What's a mother to do?

[nhcowboy]

Every last Sunday of the month is "Shave Night" in my house ( 15 yr old and 13 year old and sometimes 11 year old ( without blade )

Sounds like a great guy bonding experience . . . if we lived a bit closer, I'd send my kid to your house once a month!

Wish I'd thought of having him start shaving ahead of time (without a blade) - that would have made things so easy when he actually needed to shave. I had no clue, though. Growing up without brothers, I just assumed guys didn't start shaving until they were 16 or 17 . . . .

Start with a mild razor, a forgiving blade, plenty of good lather, and a ton of time so that he can work slowly and see what works for him.

"Mild razor" and "forgiving blade" . . there have been several suggestions thus far, but if someone could make (or direct me to) a short list of what does and does not fall into these categories, that would be very helpful!

Many thanks again . . .

 

[Jim]

nhcowboy
Welcome to B&B!

 

[RichGem]

Has anyone suggested Mantic's vids on youtube yet?

edit: youtube user mantic59

 

[nhcowboy]

Has anyone suggested Mantic's vids on youtube yet?

Yes, they did, and yes, I've done that. That's what convinced me not to waste the kid's time with disposable cartridge razors. If the shaving method was the same, they wouldn't be a problem - but apparently it isn't . . . . I'd also rounded up someone to show the kid how to shave . . . and now I have to go back and ask the guy if he's actually ever shaved with a DE razor. If he's never done it, I probably don't want him experimenting on my kid's face!

 

[RichGem]

Yes, they did, and yes, I've done that. That's what convinced me not to waste the kid's time with disposable cartridge razors. If the shaving method was the same, they wouldn't be a problem - but apparently it isn't . . . . I'd also rounded up someone to show the kid how to shave . . . and now I have to go back and ask the guy if he's actually ever shaved with a DE razor. If he's never done it, I probably don't want him experimenting on my kid's face!

Sounds like a good plan.

I know what you mean about experimenting ... but the face is actually easy to shave with a DE, at least most spots. The neck is where you need to know what you're doing, imho. But, even then, it's not like he's gonna slit his throat, just maybe a few nicks and bleeders at worst. That too will dissipate/disappear as his technique improves.

edit: as for a mild razor, get a Tech, hands down. Easy to use, light weight, and very forgiving. As to a blade, well.. that's gonna vary quite a bit... one man's poison and all that. But, I think Personas/crystals/IPs are a good place to start. In general tho, the old knife adage mostly applies: easier to cut yourself with a dull knife than with a sharp one.

 

[Left Coast DJ]

If you're a single mom, and want to KISS:

10) Go to Target or WalMart
20) Buy a Gillette Fusion, Gillette Gel, and Nivea Balm
30) Shave away
40) DE can wait until your son's ready to experiment
50) GOTO 10

 

[RichGem]

If you're a single mom, and want to KISS:

10) Go to Target or WalMart
20) Buy a Gillette Fusion, Gillette Gel, and Nivea Balm
30) Shave away
40) DE can wait until your son's ready to experiment
50) GOTO 10

Totally disagree. Teach him the right way now and he'll thank you later. His skin is probably sensitive enough/young enough at this point that he doesn't need teh extra irritants of the goo and a multi-blade (his fewer breakouts will thank you) and he'll probably never take the time to learn correct shaving later on.

edit: If you do want to KISS/shortcut a little then forgo the route which requires a shaving brush and get him started with a brushless (ie: non lathering) cream instead of a soap or lathering cream.

 

[nhcowboy]

I'm curious . . . all the responses I've received (other than a few which suggested cartridges) suggested a DE razor. No one suggested going with a single edge . . . why not?

Other than the obvious structural difference (one edge vs. two), what's the difference between the two? Seems to me like one edge would make life easier (and safer). Okay, yes, I admit it - I'm a mom and would rather see him shaving with no edge!

I'm wondering because I saw this GEM up for sale in the Marketplace.

 

[RichGem]

I'm curious . . . all the responses I've received (other than a few which suggested cartridges) suggested a DE razor. No one suggested going with a single edge . . . why not?

Other than the obvious structural difference (one edge vs. two), what's the difference between the two? Seems to me like one edge would make life easier (and safer). Okay, yes, I admit it - I'm a mom and would rather see him shaving with no edge!

I'm wondering because I saw this GEM up for sale in the Marketplace.

