I don't think we're on Bladeforums anymore, Toto...

As you might intuit from the forum, I'm new here. I suspect I was led here by three factors.
1) I'm a knife guy. Somewhere around two dozen of them litter my kitchen and living room, ranging from handmade kiridashi up to khukuris forged in Nepal from leaf springs.
2) I like doing some things the old fashioned way. Instant mashed potatoes have never sullied my kitchen. I use cast iron more than stainless steel cookware. My food processor is made by Shun out of VG-10 and pakka wood (it's a knife). You get the idea.
3) I have sensitive skin, and for years shaving had been decidedly unpleasant. It left my face razor burned and doing it more than a couple times a week was asking for trouble. Twice I grew a beard just to avoid it.
So last January I was in Las Vegas so my girlfriend could interview for a residency program. One of the malls on the Strip has an Art of Shaving, apparently. I originally went in just to admire the razors, but somehow I walked out with a starter kit (to provide insight as to how awesome the aforementioned girlfriend is, it was ultimately at her urging that I bought a straight razor). Given the nature of learning to shave with a straight razor, the improvements in my face prep alone led to dramatically more pleasant shaves. Right now, I'm at the point where I'm just starting to have good full shaves with a straight razor without any burn. I use one of two razors. Both are round point, half hollow, 6/8" with a double stabilizer. One is a new Thiers-Issard in C-135 Carbonsong (from Art of Shaving) and the other is a vintage Diamondine no7 in what I assume is Sheffield silver steel (from Whipped Dog).
Let's start with three questions.
One, what sort of reputation does Art of Shaving have among the folks here? I don't intend to give them any more business since I prefer the selection from Classic Shaving, but I was curious nonetheless.
Two, what are the virtues of cream versus those of soap? I've used both with success, but I'd like to know more experienced opinions.
Three, I'm quite happy with my razors now, but I'm curious to try other types. What is the advantage of a quarter ground blade? What about a full follow?

David, Welcome! 'Good to have you aboard.

I may know less about good bladecraft w/ a knife than you do about razors. They ARE really different. 'Both fun.

I've not used AOS anything. 'Seen some products praised. When I've looked - they looked expensive.

Soaps vs Creams (we need Obie here): The gross over-generalization is that soaps give a bit more face-protection, creams - more moisture. As you might guess - the overlap is massive. Being incurable tinkers - a number of us combine the two, often w/ a dab of this or that snake oil.

Razor grinds: another area where there's alot of heat and not much light. Its a preference thing - partially influenced by the the level of shaving skills, and coarseness of beard. The most easily recognized difference is in the level of feedback. The extra hollow (.010 blade thickness or less) is a bit more demanding of technique and the one w/ the most shrill communication. Audible feedback has been compared to the sound of a sharp kitchen knife being stroked over the top of toast. There is a tactile feedback - the vibration caused by running into and sheering the stubble. As the grinds become more thick/heavy, the feedback changes. First, its just more subdued, usually at a lower sonic pitch. On some of the softer steels (Sheffields), they can get entirely silent. Some (myself included) find the heavier grind easier to learn with. Very soon, whatever I could do w/ the heavy grind, I could do w/ the extra hollow - yet I still love the heavy grinds. Others claim the heavy grinds are more effective on coarse, heavy beard. This one, I think, is more difficult to substantiate. 'Not qualified to prove my impression, but I suspect this is a matter of shaving skills.

'Glad you're wading into the quality end of the shaving pool. I think you'll enjoy it alot. The help here is very good, and attitudes are also.

'Hope to see more of you here.

Rob/pinklather pretty much said everything I was thinking... only have a couple of adds..

Another Welcome to SRP :)

AOS = I think the products have a solid rep around here, most complainants are for the "Service" there, as in not very knowledgeable, but really not many of us are applying for jobs there :)

Cream or Soap = Or maybe both as Rob pointed out :p Soap tends to have a bit better glide and Cream a bit better cushion but that isn't "carved in stone" that really is a YMMV thing we all have our favorites but, we also all have different faces, brushes and water so what works for me might not work for you...

Razor grind I have nutting to add, Rob covered it...

Hey David welcome abroad!! You have joined an AMAZING community of shavers here at SRP and the knowledge is never ending!! Make sure to check out the wiki, I got MILLIONS of answers there as well as from posted questions! Now on to your questions.....

