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Ben Rafael
10-22-2008, 11:00 AM
I've been doing it for over 30 years. I've never woke up and said "Yeah! I'm gonna shave today, fun and pleasure rolled into one".
I suspect shaving is the number one reason many people become religious in those religions that dont allow shaving.

Doug Shepard
10-22-2008, 11:10 AM
I do like shaving once it gets to the stage where it itches. But other than than I could take a pass.

Joe Pelonio
10-22-2008, 11:28 AM
Never. In fact, I have a beard, and the cheeks/neck where I do shave may go a few days and look scruffy if I don't have any business meetings to do.

When I do shave it's brush and soap in mug, because I can't stand the smell of the canned shaving foam/creams.

Greg Cole
10-22-2008, 11:30 AM
I do like shaving once it gets to the stage where it itches. But other than than I could take a pass.
I shave when a)my wife shames me into it or b) when Doug shaves.:D
The itch will drive me nuts eventually, though I have found that if you can get through the itchy phase.. you're good for another 10 days or so.;)
Seriously, I shave MAYBE once a week whether I need it or not.

glenn bradley
10-22-2008, 11:40 AM
I wore a beard for a number of years and definitly preferred it to shaving. i currently shave but would love to get my hands on some of that 'Star Trek' beard retardant stuff instead.

Ken Fitzgerald
10-22-2008, 11:40 AM
I attempt suicide every morning.....standing there with razor to my throat......do I enjoy it......Nope

BUt on long weekends.....3 days without shaving sure makes my skin feel better but after 3 days......yup....it starts to itch.

Ben Rafael
10-22-2008, 11:43 AM
I never get that itching problem, even after a week.

Peter Quadarella
10-22-2008, 11:54 AM
No I don't enjoy shaving. I don't like having a bit of scruff, and my wife and my work prefer I don't have a full beard, so I'm stuck with it for the time being. When I was in college and I didn't have a wife or work, I often let my beard grow out.

alex grams
10-22-2008, 11:54 AM
Same with the itch. I let it grow up to the point where it gets long enough that the ends of the hairs can rub back on the skin and cause the itch. This is about 3-4 days for me.

If I shave in under 3 days it is rough on my baby face. No clue why, but when the hair is longer (3-4 days) the shave is typically much smoother for me. The shorter the hair, and the more it feels like I am shaving my skin instead of my hair.

Doug Shepard
10-22-2008, 11:55 AM
...Seriously, I shave MAYBE once a week whether I need it or not.

I shave when Greg shaves:D Twice in the same week would be for some sort of special occasion - dinner with Hef's girls, or something of that sort.

John Schreiber
10-22-2008, 12:07 PM
I've got to think that there's an easier way than taking a blade to your face. Something like Nair. Why wouldn't that work for men.

Tom Veatch
10-22-2008, 12:09 PM
In the summer of 1980, I read in a veterinary column in the newspaper where a question was asked whether or not a dog's coat should be sheared because of the heat during that record breaking summer. The answer was absolutely not. The dog's coat helps protect from the sun and the heat.

My thought was if it works for dogs, it'll work for me. That was the last time I was "clean shaven". Every so often, I'll trim it back a little but that's the limit.

BTW, the veterinarian was right.

Greg Cole
10-22-2008, 12:18 PM
[quote=Doug Shepard;950628]Twice in the same week would be for some sort of special occasion - dinner with Hef's girls [quote]
Twice in the same week....Still referring to shaving right? :D;):rolleyes::eek:
Awww man, next time I shave twice in a week the wife will know what's up! Damnit Doug...
Oh wait, me shaving twice in a week? Never going to happen. Wife knows and accepts it.
And this time of year I don't visit the barber on a regular 3-4 week schedule (usually keep it high n tight like #3 on a clipper I think), but I like the extra insulation on my noodle.

Doug Shepard
10-22-2008, 12:28 PM
In the summer of 1980, I read in a veterinary column in the newspaper where a question was asked whether or not a dog's coat should be sheared because of the heat during that record breaking summer. The answer was absolutely not. The dog's coat helps protect from the sun and the heat.

