I have a Phillips one, forget the make but it has three circular razors on the head like the one in your pic plus a flip-out beard trimmer. It's alright, not much faster than wet shaving to be honest though as even though you don't have to faff about with a sink full of water and shaving cream/gel, I end up needing to go over the same areas of my face multiple times to properly clear the area. I mostly use the flip-out beard-trimmer bit to trim my ball-hair back every so often now and a safety razor on my face.

>>5395
*forgot the model

I used to have one like that but shaving electric never gives a clean shave and just smears grease around your face, it's always better to do it manually.

>>5394
They're all terrible in my experience. Love to hear otherwise.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHTWf7FhGj8

Just popping in to agree with the others that they are terrible.

If you're looking for a clean shave, you're just not going to get it with an electric. There's always stubble. Often it isn't visible, but you can feel it, and it's visible again by the evening.

Honestly you don't really save any time over wet shaving. A double edged safety razor with a fresh blade in it every morning will do a proper clean shave in maybe two passes. It really shouldn't take any longer than brushing your teeth if you're doing it daily.

If you want a bit of designer stubble, I have tonnes of recommendation for you, but for an actually clean shave, single blade razor systems just work.

>>5401

I've also just remembered a conversation I had with my barber (who still does straight razor shaves) about this, he mentioned that the one electric shaver he found that actually works like a normal razor was a Phillips that cost £200+.

Disclaimer: I hate wet shaving and always have due to being a total pansy and having skin too sensitive for its own good well into my thirties. These days I just keep a beard on my face and keep the neck more-or-less clean shaven. I try to keep the beard on my face down to non-wino levels whenever possible. I often fail at this most basic of tasks. I may not be the best person to listen to. Nonetheless....

I have a Phillips AquaTouch wet/dry shaver and it works fairly well, especially so if you slather on a bit of foam and use it to pseudo-wet shave.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Philips-890-26-AquaTouch-Plus/dp/B0070WTKRU

I have noticed that it's got noticeably duller with age and I probably need to change the heads on it, which to me somewhat annuls the whole point of not buying razors in the first place. Pah.

To trim the actual beard part of my beard I use one of these:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Philips-BT5262-13-Beard-Trimmer/dp/B00RYSOBH4/ref=sr_1_1?s=drugstore&ie=UTF8&qid=1458580071&sr=1-1&keywords=phillips+beard+trimmer+5000

I've noticed that I take the guard off entirely and just scrape the trimmer up and down my neck I actually get a much better shave than I do off the shaver these days, although as I said I think this might be down to needed to change the heads/blades on the shaver.

I had one like the OP's, it was about £50 new I think. It was like grinding sandpaper into my neck and even brand new it never shaved cleanly.

Never again.

While we are at it, I have a question to older lads. When my grandpa was alive and when I was a wee lad, each time he shaved the bathroom would have this distinct but very pleasant fragrance hanging in the air for some time. What could it be? I know he was fairly conservative regarding shaving. I know that the same fragrance would usually accompany some other men of his age.

>>5405

Maybe a shaving oil or balm? What did it smell like?

>>5406
All I have is a faint memory of the fragrance and I cannot even describe it. A quick search over the Net has suggested that it might be sandalwood oil. But hell if I know if it was popular or even used at all by men of his age (he was 75 in 2000).

>>5407
Witch hazel?

>>5405

Sandalwood?

I'm a fuzzy faced man and have given up on shaving my face, mostly. I keep my head pretty smooth, though, for reasons that aren't hard to imagine (male pattern baldness) and currently use a Panasonic ES-LA63-S. Wet shaving works fine, but my remaining hair is annoyingly dense and thick like an ultimate fuck you so it can be a bit, pardon the pun, hairy around the swirly bit at the back of the head. The thing comes close to a wet shave and the lack of nicks makes it worth it.

For your face, though, even a cheap-o bic 2-blade thing does a better job than any electric shaver ever will provided you keep it clean as you shave and lubricate your face.

shaving cream or foam?

