Wet shaving!

I wouldn't advise cans for shaving cream. Not only is it very environmentally unfriendly, it also contains some terrible chemicals for the skin, leaving the skin dry and shitty. If making a soap lather is difficult for a newcomer of wet shaving, then a shaving cream bowl or paste would be best, as it lathers up much quicker. There shouldn't be an aversion to something new simply because it is difficult, especially when it is absolutely the better, superior option (and cheaper and more environmentally friendly).

 

It's not better for your skin; the actual ingredients are mostly the same or just as bad. Shipping the good shit across the sea uses much more hydrocarbons than in the steel spray can that get recycled while the cheap shaving soap like mug, VDH, and Arko is much worse for you than cans. Time and money? Barbasol is certainly cheaper and is just soap under pressure forced through a sieve and the yellow can with lanolin is no worse for you than Mitchell's wool fat and actually has milder scents.

A lot of this "Soap is totally better" nonsense comes from fedoracore young guys and old farts on YouTube with leather skin who can't make lather themselves like that one prolific wetshaving advocate. Most men switched to cans as they just work better more often and take less time. Most of the criticism of cans also comes from people who dont know how to shave in the first place and don't wet their skin or use enough water; when they started making lather manually is when the learned to shave and they illogically expropriate that back to the angled Schtick injector like cartridges (definitely overpriced) and cans. When I first started shaving, I didn't know you were supposed to rinse off and relather your face for each additional pass!

 

I purchased that exact model, also known as the Parker SRX, and it is not only bad ergonomically, the fit and finish is ... meh. It also has some quirks when it comes to blade holding mechanism. I also really attempted to like shavettes, and got pretty good at it, but the shave was never satisfactory, and chances of a missed patch on second swipe was very likely. Also, some pretty serious occurrences with possible severe injury were avoiding during the use of that shavette. Still have it around, but I use it for purposes other than shaving now XD

My recommendation for a replaceable blade straight razor would be the Feather models, one variation is less aggressive than the other, all of which have custom blade types, with only Feather and two other manufacturers providing them.

 

I am not certain of your budget for a purchase of the Feathers, but I can tell you purchasing from Japanese resellers on Amazon often comes at half the cost of buying from the official distributor in America (as is the case with many Japanese products). I have used the Feather SS version, which is intended for normal users. This came to me at a cost of $80 Canadian. The razor blades themselves come in multiple variety as well, and often last quite a bit more than regular disposable blades. The shaves I've gotten with the Feather are very close, smooth and reasonably pain-free. They are as close to a straight razor without buying a straight razor one can get. It is not in my weekly rotation anymore, since I gave it to my brother, as I had a DOVO at that point. BTW, I do want to say that a straight razor is probably not as high maintenance as one imagines it to be at first glance.

There is also the Feather DX line, which is a more heavy-duty, durable version, with a slightly more aggressive slope (using the same razor blades). This is the model often used by barbers in my area, and is quite a bit more expensive ($350 Canadian). I have not used this version, but once received a professional shave by a barber using one, and it is definitely one of the smoother, sharper blades I've ever tried.

 

Doubled edged razors traditionally have shorter handles than the cartridge and disposable razors that copy the Schick Injector razor angled heads.

 

I guess my earlier post was ... too early to be seen XD So I deleted it and reposting now.

Anyway,

My weekly setup consists of the following:

Edwin Jagger DE89 safety razor (when I require a quick shave, very easy to use)
Astra Superior Platinum blades (one of the smoother DE blades I've ever used)
Dovo Bismarck 6/8 straight razor (originally professionally sharpened, since has been sharpened and maintained by me)
Parker Silvertip Badger Shaving Brush (A fair bit rougher than the typical silvertip, so works well when I haven't shave in a while, also fast lather)
The Copper Hat “The Journey” Grade A Silvertip Badger Shaving Brush (https://thecopperhat.ca/shop/the-journey-grade-a-silvertip-badger-shaving-brush-in-white/)

