Beauty, Fashion & Style

Anybody else here taken up old fashioned wet shaving?

Beauty, Fashion & Style

Posted by: lpullman

26th Nov 2010 01:06pm

It seems the rising cost of cartridge razors and along with their dubious performance claims is turning a steady trickle of men back to old style shaving. It's become known as wet shaving, with soap or cream and a double edged safety razor or (in extreme cases!) a straight razor. Wet Shaving has received a bit of publicity in the popular press recently and there are a number of enthusiatic online communities.

I quit the Gillette money-go-round round three years ago when my local Coles stopped stocking the cartridges. I saw what switching systems was going to cost and figured there had to be a better way. I went for a straight razor partly because it required the least on-going expense and partly because I wasn't even aware they were still making double edged razors and blades. I get better shaves without irritation and at very low cost. Plus there's nothing more macho than shaving with a straight razor.

Has anyone else here made this switch? If so what is your experience? Double edged or straight? Soap or cream? Engqiring minds would like to know.

Comments 14

Jayc
  • 18th Mar 2012 04:13pm

I've always preferred using gel, but i have found that conditioner works just as well and on a desperate occasion, body wash can do the trick.

Captain Slog
  • 1st Mar 2012 10:44am

Hi,
AT the moment, I am using a SCHICK 3 Blade Disposable Razor. Its the one with the Black and Blue Handle. I'm not sure if its the SCHICK Extreme. Anyway, I have only one left out of four, and its days are nearly up, because its History at the end of this month.
The next razor I will be using is one I got sent to me as a FREE Sample. Its a FIVE Bladed SCHICK HYDRO. Bit of a gimmick, I reckon. These Razors are getting too ridiculous these days.
I use my razors for Three Months before I throw them away and use a new one. Its easily done, because I only shave twice a week. Wednesdays and Saturdays. I can't shave every day because my face just gets SHREDDED. Even after all that bloody torture (YES! It IS Bloody!), I still have rough patches.
My face wrecks razors! The blades get munted after a few weeks. It they aren't munted, it sure feels like they are.
About Replacement Cartridges, I also use SHICK Ultra Plus Twin Blades, with the lttle thing you press on top of the cartriidge to clean between the blades. I've got a swag of Cartridges for it and will be getting more, so I don't run out.
What sort of Razor did you use that you can't get cartridges for? If you can let me know, I'll have a look up town and see if I can find some for you at New Word.
I know there aren't any actual RAZOR BLADES in New World any more. The ones you see worn as Necklaces these days.(Thank goodness they're not real ones!) I've got a couple of those Metal Safety Razors, but no Blades. I also have this Antique Razor that comes with a Silver Box.
You open it by pushing a little button in the end and you expose the razor which has a Cut Throat razor Type plade in this small frame. Its fixed into the base of a Slingshot shaped frame and you Push and Pull the Razor along this rail inside. The Edge of the Blade is Sharpened as it is dragged and pushed along the stone in the Botton Lid. It flips overwhen you Push and again when you Pull to do both sides. You can Flip the box over and after removing the other lid, do the same to the other side. One Stone is a Stone, the other is Leather.
To use it to Shave, you give the blade a half turn and remove it. Then you remove this short Handle, which is just like an ordinary handle except the end is like a half closed fist. The Base of the blade slides into this "Claw" like handle and you then screw it securely into place by twisting the bottom of the handle.
This is an early type of Safety Razor, because, there is a wire Frame which is attatched to the Blade and it flips from one side to the other, with a little effort, and it is this wire frame that serves to rest on your face as you shave, like the bottom edge of today's razors. Its a bit tricky to discribe, but that's the best I can do, short of sending in a photo of it. I bought it in Brisbane in 1978 for $45. It could be worth a lot more now. Its still in bloody good nick, too.

