Do you have extremely coarse facial hair and use a safety razor? Yes? Get in here!!

In My Humble Opinion
1

My fiance has EXTREMELY coarse facial hair. He has been using the Gillette Fusion ProGlide Power for a while now and while it does a pretty good job, he only gets one shave out of each blade and he really is sick of spending the money. So, he recently ventured over to classicshaving.com and bought himself a safety razor. He got a beginner’s kit with brush, razor, soap, mug, blades. I suspect he would benefit greatly from preshave as well and I’m wondering if there’s a better soap as well. We both do his shaving and I want to make sure he gets the most comfortable result possible.

So, here are my questions:

  1. What preshave is the best for the kind of coarse hair that gets stuck in a brand new blade and can cause bleeding when rubbed over someone else’s skin?

  2. Are there differences in the soaps besides scent?

  3. Do you scrape off some soap for for each lather or just put the whole bar in the cup? (I always assumed that the whole bar went in the cup but some of those bowls are just big enough for the bar and I don’t see how you could lather with no extra room, also a tutorial with some handsome Scottish man had him scraping some off the bar)

  4. Is it normal for brush hairs to come off and mix with the lather or does the beginner’s kit have a shitty brush? If so, what’s your favorite brush?

  5. Do you use any kind of after shave?

  6. How often do you shave?

  7. What’s your favorite scent? He got vanilla since it was one of the only scents he recognized other than fir and it’s hard to choose scent over the internet.

  8. What’s your preferred online vendor?

  9. Are there differences in the blades? I was very surprised by how flexible the blades he got are. They are paper thin!

  10. How do you dispose of your blades safely?

  11. Anything else you can think of we should know?

2

I stopped using a preshave because while it made the shave smoother, the hairs stuck like glue to the sink and made cleanup a bitch.

I lather the whole bar. Maybe that’s wrong and I shouldn’t.

It’s probably a shitty brush but even if you get a fancy brush, careless handling can weaken hairs. Shaking is a big one. After it’s rinsed out, don’t give it a bunch of almighty shakes.

I usually use an aftershave because my skin is kinda sensitive and when I shave every day like I should, without aftershave, my skin gets real red and ugly.

My current stuff is all sandalwood scented. I quite enjoy a lot of the arboreal scents. To me, they evoke cleanliness and manliness. If I wear a flannel shirt that day, I feel like a lumberjack.

I bought a 100 blades for 10 dollars off amazon and I’m still working through them. I’ve heard that feather brand blades are amazing but a little dangerous for beginners.

I cut a slit in a can of broth and drained it (into a tupperware!) and then rinsed and re-drained it a couple of times until the water was quite clear. Used blades go in the slit. I’m not sure what I’ll do with the can when it’s full but that day is quite a long ways away. I’ve heard of people pounding them flat with a sledgehammer and then recycling them. I don’t know.

3

I just read that the blades are recyclable so you can just throw them in your recycle bin when the can is full. I really like the soup can idea. Thanks!

I have to say, I’m super tired so when I read the lumberjack comment and started to giggle, I didn’t stop until I felt like puking. :smiley:

4

There are soaps and there are creams; generally, soap will come in a bar or a stick and cream will come in a tube like toothpaste … and then there is Kiss My Face moisture shave, a different kind of beast in a pump bottle (and very much worth a try – you might find it locally in a health food store). Different types of products and different brands can feel very different on the face. Personal experimentation is necessary.

Personally, my all-time favorite is Tabac shaving soap; it lathers really well, smells good, and leaves my face feeling good. I also like and use Musgo Real shaving cream in a tube; just squeeze out a pea sized blob and apply either directly to the face with fingers or use it with a brush – another great smell and a very smooth shave.

A brush shouldn’t be shedding a lot; could just be a truly junky brush, although I have had cheap drugstore brushes last well over 10 years. I now use a badger brush I received as a gift; it does feel different than cheap ones I’ve used for years, but … well, I wouldn’t have spent my money on it. Be aware that the bristles are glued in, so don’t run super hot water up into the brush or it may melt the glue. Be a bit gentle with the brush, and try to find a way to hang it bristles pointing down so it dries completely.

