Ask Aaron Q/A: Double edged blade that will fit the old Wardonia razors
Steve Andrews, from the UK, asks:
“I’m looking for a double edged blade that will fit the old Wardonia razors, the holes are in a slightly different place to the gillette / wilkinson patern.”
AARON SAYS
“Mr Andrews,
I’m afraid that I don’t know of any blades that would fit the Wardonia razors. The Gillette/Wilkinson razors became the standard for blades to match, and those razors that didn’t fit those patterns usually had a proprietary blade to go with them. So unless you find a cache of new old stock blades I’m afraid you might be out of luck. Sorry I couldn’t offer any better news!
Best of Shaves!
Aaron”
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Ask Aaron Q/A: Can you recommend me a Merkur DE razor for normal beard growth?
Chris Phillips, from the UK, asks:
“I don’t have what is called a “tough beard”. I use a vintage Gillette razor now, and want to move up to a Merkur. Is there a Merkur razor which is best suited for a guy with a ‘normal’ beard, offering a gentle, but effective shave, with not much irritation? Thanks, CP.”
AARON SAYS
“Mr. Phillips,
Yes indeed there is! If you’re looking for a great “normal” shave, go for the Merkur 34c “Heavy Duty/HD” razor. It’s a great shaver, with a mild shave that will perform well each time you shave. I have one and enjoy it a lot, and I think you will too.
Happy Shaving!
Aaron”
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Ask Aaron Q/A: How many times can you use a razor blade to shave?
Andrew McKean, from the UK, asks:
“How often should you change your blades if you shave 2 times a week?”
AARON SAYS
“Mr. McKean,
Thank you for your question! Changing your blade should happen once it begins to feel dull, regardless of how often you shave. Blades are to be a sharp instrument to reduce the beard growth we have, and when the blade becomes dull it ceases to be useful and should be replaced. Signs of a dull blade can be redness, razor burn, pulling, skipping, and an uncomfortable shave experience. Should you experience this exchange or replace the blade to see if that is the problem. (Most likely, it is!)
Happy Shaving!
Aaron”
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Ask Aaron Q/A: Special tension ring pliers for the Merkur 38C
Mike Sandberg, from the USA, asks:
“I recently purchased a Merkur 38C as my first adventure in shaving with a safety razor. I immediately opened it when I got home to put in a blade and the base of the unit came out. It has some sort of tension ring at the base (to ensure a snug fit, no doubt). My trouble is, it doesn’t seem to want to go back into the shaft of the razor. Is there something I’m missing or is there a tip/trick that seasoned safety razor aficionados have? Many thanks in advance. Cheers, Mike”
AARON SAYS
“Mr. Sandberg,
Thanks for your question! This is indeed a trick, and there are special tension ring pliers that you can purchase from your local hardware or tool supplier to reinsert the ring back into the handle. If you continue to have problems or cannot get the razor reassembled I suggest contacting the supplier from which you bought the razor. I hope you get the razor fixed and shaving soon!
Happy Shaving,
Aaron”
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Ask Aaron Q/A: Could you recommend a razor and cream for sensitive skin and thin blond hair?
Robin Worboyes, from the UK, asks:
“Dear sir, I have long struggled with poor shaving results, using the typical shop brands, and would like to shave properly (having never actually been taught). Could you recommend a razor and cream etc for sensitive skin and thin blond hair. I would also very much like to know where the badger hair comes from (I thought it was a protected species) and how it is sourced? Many thanks, Kind regards Robin.”
AARON SAYS
“Mr. Worboyes,
Thanks for your question! I can certainly recommend some products for you! As to razors I recommend the Merkur 34c, the Bluebeards Scimitar, and the Muhle R89 & R106 razors. As far as creams, I really like the creams carried here at Shaving-Shack including (but not limited to) Bluebeards, Taylor of Old Bond Street, Proraso, and Cyril Salter among others. You should be able to find something in those that would satisfy your scent palette and shaving needs.
To answer your second part of the question Badger is a protected species in Most of Europe and the USA. However most badger hair comes from China where the badger is still quite a nuisance and many of the farmers there trap them to protect their crops, selling their furs to brush manufacturers. I hope this helps ease your mind that they are not being killed needlessly! Thanks for you questions, and good luck with your shaving journey!
Best of Shaves,
Aaron”
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Ask Aaron Q/A: The benefits of pre shave oils and creams and some uselful pre shave tips
Robert Marney, from the UK, asks:
“I need help with shaving and wondered if you can make any suggestions to me. I have very course, very thick hair. I use a good quality DE razor and use bluebeards cream but still struggle to remove patches of hair without issues. Can pre-shave oil, or any other preparation help?
Just for the record… Underneath my jawbone and towards my earlobe my hair grows in a strange pattern. No hair grows in the same direction as another! This make shaving really difficult and it’s become nearly impossible to pass this area without tugging/pulling/causing irritation (even with a new blade). I already use super sharp (feather) blades plus I use the old hot flannel technique before shaving. I shave and night and therefore take my time but still cannot achieve the great shave so many others get.”
AARON SAYS
“Mr. Marney,
If you’ve read some of the other Q&A’s you’ll know I value prep very highly. I think if you add a couple of things to your prep along with the hot towel technique you’ll be well on your way to a smoother shave.
First off add a step to your hot towel routine: after your initial session with a hot towel, repeat it with a layer of lather on your face. This layer of lather will further help to soften and fill the hair with moisture making it easier to shave. Second use a pre-shave oil such as the Bluebeard’s Revenge oil or the Taylor of old Bond Street oil. The oil adds another protective layer and holding moisture to the skin and hair.