My thought was if it works for dogs, it'll work for me. That was the last time I was "clean shaven". Every so often, I'll trim it back a little but that's the limit.

BTW, the veterinarian was right.

That depends. I've gotten that answer from both the vet and groomers on MY dogs coat, and that they shouldn't shave her. Apparently this is true for what they call double-coated dogs which have an inner dense layer of fur then an outer guard hair coat. Those are the ones that suffer from the heat when shaved. A lot of breeds just have a single coat that's more like hair than fur though, and those apparently do cool off in the summer if shaved.

Ben Rafael
10-22-2008, 12:34 PM
Dogs can get skin cancer. Shaving their coats exposes their skin to the sun and dog's skin is particularly sensitive to the sun.

Jamie Delker
10-22-2008, 12:50 PM
I should shave every day, but I don't. I get razorburn like crazy if I attempt to shave more than two days in a row, I have to give my skin a couple days to heal up, no matter what I use. :mad:

Lucas Bittick
10-22-2008, 12:59 PM
Technically, a safety razor is a kind of plane...

Nah-- still don't like shaving. :p

Don Abele
10-22-2008, 1:18 PM
I have to shave everyday, no choice about it. Ever since the Navy outlawed beards in the mid-80's we have been a clean shaven force. Mustaches are allowed, though neatly trimmed.

Do I like to shave - like everyone else - NO. On weekends I don't unless I have something official to do.

I've tried every manner of hair removal as well. And they are all just as dis-pleasurable.

Oh, and don't think of using Nair on your face. That stuff is a highly caustic base. Your face is much more sensitive than legs and you'd wind up with a really nasty rash, even if you use the "bikini line" formula. I've treated many patients for it!

Be well,

Doc

Chris Kennedy
10-22-2008, 2:00 PM
I have to shave most days to look respectable. I don't have the genes for a good beard, because if I did, I would look like Dusty Hill since I hate shaving. My almost two year old thinks my electric razor is the best thing in the world and tries to mimic me shaving. Poor kid has no idea that fate that awaits him.

Cheers,

Chris

Jason Roehl
10-22-2008, 2:10 PM
Hmmm...shaving doesn't really bother me. My wife doesn't mind a bit of scruff, so I shave maybe twice a week in the spring and summer. When I do shave, I do so before my morning shower (natural oils help with lubrication), using Gillette sensitive-skin formula foam and the Sensor 3 razor. Any nicks or razor burn go away in the shower. In the winter, I grow a beard for a little added protection from the cold, but I keep it between 3/8" (freshly cut) and ~1" (about a month later). A couple times a week I use a sideburn trimmer and electric razor around the edges and to keep the moustache out of my mouth.

Brent Ring
10-22-2008, 3:20 PM
Don't like to shave. Don't like my wifes displeasure with NOT shaving more!
So I shave every day. I think I like my appearance overall better shaven then not, though.

Jim Becker
10-22-2008, 3:37 PM
I'm ambivalent about shaving, but it's a necessary thing...to keep the girls (daughters) off my back in the complaint department and to, well...look respectable for work, especially since I'm already anti-tie... :D

I did just recently go for nearly two months avoiding it outside of keeping the neck neat. A combination of a few weeks of vacation and a "no-travel" month for work allowed for that.

Tim Thomas
10-22-2008, 3:40 PM
I hate to shave so much that I have seriously considered the laser treatment that is designed to kill hair follicles permanently. If it weren't so expensive I would have done this already. (The process was created to eliminate the need for women to shave their legs. I figure it would work fine on my face.)

The real injustice is the fact that I started going bald at the tender age of 23. I've got very little left up top now that I am 30. I think by the time I hit 35 I will have a true "Friar Tuck" look going on. That is just criminal. I've got hair that grows on my back, neck, shoulders, chest, ears, nose, face, etc. that I absolutely do not want or need, but the one small place on my body where I would LIKE to have hair (on top of my head) is thinning out at breakneck speed. There is no justice I tell ya...

