Introduction to double edge razors and DE shaving

This introduction to double edge razors and DE shaving which you’re about to read takes the form of an email I wrote to a friend when I myself first discovered DE shaving. I was so enthusiastic about this “new” discovery (for me it was new!) that I spent the better part of a weekend researching all the ins and outs; I then distilled my findings into an email which I shared with some good friends. My friends forwarded it to their friends, and it actually went viral, which is not at all what I intended or ever imagined might happen- I was simply trying to share my own enthusiasm for this new thing I was learning about. Anyway, I wrote this email exactly two months and two days ago, and in spite of all that I’ve learned during this time about how to achieve, and enjoy, a true “Baby Butt Smooth” shave- my original DE shaving email is still a great introduction which provides an honest and clear overview of the key things that any beginner anywhere should know as he enters into the world of DE shaving. DE shaving veterans and super seasoned experts, please feel free to weigh in by contacting me, Phil, and let me know if there’s anything at all that I should add here.

Dear Oliver,

I’m writing to follow up on what I was describing to you last Friday- this new world I’ve discovered, the world of DE shaving. I’ve put together some of the results of my research below. It’s more information than you want or need but maybe you’ll find it interesting.

“DE shaving” is shaving with shaving devices which use those small rectangular double edge (DE) razor blades that you see in drugstores but never buy. There is a growing movement of men using these old fashioned devices. Some of these men go all out- they become obsessed- and they actually pay big money to buy antique razors from the 1940′s and 1950′s. Most of the men however buy modern versions of the old DE razors.

- the razor itself

The German made Merkur 34C is considered a best buy- the perfect balance of quality and price. It costs about 45 dollars but it’s solid, heavy metal, German engineering, and it will last a lifetime. On this website, which is frequented and maintained by DE shaving people worldwide, you can read about the Merkur 34C:

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/1778-Merkur-HD

The DE shaving people have created their very own set of vocabulary and acronyms; for instance:

—–
BBS: Baby Butt Smooth. A completely smooth shave result. See also DFS, CCS and SAS.
DFS: Damn Fine Shave. A near-BBS (see BBS, CCS).
CCS: Close, comfortable shave. Perhaps a notch less than a DFS (see also BBS, DFS, and SAS).
SAS: Socially Acceptable Shave; see also BBS, DFS, and CCS.
Weeper: A small nick.
Corking: taking a DE blade and pulling the edges through a cork (for instance from a wine bottle). Some people find it helps take the roughness out of sharper blades like those made by Feather.
—-

etc. etc. etc. It’s astonishing how serious these guys are about the shaving ritual, the culture and the paraphernalia.

Anyway the Merkur 34C won the About.com 2011 Readers’ Choice Award for the very best razor in the entire world, and it was up against all the Gillette Fusion, Mach 3, Shick razors, everything-

http://menshair.about.com/od/productreviews/ss/2011-Readers-Choice-Awards-For-Mens-Hair_6.htm

Here you can see the product featured on Amazon, with amazing reviews-

That’s enough for the razor itself. A basic DE shaving kit also requires a couple of other items…

- double edge (DE) razor blades

On the Badger and Blade website (the website for DE shaving people) you can do hours and hours of research on each of the many different DE blades there are out there. Based on my reading I’ve determined that the best double edge razor blades for DE shaving BEGINNERS (like me) are the Derby blades- they’re not as sharp as the Japanese made Feather brand blades, but they’re gentler and more forgiving. On Amazon you can get 100 Derby blades for under 10 bucks, so each blade costs less than a dime. Compare that to the price of a Mach 3 cartridge.

Again, tons of amazing reviews from customers who bought these exact items on Amazon.

If you want to try out each of the three most popular blades before purchasing anything in quantity, you can get this sampler pack of blades, which has the Feathers, the Derbys and more:

- Shaving soap

There is a great deal of controversy among the DE shaving people about which shaving soap is the best. I narrowed it down to seven possibilities, and then chose two of those seven to start out. This first one is a cream:

Being a cream, not a hard soap, it’s soft, easy to whip up into a lather, and it moisturizes the skin better in my opinion than the hard soap, much better in case than the Boots Soap Stick I used. It’s old school Italian and it has a really nice smell.

