/diy/ - Do It Yourself

[Anonymous No.313835]

Anyone using a shaving brush with a shaving soap or cream? I want to buy my father a few soaps and creams to try for his birthday, and while I shave with DE razor I just use the canned stuff so I have no previous experience. What are you using yourself?

Also shaving general, I suppose.

> Everyone should try DE with Feather blades at least once. However, never shave your crotch with a DE because it's a horrible experience, that moment when you lose grip on your slippery cock and almost slash a main blood vessel is like getting an adrenaline shot to the heart.

[Anonymous No.313853]

mama bears soap

edwin jagger

art of shaving.

pic related. It's my shaving setup

[Anonymous No.313854]

[Anonymous No.313858]

Dr. Dittmer shaving soap. Feels godly.

[Anonymous No.313865]

>>313853
>>313854

That's a nice mug.
Also you have a shit ton of products, do you actually get to use all those 4 brushes and 4 razors or do you collect them as a hobby?

I know soaps are harder to foam than creams, that's also a consideration for me (he uses cream from a tube, and a very low quality one at that, so I don't want him to lose patience). Are you recommending these for their ease of shaving, or their smell (or anything else)? I think I'd also prefer something that has a strong smell on its own, before using any aftershave.

I just wish they sold good shaving products where I live :( I have to buy everything online and ship it in.

[Anonymous No.313901]

>>313865
Bump/

[Anonynous No.313913]

Ice cold water.
Shave with cut throat knife.
Ice cold water.
Done!

[Anonymous No.313916]

>>313913

If you're this manly no ordinary knife can cut through your beard.

[Gezicht No.313919]

http://www.drbronner.com/DBMS/OBLA05/LavenderOrganicBarSoap.htm

This one is my favorite.

[Anonymous No.313922]

I use muehle and hjm stuff. They have some nice aloe vera soaps and creams.

[Anonymous No.314139]

Whats with you guys needing to use a "special soap" to shave with?
People 100 years ago didn't need any of this stuff, so why should you?
It's all just overpriced rubbish.
Just use soap.
The brush is important, but not the soap.

[Anonymous No.314152]

>>314139

People 100 years ago also didn't use seatbelts and airbags in their cars, just because something's traditional doesn't mean that it's better. Also you're pretty damn wrong:
http://wiki.badgerandblade.com/Taylor_of_Old_Bond_Street
Taylor of Old Bond Street started making and selling shaving soaps in the late 19th century. You obviously talking out of your ass.

[Anonymous No.314159]

>>314152
A seatbelt and an airbag is not needed for driving a car. They are there for extra safety, but that doesn't mean to say that they are NEEDED to make a car move.
And if you want to buy over priced soap because you think you need it, then knock yourself out.
And another thing.
The reason why I mentioned about people from long ago not needing over priced soap, is because people think that they need this or that to make something work.
People have been shaving for a very long time and the point I was trying to make was, if they didn't need it then why should we go out and buy something that is totally overpriced?

[Anonymous No.314281]

>>314159
>>314139

Well broski, I am wading into this a few hours late, but in all honesty, I think you miss the point.

True, I can get a great shave out of a new bic twin and cold water. Especially if I take my time.

The point of all of this stuff is really that the whole act itself can be done in a very pleasing way. It is a great combination of gadgets, technique and sensory stimuli.

Also, great soap need not be pricey. I frequently use tabac soap, and got a bunch of it for around $10 a puck. That amount of soap can easily last the most prolific shaver 4 months. That is about $30 a year in soap. If your daily shave only takes 5 minutes, that works out to $1/hr of the 30 you spend each year shaving.

I also look at it like that time is going to be spent, regardless of whether or not I am enjoying myself.

Its like taking a shit. we all pretty much go once a day. If you have a book or magazine in the bathroom, you can get through a book in a year no problem. Of course, you can take a shit without reading anything, and you will shit just fine.

There are luxury soaps that I wouldn't pay the money for, but like everything else that is luxury, just because I can't readily afford it, doesn't mean that if I could, I wouldn't. I have driven a corvette and enjoyed the experience much more than my 3 year old mazda pickup.

[Anonymous No.314286]

>>313853
>>313854

all dat old spice, you must smell amazing.

[Anonymous No.314296]

>2012
>Shaving thread
>No mention of Proraso products
>ISHIGGY DIGGY

[Anonymous No.314312]

>>314139
Because normal soap sucks and isn't suited for shaving you retard. Different soaps, different ingredients, it was always like that.

[Anonymous No.314321]

>>314296
I use proraso soap. do you feel super now? I like it because its already in a bowl.

[Anonymous No.314326]

You'll go back to shaving cream in 2 years.

[Anonymous No.314329]

>>314326
Nope.

[Anonymous No.314338]

I know oil is used as a pre-shaving step, but is anyone shaving with it as-is? I can't seem to find any info on famous products of this type and it would be nice throwing my dad a curve ball like that along with the soaps and creams.

