Monday, May 30, 2016

How I Learned To Shave – How Did You?

May 30, 2016 0
I never had one of those Father-Son moments where my dad stood with me in front of the mirror and taught me how to prep, apply shave cream, drag the razor across my face, and apply aftershave. Though, as a child I do recall watching him shave from time to time.  I remember seeing on TV, in movies, and advertisements men with faces covered in a foamy lather before shaving.  But during his shaves, my father’s face did not resemble theirs.  His face was wet from washing and occasionally I would see a couple of bubbles.  But nothing resembling a foamy Santa Claus Beard.  
One of Those Bonding Moments I Never Experienced
I asked him what he used because there was no foam.  In is traditional, abrupt, non-explanatory way he stated “soap” and went back to what he was doing.  With the bar still wet and covered in a modest amount of bubbles it was apparent he was using whatever hand soap my mother decided to buy.  

When I was older and when I felt it was time, I took my father’s (what I would later learn to be) Gillette Fat Boy razor that was already loaded with a blade and started using it to remove the light whiskers that were beginning to emerge from my upper lip.  No prep. I just did what my father did:  I wet my face, rubbed some soap on my hands and then my face; and I started going to town.   I don’t recall how my skin felt afterwards. But I can’t imagine that I had escaped the irritation. 
My Father's Gillette Fatboy Razor

I guess after a while my father was getting a bit annoyed that I was using his razor.  So one day, they came home with a Gillette Sensor Excel (which I still have). They handed it to me and that was it.   The World Wide Web didn’t exist yet, let alone YouTube. Apart from the information I gleaned from my dad when I was a kid, discovering what to do was left to me. 

I don’t think my experience is the norm.  But, I learned to think of shaving as a very unpleasant and routine chore - nicks and cuts were a regular occurrence and irritation was common.   I didn’t know any better and this is how it went for years.

My 25+ Year Old, Worn, and Fairly Neglected Sensor Excel Razor
Once I started shaving my head things changed.  I experienced probably the worst razor rash of my life on my head.  So, I began to try things.  I figured irritation was just a regular part of shaving and figured that I just needed a better balm. It spiraled from there.  I began to look for different razors, blades, creams, and anything (even tried an electric razor) that could sooth the irritation I would experience.  Some things would work and some things didn’t.   

Even Experimenting with Shavettes Nowadays
Along the way, I would eventually find my way to traditional wet shaving.   Even though the nicks, cuts, and irritation became less frequent; the experimentation didn’t stop.  However, experimenting is now a little different.  I feel that, in many ways, I am no longer looking for products to improve my shave quality.  Rather, shaving no longer feels like an unpleasant chore and I find that I seek out new products simply because I now enjoy shaving.

 This is how I learned to shave.  

 How did you learn?  Please leave a comment below.  We'd love to hear how you started.


Tags # Stories Continue Reading
By on No comments:
Labels:

Saturday, May 21, 2016

Waterless Shave Gel: Bold For Men

May 21, 2016 0
When TheShavingEdge.com store launched, Bold For Men Dry Shave™ Gel was the first product that we started carrying and it was the first item that we sold.  So, the Bold For Men product is a little special to me. 
Instagram Photo we took and posted a few years ago
I used to experience terrible irritation and razor rash when shave my head.  So, I started looking for products to try.  Here in North Eastern PA, there weren’t a lot of shops that carried an assortment of shaving products so I began to scour the internet.  (Side note: this has changed a little bit since then.  Some of the mass merchant retailers have expanded their breadth of wet shaving products.  Some barber shops and small vendors have also sprouted up that offer a selection of premium shaving and grooming supplies).  I eventually found my way to Bold For Men waterless shave gel.  Having used and become unhappy with the sloppy, canned goop from the dollar store I was really intrigued by a product that stated “No water. No Foam. No Mess.”  
Bold For Men Dry Shave "No Water. No Foam. No Mess"

 Bold For Men Dry Shave™ Gel was released in December 2006 and was designed to act as a pre-shave, shave gel, and aftershave all in one product that does not require water for use.  I found it to be relatively light and it washes off the razor fairly easily. I can’t really pinpoint what it smells like (perhaps herbal cinnamon might best describe it), but it’s a scent that I personally like.  It's not a heavy scent and I found that it doesn't linger even after using it as a aftershave.

 A pre-shave conditioner I thought it was adequate.  I would consider the stubble on my head to be pretty coarse.  So, using the product as a pre-shave treatment on dry skin wasn’t too effective for softening my stubble.  A hot shower is still the method works best to soften my stubble before a shave.  I’ve found that applying as a preshave after my shower was a bit more effective.
Product was a transparent blue green gel. 