My suspicion on the advice not mentioning an SE is that (in my guestimation), the learning curve is higher and the blade angle more difficult to master. Also, DEs (blades and razors) are easier to find.

OTOH... an injector is easy to use, blades easy enough to get, etc. .... that might be a good via media for your son. And it's similar enough to disposable shaving that he could use that method in a pinch if needed. Wish I'd thought of that earlier.

 

[Boba Fett]

My suspicion on the advice not mentioning an SE is that (in my guestimation), the learning curve is higher and the blade angle more difficult to master. Also, DEs (blades and razors) are easier to find.

OTOH... an injector is easy to use, blades easy enough to get, etc. .... that might be a good via media for your son. And it's similar enough to disposable shaving that he could use that method in a pinch if needed. Wish I'd thought of that earlier.

You can walk into any drug or chain department store (Wal-mart, Meijer in the midwest, Rite Aid, Walgreens, etc) and find cheap (read usually bad) razor blades. Good to learn with, not the best for shaving most of the time. If you manage to find a small family owned drug store, you can come across some nice blades--a small pharmacy in this little town just south of me carries red pack Personna's!!

 

[Fish Slayer]

More people suggest Des over Single edge razors probably because there are many more DE razors and blades to choose from.

I have little experience with Single edge razors, but Des can look intimidating, but they really are not. I started my son off at 13 with a Weishi. They are inexpensive twist to open (silo doors as my son calls them) razors that are reasonable well made and mild. What makes a razor mile is the amount of gap between the guard and the blade.

Cotton Blossom has them and I found them at Amazon bundled with a blade sampler. Blades are very personal, he will have to experiment a bit, but with a 13 year olds soft hair, he will probably do fine with almost any blade. (Feathers are touted as very sharp and Merkur (blades) and Gillettes found on the drugstore shelves in US are thought to be sub par by most) Merkur razors are well regarded though.

Good Luck.

 

[petr]

I'm curious . . . all the responses I've received (other than a few which suggested cartridges) suggested a DE razor. No one suggested going with a single edge . . . why not?

Other than the obvious structural difference (one edge vs. two), what's the difference between the two? Seems to me like one edge would make life easier (and safer). Okay, yes, I admit it - I'm a mom and would rather see him shaving with no edge!

I'm wondering because I saw this GEM up for sale in the Marketplace.

The biggest reason is there are many more DE blade manufacturers. This makes DE blades easier to find and easier to find a higher quality product. All blades are not equal and react to the skin differently.

Also, as mentioned, the angles are different to master.

 

[nhcowboy]

OTOH... an injector is easy to use, blades easy enough to get, etc. .... that might be a good via media for your son . . . .

Uhhh . . . what's an injector?

For both the injector and the Tech, if someone could post or direct me to a pic, that would help.

By the way, how easy is it to change the blade with either of these?

 

[Dennis]

This page has pictures of Injector razors:
http://www.safetyrazors.net/schick/schicktech.htm

DE razors have been around since King Gillette invented them around 1905. Schick invented the Injector razor in the mid 1920s. Injectors are single edge whereas Gillette-style razors are double edge. Is there a difference between them? Yes. I think the Injectors are very, very easy to shave with and do a fantastic job. They feel alot like cartridge razors. Injector blades can usually be found locally or you have to order them online through scientific supplier like Ted Pella or Electron Microscopy Science that carry them. The argument between Injectors and DEs is much like the argument between Levis or Wranglers.

For a 13 year old son, I would plan on calling a vendor, chatting with them and picking up everything you need from one source. Charles at QED springs to mind as does Lee at Lee's Safety Razors. These guys are trusted old hands who won't steer you wrong. I would recommend a nice, inexpensive badger or boar brush, a nice, sensible DE razor (like a new Merkur Long Handle Classic or Heavy Duty), and a good cream or soap and a couple of different DE blades like from a sampler pack. For a few bucks, you get 5 blades or so from 5-10 different manufacturers and your son can try them all out. If the DE looks too intimidating, you could go with a Bic Metal or Bic Sensitive disposable.

I would not recommend a Fusion or Mach3. Your son is going to get one in the mail from Gillette anyway in a short while (they seem to have a database of all male births I think). When he gets one in the mail, he can try it out. This is one of those things to try and set him out on the right foot. Cartridges work fine for a lot of people, they do not work fine for probably an equal number of people, and they are expensive. DE shaving is incredibly inexpensive if you just buy what you need. A razor and brush will last for life. Quality soaps or creams are good for your skin and last a long, long while bringing their cost down to just pennies a day. And if you buy DE razor blades in bulk, they can get down to 10 to 20 cents per blade, and each blade is used for roughly a week, if you shave every day.

