Disposable Straight Razors

In the last few weeks I've finally gotten to the point where I can give myself consistently close and irritation free shaves. I've also managed to speed up the process quite a bit, mostly by skipping any unnecessary pre-shave routine and cutting out passes. I'm pretty much doing one full with the grain pass and a touch up or half pass (against the grain) on my neck/chin area. I can certainly do better but in the interest of saving time in the morning I find the results quite good with this. I pretty much have to do two passes on my neck and chin to get anything close to acceptable in that area, a little annoying as it's also my most tricky and sensitive area.

Since I've gotten better with my technique I've found pre-shave oils and creams don't actually do a whole lot for me, or at least I've gotten comfortable results without them. I'll probably go back and try the shave oil I liked so much a while ago and try and evaluate the results now that I'm much more consistent in my shaves. I also might use the Proraso pre-shave cream as more of a luxury thing when I have a little more time to shave but I've never really found it did much other than make my face feel tingly and smell nice.

I've also cut a good deal of time by not using my sink as a scuttle. I still warm my mug under hot water but I don't do anything to try and keep it warm, since I'm generally faster and doing fewer passes I don't really need to work as hard to keep it warm. I'm also hoping to get a scuttle for Christmas giving me consistently warm lather with no additional time spent mucking around filling my sink and keeping my mug in there making it harder to clean my razor. I also rinse my razor under the tap now, which is far faster than wiping it on a cloth or sponge and it's less clean up at the end.

I've also been experimenting with different blades and different blades feel more different than I thought they would. Now that I'm a better I want to revisit the Feathers. I was getting good results with just a single pass with them. I think they've given me the best single (with the grain) pass results of any blade I've tried but I found I was getting a good deal of irritation going across or against the grain which meant my neck and chin would either be a little stubbly or irritated depending on if I tried another pass on that area. I haven't tried them in a while though and I'm wondering how much of that irritation was due to the extremely sharp blade or me lacking in technique. I've since tried Derbys, Wilkinsons and Merkurs. The Derbys and Merkurs are quite a bit tamer than the Feathers and I quite like them. I want to give the Merkurs a little more time but at the moment I'm leaning towards Derbys as my go to blades. I didn't much care for the Wilkinson Swords, I found they felt oddly rough and they didn't do as well as the Feathers on a single pass but gave me much more irritation than the Derbys and Merkurs on multiple passes, sort of a worst of both situation. They were the first I tried after the Feathers though so I'll give them another try in the future. Seems I like the more forgiving blades, probably makes sense considering I'm still fairly new to this and my beard isn't terribly heavy or coarse.

As I said I'm hoping to get a scuttle and a Feather AC razor for Christmas along with some cream and a new brush. Anyone else ask Santa for new shaving gear?

My friends and family and I are generally fairly restrained about gift-giving, but I was thinking of putting both a new brush and a scuttle on my wishlist in case any of them are browsing it. I still have barely any grasp of what should drive brush selection beyond the grade of hair and the price.

Still considering an AC razor, but they're pricy. Still mad we haven't heard back from SuperJay!

I usually just do the one pass and then touch ups against the grain on the corners of my mouth and my upper lip under my nose, because otherwise those don't seem to get adequately trimmed. I can do more against the grain and it will get closer, but this is fast, easy, and close enough, and less irritating for my skin.

Type of hair also matters, some prefer boar to badger and some have ethical issues and go with synthetic or possibly horse. I've also read that there is no standard for the labeling of the type of badger hair and each manufacturer basically sets their own scale. What one might call Best Badger another might call Pure.

Otherwise it's all personal preference for a particular combination of softness, stiffness, knot size, loft, shape, handle style, etc. What I find difficult is that you basically have to try several to figure out what you like. That's not a particularly cheap prospect though.

Yeah exactly. Right now I have an Edwin Jagger best badger brush. (Still one of the best deals around at about $35.) I didn't know at the time that the badger was killed in the process, so while I'd like a silvertip brush, I am not sure if I'm comfortable buying one. If I go synthetic, of course, I'm not confident that it'd be a superior experience to what I have now. I may just stick with what I've got, as it's too late for that badger anyhow.

If I do upgrade, silvertip brushes are all over the map, pricewise, from $40 to $300+. I have absolutely no basis for distinguishing any of them. I wish brush makers would simplify their lines and explain why I might choose x brush or y brush. I know about loft and knot size but I don't really have a good feel for it.

