Wet shaving!

The Ikons and the 6S are customizable in totally different ways. The Ikon is going to have a set gap, whether it has a standard head or a slant. It's also a more aggressive razor, so it would not be my first recommendation. The 6S enables one to change the gap by changing the base plate, but it's pretty impractical to adjust the base plate in the middle of shaving. Both will have set gaps in actual use, unlike a true adjustable. Don't buy the 6S if you want an adjustable: buy an adjustable instead. My advice is to choose either a high quality set gap razor with a middle-of-the-road head (ATT Kronos R1) or a very good adjustable (Mergress). Best luck!

 

I don't want to adjust mid shave. I was thinking more so that I could dial in what works for me without having to buy 3-4 different razors. I will look into the ATT and try some milder blades in the meantime.

They gave me Lord blades when I started and they were rubbish. I may have gone too far in the other direction by switching to Feathers. I am going to pick up some Astra's and try again.

 

I did finally get around to trying the Proraso shave cream, and holy hell, that shit is a miracle worker compared to everything else I've ever tried. I legit get a closer shave, just one pass is plenty now for me, and its less irritating. I also just lather it on my face, I dont have a brush or anything, itd probably work even better than way.

 

It's the only thing I've ever used, and I can't find a compelling reason to stop. Affordable, widely available, smells good, and does a fine job.

In care you weren't aware, it's available at Bath and Body Works under a different name. Watch out for coupons and the stuff is dirt cheap.

http://www.bathandbodyworks.com/product/?productId=2257431

 

I still think a Gillette adjustable from the late 50's to early 70's is the ultimate DE razor. A Gillette "Fat Boy" can be had without the original case for around $50, maybe double or triple with the case. A slim adjustable maybe a little less, but I prefer the heft and knurling of the Fat Boy. A little metal polish, a toothbrush, and/or an ultrasonic bath will leave these sparkling like almost new. Beautiful machining and weight for less than an adjustable Merkur. If you would prefer a longer handle, the Gillette adjustable "Black Beauty" may fit the bill.



An old timer on Badger and Blade warned me to always loosen the Gillette adjustable TTO (Twist To Open) mechanism before changing the blade gap. Apparently to put less stress on the adjustment mechanism.

With 9 being the most aggressive, I use 7 to go with the grain, 5 to go across the grain, and 3 to go against the grain, for a 3 pass shave.

I consider Gillette adjustable's the pinnacle of DE shaving, magnificently engineered, built like a tank, can be tailored to almost any face or skin type, user friendly, and has a nostalgic charm that just works. Hard to believe a 60 year old razor can still run circles around a modern multi-blade in the right hands.

 

Not sure if they still do it but when I first heard of them they weren't recommended due to them using a "gold dollar" razor, adding nice scales and selling it at ridiculous prices.

 

Not really, you can find one as cheap as $5 but they're a pain in the ass to hone.

Even Maggard doesn't hone them anymore.

 

They are usually stainless steel, and a really tough alloy at that. The $10 blade-only one I purchased from distributor took a tool grinder to give it an edge before I was able to hone it on sharpening stones. If you get them "shave-ready" they'll do a good job with normal maintenance for about 2-4 months. I'd definitely avoid them given the choice.

 

I've always been interested in the kamisori straight razors since the majority are made of steel, thick, and are one solid piece (non-foldable) but a con they have is the asymmetrical bevel and the higher price tag in comparison to the traditional SR.

Brad from Maggard's (the guy who does their restoration and honings) has been having issues with Thiers-Issard lately with QC and compared the honing process to be similar to Gold Dollar razors.

Of the two places that sell SR that seem to stand by the stuff they sell Maggard's is one option and another option is Straight Razor Designs, that being said I'd probably get my first from this guy on Reddit (shave-ready restorations) since there's no difference in performance between a decent new or old SR or if you want a high quality custom piece you could request something here but the minimum price is $300 and caps at $850 at which point you've got another hobby.

I'm still reliant on using my DE but I've always wanted to make the switch to a SR but never did so I'm probably the wrong person to ask but for the most part I've been keeping my interest in straight razors so I don't think I'd be too off-base in my suggestions.

 

I would go with the best carbon steel Dovo you can fit into a reasonable budget (which for me was around $175-$250 Canadian), and keep in mind to select the look and style (choice of scales colour and material, stamping and grooves, spine engraving, etc) you desire the most. If you had no experience whatsoever with wet shaving, I'd say get a 5/8, but 6/8 full hollow is best for people that are used to wet shaving (though moustache upper lip area takes some practice).

Make sure to purchase from a place with robust RMA/Warranty/Exchange policy, and make sure they give the razor a respectable sharpening and honing, and sell it to you shave-ready.

Don't forget to invest in a quality strop, since the straight razor and strop are likely to last you upwards of 5 years (and sometimes decades). And that's it, all your other wet shaving stuff can be used with a straight razor (thought I'd add a pre-shave oil for smoother shaving).

And watch and read a lot about taking care of your strop and razor. The actual procedures are basically common sense, but even then, some are not very obvious. Examples include not immersing the blade in water for long, using a towel to wipe after each swipe instead of rinsing, drying it after use (and a drop of blade oil on each side), not storing it long term in a leather case, hanging it to fully dry after use, not closing the razor into the scales when still wet, etc etc etc.

 

I don't have direct experience with straightrazors, but knives are basically the same. I would be interested to know if the same applies to straight razors.

Generally carbon steel is harder and can take a finer edge (i.e. made sharper). Stainless may seem to hold an edge longer because it is slightly softer and will deform instead of chipping. In the case of a straight razor I have to imagine that carbon steel would be much better, since you aren't cutting anything that would chip the blade. As long as you dry it off after use you won't have problems with rust. For the purposes of shaving, a carbon steel blade should remain sharper for longer than a stainless blade.

Obviously this is all theoretical and based on the content of the steel. You also have to consider grind and heat treatment when considering knives. A high quality stainless will still be much better than a low quality carbon steel.

 

I would be slightly hesitant of the cheap blades. While high quality carbon steel is cheaper than stainless, what you are paying for in the higher price models is usually the quality of the heat treat and the grind. Low quality heat treat means inconsistent hardness and difficulty in keeping a sharp edge. If the blade is genuinely sharp, it may be fine in the short term, but I would be surprised if it kept its sharpness over a couple months and it will be a real pain to sharpen it again. A good heat treat will give you a hard, yet malleable blade that can withstand some abuse and still retain its edge with minimal care.

I do hope I am wrong, but if you want to try a cheap blade I would consider it a fairly short term investment and be happy if you get a 2-3 months use out of it.