Does anybody here properly shave their head?

[GoVegan]

That's interesting Wicked - I've heard that the mach 3 can be quite harsh. I certainly don't need harsh but I'm inclined to try this before I start buying a DE - because all totalled up, including barbicide, comes to a pretty penny.

It's dead good looking at all the DE shavers though and I'm extremely tempted to put my hand in my wallet.

The DE razors will save you money unless you start trying to collect them. I can get 100 Derby blades, almost 2 years worth, on ebay for around $10.00 with shipping. I could easily spend $10.00 in a month on cartridges if I were going that route.

Wicked Kitchen - I have actually read many forum posts where people have seen a remarkable improvement in their skin condition after switching to a DE. This is because the blade cuts the hair right at skin level rather than below the surface. I think the key here is to be gentle, let the weight of the razor do the work, and stick with products that will not make your condition worse. Grandpa's Pine Tar Soap seems to be well regarded for a lot of different skin conditions.

[Owens187]

That's interesting Wicked - I've heard that the mach 3 can be quite harsh. I certainly don't need harsh but I'm inclined to try this before I start buying a DE - because all totalled up, including barbicide, comes to a pretty penny.

It's dead good looking at all the DE shavers though and I'm extremely tempted to put my hand in my wallet.

The link I gave you above is what, 17 bucks for razor AND brush, Van Der Hagen soap is like 1.50, Im sure you have bowls/mugs in your house, Barbacide? Use rubbing alcohol, or boil the razor. Only needs to be done before the first shave.

Razor and Brush . . . . .$ 17.00
Soap . . . . . . . . . . . . .$ 1.50
Blades . . . . . . . . . . . .$ 1.79 - for 10 at any drugstore
Lather Bowl . . . . . . . . . FREE
Mug to put soap in . . . . FREE

TOTAL = $20.29 .......Thats a pretty penny?

Even if you go and spend $10.00 on 100 blades, thats still what, $30 bucks for like 2 years worth of shaving, vs $30-$40 bucks every couple weeks with the Mach 3?

Believe me, been shaving the ol' dome along time, the Mach3 route is DEFINATELY NOT cheaper in the long run......

[lxskllr]

That's interesting Wicked - I've heard that the mach 3 can be quite harsh. I certainly don't need harsh but I'm inclined to try this before I start buying a DE - because all totalled up, including barbicide, comes to a pretty penny.

It's dead good looking at all the DE shavers though and I'm extremely tempted to put my hand in my wallet.

I don't shave my head, but I suspect the best razor varies from person to person. A razor that works great for one, may not be so great for another. If I didn't use a straight(on my face), I'd definitely go DE. There's too much waste in mass produced razors, and I like the industrial art factor of the vintage DEs. Once you get a razor/blade combo you're happy with, you should be set for life at a modest cost. If you concentrate on buying vintage, you should be able to recover most of your expense on resale until to find the one that's right for you.

[Monkey]

The DE razors will save you money unless you start trying to collect them. I can get 100 Derby blades, almost 2 years worth, on ebay for around $10.00 with shipping. I could easily spend $10.00 in a month on cartridges if I were going that route.

Wicked Kitchen - I have actually read many forum posts where people have seen a remarkable improvement in their skin condition after switching to a DE. This is because the blade cuts the hair right at skin level rather than below the surface. I think the key here is to be gentle, let the weight of the razor do the work, and stick with products that will not make your condition worse. Grandpa's Pine Tar Soap seems to be well regarded for a lot of different skin conditions.

+1

The grandpa's soaps are also pretty good for shaving with as long as you use a brush and a teeny bit of water. Super slick and awesome lather once you get the ratio right.

[Joe234]

[StuKlu]

Mach 3 and Shaving Oil. Shaving oil must be tried, no messy creams or gels, just the oil.

[Owens187]

I use shave secret shave oil, but I use the soap over the top of it after it soaks in for a few minutes. Only bother with it on my face though. Gives a nice, close, irritation free shave with the straight razor.

/whatever

/annoying

[Frosted]

The link I gave you above is what, 17 bucks for razor AND brush, Van Der Hagen soap is like 1.50, Im sure you have bowls/mugs in your house, Barbacide? Use rubbing alcohol, or boil the razor. Only needs to be done before the first shave.

