Dry shaving would be the very last resort for me. Even plain water is better than nothing.
Help! What shaving razor do you use?
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David Martin
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Yes^. Take the time to do it half way right and you'll get better results. DM
Ironbut
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I started shaving almost sixty years ago with a Gilette safety razor & blue blades. It was either that or a straight razor, so I went with the modern approach. Over the years I went through all the evolutions from double edge, to injector, to cartridge razors, and even tried an electric razor for a couple days. I've been back with a safety razor for about 15 or 20 years now.
Shaving, for me is not some sort of existential experience to be enjoyed. It's simply a chore I have to put up with in order to keep the hair scraped off my face, because I could never stand having a beard. I've found that task to be accomplished most efficiently, and with minimal blood loss, using a long handle Merkur, Feather blades, and Creamo cream.
Shaving, for me is not some sort of existential experience to be enjoyed. It's simply a chore I have to put up with in order to keep the hair scraped off my face, because I could never stand having a beard. I've found that task to be accomplished most efficiently, and with minimal blood loss, using a long handle Merkur, Feather blades, and Creamo cream.
David Martin
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Ironbut
, I don't theorize about shaving and its not a drudgery. Its a good experience for me. I may not look forward to it but I enjoy a good close shave. I went thru the same pattern as you. Using a straight I had to be too careful. Using a double edge helps it go much faster. I really like using my Rolls Razor too. I use Feather blades as well. The blade I'm using now is a year old. Yes I sharpen it. Which gives me some satisfaction on a good shave. This is not for everyone. But I enjoy it. I've found some Feather blades have problems. DM
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1967 Gillette M1 Black Handle Flare Double Tip
I have others I use as well, and recently switched to a Gillette Fatboy adjustable, which I typically use on setting 6.
I have others I use as well, and recently switched to a Gillette Fatboy adjustable, which I typically use on setting 6.
Officer's Match
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I use a Rockwell 6S or a Game Changer .84 with Polsilver blades.
Fried. Dennert 6/8. I think I've had about 300 razors. The dennert was the second I've bought and I've had a lot (including stuff like tanifuji, filarmonica, etc). I've seen razors finished and made as well as the dennert (tanifuji, that is - filarmonica falls short), but none better.
Excitement to buy and try razors outran the excitement in setting up and unloading the giant pile of them.
Excitement to buy and try razors outran the excitement in setting up and unloading the giant pile of them.
I feel like I've done ok in this regard and not over indulged, with 6 razors total, 3 vintage, 3 cheapies.
I shave with them every day and plan to do so as long as possible, with no intention of acquiring more, unless Spyderco comes out with theirs.
I think the chance of someone making a razor that matches, let's say, a 1920s german razor or a 1960s japanese razor is probably pretty limited.
(by that, I mean a japanese razor that copies a western style). They are by far better in minimal alloying, which is by far the worst in hardening and tempering in terms of dimensional stability, and then above and beyond that, the grinding and polishing is not an easily mastered skill.
I have an unhealthy fascination with sharpening everything. I got a message years ago on a razor forum from a "professional honemeister" about having trouble with an S30V razor. The razor was made like a knife, and obviously the carbide issue is well known here. The trouble with S30V or even some things like O1 at mid hardness is that a strop will cause some deflection that you wouldn't get on silver steel or something more plain (like a carbon steel with a tiny amount of mn or something similar). S30V is a no-go, but someone paid 4 figures for the razor from a custom knife maker. I advised the "professional" to use the smallest diamond powder or paste or spray that he could find, don't strop the razor, and tell the buyer never to buy a razor made of any such thing again.
It's a boring answer, but the boring plain inexpensive silver steel rod makes the best razors I've ever seen.
you have much more discipline than me. I"ve probably found many that are a match for my second razor, but none good enough to unseat it. I have one tanifuji that I found for $50 in a proxy auction on japan yahoo, also. It had a tiny chip off of the end of the razor (about a 16th of an inch). I ground it off and repolished the tip - great razor. Most of the rest of what I bought in the indulgence has been groups so that I could at least break even when I cast them off.
(by that, I mean a japanese razor that copies a western style). They are by far better in minimal alloying, which is by far the worst in hardening and tempering in terms of dimensional stability, and then above and beyond that, the grinding and polishing is not an easily mastered skill.
I have an unhealthy fascination with sharpening everything. I got a message years ago on a razor forum from a "professional honemeister" about having trouble with an S30V razor. The razor was made like a knife, and obviously the carbide issue is well known here. The trouble with S30V or even some things like O1 at mid hardness is that a strop will cause some deflection that you wouldn't get on silver steel or something more plain (like a carbon steel with a tiny amount of mn or something similar). S30V is a no-go, but someone paid 4 figures for the razor from a custom knife maker. I advised the "professional" to use the smallest diamond powder or paste or spray that he could find, don't strop the razor, and tell the buyer never to buy a razor made of any such thing again.
