Wow you Americans are spoilt rotten.
Wet face with hottish water, rub over with little shaving gel, rub over with Mach3. No after creams, no sore face, no medical treatment needed. You may have to pass the blade over some areas several times but you should end up with no cuts and no sore face, unless your other name is Sandra!
Sheesh,
Call it peer pressure, or impulse buying, or just my need to fight normality, but I went and picked up a DE today on my lunch break. I drove to downtown OKC on a tip from the B&B forum that there's a cool old barber supply that stocks Merkurs. The place I went to, Anderson's Barber and Beauty Supply, is in the bad part of downtown, close to the county jail in a nasty looking brown brick building with boards or bars over most of the windows. I was brave and went in.
I wish I'd had a camera. The store is huge and full of old barber stuff. Want an old chair? They've got it! Need one of those crazy clear beehive hairdryer thingys? They've got it. The place is full of crazy barbering stuff, some of which looks like it's been there for ages. The sole employee/owner-looking guy was working with a fella trying to sell him some swank industrial barber massager thingy, so I took a walk around. The walls of the place are floor-to-ceiling wood shelves stocked full of pomades, oils, tonics and God-knows-what-else. It's like some of the stuff has been there since the 20s. And all around that stuff is old advertisements for Miracle Hair Growth products, butch wax, and bulk corn row rubber bands. The place is crazy.
I finally found the shaving stuff. They had one Merkur DE in stock, by the looks of things. It was $26, so I got it on an impulse buy. I was hoping for a selection so I could see the famed Merkur HD, but when the pickins are slim, you get what you get. Grabbed the razor and a box of Feather blades, and then went to the ooooold cash register to check out. The place doesn't use a credit card reader; it uses the old carbon paper slidey thing.
I asked the guy how long the business had been there.
"Oh, about 80 years," he said.
That explains the dust.
Got back to the office and did a little reading. Looks like GH and I have the same razor now. I ended up getting a 23C, the so-called Long Handle Classic. This will be an adventure. I'm excited.
Your first DE shave with Feather blades will certainly be an adventure! They are reputedly ninja sharp, so be very careful. I hope you picked up a styptic pencil just in case?
You might want to consider corking the blade before your first time.
Sounds like a neat shop, thanks for relating the story to us!
Here's a decent little video for normal razor (not straight razor) shaving. Here
To me the most important thing to do is the warm up. It totally makes the whole experience of shaving better. Just making the hair softer and easier to shave. Anyway that's my two cents.
If anyone lives in the Metro Detroit area, the Tobacconist in Nickel's Arcade in Ann Arbor sells a fine array of soaps, lathers, creams, razors, blades, and fragrances--as well as a great selection of tobacco. Worth the trip.
i opened mine up and all i found was dead skin. Turns out my shaver does a better job at riding my skin of blimishes than taking off hair, as my hair is still firmly attached to my face.
Maybe ill pick up a single edged razor for the shower, since ive always shaved with this razor, i really dont know how fast it will grow or how think it will come in, but right now i have lots of thin, blonde hair that has yet to be shaved from my face, ever.
EDIT: i started shaving last December, when people started to notice I had face hair
...after reading about the safety razors, I decided to check out the one I have that I have never decided to use that my dad gave me that used to be my grandpa's. I've always had this fear that I'll tear the skin off my cheek with it, so I never tried it out ...but at the same time, I had an interest in it because it was kinda cool looking.
So, I looked up "Schick Golden 500" on the internet.
I did not realize the ****er was really made with gold! (no wonder the head feels so heavy) Supposedly it's a collector's item, but the one I have is not pristine, and it's not like I can get a new computer with it, so I guess I'll see what shaving with gold feels like! hehe
hey Sharky, you're lucky. That razor, as I understand it, is a swank version of the Schick Injector. It seems a lot of guys are really into what's been called the Featherjector, which is your razor (part of the Schick Injector model range), coupled with Feather brand Pro Guard Razor Blades. The Pro Guard Feather blades are designed for straight razors, I guess, but some guys found out that they trim down with a pair of metal clippers and will fit in an Injector with ease. The result, so I've read, is you get an awesome close shave pretty quickly. It sounds like the Featherjector is best used in practiced hands as it can be a bit aggressive, but I guess it's something to look forward to. You're lucky to have an Injector razor. Since the Featherjector was discovered, Injector prices have gone up a good bit and the nice ones get snatched up on eBay.
This thread is made of awesome and I approve. The bridge between B&B has been crossed.
This morning I tried smaller strokes with my mach3 going ONLY with the grain. I did the hot towel on face then shave with/lather/shave with/lather/shave sideways technique.
I just don't think I can shave with the grain with a mach3. It barely accomplishes anything. It was much slower paced and I was being careful, not rushing. But once I was finished, I could have gotten a closer shave with my electric.
I think I need to use a pre-shave. The hair on my face, especially the ones on the cheeks above my jaw lay pretty flat, and I think that's why it's sticking around post-shave. Once I go against the grain progress is made, but raw face is the result.
