Introduction and first question

Hey there, all!

My name's Richard, I'm a second-year student of applied mathematics and physics at the University of Houston, and I've been using a Gold Dollar full hollow for a few months now (I know it's not the best, but it works great after spending some time on a 12k grit stone). One of these days, I'll upgrade to something worth noting in the LW&T, but this one works for now (I'm a poor college student - haha).

I have been curious, but is there anyone here who has used neem oil? It's AMAZING as a fungicide/anti-microbial/anti-bacterial/anti-parasitic (read about it; it's awesome stuff), and I am going to start experimenting with making my own soaps and after-shave, and I plan to use it there too.

The question is: does anyone know how well it inhibits rusting as well? Since I've been using neem oil as a pre-shave lubricant, my blade gets a little treating during shaving; but, I also rub in a light coat after shaving every few days. Also, I haven't seen any rust/spotting yet, and I'm not sure how long that normally would take to develop on my blade.

Anyway, I'm glad to be a new member here, and I look forward to learning from the masters!

R. K.

Edit: I couldn't delete this post, and I don't want to double-post in the introduction thread that I just noticed (no idea how I missed it before). Sorry about that.

Hi, Richard, and welcome to SRP. :chapeau

Since you are in Houston, PM Sharptonn with your questions. He is a local mentor and if he doesn't have an answer, who knows will. He might read your post and reply before you can PM him, but do so anyway and get a meeting with him and be prepared to be awed by his collection and knowledge (and he can fix your car at the same time).

Welcome Richard. As another Richard (Razorfeld) proclaims, I am also in H-Town. Neem? I spray that on my shubberies!
Might be better options. We had a meet last Sunday, so you just missed that! A honing/ shaving clinic shall be forthcoming soon. Watch the link in my sig for plans on that! (need to change my sig now that the meet is done!)

Welcome, from down the highway. Good to see another Texan.

Hi Richard,

Since Neem is a plant oil, it's probably going to do what all vegetable oils eventually do, and that's polymerize. Like linseed oil, the base for paints and many other finishes. Best to stay in the mineral world for oil on your blade. I favor gun oil because it spreads out over the metal, rather than beading up like mineral oil (baby oil) tends to do.

And, like the others have said, Welcome!

On a side note: this morning I shampooed and conditioned my brush for the first time (I didn't think to do it when I first got it - just rinsed it really thoroughly), and holy smokes does it lather up AWESOME now. Plus, the bristles were fairly coarse - not uncomfortable - before, but now it's like brushing my face with Angel hair. It's not an expensive brush - $12 on Amazon and the only thing printed on the side of the wooden handle is, "Escali."

Something I thought of today during my shave: when I rub in a little neem or olive oil before lathering up, it feels like the blade it sloughing through mud and pulling harder on the skin. There's no hair pulling, and the blade cuts nice and clean, but there's just a lot more resistance to the edge sliding.

Any suggestions?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by rkuchenbecker

Something I thought of today during my shave: when I rub in a little neem or olive oil before lathering up, it feels like the blade it sloughing through mud and pulling harder on the skin. There's no hair pulling, and the blade cuts nice and clean, but there's just a lot more resistance to the edge sliding.

Any suggestions?

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Personally I'd Skip the oil before shaving!!!! Be sure to either apply some lather to your face and rub it in and then rinse it off and re-lather OR use some shampoo and then lather and go! I've found that this removes any body oil from the face and facial hair so that the lather can soak in to the whiskers and allows the lather to do it's job and lubricate the skin!!

Give it a go and see what happens!!!

Also, I use some liquid dish soap to remove any soap scum after shaving then dry the blade well and use Ballistol to lightly coat the blade and edge to prevent oxidization.

Enjoy the Ride! It's a long strange trip but it's worth the journey! :tu

Yes, oiling before the shave makes a slippery mess. I use vitamin E oil, several drops rubbed into the face, the night before I shave the next morning. It has soaked in good before the shave, but seems to make the shave go nicer.
Try a hand towel soaked with really hot water over a lathered-up face (2 applications) for a minute or so before lathering up to shave.
Makes all the difference in the world.
What lather are you using? Many will benefit from 4 or 5 drops of Glycerine in the mug as well!

Gotta add my 2.5 cents (inflation you know). I cold shave. Before I lather I splash cold water on my face and rub a small amount of Cremo or Kiss My Fase into my beard. It mixes with the lather and forms a nice cushion for my shave..

