Daily Learning curve of having Great shaves!

Discussion in 'Shave School' started by Ron R, Mar 10, 2018.

  1. Ron R

    Ron R Well-Known Member

    Aftershaves that are little to strong for my liking or wife's!
    Its hard to order on line with out testing it and when you receive the aftershave it might be a little to strong of a scent so here is what I do and I like the results. I clean the small decanted glass bottles with water and then give them a good shaking rinse of 99% alcohol and then dry. I then will pore in the aftershave and add Witch Hazel the dominate elixir if I want the scent to fade faster but still do the job and enjoy the scent for a shorter time 1-3 hrs is enough for me. You will notice the aftershave is a little clouded it is because the aftershave powders and what ever are suspended in the Witch Hazel solution. The nice thing about decantering into small bottles is you can tweak your formula a little with out altering the main Aftershave container bottle and also add a little essential oils to your test bottle to have it your way.
    Another way to monitor the strength is put a little dab mid arm to smell the scent strength as it fades so you can tweak your formula to your personal preference, when applied to the face you get Scent fatigue because its always in your face:happy097:so to speak.
    Final results are every one around me is Happy Happy.....
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    Last edited: Aug 8, 2018
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  2. Ron R

    Ron R Well-Known Member

    Soap and Croap care. (croap meaning soft soap & cream texture)
    I like to lather in a bowl for Croaps and creams because I can control the the consistency better and cleanups are very easy also if I'm changing different soaps because I have only one bowl in use to maybe do 7 or 8 different soaps during a rotation!(I take a dollop of croap and press it into the bottom of my modified bowl or center of brush with cream and operator & brush with bowl determine the results .) I believe adding water to a croap container it came with and closing the lid leads to problems and lesser shelf life over time IMO.

    Hard soap such as Tabac gets mixed in its own puck bowl and applied to the face and add water to brush if its to dry until I'm satisfied of the consistency of soap and water . Turn puck bowl upside down when not to be used for approx 24hrs> and put lid back on until rotation calls for it again- that procedure has given me great soap lather results with no other issues.
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    Last edited: Apr 8, 2018
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  3. KenH

    KenH Well-Known Member

    Cold water rinse I love but then my habit is cold shower of a morning anyway. Cold shower, hot towel, shave and warm then cold rinse for me.
     
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  4. brit

    brit in a box

    i cold water rinse also .year round.i use alum once in a while.witch hazel all the time.skin improvements through the roof ...
     
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  5. Ron R

    Ron R Well-Known Member

    What is the most enjoyable part of DE shaving?
    To me it is the pre shave, soap lathering with a brush and the skill to accomplish a DFS> BBS.
    The best part is feel of the beard skin area 1 hr later telling you it was a job well done.
    Other great aspects of the DE wet shaving is research of products and shaving forum reading and in-putting ideas of different topics.
     
  6. Ron R

    Ron R Well-Known Member

    DE & SE Razor blades are so important to a nice shave, beards can very from coarse ,medium and soft whiskers.
    Having a mild razor with a sharpest blade can give excellent results and with a Aggressive razor a sharp and smooth blade with positive blade exposure can be also a excellent combination (Good razor hand technique is so important).
    Manufactures have come up with some very interesting designs featuring stainless and carbon steels with different coatings like Teflon,diamonds,carbide platinum,iridium and Chrome to name a few. This is my best way of explaining what is important by the makeshift chart photo that I Have experienced with all these blades that I have used and enjoyed. This should get most folks in the ballpark if undecided what to buy, l personally like mostly all the ones in the Sharp & Smooth & crossing over to Sharpest(Sweet spot area) and have used all these blades. Going to the extreme sharpest blade for a newbie should not really be a starting point until your technique is good and then give it a whirl with a mild razor.
    Latest blade review June 26th 2020


    Blade Review #6.3 June 26th 2020 (3).jpg
    Photo graph chart below is the older version.
     

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    Last edited: Jun 26, 2020
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  7. Ron R

    Ron R Well-Known Member

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    Brushes
    , I'm a bit biased when it comes to brushes. I think Synthetic brushes are for me because I just do not like the break in period for Boar brushes (Funk smell) but they all complete the job they were intended for and thats lathering Boar,Badger,horse and synthetic. I still use my boar brush once in a while and still enjoy it because its broke in nicely.

    Let´s look at some of the advantages and disadvantages of synthetic brushes:

    Pros:



      • Quick Drying Time- A synthetic brush will dry within hours as compared to a badger brush which could take a day or so.



      • Lather- It will release the lather easier than an animal hair brush.



      • Shedding Hair- A good quality synthetic brush will not shed hair.



      • Low Maintenance- It practically requires no maintenance and no worries about smell or mold appearing, which can happen in animal hair brushes.



      • Inexpensive- It costs less than some of the animal hair brushes, making it affordable.
    Cons:



      • Water Retention- Does not retain much water but with the technology advancing rapidly, it is getting better in the area of water and heat retention.



      • Poor heat Retention- This can normally be taken care of by using luke warm water.
     
