OT: Ping SGH - a shaver for you? :OT

SGH

fishlessman said:

i kept it simple

wacker blade with  buffalo handle, sometimes you have to sacrifice a buffalo

moss scuttle with a gas fired waterfall glaze and a german shavemac silvertip

tony miller heirloom strop, black side is steer, other side is horse

belgian blue/yellow coticule

I had a hunch that you were a real shaver. I’m glad to see this. You just became my new forum favorite.  

SGH

FarmingPhD said:

Was inspired by your comments on the Merkur Futur and it arrived yesterday.  Been using a 34c and an omega boars brush for at least 5 years.  The boars brush once broke in is great for soap shaving.  First shave with the futur was solid.  Working my way into the aggressiveness and started with silver blues so I didn’t shed too much blood.  Feathers will come later.......

Congratulations my friend. The Merkur Futur is a beast in its own right. It’s only a step or so away from the wicked Muhle R41 when used on its highest setting. A man can go through his whole life with just the Futur and never really miss a thing. It’s that versatile. It and the Parker Variant are two of the best all around razors on the market right now.  
I know I praise and speak highly of the R41, but it’s a one trick pony. Granted it performs that one trick without equal or peer, but the Futur and Variant are better all around razors. Their adjustability makes  them Cadillacs to Corvettes and everything in between. Hard to go wrong with them.  

fishlessman

SGH said:

fishlessman said:

i kept it simple

wacker blade with  buffalo handle, sometimes you have to sacrifice a buffalo

moss scuttle with a gas fired waterfall glaze and a german shavemac silvertip

tony miller heirloom strop, black side is steer, other side is horse

belgian blue/yellow coticule

I had a hunch that you were a real shaver. I’m glad to see this. You just became my new forum favorite.  

my camp razor is a hoffritz  made by dovo back in the 30's much sharper edge. i believe dovo makes the merkur but not sure.  i dont shave the wole face any more, keep a short trimmed beard and just shave the neck and uper trim line. ice fishing on wind blown lakes and shaving dont mix

GlennM

My care package just arrived

SGH

GlennM said:

My care package just arrived

Awesome brother. I have another one that should arrive between now and Friday. 

Hoster05

all these posts have given me some inspiration and I have rocked a beard for almost 10 years now.  I understand a beginner should use the futur.  what else!?!?!?!

Eoin

ColbyLang said:

SGH said:

ColbyLang said:

I can’t use those Feather Blades. They literally remove a layer of skin off of my face. Nice haul of gear you got in the mail tho! 

What razor are you using if I may ask?

Using a Muhle R89. 

If you have a specialist supplier who will give advice as well as sell you stuff, you can ask for a razor with a less aggressive setup. For me, Feather is the only blade to use as my beard is coarse - less sharp blades pull at the hairs more. I now use a Feather DE razor, which is milder, but does a really good job if your angle is right (steeper than with other razors) without any cuts. With my previous Merkur 34C, I would get frequent nicks and a bit of razor rash on the neck. Not with the Feather DE.

I always used to face lather as well. After Scottie's explanation on getting a really good lather, I'm working on this now and find that the shave is so much smoother if you work the soap into a proper lather before applying. The smoothness with a really good lather has got me tempted to try a more aggressive razor now, as the cushion from the lather definitely protects from cuts and rash.

Legume

SGH

Hoster05 said:

all these posts have given me some inspiration and I have rocked a beard for almost 10 years now.  I understand a beginner should use the futur.  what else!?!?!?!

I’m at the oyster bar right now. When I get home I will answer this in depth for you my friend. 

SGH

Hoster05 said:

all these posts have given me some inspiration and I have rocked a beard for almost 10 years now.  I understand a beginner should use the futur.  what else!?!?!?!

