- Reaction score
- 2
- Points
- 230
Bzzliteyr said:
I'm being reassigned to a new detachment, so I'll just wait the 7-ish days. My new supervisor is someone I've worked for before, it'll be a lot less authoritative.
The Shaving Superthread- All You Want and More....
- Thread starter shaun_bougie
- Start date
I'm being reassigned to a new detachment, so I'll just wait the 7-ish days. My new supervisor is someone I've worked for before, it'll be a lot less authoritative.
Eye In The Sky
Army.ca Legend
- Reaction score
- 3,780
- Points
- 1,160
Fine for you, but doesn't solve the issues the other sub-ordinates of this particular person and their own personal set of dress regs and DAODs they seem to have devised.
- Reaction score
- 2
- Points
- 230
Eye In The Sky said:
Fair enough, I just meant it more as "My new supervisor will be a lot more help with addressing this issue."
ballz
Army.ca Veteran
- Reaction score
- 444
- Points
- 910
Eye In The Sky said:
It's not the subordinates job to sort out crappy supervisors. That guy has had supervisors their entire career that clearly failed to do their jobs, and now this guy is in a supervisory position. We can't turn around and blame the subordinate for not sticking his own neck out once we have failed and put a guy like this in a supervisory position.
- Reaction score
- 146
- Points
- 710
Technoviking--further to your post a couple of years ago,
https://milnet.ca/forums/threads/4171/post-1382174.html#msg1382174
just got Merkur Model 180 Long Handled Safety Razor via Amazon with Gillette blades:
Seems to work as well as my other razors (was using six from Trac 2 to a Harry's, bit of a hobby); Proraso soap and cream (ShoppersDrug) very good though have just got three others via Amazon for fun, English soap and cream, French soap.
Mark
Ottawa
https://milnet.ca/forums/threads/4171/post-1382174.html#msg1382174
just got Merkur Model 180 Long Handled Safety Razor via Amazon with Gillette blades:
https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B000NL0T1G/ref=pe_3034960_233709270_TE_item
Seems to work as well as my other razors (was using six from Trac 2 to a Harry's, bit of a hobby); Proraso soap and cream (ShoppersDrug) very good though have just got three others via Amazon for fun, English soap and cream, French soap.
Mark
Ottawa
- Reaction score
- 1,411
- Points
- 1,040
I have a short handled Merkur.MarkOttawa said:
The blades are by Astra. I think they are made in Russia. You can get a 100 count for under 10 bucks (US).
My brush is badger hair and was made by a local artisan here in Northern Virginia
My soap, oil and post shave balm is from the Art of Shaving.
My process is complex, but I do this daily:
Hot shower, finish with a nice scrub of my face with water as hot as I can stand.
In the sink, I use hot water (again, as hot as possible) on my face.
I think coat my skin in oil
I lather up the brush. Get that soap really thick.
Lather the face
Shave WITH the grain, followed by against. If it's a special occasion, I'll lather my face up before going against the grain.
COLD water on my face
Post shave balm.
After all this time using a Merkur, I still marvel at how smooth this shave is. And no nicks, no burns, no ingrown hairs.
ballz
Army.ca Veteran
- Reaction score
- 444
- Points
- 910
Recently purchased this shave bowl for lathering up the brush, super beautiful piece and because of the swirl and indentations inside it helps build up a lather super quickly.
http://www.jaysclay.com/project/blue-shaving-bowl/
They actually aren't able to sell them in Canada yet and are currently trying to get something set up with Amazon but I guess there's a bunch of hoops they have to jump through first. But most of us have a friend or two in the US at this point and can work around it.
http://www.jaysclay.com/project/blue-shaving-bowl/
They actually aren't able to sell them in Canada yet and are currently trying to get something set up with Amazon but I guess there's a bunch of hoops they have to jump through first. But most of us have a friend or two in the US at this point and can work around it.