So far all of this confusion has resulted in inertia and that may well continue forever. My current brush was reasonably priced and has handled everything I've thrown at it with aplomb. This might be one of these things that OCD hipster nerds nerd out about, like audiophiles with audio gear, that I won't really care much about.

Well I'm not sure anyone would want to try and give a live badger a hair cut. I'm not sure what your exact objection is about badger brushes, my understanding is that the badger meat is eaten and other parts of it are used. Badgers are apparently killed as vermin in China, so they're getting killed either way and not explicitly for shaving brushes. Not sure if that assuages your guilt but that's what I've read.

I personally don't have a problem with badger or boar brushes but my wife does and since I'm not particular either I've just been looking at synthetic and horse. From the research I've done there are several good synthetic brushes comparable to badger brushes (not sure they're quite up to silvertip standards though) and are well worth considering if you're looking for a new brush.

If you're happy with your current brush though I don't think there's much point in getting a new one. I'm only getting one cause the knot came apart from the handle on mine and is currently held together with glue.

Dang, I'm sorry. I... I hate to admit it, but I cancelled my order. I got socked with a $300 car repair that same week and decided that a new shaving kit was a bit of frivolity that I needed to do without for the time being. I'm still shaving with a shitty Gillette like always.

Though holy shit, Christmas gift ideas for my Amazon wishlist! My mom will be thrilled.

Oh okay. Hope things are working out okay.

DOOO EEET!!

Yeah, everything's fine, I'm not about to be living on the street or anything. I just look on this as a fun luxury purchase and had to prioritize, since I can shave just fine the "old way." I'm still interested in the whole safety razor / brush / soap thing, though - if I do get some cool gear for Christmas, you guys will be the first to know.

The nice thing is that if you're at all money conscious about it you can actually save money in the long run. Blades are pennies each and shaving creams/soaps last forever.

Yeah, definitely - in the long run. In the short run, it's anoutlay of $100 or so (IIRC from my initial planed order).

This your old setup?

If you want to save some money you could go with something like this:
Merkur Classic 1904/1906
Muhle Starter Set (brush and cream to boot!)
DE Blade Sampler Pack Choice
The brush says it's badger but I'm pretty sure it's this set that comes with this synthetic brush. You could also check to see if their Cyber Monday deals are still good, you could get free shipping.

So my awesome wife got me a Feather Artist Club DX with Teak scales for Christmas and her sister got me an H.I.S. shaving brush. Used both yesterday and they were fantastic. The brush is incredibly soft and really freaking large. Wasn't sure I'd like a big brush but I enjoyed it yesterday! My months with the shavette were well spent, I had a good shave with the new razor, it's quite a bit more forgiving than I had thought it would be with the regular blades and made getting through some of my rougher spots easier than the shavette. I've read the blades last quite a number of shaves too and a 20 pack might last me a year (maybe 3 weeks a blade) I think this my razor for life now.

Anyone else get any new or interesting shaving gear, SuperJay maybe? seventimessix I know you got some stuff, REPORT!

I am thisclose to pulling the trigger on an Artist Club myself. Should I get a. the DX, b. the SS, c. not get one?

The SS is like $95. I wonder if there is a catch other than it not looking as nice. It is a big jump to $250 for the DX though. Have to admit I'm tempted to just get the DX for the sake of having it be reasonably heavy though.

I've never actually seen any other AC razor's myself so it's hard for me to say but unless you're stickler for appearance (I'm not fond of the look of the SS) I think the SS is the best bang for your buck as far as the AC line goes. It's an upgrade to the former RG model, the SS is stainless steel just like the DX though the grade may be different, the old RG was chrome plated brass. The handle on the DX and SS are both made of resin though I believe the SS uses an injection mould which leaves a blemish at the injection point, it's a cheaper manufacturing process. The new design of the head and shank of the SS is supposed to be better too. I wish they had kept the same scales as the RG for the SS.

If you shop around you can probably get the resin scale DX for a little less than $250, maybe around $200 or $220, though that still puts it at more than twice the price of the SS. The reviews for the SS on Badger and Blade are quite positive though I'm not sure I've seen any SS/DX comparisons.

Welp, pulled the trigger on the SS. I got the Professional (which are the regular blades), and a pack of the Pro Guard ones for tiny babies just in case I decide I want something more forgiving. It will probably be here sometime next week, I will report back. Pretty good price at West Coast Shaving.

I haven't seen many handles on the DX that I loved the look of, and at a +$150 price difference I'd want to love it. If I could catch a sweet deal on the teakwood scales, maybe. I'll use this for now, no need to drop a shitload of money right now. Pretty excited. Thanks for the info.

