0
I'm fortunate that I am not a real hairy guy. And at twenty-eight, it took me my whole year in Korea to actually grow a decent mustache. So I can go several days between shaves. Just a quick touch-up with the electric razor, and I am good to go. I can 'feel it' for those who grow hair quickly.
Unfortunately, as I grow older, I am growing more hair. I wonder why this is? My ears are sprouting hair all over the place, and I am starting to look like Andy Rooney.
But I never, and I mean never, shave unless I have just taken a shower right before that. My beard, is so soft I can take it off easily. And I only have to trim my mustache occasionally. And I almost never apply any after-shave. But I do use my Thai Deodorant Stone liberally and I never have any body oder whatsoever.
The key to getting a great shave is pretty easy really. First, take a shower right before shaving. A water logged beard is the easiest to crop. Second, only use a shaving gel: not a foam. Gels are the slickest lubricants I can think of short of silicone. And third, fully understand how blades get dull.
Razor blades are now made out of stainless steel, and will go bad before the become dull. 99.99% of bad razor blades are the result of the edge being pulled and bent out of alignment. Eventually, the edge becomes so distorted that it tears rather than cuts. So it is very important to ensure the alignment of the blade.
There are several ways to extend the life of a razor blade/s, the first is having a water logged beard, and then a gel. But how the shaver holds his hand, and cuts the beard is very important. No matter which angle, it is imperative to keep that angle the same through the entire stroke, or at least try to keep it the same. Never shave by using your wrists. This puts different pressure on the cutting edge. When I move, my wrist is locked in place, and as I get under the chin, I move my entire hand up or down, in order to keep the same angle which I started. Oh, and I take slow, and pressured strokes: never light, quick strokes. Too much wear and tear on the SS edges.
Oh, and one other thing. Stick exclusively with Gillette blades. Gillette blades are the smoothest because the angle of cut, to the skin surface, is closer to parallel than with other blades. For some reason the competition sets the blades more toward the perpendicular angle, and Gillette goes the other way. Where the first will tend to tear if more pressure is applied, Gillette will tend to catch less hair because the blade will tend to 'plane' over the surface, rather than dig in. That is why I use a good deal of pressure on my strokes. But the more toward the perpendicular the blade, the more tearing/distorting pressure put on the blade's edge, and the easier it is to bend them out of alignment.
Some of you will not believe this, but it's true. I am still using the pack of Sensor II disposable blades I bought over two and a half years ago. That's six blades, and I still have one left to go. I don't shave as much as most people(I supplement with an electric razor), but I can easily get at least 50-75 shaves with the same disposable razor: probably more like 100 shaves. I swear this is true. I've made a science out of this, because I have a warped sense of what is importance I guess. It was just an intellectual challenge to me.
I was listening to that consumer advocate fellow, who comes on right after Neal Boortz(What IS that guy's name?), and he was talking about the science of extending blade life. And he actually got it wrong. His point is that keeping the blades slick and free of hair, is the most important thing. While that may be important, and I always make sure my blades are rinsed and moist at all times, there is more to it. So I set out to actually discover how I could extend the life of my disposable razors. And the above is what I have come up with.
Oh, Clark Howard, that's who I was thinking of. He's a real hoot. And he's so 'tight' he squeaks. LOL!
But I use my razor blades so many times that the lubricant patch on the razor wears out well before I have to throw away the razor.
I tried a beard once, and I can't stand it. Its uncomfortable and difficult to keep clean. And the ladies generally don't like them either, because they are a bit rough on their skin. And ladies generally want someone who has a 'soft touch'. If you come across one who likes being roughed up, run.
Anyway, that is how I keep my costs down on the razor end. Also on the deodorant thing too. The average cost of deodorant can really add up over a year. A Thai Deodorant Stone(not the the stick kind) will last you years, as long as you don't drop it in the sink and crack it. My current one was a 6 oz rock, and I have had it for several years, and it is about half its original size.
