My shave story.

Well, I have been shaving with the regualr old Gillette Sensor for as long as I can remember. Honestly, it's always, and still is good to my face. I used to use all the Gillette "crap-in-a-can," and always got by with pretty good shaves. A few years ago, my skin started getting really sensitive, and shaving with Gillette foam was making it worse. I tried everything on the market, and found that I got the best shaves with the cheap old Colgate Aloe. Been using it for years with good results....now that it's no longer available...I don't know what to do. My facial hair is very coarse and grows in many different directions. I try and shave only twice a week, as I am prone to getting ingrown hairs.

Okay. So the other night (God only knows why) I shaved with Gillette regular in the red can. It was hands down, the worst shave ever. When I was done, it felt like I had shaved with Dial soap and a Bic. My neck looked and felt like I had a chemical burn. The burning finally stopped by morning and the rash went away as well. But it was torture. I really do want to learn about the art of old school shaving though. There has got to be a better way.

One thing that treally ticks me off with all the products out there is the fact that most of them contain alchohol. I'll find a product in the store that I think I will like, flip it over to read 'Cetyl alchohol' in the ingredients. Why the heck do all these so-called sensitive shaving gels contain alchohol? I can't use aftershave balms for the same reasons. They all contain dyes, fragrances, and alchohol, which my face just can't tolerate. If I just shave with a foam that has a strong scent, my face will turn rashy red and it will feel like i have shaved with menthol.

As of right now, I am gonna try Nivea for sensitve skin on my Friday shave. Please tell me what I should expect with this one!? And oh yeah, almost forgot. I expressed my curiosity about using a DE to my Mother. She was telling me about how her father (passed away waaaay back in 82) always used a DE, brush, and shave soap. She was telling me this story about when she was a little kid, someone had given him his first can of shave foam. He tried it and hated it. So he gave her and her brother the can of shaving foam to play with. lol She said they actually made mud pies and used it as their icing. Anyhow. She told me she has his collection of DE shavers somewhere and that I could have them. She only has found one but hasn't found the others yet. The one she did give me is in great shape. I looked on the bottom and it says it's Gillette. She was guessing that this one was from the 60's era. What is the safest way to clean up this little slice of shave history? And when she finds the other ones, if they are still in good working order, could I actually still shave with these? When I get them, I will gladly post pics of them if you all would like to see them. As silly as it may sound, I actually felt honored to be getting those. Even though I was only 8 or so when he died, I still remember seeing those shavers on his bathroom counter.

Sorry for such a long post. I appreciate ya listening and will take any advice I need to get a good shave for my poor aching face. Thanks.

 

Start HERE for some good info on cleaning.

Very cool that your Mom kept some of GrandDad's shavery.
Clean it up and use what you can; save the rest for your kids.

.....BTW. DONT boil any gold plated razors.

 

Can you shave with them???????

That is what this whole thing is about!!!!!!! Those razors will give you a fantastic shave. Drop the can goo stuff. We can hook you up with some soap samples and with some blades to try. Do a little reading, watch Mantic's videos and you should be on your way to Nirvana. Ask questions as you go along.

Raf

 

Welcome to the Shave den!

May your granddads old razors suit you well!

About the rashes: Im pretty sure they don't origin from the alcohol (unless you have an allergy, of course) but from the bad shaves canned goo gives you in general. A decent shaving cream or soap, a badger brush and 2-3 minutes of the lather sitting on your face soaking those whiskers will do the trick and you'll be able to use those alcoholic aftershaves and -balms again.

Good luck on your trip down memory lane on on your quest for a better shave - browse around the forums and feel free to ask any questions popping up along the way ::

 

Good account. The traditional wet-shaving soaps and creams and the traditional razor should definitely be kinder to your skin. Let us know how you progress and whether you have questions.

 

Better yet, give to the little ones in your life to make mud pies with!

Actually, my kid's kindergarten sometime uses shaving cream in art projects.

 

She is the Queen ! All Hail to the Queen :1respect Check out the TSD soap and creams Great place for wonderful product at reasonable prices

 

Thanks for the replies. I don't know about alchohol at all. I've always had trouble with it on my face area. Sometimes if I spray cologne on my neck, it will burn like fire and turn red as well. And thats not after shaving. Can I actually use my sensor along with the shaving cream/soaps? Would it be wise to just buy a cheap boar bristle brush to get started? After reading a little bit, I concluded that a shaving cream would best suit my skin type. Any suggestions on a good cream to try out? I appreciate the link to the vids, but unfortunately I am still living in pre-historic times with dial-up. We live so far out in the county that high speed is not available. We could get satellite connection, but that is rather expensive. With that said, could ya give me some tips on what creams to use and....uhhhhh...how to use them properly? Really and truly, I wanna start cheap just to see how it goes. Do ya think I would still get a good shave with the sensor if I used a brush and cream? Let me know if I drive you guys crazy with questions.....but I'm scared....hold me please. lol I'm here to listen though, so any suggestions would be kindly appreciated.

 

One obvious choice among shaving creams is Truefitt & Hill Ultimate Comfort, which is a hypoallergenic shaving cream. I think a regular lather with a shaving soap or cream and a good brush will help, even if you use a Sensor. It's also how some guys ease into traditional shaving.

I suggest that you get the Crabtree & Evelyn Best Badger brush at $35---with your skin, I think the extra cost for badger is worth it. The C&E Best Badger is an Edwin Jagger brush: here's a greater selection at the same price.

Hope this helps.