The wet shaving thread

asingh

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How do you all create the lather. I do it in a bowl. Will get a skuttle down the line.

@blr_p : that is an awesome brush. You got it shipped here from the US.

@Raghav_K : which Edwin Jagger DE razor you ordered.
 

blr_p

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A friend brought it over.

I have a stainless steel bowl that i use. Easier to whip up and more consistent than face lathering.

^ awesome... will probably go for that. fits my budget :)
It was a popular recommendation on the boards for a starter a cpl of years ago.
 
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Raghav_K

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@jsmithe: i find merkur 38hd, merkur progress, merkur future, and merkur 180 on amazon global... Not able to link as am on mobile... Also try ebay.com and amazon.co.uk or amazon.de

@asingh: i ve ordered de89lbl, as mentioned before :)
 
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Criminal

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Anyone here uses Cutthroat razor?
I bought one for quite cheap + griding stone - but the quality (edge sharpness, and edge straightness) left a lot to be desired.
Hence, went back to using cut throat with disposable blades ...

i use strop instead of grinding stones... gives a neat result. you'll find it much easier to maintain the blade if you sharpen it before and after the shave.
 
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blr_p

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Yes but eventually you're going to have to sharpen it with a grinding stone. Who's going to do that ?
 

asingh

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@jsmithe: i find merkur 38hd, merkur progress, merkur future, and merkur 180 on amazon global... Not able to link as am on mobile... Also try ebay.com and amazon.co.uk or amazon.de

@asingh: i ve ordered de89lbl, as mentioned before :)

I am confused which one to get. the 38D barber pole or the 34C short-handled one. Both are HD -with- the heavy head.
 

Raghav_K

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@asingh:

34C - has a heavy head and a short handle,
180 - has a long handle

38C has both, heavy head and long handle. If you have big hands it makes sense to go for the long handle ones
 
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blr_p

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that happens once or twice in a year.
Who does it ?

Abroad you can send it to people who know what their doing. Over here its DIY, get it wrong and you ruin the blade.

A shavette is no where near the same thing as a real straight.
 
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Criminal

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^^ if one needs external help in sharpening the blade then it's rather easy to do that in india. take it to the guys who sharpen knives and scissors. if they can't do it manually (power grinder shouldn't be used here) then take it to a carpenter. they can fix the blade in minutes.

i am all about DIY and sharpen knives etc at home. for the razor, i use honing stones meant for my chisels. i've got various grinding wheels for my angle grinder and all it takes is one swipe to sharpen knives and scissors. i give the finishing touches (polishing etc) manually.
 

blr_p

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i am all about DIY and sharpen knives etc at home. for the razor, i use honing stones meant for my chisels. i've got various grinding wheels for my angle grinder and all it takes is one swipe to sharpen knives and scissors. i give the finishing touches (polishing etc) manually.
Commendable but knives & scissors are no where as sharp as a razor. The grinding is much more finer i would think.

Test is did you find once you did it that it came back like new ? Post a photo of your straight. What kind is it.
 

Criminal

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^^ it's made of carbon steel (which rusts easily) and is quite easy to sharpen/polish in comparison to shiny stainless steel ones.

mine didn't come pre-sharpened... i don't think there are many straight razors that are factory sharpened.

BTW, knives can be easily sharpened to a great extent... so much so, that you can easily slice a paper strip just like a DE blade would do.
 

blr_p

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^^ it's made of carbon steel (which rusts easily) and is quite easy to sharpen/polish in comparison to shiny stainless steel ones.
Ah, ok. but keeping that blade clean is a hassle. Remember reading a review about some DE blades from Pakistan, reviewer had to remove the blade and submerge in spirit to protect it.

BTW, knives can be easily sharpened to a great extent... so much so, that you can easily slice a paper strip just like a DE blade would do.
Still can't shave with those knives.
 

asingh

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@Raghav_K : Wow you really got a nice razor. It should be good. How you procurred it, and how much it cost you.

Today, I took a trip to Chandni Chowk (40 minutes by metro from house) to look for full metal DE razors. Saw some, they were utterly crap..! It is impossible to get a good razor in India.

Have started to add glycerin (4-5 drops) to the lather mix, and it gives a nice smooth glide to the razor.
 

Raghav_K

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@letmein Amazon.com 48$ including shipping and customs.

My initial review is that the finish is too good and premium, plus the head is so heavy that i did not know how to hold and balance propely :banghead:

The quality of the shave is much smooth and closer than the regular gillete DE razor i used before, especially in the neck areas.
 

asingh

Staff member
Super Mod
Jun 13, 2009
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New Delhi
@letmein Amazon.com 48$ including shipping and customs.

My initial review is that the finish is too good and premium, plus the head is so heavy that i did not know how to hold and balance propely :banghead:

The quality of the shave is much smooth and closer than the regular gillete DE razor i used before, especially in the neck areas.

I guess the 0.00% pressure mantra will work just fine here. ....!