Razors

[CelticRaven]

If anyone wants to dive into an immersive experience on shaving, check out the forums at Badger and Blade.

kickstand, never could do it, had to see what I was doing. I know lots of people who do exactly that though.

[Cwi555]

Double edged razors are a good choice. Straight razors work as well with practice which is what I use on my head these days.
Triple edged blades, double, even quad edged blades are out there.

If you're storing for barter, don't forget the estrogen shavers out there. From a mentality standpoint, there isn't a woman on the planet that would pass the chance of doing something that makes them feel good about themselves if given the opportunity. Look around you next time your at the beach and count the number of hairy legged women. I predict not many if any at all. Suggest surveying the women for what blades etc they prefer then stocking accordingly. Not all of them worry about it, but definitely enough to matter.

[kickstand]

If anyone wants to dive into an immersive experience on shaving, check out the forums at Badger and Blade.

kickstand, never could do it, had to see what I was doing. I know lots of people who do exactly that though.

Although I don't have one , I have heard about "fogless mirrors" designed to be put in the shower. There's just some places that I would rather not have a mirror , and the shower is one of em.

[CelticRaven]

I thought about this thread today while I was shaving. Went to grab my really nice razor and said ya know what? I haven't shaved with my grandfathers razor in a while, and pulled out the brass & copper Gillette double edge he bought in 1946. After getting out of the shower, preshave oil, a hefty lather of shaving soap, and whisked away two weeks of growth. After, COLD WATER! (people always forget this step) some aftershave, and aftershave balm. I feel like I'm in my 20s again having cut it all off.

[RD]

I thought about this thread today while I was shaving. Went to grab my really nice razor and said ya know what? I haven't shaved with my grandfathers razor in a while, and pulled out the brass & copper Gillette double edge he bought in 1946. After getting out of the shower, preshave oil, a hefty lather of shaving soap, and whisked away two weeks of growth. After, COLD WATER! (people always forget this step) some aftershave, and aftershave balm. I feel like I'm in my 20s again having cut it all off.

Celt- Don't take this wrong, but all that girly prep I just can't do. I just do hot water, bar soap and rinse anything else your string is showing. )


RD

[W Ben Eis]

Double edged razors are a good choice. Straight razors work as well with practice which is what I use on my head these days.

A few years ago I picked up a sharpener for a double edged blades at an auction. Wish I'd kept it, but I did appreciate the return I got for it when I sold it on ebay. If one could find something like that the blades can last for quite some time.

[CelticRaven]

Celt- Don't take this wrong, but all that girly prep I just can't do. I just do hot water, bar soap and rinse anything else your string is showing. )


RD

I came to enjoy shaving after I started doing it, if I don't I break out horridly.

[redman2006]

Whatever happened to electric razors? Dad would not use anything else. Always felt like they were pulling the whiskers out to me.

Preshave, aftershave. I never used them, but I still remember my father, grandpa and grandfather all had distinct smells from the varieties they used. I still use Barbasol lemon lime and Irish spring soap because of that.

[kickstand]

Ya, I've tried the electric shavers, and it always felt like I was using a dull blade, and didn't do a very good job. Like you, it felt like it was ripping the whiskers out instead of cutting them off.

[KyDave59]

Since we're coming to the end of "No Shave November" (Google it if you don't believe me.), it's getting about time to shave again. Actually, I didn't make it all the way through November without shaving, since, after about two weeks, my beard got so itchy that I had to shave. I'm just not a fan of most facial hair.

Anyway, this reminded me, in a somewhat painful way, that it's getting about time to change my razor. I get about four to six months out of a single edge razor, and this one is definitely pushing that limit (It feels like I'm shaving with a wet noodle. I'm well past the "pulling" point, and into the "It just doesn't cut." area.).

So, I'm considering various options. I could simply get another package of disposable single edge razors, which would be good for a couple of years. Or, I could go for the disposable double, triple, quad, five, or six bladed razors, which tend not to work as well for me, due to the inter-blade gap getting full of hair. Or, I could get an old-style "safety razor" (I assume these are still made and blades are made for them? I haven't been razor shopping in a couple of years.).

However, that doesn't solve the problem of what to do when the SHTF, and replacement blades are no longer available. Yeah, I could just get a couple of hundred safety razor blades, or disposable razors, but there ought to be a better answer.
I remember that my grandfather shaved with a straight razor, which he'd sharpen on a strop prior to using it every morning (He was finally forced to switch over to a safety razor in his late 80s, when he started to shake too severely to safely use a straight razor.). It appears that straight razors are still available, although one has to beware of the cheap junk coming out of Asia (Stainless steel doesn't rust, but doesn't hold a good edge. High Carbon steel holds a good edge, but rusts like crazy.).

But, does anyone have any opinions or other options?

Dave

[redman2006]

Go dundee

[KyDave59]

I remember trying that as a teenager. Do you know how hard it is to get a general purpose knife to be sharp enough to shave with, and, even worse, keep it that sharp. It's more trouble than it's worth, especially for a stainless steel blade. :-(

Dave

[redman2006]

I have several that will keep a hair popping edge nicely, but on my face, probably not. By the time I am done sharpening and stropping, my arms are looking a little moth eaten from testing.

[Celt]

I shave with a straight razor and have for years. They will slice through a thick beard without pulling it if you have the shaving cream worked in well down onto you skin. Safety razors will clog up and greatly reduce their effectiveness. I currently own two that I regularly shave with. One being a wedge that was made from all supporting documentation around 1802 or so. The other I have is a new manufacture. They both shave equally as well although the new blade is much lighter which I suspect is due to modern machining. There is a bit of a learning curve with them but being able to strop them before each shave is a must and periodically honing them when they will no longer take an edge is the other skill you need to master. Both are not very difficult and truth be known I just asked my barber how to properly do the stropping and believe it or not learned to hone the blade via Youtube. A lot of people shy away from a straight razor because they think they will cut their heads off. While it is possible to cut yourself in the 8+ years I've been using a straight razor I've only had a couple small nicks, much less than with these modern safety razors. How to use them is another topic but if you are worried about having something that will last generations and not need anything other than a stone and leather strop to keep them running a straight razor may be a good option for you.

[airdrop]

A couple of years ago I picked up 3 straight razors at estate sales , then like celt learned to sharpen them . But I haven't made the move to put the edge to a hair yet , they are great tools .