Shaving tricks

**DoubleEdge23c** · 05-11-2010, 06:33 AM

So now that I have been into this double edge shaving for about a month so far I am getting a little bit experienced and I'm experimenting with a few things. This ultimately leads me to two questions:

I tried using what Mantic refers to as "Blade Buffing" and it really cleans up nice with virtually no irritation (depending how conscious I am) but I think I found a little trick/twist to this -

The water from my tap can get extremely hot. Although it did not burn my face it gave me a really incredible shave. I kid you not nearly 80% of my face went to BBS with absolutely no irritation in three passes using Colonel Conk amber soap and a pack of Gillette yellows with six days of use. (Writing this thread 12 hours later my face is clean enough to pass for a freshly shaven face).

1) I remember reading in a previous post that someone loves to do this but has anyone else tried this combination?

Also:
I just put in an order for 100 Gillette yellow packs as well as some "Ogallala Bay Rum, Sage and Cedar Soap" and some "Taylor Lavender Shaving Cream."

2) Has anyone ever tried these soaps? I found Obie's review of the Taylor but I didn't see much more listed about it.

I have written in the past about that 5 O’clock shadow right after the shave (that was using Derbys) but I have NEVER gotten such a clean shave before, even with Mach and Schick’s.

**Obie** · 05-11-2010, 10:44 AM

Hello, DoubleEdge:

Thank you for your informative post.

Yes, I like that Taylor of Old Bond Street lavender cream. Good stuff. Also, I like your choice of the Gillette 7 O'Clock Sharp Edge (yellow packs). Stay with it. You're coming along fine. What's more, you're creative and look for ways to improvise. That's a good quality.

Regards,
Obie

**technika1** · 05-11-2010, 05:56 PM

Look out for the youtube videos by mantic, he does a few on advanced shaving with a de.

**Arrowhead** · 05-11-2010, 06:23 PM

DoubleEdge: you do seem to be getting on well with DE shaving. Are you a straight user, by the way? Obie and I diverge very slightly on the matter of blades, but I concur that your choice of the Yellows is a sound one ... might be an idea to buy more.

[Aside: one chap on (ahem) another forum maintains a spreadsheet to keep track of his blade stockpile, and regularly posts when he's due to run out. Currently October 2042].

My main reason for replying here is the Taylor's cream, and by extension most of the well known British creams made by Creightons. I haven't used the lavender version more than half a dozen times, but I've been through any amount of sandalwood over the years and still find it excellent. Very easy to lather, slick and protective enough for straight shaving. It's one of the few products which get a permanent place in the bathroom cabinet. What's more, it's economical - at UK prices at least.

**thebigspendur** · 05-11-2010, 11:02 PM

Shaving tricks? I used to know a fellow who could balance his Vision on the end of his nose and then...Oh not those tricks eh?

I've tried the blade buffing but to tell you the truth with a DE I've found the norma medium sized strokes seem to be all I need.

I haven't tried your soap. I've pretty much settled on Trumpers and Harris for soaps and Castle Forbes for cream.

**Ryan82** · 05-12-2010, 12:26 AM

Originally Posted by DoubleEdge23c

1) I remember reading in a previous post that someone loves to do this but has anyone else tried this combination?

I'm not sure exactly what you're referring to, but if it's blade buffing I'll give a +1. I BB my neck ATG from from my Adams apple up to my chin. Works wonders for me as the whiskers there grow almost completely flat. When I'm done that portion of my neck is as smooth as glass. Short, controlled strokes for me.

**DoubleEdge23c** · 05-12-2010, 06:03 AM

I've seen just about all of Mantic’s videos but he only covered the buffing and J-Hooking (which I’m not wild about) in one video.

Andy - I have not taken the plunge into straight shaving yet but I was thinking of starting with a “Shavette”. I probably won't do this and I'll dive right in, as well as buy a cheap strop for starters. What do you think about that strop paste that is in the classifieds? In fact one of my friends actually uses (newspaper?) on top of some balsa wood to strop his razor.

32 years worth of blades? That's... just a little excessive. I thought about stocking up for half a decade on blades but I was worried about them rusting over that period of time.