>>5411

IMO m8 get a brush and don't use Gillette or other stuff that gets all foamy real quick. Buy a cream, I use one from Lush because, well, you can imagine. Does the trick. Also I've been using the blue pot of Nivea cream which is thick as hell and seems to work a treat post-shave.

>>5411

Accept no substitutes.

>>5413

Palmolive soap is pretty good too, and everywhere sells it.

>>5414

Yeah, but it doesn't have a weird 1950s man on the packet or smell like an explosion in a urinal cake factory.

>>5411
I have a beard but when/if I shave, I use King of Shaves oil. Used that as a younger baby faced man. It's much better for doing your bottom bits, too, as its totally clear, and has a pleasant eucylaptus fragrance.

Speaking of shaving, can anybody recommend a daily moisturiser I can use?

Preferably one that doesn't cost about 20 quid a morning to use.

>>5417
Depends on your skin. Is it oily, dry, or a combination?

>>5417

<--- Try it. Your pores will thank me.

>>5419

Seriously? What will it do?

>>5418
I get very dry skin and seem to have it particularly around my eyes.

>>5420
It will moisturise your skin. If you don't already have oily skin, an oil based moisturiser like coconut oil can work quite well. It's pretty gentle too so using it around your eye area shouldn't be too much of a concern, as it is with harsher moisturisers.

>>5421
I just use this. Any reason I shouldn't be?

Alright I'm gonna get some Arko, some razors and a shaving brush.

Does it matter what kind of razor holder I get? I assume not.

>>5554

The connoisseurs say that you need a Merkur or Muhle, but I've had perfectly satisfactory results with cheap Chinese handles. The starter kit at the link below is good value if you're just trying out double-edged razors.

Arko is brilliant soap but it absolutely reeks of lemon for the first few weeks, so you might want to try Tabac or Palmolive. I recommend stick soap, as it's much less hassle than using a bowl.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/SF289-Shaving-Factory-Double-Safety/dp/B004EG24HI/

>>5555
Looks good. Too bad I boycott amazon.

>>5556

How come you boycott them lad?

>>5555

My personal set up is I grate palmolive sticks into a tub, then I go direct from soap -> brush -> face. If it goes on too dry, I drop a splash of water onto the brush then back to my face, and repeat until it lathers right.

It works better for me than building the lather in the bowl first.

>>5557
Probably because of their tax setup, my dad does the same.

>>5559

That and their entire business model, the goal of which is almost expressly to form as near as possible a monopoly on distance-selling.

>>5557
what >>5559 said. Also they treat their workers like dogshit. There's a panorama programme about it somewhere.

>>5555
How about this?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Baili-Shaving-Set-Silver-Double-Edge-Safety-Razor-Natural-Shaving-Kit-For-Mens-/322143049431?hash=item4b0138d6d7:g:NIMAAOSwmrlUtUVe

A cheapo Remington beard trimmer with the guard rolled down/off cuts my beard back to a healthy stubble, which suits me fine.

>>5401 really nails it here, though. If I want a proper clean shave I use a safety razor with replaceable blades. Shaving soap before and a bit of balm afterward works wonders. I always shave in the shower, for the convenience of washing away the smaller stubble hairs. What >>5562 has posted looks like a very good kit.

Sage for adding nothing of real value.

How do I stop getting cuts with a safety razor?

How often do I need to replace the blade?

>>5564
Make sure the blade isn't left wet after use, make sure your technique is correct (you use the weight of the razor to almost fall down and cut, you don't need to press it right against your skin), and if all else fails try a different brand of blade. I think Astra blades are a good balance between sharpness and forgiveness. You can buy a trial selection of a load of different brands and see which best suits you.

I replace the blade any time I feel the slightest pull, which usually means I get around 3-4 shaves out of one.

>>5564

With a Mach 3 type multiblade, you get the best shave by just pressing the cartridge against your face and taking long strokes. With a double edge, it's the opposite - use very light pressure, take short strokes and control the angle of the blade.

