Last revised 11/22/07 – Method Shaving link

NOTE: My comprehensive beginner’s guide to gourmet shaving is now available as a trade paperback: Leisureguy’s Guide to Gourmet Shaving: Shaving Made Enjoyable. The book is a reorganization and substantial expansion of the information provided in the blog, and provides all the information needed to make the transition to shaving with a safety razor and double-edged blade. It includes many links to resources on the Web, including a list of vendors. A great gift for friends who are thinking of making the switch to traditional shaving.

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You may want to begin by reading the post that started me down this path. It’s not so comprehensive as the book, but it contains more information than this brief post.

Should the experiment in shaving with a double-edged razor not work out for you, you can readily find buyers for your equipment and supplies on the ShaveMyFace and Badger & Blade selling forums. Indeed, you might be able to pick up some of your equipment there—along with good advice. For example, here’s a basic budget starter kit for the newbie on a tight budge (a student, for example). If you pick the cheapest option in every category, the total cost is only $35.25, including the sampler packet of blades. That’s the cost of ten disposable Fusion catridges.

Normal budget

$30.00 Merkur Hefty Classic (“HD”)
$12.00 Blade sampler packs (see below)
$06.00 Musgo Real Glyce Lime Oil Soap
$30.00 Edwin Jagger Best Badger brush (no VAT for export)
$10.00 Proraso Shaving Cream (see comment)
$09.50 QED shaving soap or shaving stick (your choice of fragrance)
$00.00 Lathering bowl (deep cereal bowl—approx 5″ across, 3″ deep)
$03.00 Glycerine (at local Whole Foods, health-food store, or drugstore)
$04.00 My Nik Is Sealed (styptic liquid in roll-on applicator)
$03.00 Alum block
$13.00 Dominica Bay Rum (but see balm option below)

$135.50 total, before shipping and any sales tax—that is, about the same as a new Gillette Fusion razor and 27 of its disposable cartridges. You might save a bit if you check out eBay to pick up a Gillette Super Speed in good condition. There’s general agreement that the 1940s version is the best of the lot—here’s a photo of one (click photo to enlarge). If you prefer a razor with a larger handle, the Edwin Jagger razors have the same head as the Merkur HD (though with additional polishing and Jagger-specified chrome or gold plate) but larger handles. They are quite elegant and excellent razors.

Novices fail to realize that the quality and closeness and comfort of the shave is due about 30% to the razor and 70% to the blade. Because the blade is disposable and cheap, the novice focuses on the more obvious and expensive razor. But the razor—once you have your technique developed—is not so important as the blade.

Because each brand of blade has those who love it and those who hate it, you must try a variety of brands to see which one(s) will work for you. Do not neglect this step. If you just pick a brand of blade and stick with it, it’s possible that you will decide traditional shaving is hopeless for you, when the only problem is that the brand of blade you’re using doesn’t work for you. You will be amazed at the differences you experience from brand to brand—and also amazed that the brand you find is smooth, sharp, and comfortable strikes some as shaving with a cheese grater. The link above takes you to a post providing complete information about the currently available sampler packs, including for each pack the contents and the price per blade.

The Musgo Real Glyce Lime Oil Soap is specifically made as a pre-shave soap. Wash your beard and partially rinse with a splash of warm water, then lather. It makes a noticeable difference in the quality of the shave.

The styptic liquid My Nik Is Sealed is much nicer than a styptic pencil and leaves no white deposits on your face as the pencil does. It will quickly stop bleeding from a nick.

The alum bar is a wonderful face treatment at the end of the shave (more info at the link). For some reason, a number of men seem to be trying to use a styptic pencil sideways in lieu of an alum bar. This is highly misguided: different substance. Get the alum bar.

Use the glycerine as your every-pass pre-shave: rub just a small amount over your wet beard before lathering for each pass. You can read more about this technique in the main shaving post.

You’ll notice I included both a shaving cream and a shaving soap. You might as well practice with both. Proraso is a popular shaving cream, though some men’s skin does not do well with the Proraso eucalyptus-menthol formula, especially in the winter months. So you might want to go ahead and spring for the Taylor of Old Bond Street Avocado Shaving cream (see alternate kit below).

QED’s shaving sticks are soap in stick form: you rub the stick all over your wet beard against the grain, then use a wet shaving brush to build the lather directly on your face. The Mocha-Java shaving stick is particularly delectable. If you prefer soap in a tub, let me recommend Special 218. When you order, it’s easiest to email or call Charles directly (email: qed@quod.com; phone (401) 433-4045).

For an aftershave, Bay Rum is a classic. OTOH, you might prefer a moisturizing balm after you shave, and Neutrogena Razor Defense ($6.00) is available at your local drugstore. Generally speaking, a balm is soothing, an aftershave bracing, so you choose the effect you want.

And, as mentioned above, you should check out the selling threads in ShaveMyFace and Badger & Blade.