For blades, I suggest ordering a sample pack from Amazon or eBay. Try a lot of them, and there will be some that just feel better than others. I like Feather and Merkur.

That soup can idea for used blades is great for disposing of the sample blades that come by ones and twos. Once you find a brand you like and order in bulk, the blades come in a little plastic dispenser where you push one paper-wrapped blade off the top and insert the bare used blade into a slit on the bottom.

When it comes to scents, that’s really just personal. I’ll make one recommendation for an after shave that feels good, is cheap and easily available at places like Walmart, CVS, and Sally Beauty: Pinaud Clubman – this is the classic barber shop smell that has been around for over 100 years.

5

Have you tried Bevel?

6

Ok… been at the “wet shaving” thing for going on 7 years now, and here are my answers:

  1. Don’t really know; not a big preshave product user. I do recommend either shaving in or immediately after a shower though; this softens the hair up quite a bit. If not that, then the old-school hot wet towels does a fine job.

  2. Absolutely. Some are slicker than others, and some lather up better than others. The holy grail is more or less a soap that lathers up fast and easily, with extremely fine bubbles, and that’s slick as snot on a doorknob. My recommended brands are (in no particular order) Proraso (green/red), Barrister & Mann, Queen Charlotte, Haslinger, and RazoRock.

  3. I’ve never heard of scraping soap off into a bowl; the usual approach is to pre-wet the soap, and then load the brush with soap, and then use the bowl to generate your lather. The trick is knowing when you have enough soap on the brush; it’s all too easy to under-soap it and scrape the hell out of your face as a result. If you’re using cream, you just squeeze a dollop into the bowl and make the lather from there. It’s a big part of why cream is easier to use at first; there’s one less learning curve to deal with.

  4. Hairs will come off at first from most any brush, but it shouldn’t be too many and it shouldn’t be too often. Cheaper boar brushes are worse than most. I use a Frank Shaving synthetic brush, as I shave in the shower. I used to use an Omega boar brush (still have it, but don’t use it much anymore).

  5. Not consistently; I do like alum blocks- they sting a bit, but they really do reduce the redness and any minor scrapes. Beyond that, if I scrape myself up, I may use some aftershave balm (I have “Every Man Jack” that I got at Target), and if I feel like smelling nice, I use one of about 4 alcohol based ones (2 Barrister and Mann- “Fougere Classique” & “Leviathan”, Fine Accoutrements’ “American Blend”, or Taylor of Old Bond Street’s “Shaving Shop”. That’s maybe once or twice a week though. Most days it’s nothing at all.

  6. Probably 5-6 days a week.

  7. I’m partial to woody scents- sandalwood, cedar, etc… and I tend to like “barbershop” scents. Watch out- some scents like “Tabac” can be very polarizing, with some people thinking they’re awesome, and others thinking they’re rather splash dumpster juice on their face. “Tabac” smells extremely like something very elderly men wear- kind of a strong geranium/floral scent with undertones of tobacco and smoke. But Turble’s right- the soap aspects of it are second-to-none.

  8. I like Maggard Razors and West Coast Shaving.

  9. Yes- definite differences. They’re all sharp in an absolute sense, but the edge bevel of each blade type may or may not work well with the actual blade angle of your particular razor, so it’s well worth trying one of those sampler packs to see which ones work and don’t work with your particular razor.

  10. I got some kind of “blade bank” for $1 years ago when I bought some other shaving stuff and I’ve been using it ever since. It’s maybe 2.5" x 2" x 1" with a slot in the top. It’s about full, so I guess I’ll have to spend another $1 sometime soon.

  11. The biggest thing I’d suggest would be to frequent one of the other shaving forums- Badger and Blade is my favorite, but The Shave Den is also good.

Also, go onto YouTube and there’s a guy whose username is Mantic(maybe it’s Mantic58?) who has a bunch of really good how-to videos. I recommend them for learning how to do things.

7

I have been using disposals for about forever. Been lazy about shaving (twice a week), too, so my five o’clock shadow tears the hell out of the disposals, and I nick myself every other shave. I assume that I nick myself because the blade got too dull. Is that a correct assumption?