Jim O'Dell
10-22-2008, 3:47 PM
Shaving is something you do, not something you enjoy. I never shave on the weekends. I use an electric shaver, as a blade kills my skin.
The summer after I graduated from Baylor, I grew a beard. Wife hated it at first while it was growing out. About Thanksgiving, I decided to shave it off, and she cried the whole time. My problem with a beard, is I don't have much in the sideburn area, so for a full beard, I have to have my hair a lot longer than I wear it now. :eek: Jim.

Peter Quadarella
10-22-2008, 3:50 PM
LOL Tim, you sound like me. I am in exactly the same boat except I am already 35 and yes, it does continue. The small rim of hair around the sides and back of my head is luxurious though :D.

On the bright side, my hair lasted just long enough for me to meet my wife and get her hooked on me, around 23 also. :) Must be a gene survival thing or something.

Larry Fox
10-22-2008, 3:50 PM
Don't care for it much here either. Back in the day when I was doing the tie and starched shirt thing I started shaving with my nightly shower instead of with my morning one and it cut down on the burn a lot. I don't do it on the weekend unless SWMBO and I are going somewhere - and even then it better be somewhere fancy.

Ben Rafael
10-22-2008, 4:39 PM
Technically, a safety razor is a kind of plane...

:p

More like a pull shave.

Greg Peterson
10-22-2008, 5:11 PM
I like the result, but dragging a sharp steel blade(s) across my face in the morning isn't an ideal way to start the day.

Chris Padilla
10-22-2008, 5:28 PM
I have to shave everyday, no choice about it. Ever since the Navy outlawed beards in the mid-80's we have been a clean shaven force. Mustaches are allowed, though neatly trimmed.

My father retired from the Navy in 1981 and had a full beard/mustache the whole time...and he still does to this day.

I shave M, W, F and that is it. That is about all I and my skin can handle. If I could grow any facial hair worth a darn, I'd do it.

John Keeton
10-22-2008, 5:48 PM
I've had this beard since 1978, although the color has faded somewhat!! Takes me longer to shave in the morning than without a beard. Trouble is my wife has never seen me without the beard. Were I to shave the beard, she would surely see what a bad deal she has made and leave me.

But, the answer to the question in NO - shaving is a necessary evil.

Ken Fitzgerald
10-22-2008, 5:54 PM
On the subject of shaving....it's a necessary evil and in my case.....I tried growing facial hair when Zumwalt became CNO and authorized beards. I tried growing one.....the hair on my chin came in black....around my mouth it came in white......from a 5' away I looked like a 2 year old who'd eaten a chocolate covered ice cream cone.

Even just a mustache.......white around the corners......black near the nose.......same ice cream cone effect....


Recently I tried again.......well guess what.......WHite on the chin......white under the nose......black near the corners of my mouth......

So I shave daily.

But now as I get older...it's the hair growing in my ears....on the outside of my nose and down my neck that bothers me........:o

Matthew Poeller
10-22-2008, 6:20 PM
I do not like shaving, however I have made it more enjoyable. At the ripe old age of 27 (about 2 years ago) my face was getting very irritated with all contemporary shaving methods, electric, mach 3, 4,5 20, etc... So I started looking for alternatives when I stumbled onto badger and blade. There are more out there too. It is an internet forum for "wet shavers" that use more traditional methods. These include old time safety razors and straight razors. I was intrigued by all of the banter and I had to try it.

I must say, all the nice smells, different creams and balms and everything has made it more enjoyable. Oh, and my face rarely gets irritated to boot. Some of the people that use these older tools are just like the people here where it almost becomes a hobby and a collection rather than a chore.

I implore each of you to check it out. I now have 4 safety razors, 2 straight razors, 4 badger hair brushes (handles turned on my lathe), and a number of creams and balms.

Just a thought, you might want to check it out.

Rob Bodenschatz
10-22-2008, 6:37 PM
Honestly, I don't mind doing it.

Ben Rafael
10-22-2008, 6:48 PM
Honestly, I don't mind doing it.

Is that you or your avatar's opinion?:D

Rob Bodenschatz
10-22-2008, 7:30 PM
Is that you or your avatar's opinion?:D

My avatar does not have opinions.