For the record, in no way is the Futur strictly a beginners razor. Quite the contrary. The Futur is used by hardcore, rogue shavers as well. Let me explain the allure of the Futur. 
First, it’s an adjustable razor. What this means is it’s aggressiveness can be turned up and down by a simple turn of a knob. On its lowest setting it is a very mild razor which does make it safe for newbies. It also makes it great for tight spots where a more aggressive setting or razor would cause issues. Due to being able to turn the Futur down, it makes for a great daily shaver as well. 
Second, on its highest setting the Futur is only a few steps behind the wicked Muhle R41 in terms of aggressiveness. Simply put, it’s a wrecking machine only slightly behind the R41. That’s the beauty of the Futur. It’s like owning several razors in one. A simple turn of the knob and it’s aggression goes up or down.
The only complaint that you see with the Futur is its sheer size. It’s a giant in the razor world. However if you have large hands and a big broad face, it’s large size is actually an advantage. However if you have small hands and a small face with odd angles, then the Futur is probably to large and bulky for you to use comfortably and proficiently.
On that note, this is why I always mention the Parker Variant anytime that I mention the Futur. It’s a tad smaller than the Futur but the full equal in every other way that matters. Truly a spectacular razor. I always tell folks who ask me about a razor to go with either the Futur or the Variant just depending on their hand and face size. They are the two best adjustable razors on the market right now.
Just to show the sheer mass of the Futur, here it is flaked by a few razors. From left to right:
The Vikings Blade Vulcan. One of the largest and heaviest DE razors available.
The Merkur Future.
The great and powerful, Muhle R41.
Captains Choice.

At first glance, the large Vulcan looks like it’s the bigger razor due to its length. But when you look closer at the head, the sheer size of the Futur becomes undeniably clear. 
Futur head vs Vulcan head:

Futur head vs the mighty Muhles head:

For the record, this is the only instance where the Muhle is overshadowed. When it comes to sheer aggressiveness, the Muhle R41 stands head and shoulders above the rest of the pack. 
Futur vs Captains Choice head. 

As you can clearly see from the above photos, the Futurs head dwarfs all the others. To say that it’s large is an understatement. This is why I always recommend the Variant as an alternative to the Futur. 
If you have small to normal hands as well as a small to normal face, the Variant is a better choice. However, if you have hands and a face that is large, the Futur is a tough act to follow. 
Here is a piece of advice that I probably should not offer for safety reasons. But I’m going to do it for information, not as advice. To anyone who owns a Futur and would like to know what it is like to shave with a Muhle R41, simply shim your Futur twice and set it on its highest setting. The double shims and highest setting will put the Futur right on par with the R41 in terms of aggression. Try this at your own risk. You have been warned my friends. 

SGH

Eoin said:

ColbyLang said:

I always used to face lather as well. After Scottie's explanation on getting a really good lather, I'm working on this now and find that the shave is so much smoother if you work the soap into a proper lather before applying. The smoothness with a really good lather has got me tempted to try a more aggressive razor now, as the cushion from the lather definitely protects from cuts and rash.

I’m glad to hear that you are making the transition from face to bowl lathering. Once you learn to make a proper lather in a bowl, there is simply no going back to face lathering for DE shaving. 
Just to reiterate what I have already said many times, there is nothing wrong with face lathering if you are getting the results that you want and like. I sneak in a face lather from time to time simply to save time or simply for the sake of change. 
But with all that said, I stand by my statement that a face or puck latherer can not achieve the same lather that I can build in a bowl or scuttle. This in not sentiment, it’s simply a fact. Once you master bowl lathering, the sky is the limit on what kind of lather you can build. You can build a wet, dry or neutral lather in a bowl. And you can do it at will once you get your technique down. This is not so for face and puck lathering. You can also build uberlathers, superlathers, and custom lathers in a bowl. In no way can you truly replicate this on the puck or face. 
There is a sole exception where face or puck lathering is the equal of bowl lathering and I will share it here. Straight razor shaving. Why you ask? When straight shaving due to the size, shape, thickness and angle of the blade and edge, cushion does not matter. Only slickness. Thus a thin, watery lather produced from the puck or on the face is just as good or even slightly better than the large, explosive lathers I make for DE shaving. For DE shaving you need slickness and cushion due to the thinness, flex and extreme sharpness of the blade. For straight shaving, slickness is just about all that matters. Cushion brings nothing to the table for straight shaving. However for DE shaving it makes all the difference in the world. You said it yourself above. Now that you have been building better lathers with more cushion, you nicks and cuts have went away. 
I hope the above helps anyone who reads it. And as always, shave on my friends.  

