Super Speed
02-13-2012, 09:13 AM
Hello everybody,
I guess you could call me a newbie by post count, but I have been wet shaving with a DE for close to two years now. Like several who I'm sure have preceded me, and several more to come, my inspiration or mentor would be Mantic59.
I had been a life long user of a various Gillette "systems". I was pretty sick of paying many dollars for patent protected cartridges that cost pennies for Gillette to produce. Their canned cream's and gels didn't make the irritated shaves any better either. I have to admit, I didn't actively seek a replacement for my shaving woes... Like most I just accepted it as the norm, and hoped that maybe Gillette's next system would be better. Then I stumbled onto Mantic's channel, and all that changed... I was introduced to a world of better alternatives. Razors that didn't look like they were designed for a 4 year old, and didn't vibrate for no good reason. Soaps and creams that didn't smell like a cologne intended for a teenager going to the prom. Brushes, and balms, and warm towels.... A dignified way of doing things, that best of all left me with a BBS face that didn't feel like I had stuck it in a paper shreader...
Sooo....Thus far my shave den has remained fairly humble, as in the past I haven't had much cash to try every razor, brush, cream, oil, etc. My mainstay razors are two super speeds that were my maternal grandfathers, which includes a '56 red tip, and a '59 standard flair tip. I just recently added a '58 ball end Tech that I scored at an antiques flea market for 8 bucks. After cleanup it looks like a new razor.
For a brush, I have been using the cheapy Van Der Hagen boar brush that actually seems to work really well for me, and quickly produces a lather I may add.
I have tried both soaps and creams. I could make a fair lather with a soap, but prefer the cream for ease of use. My mainstay creams have been either the C.O. Bigelow labeled Proraso, or The Real Shaving Co. sensitive cream I bought at a local Rite Aid. They both have worked fairly well for me.
For blades, I had initially gotten a sampler pack from ebay. Tried all of them. What I found was my razors and skin seemed to play best with Dorco's, Super Iridiums, some of the 7 O'Clocks, and the Feathers were amazing. What didn't go over so good was most of the middle eastern produced blades. Again, not having ton's of cash to buy packs of favorite blades, I checked out my local flavor. The Walgreens labeled ASR DE's I bought were like shaving with a serrated steak knife.... Yeah, I pretty much keep that pack around just to dispose of spent blades from other manufacturers. I have actually had decent shaves from the German produced Wilkinson's my local grocery store sells.
With a little more cash now available (girlfriend is out of college and working), I am considering a stock up on blades. I just got my order today of Blue 7 O'Clock Super Platinum blades (my sampler had Black Super Platinums) that I want to give a shot tonight. I have read here and else where that people feel the Blues are similar to their late Super Iridium brothers. I have also been talking with a vendor in these forums, a gentleman from Spain who has a source to get genuine Super Iridiums, which I will stash away. And of course, I would like to get a nice reserve of Feathers.
So that's my story... :001_smile
I guess you could call me a newbie by post count, but I have been wet shaving with a DE for close to two years now. Like several who I'm sure have preceded me, and several more to come, my inspiration or mentor would be Mantic59.
I had been a life long user of a various Gillette "systems". I was pretty sick of paying many dollars for patent protected cartridges that cost pennies for Gillette to produce. Their canned cream's and gels didn't make the irritated shaves any better either. I have to admit, I didn't actively seek a replacement for my shaving woes... Like most I just accepted it as the norm, and hoped that maybe Gillette's next system would be better. Then I stumbled onto Mantic's channel, and all that changed... I was introduced to a world of better alternatives. Razors that didn't look like they were designed for a 4 year old, and didn't vibrate for no good reason. Soaps and creams that didn't smell like a cologne intended for a teenager going to the prom. Brushes, and balms, and warm towels.... A dignified way of doing things, that best of all left me with a BBS face that didn't feel like I had stuck it in a paper shreader...
Sooo....Thus far my shave den has remained fairly humble, as in the past I haven't had much cash to try every razor, brush, cream, oil, etc. My mainstay razors are two super speeds that were my maternal grandfathers, which includes a '56 red tip, and a '59 standard flair tip. I just recently added a '58 ball end Tech that I scored at an antiques flea market for 8 bucks. After cleanup it looks like a new razor.
For a brush, I have been using the cheapy Van Der Hagen boar brush that actually seems to work really well for me, and quickly produces a lather I may add.
I have tried both soaps and creams. I could make a fair lather with a soap, but prefer the cream for ease of use. My mainstay creams have been either the C.O. Bigelow labeled Proraso, or The Real Shaving Co. sensitive cream I bought at a local Rite Aid. They both have worked fairly well for me.
For blades, I had initially gotten a sampler pack from ebay. Tried all of them. What I found was my razors and skin seemed to play best with Dorco's, Super Iridiums, some of the 7 O'Clocks, and the Feathers were amazing. What didn't go over so good was most of the middle eastern produced blades. Again, not having ton's of cash to buy packs of favorite blades, I checked out my local flavor. The Walgreens labeled ASR DE's I bought were like shaving with a serrated steak knife.... Yeah, I pretty much keep that pack around just to dispose of spent blades from other manufacturers. I have actually had decent shaves from the German produced Wilkinson's my local grocery store sells.
With a little more cash now available (girlfriend is out of college and working), I am considering a stock up on blades. I just got my order today of Blue 7 O'Clock Super Platinum blades (my sampler had Black Super Platinums) that I want to give a shot tonight. I have read here and else where that people feel the Blues are similar to their late Super Iridium brothers. I have also been talking with a vendor in these forums, a gentleman from Spain who has a source to get genuine Super Iridiums, which I will stash away. And of course, I would like to get a nice reserve of Feathers.
So that's my story... :001_smile