Blog | Page 11 of 13 | Original Shave Company

The Importance of using a Pre Shaving Oil during Wet Shaving

Pre shaving oil is a mix of vegetable oils or essential oils which is applied to the skin before a shaving cream in an effort to achieve better shaving results. Such results include the avoidance of razor bumps and skin irritation by providing the much needed lubrication between the skin and the razor blade. Human beings have used vegetable oils and animal fats as shaving lubricants for many centuries. Although the practice has evolved into the additional application of shaving cream or soap after the initial application of shaving oil, there are still a few men today who shave exclusively with oil.

How Shaving Oil prevents Razor Bumps

Razor Bumps are an unpleasant condition that affect many shavers. They can be terribly uncomfortable in addition to being a visually unpleasant. However, razor bumps can be prevented by the use of shaving oil which is a solution men who have sensitive skin have been using for years. Applying a thin layer of pre-shave oil helps to soften the hair so your blade cuts through it easily without pulling at the follicles and irritating them. This pull is what creates the razors bumps. It also enables the blade to glide smoothly over the skin, thereby avoiding the irritation of the skin for people with sensitive skin types.

Men with sensitive skin benefit the most from the use of shaving oil. If you have sensitive skin like many people do, you will discover that there truly is a difference between using a pre shaving oil versus not using one at all. One of the many reasons why there has been a spike in demand for pre shaving oil is due to men demanding clear skin and no red irritation marks post shave.

Applying pre-shave oil helps to reduce ingrown hair because the razor cuts the hairs cleaner. Ingrown hairs occur mostly because they have been cut at an angle. This cutting at an angle happens only when hair gets pulled by a razor before being cut. Such a scenario is not possible after the application of a pre-shave oil. Pre-shave oils help to reduce irritation of sensitive skin (razor burns) because the razor blade has lubrication to glide on.

How To Use Pre-shave Oil

The number one complaint people have against the use of pre-shave oil is that it clogs their razor and stops them from getting a clean shave. Another complaint is that shaving oils are difficult to wash off from the face after shaving. The simple solution to avoiding such complaints is to buy a good quality pre-shave oil which should have a thin consistency. This will ensure that the pre shaving oil comes off easy with warm water.

You begin your shaving session by either wrapping your face for a few minutes in a towel dipped in warm-to-hot water or by starting your shave after a shower. Now that your pores have been opened by the heat and your hairs are starting to soften, you apply just a few drops of your pre-shave oil to the palm of one hand and rub it together with the other palm. It is important to note here that you do not need excessive oil. You only need to create just a thin film of oil across the area you plan to shave. So use your two oily palms to massage the oil across your face, making sure it is not too thick. After this massage, you can now go ahead and lather up.

Recommended Pre-Shave Oils

Taylor of Old Bond Street – Sandalwood Pre-Shave Oil

This sandalwood pre-shave oil from Taylor of old Bond street is one of the finest pre-shave oils from one of England’s finest brands of gentlemen’s essentials. Use this to protect your sensitive skin from aggressive razor blades and avoid irritations and bumps.

Col Conk Pre Shave Oil

This Pre-shave oil from the Colonel Ichabod Conk is another fine product from another reputable brand of gentlemen’s essentials. Use this shaving oil to save yourself the agony of razor bumps.

Baume.Be Pre Shave Gel

Made from the finest ingredients, the Baume.Be pre shave gel is similar to pre shaving oils but with a lighter texture that doesn’t incorporate the oily substance. This is the best alternative if you want a pre shaving solution but refuse to use an oil.

Posted on March 31, 2016October 23, 2017 by Sean Mason

The online shaving store for discerning gentlemen

The online shaving store for discerning gentleman

Finding a shaving store online where you can comfortably shop for your wet shaving essentials without worrying about low quality or overpriced items is key these days. OriginalShaveCompany.com specializes in high quality shaving essentials offered at good prices and of course combined with our exceptional customer service. We carry only the best quality products from well known, trusted manufacturers. One of the many benefits to shop with us is our extensive knowledge of shaving essentials which we will be more than happy to assist with if you just contact us. The following is a listing of the different wet shaving products that are available from our shop.

