• Shaving Thread
    83 replies, posted
[img]http://i.imgur.com/CNPnHj0.png[/img] Welcome to the Facepunch Shaving Thread that's all about the art of shaving, the perfect place to discuss your techniques or show of your latest piece of kit. [img]http://i.imgur.com/tcH9gHf.png[/img] [b]Electric[/b] [t]http://i.imgur.com/GuR4oa8.jpg[/t] Electric razors have been around for well over 70 years and provide a very simple and fast method of shaving, despite advances in technology all electric razors work on the old principle of a rapidly oscillating blade that is covered with a grille of some design, electric razors have the advantage of not requiring replacement blades and can be used dry with no water or shaving cream. On the downside electric razors do not cut as close as a blade and for many can cause serious skin irritation and ingrown hairs, they also require batteries of charging which can be inconvenient especially when travelling. [b]Wet Shaving[/b] Wet shaving is the art of shaving using a blade of some description, it can be further broken down in to the following categories. [b]Cartridge Razors[/b] [t]http://i.imgur.com/Nuh9Pei.jpg[/t] These are what most wet shavers are familiar with today with razors like the Gillette Mach 3 being recognized around the world, they consist of 1 to 6 narrow razor blades packaged in a plastic cartridge, some razors are fully disposable while other you simply replace the cartridge when it has worn out. Cartridge razors have the advantage of being quite easy to use, despite the sharpness of the blades the fixed blade angle makes it difficult to cut yourself. The main disadvantage to cartridge razors is the price, while the handle itself costs next to nothing the cartridges are rather expensive, a 8 pack of blades can easily set you back £14/€20/$22 [b]Safety Razors[/b] [t]http://i.imgur.com/mzSv3GL.jpg[/t] Safety razors were invented around 100 years ago as a safer alternative to using a bare blade, the most common type is the double edged razor which has a cutting edge on each side of the blade, single edged blades are more unusual shapes are also available. DE safety razors went out of fashion with the invention of cartridge razors but they are now making a strong comeback, the main reason being the very low cost of blades with a pack of 100 costing around £7/€10/$11 this is less than 11 cents per blade with even cheaper prices available in bulk. Aside from cost safety razors tend to cause less irritation and ingrown hairs compared with cartridge razors, they can also provide a closer shave since their is a lot of choice on how aggressive a shave you want. The only real disadvantage is that it does take more skill and care to use a DE razor but once you're familiar with it the quality of shaves is's usually superior to a cartridge razor. [b]Straight Razors[/b] [t]http://i.imgur.com/hll1Nrb.jpg[/t] Straight razors have been around since the 1680's and were once the only way to shave, most often you'd have gone to a barber to have this done since using and caring for a straight razor does take some skill, a simpler alternative is a shavette which takes a regular single edge or double edge (once broken in half) blade, quality of the shave isn't necessarily better with a straight razor but there are still a number of people who enjoy shaving regularly with a straight razor, perhaps the biggest advantage is a straight razor with care can last practically forever with no need for blades. [img]http://i.imgur.com/TNFsWVs.png[/img] Switching from electric or cartridge razors to safety razors can at first be a rather confusing experience with so many products available but the end result is certainly worth it. [b]Razor[/b] Perhaps the most important decision is which razor to use, some provide a more aggressive shave than other, while an aggressive razor does give the closest and quickest shave it can also cause razor burn and if you're not careful cuts. Razors are available from as little as $2 but these are in general best avoided for a beginner, my personal recommendation (and very popular razor) is the [url=http://www.amazon.com/Merkur-Heavy-Double-Razor-Included/dp/B000QYEK88/]Merkur 34C[/url] also known as the [url=http://www.amazon.com/Merkur-Heavy-Double-Razor-Included/dp/B000QYEK88/]Merkur HD[/url] which is a reasonably low cost yet quality razor that is medium aggressive. Other popular brands include Parker, Muhle and Edwin Jagger. [b]Blade[/b] Picking the right razor blade makes a huge difference, some blades like the Feather are very sharp so give a closer and quicker shave, at the cost of increased risk of irritation and cuts, others are not so sharp but give a very smooth shave. Since it's very much a personal preference getting a sample pack of various blades is a very good idea for a beginner. [b]Shaving Soap[/b] While it's certainly possible to shave with regular shaving gel or foam using a proper soap tends to gives much better results since it offers more protection, soaps are available as either a cream or a solid which is used along with a shaving brush. There are a huge variety of soaps available in different scents so it's worth trying out different ones, however if you're on a budget [url=http://www.amazon.com/Arko-Shaving-Stick-White-Count/dp/B000VAWZ2U/]Arko[/url] is an extremely good soap that produces a fantastic lather. Other brands worth looking at are Prorasso, Taylor's of Old Bond Street, Tabac and Palmolive. [b]Brush[/b] [t]http://i.imgur.com/6O89RNx.jpg[/t] A brush is required in order to get a good lather, most common brushes are made from badger, bore, horse or synthetic hair, brushes with real hair tend not to last as long but once broken in are extremely soft and can hold a lot of lather. A decent badger brush ranges from around £15 to well over £100 for high quality ones. [b]Videos[/b] [media]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ps88RU_BXlA[/media] [media]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNwnBKnv1WI[/media] If you have any suggestions on anything else to add please let me know. :class:
i just use disposable razors and shaving gel why spend hundreds on useless stuff
[QUOTE=MasterFen006;48348777]i just use disposable razors and shaving gel why spend hundreds on useless stuff[/QUOTE] Using a safety razor doesn't have to be expensive, the razor itself can last forever and the blades and soap can be had really cheap.