Razor and Brush . . . . .$ 17.00
Soap . . . . . . . . . . . . .$ 1.50
Blades . . . . . . . . . . . .$ 1.79 - for 10 at any drugstore
Lather Bowl . . . . . . . . . FREE
Mug to put soap in . . . . FREE

TOTAL = $20.29 .......Thats a pretty penny?

Even if you go and spend $10.00 on 100 blades, thats still what, $30 bucks for like 2 years worth of shaving, vs $30-$40 bucks every couple weeks with the Mach 3?

Believe me, been shaving the ol' dome along time, the Mach3 route is DEFINATELY NOT cheaper in the long run......

Alright - keep your hair on!

Grateful for all this really. I've spent all night on this and I've decided to go for one that isn't so aggressive - I've got sensitive skin luvvy - so I've bought this http://www.executive-shaving.co.uk/m...-razor-r89.php
I reckon the razor and the blades are the main components that I'll spend money on and I want one that I like the look of if I'm going to be shaving with it every day.
I couldn't give a sh!t if my brush was made from fanny hair or not, so I'll sort that out later. Some brushes are just ridiculous in price.
Having looked at all the shaving shops you could spend a small fortune on stuff but I ain't going there.

Here's a better photie http://www.shaving-shack.com/muhle-r...ety-razor.html

[lxskllr]

The brush I have is from some American outfit, they may not even be around anymore. It's just plain old badger hair with a plastic handle; nothing too deluxe. I think I paid around $10 for it, but that was over 20 years ago.

Edit:
If you don't like that razor for some reason, get a sample pack of different blades. Reading other people's discussions, the different brands can make a huge difference in shave quality/comfort.

[Owens187]

Alright - keep your hair on!

ROFL!!!

The brush I have is from some American outfit, they may not even be around anymore. It's just plain old badger hair with a plastic handle; nothing too deluxe. I think I paid around $10 for it, but that was over 20 years ago.

Edit:
If you don't like that razor for some reason, get a sample pack of different blades. Reading other people's discussions, the different brands can make a huge difference in shave quality/comfort.

+ 1000,000,000!!

Words of wisdom. Some razors just plain dont get along with some blades.

As far as the brush, One of my favorite brushes is a Van Der Hagens Boar bristle brush that I picked up at Rite - Aid for like $5 bucks. You dont need a $200+ dollar brush made from the hairs of a sasquatches nuts to get the job done well, IMHO.

For a cheap brush, once this thing broke in and "bloomed", it turned into a nice, soft, lather building machine! I find myself using it far more often than my (way) more expensive Pure Badger brushes from Omega and The Art of Shaving.(<-- Awesome store by the way.)

And You'll love that razor. I've never tried one with the scalloped safety bar like that. I'm glad you went with a closed comb, I forgot to mention that. For some reason I just do not like the open comb razors. They seem to tug and pull alot, though ymmv. What kind of blades did you order?

[Frosted]

I spotted the closed comb thing (luckily) early on - I'm not normally that bright on the night shift.
The blade thingy is a good shout too.

I've electric shaved for 20 years because I simply didn't get on with blades - I was using all those double bladed Gillette thingies and they just shredded my skin - even the supposedly 'best' ones.
Hopefully I'll not just use the DE to shave my head, but shave my face too. I'm looking forward to it now - especially as the blades are so cheap.

[GoVegan]

Don't forget to mention that many synthetic options for brushes exist.

http://www.thebodyshop.ca/bnewsynshavb.html
http://www.amazon.com/Omega-Clear-Sy.../dp/B000M2FATW

I personally prefer to use shaving cream and don't use a brush at all. I really like Aubrey Organics Men's Stock City Rhythms. Alba also makes some nice stuff. Just remember one thing about the shaving creams in that more does not always equal better. Some of them work best if you apply a very thin layer and will clog you razor if you use to much. Most of all, keep us updated on how DE shaving is working for you and enjoy!

[Owens187]

The rule of creams is use about the size of a pea. Any more than that and clog city, like Vegan said. Shave oils can clog up your brush/razor also, makes them really hard to rinse. I personally prefer soaps, just seem to get more milage out of them.

[Frosted]

Just looking at the reviews on Badger and Blade - it doesn't seem that I can go wrong with this.

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?t=74846

Seems like a successful nights shopping and thanks to you lot.
I'll let you know how I get on for sure.

[Monkey]

Also, barber supply shops are great places to get stuff on the cheap.