I started with AoS stuff and really like it but have found other products that I enjoy much more at similar prices! I started with their lavender Oil, Cream and AS balm. I haven't bought a razor from them mainly bc I don't want it to YELL AoS at me every time I shave! I will say the guy I spoke to many times early on was a HUGE help he led me here even before I bought anything from them!! So I like them but don't frequent there much anymore due to price (which I as well feel is HIGH)

As for soap vs. cream I use both and have found great joy in reading here am then pulling the trigger and trying ones I think I'll like! A lot of the fun is experimenting since no two faces/skin are alike everyone has a different experience. I tend to stick more to creams these days because I find them a little easier to get a GREAT lather going with and since I am somewhat new would like to be able to focus on the technique during the shave and not get frustrated with subpar lather before a blade even touches my face. But like I said I do have some goto soaps that I love an continue to work (even when not shaving) on building a great lather!! I also do mix soap and cream often!

Welcome! I don't know what I'm talking about because I'm a straight shaving noob, but I like welcoming people :)

These other guys have given you some very good info and advice. There is a lot of that around here.

The other fellows have given sound advice. For the soaps and cremes they're a YMMV.
I suggest trying both. Not to mention that you can get glycerin based soaps. And triple milled French soaps. Lanolin based soaps. Hard English traditional soaps. And on it goes. Just use the search function and look for Obie. He knows his soaps and cremes. I will advise to stay away from Caswell-Massey soaps and creams. They smell wonderful but perform quite poorly.
If you want a good creme to try I suggest the Real Shave Co. stuff as it can usually be found at a Rite Aid or the like. It performs well and doesn't cost what the AOS stuff does. I haven't tried AoS but I've heard good things about it.

I'm fairly new here myself, but welcome. Great community here, and lots of good information for the blade enthusiast.

I also started with Art of Shaving products - a starter kit consisting of a brush, pre-shave oil and shaving cream in a travel bag. Got the sensitive skin variety, because like you, the regular products from the supermarket were starting to really irritate my skin. So, AoS was certainly a good place to start and learn more about how to shave properly.

Their brush was losing hair from the get-go. At first I ascribed it to a break-in period, but it continued and began to get worse within six months or so. By then, I had bought my first straight razor and brush set, both Dovo, and have not looked back. The AoS brush is still floating around in my bathroom drawer somewhere. As to their consumables, the sensitive skin stuff was okay, but second or third tier compared to the products from Truefitt & Hill, Taylor's, and Geo F. Trumper - all very first class, and not that much more expensive than AoS. I was recently in Central America, stayed longer than intended and ran out of supplies. One of the hotel barbershops carried the AoS line, and I bought a bottle of pre-shave oil and some shaving cream, both at a ridiculous price. The oil turned out to be rancid, with a thoroughly unpleasant aroma. The cream was okay, but did not produce a very rich lather. Oh well... Also, from what I can see, AoS is in somewhat of an unholy alliance with Gillette, selling "luxury" version kits of their latest TurboMach-whatever... Traitors to the cause :D!

Welcome, and have fun!

Welcome to SRP :)

Everyone has given you very sound advice. As for shops, they are shops - what else do you need to know?

Soaps and creams - most people try at least 20 of each (small joke, though not by much) despite the often asked for advice being given about which is better, worse, creamier, etc. Try them yourself, but if you have sensitive skin it might be best to avoid the over-scented ones.

Razor grind/size/style/whatever is again like soaps and creams - advice is always asked for, and then most people just go straight out and buy various versions of each anyway. However, as this is often a more expensive proposition than creams and soaps, I will say that in my experience there is no substantive difference in the shaves I receive between any grind, size, shape, steel or scale type (as long as it is good steel) - the excellence (or not) of the shave rests solely in the hands of the user (so long as it has been sharpened properly). Yes, some flex, some don't, some sing, some are mute but in the end a good razor just does one thing - shave.

Good luck to you!

James.

I think joining here was already worth it. Classic Shaving is nice, but Straight Razor Designs handily puts it to shame.
As for this mixing cream and soap, how is it done? Is there any more to it than loading a brush with a little of each and lathering it in or on my mug, as the case may be?

We call it Überlather (Cream and 5 drops of Glycerin in a bowl then a soap loaded brush) but honestly we are a bit obsessive with our shaving,,, Go slow and work up to the other stuff or as many like to say Start with the KISS principle and expand from there...

when i mix soap and cream i usually load the brush with my soap and depending on which type of cream i am using, some are "stiffer" than others; CF (Castle Forbes) comes to mind, will either add the cream to the soap loaded brush (just dab a bit on the tips) or smeer the cream in the bottom of my scuttle and continue the lather making in that. But again thats just my way.....i am actually interested to see if others do it differently!

I'm wondering now about stropping. How often do you guys do it, and how many passes is necessary for a typical post-shave stropping?

I do about ten laps after shaving to make sure my edge is dry.
I do about 40 before each shave.

