Recent Shaves
I have been using all of the techniques that I've discovered in the last few months, which are as follows:
This combination of techniques has been giving me the most consistent, best shaves that I've seen.
This morning's shave was another good one. Near baby smooth, low irritation, minimal wounds (a couple of pin-point weepers, which is not uncommon for me when I get a close shave).
Hardware
My current-favorite razors have continued to stabilize to just two: the Merkur 15C open comb, and the classic, vintage Gillette Tech c.1948. Because I'm doing uni-shaves, which lack full-face discreet passes, it is not practical to use a finishing razor; a uni-shave calls for a one-razor approach. So I've been tending to use the 15C for the first four shaves with a new blade, and then after that switching to the Tech for the remaining shaves of the blade's life.
My current blade happens to be a Lord Platinum Class, and today was the eighth shave. I must repeat myself by saying that today's shave with the used Lord PC blade in the c.'48 Tech razor and the techniques listed above provided a really nice shave.
Other Products
After today's shave, I had a splash of generic witch hazel, then a touch of alum block on the pin-point weepers. After that I used some Neutrogena after-shave balm for sensitive skin (which is my favorite because of its effect as well as its bouquet) for a soothing, pleasant-smelling touch, and then capped that off with a sealing, non-greasy, unscented moisturizing lotion.
The Art of Shaving Store
It has been said regarding public relations that one shouldn't care what is said as long as they get one's name right. If that's true, then the Art of Shaving chain should like my comments.
They have a small double-edge-razor section, which in my local store seemed limited to a few Merkur and Muhle razors. Their blade selection is also limited. In my opinion, razor and blade options are both woefully inadequate.
Their products are pricey; no bargains there. This is understandable since they have to pay rent not merely for retail space in a shopping mall, which is usually expensive; but they have to pay for space in the most exclusive, high-end shopping mall in my geographical region. This is likely even more expensive.
I envision that those who frequently spend money in this store do so for one or more of the following reasons:
- They are impatient and don't want to wait for products purchased via the Internet to arrive.
- They have so much money that they don't really care about getting good value for their dollar.
- They are ignorant (that is, uninformed) about the variety and value of products available via the Internet.
- They are lonely and desperate for personal contact with the nice-looking ladies who work in these retail stores.
I also found the store to be propagating misinformation. For example, one of their displays said that King Gillette invented the safety razor in 1901. News flash:
- The safety razor was invented long before 1901.
- King Gillette invented the first practical, disposable double-edge razor blade and the related design for the DE razor, not the safety razor.
I was also told that a benefit of a double-edge shave is that it is less irritating than a multi-bladed cartridge-style razor. For me, this is patently false. For example, used properly, even a lowly Trac-II style razor gives an excellent, non-irritating shave -- so much so that I can use common bath soap or even just water alone as a shave lubricant to get a close, comfortable shave. However, to do so requires some skill, which I acquired through DE shaving. I must admit that I have no experience with triple-bladed (or more) razors, so those might be more irritating, though I doubt it. They also didn't mention that disposable razors are less ecologically responsible and much more expensive than DE shaving, in which the razor is not discarded and the blades can be recycled.
If I go back to my local Art of Shaving store, it will only be to flirt with that pretty clerk.
Happy shaving (and flirting)!
Pretty clerks, you say? Hm... I wonder if they'd hire me. For some of us, at least, the statement about relative comfort is true. As always, though, I will inevitably be baited into confirming that my face is still peeled by fixed-angle shaving, because my prep has advanced recently.
ReplyDeleteMy last shave of 2015 was with a new Lord Platinum. Still trying to recover from it. I've moved it to the "avoid at all cost" list. Glad it works for you. I think sometime in the future it might be interesting to work on what it would take to make my under performers actually work for me.
ReplyDeleteI will say that the Weishi 9036F has been a great investment this year. It's now become my everyday razor. Liked it so much I bought two more for the son in laws. Thanks for the recommendation!