Submit a wet shaving video
Earn 150 Shaving Points!
Calling all Shaving Shack Account holders! We want to hear about you and your shaving kit that you have purchased from us. If we spot a video we love, we’ll give you a whopping 150 shave points (worth £10) to say thanks. It could be in the style of, for example:
- a product review
- a tour of your kit (must be items purchased from us at the Shack!)
- a testimonial of the service you’ve received from The Shaving Shack
- the story of why you got into wet shaving e.g saving money/a better shave
Videos should be no larger than 30mb in size.
The Sun newspaper puts double edge shaving firmly on the shave map
As you will probably be aware of the UK men’s shaving market is dominated by three big players -Gillete (owned by US giant Proctor and Gamble) and British brands Wilkinson Sword and King of Shaves (the brainchild of likeable entrepreneur Will King).
All three of these companies specialise in providing men with easy to use multi bladed cartridge razor systems, and in Gillette’s case, these products are backed and promoted with billionaire dollar marketing campaigns.
Thankfully there is still a market for traditional double edge safety razors, and its growing as more men get fed up with the increasing cost of cartridge razor blades. A recent study has found the annual cost of shaving with a Gillette Power Fusion, new cartridges and all, is an eye-watering £85.37.
But getting the message to the masses that double edge shaving is not only cheaper in the long run, but also much better for the skin, is a difficult one as the mainstream press favour the Gillette Power Fusion over the Merkur 34C and the Hydro 5 over the Edwin Jagger DE89.
Well that was until we contacted The Sun Newspaper journalist David Firth, who runs the highly popular Tried and Test section on The Sun website. David had previously tested out wet razors from the “big three” brands to see which was the best.
To our delight and slight surprise, he agreed to test three of our top selling safety razors - the Merkur 38c Barberpole, Parker 94R and The Bluebeards Revenge ‘Scimitar’ (which has graced the likes of the Daily Mail, Loaded and GQ).
So what did David think to the razors we sent him?
Merkur 38c
“My favourite of the three,” he said. David praised its balance, control and grip. “The diagonal thread design on the pole helps you keep a solid grip and I also like that you change the blade by simply unscrewing the base, rather than having to disassemble the whole thing. A great piece of kit,” he added. Price: £39.99. Buy here.
Parker 94R:
“The big plus-point with the Parker is the grip - thick, diamond-shaped ridges help keep this lodged in your hand no matter how much cream or water is knocking about,” explained David. He added that he liked the light weight of the razor; but found the short pole a little fiddly during the shave. Price £19.99. Buy here.
The Bluebeards Revenge ‘Scimitar’
David loved the look of the Scimitar. “It does look lovely, particularly with the laser-etched Bluebeards Revenge skull and cross bones logo on the razor head. As with the other two - it does give a great shave,” he said. Price £34.99. Buy here.
The Bluebeards Revenge “Scimitar” Double Edge Razor
Overall, David loved the theatre of double edge shaving. “You splash your face with warm water, apply a pre-shave cream to help the blade glide, then apply the shaving cream all frothed up with an old-school brush to exfoliate a bit and lift up your bristles. And then you can shave. It takes time but it’s a lot of fun,” he explained.
In conclusion, David said: “If you follow all the appropriate hints and tips on how to use double-edged blade razors properly - you can find loads of videos on YouTube - you will get the best shave of your life.”
Thanks for taking the double edge shaving test David, and for helping to bring such as a cool method shaving back in to the media spotlight. You can follow David on Twitter at @davefirth.
Read his full review by clicking here.
What do you think think to David’s comments? Let us know by commenting below.
Ask Aaron Q/A: Straight razor maintenance - Honing & Stropping
Aaron is asked a question about honing and stropping a straight/cut throat razor
James Allen, from the UK, asks:
“Hi, my face is on fire and I have about 5 cuts as well. I am new to shaving with a straight razor and have tried to hone and strop the blade myself. I used a 800 grit stone, then onto an 8000+ slate stone, then strop. The blade will pop hairs from my arm but when I try to shave with it, it just isn’t sharp enough. Please tell me where I’m going wrong? (had to abandon my shave 3/4′s of the way through to) very painfull.”
Honing and sharpening your own straight razor is a fine art
AARON SAYS
“Mr. Allen,
Honing and sharpening your own straight razor is a fine art. From what I have read, you need even finer grit honing stones to continue your process.
