking is.. do any of you think the choices I made are a bad choice? Is either the Parker 96R or are the Derby blades garbage in your experience?

I am a little hesitant about the Parker 96R after seeing the reviews. I think you would be much better off with a vintage Gillette off ebay. As far as the Derby's go, they are my favorite blade and I would have no problem buying 100 of them. I have a 1920 Gillette Open Comb and I have heard that the Derby's work well with that type of razor most of the time. I found this set of 3 on ebay and you should find at least one out of this set that works well for you.

http://cgi.ebay.com/LOT-3-VTG-SAFETY...item483d2173aa

The Gillette has a split in the handle which does not effect performance but is does keep the price way down. I have not tried a Gem yet but there are a lot of people out there who live them. I agree with you on the price. 100 DE Derby blades go for around $12.00-$15.00 with shipping and should easily last you 2 years. The problem is that there are way too many shaving soaps, creams, etc... out there and I want to try them all! My favorite so far is Aubrey Organic's Men's Stock. It's a bit harder to rinse than most but gives a smooth shave and smells great. Sometimes you can get a good price on it at Whole Foods if there is one in your area.

[justintempler]

I made my decision this morning.

I read all the reviews on Amazon for the Parker 96R, while the people on Amazon may not be experts like they are on BadgerandBlade, they all actually bought the 96R. They weren't comparing it to other Parker models or other brands of DE razors. They were basing their opinion on what they thought of the 96R. I noticed most of the negative comments were made by people that were going back to disposables. They weren't complaining about the 96R, they were complaning about using a DE. Cost $29.86

I also went ahead and bought 100 of the Derby Extra DE blades for $12.49.

and lastly, I went to CVS and found a CVS private labeled copy of the Van Der Hagens 3 piece set, bowl, soap, brush for $6.99 (plus tax).

[Frosted]

Let us know how you get on Justin.

[bakerbarber]

I bought the gun metal Parker. The plating is very fragile and thin. The one I bought is a good shaver. It's a bit aggressive. Nice long heavy handle. Finish is cheap.

Watch you tube. No pressure is the best advice out there to get a blood free shave. It is best to go slow, relather, and make several passes. Trying to dig in and get a 1 swipe close shave cause irritation or worse.

I prefer my Edwin Jagger DE89L. Brand New. made in England. They have the parts Chrome plated at the same place that does Rolls Royce hood ornaments. $32 shipped from Amazon.

By far a 40s or 50s Gillette Super Speed is user friendly and well built. eBay for no more than $15 or $20 INCLUDING shipping.

I bought an Aristocrat that makes my eyes well up. It is the epitome of painless close shaves. I have to admit, I went off the deep end and bought several razors.

Get a sampler pack of blades from ntguys on eBay. They do free shipping, and send out fresh brand new items.

I got a fatboy, a regular and two black slim adjustables, several super speeds, and some 3 piece razors.


If anyone wants to give it a whirl let me know. I'll hook you up at cost.

The curve was several weeks for me to unlearn bad habits from cartridge shaving. Like jt said, I refuse to pay exorbitant prices for the cartridges.

I have to admit, once getting the technique down, I don't get razor bumps, ingrown hairs, or 5 o'clock shadow at 1:30 anymore. Really a superior way to shave. I make time to shave right. It's worth it.

[Frosted]

Having a bald head is great - BUT - LEARN HOW TO USE IT!

My 8 month old daughter has a big flower toy with a suction cup on the bottom. Now - just for a laugh I stuck it on my head - cause I can these days. The only problem is, I've got big black round suction marks all over my head. I don't know how I'm going to explain that at work on Friday night. I usually stick a plunger on my bonce and I've had no problems with that in the past.

I also bashed my head on a corner of a cupboard leaving a big gash - and my daugher has left four big red scabs from grabbing a hold of me. What's more - I went to shave with my balding clipper and the blades had moved giving me a nice gash on the side of my head to boot.

So, go carefully guys or you'll end up like me. I look rather 'special' right now. Maybe I am - where do I get the short bus?

[justintempler]

Frosted they make bald "toupees" for people like you.




/sarcasm off

[Owens187]

Justin, that Parker, while not the best, will give you a damn fine shave. I just sold that model, and also a 22R not long ago. While both Parkers gave me a great shave, I MUCH prefer vintage Gillettes. My main three headshavers are '56, and '57 Flare-Tip SuperSpeeds, and a '57 Fat Boy SuperSpeed. All three of these give me a baby's-ass-close shave, with zero irritation. The Fat Boy is adjustable, so is my recomendation to all newbies starting out with DE's. It can be adjusted for aggressiveness, and its like the hair just falls off with no effort. Definately give one a try, like everyone else said, you can find one dirt-cheap on B&B. The Fat Boys are a bit more expensive, as they are one of the most sought-after DE razors ever, but worth every penny!


EDIT: Justin, just make sire to look around before you buy. For example, I just got that same 100 Derby blade set for $6 with free shipping, on Amazon.

[WickedKitchen]

Hey Owens...I finally grew a set.



I can see that this has it's advantages over my Mach3. I was cleaning out an older family members house and I came across this so I cleaned it up, bought some blades and soap and had at it. My skin burned like the dickens for a while after but I'll get used to that I suppose. Also, aftershave would probably help too but I like the closeness of it.

[Monkey]

Hey Owens...I finally grew a set.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]1102[/ATTACH]

I can see that this has it's advantages over my Mach3. I was cleaning out an older family members house and I came across this so I cleaned it up, bought some blades and soap and had at it. My skin burned like the dickens for a while after but I'll get used to that I suppose. Also, aftershave would probably help too but I like the closeness of it.

Nice.....most of the irritation was probably the angle you came at.

Angle of the razor to skin is 90% of shaving with these guys.

I have good days but I also have those days I am in a rush, get lazy and have some burn or even a nice size gash.

Try a nice lotion based after shave as opposed to the burning alcohol type....

[Rattlesnake]

Hot water (I mean really hot water) makes a better lather. Do You agree? And better lather means a slicker shave, be it the head or face.