When these 100 7 O'Clock Yellows arrive (I was given 20 free a bonus) from BullGoose as well as some Iridium’s I'll have a two year supply. I never tried the Sandalwood but I have some Lilac plants in my back yard and I like the smell. I'm not sure how similar Lavender smells to it but it's certainly a start. I'll try the Sandalwood eventually - as it stands I have 6 different types of soaps and a tube of Proraso in my shave drawer. I have never heard of Creightons but I'll look into it - how much does it go for?

I don’t know of too much American stuff for shaving but I've heard the English stuff is some of the best but also the most expensive in some cases.

TheBigSpendur, I like the short strokes, it seems to get in those tricky areas well but as my blade gets older, it isn't so forgiving and I get some Irritation. I might change my 7 day rotation and switch it to a 5 day to keep things nice and fresh. I read about some people using Alum blocks to clean up razor but nobody seems to mention the fact that it probably burns like hell.

Ryan, I was actually referring to shaving with a hot razor. The way that I know I’m doing something correct is when I see short little hairs in the shaving cream after I’ve finished with the razor. Also I can actually hear them. When the blade is hot, you don’t even feel it cut, it’s pretty awesome if you haven’t tried it yet.

Edit:
I found this video which brought up some interesting tips
1) using brush in a paintbrush motion so it doesn't damage the knot of the brush, this is better than circular?
2) that the soap keeps the pores open as well as such a big deal made to stretching the skin.
YouTube - How to shave

**BullGoose** · 05-12-2010, 02:49 PM

Originally Posted by DoubleEdge23c

I

I'll try the Sandalwood eventually - as it stands I have 6 different types of soaps and a tube of Proraso in my shave drawer. I have never heard of Creightons but I'll look into it - how much does it go for?

Creightons is actually the manufacturer of several of the English creams including Taylor of Old Bond Street, Trumper and Cyril Salter among others. So, if you have used one of these creams, you have used Creightons creams.

**Arrowhead** · 05-12-2010, 08:54 PM

DoubleEdge: 32 years is preposterous: I think he has obsessive compulsive disorder. I have about ten years worth in stock (not to mention the kilos of Palmolive soap, but that's another story), which is also excessive really, but I was traumatised when the good Wilkinsons and Gillette Swedes got discontinued, so I bought in a lot of more or less acceptable alternatives before they also disappeared.

Creightons make the majority of well known British shaving creams, from the Pound shop level Real Shaving Company brand to the "3 T's". All of them work well, the difference being in the scents. Prices range from £1 for 175ml (RSC) to £15 for 200g (Trumpers); Taylor's is somewhere in the middle. I'm afraid prices in the US might not compare favourably...

I've never used a Shavette, and I have some basic objections to the idea which I've rehearsed before: briefly the cutting angle is way too acute and the smoothness of DE blade edges isn't comparable to that of a well stropped straight razor. I think you'd do well to follow your plan of acquiring a shave ready straight and a strop, and taking it from there. Pasted strops aren't my thing, but there are plenty of people who swear by them; paper is certainly an option, rather a good one in fact because it gives you lots of opportunity for experimentation.

Robert's video is rather good I think, but not entirely uncontroversial. He intended it for complete beginners, and the good thing about the method is that it makes razor burn very unlikely. He's a professionally trained barber and definitely knows his stuff, but he's admitted elsewhere that what's in the video isn't necessarily what he does in the usual run of things. As regards the paintbrush motion, it's your brush, so use circles if that's what suits you. You'll come up with your own ways of getting an excellent shave in due course anyway.

**DoubleEdge23c** · 05-13-2010, 09:28 AM

Since I have some Taylors Lavender in transit I guess I'll see how decent the Creightons really is. A few of my friends seem to like the fragrance but I'll see whether it finds a spot on my daily rotation of creams or if it sits next to the Colonel Conk Lime that smells so much like dish soap.

The soap that I put in for was under $15 so it's a mid-priced soap. Since a Pound is worth about 1.48x than a dollar it isn't such an alarming conversion but I've seen some really expensive soaps which I probably won't purchase unless either I hit the lottery or I have an unforeseen change in heart.

I'm sure once I start stropping I'm going to hack a few chunks out of it so I'll get a cheap one. If I start with paper, odds are I'll become confused and frustrated since I won't know what I'm looking for or I'll just make the edge worse.

I liked the way that Robert didn't put such a heavy amount of lather like I have seen in other videos. For the longest time when I used Barbasol (here come the insults now) I always put it on so thin that a can would last me multiple months. Switching to soaps and creams has been one of the best changes I've made.

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