Sorry for the extra long post, but I just thought I would pass along what I have learned.
As for Sandals, they may look geeky, but they are very, very comfortable, if you get the right size.
Unfortunately, as I grow older, I am growing more hair. I wonder why this is? My ears are sprouting hair all over the place, and I am starting to look like Andy Rooney.
But I never, and I mean never, shave unless I have just taken a shower right before that. My beard, is so soft I can take it off easily. And I only have to trim my mustache occasionally. And I almost never apply any after-shave. But I do use my Thai Deodorant Stone liberally and I never have any body oder whatsoever.
The key to getting a great shave is pretty easy really. First, take a shower right before shaving. A water logged beard is the easiest to crop. Second, only use a shaving gel: not a foam. Gels are the slickest lubricants I can think of short of silicone. And third, fully understand how blades get dull.
Razor blades are now made out of stainless steel, and will go bad before the become dull. 99.99% of bad razor blades are the result of the edge being pulled and bent out of alignment. Eventually, the edge becomes so distorted that it tears rather than cuts. So it is very important to ensure the alignment of the blade.
There are several ways to extend the life of a razor blade/s, the first is having a water logged beard, and then a gel. But how the shaver holds his hand, and cuts the beard is very important. No matter which angle, it is imperative to keep that angle the same through the entire stroke, or at least try to keep it the same. Never shave by using your wrists. This puts different pressure on the cutting edge. When I move, my wrist is locked in place, and as I get under the chin, I move my entire hand up or down, in order to keep the same angle which I started. Oh, and I take slow, and pressured strokes: never light, quick strokes. Too much wear and tear on the SS edges.
Oh, and one other thing. Stick exclusively with Gillette blades. Gillette blades are the smoothest because the angle of cut, to the skin surface, is closer to parallel than with other blades. For some reason the competition sets the blades more toward the perpendicular angle, and Gillette goes the other way. Where the first will tend to tear if more pressure is applied, Gillette will tend to catch less hair because the blade will tend to 'plane' over the surface, rather than dig in. That is why I use a good deal of pressure on my strokes. But the more toward the perpendicular the blade, the more tearing/distorting pressure put on the blade's edge, and the easier it is to bend them out of alignment.
Some of you will not believe this, but it's true. I am still using the pack of Sensor II disposable blades I bought over two and a half years ago. That's six blades, and I still have one left to go. I don't shave as much as most people(I supplement with an electric razor), but I can easily get at least 50-75 shaves with the same disposable razor: probably more like 100 shaves. I swear this is true. I've made a science out of this, because I have a warped sense of what is importance I guess. It was just an intellectual challenge to me.
I was listening to that consumer advocate fellow, who comes on right after Neal Boortz(What IS that guy's name?), and he was talking about the science of extending blade life. And he actually got it wrong. His point is that keeping the blades slick and free of hair, is the most important thing. While that may be important, and I always make sure my blades are rinsed and moist at all times, there is more to it. So I set out to actually discover how I could extend the life of my disposable razors. And the above is what I have come up with.
Oh, Clark Howard, that's who I was thinking of. He's a real hoot. And he's so 'tight' he squeaks. LOL!
But I use my razor blades so many times that the lubricant patch on the razor wears out well before I have to throw away the razor.
I tried a beard once, and I can't stand it. Its uncomfortable and difficult to keep clean. And the ladies generally don't like them either, because they are a bit rough on their skin. And ladies generally want someone who has a 'soft touch'. If you come across one who likes being roughed up, run.
Anyway, that is how I keep my costs down on the razor end. Also on the deodorant thing too. The average cost of deodorant can really add up over a year. A Thai Deodorant Stone(not the the stick kind) will last you years, as long as you don't drop it in the sink and crack it. My current one was a 6 oz rock, and I have had it for several years, and it is about half its original size.
Sorry for the extra long post, but I just thought I would pass along what I have learned.
As for Sandals, they may look geeky, but they are very, very comfortable, if you get the right size.