I bought a scuttle in Winnipeg, I love it. http://mudandstonestudio.com/shave-scuttles/
- Reaction score
- 6,240
- Points
- 1,040
Switched to DE shaving a few years ago and never looked back. Aside from shaving burn becoming a thing of the past, also save a ton of money vs cartridge shaving on your monthlies. Figure I save about $15/month on the blades (about $0.48 vs about $16 for the cartridges) and the soaps last longer than the can, so the cost there varies between cheaper and about the same. Also easier to travel with, as I don't have to worry about the can exploding, and the routine only takes me about two minutes longer, but pretty relaxing way to start the morning.
Using a rockwell 6s; instead of adjusting in the handle there are three bases that reverse, so you can select from 6 different settings;
Ended up with a wide selection of soaps, so switch between some of the canadian ones (Soapy Bathman, Henri & Victoria) and a few of the european ones like Proraso and Porto. Switch it around based on what I feel like whichever morning, but they do last a really long time. Generally if I use it daily a standard tub goes for about three months to give you an idea.
If you want more info there is even a big facebook group called 'Canadian Wet Shavers'. Pretty good community of guys, lots of info on getting started. They are enablers though into buying a bunch of extra brushes, soaps, blades etc, which is where it gets expensive.
Using a rockwell 6s; instead of adjusting in the handle there are three bases that reverse, so you can select from 6 different settings;
Ended up with a wide selection of soaps, so switch between some of the canadian ones (Soapy Bathman, Henri & Victoria) and a few of the european ones like Proraso and Porto. Switch it around based on what I feel like whichever morning, but they do last a really long time. Generally if I use it daily a standard tub goes for about three months to give you an idea.
If you want more info there is even a big facebook group called 'Canadian Wet Shavers'. Pretty good community of guys, lots of info on getting started. They are enablers though into buying a bunch of extra brushes, soaps, blades etc, which is where it gets expensive.
- Reaction score
- 1
- Points
- 210
Do you guys have any experience with straight razors, or are safety razors the way to go.
My neck has always been irritated after using a cartridge more than a couple times plus the occasional ingrown hair.
Ive been spoiled with civy u for a few years but its soon back to the real world and would love an option other than cartridges.
Sent from my SM-G920W8 using Tapatalk
My neck has always been irritated after using a cartridge more than a couple times plus the occasional ingrown hair.
Ive been spoiled with civy u for a few years but its soon back to the real world and would love an option other than cartridges.
Sent from my SM-G920W8 using Tapatalk
ballz
Army.ca Veteran
- Reaction score
- 444
- Points
- 910
I have some good lessons learned. I always wanted to use one and I made a few mistakes a long the way. I have thick, coarse facial hair, and pretty sensitive skin, so it's a bad combo, so I've been a diva about shaving ever since joining. I thought a straight razor might be the answer, so I tried to go that route.
I bought a cheap one, and a cheap strop, and it never really could do the job. So I thought it was because I cheaped out. So I bought a more expensive one (Boker... around $150), and it still couldn't do the job right out of the box. In speaking with a guy who sharpens them for a living, he said despite the extra expense, the Boker's factory edge will not be enough.
At this point, if I send it away to get it honed by a professional, I'm buying a good strop for it (so another $150). So I figured, before doing that, I would try double-edge safety razors and since it was only an extra $20 bucks, a shavette / single edge razor (so basically a straight razor, but it takes disposable blades instead). I figured, I know that the blades in the shavette are sharp enough because they aren't even designed to be sharpened, so better to test it like that since it's cheap.
I liked the shavette better than the double-edge safety razor. I always have trouble not tearing my face off with a double-edge safety razor because I can't feel the blade against my skin so it's really hard to tell how steep of an angle it is at. I'm also used to using Mach 4s which obviously are very forgiving whereas a double-edge safety razor is not, and it's hard to break old habits. I am finally ready to take the plunge and send away my actual straight razor to be sharpened / buy a good strop.
All this to say, if you're going to experiment with a straight razor, I recommend experimenting with a shavette / single-edge and disposable blades first. It's a pretty cheap way to get the hang of it and see if you like it before dropping a lot of cash on good stuff.
I bought a cheap one, and a cheap strop, and it never really could do the job. So I thought it was because I cheaped out. So I bought a more expensive one (Boker... around $150), and it still couldn't do the job right out of the box. In speaking with a guy who sharpens them for a living, he said despite the extra expense, the Boker's factory edge will not be enough.
