OT- my life has been changed

Battleborn said:

@SGH, my friend,  you have changed my life. While at the barber for my haircut,  I decided to get a straight razor shaved as well. Best shave ever. Next thing you know I will be eating fried anus and cooking in the style of Dixie. 

There is nothing like a good straight shave my friend. Now you need to get where you can do it yourself.  

I have a collection of very nice badger hair brushes (mostly Simpson and Kent), an assortment of English shaving creams and soaps and quite a number of DE razors (both vintage Gillettes and new ones) as well as several brands of DE blades. I even have a few straights, though I never could get the hang of those.

Lasted a couple of years until I came to my senses. What a PITA all that stuff is!! Went back to my Mach 3 and Barbasol and am quite content. BBS shaves in a fraction of the time. Warm lather applied with a brush is much nicer... but I've gotten over it!

northGAcock said:

Carolina Q said:

I have a collection of very nice badger hair brushes (mostly Simpson and Kent), an assortment of English shaving creams and soaps and quite a number of DE razors (both vintage Gillettes and new ones) as well as several brands of DE blades. I even have a few straights, though I never could get the hang of those.

Lasted a couple of years until I came to my senses. What a PITA all that stuff is!! Went back to my Mach 3 and Barbasol and am quite content. BBS shaves in a fraction of the time. Warm lather applied with a brush is much nicer... but I've gotten over it!

Says the guy who cooks his Za in the oven. I have come to the conclusion you are lazy 

Depends on whether or not I consider it worth the effort. Pizza and shaving? Not so much. Though I have egged a few pies lately.

Hans61 said:

@sgh what if one is prone to nasty razor burn what do you recommend?

That’s tough to answer without knowing your shaving set up and skin type. However the sharper the razor the better. It doesn’t pull and hang the skin. This is why I like Feather blades. Nothing is sharper. 
If you are getting severe burn try using an alum block after you shave followed by an alcohol free aftershave balm. Your problem will probably be resolved. 

It can be wet or dry - my skin type is easily irritatable I suppose 

Wait until you get your hands on a Muhle R41

Battleborn said:

The man was right about the awesomeness off a good straight razor shave, may he be onto something with his willingness to eat a good plate of anus.

I’m really glad to hear that you enjoyed it. Buts it’s almost a given that anyone will like it if they would just try it. There is simply no comparison. 
With that said, if you learn to do it yourself, you can enjoy it twice a day or as often as you like. There is just something real rewarding about shaving with a straight. 

Lit said:

Carolina Q said:

I have a collection of very nice badger hair brushes (mostly Simpson and Kent), an assortment of English shaving creams and soaps and quite a number of DE razors (both vintage Gillettes and new ones) as well as several brands of DE blades. I even have a few straights, though I never could get the hang of those.

Lasted a couple of years until I came to my senses. What a PITA all that stuff is!! Went back to my Mach 3 and Barbasol and am quite content. BBS shaves in a fraction of the time. Warm lather applied with a brush is much nicer... but I've gotten over it!

I don’t even own a comb. The towel does my hair. I shave my nuts more than my face. 

I wouldn't use a straight razor for that, but that's just me...

Hans61 said:

@sgh what if one is prone to nasty razor burn what do you recommend?

Always shave with the grain using light pressure. Also, look into Tend Skin. That stuff is magic for me.

So was stopping shaving and just keeping a short beard.

@Hans61 Nice rig right there.  Been using Norelco electrics for over 50 years (yup, old here!).

baychilla said:

SGH said:

DoubleEgger said:

Wait until you get your hands on a Muhle R41

If he is having any type of skin issues he is a long way away from moving to the Muhle R41. It is an open comb razor. Some folks face simply can not tolerate an open comb razor. Especially those with sensitive skin. The big Muhle is simply to aggressive and has to much blade exposure. 
With that said, with a little patience most folks can work their way up to the Muhle in time. However, there are some folks who simply can not. No fault of their own. They just have skin that is to sensitive.  

Is a Merkur 34c a good starter?

That was my first DE razor and it was a good introduction to DE shaving. The Feather DE definitely shaves better - closer, less irritation and fewer nicks - but is in a different price bracket. I used the Merkur for about 5 years before upgrading, wished I had done so sooner to be honest as you can feel the difference straight away.

baychilla said:

SGH said:

DoubleEgger said:

Wait until you get your hands on a Muhle R41

If he is having any type of skin issues he is a long way away from moving to the Muhle R41. It is an open comb razor. Some folks face simply can not tolerate an open comb razor. Especially those with sensitive skin. The big Muhle is simply to aggressive and has to much blade exposure. 
With that said, with a little patience most folks can work their way up to the Muhle in time. However, there are some folks who simply can not. No fault of their own. They just have skin that is to sensitive.  

Is a Merkur 34c a good starter?

Yes, it is a good razor. With that said, an adjustable razor such as the Merkur Futur and the Parker Variant are even better. Why? You can turn the aggressiveness up and down. When you first start shaving you can turn them way down to a very mild setting. As you get accustomed to it you can start turning up the aggressiveness.  
The Merkur Future is a very aggressive razor it’s self when set on its highest setting. It’s still a few steps behind the wicked Muhle R41, however it’s still more aggressive than most want when used on its highest setting. 
It I was forced for some reason to only own one razor, it would be either the Merkur Futur or the Parker Variant due to the flexibility that they both offer. I’m sure that most are surprised that I didn’t pick the coveted Muhle R41. The reason that I didn’t is the day will come that I simply want be able to use the Muhle due to its aggression. Right now the Muhle is certainly my pick and daily driver. But as I get older and older that will certainly change. 

"DE" is what?