Lastly you can try adding some of the other pre-shave treatments that are on the market such as the Proraso pre/post cream or the Taylor of Old Bond Street pre-shave gel. The have special moisturizers and other ingredients to help soften the beard and facial skin. Try these steps for a while and see what helps and I’d love to hear back to know what did the trick!
Smooth Shaving!
Aaron ”
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Ask Aaron Q/A: Tips for shaving those awkward areas - neck, under chin
Peter Williams, from the UK, asks:
“We are now into the 4th generation of electric or disposable razor shavers and as such we have never been taught to shave properly with a double blade, as a right of passage with our father as tutor, hence I at least, find it difficult to shave those awkward areas, neck, under chin etc. Any information web sites seem to be sponsored by the large corporations which use the information in order to market their own products. Perhaps you could produce a comprehensive instruction video before all of us recent converts to DE shaving bleed to death.”
AARON SAYS
“Mr. Williams,
Thank you for the suggestion! I have been entertaining the idea of doing a video, and this topic would be a great one to begin with! in the meantime while you are waiting for the video I will suggest a couple of things. Pay careful attention to the blade angle in the areas. It’s easy to change the angle when shaving problem areas without realizing it. Also stretch the skin to make the surface area is as flat as possible. Pull the skin of your neck back and turn you head to shift the skin away from the Adam’s Apple area and to a flatter space. Hope this helps!
Smooth Shaving! Aaron”
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Ask Aaron Q/A: Cartridge Razors vs Safety Razors – Which are better?
Mark Howard, from the UK, asks:
“I’m so tired of the high prices of cassette type blades to the poing that I’m overusing blunt blades! I want to move to double edge razor but is this a backwards step in terms of shaving and blade technology? If double edge razors are so good, how come people moved to the cassette type? I want to believe!!!!”
AARON SAYS
“Mr. Howard, Your have a good question! Thanks for asking! In short, yes it is a step back, but technological advances do not always make things better! The first patents for “safety razors” came out in the late 1800′s. What we recognize today as a safety razor today became patented in 1907 (if I recall correctly).
That makes this technology over 100 years old! Cartridge or cassette type blades have only been in production for the past 40 years, since the 60′s. The problem with Cassette blades is that they were designed to give a large average percentage of men a good shave. Note, not a great shave. The blades rest above the skin, so they rely on the process of historesis to give a smooth shave, unfortunately this cause more problems than it solves! Razor burn (from too much pressure and not enough lubrication), razor bumps and ingrown hairs. Plus lots of pulling and tugging (which it is designed to do!).
Safety razors have a blade that rides right next to or on the surface of the skin, providing a smooth clean shave. It does take some technique to learn, but it time you will have no nicks, cuts, or razor burn. All this to say, it might be a step back technologically, but switching to a safety razor will provide you a much closer and better shave.
If you have any questions about how to start, or what products to use, please read through the blog, or contact me again for more information! I’d be more than happy to help.
Smooth shaving!
Aaron”
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Ask Aaron Q/A: Oily skin and spots after shaving
Jason Hearne, from the UK, asks:
“I’m about to switch to DE shaving and have now set my heart on the Merkur HD as my first step away from 5 blade plastic monsters. My question though is about my skin type. At 30 I still suffer from oily teenage skin that’s prone to clogged pores and spots (if I don’t shave regularly). What I wanted to know was what is likely to be the best soap/cream for my shave and what balms you’d suggest to keep the grease away post shave? Here’s hoping you can help. :)”
AARON SAYS
“Mr. Hearne,
The first thing I would suggest is to use a daily cleanser/face wash. This will help you to remove the excess oils that our skin can produce and also eliminate dirt, which can cause the acne and blackheads. Using a cleanser consistently will help PRE-shave. For the shave itself most available soaps and creams will do just, fine just avoid products containing lanolin. Lanolin can aggravate some skin types. For a POST-shave solution use a light balm (some being The Bluebeard’s Revenge, Taylor of Old Bond Street, and Proraso). You can also lighten a balm by keeping your face moist after rinsing and applying a small amount of the balm. This helps thin and spread the balm. I hope this helps!
Smooth Shaving (and skin!)
Aaron”
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Ask Aaron Q/A: How do I prevent bleeding on the lower neck?
Derrick Rutherford, from the UK, asks:
“I have just started DE shaving, using a Edwin Jagger DE razor with Derby blades, Proraso pre and post shave on all three passes as well as plenty water, Proraso shave cream, alum block and then Prorasso pre and post shave again and then Proraso after shave balm. I do two passes down with gravity and then one across ,the problem is I still get bleeding on the lower neck and red blotches as well. I only shave every two days because of this, but, I absolutely LOVE it and will not go back to Gillette cartridges, but, I want to shave daily as it is a real pleasure. I dont put too much pressure on the razor, I let the weight of it do the work, Please help, A convert.”
AARON SAYS
“Mr. Rutherford,
It’s hard to say exactly what might be going on but let’s see about a few things. Do make sure that your razor angle is good, especially on the neck. The proper angle, which depend on the razor, should be somewhere around 30 degrees. Keeping the angle is hard on the neck area so try locking your wrist and you shave and let your arm do the work. Another thing to check would be the blade. Derby blade work for many men but the might not be your best match. Do try several other blades seeing which best match your skin and hair type. The best way to this is to buy a blade sampler and work your way through the differing blades. Another thing I would check would be the direction of hair growth. Make sure you’re shaving with, then across, then against the direction or grain. If you follow those steps I think you’ll find much easier shaving and less irritation.
Happy Shaving!
Aaron”
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