At this point, if I send it away to get it honed by a professional, I'm buying a good strop for it (so another $150). So I figured, before doing that, I would try double-edge safety razors and since it was only an extra $20 bucks, a shavette / single edge razor (so basically a straight razor, but it takes disposable blades instead). I figured, I know that the blades in the shavette are sharp enough because they aren't even designed to be sharpened, so better to test it like that since it's cheap.
I liked the shavette better than the double-edge safety razor. I always have trouble not tearing my face off with a double-edge safety razor because I can't feel the blade against my skin so it's really hard to tell how steep of an angle it is at. I'm also used to using Mach 4s which obviously are very forgiving whereas a double-edge safety razor is not, and it's hard to break old habits. I am finally ready to take the plunge and send away my actual straight razor to be sharpened / buy a good strop.
All this to say, if you're going to experiment with a straight razor, I recommend experimenting with a shavette / single-edge and disposable blades first. It's a pretty cheap way to get the hang of it and see if you like it before dropping a lot of cash on good stuff.
Go with a safety razor. Straight razor shave have too high a learning curve and quote frankly do no better than a good safety razor. A decent Merkel razor will run 35 to 40 dollars and you can get 100 Astra Platinum blades (a decent good quality blade) for about 20 dollars on Amazon. Now you need a shave brush. You can buy the rest at Shoppers Drug mart. The omega boar bristle brush is ok and you can get Proraso Shave soap or real shaving company cream for a couple of bucks. A dish to lather in is an optional but good idea. I used an old small ceramic dish for a while. You will probably spend 100 dollars on setup and not spend a dime for at least a year after probably 2.
Use the Shave brush to get a nice lather on your face and shave one pass with the grain. Depending on your facial hair and how close a shave you need, you may be able to stop there. If not another pass (reapply cream each time) from ear to chin and one from chin to ear will get you a Damn Fine Shave (DFS). A 4th pass against the grain will get most guys to Baby Butt Smooth. Because I have sensitive skin on my neck, I do one pass on my neck and 3 on my face. It prevents most irritation yet gives me a smooth face.
It does take longer than dragging a four blade razor across your face as fast as you can but most people end up enjoying the ritual. A nice sandlewood cream, a smooth face and a nice alcohol based after shave is quite refreshing. It turns a chore into something enjoyable.
Use the Shave brush to get a nice lather on your face and shave one pass with the grain. Depending on your facial hair and how close a shave you need, you may be able to stop there. If not another pass (reapply cream each time) from ear to chin and one from chin to ear will get you a Damn Fine Shave (DFS). A 4th pass against the grain will get most guys to Baby Butt Smooth. Because I have sensitive skin on my neck, I do one pass on my neck and 3 on my face. It prevents most irritation yet gives me a smooth face.
It does take longer than dragging a four blade razor across your face as fast as you can but most people end up enjoying the ritual. A nice sandlewood cream, a smooth face and a nice alcohol based after shave is quite refreshing. It turns a chore into something enjoyable.
- Reaction score
- 6,240
- Points
- 1,040
I have the same coarse hair/sensitive skin combo. I went from always having razor burn all on my throat to it being a pretty rare occasion to have even one or two bumps once I switched to the safety razor.
I know lots of people rave about the boar hair brushes, but I still use an old wilkinson one I picked up at shoppers years ago. Not sure if it's synthetic or horse hair, but does a good job on a variety of different soaps. They are about $20 new compared to $50 or (much) more so not a bad alternative when you get started.
You can check around your town; the local mall has one of the 'personal Edge' stores that is mostly knives, but has a small selection of safety razors. Also, there are lots of Canadian websites as well, and most have starter packages with some blade trial packages. That's a good way to find one you like, as they typically have a selection of 6 different blades with a few of each. The different types are all slightly different so can take some trials and error before you find one that works well for your face. Off the top of my head Fendrihan.ca is one of them, but if you google 'canadian wet shaving online shop' a few should come up so you can compare prices and styles.
