Shaving intervals

[Goblin]

Might be time for me to go back to the drawing board then. Like I said I left the kcg behind while traveling so I’ll get myself something else that’s mild, and then try the blade experiments again. I think for now what I’ll do on that front is a wtg shave every day or two and judge performance that way. Same points as before about lather and technique, but I’ll definitely aim for more extensive prep. Will hairs still soften appropriately in cold water, or will it take longer?

That sounds like a good plan re: the routine.

Hairs will soften in cold water but it takes longer. I find that with a couple of days growth, I can literally feel the difference if I stand in a hot shower for a few minutes. I have never tried cold water to see how much longer it takes - don't fancy the idea of cold showers!

It will vary from person to person - I have spiky old man grey hairs to worry about now, which are literally harder than regular hairs and probably take longer to soften. I suggest going by feel initially - get a couple of days growth and do an experiment and see how long it takes until the hairs can apparently get no softer with the conditions you want to use (i.e. water temperature) then you have a guidelines for actual shaves.

 

[sirplatypus]

Well it’ll be a while to figure out the prep and the dilemma of hot vs cold but the increased shaving frequency is bound to help speed along the process. I usually prefer hot showers or hot water towels for the prep but a lot of people seem to like using cold water so that’s something I’ll have to mess around with. I have some homemade pre shave oil that I’m sure could also be used, I never liked it much because of how messy the oils are but maybe now’s the time to try. It’ll be a few days before I get to much of this but I’ll update the thread as I go. Thank you all for the advice, I have a lot of new things to look out for.

 

[Phoenixkh]

Well it’ll be a while to figure out the prep and the dilemma of hot vs cold but the increased shaving frequency is bound to help speed along the process. I usually prefer hot showers or hot water towels for the prep but a lot of people seem to like using cold water so that’s something I’ll have to mess around with. I have some homemade pre shave oil that I’m sure could also be used, I never liked it much because of how messy the oils are but maybe now’s the time to try. It’ll be a few days before I get to much of this but I’ll update the thread as I go. Thank you all for the advice, I have a lot of new things to look out for.

A caveat: I have old man, coarse, grey whiskers that take some time to soften up. I always take a warm to hot shower and lather up my face twice with the PAA Cube 2.0 (non mentholated) in the shower after washing it with one of the gentle facial liquid soaps from CeraVe or Cetaphil.

I use the Cube 2.0 pre-shave before the shave as well... on the wetter side, brushed on before I make the regular shave lather in a bowl. That seems to soften my beard up enough so I get a stellar shave. I did make my own shave oil earlier on, using a DIY recipe by combining a few pre-shave oil recipes I found online. Truth be told, even using some great oils, that experiment was a dud. My wife used it as part of her own skin treatments and it worked great for that... but gunked up my razors too much for me.

I did the cold water shaving routines a few times. I didn't notice any improvement and I enjoyed the shave much less, but that's one of those YMMV things. Some people swear by cold water shaving.

We are all so different. For me, the mild to medium efficiency razors work the best, even with my old man, coarse whiskers. There are several razors in that category: mild to medium... that are efficient enough for me. Mild-Medium but efficient.... For me, it isn't a myth... They do exist. The last page of my journal lists all my Top Razors. They all fit into that category.

Phoenixkh: An Old Man's Continuum....

Happy Christmas, everyone! What’s your favourite Christmas carol or song? For me it’s God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen. It’s the most Victorian one. Merry Christmas!!

www.badgerandblade.com

 

[The Blackadder]

I was also considering trying out bic chrome platinums if anyone has an opinion on those. Perhaps in the interest of experimenting I should stay out of the 2024 sabbatical….

I entered the sabbatical for the exact opposite reason: to use the gear I have until I get great shaves with it

Same points as before about lather and technique, but I’ll definitely aim for more extensive prep. Will hairs still soften appropriately in cold water, or will it take longer?