Blade angle is absolutely critical. Get used to the feel of the blade as it just starts to bite into the hair.

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/24685-On-blade-angle

>>5555
> I recommend stick soap, as it's much less hassle than using a bowl.

Why's that? I find applying the soap to a brush easier with a bowl than a stick.

>>5567

Apply the soap to your face, not the brush.

First, wet your face. Dip the end of the stick in water, then rub it on your face like a big crayon. This will lift the hair and evenly coat it in soap. With a slightly damp brush, lather up on your face. The brush will hold enough lather for a second pass, if needed.

It's faster than lathering up in a bowl or mug and gives a better shave. It works well with a cheap little boar-bristle brush. Most sticks come in a plastic tube, so they're ideal for travel.

>>5568
Thanks for the tip

I wash myself with a rag on a stick.

>>5570

OP here, it might be my imagination but wetshaving seems to be making my hair coarser and growing back quicker.

>>5572

It's your imagination mentallad.

>>5572
Electric shavers aren't really sharp, they basically just obliterate the hairs by smashing into them. I hypothesise that the split ends look thinner than the flat neat cut of a wet shave.

>>5572
It can change how your face feels if the hairs are cut at a different angle but it's not going to increase your follicle density or how fast they grow back.

>>5574

I'd also guess that wet shaving is giving a closer shave, so there's a more noticeable contrast between freshly shaved and 5 o'clock shadow.

>>5574
>Electric shavers aren't really sharp, they basically just obliterate the hairs by smashing into them
I know it doesn't really make any practical difference, but seeing the extreme close ups of shave hairs put me off electric razors entirely.

Fun electric shaver trivia:

Orthodox Judaism forbids shaving (more precisely, "destroying" the beard). Trimming a beard is considered permissible by most rabbinical scholars. Some kinds of electric shaver technically trim the beard very short rather than removing it completely, so some scholars believe that those shavers are permissible. This interpretation has provoked a bitter, decades-long row over whether electric shavers are kosher.

http://www.star-k.org/articles/kashrus-kurrents/563/electric-shavers/
http://www.koshershaver.info/

>>5411
Definitely a foam, I accidently bought a gel one time and when I used it I kept cutting my self. Plus I much prefer the feel of foam, I normally get Palmolive shaving foam.

>>5579
I get that with gel sometimes, but I find that so long as you use plenty of it (more than I would with foam) it's alright, I guess because it doesn't expand like foam does.

>>5579
Palmolive is old-school but way the best shaving material. It comes in a toothpaste tube but lasts forever, is very good at lubrication once it gets going and is kind of old-fashioned - my Grandad used to swear by it. Highly recommended.

>>5578
Impressive. eskimos do the same thing too. Is it an Abrahamic religion thing? How come Christians don't like to keep beards?

>>5582

Christians ignore everything in Leviticus that isn't convenient.

>>5583
Of course the do, the old testament isn't really a Christian thing, it belongs to an older religion.
The new testament however, well that's a different kettle of fish.

>>5583
"Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled."

Are we really going to have yet another discussion of inconsistencies in belief and religion? Are we still 14?

>>5585
I AM THE LAW.

>>5586
I actually found >>5578 quite interesting.

>>5588
Then I'm tempted to be snide about your general knowledge but will have to content myself with pointing out this is /poof/.

>>5586
I just find Christianity weird. At least the other Abrahamic religions seem consistent.

>>5586

>>5578 isn't about inconsistencies, but the exact opposite. I find orthodox Judaism fascinating, because it is a completely rational set of beliefs based on a single erroneous assumption - that the Torah is the literal and perfect word of god. Aside from that assumption, there's really very little difference between my secular rationalist mindset and the mindset of an orthodox Jew. It's like the butterfly effect, one little difference that changes everything.

To orthodox Jews, anything in the Torah that looks like a loophole must have been put there deliberately; to argue otherwise would in fact be blasphemous, because it suggests that there are mistakes in the Torah.

