I did try this and bought a vintage Gillette butterfly safety razor for use with double edge blades. I persevered with it for a while but I just cut myself to bits every time, no matter how careful I was. Eventually I reverted to Gillette Contour cartridge double blades. A double blade is adequate for me, I'm not keen on these multi blade razors that look like little Venetian blinds.

I fully endorse the use of a good quality brush, it really makes a difference to the shave you get. I use Nivea aerosol gel with it, you only need a bit the size of half a grape to get copious thick lather on the brush. A lot of guys shower after shaving to stop bleeding from cuts - wrong. Always shower/bath before the shave as you skin is then warm and loose, you will be far less prone to cutting yourself and get a much better shave.

I have started to skip days and only shave about three times a week if what I am doing work-wise permits. You get a much better shave and I am sure that the beard growth slows down with less less frequent shaving.

My routine is:
Shower and wash face with some poncey scrub malarkey.
Somerset's shaving oil.
Brush and Nivea gel.
Cold water rinse.
Shave
Nivea after shave balm - cheap and effective.
Alum block for the occasional cut.

I understand that the first fifty years of shaving are the worst.

got to have several options, sometimes there isn't time for the whole shebang ....

I've got a few double-edge safety razors, including a crazy little solid Gillette travel razor that was included in a first-class BOAC kit I got from my father

main double-edge is a classic short-handled Merkur heavy duty bought at a venerable shop in Harvard Square in '83 or '84, never needed another .....

any decent kind of blade is good for me, currently I have a bunch of different Gillette blades, some Astra, etc. ....

got a great English brass Trac 2 handle, and a few Gillette metal Atra handles ....

also a couple of Mach 3 handles

I use the cartridge blades a lot, they work as well as double-edge for me, especially when I'm shaving in the shower, which I often do ....

my preferred canned shaving cream is Gillette Menthol, but I was way into Noxzema Menthol before it disappeared here

as far as wet shaving goes, I like Trumper coconut cream from the tube, also almond and lime ....

brush is a badger Ever-Ready, was NIB vintage from a favorite uncle, butterscotch bakelite handle, never needed another one ....

on gnarly days I'll use some Coral Skin Food as a pre-shave, got into the stuff in fall '82, first bought it at the Andover Shop, which (then) carried a lot of Trumper stuff

Coral Skin Food is nice but the greatest pre-shave stuff ever was the discontinued Floid Sandolor gel from Italy, still have a bottle left, it's liquid gold (though it's blue-green)

some D. R. Harris bay rum aftershave, and assorted rose water, witch hazel, etc., Alcolado Glacial from Curacao, Speick aftershave for nicks, Trumper West Indian Limes cologne is a big favorite, some Weleda aftershave balm in the blue glass bottle, a few others but these are the longtime mainstays, occasionally Speick shaving cream in the tube

Irisch Moos shaving cream in the tube was a big fave before it was discontinued ..... occasionally I'll use some almond Cella cream in the red tub, from Italy

alum block when necessary but that's usually unnecessary, I try not to use it ... I almost always shave before or during my shower or bath and the running water takes care of most nicks ......

softening the skin with warm water and steam before the shave is key but shaving after I'm out of the shower is something I really don't do, I learned to avoid this as a young man ......

as always, there are some products I'm interested in trying, from Germany, Italy, England, USA, and elsewhere, but at various times I had too much stuff on hand and it took me years to use it all, now I know what works for me .....

I can get perfect shaves from any decent gear but there are certain times I feel like taking the time to do it the old-fashioned way, and when the coconut cream and bay rum and limes combine tropically for me I go into a revery

as far as the scents go, I like them light, anything too heavy messes with me severely, that's why i like the limes, it's here and then it's gone, no expectations that it will last, no need for that

i switched to a DE razor about five years ago (mainly due to the cost of the multi-blade cartridges that I was using).  I agree with BB - use a light touch and make multiple passes.  I usually shave after a shower, and use the following:

King of Shaves Oil
Proraso Green Soap
Edwin Jagger DE89L
Jaanese Feather Blades
Boar Brush (still intend to upgrade to a decent badger brush)


Followed by

Alum Block (if required), and Bulldog After Shave stuff.

Last edited by Chet (2018-07-07 01:49:40)

I used DE safety razors from 1954 (irregularly for the first few years) until 1982. When I discovered more modern, disposable razor designs, I forsook the DEs, never to return. The appeal of them in recent years has always been lost on me. Shaving with a straight razor is an admirable masculine skill, however, but I am not sure why anyone bothers. Reminds of me chaps who devote a lot of time and energy to mastering medieval weapons like the broadsword, halberd or battle axe.

When I wet shave, I use Feather or Merkur blades, a badger hair brush, D.R. Harris Windsor soap and eau de toilette.  However, when I use my Gillette Mach 3’s, I still use the Harris soap— it just lifts the whiskers better than the foam crud.