Razors – From Old School to Modern Designs

We stock a wide variety of razors so there is always something for every different kind of gentleman. If you’re into old school straight razors, we have original Dovo Shavettes for you. If you prefer classical shaving with a safety razor, then we have quality razors for you from reputable names like Edwin Jagger, Merkur and more. If you are not much of a traditional wet shaver and prefer to go with the times, we also have classic Mach3 or Fusion razors which use authentic Gillette cartridges.

Shaving Brushes

Our online shaving store offers a very fine assortment of shaving brushes from well known brush makers such as Simpsons, Edwin Jagger and much more. We currently stock authentic pure badger and best badger brushes from Simpsons while our Edwin Jagger assortment includes high quality synthetic brushes, pure badger, best badger, super badger and Silver-Tip badger brushes. So whether you are a wet shaving animal-lover who prefers synthetic brushes or the traditionalist who must always have a badger brush, we have what you need.

Bundle & Shave

What’s unique about our store is the custom shaving sets with our high in demand“Bundle & Shave” program. If you like making bulk purchases to get better deals or you just love to have complete packages of anything, then you will love our Bundle & Shave deals. We offer a variety of bundles which combine different products from different manufactures into unique offerings. Apart from our pre-packed deals, we also offer you the opportunity of selecting the individual items by yourself with our “Build Your Own Bundles”. One important thing to remember here is that whichever way you make your selection, you can always rest assured that you are selecting from the highest quality shaving essentials.

Shaving Soaps & Shaving Creams

Our shaving store would not be complete without shaving soaps and shaving creams. We offer you the very best shaving essentials when it comes to lathering up since we only choose brands which are butane free and don’t include harmful chemicals which can irritate or dry up your face. We stock traditional shaving soaps from reputable producers like the Colonel Conk, Edwin Jagger, and Taylor of Old Bond street. These are some of the best hard soaps you will find for making a luxurious shaving lather and you can also choose from the different fragrances available, like sandalwood, lime, amber and bay rum. Our shaving creams are also of the finest grade and include shaving cream jars and tubes with Lavender, coconut-oil, sandalwood, cooling menthol and lime fragrances.

Pre-Shave & After-shave

We also offer pre-shave oils in our shaving store from the same manufacturers listed above. Pre-shave oil is a necessity for a quality wet shave, especially for people with sensitive skin. A pre-shave oil application helps to protect and lubricate the skin while an after-shave helps to nourish it. This nourishment is important because shaving exfoliates the outermost layers of the skin which then needs to be nourished.

Our Razor Blade Offers

We offer both safety razor blades and disposable straight razor (shavette) blades. In our shaving store, you will find razor blades from Gillette, Merkur of Germany, Feather of Japan, Astra, Derby and Dovo of Germany. These are some of the highest quality brands and companies for wet shaving.

Feel free to visit our online shaving store and to give us a try today. We also offer a full 30-day return policy on our products and we accept all the major credit cards, including paypal. If you prefer to place your order over the telephone, you can call us toll-free at (800)769-4935 Ext 1. You can also use the “Contact Us” form on our website to send us an email and we will get back to you promptly.

We look forward to hearing from you soon.

