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Razor Burn: A Flood of Fancy Shavers Leaves Some Men Feeling Nicked

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Re: Razor Burn: A Flood of Fancy Shavers Leaves Some Men Feeling Nicked

#21

Post by dmm »

chasingsparks wrote: post #3
RiderOfGiraffes wrote: post #2

I'm seriously considering getting my beard permanently removed via laser hair removal. It's getting affordable, and not having to shave every day, or every other day, seems like a luxury I might now pay for. I'm thinking of asking for next birthday and Christmas getting the cost covered. ADDED IN EDIT: I personally don't like having a beard. Been there, done that, don't like it. Also, my wife would be 100% happy with…

Link? I was under the impression that men could not have laser facial hair removal because the thick, coarse hair would scar under the high energy of the laser. (Although, I'm not sure I would do it anyway. Having facial hair as an older man seems like it would be a rite of passage.)

Speaking of old men with beards, I've always loved this portrait of Darwin:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Charles_Darwin_by_Julia_Ma...

There is just something about his huge beard and the way he stares off into the distance.

This is also a good one: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Charles_Robert_Darwin_by_J...

But don't wait until you're old to try a beard! Grow it for six weeks, see if you like it!

Re: Razor Burn: A Flood of Fancy Shavers Leaves Some Men Feeling Nicked

#22

Post by foxtrot »

I realised this a long time ago, I purchased an Open Razor (still learning that one) and a Merkur Safety Razor. I use Feather Blades which are very sharp and require a little more skill to use, however they run about £5 for 10, Mach 3 run around £10 for 8, its not hard maths :)

A good shave also looks after your skin, and using a badger brush with a good glycerine based shaving cream with good pre-shave and post-shave routine makes all the difference.

I use http://www.tayloroldbondst.co.uk/acatalog/shaving-soaps-and-... (top one in sandalwood) is fantastic, it lasts ages, doesn't numb your skin and works up a very nice lather (when used with a badger hair brush), I would recommend people try it even if they keep their Mach3.

Re: Razor Burn: A Flood of Fancy Shavers Leaves Some Men Feeling Nicked

#23

Post by roel_v »

city41 wrote: post #6
RiderOfGiraffes wrote: post #2

I'm seriously considering getting my beard permanently removed via laser hair removal. It's getting affordable, and not having to shave every day, or every other day, seems like a luxury I might now pay for. I'm thinking of asking for next birthday and Christmas getting the cost covered. ADDED IN EDIT: I personally don't like having a beard. Been there, done that, don't like it. Also, my wife would be 100% happy with…

I've considered this in the past as well. But every girl I've ever dated has really disliked the idea. A little stubble on a Saturday is a great thing in most women's eyes.

My girlfriend would be delighted if I'd have a 100% smooth face 100% of the time. At the risk of way TMI, I'd say that 'certain' Saturday activities are smoother with a clean shave than with stubble. I recently started thinking about the laser removal again too, I considered it a few years ago but I was warned by a beautician that it may make one's face look less 'full'; apparently the hair roots have enough volume to be noticeable when they're removed. But by now I've gained some weight so I could stand to loose some 'fullness' I guess ;)

Re: Razor Burn: A Flood of Fancy Shavers Leaves Some Men Feeling Nicked

#24

Post by akkartik »

RiderOfGiraffes wrote: post #2

I'm seriously considering getting my beard permanently removed via laser hair removal. It's getting affordable, and not having to shave every day, or every other day, seems like a luxury I might now pay for. I'm thinking of asking for next birthday and Christmas getting the cost covered. ADDED IN EDIT: I personally don't like having a beard. Been there, done that, don't like it. Also, my wife would be 100% happy with…

For five years my hack has been to cycle from cleanly shaved to bearded every week. Or three.

Re: Razor Burn: A Flood of Fancy Shavers Leaves Some Men Feeling Nicked

#25

Post by brk »

pxlpshr wrote: post #16
brk wrote: post #7

I bought a Merkur Futur a year ago and haven't looked back. The initial investment in going to an old-school shaving setup is about $100. Safety razor, some blades, badger-hair brush and saving soap. But the payoff is huge over time. A $5.00 bar of shaving soap can last 6 or 8 months with daily use. High-quality DE blades are $0.50-$0.80 ea, depending on quantity. As the article states, it takes a little more time an…

I have the same razor. What blade are you using with it? I prefer Feathers.