My dad used to used a DE safety razor, whisk brush, and soap bowl like the ones seen in “step 2. Inspired?” in the OP’s linked website. Would I experience fewer nicks & cuts with a DE safety razor, compared to a disposal?

8

In my experience, dull blades aren’t more likely to nick me; that’s more a function of technique and concentration, but razor burn and pulling and general unpleasantness of shaving is directly related to the sharpness of the blade.

9

I wouldn’t consider my stubble super coarse but I do give a blade a good workout. Here goes.

1. What preshave is the best for the kind of coarse hair that gets stuck in a brand new blade and can cause bleeding when rubbed over someone else’s skin?
I don’t generally use pre-shaves, I’ll wrap my face in a hot facecloth for a minute or two, unless I’m in the shower where I’ll just let the hot water soften things up.

2. Are there differences in the soaps besides scent?
Some, but the better quality stuff will usually be sourced with more natural products and not contain stuff like parabens and SLS, which is probably good to avoid anyway. Here is a link from Pop Mech on making your own. Super easy and you can scent it any way you like.

3. Do you scrape off some soap for for each lather or just put the whole bar in the cup? (I always assumed that the whole bar went in the cup but some of those bowls are just big enough for the bar and I don’t see how you could lather with no extra room, also a tutorial with some handsome Scottish man had him scraping some off the bar)
Never done it that way. I wet the brush ( I have one from the Body Shop I’ve had for years) on the bar, pick up some on the brush and then use a separate bowl to whip into a lather. Or use cream straight in to the frothing bowl. I also have an antique shaving mug that was my great grandfather’s that I will use once in a blue moon.

4. Is it normal for brush hairs to come off and mix with the lather or does the beginner’s kit have a shitty brush? If so, what’s your favorite brush?
Some hairs will come off initially, but if it’s more than one or two I’d look at getting a better brush. I’ve had great success with Body Shop and Wilkinson artificial badger and boar brushes, but super expensive isn’t necessarily better, just fancier. A quick look on some shaving forums and reviews may help here. The nicest brush I ever used was a badger hair brush with a teak handle that felt like a caress on the face. It was a splurge that I may do again one day.

5. Do you use any kind of after shave?
I use Nivea presently, but have used many others in the past. It is a good idea to have some kind of moisturizer on your face after shaving.

6. How often do you shave?
Daily during the week. Once on weekends. There is some variation there as I like growing a beard in the winter.

7. What’s your favorite scent? He got vanilla since it was one of the only scents he recognized other than fir and it’s hard to choose scent over the internet.
Sandalwood is my personal favorite and the shave cream I use is Taylor’s of Old Bond. Great stuff. In the shower I use Pro-Raso Green which is a eucalyptus/menthol which is nice as well.

8. What’s your preferred online vendor?
I order most of my stuff from Fendrihan’s

9. Are there differences in the blades? I was very surprised by how flexible the blades he got are. They are paper thin!
I bought a multi pack and tried a few out. I prefer Feather and the Merkur blades. I wasn’t fond of the derby or Astras, although some people really like them. I use a Merkur Futur handle which is adjustable. That way I can tailor how aggressive the cut is.

10. How do you dispose of your blades safely?
The 10 -packs come with a plastic contianer that stores the used blades. Once they are full I recycle them.

**11. Anything else you can think of we should know? **
Don’t get too wrapped around the axles about techniques and products. Try a bunch of stuff and see what works. Remember that expensive isn’t always better. A basic brush like this one will do about as good a job as this one. It may be a little coarser, but you can go away for a nice weekend to make up for it on what you didn’t spend. :slight_smile:

Also, get a brush and razor stand to let them dry off. Dipping the blade in alcohol afterward kills germs and helps the blade last a little longer as well.

10

I remember that the bathroom in my parents house had a traditional medicine cabinet set into the wall. At the back of the cabinet was a small slot just the right size to accept a safety razor. My parents still live in the house and my dad still uses safety razors. I sometimes wonder how many thousands of blades are behind that wall.

11

I don’t know how coarse my beard is compared to other guys, but compared to the rest of the hair on my body, my beard is like a wire brush.