Posted on March 30, 2016October 23, 2017 by Sean Mason

Why a shaving kit is best when starting out with wet shaving

A shaving kit is a collection of wet shaving items that incorporate all the necessities needed when just starting out in the wet shaving journey. A wet-shaver usually requires more than one item for any shaving session. It is often best to have a shaving brush, a shaving soap or cream, a bowl, a razor and blades, depending on the type of razor. It makes sense to purchase them all as a kit, especially when you are first starting out, because you get the recommendation of what works well from a specialized grooming company. The fact is, most people begin their wet-shaving journey by starting with a kit which they can add products to as they progress. There are quite a few benefits of buying your shaving gear in a kit. Let us cover a few of them here:

Cheaper Price
When buying your shaving kit in a set, you will pay less overall than if you were to buy the individual items separately. This is true on our website, OriginalShaveCompany.com, which rewards customers for purchasing/bundling items for a lower price. If price is a big deciding factor for you, you are definitely going to want to pay attention to the “Bundle & Shave” kits since you get the most bang for your buck with these packages. Not only do you pay a lower price for the products but you also save on shipping and handling since you are bundling your items as one order instead of purchasing one item at a time.

Ease of Purchase
A shaving kit simply makes it easier for you to purchase all the items necessary for wet-shaving. Without the offer of a shaving kit, you would have to source and buy each item separately. For a beginner to wet shaver, this could be a very tedious task. Having to sort out different items that you may or may not be familiar with makes it a frustrating buying decision. Buying a shaving kit removes that frustration by giving you options on choosing from a pre-selected criteria which is guaranteed to please your wet shaving senses.

Design
If you buy different items from different manufacturers, chances are that you may end up with so many different items that simply do not look good together or work well together. Buying a custom created shaving kit on the other hand can solve this problem. There are kits where the stand, brush, razor and even bowl all share a basic design that makes you feel good by just looking at them because it is a beautiful sight and they are all consistently presented for daily use.

Quality Test
There are shaving sets that come with multiple variations of replaceable items like safety razor blades, soaps and shaving creams. This makes it possible for a beginner to sample different products from different manufacturers and to possibly find his brand for a particular item. You may appreciate one manufacturer’s quality from another. Purchasing one of our customizable bundles allow you to choose your manufacturer across all product groups.

Build Your Own Bundle Kits

There are also wet-shaving kits that allow you to put together your own kit. The way this works is that you get to decide if you want a straight razor or a safety razor kit, or maybe a mach3 razor kit. Then you choose your soap or cream and choose the razor blades where applicable. Then a stand, brush and bowl. There are also kits that offer just a razor, a brush and a stand. You ultimately have the flexibility to purchase only the brands and types of shaving needs you want and not be forced to purchase useless grooming products which will only collect dust.

Here are 4 recommendations from the Original Shave Company

Col Conk Badger Brush & Merkur Safety Razor Set — Col Conk Shave kit

Col Conk Badger-Brush & Merkur Safety Razor Kit

This set is a combination of products from two well known names in the shaving world, Colonel Ichabod Conk and Merkur. It combines a Merkur’s Safety Razor with a Col. Conk’s badger brush, Merkur blades, a drip stand, the Col’s soap and a black apothecary mug.

Straight Razor Bundle Shaving Set

This package allows you to design your own shaving set which will include a straight razor, shaving brushes, pre-shave and after-shave essentials, soap or cream, stand e.t.c.

Edwin Jagger Mach3 Razor Set S81M71611 — EJ Shave Kit

Edwin Jagger Mach3 Razor Shaving Set

This kit combines a faux ebony Mach3 shaving razor with an Edwin Jagger pure badger brush and a nickel plated stand that compliments the nickel plated mach3 razor.

Build Your Own Safety Razor Shaving Set

This package will be perfect for you if you are into safety razors but you want to build your own bundle and select individual items according to your taste. From razors, to soaps, creams, pre- and after- shaves, it’s yours to design and combine.

Conclusion

It is always cheaper and safer to buy your shaving items in a set, especially for the first timer who wants to experiment with different shaving products. Leverage our expertise and get your pre-selected shave kit today. As times goes on and you gain more experience, you can add additional shaving essentials to your daily routine and make shaving a task you look forward to every day!