The Torah says that married women should cover their hair, but it doesn't say what you should cover your hair with. Logically, there's nothing wrong with wearing a wig rather than a headscarf. You're not allowed to show your hair, but you are allowed to cover your hair with someone else's hair. It is both utterly daft and perfectly rational.

The Torah says that you can't perform work on the Sabbath, and classifies "transferring objects between types of domains" as work. Carrying something around your house is fine, but if you take it out of your house then you've transferred it from a private to a public domain. What happens if you put a fence around a group of houses? Rabbinic scholars say that it becomes one private domain, called an eruv. The fence needs to be a physical structure that completely surrounds the eruv but it doesn't need to be a practical enclosure. Orthodox communities string wires between the lampposts surrounding an entire community, creating one massive "private domain" in which objects can be carried on the Sabbath.

I just think it's an extraordinary display of human ingenuity.

>>5591
You might enjoy The Yiddish Policeman's Union by Michael Chabon. It features a hardboiled alcoholic detective in an alternative universe where the Post-War Jews were resettled in Alaska and involves eruvs and such.

>>5592

Cheers mate, just ordered it on Amazon.

So anyone here use an old style safety razor?

I heard they're better for dealing with razor burn so I got a Merkur 34c, no razor burn, which is great, but fuck me does it give a shit shave. No matter how many passes I do, with the gran, along side the grain, again the grain, I just cant get a clean shave. What am I doing wrong? I've tried the blade that came with it and a Shark one.

>>5594

Use shaving soap and a brush, not the squirty stuff in a can. A shaving brush lifts and softens the hair.

With a safety razor, blade angle is crucial. You need a bit of practice to get a good close shave without cuts. The correct angle is very different to that of a cartridge-type razor. Use short strokes and very light pressure, controlling the blade angle throughout the stroke. With the right technique, a safety razor can give an incredibly close shave.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YzeqIqtJ9ns?start=140

>>5594>>5596

Even with good technique, a 34c will never get a very close shave, which is part of the reason it's often recommended for beginners.

>>5597
Yes it will...

I like to shave my bollocks, but it's a bit of a faff. Does anyone have any tips?

>>5597

The 34c is a mild-to-moderate razor and is perfectly capable of a close shave, particularly with an against-the-grain pass.

>>5599
Never mind the bollocks

>>5599
It's hard to see what you're doing down there, so get your boyfriend to do it for you.

>>5599

Just trim them, shaved bollocks look like the last turkey in the shop. Also ingrown hairs on your ballbag are absolute agony.

Anyone tried the Philip's one blade yet? Apparently it's very good.

http://www.philips.co.uk/c-m-pe/oneblade-face-style-and-shave

>>5596
I am using cream and a brush. Thanks for the video though, I've watched a few but none had that trick for getting the angle, I think I may have had the safety bar to close to my skin.

>>5605
>>5596
With these 'traditional' creams and soaps and what have you, are they meant for traditional safety razor and/or a cut-throat razor only or will they be fine to use with a standard issue Gillette jobby?

>>5606
NO. Under no circumstances try this. There are really awful stories about what's happened to people who have.

Yes, you can use it with a cartridge razor. It's just lather, does exactly the same job as stuff from a can.

>>5607

THANKS OBAMA.

(A good day to you Sir!)

I still have residual stubble with a safety razor no matter how many passes I do. Is it because I don't go against the grain?

>>5611

Some razors are quite mild and won't give a very close shave without an against-the-grain pass. If you have coarse stubble, you'll probably need an against-the-grain or across-the-grain pass with most razors. A super-aggressive razor like the Muhle R41 will give a very close shave in a single pass, but they'll rip your face to bits if you don't know what you're doing.

I'm sick of wet shaving. I think I'll buy the Aldi shaver. Is this a bad idea?

https://www.aldi.co.uk/visage-rotary-shaver/p/080149175078100

>>5746
The Aldi hair clipper I bought was unsatisfying. Technically worked, took ages. Relegated to spare of last resort, with a proper one bought for thrice the price.

>>5555
Can I pick these up anywhere on the high street?