Thread: What do you USUALLY use?

I don't have that many shave-ready... Usually it's one of my top shavers, or am testing the one I was just honing. I do like to use my best razors in a rotation, not keep them sitting. Once I figure out what I like for different situations, I'll limit my collection / rotation to great shavers with as much good looks as possible. Re-scale if necessary to get better looks.

One thing, the 7/8 Satinedge will definitely not be my everyday shaver!

For soaps: I kind of rotate right now, but Tabac is probably my "go to" and LO CADE is my second. Third is Honeybee chamomile, followed by Burma shave. Then is Lucky Tiger Shave lotion, I think. It's all downhill from there, with C&E Nomad, QED soaps, various creams (KMF, Proraso, C-M, etc.)

I have several silvertips I do not use. They are brand new, and I plan to let them go. Will leave one silvertip, which I might use daily. Currently my daily user, after various silvertips, C&E boar, Burma shave boar, is a Proraso (Omega) boar... I do think I will be going back to using a silvertip daily. It will be a supersilvetip, actually. Not enough into it yet for something like Rooney finest, but maybe in the future this is where I am going. Or, a custom one

Love the AS thingies - CADE AS Balm, Lucky Tiger AS Toner, JASON 6-in-1, Gucci, Bulgari, others... CADE is my top right now

Cheers
Ivo

I do rotate razors, soaps, creams, etc., but more than half the time I find myself using my standards -

Hair conditioner on face to soften beard. (whatever's available in bathroom)

Williams shave soap in mug (sometimes with a small dollop of one cream or another on top)

Spaulding razor - from an old 7-day set of ivory handled razors.

Dovo best badger brush, olive wood handle.

Hanging strop from Tony.

Generic Witch Hazel from the drugstore.

If I am not playing with a new razor then I have four in a one day each rotation:

4/8 Hugo Koller wedge
5/8 Dubl Duck Satin wedge
6/8 Bigelow and Dowse full hollow
7/8 Wade and Butcher wedge

Morning routine for all seven days remains quite consistent:

Shower
Colleens "Gentlemens Oak and Moss" cream
old unmarked badger brush
2 1/2" Carl Monkhouse strop
Oak and Moss aftershave lotion
Two passes with razor of the day

Total shave start to finish about ten minutes.

Dave

Rotation? What is this thing you speak of?

I only own one razor J.A. Henckel 5/8 SS #451. I only own one brush kingwood handled silvertip. I only own one strop Red Imp. I got them all off of Ebay for just under 70$. This was my starter kit, that I am well.. still starting with. At least I have 2 creams to switch between.. Colleen's Orange Patchouli, and BayRum w/Sweet Orange. I am almost out of the matching sample after shaves. Sometimes I will use and old Gillette Slantbar DE to clean up, other than that my routine stays the same. Strop, hot shower, lather up, brush hair, and shave.

I am really looking forward to Christmas. I am definately going to get at least one razor, a Norton 4/8K, and one of Tony's pasted wide paddles. I am trying to hold out for just the right razor. I am dreaming of a W&B or Westenholm 7/8 or larger, barber's notch, as close to wedge as possible. Any wood scales with CA finish would be great, but Olive wood and Ambonia are my favorites. A fool can dream can't he?

Pretty simple here. A Dubl Duck Dwarf 9/16, a C.V. Heljestrand 1/2, a Henckels 5/8 and an Imperial 5/8. Plus a Merkur HD Slantbar, a 1956 Gillette Super Speed, and a Gem Micromatic open comb single edge. I use all these depending on my mood and time etc. An Engels Russian leather strop, and a loom strop. Two razor hones from Tilly, a Wester Bros. medium and a Lithide fine. Some melted down Crabtree and Evelyn jojoba bath soap in a rubbermaid mug. A Plisson pure badger brush and recently added a Burma Shave brush for traveling. Dickinson Witch Hazel for aftershave, or once in a blue moon some Walgreen's Bay Rum which I've had for years. That's it. I'm on the lookout for a Sheffield razor and maybe a friodur in wider blades, just to see what they're like. I'll be looking mostly in flea markets, as I want to see them up close and get them cheap! No hurry.

1adam12 is my hero. It wouldn't hurt to add a couple of razors just in case but it doesn't get any simpler than that. I respect this.

Cheers
Ivo

Trust me Ivo it is not my intention. I want more razors at least 5, but I just can't afford it. My in-laws are going to give me money for a Christmas razor. My spending limit is 200$. I am just trying to hold out for a razor I really really want. I am probably going to make a "what I want for Christmas" post in hopes that Bill, Joe, Gary or one of the many other gentelmen out there that restore razors will have what I am looking for.

Originally Posted by 1adam12

... I am probably going to make a "what I want for Christmas" post in hopes that Bill, Joe, Gary or one of the many other gentelmen out there that restore razors will have what I am looking for.

That's a great idea - and maybe the best way to go about it. Good luck!
Ivo

Originally Posted by izlat

1adam12 is my hero. It wouldn't hurt to add a couple of razors just in case but it doesn't get any simpler than that. I respect this.

Cheers
Ivo

I think there's also a good case to be made that picking one razor and sticking with it while starting out will allow you to focus more on technique and refine it faster.

I've been constantly trying out a new razor every day to see if it's honed well, have a number of them that I've only used once and even more that haven't been used at all yet. Some are awaiting restoration, others are honed and ready to be tested as soon as I can regrow whiskers, others are just farther back in the que, more are on the way.............. you all know the story.

I'm travelling this week and will take two razors, one to use every day and a 2nd in case I drop or otherwise damage the primary one. This will let me concentrate more on the shave and less on the razor.

I only have one (shave ready) razor in my posession at the moment, a 5/8 Dovo Bismarck spike which I bought off Tony. I've used it daily for about the last 3 weeks, but I have several other razors somewhere in the mail or being worked on by various honemeisters.

I have 2 brushes, big and small. The big brush is a Vulfix 2234 which I use for creams, but since I don't use creams any more it doesn't really get used. The small brush which I use daily is a Simpson Duke 2, perfect for soaps.

Soap wise, my 'go-to' soap is currently AOS Lavender. I also have Proraso, and a couple of Mama-Bears soaps. For some reason I can't get on with the Mama-Bears soaps, not sure why but they don't often get used. I bought a bowl of Trumpers Sandalwood soap this morning which will be added to the rotation, as will the Tabac and Colleens Orange Patchouli when they arrive.