switched to soap and a badger brush about 6 years ago (wicked neckbeard and constant irritation from the back and forth) and never looked back.
I still use mach 3 blades, I like the size and maneuverability. I don't shave my face other than to clean up beard lines so those two factors are critical.
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holy dyna - between the treatments outlined below and the choice of five blades, you must be up at 4.30 am to start the process. do you have any free time in your life to do other things, or is shaving your primary hobby?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Reggie Dunlop
My daily routine:
•Wash face with glycerine soap.
•Apply hot towel.
•Schmear a bit of Nivea Cream on the face (a lot cheaper than the pre-shave creams, but essentially the same formula). A bit of lubricant helps.
•Apply cream/soap of your choice.
•Shave.
•Wash face with cold water to close up pores.
• A quick run of alum block. Witch Hazel is also good.
• Aftershave/balm/cologne if you're into it.
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•Wash face with glycerine soap.
•Apply hot towel.
•Schmear a bit of Nivea Cream on the face (a lot cheaper than the pre-shave creams, but essentially the same formula). A bit of lubricant helps.
•Apply cream/soap of your choice.
•Shave.
•Wash face with cold water to close up pores.
• A quick run of alum block. Witch Hazel is also good.
• Aftershave/balm/cologne if you're into it.
I was like this for the first few months I started shaving with a safety razor too.
Then I realized that it was adding a lot of time, without making for a better shave.
Now I have one razor that I like (Merkur 34C) and one cream that I like and can find easily at Shopper Drug Mart (Proraso). I also have a 100 pack of blades that I love.
Everything else (probably 5-10 different soap pucks, 5 different razor blade sample packs, a Merkur slant razor) just sits in a box in my closet.
If anyone is looking to start, let me know and I'll start you off with some soap and blades. I wouldn't recommend starting with the slant as it is a little harder to shave with than a normal razor, but you can try that too if you want.
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I also joined a Kickstarter for a new company, Rockwell (which is based in Toronto), who are manufacturing a new adjustable razor which draws its inspiration from the classic Gillettes.
For blades, I have a rotation of five brands. Choice depends on whatever mood I'm in.
(In no particular order)
Feather
Gillette SilverBlue
Rapira Platinum Lux
Astra SP (Great beginner blade as it's not as sharp. Plus, they're dirt cheap. Box of 100 for as little as $13.50).
PolSilver Super Iridium
Thoughts on the Rockwell product in general? I noticed they have a lower end 2C version and at 25 USD, I think it's a great price to consider the plunge.
Note: Both 2C and 6C products are listed on this page.
EDIT: It seems like the 6C reviews favorably to the original 6S they released. The 6S is supposedly stainless steel made in Canada vs the 6C is Chrome Zinc Alloy.
After thinking about it, I preordered the 6C to determine if I want to go further into the world of safety razors. I was very tempted to go with the 2C but since I can't seem to find much info on reviews of the 2C, but quite a few favorable reviews on the 6C, I don't think I can go very wrong with this option price wise and product wise.
Most of the complaints of the 6C were comments relating to what it was made with and due to the Kickstarter price points at the time, many felt it made more sense to go with the 6S. Many of those that tested the 6C commented how surprisingly similar to the 6S it was.
Last edited by DoubleF; 05-31-2017 at 01:28 AM.
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Does anyone use safety razor for shaving their head?
If so, much of a learning curve to do so?
I received my 6C yesterday and I'll try to answer with a few thoughts from the point of a total newbie to safety razor shaving. I don't shave my head unfortunately, but the data on the Rockwell site seems to indicate it is very doable:
This page states that setting 3 is good for head shaving. Note that the 6C is essentially the Rockwell 2C (1/3 plate) + 2/4 and 5/6 plates. The 2C is about $40CAD, the 6C is somewhere around $70CAD I believe.
I dry shave with disposables and electric razors, so using a safety razor was a bit different from my normal routine. I read somewhere that someone uses gentle face cleanser (ie: Cetaphil, spectro etc.) to shave with, so since I didn't have any shaving creams etc. I used that for my shave.
Thoughts:
Spoiler!
- My first shave took longer than normal. 7-8 minutes vs a typical 40 seconds or so with a disposable or electric. I'm guessing I can drop this time drastically once I get more skilled at using the safety razor. I think I figured out most of what to do within a few minutes. The blade angles a little bit different than a typical disposable razor. Oh, rinse the razor blade frequently, don't press too hard.