Chris Padilla
10-22-2008, 7:45 PM
I do not like shaving, however I have made it more enjoyable. At the ripe old age of 27 (about 2 years ago) my face was getting very irritated with all contemporary shaving methods, electric, mach 3, 4,5 20, etc... So I started looking for alternatives when I stumbled onto badger and blade. There are more out there too. It is an internet forum for "wet shavers" that use more traditional methods. These include old time safety razors and straight razors. I was intrigued by all of the banter and I had to try it.

I must say, all the nice smells, different creams and balms and everything has made it more enjoyable. Oh, and my face rarely gets irritated to boot. Some of the people that use these older tools are just like the people here where it almost becomes a hobby and a collection rather than a chore.

I implore each of you to check it out. I now have 4 safety razors, 2 straight razors, 4 badger hair brushes (handles turned on my lathe), and a number of creams and balms.

Just a thought, you might want to check it out.


Now this is intriguing, Matt! Gimmie more...how about some links to stuff you have? I deplore shaving and do it MWF because my face simply can't handle doing it more due to irritation.

Chris Padilla
10-22-2008, 7:47 PM
HOW does everyone shave? I first lather up and shave down or with the growth direction to remove most of the whisker...then rinse...relather...then shave up or against the growth direction to get the closest shave possible. This is rough on my neck which seems to grow hair like wild-grain cherry or something! :D

Steve Clardy
10-22-2008, 9:01 PM
Whats shaving :confused:

Last time I shaved er off, which lasted for a week, I went into work [1984] one morning and no one knew who I was for about 30 minutes.

John Keeton
10-22-2008, 9:03 PM
Chris, it seems your neck irritation would be less if you didn't go at it so hard. If I shaved twice on my neck I don't believe I could shave everyday either. Particularly if I have to wear a tie that day - which is about 2-3 out of 5 days most weeks. I have to be careful shaving "against the grain", too. That really is rough, although on my neck I do to some degree - but gently.

And Ken, I can remember - though faintly - the days of black/white beard. Mine was starting to turn white from the temples down, and from the corners of my mouth out in 1978 when I first grew the beard. Had some wierd looking beard for a few years, but it all turned pretty quickly.

Phil Thien
10-22-2008, 9:12 PM
In an effort to make the obscenely expensive Mach-3 blades last longer (not entirely sarcastic), I shave once a week.

Art Mulder
10-22-2008, 9:38 PM
Honestly, I don't mind doing it.

Finally! I'm going through this thread and couldn't believe all the shaving hate! ;)

Shaving is just what you do in the morning, like brushing my teeth and putting on deodorant. I can't say that either is that thrilling an exercise, but the results are worth it.

Frankly, I don't like the itch of stubble, and being clean shaven just makes me feel clean and ready for the day. I'd sooner skip the morning shower than the shave.


HOW does everyone shave? I first lather up and shave down or with the growth direction to remove most of the whisker...then rinse...relather...then shave up or against the growth direction to get the closest shave possible. This is rough on my neck which seems to grow hair like wild-grain cherry or something! :D

People have different quality beards, Chris. Mine's not that thick. I don't get much 5 o'clock shadow, though it's definitely there by morning. I go up the the chin, down the cheek, and pull the skin tight as it goes under the knife. I then feel for rough spots on the chin and give them a second go -- usually the skin is still slick with the soap even though it looks clear.

Other than that, I much prefer something like Gillette Foamy -- I hate the gel-type shaving cream. It gums up between the blades of my Trac-II razor and seriously impairs the quality of cut. Foam-type soap rinses out much easier between swipes, so I get a better cut. I find that blades last a few weeks and then start to "pull" which tells me it's time for a new one.

I've tried electric's - both the "I liked it so much I bought the company" remington, and the triple-rotary-head type. They don't cut as close, and contrary to the marketing hype, are no faster than using a blade.

... clean-shaven art :D

Jim Becker
10-22-2008, 10:11 PM
I shave M, W, F and that is it. That is about all I and my skin can handle. If I could grow any facial hair worth a darn, I'd do it.