    Last edited: Aug 24, 2018
  8. Biglou

    Biglou Active Member

    I use the Proraso preshave green and love it. It doesn’t provide the slickness of a preshave oil but I feel it preps the face better and wakens my whiskers.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
     
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  9. Ron R

    Ron R Well-Known Member

    Expensive Vs Inexpensive DE razors or Modern Vs Vintage DE razors?
    When it comes to vintage and modern DE razors the final shaving results are almost identical and if you get a bargin on vintage razor or like the looks of some of the newer DE razors and just want a virgin razor the choices are endless. It is nice to have a combination of vintage to modern IMO.
    One more thing about razor characteristics is to have a mild razor for those days to give your skin a little rest time but still have a presentable look.
    I think weight is important to a razor, the higher end razors seem to use Brass or stainless steel with nice coatings.
    The inexpensive one are usually zinc heads chromed with a nice handle of stainless and they can be just as good to shave with.
    It depends on the budget or willingness to spend money on a great 20 minutes of your day, I use inexpensive razors and top tier and not a whole lot of difference in the final results. The higher end ones are usually more accurate and have no end blade overhang and the blade is accurately held in place from my observations.
    If I was young and enjoyed the DE shaving I think a higher end razor is worth it because it will give you life time of pleasure and a few inexpensive ones are great to have for travel and to experiment with! 20 minutes a day per shave approx X 360 days for a daily shaver taking a day off or two every once in a while = 120hrs, yup you might need a few different razors to change things up IMO!
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    Sept 16 -2018 Rev #3 another view of Aggression & efficiency.
    New razor aggression chart of most of my razors approxmate areas of concern..jpg
    The Aggression scale is always a personal way of expressing the feel and results IMO!:eatdrink047:
     
    Last edited: Sep 16, 2018
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  10. Ron R

    Ron R Well-Known Member

    Travelling just recently to Puerto Vallarta Mexico (2 wks)I wanted to have some decent shaves so I brought minimal gear with me to keep the weight down and yet still enjoy the shaves.
    In humid climate I thought I would bring a small synthetic brush with a protective medicine bottle vented to keep the brush in reasonable shape from all the tossing of suit cases.
    My soap selection good old Arko with Nivea for a change up once in a while. The Razorock old type open comb razor & leather razor holster with Personna red blades with their great blade case for holding spent old blades(Don't leave spent blades in waste basket). A small bottle of decantered Aftershave and of coarse a Alum block for sub tropical climate instringent. The small metal shaving bowl was brought along just in case I wanted to bowl lather(Never used so I did not have to bring!) and I was very Happy Happy.
    (Remember DE razor blades are not allowed in your CARRY ON luggage on most airlines!!:angry017::signs089:)

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    Last edited: Mar 25, 2018
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  11. SFTrooper

    SFTrooper Active Member

    I typically do not bother with applying a pre-shave when I have the opportunity to shower before shaving; however, I do occasionally use something when I do not shower first. I usually have Proraso pre-shave on hand and do enjoy it when I have the time and do not feel like showering. It definitely does not seem to hurt. I'm just not sure that it helps a whole lot either.
     
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  12. Ron R

    Ron R Well-Known Member

    The whole secret to a preshave is to hydrate the whiskers and you are right when done showering a shave to me is the next step because chances of hydrated skin whiskers is greatly increased for easier blade edge slicing of softened beard whiskers.
    Some folks say they do not use a preshave and its because they shower and don't notice it helps that much is my guess. I have made up different oils and combinations of lotions just to satisfy my curiosity about softening the beard. I have found Aloe Vera Gel the best, I use it in my toweled moist hair also after a shower to give my hair more moisture for over 20 yrs, try that and you will see you hair soak it right in(that is a easy test). If you go #16 on this thread I wrote the steps that works for me, you can tweak that a little to suit your procedure(some guys do not use hot wash cloths to moisten the whiskers) . My skin just loves Aloe vera gel it and I find that I get less irritation, nicks and weepers, also very close shaves because the skin seems more pliable IMO.
     
  13. Ron R

    Ron R Well-Known Member

    Shimming is for making a razor more Aggressive or making a blade more rigid 90 % of the time IMO.
    Before Gillette came out with their adjustable razor in 1957 (toggle adjustable) shims were used by the old timers to adjust the razor to the owners liking and there is a lot of combinations of shim variations from bottom to top to achieve desired blade gap affects. Some guys back off the tightening razor mechanism 1/4 turn to make a razor more aggressive :shocked003::signs089:(make shims if that's what you are doing right away). Shims are mostly now a days used for experimenting or making a razor blade more rigid(Last resort before buy sell and trade gets a call). If you decide to try shimming the photos below are how to make a proper shim(make 2 shims from spent blades), use tin snips or good pair of scissors and of coarse glasses . Put the cuttings in the blade bank or duck tape them before discarding.
    (the razor is a Razorock old type open comb with 2 shims underneath primary blade, change was marginal with a improvement in blade rigidity because of support underneath the blade and is at 8X magnification taken with my Samsung phone)

