The Epic Quest for Manliness, The Art of Double Edged Shaving

[UnderpantsGnome42]

Remember back to that time long ago when you first ever learned to shave? The intrigue you felt? The pride at actually accomplishing it without, too much, blood being spilled?

 

Learning to shave with a safety razor is that feeling all over again!

 

I’m going to have split this into a 3 part series as it’s quite a lot of information to trawl through!

 

What will I need? I hear you ask, well I’ll start this out simple and mention a few more advanced/specialist products at the end.

 

So for starters you will need:

1 x Badger hair brush

1 x Double edged safety razor

1 x Pack of double edged razor blades

1 x Shaving cream

 

Badger Hair Brush

 

Ok, so right now you’re probably asking why badger hair? Well the simple answer is because it’s almost always been badger, the hair has fantastic water retention qualities so gives a luxuriously creamy and hydrating lather.

 

You’ll see a lot of places selling brushes which can get to ridiculous prices (the one I’m currently pining after is around £150 but that’s another story). However there is some truth to “you get what you pay forâ€. The higher price is generally a better grade of hair, but I’ll give a quick rundown of what ones to aim for and what to avoid while just starting out.

 

Firstly, there’s no need to spend more than about £40 on a basic badger brush, you can get perfectly decent brush for that. You can get one for less, but you shouldn’t pay any more.

 

Secondly, grades of hair. This is where things start to get a little weird. The grade of hair is basically an indication to how soft the hair is and where it came from on the badger’s coat. You know the phrase “as rough as a badger’s…“ I won’t finish that saying but you get the idea, that’s what I’m getting at here. The grades are as follows:

Pure < Best < Super < Silvertip < Finest

For just starting out, you should stay in the Best to Super range.

 

Safety Razor

 

Not all razors are created equally, though most are remarkably similar.

 

For just starting out I would suggest you use a slightly gentler razor such as the Muhle R89, this is a fantastic German made razor. Beautifully gentle shaver and paired with the right blade, perfection. But I’ll get to that later.

 

Another good choice is the Merkur 33C, another German made razor. Merkur are renowned for their fantastic steel and product quality (assuming you steer clear of the Vision and Futur razors).  There’s another couple Merkur razors which use the same head as the 33C but have longer handles with a bit more weight/heft to them if you prefer that.

 

Notice a theme with them both being German? Germans know what they’re doing when it comes to steel and razors. Both these razors should set you back no more than £30-35 each, and they’ll last a lifetime.

 

If that seems a little steep in price, you can pick up a Parker 99R or similar for about £25 if you know where to look. I haven’t used this one myself, but I’ve read reviews and it sounds promising.

 

Blades

 

So like a lot of other parts of this, it’s very much personal preference and there’s a fair amount of suck it and see. This is no less true about blades than any of the rest. I will however make the suggestion of using the blade that comes with the razor first, which will likely either be a Derby or Merkur blade.

 

Once you have your 3-7 shaves from that blades you’ll be wanting some new ones right? There’s a few main ones I would suggest and I’ll put them in the order you should try them in. As the list goes on the blades get sharper and less forgiving, so I really wouldn’t skip ahead unless you want a trial by fire.

 

1- Derby

2- Persona

3- Feather

 

Shaving Cream

 

This is one that could go on for hours. So I’ll name a few I suggest, ranging from entry level to so fantastically pampering that she’ll want to steal it!

 

Entry Level:

Prorasso Shave Soap in Bowl, this one is entry level in price alone. It is a fantastic quality cream, even though it says soap it’s much more of a hard cream.

 

This one comes in 2 flavours, Green or White. The green one is their main one, it contains menthol and eucalyptus so has a fantastic scent and that nice tingling feeling on your skin from the menthol. Though not for everyone might I add. The white one however is their answer to sensitive skin, contains none of the menthol or eucalyptus but has some other nice ingredients which soothe your skin and keep a nice comfortable shave.

 

Entry Level++:

Taylor of Old Bond Street Jermyn Street Shave Cream, this one is a bit of a step up from Prorasso. Nice and creamy with a very unique scent to it, not something you’d expect from a cream designed for sensitive skin.

 

Gives a lovely rich lather which hydrates the whiskers nicely and is very gentle on your skin.

