Thread: Greetings from an Aussie straight razor noob

Originally Posted by carlmaloschneider

Is Cella a bit like Proraso in consistency? I never really worked out if Proraso was a cream or a soap.
BTW, Romanus Eunt Domus is classic, and I want the right to have a baby....

Yes one of the twilight Zone soap/creams
"We shall fight the oppressors for your right to have babies, brother, err, sister "

Originally Posted by MickR

I'm a fan of himage.com and Mensbiz.com myself, but if you want to try a decent cream (although scent is as good as could be) Gaia for men is available in the local Woolies and Coles.

That Gaia stuff may not be ideal for all skin types. It contains Sodium hydroxymethylglycinate, a formaldehyde releasing preservative: Sodium hydroxymethylglycinate. [Dermatitis. 2010] - PubMed - NCBI

Originally Posted by MickR

I didn't know I was my own twin neither, but there ya go. I like ta 'ave a beer wif MickR, 'cause MickR's me...Bruvver???!


Mick (or one of me anyhow)

Oh, sorry, I'm an idiot I meant the other Mick. There's so many Micks here I'm confused!!!

Originally Posted by ShaneVE

What exactly is an Überlather?

There's a great video on the Wikki about Überlather. Basically, it's simply a mixture of shaving soap, shaving cream and glycerin. You load the brush with soap (it's best if you put a little hot water on top of the soap while you have a shower), then place some shaving cream in a bowl, with a little bit of glycerin (size of a five cent piece) and mix. It makes a really nice mix that, in my opinion, is really nice. I think one needs to try an Über at least once. BTW, my comments about consumerism were just a joke of course (I do tend to make outrageous comments at times) and I completely understand about buying quality goods :-)

After watching the video you may think that an Überlather is complicated, but it's not really....

Hi everybody,

Sorry I missed this one earlier.

Random thoughts:
- 5 pips is a truly awful cider. Monteiths (NZ) is one of the better readily available ciders in Oz. If you can find a bottleshop that carries some French (Normandy) cider get some and you won't look back. Bulmers and Scrumpy Jack are also good. 46 is a new in Oz Swedish cider and IMO is a ladies' cider - too sweet and apple-ly for a proper cider.
- I haven't got around to uber-lather but hard soap + cream is better that either of the components.
- A good brush is a necessity.
- Different grinds and different widths suits different people. I prefer my razors on the narrow side (closer to 4/8) because I find them more nimble and easier to handle. I also prefer extra-hollow grinds. Until you try a variety yourself you won't know what your niche is.
- We are talking finely tuned pieces of metal with razors. I have found that French and German blades respond best to my honing and stropping. Just because other people rave about XYZ doesn't mean that it will work for you - find what works for you.
- Come along on the 20th - the more the merrier.

Originally Posted by carlmaloschneider

There's a great video on the Wikki about Überlather. Basically, it's simply a mixture of shaving soap, shaving cream and glycerin. You load the brush with soap (it's best if you put a little hot water on top of the soap while you have a shower), then place some shaving cream in a bowl, with a little bit of glycerin (size of a five cent piece) and mix. It makes a really nice mix that, in my opinion, is really nice. I think one needs to try an Über at least once. BTW, my comments about consumerism were just a joke of course (I do tend to make outrageous comments at times) and I completely understand about buying quality goods :-)

After watching the video you may think that an Überlather is complicated, but it's not really....

Thanks, I found that video tonight. The Überlather looks great. I haven't bought a soap yet, just a few creams that some other members here seem to like. I'll look at getting a soap and glycerin sometime soon to try it out. Yeah I knew your comments on consumerism were just in jest, no offense taken

Originally Posted by Pauly

Hi everybody,

Sorry I missed this one earlier.

Random thoughts:
- 5 pips is a truly awful cider. Monteiths (NZ) is one of the better readily available ciders in Oz. If you can find a bottleshop that carries some French (Normandy) cider get some and you won't look back. Bulmers and Scrumpy Jack are also good. 46 is a new in Oz Swedish cider and IMO is a ladies' cider - too sweet and apple-ly for a proper cider.
- I haven't got around to uber-lather but hard soap + cream is better that either of the components.
- A good brush is a necessity.
- Different grinds and different widths suits different people. I prefer my razors on the narrow side (closer to 4/8) because I find them more nimble and easier to handle. I also prefer extra-hollow grinds. Until you try a variety yourself you won't know what your niche is.
- We are talking finely tuned pieces of metal with razors. I have found that French and German blades respond best to my honing and stropping. Just because other people rave about XYZ doesn't mean that it will work for you - find what works for you.
- Come along on the 20th - the more the merrier.

Hi Pauly, thanks for dropping by. I wouldn't say it is awful, 5 seeds is just the value option . Monteiths is pretty good, but still around the quality of 5 seeds, same price, less quantity. There is a Dan Murphy's just up the road from me, and I'm pretty sure I've seen a few french ciders there, one is in a large bottle with plain labelling .. There are a few swedish brands coming in now, like rekorderlig, with its strawberry, elderberry, and whateverberry flavoured ciders.

I ended up buying a brush based on what I saw in the wiki page on brushes. Super badger (imagine the little "S" on his furry chest).

Yep its all part of the fun and games of using a straight razor, which is actually part of the appeal for me. It's a bit of an art form, a combination of skill and finding well suited hardware, perfected over time by each individual.