Posted on March 27, 2016February 2, 2018 by Sean Mason

An introduction to shaving with a straight razor

The allure of shaving with a straight razor seems to grow day by day. As difficult as it is to master, the benefits of shaving like the men of old times continue to entice and convert men from all over the world into straight razor wet-shavers. For the majority of these men, the morning ritual of shaving with a straight razor is an experience that cannot be equaled by anything else. Apart from the experience, there are other benefits of shaving with a straight razor, these include:

Cost Savings
The initial cost of acquiring a straight razor set can be higher compared to cartridge razors, but after that, you will only need to buy shaving soap or cream occasionally. There is nothing else to buy, no replacement blades, no cartridges, simply nothing else. This is true if you purchase a straight razor, not to be confused with a Shavette which is a very popular alternative which does require blades. We will get more into the Shavette later in this article though.

Cleaner Shaves
If you want to get the best shave possible, then you need a straight razor. Nothing shaves better than a straight razor.

Eco Friendly
With a straight razor, there is nothing to throw away every week. Again no blades, no cartridges, nothing.

The Straight Razor Effect
The straight razor is also called the cut-throat razor and for good reason. You will need to be very careful each morning when you are shaving with a straight razor to avoid cutting yourself, while you see yourself in the mirror holding that classic razor. After a while, this becomes a morning ritual that you will not give up for anything. However, it does take practice to get to this comfort level.

The Cons of Shaving with a straight Razor

Time Factor
Shaving with a straight razor is more time consuming than most other shaving methods. Apart from the shaving itself, you will also have to strop every shaving session and occasionally hone your razor. This is the maintenance process of the straight razor that is required to have the most optimal shave.

Cutthroat Razor
The straight razor is a dangerous weapon. You will have to be extra alert to avoid hurting yourself each time you shave. Do not get overly confident or believe you have a handle of this shaving tool unless you have been using one for a long time. Remember, this is an art to perfect over time. Not one to achieve overnight.

Maintaining Your Straight Razor

shaving with a straight razor

Stropping
Shaving with a straight razor requires that you strop your razor each shaving session. The strop is a leather device that is used to keep the blade dry and properly aligned. Always strop before a shave and if you can, also strop after shaving. To strop, you simply hang your strop to the door or somewhere else and then with the edge (the sharp side) trailing the stroke slide gently to the other side while raising and turning the razor. This ensures that by the time the razor is at the other end of the strop, the edge would be leading. So if you were stroking towards yourself, first the edge would face away from you. But by the time the stroke is complete, the edge would be facing you. Strop towards the other side, then repeat a few times.

Honing
While stropping will keep the razor’s blade as perfectly sharp as possible, it will still grow dull after about a month or two. Then your razor will require honing with either a whetstone, ceramic or other hone material. About 6 to 10 strokes in each direction is usually enough. Honing must also be done with the edge (the sharp side) leading the stroke. That is, when the stroke is coming towards you, the edge must be facing you. The razor must also be perfectly flat on the stone with both the edge and the back touching the flat surface simultaneously, else your razor will go blunt. Also remember to strop after honing. If you are not comfortable performing this part of the straight razor maintenance, check your local grooming supplies store to see if they could recommend an outsourced option to assist. Buying an experienced friend coffee in exchange for honing your straight razor is a great alternative if you have this as an option!

Oiling
It is important to lightly oil your blade after stropping as this will help to maximize its durability. Think of this as the aftershave for your actual straight blade. You are going to want to protect your steel so it could perform well the next time around. It is recommended to use Camellia Oil on the blade itself and dry it off to where only a small residue resides on the blade after use. Remember, oiling is really optimal if you are going to store your blade away for a week or more. If you use it daily, oiling isn’t really necessary since the blade is constantly being used. We recommend oiling for sure after a honing session.

How to hold a straight razor

An introduction to shaving with a straight razor

Different people have different grips for their razors depending on the direction they are shaving. Normally you rest your first three fingers on the back of the shank and your pinkie on the tang. then place your thumb on the blade’s side, near the middle. Of course there are multiple different methods to holding a razor and it all comes down to preference. The most important part is to get comfortable with the razor. It will take time to perfect and the awkward feeling will go away, we promise. As mentioned before, go slow and have fun with it.