Pacific Shaving Company Shaving Oil (great and light pre-shave lubrication) and Nick Stick (works well to stop bleeding without the burning of pure Alum block)
Cella Crema Da Barba Shaving Soap with Almond Oil (very stable lather, but takes a lot of time to create, lovely smell)
Taylor of Old Bond Street Jermyn Street Shaving Cream and Pre-Shave Gel (both the gel and cream work wonders with the Edwin Jagger for a quick morning shave)

Aqua Velva Classic Ice Blue
Aqua Velva Original Sport (Canadian Exclusive Green, best smell of the Aqua Velva lineup)
Thayers Rose Petal Witch Hazel Toner (very soft, great smell, and leaves skin very smooth)

I also experiment with homemade aftershaves and toners, which is a fun learning process.

A straight razor, once sharpened professionally the first time, really doesn't need much maintenance. Basically, you keep it dry after use, in a nice towel perhaps (avoid leather holders) or have it handing. You will need a strop to align the blade before and after use, which takes perhaps 2-3 minutes while you wait for the pre-shave oil to penetrate the hair, less so once you are fast enough and have enough practice. Other than that, just common sense with regards to carbon steel (keep it dry, oil it) is enough.

 

double post but cartridge style handle:


BIC dIsposable style handle on an older one from 1935:

 

I have hard water so soap -> lather adds 10 minutes and performs 1-5% better at best if I use good soap (Mitchells, Nivea, the better Taylor's flavors. Arko, VDH, and Mug perform worse than gillete foamy). Also wrist pain from that means no guitar practice.

 

Nah, not loaded, just acquisition through the last 4-5 years. Most of the stuff lather/prep stuff I buy once and lasts be quite a long time. Last time I bought shaving cream/soap was in early 2015, still using the same two bowls. Same for a pack of Astra blades.

Anyway, I use a quality leather strop (so no need for enhancing pastes on the leather) by a brand called "Kanayama Llama", which is really expensive (For a piece of leather). Luckily, it was a gift by an ex, so I did not pay for it out of pocket. Prior to that, I used a $20 leather belt . You can easily get a strop for much less, and it will have the same effect, which is to realign the edge of the straight razor prior to the shave and after. I usually do 30 passes before, and 10-20 passes after on the leather strop. This is really the only maintenance needed. However, this means you should buy your straight razor from a place that sharpens it for you originally, because direct from manufacturer, the straight razor is not shave-ready sharpened.

For yearly upkeep, I purchased the following from Lee Valley: www.leevalley.com/us/wood/page.aspx?p=68943&cat=1,43072 and use the 3micron, 0.5micron, and sometimes the 0.1micron, in that order, in a normal sharpening pattern (plenty of videos out there by professionals) with 4-6 passes per film. I stick the films on a piece of glass, and use water or water mixed with Glycerine, as lubrication for the sharpening. This is an annual thing, and does not need to be a regular thing if stropping is done before and after each shave.

I can safely say that the best shaves I give myself are using the straight razor. There is a tactile smoothness to it, an effortless flow, that no other kind of razor replicates (though the Feather SS and DX come close).

 

Oh that is a lovely razor! The early plastic bakelite handle (or possibly celluloid) is just wonderful! (the brass metal part is nice too )

And about hard water, I would just purchase a big jug of distilled water from the pharmacy section of your big box store, usually no more than $5, and just use that to make lather. I did so when I resided in a particularly crappy area in Texas for a time. Helps cut down the lather process. I wouldn't lather on the face because it reduces the lifespan of the brush, and also is usually not as good a consistency.

 

Precisely why I have more than one of something Just like headphones, sometimes you want to spend half an hour or so on a relaxing shave (straight razor), and sometimes you need a quick fix (cartridge or DE razor).

It's possible you have softer hair or more abundant hair per square centimeter, which helps the brush create better lather. Also, with boar hair brushes, they tend to deteriorate if not taken care of. Synthetic or horse hair does not have that issue though.