I've been using the Merkur Platinum blades that came with it. In all honesty though, I've never tried any other blades, so maybe I'm missing out.

The one downside to the DE razors is that (at least in my area) local supply of blades is somewhat limited. The drugstores that do stock them just seem to carry whatever basic cheap-ass blades they can get. My guess is that they think these blades are only purchased by 80 year old men, probably passing up a good revenue opportunity.

I think I'll order some of the Feathers and give those a try next.

Re: Razor Burn: A Flood of Fancy Shavers Leaves Some Men Feeling Nicked

#26

Post by ktsmith »

jasonlotito wrote: post #5

I learned a while back about the idea of sharpening your blades. I know, it's obvious. The idea is that these disposable blades that you buy in packs of 4 can actually last quite a while if you 'sharpen' them. Basically, wet the razers, and then run it up your arm. Make sure you drag it across so you aren't shaving your arm, but rather, running the blades face across your arm, sharpening it. Wow. That's a really bad…

You should get a strop: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Razor_strop

You aren't actually sharpening the blades, just honing them. This is essentially the same process you perform on a honing steel for your kitchen knives. The leather is used instead of a steel due to how thin the blades of your razor are. If you don't have a strop you could also use an old pair of jeans. Either way I wouldn't use your arm as if something did go wrong with the cartridge you could end up with severe cuts. I've had plenty of those cheap cartridges gillette mounts their blades in break and expose their innards.

By using a strop I typically get a cartridge to last for a couple of months before I toss it. They could probably last longer, but that's enough for me. I buy blades maybe once every couple of years due to a combination of stropping and growing a full beard each winter.

I've also tried moving to a safety razor but I dislike shaving enough that I'm not willing to spend that much time on the process each morning so stropping the modern blades is a happy middle ground of savings and convenience.

Re: Razor Burn: A Flood of Fancy Shavers Leaves Some Men Feeling Nicked

#27

Post by pxlpshr »

brk wrote: post #25
pxlpshr wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have the same razor. What blade are you using with it? I prefer Feathers.

I've been using the Merkur Platinum blades that came with it. In all honesty though, I've never tried any other blades, so maybe I'm missing out. The one downside to the DE razors is that (at least in my area) local supply of blades is somewhat limited. The drugstores that do stock them just seem to carry whatever basic cheap-ass blades they can get. My guess is that they think these blades are only purchased by 80 y…

Merkur is a great blade, but then I came across the Feathers and I think the japanese have a leg up. It's one of the sharpest blades I've used. Definitely recommend you sample a pack.

http://www.classicshaving.com/catalog/item/522941/906451.htm

Re: Razor Burn: A Flood of Fancy Shavers Leaves Some Men Feeling Nicked

#28

Post by gpurrenhage »

brk wrote: post #25
pxlpshr wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have the same razor. What blade are you using with it? I prefer Feathers.

I've been using the Merkur Platinum blades that came with it. In all honesty though, I've never tried any other blades, so maybe I'm missing out. The one downside to the DE razors is that (at least in my area) local supply of blades is somewhat limited. The drugstores that do stock them just seem to carry whatever basic cheap-ass blades they can get. My guess is that they think these blades are only purchased by 80 y…

I tried at least 6-8 different blades when I first started w/ a DE razor, and Feathers blew all the others out of the water. Every face is different, but Feathers are definitely worth a trial at least.

Re: Razor Burn: A Flood of Fancy Shavers Leaves Some Men Feeling Nicked

#29

Post by JunkDNA »

brk wrote: post #7

I bought a Merkur Futur a year ago and haven't looked back. The initial investment in going to an old-school shaving setup is about $100. Safety razor, some blades, badger-hair brush and saving soap. But the payoff is huge over time. A $5.00 bar of shaving soap can last 6 or 8 months with daily use. High-quality DE blades are $0.50-$0.80 ea, depending on quantity. As the article states, it takes a little more time an…

Can you speak to the additional time commitment? I have been considering ditching the Fusion for a Merkur, but I'm worried about adding more time to my AM routine. Are we talking double the amount of time? Triple? The thought of getting up at 5:30 AM just to get a better shave has been the primary reason I haven't pulled the trigger.
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