Ask Aaron Q/A: How to Prevent Ingrown Hairs

By Aaron Wolfenbarger on July 18, 2011

Posted in Ask Aaron Q & A, Razor burn, rash & bumps, Shaving Tips | Comments (0)

ask aaron 420 Ask Aaron Q/A: How to Prevent Ingrown Hairs

Ahmet Kalem, from Denmark, asks:

“Hi Aaron, I am new in shaving with a safety razor and are very impressed of it. I have a little problem - ingrown hairs - can you give me a tip to prevent this problem. Thank you very much. Greetings from Denmark.”

AARON SAYS

“Mr Kalem, Thank you for your question! You’ve already made a big leap in helping prevent ingrown hair by switching to a safety razor! If you are like most men your ingrown hairs occur on your neck. The first thing I would recommend is know which directions your hair grows on your face. Then be careful to not shave against the direction of growth. This might not provide quite as close a shave, but it is a big help in preventing ingrowns. Another thing is to make sure your skin is soft and moisturized by using a pre-shave oil or cream before shaving, and an after shave balm after shaving. If you still have some problems, crush a tablet of aspirin and mix it with a tiny bit of water to create a paste. Apply the paste to the affected area for a few minutes to help alleviate the systems. Also take an old toothbrush and massage the affected hair with it to help bring the hair to the surface. I hope these tips help you! Welcome to traditional shaving!

Shave well!
Aaron”

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Ask Aaron Q/A: How to clean a double edge razor

By Aaron Wolfenbarger on July 18, 2011

Posted in Ask Aaron Q & A, Double Edge Shaving, Safety Razors, Shaving Tips | Comments (0)

ask aaron 420 Ask Aaron Q/A: How to clean a double edge razor

Raymond Read, from the UK, asks:

“What’s the best way to give a Razor a “Makeover” i.e. a good clean after several uses?”

AARON SAYS

“Mr Read,
A great question! Depending on the mineral content of your water, it may be easy for soap film and water spots to build up on your razor. Here’s what I recommend: take 1 part vinegar to 9 parts water and let your razor soak in the solution for about 30 minutes. Then take an old toothbrush with some toothpaste and give the razor a good scrubbing. This should cleanoff and built up lather, film and other gunk that tends to appear on razors. If necessary, repeat the process.
Cheers!
Aaron”

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Ask Aaron Q/A: A Beginner’s Guide to Straight Razor Honing

By Aaron Wolfenbarger on July 18, 2011

Posted in Ask Aaron Q & A, Shaving Tips, Straight Razor Shaving | Comments (0)

ask aaron 420 Ask Aaron Q/A: A Beginners Guide to Straight Razor Honing

Paul Morris, from the UK, asks:

“Help, I think I may have made some learner mistakes and I am trying to recover my kit condition. I bought a Dovo razor and one strop to learn straight razor shave with. My strop is now badly nicked in many places I am certain my Razor needs honing. Is it possible my razor now needs more than honing and is there anyway I can get more life out of my strop? If I need to Hone, what do I need and what do I need to know? Cheers Paul”

AARON SAYS

“Mr. Morris,
Congratulation on beginning the straight razor journey! You razor should be fine, and probably just needs honing. There is not enough space here to describe to you how to hone your razor (books have been written on the subject!), so I suggest sending it to someone to hone or walking up to your local barber and see if they can do it for you. I’m am sorry to hear of your strop, it’s hard for me to make a statement without seeing it. If it badly nicked over the length of the strop, you might want to consider getting another one. A good option is to check out some of the following forums and pick the brains of the experienced straight razor shavers there! I hope this helps!

http://www.straightrazorplace.com/forums/

http://straightshaving.info/forum/news.php

http://theshavingroom.co.uk/index.php

http://badgerandblade.com

Smooth Shaving!