There are, of course, options in the other direction—e.g., getting the HD in gold instead of chrome ($40, but very nice).

Only the best

$30.00 Merkur Hefty Classic (“HD”)
$12.00 Blade sampler packs
$06.00 Musgo Real Glyce Lime Oil Soap
$75.00 Rooney Style 3 Small “Super” brush
$13.50 Taylor of Old Bond Street Avocado shaving cream
$09.50 QED shaving soap (pick the fragrance you like)
$00.00 Lathering bowl (deep cereal bowl—approx 5″ across, 3″ deep)
$03.00 Glycerine (from Whole Foods, health-food store, or local drugstore)
$04.00 My Nik Is Sealed (styptic liquid in roll-on applicator)
$03.00 Alum block
$13.00 Dominica Bay Rum (note balm option below)

This amounts to around $169.00 before shipping and sales tax, depending on which size Emperor brush you choose. About 64 disposable Fusion cartridges—and this really is an exceptional collection. After much thought, I changed this recommended kit: instead of the Vision, which turns out to be more than most novices want to deal with, I’m sticking with the HD. If you want something a bit more posh, try an Edwin Jagger razor.

I recommend a Rooney brush. I personally prefer the Style 2 super to the Style 3 listed above, but the Style 3 Size 1 (small) seems to have more general appeal. If you want to splurge, you can get the Rooney Style 2 Small Finest, at $210. It is somewhat more resilient than the Super Silvertip, and has a longer loft than the Style 3. The Finest also has almost pure white bristle ends.

For an alternate, check out the 22mm Silvertip brush from Superior Brushes. You get to specify color and style of handle, and it’s quite a nice brush at a good price.

As above, I included both shaving cream and shaving soap/stick. See above for ordering from QED.

Regardless of your first razor, I recommend that your second razor be the Merkur Slant Bar ($30.00). It should be a second razor because it requires a light touch and a sure hand, so you should be an experienced wielder of the safety razor before using it. Sharp blades work wonderfully well in it. For me, the ideal combination is the Slant Bar with an Astra Superior Platinum. The Slant Bar with a sharp blade is the ideal tool if you have a thick, wiry beard and sensitive skin. Read more about it here, including an explanation of why it works so well. You can also get the Slant Bar in gold for $40.

In learning how to use the shaving tools, you will find the series of videos made by Mantic to be quite helpful. Use those to complement the information your read in this post and in the comprehensive guide.

J.M. Fraser’s Shaving Cream is very good and also inexpensive. It has a light lemony fragrance, creates a good lather, and gives a fine shave (scroll down at the link). It is somehow particularly effective at softening the beard. This shaving cream would work with either of the collections above.

When you decide to get a second aftershave, I recommend Thayers Witch Hazel (alcohol free), which you can find at Whole Foods and in various health-food stores in a variety of fragrances (see at the link). Or get Thayers Extra Strength Aftershave with Aloe Vera—a great aftershave for traveling, since it has no fragrance.

Eventually you’ll want to try other shaving creams and shaving soaps. The general guide provides some options for these, and don’t overlook the artisanal shaving soaps. These are really wonderful and create great lather.

Target has a fine selection of inexpensive bowls that make good lathering bowls. Look in the housewares section, next to kitchen equipment. Or you can use a cereal bowl you already have. It’s best if the bowl’s interior is a relatively dark color: that makes it easier to see and judge the lather.

Another option altogether: Method Shaving

It was quite a while before I tried a Method Shave, and when I did, I was stunned at what a good shave I got. You can read about my experience, and I certainly encourage you to give it a try. Like everything in shaving, YMMV, but my own experience was extremely positive. I don’t necessarily cotton to the jargon, but the shave itself is jargon-free and quite good. Something in the products really produces a fully prepped beard and well-protected skin. At the link, you’ll find also Mantic’s three videos on Method Shaving. It’s definitely worth a try.

The razor recommended for Method Shaving is the Merkur Hefty Classic (“HD”), though the Edwin Jagger Chatsworth or Georgian would certainly work as well: just a more finished Classic head with a better (in my opinion) handle. The Shavemaster Brush would make the lathering a bit easier (see link in previous paragraph), and the supplies are pure Method from Enchante: Cube, Shaving Paste, Activator, Cutting Balm, Aftershave Conditioner, and Aftershave Tonic. In my opinion, the Method should definitely be a component of your shaving portfolio of practices.

For samples of a variety of shaving products, check out this comprehensive list of sources.

Use the ShaveMyFace and Badger & Blade and The Shave Den forums to get help with specific details—for example, if you have what is known technically as “Kirk Douglas chin”: a deep dimple in the middle of the chin, difficult to shave; or if you have extra-sensitive skin that’s prone to break out when you use regular shaving products; or if you have a problem with skin irritation when you shave your neck; and so on. All these problems are more are discussed and, generally, solved via the pooled experience of the shavers in the forums.

Let me know if you have any questions. Good shaving!