Similar for me, but only about twice if I can get away with it!

mark page
10-22-2008, 10:22 PM
Shaving gets to be a PITA at times. I usually have a full beard, and keep it trimmed once a week to the shortest clipper insert on hair clippers. LOML stated that since my beard is white that I look like I could pass for her father, so I shaved. Now that winter is coming on, I do think it's time to re-grow. I do take spurts and will shave just for something different. No skin irritations for me, in fact the small areas that I do shave with a beard, I usually dry shave after a shower. Now the nose & ear hair, plus bushy eyebrows that come with age do take some time once a week with the weed-eater.:D I am getting thinner on top in areas as I can feel the breeze now. But I don't have to do the "cue-ball cover up" as of yet. Genetically I am destined to lose it all. I am fortunate not to be in that position yet, although all three of my younger brothers have felt the force of genetics.:eek:

Matthew Poeller
10-22-2008, 10:32 PM
Chris,

I was debating on just sending you a PM but I thought this might benefit everyone that might be interested.

There is so much out there about shaving once you get away from the "Mach 3" that I do not know where to start.

The first thing that I mentioned was badger and blade. It is a forum for wet shaving and honestly the best resource out there for the beginner. Just google badger and blade. I do not think that I can link to another forum per the TOS.

There are a bunch of youtube videos out there. I would first suggest the ones by mantic59. He is a regular on the shaving forums.

I think this is the article that actually got me started. I was looking for a way to get less irritation when I shave and I stumbled on this article.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6886845/

This guy is a bit weird but he loves to shave and has some good information:
http://leisureguy.wordpress.com/2006/07/10/a-guide-to-the-gourmet-shaving-experience/

Another good article:
http://zenhabits.net/2007/12/the-zen-of-shaving-how-a-double-edge-razor-can-change-your-life/

I will not even get into all the creams and soaps and etc. One nice place to look at gear is on www.classicshaving.com. The one soap that is probably my favorite is ERASMIC from the UK. Now how could you not like shaving with a cream with that name!!!

With all that said, I still do not shave everyday but that is more of a function of the closeness of the shave that I get when I shave with more traditional methods. With a "mach 3" or alike I had to shave everyday to look presentable, sometimes twice a day. I have a very thick beard and a sensitive face which is not a good combination. So with the more traditional methods, I do not have to shave everyday and that makes my face more happy. It in general is not my favorite thing to do, but it surely is a more pleasurable experience now.

My setup: water boiler thingy from walmart to make sure I have wicked hot water and plenty of steam to open the pores on my face. I have a newer Merkur HD (classicshaving.com), the Merkur travel razor (my favorite, classicshaving.com), an older Gillette Fatboy Adjustable (also a fine instrument), and an older Gillette superspeed (my least favorite. I have various creams and balms. My favorite cream, Erasmic. My favorite balm/aftershave, Geo F. Trumper's Coral Skin Food. Then the brushes I have are all silvertipped badger hair imported from China with handles turned by me (http://www.mpoeller.com/shave_brushes.htm for some of my work).

I usually do 3 passes, one with the grain, one against the grain and then one cleanup for the little spots that I missed previously.

Rich Engelhardt
10-23-2008, 7:54 AM
Hello,
When I was going on 17, I couldn't wait to shave.
Now that I'm going on 57, I can't wait till the day I don't have to shave.

Since I'm going to get creamated & don't plan on any foolish waste of money on a big send off (viewing & all that), it doesn't matter to me if I :
a.) croak off
b.) retire.

Either way, I figure I'm done with the morning ordeal.:D

Chris Damm
10-23-2008, 8:53 AM
I haven't touched a razor since 1970. I started shaving at age 12 and by high school, if I didn't shave at noon the principal would get on my rear about it. A different time back in the 60s!

Dennis Peacock
10-23-2008, 9:14 AM
I do like shaving once it gets to the stage where it itches. But other than than I could take a pass.

Yup....same here. I can only take the itch for just so long...THEN it's shaving time.!!!! BTW, I do NOT like shaving at all....well...about as much as I like cleaning up my shop. :rolleyes:

Cliff Rohrabacher
10-23-2008, 9:18 AM
Only if she's really cute.