Nice! Let me know about the Pro Guard blades, I suspect I wouldn't like them and figured they're more for learning. I was surprised that the Pro blades were as forgiving as they were. I found them to be about on par with Derby's in my Shavette. I'm curious about the Kai mild blades but with the Pros being as friendly as they've been so far I'm not sure they're worth the trouble, they are hard to find and not cheap.

The cheapest I've ever seen the teak AC razor was $250 at Italian Barber and the price there has recently gone up to $270 or $280 I believe.

IT'S OUT FOR DELIVERY EARLY RIGHT NOW

Just had my first shave with the Artist Club SS. I am not a very experienced straight razor shaver, so I won't be much good for comparing them at the moment. No visible cuts or nicks, although my alum block disagrees a bit. Not the cleanest shave, though. I cleaned up with my DE rather than subject my skin to more trauma for the evening. The neck is hard. How do people get right under the nostrils? I did it by going upward instead of down.

What am I supposed to do with the (disposable) blade and the handle? Leave them open to air dry? Wipe them? Something else? People say you should get 10+ shaves from a blade, I don't want to just throw it out.

Artist Club SS, Day 2. Good news: much better shave. Bad news: nicked the shit out of my face, in like 4 places. Other good news: alum block cleaned it up instantly.

Am I not supposed to close the handle with the blade still in? Not sure if I'm dulling it.

Sorry I didn't get back to you sooner. Closing the razor with the blade in shouldn't be a problem. As for post shave cleaning, wiping the blade is probably a bad idea, it would likely dull it. I usually remove the blade rinse it and let it air dry. The razor I take the head apart, rinse it and wipe it to avoid water spots.

I've never used a DE razor but I would guess it's between a cartridge and a straight as far as ease of use or mechanical aid or something like that. Because of that and the larger length of the edge a straight requires a good amount of skill and very different skills from other methods of shaving. The problem with straight shaving (and probably with DEs) is that everyone's face is different and what works for one person doesn't necessarily work for another, you have to learn what works for you and your face. There are a few wikis that mention various techniques, you'll have to experiment a little with them. Be sure you're stretching your skin properly, I've found it best to use an over hand grip, and get comfortable using both hands. Some angles are much easier using your other hand even if it's your off hand and feels awkward, it's a new skill and you'll quickly learn to use both quite proficiently. The neck is hard, I find that a north to south is pretty easy but doesn't do an adequate job. I do a south to north pass afterwards (across is damn near impossible!) and hold the razor on a bit of an angle so the toe leads the heel, kind of like a guillotine. As for the nose I don't think going up is a good idea, you could nick yourself quite badly, I'm a little scared of that anyway. I usually go down and across under my nose. You can roll your upper lip and/or do a "piggy nose" so you can get a better angle when going down. You'll have to come in at a sharp angle and carefully rotate the razor to run the blade along until it gets to the proper angle and then run it down.

I've found that getting an even shave (same closeness all over) is damn hard but my shaves are consistent (same closeness in the same area from shave to shave). Since you're a DE shaver you're probably pretty familiar with your face already but I would think you'll need to be familiar with it in a bit of a different way with the straight.

How's the razor feel anyway, mine has a good weight, how do you like the scales? Did you use the guarded blades or the regular ones?

There is a particular grip you're meant to use, it sounds like you aren't doing that maybe? You open it 270 degrees, is the best way I can think of to describe it, so that the shank is moved past a straight extension from the scales. Thumb and index finger on the shank, and I rest a couple fingers on the tang for control. I reverse the grip if I'm going upward, and choke up on the grip a bit if I'm doing something very delicate like under my nose.

I might pick up a straight razor stand so I can store the damn thing un-closed. My inclination is to wipe it backwards as if I'm stropping but I don't know if I feel good about that.

I watched a video a while back that gave me my favorite tip: if you stretch your skin upwards around the jawline, you can shave the bits right on the jaw without having to deal with the sharp curve, and when you let go you'll be under the jawline.

Definitely agree that an upward pass is necessary on the neck, there are bits I just can't seem to get to going downward. Agree as well that ambidextrous use is all but required. Trying to use my dominant hand on my non-dominant side is just... mechanically baffling.

Up under the nose seems fine as long as you're careful. I don't ever intend to shave with a straight if I'm not awake and paying attention. Maybe with a barber's notch razor or something it would be easier but I think this is best for now. I go upward right under my nose with my DE as well.

