Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

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

online.wsj.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

51–60 of 92 posts

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

#51

Post by mcantor »

oiuhyjtgfhjkl wrote: post #44
mcantor wrote: post #40

The more I read articles like these (they pop up everywhere once in a while), the more I am beginning to see a common theme develop, namely: It depends on the guy. Google around for a while and look at all of the anecdotes, including the ones given in this thread. People say that everything is the best. It seems to me that a man's goal shouldn't be to find "the best" shaving setup, but instead the setup that works be…

Plan C - beard Plan C.2 - beard and once a week do the bits around the edges so you don't end up with the full ZZ-top look.

Plan C.3 - beard and write a new programming language, since that is the main prerequisite for being a famous language founder. (the new language will be called "Stubble" of course.)

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

#52

Post by mcantor »

MikeCapone wrote: post #36

Has anyone else been shaving without shaving cream? It probably only works for the baby-faced ones like me, but so far I haven't noticed anything bad happening to my face from using just water.

I tried this once. I'm sure it kicks ass when it works, but when I was done, my face looked like something out of a Hellraiser movie. Never again!

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

#53

Post by weezer »

JunkDNA wrote: post #29
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.

Don't do it. I bought a Merkur two years ago and I just back the switch back to the Gillette.

Here's the issue: errors with a single blade safety razor are much worse. I didn't cut myself 99% of the time, but when I did, the cuts were large divots out of my skin. It sucks.

Go with the modern technology and leave the single blades to the obsessive.

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

#54

Post by msb »

MikeCapone wrote: post #36

Has anyone else been shaving without shaving cream? It probably only works for the baby-faced ones like me, but so far I haven't noticed anything bad happening to my face from using just water.

I swear by it. Haven't used shaving cream in probably 2-3 years and I have a very thick fast growing beard. I use a little lather from the soap bar while in the shower and rinse the blade in a cup of piping hot water between strokes. I find that the increased sensitivity on the skin prevents me from pushing to hard or performing too many repeat strokes (which is where I usually get my razor burn from).

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

#55

Post by knieveltech »

A brief word of warning to those that have expressed interest in shaving with a straight: not only is it addictive, it can warp your outlook on life.

I bailed on modern shaving equipment in favor of antique (100+ yrs old minimum) straight razors over a year ago and I haven't looked back since.

Initial investment was roughly $200 for a good shave ready razor, soap, brush and a strop. My first multi-pass shave took me about an hour to complete.

Once I had my basic shaving technique down I bought a set of hones and started learning how to restore vintage razors to active use.

After a year and a half my findings are as follows:

- shaving with a straight provides the smoothest possible shave and turns shaving from a chore to a meditative experience that isn't to be missed.

- It's possible to do a three pass shave with touchup in 15 minutes without rushing.

- shaving with a straight is not economical compared to disposables.

- The fact that it's possible to restore a 150+ year old straight razor to perfect working order (I know this because I've done it myself) says quite a bit about modern build quality and designed obsolescence.

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

#56

Post by DaemonHN »

MikeCapone wrote: post #36

Has anyone else been shaving without shaving cream? It probably only works for the baby-faced ones like me, but so far I haven't noticed anything bad happening to my face from using just water.

I used to do that all the time (until I grew a beard), but I would only do it after taking a shower. I found that shaving cream just got in the way.

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

#57

Post by gcv »

pxlpshr wrote: post #17
gcv wrote: post #14

What, a whole article on traditional shaving methods and no mention of straight razors? A straight razor does take time, care, and practice, but it produces excellent results without too much irritation. (I admit that, when I'm in a hurry, I reach for a Fusion.) I tried double-edged safeties (the aforementioned Merkurs), and didn't like them. They produce a shave quality identical to Mach3 or Fusion, but take quite a…

I disagree about double-edge, razor burns, and quality of shave. This video covers a wet method shaving technique that you might consider. http://www.youtube.com/user/mantic59#p/u/35/_VxFXpdLvG0

Different things work for different people, I guess. I can't imagine what could possibly prepare my face for what the guy in the video did. If I went through it so rapidly, ignoring the grain, for 5+ passes, any razor would turn my face into a raw burger patty.

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

#58

Post by gcv »

mcantor wrote: post #40

The more I read articles like these (they pop up everywhere once in a while), the more I am beginning to see a common theme develop, namely: It depends on the guy. Google around for a while and look at all of the anecdotes, including the ones given in this thread. People say that everything is the best. It seems to me that a man's goal shouldn't be to find "the best" shaving setup, but instead the setup that works be…

Well, you did say that your barber's straight razor shave was the best you ever had, and you did say that Mach3 doesn't work for you, regardless of what he said... Maybe look for some encouragement on the ol' Internet? http://www.straightrazorplace.com/ is a little crazy, but then again, so is HN. :)

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

#59

Post by charleso »

Here's another tip for sharpening disposable razor blades using a pair of jeans:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3Kxiom83Js

Basically, you're using the denim as a strop to rub off the debris which accumulates on the blade (which appears to be responsible for most of the dulling effect). The blades themselves remain sharp for ages.

I've been doing this for a while and now use each regular Mach 3 blade for 3-4 months of daily use.

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

#60

Post by malchickhome »

knieveltech wrote: post #55

A brief word of warning to those that have expressed interest in shaving with a straight: not only is it addictive, it can warp your outlook on life. I bailed on modern shaving equipment in favor of antique (100+ yrs old minimum) straight razors over a year ago and I haven't looked back since. Initial investment was roughly $200 for a good shave ready razor, soap, brush and a strop. My first multi-pass shave took me…

Hello. Fellow straight razor enthusiast here. Could you give any advice on how to get a razor back to working order? I have a straight razor that I love but I haven't used it in a while because (I assume) my honing technique is faulty. I have been using the ones that use a disposable razor but it isn't the same.
Post reply on HN