I think you can master basic safety razor within 2-3 shaves. Trying out the different settings and relearning on the different plates probably are the same. So I think it would take around a week or two at max to really figure out everything you want to know. Not a crazy learning curve. Watch a video, then imitate the strokes. Most videos go all out. Me, I just splashed water on my face, rubbed a little face cleanser on the stubble, started shaving and rinsed when done. I don't go over the same areas multiple times like some videos though.
- Setting 1 felt like I wasn't a close shave. A very good setting to learn on. 3 on the other hand felt like a nice close shave. Personally, I feel like I enjoy setting 3 or 4 so far, but I probably need a few weeks to really get to figure things out.
- Shaving with a safety razor was not what I was expecting at all. I was concerned I'd knick myself. Going downwards (nose to chin motions) I didn't knick myself once. In fact, I felt like I was not getting a close enough shave. It was when I was trying to get the closer shave (reverse direction on setting 3) where I knicked myself twice. Neither of which bled more than a drop. A quick rinse and I wasn't even sure where I had knicked myself. I couldn't even feel it.
I don't think I'd suggest jumping straight into head shaving with the safety razor. If you're a greenhorn like me, I'd suggest spending about a week or so shaving your face to get used to using the safety razor before attempting other areas.
- The end result definitely feels a bit smoother and softer than what I was doing previously with electric and disposable. I was expecting my 5 o clock shadow to be delayed I think it was delayed an hour at max. No major difference looks wise IMO than the disposable/electric, but for sure feels way better.
EDIT: I still have a lot to learn I think, but learning to shave with the safety razor has been fun so far.
Last edited by DoubleF; 07-01-2017 at 12:36 AM.
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Does anyone use safety razor for shaving their head?
If so, much of a learning curve to do so?
I do. There was one for me, but I went from Mach 3's for face+head to DE for face+head. So I had no idea how to properly use one for either place. The first few times were pretty chaotic. I was a bloody mess by the end. However, now that I've been at it for a while, it's straight forward. The key is to just glide it down your head, without using pressure. You can generally feel if you've missed a spot just rubbing your fingers along the back of your head, and it's simple enough to go over the same area again. Get an alum block to stop any small bleeds.
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I have been using Dorco brand disposable razors for a number of years now. They have so many options - 1 blade, 4 blades, 6 blades, whatever you want.
I find I get a better shave, and the blades last longer than Gillette.
Same. Their 3 blade razors give me a very good shave in the shower and last a long time. I bought a 4x6 pack (24 cartridges) in Dec 2015 and I still have 2 packages left. Spending $30 to shave for 2 years is a pretty damn good deal
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Whatever's the cheapest at Costco or London Drug or Dollardays, I could care less how many blades it has, if it doesn't feel too close after the first pass I will go over it again and hey presto the 3 blade is magically a six.
Spend your money on a nice aftershave, don't waste it on bloody razors that all do a decent job no matter what they cost.
Anyway I'm off to shout at the local kids to get off my lawn, but because I don't piss money away on razors, it is my lawn.
TL;DR: Rockwell razor razor blades are junk. The Rockwell safety razors are awesome.
Long:
So I purchased the Rockwell Razor last year and I enjoyed using it. I even gave away my electric razor. However, it always felt a little off based on anecdotes about safety razors.
Earlier this month, I decided I needed a disposable razor at work to touch up the facial hair on occasion due to serious 5 o clock shadow concerns and the occasional forgetting to shave before work. Disposables are damn expensive if purchased in single units, so I acquired an inexpensive Weishi safety razor for less than $20. The razor itself was very obviously cheaper and lighter than the Rockwell, but the QShave titanium blades that came with it were able to give me a pretty damn good shave even though the razor was of far inferior quality. A little research showed these blades were likely Personna Lab rebrand/clones. More research showed that since I had purchased my Rockwell, many others had noted the rockwell razor blades are exceptionally dull razor blades. I read Rockwell replaced their blades with better ones, but I'm going to go with a reputable blade instead.
I am replacing all my Rockwell blades with Astra blades which anecdotally compare favorably to the Astra. The Rockwell razor blades works well enough to chip/scrape away at caked on food on my induction stove though. I got 100 of them free for nabbing the kickstarter, so it's not a big loss.
After about half a year of using the safety razor, I will say I do like the safety razor better than anything I had used previously. I probably only spend about a minute to do two passes. I often just splash water on my face and begin shaving if I'm too lazy to use shaving cream. The only down side I can see for the safety razor is that I would not bother trying to risk taking razor blades in my carry on luggage if I go on a short trip.
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If you know a little about safety razors and you buy the Henson and it works great for you and you figure out a razor + razor blade combo that works best for you, awesome. To repeat, the Henson + avatar combo is awesome.