Justin Leiwig
10-23-2008, 10:15 AM
I shave once a week unless I have a presentation to do or something to that effect. since no one will see me except for my little group of co workers back here in the hole. Usually by the third day I'm itching but I put it off until Friday so that I look good for the weekend and the wifey! I used to shave every day, but I figured that I looked worse with red, irritated blotchy skin than some stubble.

Eric Larsen
10-23-2008, 12:12 PM
My preferred means of shaving is at a barber shop. When I lived in Florida, there was one barber shop in town that still did shaves. It's 100 times better than anything Gillette or Schick will ever market to us.

http://www.adrants.com/images/quintippio.jpg

Problem is, at $5 at least three times a week, it gets a little pricey. I have problem enough justifying my tool budget. Spending $780 a year so I don't have to shave myself is a wee bit extravagant.

http://www.classicshaving.com has everything necessary to ditch gilette forever, but prepare for sticker shock.


I've been doing it for over 30 years. I've never woke up and said "Yeah! I'm gonna shave today, fun and pleasure rolled into one".
I suspect shaving is the number one reason many people become religious in those religions that dont allow shaving.

Ben Rafael
10-23-2008, 12:39 PM
When I lived in Florida, there was one barber shop in town that still did shaves. It's 100 times better than anything Gillette or Schick will ever market to us.

Problem is, at $5 at least three times a week, it gets a little pricey. I have problem enough justifying my tool budget. Spending $780 a year so I don't have to shave myself is a wee bit extravagant.



$5 is a bargain. There are 2 places in my neighborhood that shave you and get ready for this sticker shock......$45 plus tip.

For $5 I would treat myself once in a while, for $45 never.

Marty Barron
10-23-2008, 5:59 PM
I have just made the transition from a Mach 3 turbo to a safety razor and it is much better than shaving with a Mach 3. It is cheaper than using the Mach 3 and it gives a better shave. There is a little bit of a learning curve to use a safety razor but the extra money and quality of the shave is worth it.

Here is a forum dedicated to wet shaving that will help anyone to get a better shave. www shavemyface com

Marty

(http://www.shavemyface.com/)

John Shuk
10-23-2008, 7:07 PM
No I do not usually like it too much. That is compounded by the fact that I like to shave in the shower. It is always a gamble whether my wife used my razor on her legs or not.
That hurts!

Ben Rafael
10-23-2008, 7:12 PM
I have just made the transition from a Mach 3 turbo to a safety razor and it is much better than shaving with a Mach 3. It is cheaper than using the Mach 3 and it gives a better shave. There is a little bit of a learning curve to use a safety razor but the extra money and quality of the shave is worth it.

Here is a forum dedicated to wet shaving that will help anyone to get a better shave.

Marty

http://www.shavemyface.com/
I used a safety razor for years, the Mach3 I use now is far bettter for me.

Jim Becker
10-23-2008, 8:59 PM
Yea, I'm happy with the Mach3...and it's MUCH better than those 4 and 5 bladed thingies that come in the mail sometimes. Fits my facial curves better.

Tom Veatch
10-23-2008, 9:22 PM
Maybe a little off the topic of this thread, but related nonetheless; are there any mammals other than the human in which the pattern of hair growth is so different between the male and female of the species, particularly facial hair?

John Schreiber
10-24-2008, 3:31 PM
No one else has mentioned this, so I will. I shave in the shower. I soap up my face and leave it soaped up while I do the rest of my business in the shower, then turn off the water, soap up again and shave. My beard is quite easy to shave by then and I don't get much irritation. I' use a cheap "Gellette Good News! Plus". They last me a month or two of shaving every other day.

I like to shave very close, so I can't feel any bristle at all. So I hit every surface both with and against the grain at least once. If I'm in a hurry, a single scrape gets most of it.

Anyone know how do they make disposable razor blades? Is it a grinding process like we do with tools, or is it something different?