The second soap I got was a hard soap, like the Boots Shave Stick that first got me into DE Shaving. This particular soap, the Tabac Soap Stick, gets amazing reviews on the Badger and Blade website. What I like about it is that while many of the Shave Sticks out there come wrapped in foil or paper, this particular shave stick actually has a proper plastic dispenser, with a screw on cap, so that when you’re not using it, or when you’re packing it in a suitcase, it’s protected, and it won’t get on your toothbrush or the other items in your toiletry bag.

Tabac actually comes from Germany, like the Merkur razor itself.

- Shaving brush

DE shaving fanatics will spend over 100 dollars on a shaving brush, it’s unbelievable. The bristles on the shaving brushes are actually classified based on quality, just like diamonds are classified according to the 4 C’s. The lowest grade brushes are synthetic, then comes boar’s hair, then badger’s hair- but the badger hair brushes start with “pure badger’s hair,” then “best badger’s hair,” then “silver tip/super badger’s hair,” which is the highest quality of badger’s hair. This super badger’s hair brush costs over 200 dollars. I do NOT recommend that you buy this product, unless you somehow happen to have made it through the crash with a painful excess of disposable income:

After a great deal of research I decided to choose this brush, which is considered to be the best possible balance of price and quality:

“Best” badger hair is already really nice, I don’t need “Super.”

To create the lather- if you’re using shaving soap in the form of a stick, you can rub the stick directly on to your wet face, and then use a brush to whip up the lather right on your beard. Here is a photo series showing a guy doing that:

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/40-Tutorial-how-to-use-a-shaving-stick

For the creams, like the Proraso cream in the green tube- I like to mix up the lather in a bowl, rather than apply the cream directly to my face. However- here is where I part company with lots and lots of DE shavers- I do not think it’s necessary to buy a special shaving bowl or shaving mug. You can use any bowl or mug; for instance, I use a nice heavy, wide coffee mug with a handle so I can hold the mug with my left hand and use my right hand to whip up the lather inside the mug.

- before and after products

Some people use products before and/or after shaving.

This product, Proraso Pre Shave Cream (Italian), which you rub into your beard BEFORE you apply the lather, got great reviews:

One of the reviewers writes, “Having extremely sensitive skin as well as very course facial hair, this addition to my routine was essential. I have stopped razor burn for the first time in over 20 years of shaving.”

When you first begin shaving with a double edge razor, you will on occasion cut yourself. To deal with cuts, there’s an old fashioned and highly effective, very inexpensive solution- it’s called a styptic pencil. It looks like a small stick of white chalk; you wet the tip, then apply it to the cut. It disinfects the cut and it instantly stops any bleeding. It’s a way better solution than ripping off a piece of toilet paper and sticking that to your face. A styptic pencil is a super handy and inexpensive item which I do recommend you purchase.

I read that it was a good idea to have one of these small rectangular blocks around, called an alum block. This little block instantly stops bleeding, calms the skin, closes the pores, has antiseptic qualities, and it’s all natural. Also, it lasts a very long time. The truth is I bought one, but I rarely if ever use it. I would say that this is an item you should consider “optional,” and really not required.

After shaving, I recommend that you apply some kind of an aftershave lotion. Aftershave lotions and balms can cost a lot, but I have no interest in paying a lot of money and applying some heavily perfumed stuff to my face. This is a value priced aftershave balm that I researched and now use, a light lotion that you rub into the skin on your face after your shave. it’s very soothing and its great scent is subtle and not overpowering:

Most importantly, it’s far less expensive than many of the other aftershave balms on the market, and as I said, it works just great.

You can get totally carried away with DE shaving and many people do, but if you stick with the basics- a Merkur 34C, and blades purchased in bulk- you can save a good deal of money, because today’s disposable multi-blade cartridges cost a fortune. Also, the shave sticks, although they seem to be expensive, last for months on end, and they give a much better shave than the canned foams and gels- and they smell great.

Phil

Note to readers: if you are an EXPERIENCED DE shaver, and you are interested in exploring the next step, the Merkur 37C Slant Bar razor, together with Feather blades, please see this blog post: Merkur 37C Slant Bar Razor and Feather Blades