is anyone else 25 but still only able to grow a nasty stringy genghis khan beard that you insist on periodically growing out only to find nothing has changed for like the thirtieth consecutive time and you just have to keep on living looking like edward snowden while all your friends look like svelte fidel castro
I used to go to a barbers all the time and get a cutthroat shave. Kinda didn't want to spend more money on it so I grew my beard out :((
[QUOTE=Kommodore;48348864]is anyone else 25 but still only able to grow a nasty stringy genghis khan beard that you insist on periodically growing out only to find nothing has changed for like the thirtieth consecutive time and you just have to keep on living looking like edward snowden while all your friends look like svelte fidel castro[/QUOTE] Are we twins? Few months back I actually made a topic on some advice with shaving. I learned few new tricks to shave better but even with new cartridge razors I still have that slightly unshaven look no matter how hard I try to shave.
I'm almost 21, and most of my friends can't grow facial "smoothly" across their faces and they end up getting uneven patches of hair across their faces. Meanwhile I grow a beard that I find perfect, but I end up trimming it with an electric razor because it gets super itchy and I hate clean shaving.
[QUOTE=huntingrifle;48349029]I'm almost 21, and most of my friends can't grow facial "smoothly" across their faces and they end up getting uneven patches of hair across their faces. Meanwhile I grow a beard that I find perfect, but I end up trimming it with an electric razor because it gets super itchy and I hate clean shaving.[/QUOTE] The itching is only in the beginning of the growth. It may take a week or two, but after that it'll stop itching, any itch after that is just your regular itch like the ones on the head. But yeah, it's a pain.
Oh, I know, there are multiple times where I haven't shaved for months because it keeps my face warm(er) in the winter. I just don't grow it out too much because I end up looking like a drug dealer/homeless man.
Just finished my first shave with a DSC Humble Twin razor. I used a brush and soap to make my own lather and pre-oiled my face instead of bothering with the shave butter sample that was included and it came out pretty good. Wasn't the closest shave but the end result was pretty clean and I also didn't destroy my face in the process (or even nick myself), so considering my lack of shaving experience and how cheap the razor was, I'm pretty impressed - I don't think I could've asked for a better result.
I didn't even get a single cut since i started my shaving life. That's about a year or so.
Both my dad and I have pretty sensitive skin when it comes to shaving, as 3/4/5/6/956 blade disposables tear our faces to shit. Got a safety razor and all the accessories in November, I'm so fucking pleased. The shave is fantastic, and the ritual is really enjoyable
I've been using safety razor for the last three years, never looking back. Very precise, never had any irritation and I don't remember the last time I cut myself. And it's cheap as hell, recommended to anyone. I also tried to switch to straight razor but that one is a bitch to handle, and also the whole process takes much longer.
Recently purchased a cut-throat straight razor, it's great for when you've not let your hair grow much, if it's too long it gets a bit uncomfortable. Cut myself a lot less than I expected too which was nice.
Does anyone have a recommendation for a safety razor? I often get cuts when I use regular razors, no matter what I try.
[QUOTE=huntingrifle;48353794]Does anyone have a recommendation for a safety razor? I often get cuts when I use regular razors, no matter what I try.[/QUOTE] The Merkur 34C is often recommended for a lot of beginners, it isn't the most gentle razor you can get but it's easy to get the correct shaving angle, you can get adjustable razors like the Merkur Futur, Merkur Progress or if you like vintage the Gillette Fatboy. The blade you use also has a big impact, like anything with shaving it's pretty subjective so you should try get a sample pack of blades off ebay or somewhere else. Also make sure you spend time applying a proper lather, it really does help provide a better shave.
What's everyones opinions on the hot-vs-cold debate for the temperature of water used during shaving (not prep)?
