SMF

I went from a Merkur to a Weishi because the Merkur was to aggressive to my throat. If you want a gentler razor, the Weishi is a very good one. It won't shave as close as the Merkur, so you will need to do the ATG pass in order to get any advantage. Blade angle on the Weishi is more like the Gillett...

Good news, Oscar! :D That Castle Forbes Lime is the only shaving cream that has me intrigued, but I love a lime scent. (Otherwise, that's a lot of Merkur for my taste! :P ) I had my first shave tonight with a Treet "blue" carbon steel blade. I think it is the closest shave I have gotten ye...

If you're leaving a lot of stubble behind, my thought would be that the blade angle is still a little off. That is especially difficult to master on the neck and throat. Blade preference is very different from one person to the next, and there is no predictable rhyme or reason to it. Personna blades...

I just had my first shave with the Treet "blue blade." I loaded it into my gold thick-handled Tech, lathered up some Mitchell's Wool Fat, and shaved with it. It certainly is sharp. I found it moderately smooth, though I did get a little nick next to the peak on my Adam's apple. Overall, it...

Greenerock, Tryphon's Barbieria Italiana currently offers 2 different carbon steel razor blades: 1. Treet "blue blades" (Package in red and orange, with white lettering for "Treet." Just says "Treet Double Edge Blade.") 2. Treet Dura Sharp Hi-Tech Steel (Blue and gray p...

Hi Steve - I haven't heard anything about that, myself. I did get a PM from Justin on July 20 with an update, but no mention of CaringBridge. I have been hesitant to forward his message without directions from him specifically to do so, but there is nothing personal to me or personally compromising ...

Hi Joe - Welcome to SMF!

I hope someone savvy to New Zealand has an answer for you.

- Murray

Hi Brad - Welcome to SMF! We field all questions here, so don't be shy! :D In answer to your question, you use one side of the razor/blade until you have loaded it with soap and whiskers, then you use the other side until you have loaded it with soap and whiskers. At that point, you rinse it out and...

I haven't actually tried Col Conk shaving soaps, though I have used Williams Mug Shaving Soap. It pleases me to know that there are tools and supplies available at very low prices that make a good shave available to every man.

- Murray

MIchael, I have been following this thread with great interest, and I thank you for your impressions of these blades. I favor knives made of carbon steel, and I have long wondered about razor blades made of the same. When I first came to SMF, the only such blades seemed to be offered by Ted Pella, a...

I have a water softener, working on all taps except the cold water in the kitchen, as Michael described. My original reason for having it installed was to save the plumbing and the elements in the hot water heater. More recently, it has truly been a blessing for my return to wet-shaving. - Murray

Hi Jim - I have some Super Speeds, but I still haven't tried them. They are reputed to be fairly gentle shavers. I have used the Weishi and the thick-handled Gillette Tech, and I know that both of these are gentle shavers. I haven't observed a noticeable difference between them in this regard. Some ...

Hi Glenn - What can I say? After a wonderful lime experience with Classic Shaving Lime, QED Fresh Lime, and Tryphon Medici, I thought I would venture into some Trumper Limes soap. Wretched, wretched smell! :-B Anyway, I traded the stuff off to Gordon, and he shaves with the awful stuff. :P - Murray

As NTS said, what works for you is what's right. :) I have very sensitive skin, so it works better for me to make lather in a bowl and then paint it on. A plus for lathering in a bowl is that virtually any brush will do a good job, with the possible exception of the very inexpensive Wal-Mart/drug st...

I think QED needs to be added to the list, as it and Tryphon are my current favorites. I have triple-milled soaps (T&H Luxury and Mitchell's Wool Fat), and I like them, but I am allergic to the scents in triple-milled soaps more often than not. These two I tolerate, but don't really enjoy them i...

I just apply some Thayer's Original Witch Hazel. I don't apply anything scented, as I'm allergic to most of it.

- Murray

David, it's good to finally associate a name with "notthesharpest!"

Your contributions here have been plentiful and of value. I, too, will miss you when you fade out.

- Murray

The proper blade angle relative to the razor head is different for a Gillette and for a Merkur 3-piece. I noticed this immediately when I switched from a Merkur Classic to a Weishi. I noticed no such change going from a Weishi to a Gillette. I would recommend experimenting a little with blade angle....

I agree that this is largely a matter of how aggressive a razor you want. I started with a Merkur Classic Long Handle (same head geometry as the HD) and found it too aggressive for me. I always had razor burn and a grazed Adam's apple. When I switched to the Weishi, this ended. I found the Weishi, a...

Though I would never consider stropping a stainless steel blade for the reasons Pauldog gave, you should be able to strop carbon steel blades, such as the Treet blue blades, Treet Dura Sharp Hi-Tech Steel blades, and the Balaka blades. This would apply to carbon steel blades available for GEM razors...