RWOLR8?
  • 8th Dec 2011 07:48pm

Hi Ipullman my ex used to wet shave he looked awesome!
Doing it, he looked viril and elegant and then he looked neat, soft and clean
so go guys! make the effort, it could be worth it! :-)
Now for the cheapest safest softest, no abrasive, paraben-free, la-la-la free :
AQUEOUS CREAM.
Happy wet shaving !

Nita
  • 4th Oct 2011 01:05pm

Nahh! I couldn't handle a straight razor. I'm a shaver girl though, I'm not into waxing or depillatory creams or laser. I usually use whatever body moisturiser I'm using at the time to give me a smooth wet surface so I don't cut myself. It does the best job, it's cheap and effective.

Donna
  • 16th Aug 2011 02:29pm

I decided four years ago to get my legs waxed (best thing ever)no more mess with razors!

giznjack
  • 30th Jul 2011 09:49pm

I have only ever wet shaved. It gets really smooth results and I can't afford anything else. I also know at least 3 other close friends who are the same, old school wet shavers.

Miss Prim
  • 22nd Jul 2011 09:17pm

I tried shaving once but cut myself badly so I switched to waxing. I have been waxing since I started work and now I have sparse hairs or hardly any at all. I am a grandma now.

Miss Prim
  • 29th Aug 2011 07:02pm
I understand how that works. My GF does not have a good history with sharps - I terrified that she might decide to try shaving instead of waxing. I think I'd have to put plastic down in the...

Hair removal is a matter of choice but I find waxing the best. Even though it hurts the hairs stay away for a longer time and as time goes by they become sparse. If your GF is not confident with sharps I would not recommend using them.

lpullman
  • 29th Aug 2011 02:38pm
I tried shaving once but cut myself badly so I switched to waxing. I have been waxing since I started work and now I have sparse hairs or hardly any at all. I am a grandma now.

I understand how that works. My GF does not have a good history with sharps - I terrified that she might decide to try shaving instead of waxing. I think I'd have to put plastic down in the bathroom, lay in plenty of compresses and put the ambulance on the speed dial :-)

phoenix
  • 12th Feb 2011 06:13pm

I find a good quality disposable razor with the alovera strips work well but only use warm water nothing else

jetty
  • 1st Dec 2010 10:10pm

A wise old man told me that when conditioners were introduced absolute years ago he accidentally used conditioner to shave one day and has never used anything else since. I've tried it on the legs as a wet shave and works well. Give it a try. Beats hairs in the soap!

Goulah
  • 19th Apr 2011 10:05pm
A wise old man told me that when conditioners were introduced absolute years ago he accidentally used conditioner to shave one day and has never used anything else since. I've tried it on the...

One of the best things I have ever found for shaving is the foaming cans of sun tan lotion. That was about 15 years ago so do not know if they even still have them. (Whoops - that was in reference to shaving of the legs.)

Anonymous
  • 13th Feb 2011 12:59pm
A wise old man told me that when conditioners were introduced absolute years ago he accidentally used conditioner to shave one day and has never used anything else since. I've tried it on the...

yes jet surely conditioner works well,,i used body wash before but thought that conditioner works well with my hair just wondered what will happen when i use it in my legs and it does work perfectly,,i wonder why they didn't make skin conditioners??

lpullman
  • 2nd Dec 2010 11:42am
A wise old man told me that when conditioners were introduced absolute years ago he accidentally used conditioner to shave one day and has never used anything else since. I've tried it on the...

I have :-)

When I finished my last can of foam (known to wet shavers as canned goo) I tried just about everything I could find in the bathroom. Sorbeline works far better than it should, as does conditioner. My housemate had an "organic body wash" that worked pretty well too - just make sure it's a wash not a scrub 'cause they usually have an abrasive.

None work better than a propper shaving soap or cream. I use Proraso Sapone da Barba which costs me under $7 for a 150gm tub. I bought my last one in May this year and shaving every day I've used about a third. The catch is you have to master making lather but I find that fun in itself.

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