 

Taylor’s do a lot of different scents of shave cream, ranging from the pungent yet unmistakably manly Sandalwood to the somewhat understated Rose. A personal favourite for me is the Grapefruit which is very citrusy and refreshing, guaranteed to wake you up in the morning.

 

Max Level:

There are a couple I would put in this category but only one which I’ve tried myself so I’ll start with that one.

 

Castle Forbes Lavender Shave Cream, pretty much one of the most luxury shave creams you will ever get the joy of trying. This cream is fantastic, ok it’s a priced a fair bit higher than the previous 2 but the benefits outweigh the extra cost. You use so much less of this per shave than you do of most other creams and the tub is also slightly bigger, should easily get 4-6 months of regular use out of one tub!

 

They do a couple other scents of cream, Cedar & Sandalwood and Lime. None of the creams contain any perfumes or artificial additives at all! It’s all essential oils and natural ingredients and the creams are all produced in small batches to maintain strict quality control and ensuring it matches his tight specifications.

 

So that’s the one I’ve used, but I’ll mention another one that gets great reviews and is another cream which is made in small batches and by hand.

 

Fitjar Shave Cream, all of them are fantastic. They also do a line of shaving soaps in the same scents, if you decide you’d rather use a soap than a cream.

 

Stay tuned for parts 2 and 3!

[fengor]

i was always tempted to get me straight razor. Any recommendations there?

[UnderpantsGnome42]

i was always tempted to get me straight razor. Any recommendations there?

As far as straight razors go, I've never used an actual straight razor however if you're really interested in one I would suggest sticking to some of the best new brands that are made from Solingen Steel like Dovo and Revisor. Also, as with quite a lot of things you really get what you pay for when it comes to the blade quality and ease of keeping an edge on it.

 

With a straight razor you'll also need to invest in a good quality strop and possibly honing stone for when it inevitably loses its edge. So long as you take good care of the blade, stropping before each use, use good quality strop paste and keep the strop in good condition you shouldn't really need to hone the blade for the best part of year as far as I'm aware.

 

I have however used a Dovo Shavette, they're a straight razor which uses disposable blades. They're pretty good, and much cheaper! The shave is a lot more intuitive than you would think, you're still really crapping your pants when you first go to touch the blade to your skin, but so long as you keep the blade at a 15-30 degree angle to your skin you should be fine. If the blade gets a steeper angle than that, it will remind you that it has teeth.

 

Part 2 of the guide will be up tomorrow! 

[tallrider73]

This is great timing. I have been looking to get into the art of shaving (not the website)  for about 6 months now but had no idea where to start. thanks for the recommendations. Maybe you are going to cover this in part 2, if so just tell me to hold on. What about the shaving cups? necessary or just a nice accessory? Lastly what about availability in the US of these products? Any website you would recommend  I live in a small somewhat remote town and i know these things will not be available here. 

[UnderpantsGnome42]

This is great timing. I have been looking to get into the art of shaving (not the website)  for about 6 months now but had no idea where to start. thanks for the recommendations. Maybe you are going to cover this in part 2, if so just tell me to hold on. What about the shaving cups? necessary or just a nice accessory? Lastly what about availability in the US of these products? Any website you would recommend  I live in a small somewhat remote town and i know these things will not be available here. 

Haha! You may notice I didn't mention any Art Of Shaving products...

 

Shaving mugs, you can get away without using one. I don't use one when I'm travelling, I just lather up directly onto my face. This was actually going to be in part 3 under "more advanced" as I was aiming at this being more of a bare essentials to begin with then building upon that.

 

As far as availability in the US, there's a whole lot of websites out there that will ship to you. I'm sure if you google "Shaving Supplies" you'll get some US results.Or if you look up Geofatboy he suggests a really good store to get stuff in the states (I'm purposely not linking or saying specifically where to get a hold of things as I don't want to be accused of advertising etc).

[jjhatch]

I started using a double-edge razor a few months ago after discovering the wicked_edge subreddit. I love shaving this way, however I still haven't been able to master the art of lathering. I don't know what my problem is... At first I thought it was hard water, but I switched to distilled water and I get the same results.

But despite that, I still love shaving this way. I get a lot less irritation and I feel awesome after doing it haha.

[UnderpantsGnome42]

Part 2

So you’re back now, you’ve loaded your razor with the blade that came with it and have the tub of cream in your hand?