I don't notice a big difference between hot and cold water as prep effectiveness. I do notice a difference since in my case, warm/hot water increases irritation and probability of weepers and cuts. Just wash your face with a good cleanser (Cerave, glycerine soap, etc.) and then pat your face with cold water for a minute. Also, leave the lather on your face for a minute before starting the shave so it softens and hydrates your beard

 

[sirplatypus]

A caveat: I have old man, coarse, grey whiskers that take some time to soften up. I always take a warm to hot shower and lather up my face twice with the PAA Cube 2.0 (non mentholated) in the shower after washing it with one of the gentle facial liquid soaps from CeraVe or Cetaphil.

I use the Cube 2.0 pre-shave before the shave as well... on the wetter side, brushed on before I make the regular shave lather in a bowl. That seems to soften my beard up enough so I get a stellar shave. I did make my own shave oil earlier on, using a DIY recipe by combining a few pre-shave oil recipes I found online. Truth be told, even using some great oils, that experiment was a dud. My wife used it as part of her own skin treatments and it worked great for that... but gunked up my razors too much for me.

I did the cold water shaving routines a few times. I didn't notice any improvement and I enjoyed the shave much less, but that's one of those YMMV things. Some people swear by cold water shaving.

We are all so different. For me, the mild to medium efficiency razors work the best, even with my old man, coarse whiskers. There are several razors in that category: mild to medium... that are efficient enough for me. Mild-Medium but efficient.... For me, it isn't a myth... They do exist. The last page of my journal lists all my Top Razors. They all fit into that category.

Phoenixkh: An Old Man's Continuum....

Happy Christmas, everyone! What’s your favourite Christmas carol or song? For me it’s God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen. It’s the most Victorian one. Merry Christmas!!

www.badgerandblade.com

So far as I can tell I don’t have particularly tough hair, my biggest problem is that it’s very curly, and thus grows in all different directions and is very prone to ingrown hairs. I’m just out of college this summer so hopefully I have a good number of years before it toughens up on top of that.

 

[sirplatypus]

I entered the sabbatical for the exact opposite reason: to use the gear I have until I get great shaves with it

I don't notice a big difference between hot and cold water as prep effectiveness. I do notice a difference since in my case, warm/hot water increases irritation and probability of weepers and cuts. Just wash your face with a good cleanser (Cerave, glycerine soap, etc.) and then pat your face with cold water for a minute. Also, leave the lather on your face for a minute before starting the shave so it softens and hydrates your beard

I entered the sabbatical to prevent myself from making too much of a hobby out of this, worked wonders last year but evidently it’s time for change. I’ll frontload everything in the restock period but if I find a burning need for something new down the line (which I doubt will happen) I’ll just bow out.

 

[psfred]

BIC Chrome Platinums would be a good choice, but only in a mild razor. I will suggest getting a Gillette Slim or Fatboy (Slims are cheaper) in good condition, you can then experiment with what sort of gap and exposure you need to get good shaves.

Other blades I've found to be very very sharp are Wilkinson Swords (German or Gillette, not the same) and 7 O'Clock Super Platinum (Black). The Indian made Wilkinson blades will require a mild razor, they are wider than usual I think, and nearly ate my face until I dialed the Slim down to 2. I've not tried an Astra SP in a Slim yet (sometime late summer I think) so can't compare. Didn't like it much in a Tech.

 

[sirplatypus]

I tried feathers in my kcg for a while and just found em to be too risky for me, one wrong move and half my face is gone. Are the bics like that or a bit more reasonable? I also found I never had good luck with gillette platinums or silver blues, although I did alright with nacets.

 

[psfred]

Hmm. I'd recommend a milder razor -- all of the blades you have trouble with seem to be a fraction wider than the others, and Nacets for me were terrible in a Tech, hinting that they are marginally narrower.

It all boils down to blade exposure, pressure, and angle. Coarse curly whiskers are going to require a sharp blade (and good pre-shave prep to soften them) and your skin requires minimal blade contact and "ideal" shaving angle.