I am new to safety razors, really new. After reading an article on artofmanliness.com about the great shaves to be had, I decided to give it a try. I first bought the first cheap DE razor I found on Amazon. Luckily, before it arrived, I found TSD and went to ebay looking for vintage razors recommended as the best razors for a DE newbie. Well, I got a little carried away...... First, I purchased a 40s era Gillette Gold Tech with a ball handle. Then, soon there after, I found a set of two vintage Gillette razors; one Tech Ball end and the other Superspeed. I believe the bug has hit me even before my first shave. I guess, now I will have incentive to stick to my new way of shaving, which happens to be the old way of shaving, like my grand father. Hopefully I am at the right place to share my excitement with the anticipation of great shaves and a new hobby of collecting vintage razors.....or maybe I am nuts and getting a little caught up in the novelty of it all. Either way, I hope to enjoy my three vintage razors enroute to me.
Welcome, I m sure you will enjoy both shaving with your new old razors and the hobby aspect as well. You will need some brushes as well, and the soaps, creams and aftershave selections available may cause your head to spin.
I'm right there with you. Just have a few shaves under my belt and I already have a couple vintages Gillettes headed my way in the mail. Can't wait to see how they compare to the Merkur HD.
You pricked a great trilogy of razors to start with. Two mild razors (the techs) and one normal/mild razor (the super speed). Now all you need is a grubby toothbrush, a can of scrubbing bubbles, and 5 minutes. You will be shocked at how nice those old razors will clean up. I hope you have some blades showing up at the same time.
I also bought a kit with a boar brush and ceramic bowl. I will probably upgrade to a better brush in due time, but this will get me started.
I bought a set of Derby Extra blades, which should be arriving soon. Following the advice from the board, I plan to buy a sampler pack to find the blade that works best for me.
I have seen numerous references to scrubbing bubbles. Please excuse my ignorance, but is that the bathroom cleaner or something else? Will that also clean tarnish or should I scrub them with a baking soda solution, or some other option?
It is a foaming soap scum remover that also cleans and disinfects. When applied and left to sit for a few minutes, then scrubbed of with a toothbrush, and finally rinsed off in water, it will return most nickel and gold plated razors to a like new appearance. Or will at the least, remove crusted hair, soap, and mineral deposits from one's razor. For tarnish, it's best to use a non-abrasive metal polish like Flitz or Maas. People have had good results on silver with Electrochemical Reduction. Aluminum foil, hot water and baking soda.
AHHHH and so YOUR journey down the rabbit hole begins! Seriously though you did make some good picks on your vintage razors and you do need to try different razors to see what works for you. At least thats the excuse I justified my purchases with Now that you have a "Ball End tech", you need to get a "Fat Handle Tech" sweet razor and of course you need the Super Speed a TTO to balance things out. WEEEE understand. And don't worry buying a couple of razors at the same time doesn't make you "nuts" or "out of control". In my opinion Full Blown R.A.D. doesn't start till you get at least 30 or 40! Don't laugh it will happen . So just sit back and enjoy it! We all do. Oh almost forgot "Scrubbing bubbles" bathroom cleaner helps remove accumulated gunk on used razors and does some disinfecting. There is a post on here about removing tarnish. One more F.Y.I. for you(I luv helping you spend your money) if you want a decent brush cheap(better than the one you have anyway I.M.O.) get a #6 horse hair from bestshave. Always remember whenever getting advice YMMV. to our insanity I hope you enjoy it as much as WE do!!
Welcome to the club of old school shavers! I have a Gillette tech now and while some may turn up their nose at how "mild" it is, it's quite possibly one of my favorite shavers. Especially for shower shaves when you tend to rush more, probably because it is done more when time is at a shortage. Check out the different vendors and be sure that you order a sampler pack of blades so you can get an idea of what works for you. That's how my addiction started! After a while you may need an intervention and we do have a successful 12-step program here! Oh wait, that's what we call a PIF so we can lessen our self guilt!!
Thanks for the welcome. It is nice to find a hobby that needs to be done everyday....a built in excuse .