I happen to think cartridge razors are a scam. I get a better shave from safety razors, and they’re ten cents per blade versus $5. I get an even better shave (for an even cheaper per-shave price) from my straight razor, but it requires maintenance, care and technique that I don’t always have time for. So I tend to use a safety razor most of the time, but strop up the straight razor for occasional use on weekends or vacations or whenever I feel like spending extra time on a better shave.

Some other questions:
The blade is thin because it is a razor. It doesn’t need to be thick, and if it were, it wouldn’t work as well.
I just throw them in the trash. I don’t know if this is considered “safely” though, but I’ve never had a problem. The bathroom trash can is usually full of kleenex or toilet paper and when we dump it into a large bag to take out to the curb, it is never a safety issue. Don’t go digging through bathroom trash bins without being careful about razors (among other nasty things), otherwise, don’t worry about it.

12

OK, thanks. I’m 50, and still learning to shave, I guess. :frowning:

13

I shave twice each time, usually once a day. Shaving cream doesn’t matter. Technique matters. Greatly. Both in the prevention of ingrown hairs and quality of shave.

I use a powered Gillette Mach3. The first shave is down. The second shave is down on the neck line and up from the jaw line and down on the mustache area NEVER shave up on the neck.

By shaving twice I’m taking the load off the blade. I’m not putting any effort into the first shave. The longer the hair gets the harder it is to shave so there’s no point trying to get a good shave on the first go.

You’d think shaving twice would cause razor burn. Not with this blade. The only reason I stay with this blade is that I never cut myself with it. I don’t know how it works but it works. If my beard grew faster I’d shave again at the end of the day.

I usually go about a month on a blade unless I skip a day. The longer I go without shaving the more damage occurs to the blade. I also dry it off on a bath towel by wiping it in a stropping fashion. If I went over a day without shaving using a standard blade it would cause a great deal of cuts which cause micro-scabbing which dulls the blade the following day. I’ve found the trick is to maintain a very close shave.

This was the result of a lifetime of trial and error. YMMV.

14

You’ve received some good responses to your specific questions. But if you are new to the whole “wet shaving” thing, I suggest you get a copy of this book.

It’s a general users guide to shaving.

15

ONE shave? That is the vibrating razor blade one, isn’t it? I get 2 weeks of shaves out of one of those blades, often more. Is he properly washing his face before he shaves? Soap and water to get rid of the oil on the hairs, and hot water to soften the hairs and open the pores. Use shaving gel and rub it in his hands to warm it up before applying it to the face.

16

yes, Shaving after a hot shower makes a difference. you can buy a hot lather machine for $20 on Amazon.

17

I’ll just chime in to say that there are sometimes useful products marketed to black men. My favourite discovery there has been shave oil, which I now using instead of soap / foam / anything else. It is a niche product, and ridicuously hard to find, but good stuff.

My blades last a long time, but I have a pretty low shaving budget and a pretty high pain tolerance.

18

I vividly recall a TV commercial from the 60s that showed safety razor blades being popped one after another into one of those medicine cabinet slots. The editing got faster and faster as more and more blades were sent into the wall, followed by an abrupt cut to stock footage of a building collapsing.

I’ve searched for this in vain on Youtube; I believe it was an ad for some electric razor.

19

Back when I was shaving my head, I’d shave once a day, twice if I was going out in the evening. Of all the different variables I tried, a hot, wet, towel pre-shave made the most difference. The other thing that helped give me the smoothest result was using a salicylic acid scrub pre-shave.

20

Well, I did say “nick me” :slight_smile:

Seriously though; I didn’t figure out the finer points of technique until I switched razor types when I was 36; the multi-blade razors are extremely forgiving, and tend to either reward or not seriously penalize bad habits like pressing too hard.

A point that anyone can implement immediately is to grow your beard out for a couple of days, then note how the hairs grow- they’ll usually have a “grain”, and you don’t want to go against that. What you want to do is change up your shaving method so that you generally go with or across the grain, not against it.

This will make a LOT of difference in how comfortable your shaves are, if you aren’t already doing that.