But if you don't know much about safety razors, the Rockwell IMO is a much better entry level razor because you can tinker with settings 1 through 6 with different razor blade combinations to figure out which you like the most. You won't be stuck with a fixed head design that is too aggressive or not aggressive enough and you can select different ones for different scenarios.
I don't have hands on experience with the Henson, but I assume the Henson AL13 is along the "aggressiveness" of the Rockwell on plate 1 or 2. The AL13-M "medium" is probably along the lines of Rockwell plate 3 or 4. I don't assume a "medium" would be the full aggressive exposure of a blade like Rockwell plate 5 or 6. No idea what the Ti22 is, but with the ability to select mild, medium and aggressive, I'm assuming it's a fixed head made in titanium as described above and aggressive is akin to the Rockwell plate 5/6 option. This is just how the blade will work and doesn't not address the balance of the razor.
Henson touts aluminium/titanium build and lightweight. Personally, a heavier razor isn't a bad thing and I actually kinda prefer the weight of it. I've tested out cheap butterfly head double edged safety razors that were super light and they're alright. It just feels like a better disposable vs something proper and robust. No experience with the Henson, but I feel like it's a modernized safety razor. It'll probably be quite good, but it won't feel like your grandfather's safety razor (not that it's the be all end all of a good razor anyways).
The Rockwell model T ($180) is an all in one butterfly head style that has level 1 through 6 that you can select. Rockwell model 6C ($80) vs 6S ($150) is chrome vs stainless steel with plates you can chance from level 1 through 6. There is a different weight feeling while using them and I think the handle on the S is slightly longer than the C as well. I've tried all 3 Rockwell razors (6C, 6S and T1) and I liked them all for a variety of reasons. I actually would say I like each for different scenarios. Usually I recommend the 6C for anyone wanting to dabble and the 3 guys who bought it were all happy with it and didn't feel the need to upgrade. I will say the 6S and model T feel better in bigger hands than 6C, but it's not necessary. The wife did annex the 6C for personal use and gifted me the Model T v1 in return.
TBH, durability is not a factor, because assuming you use the razor correctly and you don't drop it or whatever, any Rockwell or Henson safety razor should basically last you your lifetime, even with regular use. You'll likely replace it out of boredom or by stupidly breaking it by accident vs normal wear and tear.
Razor blades are the bigger debate and experiment you'd want to figure out. A fixed blade that feels bad can be awesome with a different blade inside. Blades are based on sharpness and flex combinations that work or don't work with certain razor heads/designs and weights. By "work with", I mean personal preference.
Last edited by DoubleF; 01-03-2023 at 05:26 PM.
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I find the shaving soap makes a huge difference. My favourite so far is Castle Forbes but it's quite pricy. The best mass market stuff is the Nivea in a tube. Foam/gel in a can are horrible and should be avoided at all costs.
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I find the shaving soap makes a huge difference. My favourite so far is Castle Forbes but it's quite pricy. The best mass market stuff is the Nivea in a tube. Foam/gel in a can are horrible and should be avoided at all costs.
Merkur is a medium aggressive head, right? I wanted to buy one to try one, but I never ended up doing so because I was happy enough with the Rockwell. I think it's a heavier one with a longer handle?
I like Feather (flexible and ultra sharp) or Astra (slightly stiffer and sharp) depending on the mood and I typically use plates 2-4 for mild to medium aggressiveness using these plates. I'll occasionally use a 5/6 for a slightly closer shave, but the shave from the 2-4 plates is good enough. I hated the Rockwell blades (very stiff and medium sharp) as they felt stiffer than the Astra and not as sharp. They seemed to be designed for a more aggressive plate and were passable at 5/6. I ended up with like 200 of them because reasons, but my buddy didn't mind them so I was more than happy to gift them all to him.
Foam/gel in a can is crap. I agree. I typically just use water, but if I want it extra smooth, I find using clear face washes like Cetaphil or Spectro work well.
Mild aggressive is less blade exposure which means lower risk of nicking yourself even with poor shaving form. 1-2 is closer to what you do if you want to shave aimlessly like a multiblade disposable. But it will clog easier which means more cleaning and potentially more passes required.
Aggressive is more blade exposure and gap which means higher risk of nicking yourself with poor shaving form. But it will clog less and reduce the likelihood of needing to do another pass.
The thing I liked about safety razor vs electric and disposable is that it feels like an accomplishment after you're done. It's honestly super silly and stupid to say, but it's actually kinda enjoyable in a weird way. You take a little longer, but then you see and feel significantly better results.