Chris Padilla
10-24-2008, 4:32 PM
John,

I shave in the shower as well and so totally shave by feel as I have no mirror (I shower at work 5 days/week) and I do the same thing...shave until it feels smooth and not like 120 grit. :D My throat really pays for it on my bike commute home from sweating...stings a bit...so I try to do as few swipes as possible but my throat is the toughest one to get with that darn lump of an Adam's apple--kinda like a knot in a piece of wood.

There is a show called How do they do it? (http://science.discovery.com/tv-schedules/series.html?paid=48.15259.121662.33295.12) that did a small segment on how disposible razor blades are made. It goes along pretty much as you think: long rolls of sheetmetal that get die-stamped (cut and formed) and the edges are ground sharp through a few stones (or whatever) and then they are cut from the strip and inserted/pressed into the head.

Jason Roehl
10-25-2008, 6:46 PM
Anyone know how do they make disposable razor blades? Is it a grinding process like we do with tools, or is it something different?

A couple months ago, I saw a (I think) "How It's Made" episode on knives and sharpening. Yes, razor blades are ground (by machine, automatically), but I don't recall the full process. Apparently, they are pretty much the sharpest metal objects on the planet, short of the tip of a tunneling electron microscope, where the tungsten tip is exactly one atom wide.

Doug Shepard
10-27-2008, 11:22 AM
Egad. I did my weekly ritual last night and look like I shaved with my cat:eek:
No fewer than 5 nasty nicks on a brand new blade. Two of them wouldn't stop bleeding for several hours. Maybe them SawStop folks can figure out a safe way to do this?

Jim Haddox
10-27-2008, 12:16 PM
Matthew Poeller in post # 40 is definitely on the right track.

I enjoy shaving. That said, it takes at least a double edge safety razor, shaving cream or shaving soap and some effort to learn a technique that works for the variables that apply to you situation. I found the techniques I use at age 64.

I would add The Shave Den as a good resource website in addition to those already given. If you take the time to look, they are a lot like Sawmill Creek. Plenty of people willing to try products and techniques and share the results. The available products and tweaks on how to use them endless.

Personally my choice is the Roberts Method of Wet Shaving and the Hydrolast products sold by Charles Roberts.

Jim

Lucas Bittick
10-27-2008, 12:42 PM
Matthew Poeller in post # 40 is definitely on the right track...I found the techniques I use at age 64.

Jim, based on your experience, I only have 30 years to go before I can get that technique down. :eek:

Actually, I resisted buying the Gillette "let's add a blade a year" brand for a long time. A part of me still thinks that 5 blades on one razor head is a little ridiculous. But, I was in a bind while traveling, and Walgreens had a deal on a Gillette Fusion: handle and blades for ~$4. I actually got a great shave out of it, and have since been suckered into buying the $11 packages of blade refills. They last a long time, but I know I have been complicit in a marketing scam... anyway, it works really well for me. Now, I place a lot of value on the old "tried and true" way of doing things, so it has no emotional appeal to tradition and history whatsoever. But, I can get a great shave in 5 minutes, so until I have more time to devote to morning rituals, I will probably stick with the Gillette.

Chris Schumann
10-27-2008, 2:11 PM
http://www.classicshaving.com has everything necessary to ditch gilette forever, but prepare for sticker shock.

After getting inspired there, LOML treated me to a badger hair brush and a variety of scented shaving soaps. Even though I only get it out a couple times a month, shaving that way really is enjoyable. I still use a Mach 3 with it. Haven't felt a need to switch to a pearl handled straight razor just yet... but the neanders here might like the linen/leather strop for their planes.

And for the one who suggested SawStop get into this: That's what I need; my razor to retract and self destruct when I get nicked. I don't think so!

Rod Sheridan
10-27-2008, 3:36 PM
I use a soap mug, brush and a safety razor to shave every morning, except on weekends.

No, I don't enjoy it.

However, I do enjoy being shaved by my barber when I'm in for a hair cut. The steaming hot towel, the soap from the mug (nowhere near as thick as a spray foam), and the straight razor makes for an incredible shave. Far better than any other razor I've ever used.