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    Nothing wrong with the Razorock old type open comb but if you want to increase aggressiveness it can be done as you can see. To gain aggressiveness you usually give up smoothness in return or another characteristic of the original head of razor it seems, but you never now until tried.
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    Last edited: Apr 27, 2018
  14. Ron R

    Ron R Well-Known Member

    I like adjustable razors when I first started shaving and the Gillette Slim was the one I started with luck have it. Nice razor for its time and my father used one.
    Starting DE shaving the basic go to razor is the Merkur 34c/hd or Edwin Jagger DE89 it seems, but I came across the good adjustable and it has advantages of coarse with ranges of aggression 1-9 and that's is good for a Greenhorn like myself at first attempts. For a newbie I think a adjustable is the way to go but fixed DE razors will keep your technique improving with the variables not changing all the time.
    Common setting Variations for adjustable razor! (Gillette slim adjustable razor 1-9 settings example)
    Variation #1- 1st pass 5 ,2nd pass 4 , 3rd pass 3 or 4. <<< (That is the way I started using my slim.)
    Variation #2- just leave it on your favorite setting (Common practice for some folks.)
    Variation #3- 1st pass 5 , 2nd pass 5 , 3rd pass 6 . >>>(This is my preferred method & others of going to aggressive settings as the shave goes through its 1-3 passes. I recieved excellent results with this method, I thought it was a weird method at first but changed my thinking quickly from my results DFS> BBS every time.)
    Other nice adjustables that are worth mentioning are Parker Variant , Merkur progress, Rex Ambassador, Gillette fatboy & slim and Rockwell 6s,6c to name a few and others are coming forward like the Q-shave Parthenon and Rockwell model T will be out in the next year or two.
     
    Last edited: Mar 27, 2018
  15. Ron R

    Ron R Well-Known Member

    Shaving bowls are a must for making great lather IMO and easy to clean or just leave remnants of lather in bowl if you have a great scent from the soap to linger in the bathroom. When I first started DE shaving I went to the kitchen and grabbed a low height soup bowl the kids used at one time while the wifey was not looking(they always find out) and purchased the others. I found out that the croap and sliced hard soap would just swirl around the bottom when lathering so I improvised and "Gorilla glued" the $Can nickels to press in the soap and croaps.(it takes about a day or two set on a very clean surfaces) Best bowl in the Den as far as I'm concerned-wide and shallow!
    The coins seems to agitate the brush bristles to make quicker lather and hold the soap in place as the brush swirls around the top of trapped soap.
    Bowls are not necessary but I believe the soaps and croaps should be scooped out of their original containers for longer shelf life because of water issues and into a open lathering bowl IMO.

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    Japanese Surbaki bowl.jpg
     
    Last edited: Sep 16, 2018
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  16. PumperNickel-BageL

    PumperNickel-BageL Active Member

    That is very creative with the coins glued to the bottom. Dont the coins rust?
     
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  17. Ron R

    Ron R Well-Known Member

    No, they seem to do a great job because they have a certain amount of nickel alloy in them to prevent rusting, the odd one would come off when I first experimented with them because they were not clean enough, use alcohol to clean the bowl & coins and dry before using Guerrilla glue -now they seem to do the job well for months now. I used guerrilla glue because the wife bought it years back and was handy but there might be a better adhesive.
     
    Last edited: May 9, 2018
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  18. Ron R

    Ron R Well-Known Member

    Fixed set Razors and why they are used so widely instead of a excellent adjustable razor. Fixed razors I was Leary of using when I first started DE shaving because I had adjustable's that covered all aspects of mild to aggressive shaves. There are reasons why after trying different razors from Razorock Old type open comb (mild) to Razorock Mentor & Wunderbar(more aggressive) are what people want,like the peripheries always the same or consistent set parameters in their day to day shaving technique. When you pick up a Muhle R41 you know that the shaver is aggressive or when you pick up a tech 2 the shaver is a milder one and is more forgiving but might not shave as close as a R41. No manufacture makes a adjustable slant razor that I'm aware of if you like slants.
    Open comb fixed razors allow the shaving soap to access the blade edge contact better for less irritation in theory and technique. I always like to see the lather grooves on the safety bar of razors because the skin has a better chance of lather lubricant reaching the blade edge to glide off. Razors without grooved safety bar seem to plow the soap lather away from the blade edge where it counts for a irritation shave. Fixed slant razors like the Merkur 37c or 39c should be the best razors in theory because they have a lot of the basics that make a excellent razor like hybrid lather safety bar, tensioned blade and angled for better slicing of whiskers yet folks still might not favor them for what ever reasons.
     
  19. DesertTime

    DesertTime Well-Known Member

    I prefer adjustable DE razors, too (though for the past year I've been fixated on SE razors , specifically the Colonial General). Just curious, which one is your favorite adjustable?
     
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  20. Sara-s

    Sara-s This Pun for Hire

    I have 2 favorites; the Gillette Super adjustable long handle and the Ming Shih.
     
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