[Anonymous No.314342]

>>314338
I've shaved with just shaving oil. It was made from grapeseed oil. Worked fine. Some obscure brand from the drug store.

[Anonymous No.314343]

>>314342

Interesting, is it more messy than normal lather? I imagine ending up with really oily skin as it doesn't wash away easily with water.

[Anonymous No.314349]

>>314326

> You'll go back to shaving cream in 2 years.

No. It lasts longer, takes almost no extra time and is significantly better. I've been doing this for five years and I wouldn't touch a Mach 5 or shaving gel under penalty of death.

The first few times you use a safety/straight razor you *will* cut the ever-living shit out of yourself. You quickly learn the contours of your face, the direction you need to go and I probably average like 1 nick every few months.

Most folks will say go with a badger brush and it's all I know so I'll agree. They tend to need replacing every 18 months or so, though.

[Anonymous No.314352]

>>314343
Less messy, and easy to see what you're shaving, since it's oil not lather. And yes it leaves your skin somewhat oily. Wipe with a wet towel, use soap if smooth oily skin is a problem.

[Anonymous No.314353]

I'm of the opinion that shaving foam/cream/soap/whatever is an unnecessary part of shaving, similar to the "Fuck it, we're going to 10 blades" type razors.

I just shave in the shower with an old gillette safety razor. No lather, just water. Then I touch up the spots I missed in front of the mirror while my face is still damp. Pic is the same model as my razor. Blades are Wilkinson Sword (the only ones I can find at a local drugstore).

It works great and clogs way less than my previous razor, a sensor excel. My skin doesn't feel any better if I use soap/cream/foam so I quit using it. You should try too.

[Anonymous No.314355]

>>314353

Hot water - opens the pores
Cream/oil/foam - softens the surface, creates less friction and prevents irritation. It also serves a role in extending the hair follicle slightly giving you a closer shave.

But yeah, technically it's all unnecessary. You could just take a sharp knife and dry shave.

[Anonymous No.314356]

>>314355
>You could just take a sharp knife and dry shave.
I tried that too but I get lots of irritation without warm water.

I figure shaving at the end of my shower takes care of the hair follicle extension, since my beard has been puffing up from the water for a few minutes.

Also, thanks /diy/ because it was you that convinced me to dig out my dad's old safety razor and buy some blades for it. After figuring out what angle to hold it at (my firt trial resulted in a few nicks), I won't be going back to a "modern" razor.

[Anonymous No.314357]

>>314353
>No lather, just water
I think it's fair to say most men can't do this - their skin needs some sort of lubricant against the sharp blade otherwise they get skin irritation and might cut themselves badly. It depends on your skin type mostly. I know I need less lather than others and that my skin is less irritable; and I have a friend that cuts himself badly if he touches up the places he already went over without reapplying the lather, because his skin is really thin and sensitive.

This is why I love DE - with the huge variety of blades, soaps, creams, pre- and after-shaves and accessories combined, you can choose the exact combination of elements that works for you to get the best shave possible. This is impossible to get when sticking to the market-dominant mach-3 and gillette canned shaving gel.

[Anonymous No.314358]

>>314356

In the name of /diy/ you're fucking welcome :) Thanks to someone from this board that sent me this picture I finally understood what was wrong with my angle and why I got terrible shaves and almost gave up on my grandfather's DE.

[Anonymous No.314376]

OP if you ever grt around to joining Badger & Blade, look me up. I go by Bruce Wayne

[Anonymous No.314382]

I use "Taylor of Old Bond Street Lavender Shaving Cream" and a meurker 180 long handle w/ derby blades. I am so happy i switched to the DE system compared to a straight razor- it's a much easier shave especially on the neck. the only trouble i have is getting under my nose.

[Anonymous No.314383]

I cut myself pretty frequently with me DE, but its not like it hurts. You're just like, oh shit hey, guess I'm bleeding. Makes you look manly with all the hectic face cuts anyway. women.

[Anonymous No.314393]

>>314383
I never nick myself when I go with the grain, but I never get a close shave that way so I add another pass against the grain, and that really does cut me up, especially around the chin and corners of the lips. I'm still trying to find a solution - maybe switching to a brush and soap will do it... The benefit of a really sharp blade is that after washing my face once with cold water the bleeding immediately stops and you can't even see the cut. I still wonder what I'm doing wrong.

[Anonymous No.314433]

I've been seriously thinking of getting a safety razor, fancy-ass brush and bar of soap combo lately as these fucking Gilette hyper 6 blade heads cost a fucking ton. What's a good set of products to start out with?

[Anonymous No.314441]

>>314393

You get used to it after a while. You sort of know how your face operates and how to shave it without cutting yourself.

either that your face develops some sort of invisible protective layer of skin.