 

Time to begin the second part of your epic quest and start using the supplies you’ve gathered, right? Wrong! Remember, preparation is key. Especially when it comes to running sharp blades across your skin.

 

Step 1: Water

 

Fill the bathroom basin with hot water, you want the water to be about as hot as you can stand but not so hot that you can’t keep your hand in it for an extended period of time. You got that? Hot but not HOT!

 

Now that you’ve done that place that nice brush you’ve recently acquired into the hot water, making sure all of the bristles are in the water.

 

Step 2: Shower!

 

That’s right, you smell really bad from all that questing and gathering of supplies!

 

Go for a nice warm relaxing shower, let the hot water run all over that gargantuan beard.

 

A bit more seriously, you’ll want to have the hot water from the shower all over your beard area. This softens up the hairs and opens up your pores allowing for a closer and smoother shave with the razor just gliding through the hydrated hairs.

 

If you don’t have time for a shower or can’t shower for whatever reason, make sure to splash hot water on your beard area for a minute or so. Make sure the water is hot but not boiling, the hot water from the tap is usually sufficient but it shouldn’t be so hot that it’s sore.

 

Step 2: Lather!

 

That’s better! You don’t smell quite so bad now! Time to grab that brush out the hot water in the sink. Take it out the basin and with a single quick flick of your wrist remove most of the excess water from it.

 

Now grab that cream you pondered over for a while but eventually decided on, time to put that to good use.

 

There’s a couple of ways people do this, if it’s a soap in a bowl you’ll run the brush directly over the surface of the soap and decently coat the tips of the brush hair. You can do similar with a cream however I feel this wastes a whole lot of cream so I suggest taking an amount the size of a pea or the tip of your pinky finger out of the tub or squeezed out of the tube and putting this onto the brush.

 

One or two more splashes of hot water on the beard area then it’s time to lather up! You want to put the brush onto your face and run it in gentle circles across the entire beard area, building up a nice thick and creamy lather. You’re looking for about the consistency of firm peaked egg whites. Should take between one and two minutes, not a long time. You're aiming for no bubbles or runs. Bubbles mean there's too much air in the lather than you'll be getting direct blade to skin contact, what we're trying to avoid with this creamy lather.

 

Step 3: The Shave

 

So you think you’re set now? You’ve had your hot shower, you managed to make yourself look like Father Christmas with the lather and think you’re ready to dive in. Yeah, you got this…

 

Hold up, a few things to consider first. Remember how I said at the very beginning that it was like learning to shave all over again? Well I wasn’t just saying that, it’s time for you to unlearn all the bad habits you learn with those fancy cartridge razors that do all the work for you.

 

With a double edged razor, blade angle is very important. Gently grip the razor as you would expect to. You don’t need to grip it hard, it’s not a broadsword. The grip varies a little from person to person but whatever feel natural to you.

 

Now, sit the head of the razor on the back of your other hand with the handle and 90 degrees to your skin. This is how you work out the best angle to use the razor at. Slowly rock the razor down, decreasing the angle between the handle and your skin until the blade just touches your skin. This is usually somewhere between 30 and 45 degrees, depending on the razor head. To maintain this angle it’s a good idea to lock your wrist during the shave and let your shoulder and elbow do the moving.

 

Now you know your blade angle you can go nuts right? Start swiping that cream off like you’re decapitating undead? No...  Not quite…

 

Dip the head of your razor into the basin of hot water you have in front of you and while being conscious of the perfect angle you just found out, bring the razor to the bottom of your sideburn (some people like to have wiped some cream away from their sideburns so you can see what you’re doing, I don’t bother) and in a smooth one inch long stroke pull the razor down from your sideburn. No pressure on your skin is required, pushing the razor against your skin is when you start to have a bad day.

 

Look at that! You’ve done it! You’ve taken your first stroke in the quest for a double edged razor shave! You should be proud, now just to finish your first pass off!

 

Lift the razor off and move the head along until it’s just overlapping the previous stroke about the same height as before, maintaining that blade angle we talked about before and take, and take your second, third strokes. Oh, the razor is clogged? Well spin it round and use the other side, it’s double edged for a reason. Once both are clogged, rinse in your sink of hot water. Just repeat this for the rest of your first pass, being careful under your nose and the chin area. Don’t worry about having stubble in places, or it not being as smooth as you’d like, the goal of each pass is beard reduction not elimination.