It's a boring answer, but the boring plain inexpensive silver steel rod makes the best razors I've ever seen.
you have much more discipline than me. I"ve probably found many that are a match for my second razor, but none good enough to unseat it. I have one tanifuji that I found for $50 in a proxy auction on japan yahoo, also. It had a tiny chip off of the end of the razor (about a 16th of an inch). I ground it off and repolished the tip - great razor. Most of the rest of what I bought in the indulgence has been groups so that I could at least break even when I cast them off.
I don't have enough experience or education with straight steels to have a valid opinion whether current steels can match the pre 40's sraights or not. I tend to agree but have been recently surprised.
I share your sharpening disorder, to the point of potato peelers, scissors, and 90 degree screwdriver tips.
i don't think I'd want a carbide rich steel for a razor based on how much work it takes to get it to shave ready, and between shaves. I've face shaved with s30v, m4, maxamet, and others ,mind you these were with thick knife grinds. They did the job but were much less pleasant than a ~'20s solingen razor, or even a 100 year later chinese no name steel. I'm sure geometry is part of the problem, not sure how much the steels came into play. I do prefer the 100 year old ones to the current chinese made.
I've gone down the rabbit hole with knife steels since trying to replace my 90's benchmade mini afck m2hs, and have recently come to the end of my journey, thanks to Spyderco.
Spyderco has surprised me to no end, so it's only natural for me to try their straight, if they make it.
I'd bet there's some relatively plain rod close to silver steel that could be used, but the target hardness that I've heard for dovo doesn't match the older stuff. It would almost take an industry expert/historian (but I wouldn't be surprised if something like 115crV3 (or whatever the drill rod marketed as silver steel now and 1.15% carbon) would make a good razor.
The older razors seem to have the right steel, the right hardness and great workmanship in spades - I think the reason was simple, and two factors:
* competition and a customer base to compete for (enough money involved)
* a different mindset among skilled craftsmen to do repetitive work and be proud of the quality of it rather than thinking about whether or not their work makes them happy, or they're bored or unappreciated
(I do support people trying things that manufacturers make, though - even if something about sypderco's straight doesn't turn me on, if other people don't buy it, then they won't try it. I think there's potential for some niche makers to exist and mass produce razors without doing goofy things like use steels with large carbides or stuff like carbonsong C135 or whatever thiers issard made - everyone sang its praises at first until a few people had courage to say they didn't like the razors and then all of the sudden everyone else started to admit it).
I tried a whole gaggle of razors with special steels - yasuki (which is good, but at really high hardness, it's different and doesn't respond to the strop the same way), as in something probably similar to white or blue steel, "phoenix" steel (something uddeholm made that was marketed), high tungsten high hardness earlier steels that went through razors for a while and then disappeared. It's a blessing that plain old silver steel type drill rod makes a great razor ,because it's inexpensive. It just takes skill to make things with it.
(I definitely sharpen the peelers - probably already mentioned the scissors, and clean up the screwdriver trips - and burr some of them at the tip like the gunsmiths screwdrivers have so that they don't come out of slotted screws that easily).
The older razors seem to have the right steel, the right hardness and great workmanship in spades - I think the reason was simple, and two factors:
* competition and a customer base to compete for (enough money involved)
* a different mindset among skilled craftsmen to do repetitive work and be proud of the quality of it rather than thinking about whether or not their work makes them happy, or they're bored or unappreciated
(I do support people trying things that manufacturers make, though - even if something about sypderco's straight doesn't turn me on, if other people don't buy it, then they won't try it. I think there's potential for some niche makers to exist and mass produce razors without doing goofy things like use steels with large carbides or stuff like carbonsong C135 or whatever thiers issard made - everyone sang its praises at first until a few people had courage to say they didn't like the razors and then all of the sudden everyone else started to admit it).
I tried a whole gaggle of razors with special steels - yasuki (which is good, but at really high hardness, it's different and doesn't respond to the strop the same way), as in something probably similar to white or blue steel, "phoenix" steel (something uddeholm made that was marketed), high tungsten high hardness earlier steels that went through razors for a while and then disappeared. It's a blessing that plain old silver steel type drill rod makes a great razor ,because it's inexpensive. It just takes skill to make things with it.
(I definitely sharpen the peelers - probably already mentioned the scissors, and clean up the screwdriver trips - and burr some of them at the tip like the gunsmiths screwdrivers have so that they don't come out of slotted screws that easily).
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Last few days I've been test driving this new Razor-Rock Lupo II DC. It has a .72 gap Open Comb side and a .95 Safety Bar side. So far so good - it is extremely nimble around the face, with super low profile top cap and unique extended sides that cover the blade tabs, allowing effortless "trimming" near the ears and nostrils. Not a bad looker either - it ain't replacing my Blackbird, but it is definitely worth keeping in the den.
.95SB side
.72OC side
.95SB side
.72OC side