I definitely recommend taking your razor to your local barber, or finding a honing specialist in the UK through one of the many online shaving forums (straightrazorplace.com, badgerandblade.com, and shavenook.com are the most popular). Many gentlemen there will be able to hone your razor, and give you tips and tricks on how to learn to hone it yourself.
Also you can find great information on stropping your blade (rolling the edges will defeat all your honing work!) and shaving technique. Good luck with your new shaving venture, and I wish you the very best!
Happy Shaving,
Aaron”
Do you have any burning questions you would like ask our wet shaving expert Aaron Wolfenbarger?
CLICK HERE TO ASK AARON YOUR QUESTION
Ask Aaron Q/A: Sore skin & small blood spots on chin & neck after shaving
Aaron is asked a question about sore skin & small blood spots on chin and neck after shaving
Andrew James, from the UK, asks:
“Hi there, new to double edge shaving from 18 years of cartridge shaving. Using Merkur HD and only tried Merkur blades so far. First pass WTG generally ok but tried second pass ATG yesterday (after re soaping) which left sore skin and small blood spots on chin and neck - ouch. What blade should I try next? Also, maybe I should stick to one pass, but I would like to do at least two to get a pretty close shave. Would value advice please. Ps; this blog facility is great.”
Take time, focus on basic technique, and enjoy the process, says Aaron
AARON SAYS
“Mr. James,
I would first make sure that you are developing your lather correctly, have a good blade angle (it should be about 30 degrees), and preparing your beard well by either showering or a hot towel.
Next I would say that since you are new to shaving with a single edge razor don’t shave against the grain. At the most right now go across, or perpendicular, to the beard growth. You may also take a second pass with the grain too, to increase the closeness of the shave. Shaving against the grain is a little bit advanced, and some say unnecessary, although it is something I practice for a close shave.
If you are looking to change the blades, I recommend the Israeli made blades, Astras, Derby, Lord, Sharks, and Wilkinson-Sword blades. I don’t recommend Feather blades until you are more comfortable with your shaving technique, they are incredibly sharp and unforgiving of mistakes.
I realize this is a lot of information at once. Take time, focus on basic technique, and enjoy the process! Soon you will be shaving easily and nick-free in no time.
Smooth Shaving!
Aaron”
Do you have any burning questions you would like ask our wet shaving expert Aaron Wolfenbarger?
CLICK HERE TO ASK AARON YOUR QUESTION
Ask Aaron Q/A: Palm stropping & corking of razor blades
Aaron is asked a question about double edge razor blade harshness
Grant Letham, from the UK, asks:
“Hi, I’m enjoying my double edge shaving experience with my Edwin Jagger D89. Currently using routine of shower, King of Shaves shaving oil, lather - proraso or arko, 2 pass shave - 1 with and 1 across grain, cold water rinse and then moisturiser. I’m finding the first shave with a fresh blade can be risky in terms of nicks and cuts. Any clues as to how I can minimise / avoid this?”
AARON SAYS
“Mr. Letham,
I too experience new blade harshness occasionally. I have heard this can be due to tiny burrs left over from the manufacturing process. There are two methods I would recommend trying: corking and palm stropping.
For corking, take a natural cork stopper from a wine bottle, and run the blade edge into the cor gently two or three times.
For palm stopping, grasp the blade in the middle and rub the blade away from the edge on the thick of your palm. This can be a little bit tricky, so watch the following video tutorial to see exactly what I mean: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ogq4wfpT7hc. This should help with those new blade blues!
Smooth Shaving!
Aaron”
Do you have any burning questions you would like ask our wet shaving expert Aaron Wolfenbarger?
CLICK HERE TO ASK AARON YOUR QUESTION
Ask Aaron Q/A: Redness around the mouth
Aaron is asked a question about skin irritation and redness around the mouth
John Ramsay, from the UK, asks:
“Hi, I just bought the osma alum bloc and started to use it after shaving. I started by wetting the block and applying it to my face, I let it set in for a minute and then rinsed off, then applied some aftershave lotion. But there was still redness around my mouth -am I doing something wrong?”
AARON SAYS
“Mr. Ramsey,
The redness around your mouth could be a variety of things. It coud be irritation from the block, or shaving irritation. The mouth area tends to be one of the hardest areas to shave. I would pay special attention to the angle of your razor, rub on the alum block then immediately wash off, and be sure to use a good moisturizing balm. If you continue to experience redness, reply below and we’l try to troubleshoot some more! I hope this helps and gives you some relief.
Smooth Shaving!
Aaron”
Do you have any burning questions you would like ask our wet shaving expert Aaron Wolfenbarger?
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