 

So you’ve conquered your first pass! Go you! Time for your second!  I hope you didn’t rinse off that brush! Splash some hot water on your face again, probably out the tap rather than the basin as it’s hopefully full of cream and hair, then grab your brush and lather up again. Assuming you worked up a good lather at the beginning there should be more than enough still on the brush to lather up for another few passes. Circular strokes yet again, light pressure, like you’re painting.

 

This time you’re going across the grain, from your ear to your nose, just like before, keep that angle right and short 1 inch strokes. Before you know it you’ll have just done your first across the grain pass! Woo!

 

This is about the time I would usually call it a day and say it’s good enough for an every day shave, because it is. It is hopefully also the most comfortable and one of the closest shaves you’ve ever had!

 

If you’re really wanting to go that extra mile, say you’ve got a hot date with a Siren or something, you can do another pass. I would recommend not going against the grain for the first handful of weeks that you’re doing this, but I know some of you will. My recommendation would be another with the grain pass, identical to the first one, or maybe the opposite direction across the grain (nose to ear).

 

Step 4: There’s More?

 

I figure the clean-up deserves a step all to itself. Empty your basin of water and give it a quick rinse, don’t want to be leaving a mess behind do we? What if that Siren we’re dating comes back and sees this? Won’t be particularly happy I would think, and we all know how they can be…

 

Nice clean sink, now to clean you off. Time to rinse off any remaining shaving foam and close up those pores. Splash your face with cold water from the tap, as cold as you can stand, this won’t be pleasant but you’ll appreciate it later. If you’ve managed to nick yourself the cold water should help stop the bleeding, if it doesn’t part 3 will cover styptic and other methods of stopping it.

 

So you’re clean now, what about that brush? Still sitting there with soap all over it? Drat… forgot about that. Run some warm water and rinse off the brush thoroughly. Making sure to get all the lather out of the brush. Once it seems clean run it under cold water to close the pores of the hair, same reason a hairdresser sometimes gives your hair a cold water rinse right before styling.

 

Sit that brush on the stand, which hopefully came with the brush, and look at yourself in the mirror.

 

Who's that handsome devil? Looking good!

[mantic59]

i was always tempted to get me straight razor. Any recommendations there?

HERE is an article & video about straight razors that might help.  Personally I would recommend an established brand like Dovo, Boker, Thiers-Issard, etc. from an established vendor like Straight Razor Designs or Classic Shaving.  You'll pay more but you're more likely to get something usable.

[mantic59]

This is great timing. I have been looking to get into the art of shaving (not the website)  for about 6 months now but had no idea where to start. thanks for the recommendations. Maybe you are going to cover this in part 2, if so just tell me to hold on. What about the shaving cups? necessary or just a nice accessory? Lastly what about availability in the US of these products? Any website you would recommend  I live in a small somewhat remote town and i know these things will not be available here. 

Along with OP's posts, I have a couple videos that might help.  

[UnderpantsGnome42]

Wow! Mantic59 is on this forum and commented on my thread! I'm honoured and a little starstruck!

You're one of my big inspirations for wet shaving! You're actually getting a mention in part 3 of this basic guide!

Part 3 will be up once I'm back from work tonight and have a chance to finish and polish it up!

[WizardTrip]

Such odd timing to see this. I wish I had seen it yesterday, but I think I made some decent purchases to start out. It was time to buy some new razors and rather than plop down way too much for crappy razors, I decided to take the plunge and finally go the safety razor route while I was ordering a couple other items on Amazon.

 

Here's what will be delivered tomorrow:

 

Merkur Model 180 Long Handled Safety Razor
Astra Superior Premium Platinum DE Safety Razor Blades
Tweezerman 100% Badger Hair Shaving Brush
Colonel Conk Model 129 Super Shave Mug with Soap (comes with Unscented Amber Col. Conk Shaving Soap)
Col. Conk Worlds Famous Shaving Soap, Bay Rum (wanted to try this scent)
Proraso Pre-shave Cream, Refresh (figured I'd try the pre-shave stuff too. Not sure if it's needed / worth it)
Proraso Shaving Cream With Eucalyptus Oil & Menthol (the mug and soap isn't travel friendly....this is)

[Guest CyborgNinja]

I really don't understand how people cut themselves shaving. Hold the razor lightly, let it pass over your skin without putting any pressure on it. Be careful, be sensitive.