Quote:

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Originally Posted by sharptonn

What lather are you using?

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Typically, I go back and forth between Aveeno's shave gel for sensitive skin and Barbasol, but I have a can of Proraso in the mail and on the way, and I plan to start trying out different soaps. I prefer to change only one variable at a time (to ensure I know what does what), and since I have been fighting some pretty wicked acne for the last two years (no issues through teen years, and then BAM), my options are limited with face products. It has been slowly clearing up, though.

Rich

Edit: Before trying out a lot of different products, I wanted to get comfortable with the razor and brush using what I know already.

Edit: Just a side note: I also tried Dr. Carver's Easy Shave Butter (non-lather), and while I love it with a two-blade cartridge, I gave it to my girlfriend because I didn't care for the results with a straight razor.

Try a tube of Coate's Superior Tea Tree Shaving Cream for Problem Skin, under $4 a tube. Sent a tube to a teenage shaver with acne and he said it has helped a great deal.

Interestingly enough, after ~2.5 months with a straight razor, I have noticed some reduction in redness and breakouts are less frequent.

The problem with tea tree oil (I used to mix a few drops with neem oil - helped A LOT with the acne, but has reached a limit to its effectiveness) is that it caused my skin to dry out, and my skin reacted by ramping up oil production to post industrial revolution quantities.

Richard, The stuff in the can won't work. You are oiling up to produce glide and the tradeoff is worse, I think.
Give me a PM and I can donate you a puck of Williams and some glycerine. Smokes Barbasol!
You need lubricity IN your lather for a straight razor. That's the ticket! ;)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by sharptonn

Richard, The stuff in the can won't work. You are oiling up to produce glide and the tradeoff is worse, I think.
Give me a PM and I can donate you a puck of Williams and some glycerine. Smokes Barbasol!
You need lubricity IN your lather for a straight razor. That's the ticket! ;)

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I agree with Tom!!!! While others will tell you to stay clear of Williams I've used it for well over 30 years! Usually just straight as is and whipped up with a brush but the glycerine added at the end does add to the party! :tu

You're saying you fill the brush and then put a few drops of glycerine onto it?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by rkuchenbecker

You're saying you fill the brush and then put a few drops of glycerine onto it?

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I don't know if your question is directed to me or Tom. If it's to me I have the puck in a cup then I dip the brush in very warm water and then make lather in the cup, 'IF' I decide to use the glycerin I add a few drops at the end and whip it into the lather then apply to my face.

I put glycerine in my mixing bowl before snurdling in the cream or bringing in the soapy brush. Glycerine helps on two important fronts out here: it moisturizes my skin a little, and it prevents the lather from drying out so damn fast in this desert air.

I will also fess up to the heretical and experience-based observation that the Aveeno stuff in the can is actually pretty nice. I shave pretty often at the local rec center, and the full ritual is just a little too involved there. Aveeno products are pretty good generally.

Hi and welcome. I would ditch the oil pre shave. Personally I use soap to wash before the shave to get rid of oil, lather and rub it in and leave while stropping snd then rinse, relather and shave. Replace skin oils when you finish with your moisturizer. Cold water shaving might also help.

Ordered a new Boker, but I received an email that it was back-ordered until May - so, order cancelled.

It's probably for the better anyway, as now I'll be more motivated to tighten up the three antique razors I picked up.

Shaved this morning for the first time using Proraso Sapone. HOW HAVE I MISSED OUT ON THIS BEFORE TODAY!?!?!?!

I will also be petitioning Pete Olsen to push the sale of Barbasol as a war crime - haha.

Now, to get a better razor and work it on up!

Edit: Pete Olsen is the US Rep for my district for those not in G. Houston. Doesn't really matter - as a joke anyway.

Shaved this morning with an old restored Böker wedge, courtesy of Sharptonn. "FANTASTIC!!" is a good word to describe the aftermath.

Tomorrow will be my old Böker extra-hollow, also courtesy of Sharptonn!

Thanks again!

Just an update if anyone is still reading this (I guess it's become a sort of journal for my progress):

I've got now a solid rotation of two antique Bökers (a wedge and an extra-hollow - although the extra-hollow is being confiscated by the girlfriend who's been getting into this), and a gifted Dovo Bismarck.