Aaron”

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Ask Aaron Q/A: Can you recommend me the best shave brush to use with shaving cream

By Aaron Wolfenbarger on June 28, 2011

Posted in Ask Aaron Q & A, Shaving Brushes, Shaving Creams, Shaving Tips | Comments (0)

ask aaron 420 Ask Aaron Q/A: Can you recommend me the best shave brush to use with shaving cream

Gary Chinchen, from the UK, asks:

“Please could you recommend a good shave brush to use with creams predominately, this is the first brush I have purchased so no idea what I should be looking for, I am sinking in conflicting advice. I’m looking to spend around £50.”

The Bluebeards Revenge Privateer Collection Badger Brush

AARON SAYS

“Mr. Chinchen,
Thanks for your question! Generally for creams you would want a brush that is taller (or has a tall loft) and has a slightly longer handle. Some good choices are the Progress Vulfix 660, the Blubebeard’s Revenge “Privateer”, and the Kent BLK2 brush. These are some good standards to go with when lathering creams!

Smooth Shaving!
Aaron”

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Ask Aaron Q/A: The Merkur Futur Razor

By Aaron Wolfenbarger on June 28, 2011

Posted in Ask Aaron Q & A, Double Edge Shaving, Safety Razors, Shaving Tips | Comments (0)

ask aaron 420 Ask Aaron Q/A: The Merkur Futur Razor

Brian Harvey, from the UK, asks:

“Merkur Futur razor - which of the two finishes (satin or shiny chrome) is the least slippery to hold whilst shaving?”

Merkur Futur 760 Safety Razor with Satin Chrome Finish

AARON SAYS

“Mr. Harvey,
I have yet to compare the two side by side, but if i were to guess I would say that the matte finish razor would be easier to hold. However my guess is there wouldn’t be much of a notable difference. Whatever you choose, stay smooth!

Smooth shaving,
Aaron”

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$100k sapphire razor now being stocked at The Shaving Shack

By Tom Trueman on June 22, 2011

Posted in Shaving in the News, Shaving Shack News | Comments (0)

The Shaving Shack is delighted to announce that we are now stocking the $100,000 Zafirro Iridium razor.

Is it April Fools Day again?

The pure sapphire blades are atomically sharp and guaranteed to last 10 years

Unfortunately, we are not really stocking this luxurious new razor but I thought I would give it a product mention anyway.

According to Zafirro, it’s the world’s first razor with sapphire blades. The handle is made primarily from iridium, one of the rarest and strongest metals in existence.

“In addition to vastly extended blade life, the solid white sapphire blades offer a number of additional advantages over conventional steel blades. They are hypoallergenic, impervious to oxidation and corrosion, and very sharp,” said Zafirro in a statement.

“The sapphire is sharpened using high-energy, ionized particles to create an edge less than 100 atoms in width, 5000 times smaller than the width of a hair.”

The company says it will only produce 99 of the Iridium line, which went on sale yesterday for $100,000.

Zafirro will only produce 99 of the Iridium line

The blades include a 10-year guarantee and Zafirro will provide complementary servicing and professional cleaning for Iridium customers, as well as resharpening if necessary.

Sounds like a bargain!! For more information, visit www.zafirro.com.

Well if you haven’t got a spare $100k lying around then you might want to pick an alternative razor brand such as Merkur or Parker, we’ve got plenty of these in stock.


Ask Aaron Q/A: Combining different Merkur DE razors

By Aaron Wolfenbarger on June 14, 2011

Posted in Ask Aaron Q & A, Double Edge Shaving, Safety Razors, Shaving Tips | Comments (0)

ask aaron 420 Ask Aaron Q/A: Combining different Merkur DE razors

Jack Lovell, from the UK, asks:

“Hello Aaron, I presently have a Merkur Futur and Vision 2000 razor which I like because of their hefty weight. For my next heavyweight razor I would like to cobble together a Merkur 43C stainless steel handle with a Merkur 37C slant bar head. Will these two components marry together? Many thanks and regards. Jack”

Merkur 37C Slant Bar DE Safety Razor

AARON SAYS

“Mr. Lovell, It’s nice to find anther heavy razor lover! My personal tendency is to favor razors with a heavier feel than others. While I have not tried pairing the two different parts, I will assume that you should be able to match the two razor parts together. I would also offer you a suggestion, have you looked at the Merkur 39c slant barberpole? It is one of the heftiest razors Merkur produces, and has the slant head on top. This might produce the razor you desire! Good luck!