[Anonymous No.314443]

started using a SR in april, not planning on going back to modern any time soon. i just use a cheapo boar brush and either Williams mug soap or a preshave oil and cream that i picked up from Art of Shaving. i only knicked myself the first few times when i started using the SR, but now i'm going faster than i did with a modern and getting a better, closer result without iritation. also a good alum block, on the few occasions when i knick myself, i tend to bleed longer than most.

[Anonymous No.314444]

>>314433

Personally I believe it's best to start with some basic low-cost items - a sampler pack of Derby blades (known to be less sharp and more forgiving for beginners, and are fairly cheap and common), the normal shaving gel/foam you already use with your "mach 1-billion (TM)" and a relatively simple, new razor to use with the blades. I found my grandfather's old razor and cleaned and sterilized it thoroughly, but classic blades can be pricey - however, buying a new one online isn't that expensive (let's say 15-20$).

This way, if you decide to keep using a DE you can try out new blades and razors and maybe get a good brush (those cost a lot from my perspective).

You can find lots of information here:
www.shaving101.com
http://wiki.badgerandblade.com/Safety_razors

Also this youtube channel, for tips and demonstrations, I found it very informative: http://www.youtube.com/user/mantic59

[Anonymous No.314446]

>>314443
longer bleeding, but not heavier.

[Anonymous No.314448]

>>314441
I think the skin grows tougher.
Also ever since I started my facial hair grows much darker and thicker than before. It's like it feels more manly now.
Anyone using a straight razor (cutthroat)? Holy shit those things look scary.

[Anonymous No.314451]

>>314448
i'm 314443, they look scary until you start to use them, and you get alpha points when people see you using or even just owning one.

[Anonymous No.314460]

>>314451
Even so, all that honing and stropping and drying off seems like a lot of hassle.

[Anonymous No.314483]

>>314338
tried shaving with cooking oil once. horrible fucking experience. cut hair stuck to the razor, had to clean it with soap and toothbrush, had to soap up my face to remove the oil afterwards, no lubrication.

[Anonymous No.314498]

>>314483
>soap and toothbrush

I use a nail brush to make sure I'm getting things out of multiblade systems. It helps a great deal for me.

[Anonymous No.314584]

>>314460
Honing is maybe a yearly thing, depending on how you shave, stropping is actually calming, because you have to focus on the blade and keeping the pressure even. drying off? ever wipe your face with a towel? done.

[Anonymous No.314597]

>>313835

I use Taylor of Old Bond Street. Best on the market with 200 years of experience.

[Anonymous No.314637]

>>314597
Favorite scent? :)

[Anonymous No.314642]

The razor makes little odds, but the soap and brush are important, as is the knowledge in their use.
The brush needs to be made of badger hair, the soap of good repute.
Make sure he thoroughly wets his face with warm water before applying the soap, and then CLEANS AND DRIES the brush after shaving.

[Anonymous No.314670]

>>314483
>tried shaving with cooking oil once
why?

[Anonymous No.314682]

>>314670

worth a try, right?

[Anonymous No.314693]

>>314682
no lol it wasnt.

[Anonymous No.314805]

I shaved with baby oil when I was a cheap-ass motherfucker in college. It worked ok.

[Anonymous No.314878]

greyfag reporting

ive used coconut oil for the past 10 years or so
it's very good for the skin and works extremely well as a shaving lube
you can find it in the food isle of any supermarket that sells ingredients for thai cooking
also its very cheap

[Anonymous No.314885]

>>314878

Are you using a normal cartridge razor? Doesn't it get clogged with the unwashable fat and hairs?

[Anonymous No.314900]

Not sure if this is related, but it seems like a good place to drop it:
I've been using a product called a razorpit (www.razorpit.com) for a couple of years now, it extends the life of gilette etc blades by weeks. I could easily use the same blade for a month at a time. Basically, it's just silicone attached to a hard plastic backing, which could easily be diy-ed with a silicone baking sheet and a piece of cutting board, or whatever, for a few bucks.

[Anonymous No.314905]

>>314296
CHARLES MARTIN
CHARLES MARTIN
CHARLES MARTIN
GET BACK TO REDDIT CHUCK
STAY OUT OF 4CHAN
/cruise

[Anonymous No.314910]

>>314885
I use disposable cartridge razors.
I plunge and shake in warm water after every stroke which is enough to keep the blades free from build up.
only a small amount of oil is needed to lube entire face

[Anonymous No.315569]

I think we can lay the whole "do we even need shaving cream?" argument to rest. In a pinch, I've successfully shaved with an off-brand razor out of a $0.99 multi-pack and no cream, gel, or water, without any nicks. But do I make a habit out of it? No. Besides, OP wants to get his dad a nice shaving set, not a box cutter and glass of ice water.

[Anonymous No.315595]

>>315569

You apparently assume all men have a skin type similar to yours and can all shave dry with disposable razors (which are different than DE razors and straight razors, by the way) without severe discomfort or injuries.
Also i love Taylor of Old Bond Street shaving cream. Almonds scented.

[Anonymous No.315759]

>>315569
Did you even read what I typed? We're on the same side of the argument.