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Originally Posted by MagenDavid

I'm wondering now about stropping. How often do you guys do it, and how many passes is necessary for a typical post-shave stropping?

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For me, 20-30x after the shave & 60-80 before...typical total between 80-100x. You will find what works for you as you progress as all of us will have a different idea of what works. The post shave stropping is really just to ensure the edge is dry and clean of all micro "stuff" that could cause or at the least assist oxidation.

Welcome to SRP. I'm working the other way around from you, going from razors to knives. Hope you don't mind if I PM you some knife questions from time to time.

You've got some good questions. I don't strop after my shaves and have not had any ill effects over the years but stropping afterwards to 'dry the edge' is fine if you want to. Stropping before each shave will give you the best shave your current edge can provide. I look at stropping as removing the burrs from honing and shaving. The cloth/canvas gets the larger burrs off and the leather puts the finishing touch on the burs and edge. Best to experiment and see what works best for you. I look forward to your future questions and suggestions from your perspective.

Check out the Wiki and Barbers Manuals, very concise info to start.

So it's pretty common practice to strop before the shave? I'd read somewhere that it's best to strop after the shave and keep the razor oiled and ready to go. Is this another sort of thing where personal preference dictates?
Also, I need a recommendation on electric clippers and a pair of scissors. My girlfriend suggested that our present clippers are in their twilight, and the scissors frankly sucked when they were new.
Lastly, I'm happy to field questions about knives and answer them to the best of my ability. If I don't know the answer, I certainly know some highly knowledgeable folks who can provide insight.

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Originally Posted by MagenDavid

So it's pretty common practice to strop before the shave? I'd read somewhere that it's best to strop after the shave and keep the razor oiled and ready to go. Is this another sort of thing where personal preference dictates?
Also, I need a recommendation on electric clippers and a pair of scissors. My girlfriend suggested that our present clippers are in their twilight, and the scissors frankly sucked when they were new.
Lastly, I'm happy to field questions about knives and answer them to the best of my ability. If I don't know the answer, I certainly know some highly knowledgeable folks who can provide insight.

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It is recommended practice to strop before each shave, and yes it is very common practice as well. It is not necessary to strop after the shave, but it doesn't hurt either. It is also not necessary to oil the razor between shaves as long as you are careful to dry it thoroughly (including any drops that might be between the scales). I often leave my razors out in the open position for a while to air dry (in a safe place of course) away from overly-moist conditions. If you do not intend to use a razor for a while, then it is a good idea to oil it and store it away, again in a low-humidity environment. However, if you are happy to oil each time, and then to wipe the oil off each time before a shave, then it is most definitely a personal choice.

Sorry, I know nothing about electric clippers or scissors.

James.

Welcome

As for AOS customer service, they may be in an unholy alliance with P&G, but I cannot fault their customer service at all, they are expensive yes, but they really do care about the customer (I bought a razor from them that had spine wear etc and they cut me a check for what I spend to have Lynn hone it, no questions asked) but their stuff is expensive and you can get better for less. Still their starter kit got me hooked so it can't be all that bad :)

AOS is responsible for many converts...this is a good thing.

I need a recommendation for a quality brush. Is it possible to get a brush higher in quality than pure badger for under $100?

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Originally Posted by MagenDavid

I need a recommendation for a quality brush. Is it possible to get a brush higher in quality than pure badger for under $100?

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Look at Frank Shaving brushes (look on the bay or at Star Shaving). They're decently made. I have one in Best that cost me less than $30. It's a bit floppy but it's been my go-to brush since June.
My other favorite brush is an Omega 10048. It's boar but it's soft (for boar, tips are already split), has a high loft and isn't floppy. Makes great lather every time. Only cost 16 bucks locally.

Isn't boar scratchy?

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Originally Posted by MagenDavid

I need a suggestion or two for a new brush. My AOS one is losing bristles, and I find it a bit scratchy for second and third passes. Is it possible to get a brush with quality above pure badger for under $100?

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Check out Frank Shaving on EBay.

Well, to be fair, he's an ebay vendor, not an auctioneer. My FS brush is fantastic and cost me $58.

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Originally Posted by MagenDavid

Isn't boar scratchy?

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A high quality, well broken in boar brush will have tips as soft as the finest silvertip badger.

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Originally Posted by MagenDavid

Isn't boar scratchy?

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The cheap nasty stuff is. The Omega 10048 is about as cheap as you can go and not have it scratchy.
I've not tried better bit I've tried worse.
Horse hair, I've heard, is quite soft. Haven't tried it yet.

Even the cheap boar breaks in nicely....after a while.