I'm really getting excited for DE saftey razor. We don't have any barbershops near home, so I'll probably be buying online soon. With this supposed "flat hair" problem, will a DE saftey razor take care of business going with the grain where the mach 3 has failed?
The brush, as you're lathering your face, will lift the hairs from the surface of your skin. The properly built lather will partially hold the hairs in suspension so that even a with the grain pass will do some cutting.
I shave with the grain on a mach 3 when I'm in a hurry, and it does an admirable job. If it's not doing anything for you, I think UR DOIN IT RONG.
My facial hair is simply more well-behaved than yours, Thrax. Manners, anyone?
OK, I'll be looking into a brush and hot lather next. I'll need to get them soon before I can get a DE razor, so why not. Maybe I'll just go all the way and bypass the Mach3 entirely.
Comments
ow ow owwwwwwwwwwwww
Awesome. I'll be giving this stuff a shot tomorrow. As soon as I get paid, I buying a DE saftey razor. Enough is enough!
Ask and ye shall receive.
Wet face with hottish water, rub over with little shaving gel, rub over with Mach3. No after creams, no sore face, no medical treatment needed. You may have to pass the blade over some areas several times but you should end up with no cuts and no sore face, unless your other name is Sandra!
Sheesh,
I wish I'd had a camera. The store is huge and full of old barber stuff. Want an old chair? They've got it! Need one of those crazy clear beehive hairdryer thingys? They've got it. The place is full of crazy barbering stuff, some of which looks like it's been there for ages. The sole employee/owner-looking guy was working with a fella trying to sell him some swank industrial barber massager thingy, so I took a walk around. The walls of the place are floor-to-ceiling wood shelves stocked full of pomades, oils, tonics and God-knows-what-else. It's like some of the stuff has been there since the 20s. And all around that stuff is old advertisements for Miracle Hair Growth products, butch wax, and bulk corn row rubber bands. The place is crazy.
I finally found the shaving stuff. They had one Merkur DE in stock, by the looks of things. It was $26, so I got it on an impulse buy. I was hoping for a selection so I could see the famed Merkur HD, but when the pickins are slim, you get what you get. Grabbed the razor and a box of Feather blades, and then went to the ooooold cash register to check out. The place doesn't use a credit card reader; it uses the old carbon paper slidey thing.
I asked the guy how long the business had been there.
"Oh, about 80 years," he said.
That explains the dust.
Got back to the office and did a little reading. Looks like GH and I have the same razor now. I ended up getting a 23C, the so-called Long Handle Classic. This will be an adventure. I'm excited.
You might want to consider corking the blade before your first time.
Sounds like a neat shop, thanks for relating the story to us!
To me the most important thing to do is the warm up. It totally makes the whole experience of shaving better. Just making the hair softer and easier to shave. Anyway that's my two cents.
NAME UH PETE!
i opened mine up and all i found was dead skin. Turns out my shaver does a better job at riding my skin of blimishes than taking off hair, as my hair is still firmly attached to my face.
Maybe ill pick up a single edged razor for the shower, since ive always shaved with this razor, i really dont know how fast it will grow or how think it will come in, but right now i have lots of thin, blonde hair that has yet to be shaved from my face, ever.
EDIT: i started shaving last December, when people started to notice I had face hair
No pre-soak, warm up, whatever. Smear a little Barbasol on face and use a Mach 3 razor. Wipe off with dry towel. Done.
Disclaimer: My face is 45 years old so it might be a little tougher than some of you younger guys' faces.
So, I looked up "Schick Golden 500" on the internet.
I did not realize the ****er was really made with gold! (no wonder the head feels so heavy) Supposedly it's a collector's item, but the one I have is not pristine, and it's not like I can get a new computer with it, so I guess I'll see what shaving with gold feels like! hehe
blang blang! Don't amputate yo' face!
They sell replacement injector blades at Meijer if you need 'em.
This morning I tried smaller strokes with my mach3 going ONLY with the grain. I did the hot towel on face then shave with/lather/shave with/lather/shave sideways technique.
I just don't think I can shave with the grain with a mach3. It barely accomplishes anything. It was much slower paced and I was being careful, not rushing. But once I was finished, I could have gotten a closer shave with my electric.
I think I need to use a pre-shave. The hair on my face, especially the ones on the cheeks above my jaw lay pretty flat, and I think that's why it's sticking around post-shave. Once I go against the grain progress is made, but raw face is the result.
I'm really getting excited for DE saftey razor. We don't have any barbershops near home, so I'll probably be buying online soon. With this supposed "flat hair" problem, will a DE saftey razor take care of business going with the grain where the mach 3 has failed?
The brush, as you're lathering your face, will lift the hairs from the surface of your skin. The properly built lather will partially hold the hairs in suspension so that even a with the grain pass will do some cutting.
This thread is very open to women.
See:
You have satisfied the needs and rights of women for this post.
My facial hair is simply more well-behaved than yours, Thrax. Manners, anyone?
OK, I'll be looking into a brush and hot lather next. I'll need to get them soon before I can get a DE razor, so why not. Maybe I'll just go all the way and bypass the Mach3 entirely.