Happy Shaving, Aaron”

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Ask Aaron Q/A: Top tips for avoiding nicks & cuts whilst double edge shaving

By Aaron Wolfenbarger on June 14, 2011

Posted in Ask Aaron Q & A, Double Edge Shaving, Safety Razors, Shaving Tips | Comments (0)

ask aaron 420 Ask Aaron Q/A: Top tips for avoiding nicks & cuts whilst double edge shaving

Richard Mitchell, from the USA, asks:

“Hi, Have been using a straight razor which I got from Turkey - was concerned about safety although I did not cut myself at all and had a really good close shave. I bought a Parker DE razor and have done nothing but cut and nick myself. I even changed the shave soap thinking it was that, could the razor be faulty or what am I doing wrong? Thanks Richard”

AARON SAYS

“Mr. Mitchell, I am sorry you’re having such trouble. The two main things that come to mind are these: the angle and the blade. The blade angle for a double edge razor is quite different from a straight razor and should be at about 30 degrees or so. The next would be that you are using a blade that is not suitable for either your skin or hair type. I would purchase a few different types or brands of blades, or buy a sample pack and see how that changes the shave for you as well. It is a powerful as turning on a light switch in a dark room when finding that right combination!

Happy shaving!

Aaron”

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Youtube shaving guru Mantic59 tests out the Bluebeards Revenge

Double edge shaving guru Mantic, a veteran of the BadgerAndBlade and ShaveMyFace forums, has been testing the much-hyped Bluebeards Revenge shaving cream.

Mantic's Youtube videos have been seen by more than 4 million people

The American has been shaving with the cream to test whether the product can infact reduce and slow down beard growth with regular use.

So what were his findings? “I started to notice a difference in my beard after about 45 days of continuous use: hair started to get noticeably thinner and shorter,” said Mantic. Read his full review by clicking here.

The Bluebeards Revenge contains a miracle ingredient called Decelerine - which the manufactures Lipotec say can reduce beard growth over time.

According to Lipotec, in tests Decelerine showed a 30% decrease in hair length as well as a 16% reduction in hair density after 60 days.

As well as slowing down beard regrowth, Decelerine also relieves and soothes the effects of shaving (especially skin prone to irritation and dryness) by providing moisturisation and protection to facilitate its regeneration.

Mantic has helped thousands of wet shavers with their technique with his YouTube videos and forum postings.

Check out Mantic’s video review of The Bluebeards Revenge.

For more great videos on the art of traditional wet shaving, visit Mantic’s website http://mantic59.blogspot.com or Youtube channel - http://www.youtube.com/user/mantic59he much-hyped


Ask Aaron Q/A: Top shaving tips for the top lip and under the chin

By Aaron Wolfenbarger on June 5, 2011

Posted in Ask Aaron Q & A, Shaving Tips | Comments (0)

ask aaron 420 Ask Aaron Q/A: Top shaving tips for the top lip and under the chin

Kevin Spanner, from the USA, asks:

“Hi, can you describe your top lip and under chin routine? I’m having difficulty in those areas thanks.”

AARON SAYS

“Mr. Spanner,
Well, honestly I sport a Van Dyke, so I rarely shave those areas. However, when I do here is what I do. I prep the whole area as usual but on each pass of the upper lip make sure to stretch the upper lip as much as possible, and instead of going directly against the grain go slightly angled. So if north is fully against the grain go northeast or northwest. For the chin tilt your head up, stretching the skin, as well as draw your lower lip into you mouth. This also flattens your chin making it easier to shave. I hope these help!

Smooth Shaving,
Aaron”

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