Once you have your kit set up, shoppers reliably carries Proraso white and green soaps, which are both pretty solid, and then you can get sucked into the abyss of all the small local 'artisan' soaps and brushes. I now have a stack of about a dozen different soaps that I rotate around based on what I feel like using in the morning, but they don't spoil or anything, so figure I'm good for a few years.
Word of caution though; take your time the first few shaves, or when you try a new blade. I wasn't paying enough attention one morning and took a small chunk out of my chin. The blades are scalpel sharp and some are more flexible than others, so when I tried to go too fast and it caught, first indication was a small tug followed by a bunch of blood. Only happened once, but they are less forgiving than your standard catridge razor.
Once you get used to it though, really weird to grab a can of shave cream and try that, as they are weirdly chemically scented with a strange residue left behind. Plus I miss the ritual of working up a lather and brushing it on. Only takes a minute or so but find the whole process kind of zen.
I know lots of people rave about the boar hair brushes, but I still use an old wilkinson one I picked up at shoppers years ago. Not sure if it's synthetic or horse hair, but does a good job on a variety of different soaps. They are about $20 new compared to $50 or (much) more so not a bad alternative when you get started.
You can check around your town; the local mall has one of the 'personal Edge' stores that is mostly knives, but has a small selection of safety razors. Also, there are lots of Canadian websites as well, and most have starter packages with some blade trial packages. That's a good way to find one you like, as they typically have a selection of 6 different blades with a few of each. The different types are all slightly different so can take some trials and error before you find one that works well for your face. Off the top of my head Fendrihan.ca is one of them, but if you google 'canadian wet shaving online shop' a few should come up so you can compare prices and styles.
Once you have your kit set up, shoppers reliably carries Proraso white and green soaps, which are both pretty solid, and then you can get sucked into the abyss of all the small local 'artisan' soaps and brushes. I now have a stack of about a dozen different soaps that I rotate around based on what I feel like using in the morning, but they don't spoil or anything, so figure I'm good for a few years.
Word of caution though; take your time the first few shaves, or when you try a new blade. I wasn't paying enough attention one morning and took a small chunk out of my chin. The blades are scalpel sharp and some are more flexible than others, so when I tried to go too fast and it caught, first indication was a small tug followed by a bunch of blood. Only happened once, but they are less forgiving than your standard catridge razor.
Once you get used to it though, really weird to grab a can of shave cream and try that, as they are weirdly chemically scented with a strange residue left behind. Plus I miss the ritual of working up a lather and brushing it on. Only takes a minute or so but find the whole process kind of zen.
- Reaction score
- 146
- Points
- 710
US site worth a look--West Coast Shaving:
https://www.westcoastshaving.com/
Mark
Ottawa
https://www.westcoastshaving.com/
Mark
Ottawa
ballz
Army.ca Veteran
- Reaction score
- 444
- Points
- 910
To each their own, I am probably the odd one out but I found the single-edge a lot easier to get used to than the double-edge (which I still don't have the hang of).
Definitely the one part that I never had any trouble getting used to was using a brush / soap instead of shaving cream from a can. No comparison. I started off with the inexpensive Omega brush and Proraso soap from Shoppers Drug Mart. They worked, definitely better than a can... but since moving on to a badger brush and Taylor of Old Bond Street cream, I'll never go back.
For supplies, I always check with markofagentleman.com first, a good ol Canadian company with free shipping on orders over $65.
Definitely the one part that I never had any trouble getting used to was using a brush / soap instead of shaving cream from a can. No comparison. I started off with the inexpensive Omega brush and Proraso soap from Shoppers Drug Mart. They worked, definitely better than a can... but since moving on to a badger brush and Taylor of Old Bond Street cream, I'll never go back.
For supplies, I always check with markofagentleman.com first, a good ol Canadian company with free shipping on orders over $65.
There are lots of options now. House of knives has a shaving section now. Almost everything is cheap online. Taylor of old bond street is great stuff, but their are some really good cheaper options as well. A lot of people swear by a palmolive Shave stick which is - 4 bucks on amazon and I have been using the same 15 dollar bottle of clubman aftershave for more than 2 years.ballz said:
- Reaction score
- 3,106
- Points
- 1,160
Fendrihan is an awesome site with everything you'd ever need, at decent prices.
