A Close Shave

AgentCooper

AgentCooper

At Least I Have Chicken
Moderator
I am a bearded man but even I have to tidy up the rough edges from time to time. I recently got to thinking about the waste that disposable razor blades create and finally decided to ditch the Gillette Fusion 5 and go a bit more old school.

I have taken delivery of a Edwin Jagger short handle safety razor, a blade bank and 100 blades for just over £30. As I only have to tidy up my cheeks and neckline I reckon that’ll keep me going for at least 18 months. And thanks to the blade bank, I can recycle the used and blunt blades.

4F92BE0C-0DCC-4FA8-A881-EBAE1AF25598.jpeg

I have to say that it’s actually made the whole act of shaving a bit more enjoyable. Before it was a necessary evil to stop me looking too trampesque, now it’s become a ritual and I look forward to it.
 
SpyderTracks

SpyderTracks

We love you Ukraine
AgentCooper said:
I am a bearded man but even I have to tidy up the rough edges from time to time. I recently got to thinking about the waste that disposable razor blades create and finally decided to ditch the Gillette Fusion 5 and go a bit more old school.

I have taken delivery of a Edwin Jagger short handle safety razor, a blade bank and 100 blades for just over £30. As I only have to tidy up my cheeks and neckline I reckon that’ll keep me going for at least 18 months. And thanks to the blade bank, I can recycle the used and blunt blades.

View attachment 31754
And I have to say that it’s actually made the whole act of shaving a bit more enjoyable. Before it was a necessary evil to stop me looking too trampesque, now it’s become a ritual and I look forward to it.
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That is proper delightful retro. Big fan of the design and i'm sure the performance is great.

A couple of years ago, I got fed up with my Gillette's blades blunting after about 5 shaves, or just clogging to the point they couldn't be cleared, let alone costing £10 for 2 blades or something ludicrous. I just didn't think performance was that great.

So beginning of lockdown, I started looking for alternatives and came across Harry's.

I just liked their ethos, pretty basic stuff, no frills, but exceptional performance, far better than Gillette, and much lower cost for refills but I've only just thrown away my second blade since March 2020! (Again, only shave cheeks and neckline). Plus they do some really great shaving foams and gels (not that I use them) and other bits.

Well worth looking into.

Although now I'm getting razor envy with the above!!!
 
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AgentCooper

AgentCooper

At Least I Have Chicken
Moderator
I did contemplate Harry’s! They’ve got a great business model and I like that they partner with men’s charities to raise awareness of things like mental health, suicide prevention and testicular cancer. But even with their lowest subscription I’d probably end up stockpiling blade heads.

The safety razor seems to fit me perfectly:

Uses - Occasional grooming.

Budget - £50.

Face - 4K and ugly.

I can understand the envy, it is a lovely bit of steel to see on the sink everyday. But I’ve had to remember that you can’t just do a big swoosh from cheek to chin with a single motion using one of these. That’s a fast way to create Parma ham with your own face.
 
AgentCooper

AgentCooper

At Least I Have Chicken
Moderator
Martinr36 said:
I regularly used to use a safety razor, a rather nice Gillette which is part of a set that my father was given as a wedding present, I'll see if i can find it out tomorrow
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Please do! It’d be nice to see a vintage model in all its glory 👍👍👍
 
Scott

Scott

Behold The Ford Mondeo
Moderator
I'm really lazy with shaving. The irony is that if I do have a proper shave it's with a straight razor. There's just nothing like it.

I'm just using disposable blades but I fully intend, at some point before my hands start shaking, to get a proper bone & strop.

There's nothing like a double shave from a straight razor, honestly.... it's night and day!

With that being said, if I'm having a quick close shave but can't be bothered I also have a cornerstone razor, which has some really fantastic blades. I bought the intro pack around 5 years ago..... with a 5 pack of blades.... I'm 3 blades in :ROFLMAO:

Harry's is great too. These companies are all making fantastic blades and putting Gillette to shame. I've used some of the harry's products but never tried the blades out. All good stuff in my experience.

I don't see any point in me going past a 10 pack of blades for my straight razor though. I get a decent soap and a badger brush.... past that though, I don't shave anywhere near enough to warrant a subscription :D
 
barlew

barlew

Godlike
I got switched onto safety razors back in 2016 by a work colleague and I will never go back.

£10 quid for 100 blades and shaving soap! Its a no brained really.

I also like to think that it gives me suffisticstion points. I don't think the Mrs agrees though.

@Martinr36 that rolls razor does not scream "safe" to me haha.
 
AgentCooper

AgentCooper

At Least I Have Chicken
Moderator
I don’t even use shaving soap anymore, I just use a few drops of beard oil on the bits that need tidying up.

Would recommend this stuff, it smells incredible:

www.bedfordshirebeardco.com

The Tobacconist Beard Oil

The Tobacconist Beard Oil has been carefully blended using the best ingredients to nourish and moisturise the skin whilst deeply conditioning your beard.
www.bedfordshirebeardco.com
 
S

Steveyg

MOST VALUED CONTRIBUTOR
I'm a man who likes a clean shave, keep saying I'm going to learn to use a cut throat razor mainly because they end up being super cheap once you stop cutting half your face off and I could do with spending less on shaving equipment
 
moosEh

moosEh

Administrator
Staff member
Moderator
SpyderTracks said:
That is proper delightful retro. Big fan of the design and i'm sure the performance is great.

A couple of years ago, I got fed up with my Gillette's blades blunting after about 5 shaves, or just clogging to the point they couldn't be cleared, let alone costing £10 for 2 blades or something ludicrous. I just didn't think performance was that great.

So beginning of lockdown, I started looking for alternatives and came across Harry's.

I just liked their ethos, pretty basic stuff, no frills, but exceptional performance, far better than Gillette, and much lower cost for refills but I've only just thrown away my second blade since March 2020! (Again, only shave cheeks and neckline). Plus they do some really great shaving foams and gels (not that I use them) and other bits.

Well worth looking into.

Although now I'm getting razor envy with the above!!!
Click to expand...

I second on the Harry's front. I've been using them for years and even upgraded to a "nicer" handle. I went for the Winston engraved
 
steaky360

steaky360

Moderator
Moderator
I'm not one for clean shaving, takes me too long to grow the stubble I call a beard... I just use hair clippers all over... ironically(is it irony? maybe its not) my beard has a higher number guard than the rest of my head :D
 
SpyderTracks

SpyderTracks

We love you Ukraine
moosEh said:
I second on the Harry's front. I've been using them for years and even upgraded to a "nicer" handle. I went for the Winston engraved
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I've got the Winston too, but not engraved. It's a lovely razor. And the stand is just a work of genius.
 
T

TonyCarter

VALUED CONTRIBUTOR
I went to a proper razor a few years back (Merkur Futur 700), and was very tempted by a disposable blade straight razor at the time too.

I'm glad I didn't, as one Sunday evening (getting ready for a 4am departure for work) I turned the adjuster the wrong way. With wet hands and a fully-opened cap my thumb slid straight across the blade and the top of my finger dropped into the shaving water.

10pm on a Sunday evening is not the best time to find a local minor injuries clinic open, and I didn't want to wait for 12 hours in a local A&E, so rinsed off & sterilised my thumb and the flap of skin, and carefully positioned it back on top. Popped a drop of superglue at 4 points around the flap and covered it with a finger dressing and cap.

Still use it though, and haven't made that mistake again ;)

30166_4.jpg
 
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