Also picked up a sampler pack from Taylor of Old Bond Street in this weekend, and will be working through those for the next two weeks. The sandalwood is fantastic, though; used that one this morning.

Rich

My names Andrew. Im 26 and picked up a straight razor for the first time a couple weeks ago. I went to the barber shop a couple months ago and got a straight razor side shave with my haircut. Ive been hooked ever since. I did some research and finally settled on the Buffalo Horn Damascus Straight Razor and Luxury Shave Set from straightrazor.com

So far ive enjoyed it. been shaving with it for about a week. after a little practice on a balloon i found myself trying it on my face with some pretty good results. Im getting more comfortable with my own face and holding a sharp razor to it. My questions are what kind of preshave oil should i use? How can i get a closer shave on the neck, my hair is fairly course and i feel like there is too much tug if i try against the grain. yes my razor is shave ready and i strop it atleast before i shave daily. what would someone recommend as a second razor. The one i have is a round tip.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Andrew1016

My names Andrew. Im 26 and picked up a straight razor for the first time a couple weeks ago. I went to the barber shop a couple months ago and got a straight razor side shave with my haircut. Ive been hooked ever since. I did some research and finally settled on the Buffalo Horn Damascus Straight Razor and Luxury Shave Set from straightrazor.com

So far ive enjoyed it. been shaving with it for about a week. after a little practice on a balloon i found myself trying it on my face with some pretty good results. Im getting more comfortable with my own face and holding a sharp razor to it. My questions are what kind of preshave oil should i use? How can i get a closer shave on the neck, my hair is fairly course and i feel like there is too much tug if i try against the grain. yes my razor is shave ready and i strop it atleast before i shave daily. what would someone recommend as a second razor. The one i have is a round tip.

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Welcome Andrew,

As Rich can probably tell you there is a big difference between what the factory calls shave ready and what we call shave ready on the forum. I started with a Gold Dollar as well, Funny how college kids seem to find those, and thought it was good until i used a properly honed edge. World of difference. It looks like you got some good stuff in the kit but from personal experience unless you paid a fortune for a Damascus blade it is probably not a good one. They tend to be to hard and therefore brittle and will not hold a proper edge. I tried. never worked.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Andrew1016

My names Andrew. Im 26 and picked up a straight razor for the first time a couple weeks ago. I went to the barber shop a couple months ago and got a straight razor side shave with my haircut. Ive been hooked ever since. I did some research and finally settled on the Buffalo Horn Damascus Straight Razor and Luxury Shave Set from straightrazor.com

So far ive enjoyed it. been shaving with it for about a week. after a little practice on a balloon i found myself trying it on my face with some pretty good results. Im getting more comfortable with my own face and holding a sharp razor to it. My questions are what kind of preshave oil should i use? How can i get a closer shave on the neck, my hair is fairly course and i feel like there is too much tug if i try against the grain. yes my razor is shave ready and i strop it atleast before i shave daily. what would someone recommend as a second razor. The one i have is a round tip.

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Andrew, forget the preshave oil. There are many other, cheaper methods. Some people use a little olive oil as a pre and post shave.. Some use a dab of Cremo or Kiss My Face as a preshave. Just wet your face and rub it in and then apply your lather. You need to got to the SRP wiki's and read all you can about shaving different parts of the face. A lot of questions will be answered there. Like different types of shaving strokes for different parts of the face and neck. Unless you are adventurous I'd stick with a round tip for a second razor. Spike points, unless you stay almost hyper aware of where that point is on your fave, will bite you without mercy - I speak from experience. Just in case though, get a styptic pencil for the little nicks and weepers. A number of shavers would suggest that with coarser hair a razor with a wedge grind is best. They seem to mow it down better than the hollow grinds.

Also, Andrew, edit you info so it shows where you are. There are many mentors around the country and it will be possible for you to find one near you for a face to face session that will answer a lot of your questions. Also, most of them are more than willing to hone or refresh a razor for you.

Thanks for the advice. i have noticed that my razor does loose its edge fairly quickly however, a few strokes on my strop and it mows down hair.

Since upgrading to the Bökers, and now also the Bismarck, I haven't touched the Gold Dollar.

I overcame a little fear and touched up the factory edge on the Bismarck - now it REALLY shaves - and I'll see how well it maintains its edge over the next few months.

I'll reiterate what UACowboy wrote: I didn't know what a good edge was like until I had one.

I'm just going to leave this right here...

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