My barber uses a straight razor, and only shaves the area on you face where she has stretched your skin, by shaving between her thumb and finger. I think that's what probably different at home, we use a partially dull razor, and don't stretch the skin in the area where we're shaving.

A shave is $5 alone, or $2 added to a hair cut. What a bargain.

Regards, Rod.

Lucas Bittick
11-15-2008, 12:49 AM
Saw this photo and this thread came to mind...

terry sanders
10-27-2009, 8:58 PM
I do actually do enjoy shaving. One has to have the proper tools, i.e.:
Badger brush (most important tool)
Good shaving soap (2nd " " )
Double edge safety razor
Quality double edge blades
Aftershave/balm

With these I look forward to every shave. Below is a link explaining better than I can. Shaving is normally such an ordeal, every man should at least explore "wet shaving". For a relatively modest amount of money, one can transform a recurring misery into an experience.

Spend five minutes and click on below link.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6886845/


Have fun,
terry

Eric Larsen
10-27-2009, 9:04 PM
I see this thread has been resurrected for Halloween. :D

Cliff Rohrabacher
10-27-2009, 9:09 PM
It's like taking a dump. Ya gotta do it.
If ya don't the birds nesting will drive ya crazy.

Paul Ryan
10-27-2009, 9:25 PM
I have many times thought about hooking up jumper cables off a car battery to each of my ears hoping the hair would fall off.

I had a shaved head for 8 years before I met my wife. While we dated she told me she didn't care about the bald head. After we married, hummmmmm, that changed. If the hair on my head and face would all fall out I would be a happy man. If Chemo didn't make you feel so terrible and be so hard on your body, I may try it to get rid of my beard and hair.

Brian Effinger
10-27-2009, 10:12 PM
It's like taking a dump. Ya gotta do it.


What are you talking about - Ya gotta do it?!? There's nothing like a good dump! :D:p:D



And I'm actually half serious. :eek:

Rick Dennington
10-28-2009, 12:43 AM
I have one for you: Several years ago my wife talked me into shaving under my arms!!!!!!!! That's worse than the face any day I'm hear to tell you. When it starts growing back, it will just about drive you nuts!!!!!!!
I think I'd rather shave my crotch that ever do that again.

Don't try this at home!!!!!!!

Eric Larsen
10-28-2009, 1:19 AM
Don't try this at home!!!!!!!


waaaaaayyyyyyy too much information.... backs away slowly...

Rod Sheridan
10-28-2009, 8:53 AM
I don't enjoy shaving every morning before heading out to work, because it's just a routine task.

I use a safety razor and a shaving mug, more enjoyable and environmentally friendlier than a can of foam.

However, I really enjoy being shaved when I go to the barber. Steaming hot towels, hot shaving soap, a sharp straight razor, and a shave that's the smoothest imaginable.

It's a combination of hot towels and soap to soften the beard, then the barber stretches the skin on your face between his fingers, and shaves you.

It's the best $3 I ever spend.........Regards, Rod.

Jim Rimmer
10-28-2009, 12:48 PM
It's like taking a dump. Ya gotta do it.
If ya don't the birds nesting will drive ya crazy.

Where are they building that nest? Yikes! :eek:

Ben Franz
10-28-2009, 1:20 PM
Let's see - the last time I shaved was July, 1974 and I don't think I enjoyed it all that much. SWMBO has never seen the chin(s) and suggested that I shave just so she could. Won't say what I suggested in response :eek:. The couch is really very comfortable.

Rod Upfold
10-28-2009, 4:51 PM
I have been married for 32 yrs and my wife has never seen me "cleaned shaved"...but back in the days when I did do that barbaric thing - I hated it.

Dan Mages
10-28-2009, 5:07 PM
What would society be without the Burma Shave signs??

This is pretty clean, but probably not the smartest thing to watch at work. Don't miss stuff in the menu portion in the bottom left corner. Philips Norelco went a bit far with this ad campaign.

http://www.shaveeverywhere.com/index_bg.html

And from Gilette
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1TiJNewpCnY&feature=player_embedded

From Schick
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBkR09sP4T4


Again, save these for when you get home.

Dan