The Shaving Process

shaving with a straight razor When it comes to shaving with a razor, the standard preparations that apply, just as with any other method of wet-shaving include the preparation of the face either with a towel soaked in hot water, or beginning the shave session just after a shower. This helps to open the pores and also soften the hairs. The next step then is the application of a pre-shave oil. Pre-shave oil helps to reduce friction around the shaving area and can also act as an antiseptic. Then apply your usual shaving cream or soap lather, massaging it in with a brush in a circular motion so that every stubble and the skin below the stubble is properly lubricated.

Shaving with a straight razor should always start with slow and even strokes in the direction of the grain (direction of beard growth). The razor must be held at a 30 degree angle to the skin at all times or else you will cut yourself. Before each stroke, use your other hand to stretch the skin in the area so it’s taut. You can make multiple passes over the same area but keep it in the same direction as the grain. This is the standard way of shaving with a straight razor.

Shaving Across & Against The Grain

The level of smoothness you will get from shaving with a smooth razor in the direction of the grain is basically very good. But if you want that super smooth shave, you would have to also shave across the grain and finally, shave against the grain. The price you will pay for getting such a perfect shave is the extra time you spend and the fact that you are now very likely to cut yourself. You should know that most straight razor nicks occur when shaving across and against the grain, therefore you need to be more careful. At the end anyway, you will always get a cut from a razor every once in a while, but it’s worth it. 🙂

The Post Shave

Shaving with a straight razor exfoliates the outermost layers of the skin. It is therefore necessary to apply a moisturizer after shaving to help nourish and replenish the skin.

If you are interested in trying out shaving with a straight razor but you are not so sure about spending a few hundred dollars on a straight razor shaving set right away, then you could always try out a disposable blade straight razor. This is the Shavette we were referring to above. These are just like classic straight razors but they have blades which are not made from Sheffield Silver Steel but rather from stainless steel that blunts after a few uses and must then be replaced. These so called “Shavettes” are not considered Straight Razors, but they’ll give you an beginners idea so that you can decide if straight razor shaving is for you.

Conclusion

Shaving with a straight razor could be a extremely intimidating and frightening part of the wet shave process. This is especially true if you have never used a straight razor before. But before you go give up and go back to your conventional shaving methods, give straight razor shaving a try ONLY after you have done your research.

shaving with a straight razor So before you grab your super sharp blade and point it to your neck, here is what is an absolute must. You must experience a straight razor shave before attempting to try it yourself. We say this because you need to feel it done by a professional before you even think about performing this on your own. Paying close attention is a must when your barber is performing your wet shave so make sure you are watching what angle the blade is being used at, what speed the razor is being pulled across your face, what type/style of blade is being used. These simple tips could not only save you a ton of blood and the nickname “scarface” from your friends when you try it yourself, it could also teach you the technique needed to perfect this art of shaving. Remember, don’t be afraid to ask your grooming professional questions on how to shave with a straight razor at home. Most wet shave experts are fanatics like us and will be happy to share this knowledge with you since it gives you the most fulfilling shaving experience in the comfort of your own home.

After getting your professional shave, it’s time to hit the net! No, we don’t mean the tennis court nets. You should take some time and watch some videos online of people who are shaving using their straight razor. You want to make sure you watch a few different videos (professional versions and novice versions) just to get a different perspective from the grooming professional who performed your wet shave. Ultimately, education is key here and there is no quick perfection achieved in this art of shaving with a straight razor. We hope you enjoyed this article and are at least a little more comfortable with the process of shaving with a straight razor since you have taken the time to educate yourself. As always, please contact us if you have any questions as we love to help our customers! Happy Shaving.

OriginalShaveCompany.com

Posted on March 26, 2016October 23, 2017 by Sean Mason