Hey all! I'm new the community here. I've been living with my beard for about 10 years now. I've tried almost everything to get rid of razor bumps and so far the only solution that has worked for me was to grow a beard. I've tried electric razors, bump creams, cartridge razors, using aftershave, not using aftershave, washing face twice a day to soften the skin to remove oil, neutrogina's razor defense line of products, etc. Well, I'm getting tired of the beard and would like to shave it off (even though i felt naked when I've done this in the past). I stumbled across this site when I found an old style razor at my parent's home and decided to look up how to shave with it. It's a Black Handled SS from the 70s. It made me remember my grandfather who had the same type of shaver and never seemed to have any bumps on his face. So I thought that maybe this was a potential solution?? I've been lurking on this and other sites for the past 3 weeks or so and it seems like i will probably get less bumps using a single blade with a single pass. I'm willing to try it out and risk a week of pain if I have to grow my beard back. i'm about ready to start making the purchasing plunge to get a bunch of supplies. I was thinking of having below to start from what I already have in the house and what i'd like to get. Razor: Black Handle SS (already have) Razor Blades: Exact Brand (Apparently it's re-label of some other brand, I already have a few packs of these laying around, they are US made) Soap: D.R. Harris Arlington Brush: Some kind of badger hair brush. (~35$) Balms: Witch Hazel and tea tree oil If anyone has recommendations or advice regarding razor bumps , i'm completely open to suggestions.
Welcome to TSD Kerlo!You already have a nice gear to start but instead of a medium badger brush I would recommend you a high boar brush which is gonna be cheaper and its gonna work better with your hard soap.Semogue and Omega are both great options.Have a good time here and enjoy ur shaves.
Sounds good! Those blades are probably made by ASR (American Safety Razor). They work okay, but once you feel some tugging or skipping- throw them away. I normally only get two shaves out of a blade by them. Welcome and glad you're here!
ONE thing that I havne't foiund an explanation for are the differences between boar and badger brushes and why ppl prefer the latter more. Are boar bristles more scratchy? Do they not last as long as badger?
There are some basic differences: 1.badger usually hold more water than boars.This could be good but sometimes(or in most cases) more water doesnt makes you built a good thick lather,but a bubbly,runny one.Boar holds just enough water to make a good lather and its always better to add more water than to add more product(cream or soap) cuz you added too much water. 2.badger has less backbone than boar,so boar is perfect for hard soaps. boar tips get softer with its use,so after 1o shaves theyre soft like badger but with a firmer backbone. 3.badger and boar brushes should last the same,but usually badger last a little bit more cuz its hair its more flexible so doesnt breaks in two like boar(but this is happens after 5 or 6 years) 4.boar brushes are more cheaper than badger(even pure badger brushes). Hope this could help you.
The only product I have found that truly combats razors bumps is Tend Skin and of course, wet shaving. With wetshaving, I hardly ever need the other stuff anymore.
Some boar brushes take longer on the break-in than others. Some will take just a week to be 90% broken in. Others will take a good month. My Vulfix is breaking in faster than my Omega. Old timers claim badger lasts longer. Typical boar brushes last 10-15 years and typical badger will last 15-30 years under "normal" use. If you build a rotation of brushes as many guys here do, you'll get more. Decent to top end boar brushes cost roughly $10-$40. Badger brushes range from ~$20 to $300+. I'd say for the range of boar brush prices, you're getting a better product for the money than you would with badger. Depending on what you want in a brush and if you're after some of the very high end material handles, some of the more expensive badger brushes might have value to you.
So, theoretically, provided you have a rotation of a couple of brushes and care for them properly, you'll never have to buy another one. Unless, you just want to....
Cool! Thanks for the info on boar vs. badger. Economically boar looks like the way to go and 10-15 year lifespan was much longer than i was thinking the product would last for. I'm surprised there weren't any pro-badger community comments on the subject.
@Rickboone I guess the answer is yes... in theory In the practice you'll get bitten by the AD mosquito
Yes! but as Compa have pointed SBAD(shaving brush adquisition disorder) could hit you really badly and end with a lot of brushes....dont fight it and enjoy it!
Welcome to the Den! And to answer the other question, yes... you don't need more than 1 brush. Variety is good...
Welcome again Kerlo! After reading the above statement I want to point out one thing. Shaving with a D/E is about whisker reduction, gradually reducing the amount of hair over each successive pass. I don't want you thinking that you are doing something wrong after the first pass if there is still whiskers left, and then try pressing hard to remove them. that would cause razor burn and bumps and nicks. Making anywhere from 3 - 5 passes is pretty much the norm around here, some can get by doing less, some just enjoy shaving so much they may even go more.
:signs046 to TSD. I might also suggest a small sample pack of blades. Everyone agrees that Your Mileage May Vary (YMMV) when it comes to wet shaving gear but especially the blades. What some like others hate. Getting 4-5 different brands and giving each blade a decent trial will let you know which ones are for you. Good luck.
The most active and vocal members here are big boar brush fans, so you do get a more pro-boar slant here than at other forums. Up until about a year ago, the advice was overwhelmingly for badger brushes. Then English speaking wet shavers discovered Omega boar brushes and some started changing. Later we discovered other makers who have great boar brushes. I lean boar myself, but not as much as some others here. I think each loft has a place and appeal. If money wasn't an issue, I'd buy a Simpson or Rooney finest badger brush that would run me at least $150. Yet, I don't see $120 worth of value compared to a $30 high end boar brush. I also don't like my $35 C&E Best Badger (now only available as an Edwin Jagger) any more than my $11 Vulfix VS/5 boar brush. So at an entry level, most guys like boar brushes as well or better than entry level badger at a lower cost. If you're looking for a really high end luxury brush, I'd say badger has the advantage.
Thank you for the warm welcomes. I was thinking about getting a sample pack of blades after I try the Exact brand ones out. I'm thinking the Exact brand will be subpar, but you never know till you try them. @Dridecker Thanks for the Input! I'll keep that in mind.
for the boar vs. badger thoughts, dismiss them. don't think of them competing for your shave shelf, but rather complimenting your shave shelf as has been mentioned, boars are great for hard soaps, while badger will take a cream and whip it into a face-enveloping, luxurious lather. any brush will work, from your $5 walmart or drug store boar, to your mountain top, monk-raised pure-bred $200 per hair silvertip badger brush. both make lather, the difference is in the effort and time it takes. for $30, you can get a middle-high end omega boar, and a tweezerman badger, and have it covered. heck, I've considered many times, and may actually do it, to do my initial lather with a boar to really lift the whiskers and exfoliate, then follow up passes with a badger for soft, indulgent lather application