 

I swear, for as much as people gripe about cutting themselves shaving it makes me think people must fooking hamfist their razor and press it into their face with enough force to make veins in their arms bulge.

[UnderpantsGnome42]

Merkur Model 180 Long Handled Safety Razor

Astra Superior Premium Platinum DE Safety Razor Blades

Tweezerman 100% Badger Hair Shaving Brush

Colonel Conk Model 129 Super Shave Mug with Soap (comes with Unscented Amber Col. Conk Shaving Soap)

Col. Conk Worlds Famous Shaving Soap, Bay Rum (wanted to try this scent)

Proraso Pre-shave Cream, Refresh (figured I'd try the pre-shave stuff too. Not sure if it's needed / worth it)

Proraso Shaving Cream With Eucalyptus Oil & Menthol (the mug and soap isn't travel friendly....this is)

Good choice going with a Merkur, they all have very similar heads on them and are great shavers.

Can't really comment on the blades as I've never used them, platinum coated blades tend to be pretty good.

The brush looks like a really nice entry level brush! Will do the job fantastically and isn't a massive expenditure if you decide that this style of shaving isn't for you.

Can't really go wrong with Col. Conk, the stuff is fantastic quality.

And as I've already said above, Proraso is great stuff and they could easily get away with charging much more for it than they do. The pre shave cream can actually be used both pre and post, pre as a lubricant and post as to soothe your skin afterwards! Just be warned, the cooling feeling from the menthol in it isn't for everyone.

 

I really don't understand how people cut themselves shaving. Hold the razor lightly, let it pass over your skin without putting any pressure on it. Be careful, be sensitive.

 

I swear, for as much as people gripe about cutting themselves shaving it makes me think people must fooking hamfist their razor and press it into their face with enough force to make veins in their arms bulge.

Hah, yeah. No pressure at all, just hold the razor firm enough that you wont drop it.

 

A double edged razor does have more propensity to catch blemishes/spots/moles/uneven patches than your standard cartridge razor, but if people are careful there shouldn't be an issue. Some people when starting out shaving for the first few times manage to slide the razor sideways slightly, which is when it'll dig in an cut you.

 

Also, you've obviously never tried an open razor... It's unbelievably easy to cut yourself with one of those if/when your mind wanders.

 

Part 3 is a little delayed as I've got some RL stuff going on at the moment, but will be up as soon as I have the chance.

[KingZora]

I really don't understand how people cut themselves shaving. Hold the razor lightly, let it pass over your skin without putting any pressure on it. Be careful, be sensitive.

 

I swear, for as much as people gripe about cutting themselves shaving it makes me think people must fooking hamfist their razor and press it into their face with enough force to make veins in their arms bulge.

Only way I ever nicked myself DE shaving is the first time I learned to shave my neck... There are a lot of weird angles that it is easy to mess up on your first time through.  After the first time though it's never happened again.

[Timmy M]

can't grow a beard to save my life but i'll input with this  

 

[WizardTrip]

Good choice going with a Merkur, they all have very similar heads on them and are great shavers.

Can't really comment on the blades as I've never used them, platinum coated blades tend to be pretty good.

The brush looks like a really nice entry level brush! Will do the job fantastically and isn't a massive expenditure if you decide that this style of shaving isn't for you.

Can't really go wrong with Col. Conk, the stuff is fantastic quality.

And as I've already said above, Proraso is great stuff and they could easily get away with charging much more for it than they do. The pre shave cream can actually be used both pre and post, pre as a lubricant and post as to soothe your skin afterwards! Just be warned, the cooling feeling from the menthol in it isn't for everyone.

 

I couldn't pass on the blades...they were one of the new "add-on" items that Amazon does now and only cost me $8 for the 100. I was looking at more expensive brushes, but like you said, decided to get an entry level one to test this whole thing out. Everything is being delivered today, but I won't get it until the morning (stupid condo office). Then I go out of town for the weekend. My first use will probably be Monday or Tuesday.