The razor feels pretty good. Definitely looks a bit cheap, and is relatively light. But it has the weight for the job. I used the Professional blades since you said they were pretty forgiving, and so far I agree. Not sure how I nicked myself on the cheeks today, maybe I accidentally moved sideways a little and didn't feel it. No nicks on the difficult bits, weirdly. I'm amazed at how fast and easily the alum block stopped them bleeding. What are the guarded ones like?

What is the point of scales, anyway? Vs. the straight-handled Japanese kind, I mean.

The grip is something I've known since I was like 5 and was watching my dad use his straight, I was very comfortable holding the shavette and my AC right off the bat. I'm scared about the under nose area because my whiskers there are perhaps the coarsest of anywhere on my face and the shavette was very light so it'd get caught now and then and then pop when I cut through, I nicked myself once on my septum which hurt quite a bit and for a few days so I'm a little gun shy about going up. Catching hasn't been a problem with the AC so far, I think the added weight helps quite a bit in this regard.

Unless there's either a design or manufacturing defect with the SS closing it really shouldn't be a problem, the whole point is to protect the blade and as a safety measure. My AC has a pin about a quarter of the way down from the pivot which the the shank makes contact with when closed, no part of the blade touches any part of the scales when it's closed.

Stretching your skin either with your hand or through facial contortions is a big part of straight razor shaving for a few reasons. Getting a flatter surface for one, getting parts of your skin that normally rest on hard curves like your jaw is another but it also spreads out your whiskers making them less dense, makes your skin more taut avoiding the blade from sticking and pulling your skin and when pulled against the grain actually makes your whiskers stand up (there's a gif of this on a wiki somewhere that shows this really well, don't remember which though).

It depends on what you're trying to do. For example doing an across the grain pass it's easier to use your opposite hand an go across your face from your ear to your nose/mouth, this is also a good way to get that last little bit of your sideburn right by your ear if that's a problem for you (it is for me, my face dips right there so getting that with or against the grain is hard).

I think I covered this above, whatever works for you is really the right answer, going up hasn't worked out so well for me.

It's incredibly easy to just ever so slightly move the razor sideways, I find it mostly happens when I'm putting the razor to my face, once it's in motion cuts are rare and are often due to a small bump (irritation or pimple or something) that gets cut and not really a technical mistake on my part.

I don't have an alum block just a styptic pencil and yes it's very fast and good about stopping bleeding, stings though. Not sure if alum blocks are the same but if I don't rinse or put on some aftershave or something after the pencil I get a white chalky residue after it dries.

I think I covered this above but they protect the blade from getting nicked and banged up and protect people and other things from the blade cutting them.

I will take a look, thanks.

I've used a styptic pencil for years, the alum block is pretty new. They are very similar; I'm told a styptic pencil is basically alum with a wax binder, but I don't know if that's true or not. I definitely get the residue you mentioned with a styptic pencil; I don't get anything nearly as noticeable with an alum block, but I rinse it off in both cases after a minute or two anyway.

In my experience, people only use styptic pencils when they cut themselves, whereas with the block I run it all over my entire face after every shave, whether I think I've cut myself or not. (Sometimes I don't think I did, but it stings anyway, in which case I've gotten a minor nick I didn't notice and that didn't really bleed.) Alum is an astringent with antiseptic properties; one of the reasons I switched to it was that I wanted to make sure any nicks were getting disinfected, but I wanted to use my alcohol-free Nivea aftershave balm. Alum + moisturizer is also an option; I have one from Cetaphil.

A lot of different companies make alum blocks. They are all basically the same stuff although there are two kinds and one is considered "better." Amazon had one for like five bucks but rather than buy from a brand I'd never heard of I opted for a $10 Shavex one. RazoRock sells one that's similarly priced. Other companies like Taylor's and Art of Shaving sell their own as well, but at ~$20 they are laughably overpriced. One will last you basically forever.

If you end up getting one, use it while your face is wet and run it under cold water first. You can then rub it all over your face and rinse it off, and rinse the residue off your face a little later. Shavex claims there's no residue, but I don't believe them. Store it in the container it came in, it's acidic or something. Mine has a plastic case that snaps shut, I've seen wooden ones too. I leave the lid open to air dry.

I actually use a Body Shop product that has witch hazel in it and use it for much the same purpose, though I only use it if I've cut myself or have some irritation. Astringents can be very drying to your skin so for some people daily use isn't recommended, my cheeks tend to get dry, particularly in the winter so I avoid using these sorts of products if I can. The anti-septic issue is quite minor these days, as long as you keep your shaving gear and your face clean you shouldn't have much to worry about with infections.