SGH

@RRP
Thinking of you ole buddy  

DMW

SGH said:

@RRP
Thinking of you ole buddy  

Those razors look first class, but what is the fabric in the background? Because that might be even more interesting,

SGH

DMW said:

SGH said:

@RRP
Thinking of you ole buddy  

Those razors look first class, but what is the fabric in the background? Because that might be even more interesting,

Glad that you noticed the fabric, I really put a lot of thought into it. It’s a 5 dollar tablecloth from Kmart. No joke. 

SGH

@RRP
Got a delivery today. Care to guess what’s in there

SGH

I will save you the suspense ole buddy. 

SGH

I have been trying not to shave until New Years. But the temptation is getting hard to fight.  

Eoin

@sgh I use an Aloe after shave balm, works nicely.

Got a really thick lather today, put a small amount of cream in with the wool fat soap. The problem is that with the relatively mild Feather razor, the cushion was so good that I felt that I have lost a bit of bite on the razor. I'm thinking that a more aggressive razor might work better with a really good lather.

Carolina Q

I was into this nonsense for a couple of years. Then, it was like someone flipped a switch and suddenly, poof... gone! No interest at all. 

I must have a couple dozen creams and soaps stored away. DR Harris, Kent, Trumper, Taylor, Tabac, Proraso, more I'm sure. Soaps are still good, I imagine the creams are dried up.

Three very nice Simpson badger brushes, three Kents too, and an Edwin Jagger. Half a dozen vintage Gillette DE razors, some adjustable. Also, an Edwin Jagger Chatsworth razor, couple Merkurs (a slant and a standard 34C). The old Gillettes were the best. Never heard of Muhle until here... on a grilling forum!

My favorite brush, the Simpson Tulip T2 (along with the EJ Chatsworth).


Missing a Kent and the T2 from the family portrait, but here are most of the brushes...


Even picked up a nice Thiers-Issard, but I never learned to use a straight.
Now, I'm back to what I used in my pre-zealot days, a Gillette Mach 3 and Barbasol (no pics ). 3 minutes, no cuts, no risk of razor burn, no expensive creams or soaps, no converting £ to $ to place UK orders...
done.

If you guys get me back into this shaving nonsense again, I'm gonna be pissed!

SGH

Carolina Q said:

I was into this nonsense for a couple of years. Then, it was like someone flipped a switch and suddenly, poof... gone! No interest at all. 

I must have a couple dozen creams and soaps stored away. DR Harris, Kent, Trumper, Taylor, Tabac, Proraso, more I'm sure. Soaps are still good, I imagine the creams are dried up.

Three very nice Simpson badger brushes, three Kents too, and an Edwin Jagger. Half a dozen vintage Gillette DE razors, some adjustable. Also, an Edwin Jagger Chatsworth razor, couple Merkurs (a slant and a standard 34C). The old Gillettes were the best. Never heard of Muhle until here... on a grilling forum!

My favorite brush, the Simpson Tulip T2 (along with the EJ Chatsworth).


Missing a Kent and the T2 from the family portrait, but here are most of the brushes...


Even picked up a nice Thiers-Issard, but I never learned to use a straight.
Now, I'm back to what I used in my pre-zealot days, a Gillette Mach 3 and Barbasol (no pics ). 3 minutes, no cuts, no risk of razor burn, no expensive creams or soaps, no converting £ to $ to place UK orders...
done.

If you guys get me back into this shaving nonsense again, I'm gonna be pissed!

That’s a very nice collection. You should start using it again. 

SGH

Eoin said:

@sgh I use an Aloe after shave balm, works nicely.

Got a really thick lather today, put a small amount of cream in with the wool fat soap. The problem is that with the relatively mild Feather razor, the cushion was so good that I felt that I have lost a bit of bite on the razor. I'm thinking that a more aggressive razor might work better with a really good lather.

When you build a “thicker” lather, it certainly has more cushion. The thicker it is, the more cushion it will have and vice versa. With that said, you can build your lather thinner (more water) to decrease the cushion a little. Or, and even better, you can certainly step up to something like the Muhle R41. If you step up to the Muhle, you will want all the cushion that you can get. 
One other thing that you can do is shim your razor to make it more aggressive. One shim will make a big difference in terms of its aggressiveness. 
For the record, I hope you go with the Muhle 

SGH

Carolina Q said:

Even picked up a nice Thiers-Issard, but I never learned to use a straight.

