Greetings from a Rhodesian in Exile on Mud Isalnd
Hi everyone. I have been looking at this Forum for some time but decided that as I am not intendeing to go on to using a Straight razor only DE's I shouldn't join. However, I enjoyed the posts and comments ~always positive and helpful ~ so thought what the Hell? Why not?
I started shaving 56 years ago using an old Gilette. It was OK but a bit of a bore, don't you know!
Then I was conscripted into the Army and was a lousy soldier, so much so that the Staffie, as we called the NCO in charge of our training, had it in for me. He used to pick on anything and carried a piece of cotton wool around on inspections. If the wool snagged in your beard you got busted. I started hating my early morning shave!
After the Army I tolerated the shaving bit as I was on Reserve Service for 4 years but went onto Electric shavers. Not a good shave but so what!
Then came the twin blade and I must admit it was OK. In UK I grew a beard as I couldn't face the early morning shave in winter. In fact, the way my facial hair grows it takes more work to shave than having no beard at all. 17 months ago I got fed up with gummed up blades and, mostly, the ludicrous cost of shaving. So I looked around for a better way.
I found a Forum, much like this one, and read the posts, decided to have a bash and haven't looked back. I now enjoy my shaving ritual and feel good after the shave.
I can't tell anyone the right way to shave but only what works for me.
1. I use three different razors alternatively.
A Wilkinson Sword Classic in Black Plastic - a very light razor.
A Razor Factory DE Razor - mainly because it is so similar to my old Gilette.
A Parker 96R Butterfly Open DE Razor ~ I liked the write up so I bought it.
2. I use an Edwin Jagger Badger Hair Brush.
3. I have been using Wilkinson's Soap from my local Supermarket but have recently changed to Proraso Green old recipe. This, to me reminds me of my teen and early 20 years when I visited Len Hardiman's Barber Shop for a Straight Blade Shave, I am sure it must be the same he used, for my memory kicked in after 55 years and I could see him and smell his shop.
4. Blades have been a bit if a surprise. I have tried Derby, Wilkinson Sword, Astra and Shark. However, the best I have used and still use and will probably use for the next three years are Supermax. They are too cheap and if it hadn't been for the Review put in from a Professional Barber I would have dismissid them. However, at £6 for 200 I took a chance - what's to lose? They are, quite simply, the best of the bunch for me. I bought them last September and have just put in my ELEVENTH ~ and I shave every day albeit half a face!
5. Which brings me to the water. I am in a high calcium area - hard water, very hard water - and I shave in boiled filtered water. But I only started this in September after a year of using tap water. At that time I only had two razors and both were stiff and gummed up with limescale. I soaked them in Spirit Vinegar overnight to free them and then used machine oil to make them move. After a further washing out with hot water I started using coconut oil on them to keep them free. Since I started using filtered water 5 months ago I have had no more problems.
6. And this brings me to the use of Coconut Oil. I used to live in Central America and we used Coconuts for everything. Including sunburn. It is an amazing skin product. I buy raw oil from Sri Lanka, not the over processed Organic Oil that is sold in health shops for a bomb. And boy, is it good! I use as a pre-shave and as an after shave and it works. I also believe that the period between washing the razor and letting it dry and the next shave allows more corrosion and blunting to take place than during the actual shave itself. You can even buy oil to put onto your blade to prevent this. What I do is to have a little tub of oil in my freezing bathroom and melt it in the hot water from my kettle. Then after the shave I simply dip the two edges of the blades into the oil and stick the razor onto my stand. It melts easily the next time it is used and the razor is already lubricated for the shave. Could this be the reason for the long lasting blades?
Well I hope I haven't bored anyone, If I have, well, I didn't force you to read this diatribe you are obviously a masochist!
In Lak 'Eck!