[QUOTE=MasterFen006;48348777]i just use disposable razors and shaving gel why spend hundreds on useless stuff[/QUOTE] a single razor blade works out at 10p a pop so over 30 years I'm afraid you are the one spending more. [url]http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sensitive-Single-Blade-Disposable-Shaver/dp/B003RRWYYS/ref=sr_1_6?s=drugstore&ie=UTF8&qid=1438521970&sr=1-6&keywords=bic+disposable[/url] [url]http://www.amazon.co.uk/SUPERIOR-PLATINUM-DOUBLE-SAFETY-BLADES/dp/B00LJ5ZL4A/ref=sr_1_1?s=drugstore&ie=UTF8&qid=1438521998&sr=1-1&keywords=astra+100[/url] [editline]2nd August 2015[/editline] [QUOTE=huntingrifle;48353794]Does anyone have a recommendation for a safety razor? I often get cuts when I use regular razors, no matter what I try.[/QUOTE] You only get cut if you shave incorrectly. So maybe it's you and not the razor.
[QUOTE=AK'z;48354806]a single razor blade works out at 10p a pop so over 30 years I'm afraid you are the one spending more.[/QUOTE] lol yeah but i can afford to spend 10p a day or like every other day so idc
[QUOTE=Fuxed;48354805]What's everyones opinions on the hot-vs-cold debate for the temperature of water used during shaving (not prep)?[/QUOTE] I've shaved with cold water before after having a shower, it works fine but I find warm water to be much more comfortable, particularly in winter when the water gets extremely cold.
[QUOTE=MasterFen006;48354835]lol yeah but i can afford to spend 10p a day or like every other day so idc[/QUOTE] You said you use disposable razors tho, those are about 20p a razor and unless you have REALLY thin growth, you'll never get a close shave and they won't be very good after a couple passes. Even though I think disposables are less of a con than cartridge shaving, they still deliver less than a nice sharp blade.
I don't bother with shaving, I just pluck all the hairs out as they grow out. So much smoother than any shave you could get, and you don't have to spend anything (apart from the tweezers).
wait, how does an electric razor cause ingrown hairs? maybe that explains the patch on the side of my jaw where nothing grows...
[QUOTE=Pops;48355404]wait, how does an electric razor cause ingrown hairs? maybe that explains the patch on the side of my jaw where nothing grows...[/QUOTE] Pretty sure ingrown hairs occur when you're shaving against the grain of your beard, when you should be shaving with the grain.
[QUOTE=Headhumpy;48355375]I don't bother with shaving, I just pluck all the hairs out as they grow out. So much smoother than any shave you could get, and you don't have to spend anything (apart from the tweezers).[/QUOTE] :scream: Your hair must be very sparse, if I was to do that my face would be pouring blood and probably take me forever to get every hair. [QUOTE=Pops;48355404]maybe that explains the patch on the side of my jaw where nothing grows...[/QUOTE] Ingrown hairs look like spots and often get infected if you don't pull the hair out, you probably just have a bald spot, it may grow as you get older or never.
[QUOTE=Pops;48355404]wait, how does an electric razor cause ingrown hairs? maybe that explains the patch on the side of my jaw where nothing grows...[/QUOTE] electric razors slice hairs in all directions, thus an uneven shit shave. You should shave only in one direction to gradually reduce the hair.
Idk about you guys but I've used a gillette fusion power for years now. I don't even have batteries in it anymore I just use it as it is, still works great.
[QUOTE=Kommodore;48348864]is anyone else 25 but still only able to grow a nasty stringy genghis khan beard that you insist on periodically growing out only to find nothing has changed for like the thirtieth consecutive time and you just have to keep on living looking like edward snowden while all your friends look like svelte fidel castro[/QUOTE] yeah my facial hair is trash, i pretty much have no option but to shave it all regularly. If I try to grow a goatee, the hair doesn't connect all the way on one side. If I try to grow a full beard, I get two very noticeable bare patches around my jowls. On my cheeks the hair is sparse and wispy, and basically nothing grows below my jawline. Only plus side, I'm physically incapable of growing a neckbeard.
[QUOTE=AK'z;48355706]electric razors slice hairs in all directions, thus an uneven shit shave. You should shave only in one direction to gradually reduce the hair.[/QUOTE] oh i usually go up and down with it to make sure it gets as even as can be though. mine also has a trimmer of sorts that allows it to get down to just the barebones so the 3 razors up top just clean up what's left. in fact, this is what i have [url]http://www.amazon.com/Philips-Norelco-Speed-XL-8240-Shaving/dp/B001AMRQ2W[/url]
I'm surprise the OP is limited to only facial hair.
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