Very nice razor. It’s hard to tell from a pic, is it 5/8 or 6/8? 

Carolina Q

@SGH, 6/8

SGH

Carolina Q said:

@SGH, 6/8

Awesome brother.  

SGH

Ron, what can I say other than WOW!! This stuff is explosive. Look at that lather my friend. If you didn’t know better, you would almost think that I knew what I was doing. 

KABOOM!!!!  

That right there will make a man want to break down and shave.

SGH

Ron, check this out. I have been honing my lathering skills in anticipation of the Big Shave come New Years. I know that you have seen some tremendous lathers with great peaks, but this just may be the granddaddy of them all. 

That my friend is some serious peaks by any measure or standard. 

Eoin

Carolina Q said:8

I was into this nonsense for a couple of years. Then, it was like someone flipped a switch and suddenly, poof... gone! No interest at all. 

I must have a couple dozen creams and soaps stored away. DR Harris, Kent, Trumper, Taylor, Tabac, Proraso, more I'm sure. Soaps are still good, I imagine the creams are dried up.

Three very nice Simpson badger brushes, three Kents too, and an Edwin Jagger. Half a dozen vintage Gillette DE razors, some adjustable. Also, an Edwin Jagger Chatsworth razor, couple Merkurs (a slant and a standard 34C). The old Gillettes were the best. Never heard of Muhle until here... on a grilling forum!

My favorite brush, the Simpson Tulip T2 (along with the EJ Chatsworth).


Missing a Kent and the T2 from the family portrait, but here are most of the brushes...


Even picked up a nice Thiers-Issard, but I never learned to use a straight.
Now, I'm back to what I used in my pre-zealot days, a Gillette Mach 3 and Barbasol (no pics ). 3 minutes, no cuts, no risk of razor burn, no expensive creams or soaps, no converting £ to $ to place UK orders...
done.

If you guys get me back into this shaving nonsense again, I'm gonna be pissed!

Why would you pay $$$ for Mach 3 when you can buy Feather DE blades for less and already have the razors?

Carolina Q

Eoin said:

Why would you pay $$$ for Mach 3 when you can buy Feather DE blades for less and already have the razors?

@Eoin, If you look at it that way, I should just use the straight. I wouldn't even have to buy DEs!

For me, shaving is a pain. I can be done with a Mach 3 shave in just a couple of  minutes and the result is comparable. Takes far longer with a DE.

I never get razor burn or nick myself with a Mach 3. Never. And I don't even have to pay attention!

Of all the DE brands I used, I liked Feather the least. Though I realize the brand wasn't your point.

Oh, and you forgot to factor in the cost of the styptic pencil! An occasional requirement with a DE, even with experience.

M3 cartridges are expensive though, I'll give you that.

FarmingPhD

Carolina Q said:

Eoin said:

Why would you pay $$$ for Mach 3 when you can buy Feather DE blades for less and already have the razors?

@Eoin, If you look at it that way, I should just use the straight. I wouldn't even have to buy DEs!

For me, shaving is a pain. I can be done with a Mach 3 shave in just a couple of  minutes and the result is comparable. Takes far longer with a DE.

I never get razor burn or nick myself with a Mach 3. Never. And I don't even have to pay attention!

Of all the DE brands I used, I liked Feather the least. Though I realize the brand wasn't your point.

Oh, and you forgot to factor in the cost of the styptic pencil! An occasional requirement with a DE, even with experience.

M3 cartridges are expensive though, I'll give you that.

The time is the killer for me as well.  By time I jump in the shower at 10p to 12a, I’m beat a lot of times and just want a quick shave.  I still use my DE, I just use a shave gel in the shower because it holds on my face better in the humidity.  Weekends and date nights get the full shave routine for a clean look and usually the most time I get to spend with my wife.  Like your brush lineup, I’m afraid to buy a really nice one that I’ll start a new bad habit, already have egging and woodworking.

FarmingPhD

SGH said:

Ron, check this out. I have been honing my lathering skills in anticipation of the Big Shave come New Years. I know that you have seen some tremendous lathers with great peaks, but this just may be the granddaddy of them all. 

That my friend is some serious peaks by any measure or standard. 

All those pretty pictures but didn’t share the recipe?