 Unfortunately for the shave brush fan, this is not a product that would lather with a brush.  It’s a gel. So this is a product that I applied with my fingers.  Using it the gel without water, I found the glide to be fair.  I’m not sure if it’s my skin chemistry or what, but as the gel would air dry on my head and I found it to become slightly tacky.  Adding a little water or some more gel seemed to reactivate it.  With a little water, the slickness was decent and reminded me of other shave gels in a tube that I’ve tried.  

 Personally, when using the product purely waterless, my head (and/or face) didn’t feel fresh and clean.  After a few uses, I felt compelled to wash any residual or excess of before applying any kind of post shave.  Aftershave-wise I fancy myself more of a splash rather than a balm person.  As a post shave treatment, the Bold For Men waterless shave gel did not give me this bracing sting that I enjoy with my splashes.  As a post shave, I found it to be similar to that of aloe vera gel rather than a mentholated balm or bracing splash. 
What are your thoughts on Bold For Men?
As with anything wet shaving (er … I guess waterless shaving in this case) Your Mileage May Vary (YMMV).  What works well for some, may not be ideal for others.    I like Bold For Men Dry Shave™ Gel for shaving my head and as I mentioned previously, it is a product that is kind of special to me.  However, I personally can’t go completely waterless when shaving.  

 Have you tried Bold For Men Dry Shave™ Gel?  Leave a comment below and let us know what you think.

Tags # Bold For Men # head shaving # reviews Continue Reading
By on No comments:
Labels: , , , ,

Thursday, May 12, 2016

A Closer Look at the Muhle R102

May 12, 2016 0
The Muhle R102 is a three piece razor with a polished chrome finish and it weighed in at 2.1 oz on our scale.  This razor has a white resin handle with chrome highlights. The R102 measures about 3.75 Inches from end to end with a handle that measuring approximately 3.4 inches.   Apart from the Muhle name etched on the bottom of the handle, the handle has a smooth texture.

 Personally, I don’t mind razors with smooth handles, but I do have to be mindful to rinse any traces of soap or oil from my hands to prevent it from slipping.  Some have even suggested rubbing a little alum on the fingertips to help improve grip. I heard this tip many months ago but I have yet to try it.
Muhle Name Etched on Base of Handle

The Muhle R102 Open Tooth Comb Razor is one that I’ve had in the collection for a while.  Compared to other razors, the tooth comb design exposes more of the blade.  While some have stated that they find it to shave “normally,” I personally find the Muhle Open Tooth Comb design to be pretty aggressive.  I’ll typically use a Crystal DE blade (my go to blade) with this razor.  While I like Feather razor blades, which are known for their sharpness, I will usually shy away from using one in this razor. The combination of the Feather sharpness and the R102 aggressiveness is usually a combination that results in quite a few nicks and cuts.
The R102 used in one of my SOTDs

If I haven’t shaved my head for a day or two, the R102 is probably one of my favorites to use as I find it effective for my WTG pass. (I’ll typically do a polishing pass with my HeadBlade Sport or ATX … depending on mood).  I’ve even taken and posted a few shave of the day pics on Instagram where I’ve used this razor.  

 We look at the R102 a little closer in this short video.


Have you tried the Muhle R102 or any Muhle Open Comb? Please leave a comment and let us know what you think.

Tags # closer look # muhle # Razors Continue Reading
By on No comments:
Labels: , , ,

Tuesday, May 3, 2016

Please Excuse Our Appearance While We're Remodeling

May 03, 2016 0


The store has closed and some may be wondering: what's next for TheShavingEdge.com ?  

 I still love wet shaving.  I shave my face and I shave my head.  Throughout my life I've had some great shaves in my personal shave den. But I've also experienced cuts, irritation, and razor rash.  My individual hairs may be thicker and skin more sensitive than some, or maybe thinner or more normal compared to others.

I've used cartridges, double edge razors, shavettes, and straight razors.  I shave at home but I've also gone to the barbershop.  


I suppose the point of this rambling is that there is a ton of products out there.  Some things work well for some people and work poorly for others.  But that's what makes wet shaving a fun and interesting hobby.  

While the store has closed, we are keeping TheShavingEdge.com online as a blog to share different aspects of the shaving and grooming experience.  Over time we would love to see this evolve and have others contribute and participate. 

 So please excuse our appearance while we're remodeling ... and we hope that you'll keep coming back to see how this evolves.

Tags # Stories Continue Reading
By on No comments:
Labels: