Best safety razor?

I was asked recently what safety razor I thought was the best one… and I found the question very hard to answer because, well… it’s hard to pick just one; I have many favourites among the ones I own myself.

I enjoy my vintage Ever-Ready1914, but mostly because it’s a heirloom piece from a family friend who meant a lot to me when I was growing up.

I always look forward to shaving with my vintage GEM Micromatic Clug Pruf, since it’s such an easy SE razor to master.

Likewise I always looks forward to using my Schick “Lady Eversharp” Injector which I bought as New-Old-Stock, it’s my only injector and the blades last three times longer than ordinary DE blades.

I like my vintage Gillette “Khaki” Old Type from 1918, which started it’s life as a service kit issued to a US soldier in the Great War, and that I now use when I’m on exercises and operations.

My three different Cadet razors (TP-01, TTO-11 and TTO-13) are all fun to use, since they taught me that inexpensive razors can be just as good shavers as expensive ones.

My Mergress Adjustable Bling means a lot to me, since it is both a good shaver and a gift from a friend.

I like the shaves I get from my Merkur 45C Bakelite, since it’s so light I have to concentrate on my technique when I’m using it.

Likewise I like using my vintage Phillips Philite, for the same reason.

And those are just a few of the ones I have in my rotation, and I like the ones in my rotation that I havn’t mentioned – that is why they are still in the rotation. On top of that there are many, many safety razors both vintage and modern I have not tried, both cheap and expensive. There are some really nice high end razors out there I would love to try, and there are some low cost options I would enjoy giving a go. And while some shavers will hunt for the One Razor that is perfect for them, I enjoy the variety and challenges that comes from mastering razors with a wide range of characteristics.

To me there is no “best safety razor”. To me there is a set of features that I enjoy;

  • smallish head for ease of manoeuvring around the face.
  • balance point or centre of gravity just below the head, for the same reason.
  • a decent blade gap (that is, the distance between the edge and the base plate) for an efficient shave.
  • but not too large, since that creates an aggressive razor
  • open comb or a large opening behind the safety bar so it won’t clog with lather.
  • easy of cleaning.

So while not a straight forward and easy answer to the question I was asked, I got to sit down and think about why I like the razors I do.

Shave of the day 30th July

Razor: Cadet TTO-11
Blade: Treet Platinum
Brush: Semogue TSN LE 2012
Lather: Wet Shaving Products Pre-production Sample
Aftershave: Nivea Cooling After Shave Balm
Additional Care: Alum Block, BullDog Original Beard Balm, & Pereira Shavery Boomerang Beard Comb

News about Pereira Shavery

Pereira Shavery makes – as readers of my blog knows – a pretty damn awesome soap and related items, as well as sourcing some fun stuff such as the little shavette I got. For a new artisan/vendor in the market they do stand out in terms of quality and presentation, and from what I can tell they are planning more products in the future.

 Recently I learned that Pereira Shavery is planning a crowdfunding campaign aimed at, to paraphrase, “The Man who thinks he has Everything”. As far as I know some exciting things are planned, and if you want to know more you can email them at giveaway@pereirashavery.com – if you use the subject line “I want in!” you’ll also enter their monthly give-away which starts this August and runs the rest of 2018.

For the cost of an email you can be among the first to know what’s coming from one of my new favourite soap makers. Can you afford not to email them?

Shave of the day 27th July

Razor: Cadet TP-01
Blade: Treet Platinum
Brush: Gustavo Rimano Manchurian Badger, imitation horn
Lather: Crabtree & Evelyn Sandalwood
Aftershave: Proraso Wood and Spice
Additional Care: Alum Block, Gentlemen of Sweden Original Beard Oil, & Pereira Shavery

Review of Pereira Shavery Boomerang Beard Comb

Bottom line up front; Once I got used to the shape, the best comb I’ve used for my beard so far. Recommended, especially if you have a stiff wrist or need help shaping your beard.

Alongside the metal beard comb I posted about last week I received a wooden, boomerang shaped one that is my current favourite beard comb. After a a few minutes of initial puzzlement as to how to hold it properly, using it was a breeze. The L-shape lets me grasp the comb in several ways a normal comb won’t, allowing me to comb my beard from all angles without having to twist my wrist.

The comb itself is – according to Pereira’s website – hand sawed from pear wood. Pear wood is a good choice for a couple of reasons; not only is it a hardwood which makes for a durable comb, but it’s also a great callback to the name Pereira – which means “pear tree” in Portuguese. It’s also a renewable resource, which is a good thing all by itself.

The comb is fairly narrow toothed, and I’ve found that it’ll easily undo most tangles in my beard. My only wish for improvement would be that the teeth were cut further towards the edge on the handle side of the comb, but that is a fairly minor issue. It works great on head hair as well, in case you’re curious.