Yeah, the antiseptic thing is really just for my peace of mind. I always follow the alum block with either moisturizer or the Nivea balm, so I'm not too worried about drying my skin out.

So I just ordered a sample pack of TOBS shaving cream, it includes a sample of 12 of the scents, only missing the sensitive one but includes the Jermyn St. Each is a 1/4 ounce which should get me a few shaves of each. I also ordered a sample pack of the Ogallala after shaves, each is 2 ounces. I also got a bottle of Speick after shave to get the free shipping, I was a nickle short. Lots of new stuff for me to try next week!

I thought Jermyn St. was the sensitive-skin one.

It is but they also have another simply labeled "Sensitive Skin" they are apparently the same formulation just different scents or something.

So I tried this before but I want to hear how seventimessix is doing with his new gear! Even if you're not liking it much I'd like to know, maybe we can help.

So my order arrived late last week, I've only tried a couple of TOBS (Eton College and Coconut) and I also tried the Speick and Ogallala Bay Rum. Both TOBS were great, Eton is definitely the front runner as my favourite. I'm a little concerned about some others like Sandalwood and Lemon Lime as they both have a very strong smell. I hope they mellow a bit once I lather them. The Coconut also smells strongly (and good enough to eat!) and it mellowed, Eton actually perked up a bit but that's alright as its scent was much less pronounced before.

I really like the Speick, smells great (a slight musky smell comes out that you don't get just smelling the bottle) and feels great too. the Ogallala sampler is a bit of a mixed bag, I like the smell of the Lime and Peppercorn and the Sage and Cedar but the others I'm a little less keen on. Bay Rum in general may not be my scent, I find it quite sweet. I tried the regular Bay Rum aftershave and it went on nicely, not much burn at all and I liked the scent a little more on but still not sure I like it enough to ever buy it again. That stuff has staying power too, I could still smell it in the afternoon which in my experience is a little odd for an aftershave.

Ogallala's scents are incredibly sweet. I also like their Limes and Peppercorn and the Sage and Cedar, but grew really tired of their bay rum. Lucia Bay makes my favorite at the moment. It's not as sweet and very spicy.

I'm really fucking bad at shaving. My biggest issue is that I have to shave with my non-dominant hand and I just don't have the dexterity and steadiness needed. I've tried twice to do a decent wet shave with all this stuff and both times it's ended in some pretty serious nicks. I've cut just below my nose both times, scraped a few spots on my neck, and somehow even cut my earlobe. I'm willing to give it another shot once I no longer look like was in a fight, but I think I might actually be better off getting used to a regular razor with some cheap Bics or something that isn't very sharp.

The electric has spoiled you a little I think. Don't be hard on yourself, shaving is a skill and it takes practice and a DE takes a decent amount to be proficient. You should treat it like you're learning a new skill and not expect that you'll instantaneously be good at it. It took me about two months before I was getting decent shaves in a reasonable amount of time when I switched to my straight. Check out Mantic59's videos, they're a touch cheesy but they're specifically geared to people who are new to wet shaving using a DE razor. They have a ton of information about razors, brushes, techniques and how you might go about teaching yourself this sort of shaving. He himself switched to DE shaving after something like 30 years of using an electric.

You could also get a cartridge razor, like a Fusion or Quattro, to help learn. That way you can approach it a little more slowly using the DE for part of the shave (say just the cheeks to start) then finish off with a cartridge until you're more comfortable using the DE for the whole shave. That way you can have presentable results without going through a trial by fire with the DE. It's pretty difficult to cut yourself with modern cartridge razors but they can irritate your skin more than a DE (once you get good with it) and won't shave quite as close but they're better than an electric on both counts. If you're finding the DE razor just isn't for you the cartridge would still be a better option than the electric and you can still make use of the cream and brush you got if you're enjoying that part. I've used creams and a brush for years with my Gillette, it's a much nicer experience than using canned cream/gel and it's better for your skin.

I use a straight razor and use both hands to do it (switch depending what side of my face and what angle I need), my left hand still feels odd but I'm much better now than I was when I started (I've never used a DE I went from my Gillette Sensor to the straight). Why can't you use your dominant hand if you don't mind me asking? Also nicks will happen and I think taking a break is definitely a wise move when learning. I still nick myself from time to time (nicked my earlobe last week, it's not that uncommon) and often skip days if I've had a rough shave, though my beard is quite light and my job doesn't put much pressure on me to be perfectly groomed (hooray for writing code).