 

[MOVIESTAR]

boots have a cheap de razor

 

[RichGem]

If you go the injector route, it may be worth nothing that the more modern injectors are not only easier to find, but also are more mild shavers than the older ones.

Also to note, although you probably won't run across one, there's a recent remake out there called the "Campus Injector" ... a cheap knock off that the sages here agree is cheap garbage and a poor shaver.

 

[petr]

This is a big subject.

Shaving at his age is a painful business. You're doing a good thing.

Most of us shave with a single edge (as opposed to a cartridge) because it benefits our skin; less irritation, less pain, less redness, and no ingrown hairs. This is especially true for a guy in pimple age. But, there is no doubt that a DE razor can easily remove too much skin along with hair. We shave in stages or passes to reduce the hair. The blade is supposed to remove hair, and not skin.

I've been working with my teenager. He had to learn that if you use a DE like you guys on TV use a cartridge (with pressure like you do your legs) there will skin removal, cuts, nicks, and serious pain.

Start him with a single blade "sensitive skin bic disposable". He will have to use it just like he uses a DE (without much pressure and more than one pass). Guys mentioned using a mild razor. To me this means a 1940's Gillette superspeed or a Gillette blue tip superspeed. Watch the sales page and one will pop up. I think a Merkur HD, while mild, will still be too aggressive and harder to learn on. In other words, he will tear the heck out his face learning to use it. Most guys just suck it up, but my teen would not touch the HD again.

Blade choice is important, and it depends if his skin will tolerate cheap blades or not. One blade may shave him perfectly, while another will make him a bloody miserable mess. I would not try a kid on personna red packs. Some blade brands are coated and that makes them much better. I would, and did, give mine Personna Super + Platinum blades and you may have to mail order them. Merkur blades are a happy medium sort of blade that has suited my teen.

If you are going to use a brush, I like these. The least expensive pure badger will be fine. The bigger the brush the easier the lathering will be, but a large is generally not needed. http://www.classicshaving.com/Rooney_Shaving_Brushes.html

Taylor of old Bond Street is as good as any cream. If you don't have a brush, then creamo cream is a good gentle brushless cream.
http://www.shavingessentials.net/shaving_creams.html

He will need to finish with something besides cold water to close the pores and treat the shaved skin. Anything alcohol is not a good choice at his age because it will hurt, even if it is fleeting. An aloe based Aftershave would be best. This could start with Afta in the supermarket, and go to Nancy Boy, Olivias, and on.

If you want to talk to someone, then this guy has a good perspective. http://www.qedusa.com/

 

[Jwolf24601]

The Van Der Haagen Shaving Set from wal-mart for $9 is a must.

Since he rushes a lot I think the Bic single blade disposables are a great idea. If he is showing an interest in this site or mantic's videos I strongly recommend a Gillette Super Speed Blue tip from Ebay. It's a nice mild shaver that should work well on his mini stubbles and have a lower risk of biting him.

His friends if anything like me and my friends probably will start with electric razors. I doubt they would give him any flak about it, as wet shaving is much more manly and DE shaving with actual razor blades carries a lot of "billy badass" factor.

 

[Jim]

Not being a "Mom" myself, however, I have been 13 years old- you may take this with a grain of salt.
Hand the mouse to your son and step away from the PC, let him research his own options.

Some things will be the result-

You will be empowering him to make good personal decisions as a young man about his apearance and self esteem.

He will respect your support for him at this critical time in his transition to manhood when,it could just as easily be rejected in a spat of young rebellion/ independence.

Besides he will feel much more acomplishment if HE decides the route to take. It is much cooler to say to his friends Yeah, I am so old school I decided to shave this way, than "My mom made me do this".

I am not saying abondon him or be disinterested.

Best of luck to your Son.

 

[luvmysuper]

Oh, and no offense luvmysuper, but Personna blades are terrible! (in my opinion at least) Get Derby blades on Amazon or something. Those Derby packs last over a year for me.

No offense taken. Each person has their own preference for blades. Some blade brands are loved by some and hated by others. Personnas generally have a very high rating on this forum based on anecdotal evidence. They work absolutely great for me, but Your Mileage May Vary.