[KingZora]

I couldn't pass on the blades...they were one of the new "add-on" items that Amazon does now and only cost me $8 for the 100. I was looking at more expensive brushes, but like you said, decided to get an entry level one to test this whole thing out. Everything is being delivered today, but I won't get it until the morning (stupid condo office). Then I go out of town for the weekend. My first use will probably be Monday or Tuesday.

The astra blades are pretty nice, I had alright luck with it but my beard is so coarse that I needed something much sharper... Feather is about the only blade that works really well for me, I love them.

[bigm141414]

Such odd timing to see this. I wish I had seen it yesterday, but I think I made some decent purchases to start out. It was time to buy some new razors and rather than plop down way too much for crappy razors, I decided to take the plunge and finally go the safety razor route while I was ordering a couple other items on Amazon.

 

Here's what will be delivered tomorrow:

 

Merkur Model 180 Long Handled Safety Razor

Astra Superior Premium Platinum DE Safety Razor Blades

Tweezerman 100% Badger Hair Shaving Brush

Colonel Conk Model 129 Super Shave Mug with Soap (comes with Unscented Amber Col. Conk Shaving Soap)

Col. Conk Worlds Famous Shaving Soap, Bay Rum (wanted to try this scent)

Proraso Pre-shave Cream, Refresh (figured I'd try the pre-shave stuff too. Not sure if it's needed / worth it)

Proraso Shaving Cream With Eucalyptus Oil & Menthol (the mug and soap isn't travel friendly....this is)

 

I wonder why you wanted to try a rum inspired scent.... <.< 

 

Nice list. I was thinking of a Merkur but went with a Parker instead because of price point. 

 

I really don't understand how people cut themselves shaving. Hold the razor lightly, let it pass over your skin without putting any pressure on it. Be careful, be sensitive.

 

I swear, for as much as people gripe about cutting themselves shaving it makes me think people must fooking hamfist their razor and press it into their face with enough force to make veins in their arms bulge.

 

It's all about experience. I nick myself because I am out of practice. I spent years with trimmed stubble, rarely ever going clean shaven. And when I did go for a clean shave it was with an electric razor which is very forgiving on pressure. So it has taken a few times to figure it out. The chin/jaw line is still difficult for me but it is getting easier and I haven't nicked myself in 2 shaves. So...progress.

[UnderpantsGnome42]

My first use will probably be Monday or Tuesday.

Be sure to give an account of how it goes!

 

The astra blades are pretty nice, I had alright luck with it but my beard is so coarse that I needed something much sharper... Feather is about the only blade that works really well for me, I love them.

Feathers are fantastic! Love them! I've tried a good few different types and kept coming back to them. I started on the Merkur blades and didn't like them, kept nicking myself. Feathers aren't particularly forgiving for a newbie but once you've gotten the technique down they're a dream!

 

It's all about experience.

This! ^^^

[WizardTrip]

I wonder why you wanted to try a rum inspired scent.... <.< 

 

Nice list. I was thinking of a Merkur but went with a Parker instead because of price point.

HA!! You know me well my friend. If I can't drink ma rum all day, at least I can smell like it!

[KingZora]

Feathers are fantastic! Love them! I've tried a good few different types and kept coming back to them. I started on the Merkur blades and didn't like them, kept nicking myself. Feathers aren't particularly forgiving for a newbie but once you've gotten the technique down they're a dream!

 

Yah, the merkur blades are forgiving, if you beard is soft enough to handle them.  If you have a super coarse beard, it will actually be less forgiving.  I knicked myself less once I got up to the Feathers since it was actually cutting the hair and not just bouncing across my face.  I may be an exception to the rule though.

[bigm141414]

HA!! You know me well my friend. If I can't drink ma rum all day, at least I can smell like it!

 

Hopefully it is not a strong smell. I would hate for you to get some odd looks at your job showing up smelling like rum everyday

[WizardTrip]

I expected to have to pick it up in the morning from the condo's office, but this was a nice surprise.

[UnderpantsGnome42]

I expected to have to pick it up in the morning from the condo's office, but this was a nice surprise.

Ooooh! I like that stand! looks really nice!

[bigm141414]

I expected to have to pick it up in the morning from the condo's office, but this was a nice surprise.

 

 

Ooooo nice and tidy. Definitely one upped my setup. How was the shave?