Keep learning, keep us posted on your progress and feel free to ask us any questions you may have!

So I picked up Bold for Men after reading about it in the classicshaving.com newsletter. It's a completely dry shave gel. That I learned about from a company dedicated to wetshaving. So I had to try it out. You apply a thin film to a DRY face, wait 30 seconds, and then shave, and reapply as an aftershave if you want. Something possessed me to jump straight to across-the-grain on my neck, by far my biggest problem area, and further stack things against the stuff by using a blade that really should have been replaced. I ended up with a bit of burn, but far less than anything I've achieved wetshaving aside from the handful of times when the stars were properly aligned.

I'm seriously considering selling my brushes and creams, although I might keep them around because I like the ritual, but for me, it won't be because the quality of shave is the best anymore. This shit is awesome.

This sounds interesting, not sure I'd want it for daily use but for travelling this might be the best thing ever! I can't find any Canadian sources for it though. Does it contain alcohol? I'm wondering cause shipping alcohol from the US to Canada is often problematic.

So after trying all of the Taylor of Old Bond Street shaving creams in the sample pack I bought (some a few times) it's time for a few comments.

First all performed well and very similarly, I didn't notice much difference at all. I think any are worth the money and none of them are terribly expensive which is nice. Jermyn Street is the only one that has a different price point and it is the sensitive skin formula, it's a few dollars more than the rest. Scent is really the distinguishing factor I'd say. Here's the list of all the creams and my thoughts about them.

Almond - This smells like Amaretto and quite strongly, it settles down a little after lathering. For me this was no good, I really dislike the smell of Amaretto. It was tolerable after I lathered it but I would never buy this. If you like this sort of smell then you'll probably be happy with it. It's just not for me.

Avocado - I had read this is one of the best performing of the bunch but I didn't really notice much difference I have to say. The scent is very understated, perhaps the most of the bunch, not surprising as avocados aren't terribly fragrant.

Coconut - This smells good enough to eat! A little strong but again it's muted when lathered. Might be a slightly softer, slicker lather than the others, probably due to the additional coconut oil. Not sure I'd buy it for myself because there are others I prefer but I would definitely use it if I had it.

Eton College - This one is my favourite, the scent is subtle but picks up a little while lathering has a bit of a citrus orange or mandarin like scent.

Jermyn Street - I only used this once so far and didn't really notice the difference with the sensitive skin formula. My skin is a little more sensitive than normal I think but most normal products are fine for me. The scent is quite light and similar to Eton from what I remember (it was a while ago that I tried it)
Lavender - I'm not much for floral scents so this isn't for me but it wasn't so bad. It wasn't as strong smelling as I thought it might be and the performance was the same as the others so if you like lavender this might be the one for you.

Lemon & Lime - Quite strong smelling, it mellows when lathered but you won't forget which scent you're using. I like the scent and it's tolerable but would rather it be more subdued.

Mr. Taylors - Very light, wood and soap like scent.

Rose - Again not big on the floral stuff, smells like roses, not too strong but not for me.

Sandalwood - This has a very strong scent, it mellows a bit when lathering but probably the strongest smelling of the bunch. Again not a bad scent but far stronger than I would like.

Shaving Shop - Quite subtle, smells mostly of soap to me with a few spice hints but you do have to look for it a bit.

St. James. - A close second for me, again light citrus notes in this with a bit of a woody hit. Similar to Eton. I have to try this one again.

Thanks, I've tried some of those but not all. I've tried Eton College (okay), Almond (nice), and Avocado (bleh). I used a Vulfix lime that some people say smells like cleaning agents, but I kind of like the sharpness. Several on your list I might give a try.

I'm still just on my second blade for my Feather razor. I typically shave three or four times a week so this isn't quite a big a feat as it might initially seem but I'm surprised at how long these things last. It doesn't feel like it needs to be changed, it's just going and going. I think I changed my first a little sooner than I needed to. Have you been using your Inigima? Still enjoying it?

I bought a hundred Astra's for less than $9 and while the second blade was shit for some reason, the first, third, and fourth have lasted at least a week apiece (and could really have been stretched further) which is a lot better than the Sharks I used to use. It's probably going to take a couple years for me to go through this pack. For less than $9. Never again, cartridge razors.

I wish I could get the Feather AC blades in bulk. $14 for a pack of 20 blades is still cheaper than cartridges at least.