I’ve been fed-up with the prices of razors and how awful my face feels after a shave for quite awhile now. I first tried to ween myself off of them a few years ago by switching to an electric razor. 
I’ve tried several brands of electric razors over the years including Braun, Panasonic, Norelco, Remington, etc, but none of them were really all that great. My favorite of the bunch was a Panasonic, but it still didn’t do a very good job. I finally got to the point of having a beard for awhile but recently shaved it off just because I felt it was time I guess. Once I shaved it off, I had to go back to normal blades and shaving cream which really sucked.
Something that has been in the back of my mind for quite awhile was to try out wet shaving using an old school safety razor and associated supplies. I finally got around to putting together a very basic wet shaving kit and I’m very glad I did. My kit looks something like this:
- Merkur “Hefty Classic” Safety Razor
- Vulfix #850 Pure Badger Shaving Brush
- Taylor of Old Bond Street Shaving Cream
- Proraso Shaving Soap
- Neutrogena Razor Defense Aftershave Cream
- A Pack of Assorted Razors
- A Bowl from Target
As far as creams and blades go, you’re supposed to try some different things to see what you like best which is why I have various blades and shaving cream. All of this ran me around $100 or so– the upfront cost is a bit steep, but in the long run I only pay around 50 cents per blade for the ones I’m currently using, and have samples of some that are as low as 25 cents a piece which are also supposed to be decent. The Proraso shaving soap is available at Target in the Spa section, so I really only ever need to mail order blades.
I first started wet shaving for a couple of weeks using my normal mach 3 razor just to get used to the process, and finally moved to the safety razor this week. I’m happy to report that I’ve shaved successfully without any nicks with the safety razor, and my skin seems to generally be much happier with the wet shaving. Even the fun “neck bumps” (ingrown hairs I assume?) are starting to go away. It does take a lot more time for me to shave this way, but I limit it to a few times a week in the evening. I’m also getting a much closer and longer lasting shave, and my face doesn’t feel like it’s on fire after shaving. Actually with the Proraso shaving soap it’s quite the opposite– it has glycerin menthol in it which feels nice and cool.
I’m definitely glad I made the switch, and highly recommend checking into it! I have a few links here if you’d like to research it yourself. I think the two most helpful links to pass on is this very detailed overview on how to get started with wet shaving, as well as this video series which shows you how to actually wet shave.
I’ve actually been considering a switch to a straight razor recently.
Unfortunately, The Wife tells me she would have to leave the house every time I shaved because straight razors creep her shit out.
There’s a part of me that thinks that makes it even more badass, though.
Also check out the Guide to Gourmet Shaving, which contains everything I’ve learned about shaving with a safety razor.
And for a really basic starting kit, check out these recommendations: if you get the cheapest option in each category, you can get a complete set-up, including the blade sampler pack, for the price of 10 Gillette Fusion disposable cartridges.
I think the intense cooling effect of the Proraso is from the menthol in the formula. Glycerine doesn’t have a cooling effect—that’s most obvious if you use 100% glycerine as an every-pass pre-shave (rub it into your wet beard just before lathering for each pass).
As you continue shaving this way, the regular practice will lead to a continuing improvement in your speed and technique.
@Jake
Yeah, I’m not sure if I will want to move to that or not.. then you have to sharpen your own blades, and I’d probably get questioned by the FBI every time I flew somewhere. I’m pretty happy with the safety razor for now at least. At the least wet shaving with your current razor is a good way to start.
@Leisureguy
There are certainly cheaper ways to go– I just wanted to try out a bit of everything to give it a fair shot (I read posts about a lot of people just trying out one thing and giving-up on it rather than experimenting with the gamut to find what worked best for them), but also not buy one of those full $200 kits and then still need to pick up shaving soap and creme. And doh.. I should have known it was the menthol and not the glycerin. I’m a wet shaving n00b.
Thanks for the article. I switched, a couple years ago, to the brush and soap side of wet shaving, but always maintained the standard Gillette 3 blade razor (they hooked me in high school with a free razor, bastards…they’re like the Army and those free socks). I’ve been looking for a portalble option for my lather dish, as our PX no longer carries ‘luxury’ shaving supplies. I’ll hit up Target, and see if I can’t find a better option. And, I’ll try to pick up some safety razors…as the environmental impact is also likely less than the heavily packaged and plasticized multi-razors.
@Matt
Yeah, a bowl at Target is only a couple of bucks at most, and it works pretty well. Keep in mind it’s just a bowl in the regular dish section, nothing shaving specific. It seems silly to spend $20 on a shaving cup or whatever.
Also, I’ve been trying some of the other blades in my sample pack and for the money I really like the Turkish blades. I found 100 of them on eBay for a bit less than $17 shipped. So now I have about 2 years worth of blades for what it costs for a couple of months of the regular blades.
Is your eBay deal through an eBay shop or just a random find? I’d love to know the exact search terms to find such a stellar deal. Do you have any trouble travelling with your new set? As will be going on deployments regularly and packing up to go on ship for exercises, I’ll be looking for TSA friendly and highly stowable items.
@Matt
I bought the blades from a seller named “txukman”.
I just traveled with the set last weekend to Las Vegas, though I didn’t do carry-on as usual because of the silly liquid restrictions and what not. I didn’t have a problem, but of course I checked my luggage in.
I should mention that a bowl to lather in is nice but not a necessity– I just used my hand as a lather bowl for my trip.
PS– At my new job I work with a couple of former Finali employees– Dave and Randy.
Just saw this store at Cherry Creek Shopping Center over the weekend and reminded me of your post… ever checked it out?
http://www.theartofshaving.com
Funny that you mention that store, I saw one for the first time when I was in Vegas a few weekends ago. After glancing in I decided that I didn’t feel like going in because there were several salespeople standing around in suits doing nothing (I hate being accosted by people when I just want to look around). So that’s my experience with it at this point.
Try one of the shave sticks from Honeybee Spa. They’re just $6 and come in a wide variety of fragrances. The soap itself is excellent: a shea-butter formula that produces an excellent lather. And a shave stick is the easiest way to get a good lather from a soap: rub it against the grain all over your wet beard, then brush vigorously with the wet brush to produce the lather. The brush holds plenty of lather for the later passes.
I offer qaulity shaving creams such as Arko from Turkey and Solo from Europe on my site. The shaving cream makes all the difference and how it is applied. I offer great pricing and fast shipping since whatever I sell I own and have in stock.
Not all “new” ideas are cool, I tell you. And we thought we knew better than our old folks.
Wet-shaving has transformed a dreaded routine into a ritual I look forward to every day. Wet-shaving also means less waste. Just think about all the non-recycleable plastic that goes into multi-blade cartridges and handles, and the aerosol cans that release harmful by-products into the environment. Switching to old-style shaving props won’t gain you entry into Green Peace by itself, but it is a good start.