The boomerang shape also is a useful guide in shaping your beard, thus keeping it symmetrical and even. The comb even comes with a handy tri-lingual instruction sheet for how to do just that, written in Portuguese, English and what Google Translate assures me is French (disclaimer; I don’t read neither Portuguese nor French). The soft curve on the inside of the comb can be used for defining the neckline of the beard and the outer curves, and the straight side is good for helping keeping the sides of my goatee from waving as well as maintaining other straight lines.

The packaging also shows the innovative mindset that Pereira displays in several of their products; it came in a CD-case. It can also – I assume – be stored in that case if you so desire, however I use mine every day and as such there is no need to store it; I just keep it on my bath room shelf.

The Pereira Boomerang beard comb have become my daily driver to get my goatee ready to face the world. If you only want one comb, this would be a good choice.

In related news I’ve learned recently that Pereira Shavery is planning a crowdfunding campaign aimed at, to paraphrase, “The Man who thinks he has Everything”. From what I gather exciting things are planned, and if you want to know more you can email them at giveaway@pereirashavery.com – if you use the subject line “I want in!” you’ll also enter their monthly give-away which starts this August and runs the rest of 2018.

Shave of the day 25th July

Razor: Cadet TP-01
Blade: Treet Platinum
Brush: Vie-Long #12705B
Lather: Mike’s Natural Soaps Orange, Cedarwood & Black Pepper
Aftershave: Myrsol Aqua De Limón
Additional Care: Alum Block, BullDog Original Beard Oil, & Pereira Shavery Boomerang Beard Comb

A barbershop experience

So.. one of the almost-local malls have a new tenant; a barbershop! One that does beards as opposed to just haircuts, and that uses brushes, lather and shavettes to do the trim!

(photo borrowed from their FaceBook page)
Since my goatee and moustache had gotten a bit… unruly… I decided to give it a go. The owner/barber was very nice, precise and knowledgeable. A very pleasant experience indeed, and once I fully intend to repeat regularly.
I also picked up a beard oil from a company I have no previous experience with; Gentlemen of Sweden. The scent is subtle and nice, consisting of rice bran oil, sunflower seed oil, argan oil, jojoba oil and lavender oil.
I’ll report back more fully when I’ve given it more use.

Shave of the day 23rd July

Razor: Cadet TP-01
Blade: Treet Platinum
Brush: Vie-Long #14033
Lather: Pereira Shavery Shaving Cream w/ Activated Charcoal
Aftershave: Proraso Liquid Cream After Shave
Additional Care: Alum Block, Gentlemen of Sweden Original Beard Oil, & Pereira Shavery Boomerang Beard Comb

Shave of the day 20th July

Razor: Merkur 25C Open Comb
Blade: Wilkinson Sword
Brush: Wilkinson Sword Badger
Lather: Mike’s Natural Soaps Orange, Cedarwood & Black Pepper
Aftershave: Myrsol Aqua De Limón
Additional Care: Alum Block, BullDog Original Beard Oil,& Pereira Shavery Boomerang Beard Comb

Review of Pereira Shavery metal multi-utility beard comb

Bottom line up front: A good choice for a daily carry comb. Handy size, indestructible and useful for more than just combing the beard.

A few weeks ago I got a package from Pereira Shavery that – along with other nice things – contained a metal beard comb of the general size and shape of a credit card. Ever since it’s lived in a pocket of my work clothes, begin pulled out and used every time I need to get my somewhat unruly goatee under control. So what have made this comb my daily carry?

Firstly, the handy size. It sits comfortable in a pocket, in a vallet, a credit card holder, or in the back of my cell phone holster (careful not to scratch the cell phone though). That means it’s always there when I need it for combing or other tasks.

Secondly, it’s metal and easily survives daily carry. In the past I’ve bent plastic combs and broken wooden ones. This metal combs just takes the abuse and keeps going… and the form factor makes it more resistant to bending than most other combs I’ve used.

Thirdly, it got a few handy other uses. The built in bottle opener works well, the little flat head screwdriver in one corner have come in handy on a couple of occasions (sometimes the right tool is the tool at hand), the so called can opener on the end have come in handy as a letter opener as well as lifting the ring on the end of soda cans… I’ve not yet got to try the spanner (wrench) yet, since every time I’ve had to unbolt something I’ve had better tools at hand, and I’m not entirely certain what purpose the elongated hole between the spanner and comb is supposed to have.

The most important part is off course the comb, and the comb works very well for me and my curly beard hairs. It can get hung up on tangles, off course, but nothing a bit of care can’t work trough.

Can I recommend the metal multi-utility comb from Pereira Shavery? For a daily carry comb, yes. I’ve carried it and used it daily since I received mine, to the point where I’ve managed to wear of the markings on the back.
For a comb that lives in your bathroom or shave den? It’ll work just as well there, but Pereira also offers some better options in wood for that purpose.