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Author Topic: New face knife  (Read 3394 times)

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Offline JW_Halverson

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New face knife
« on: October 11, 2020, 02:14:42 pm »
Folks in here tend to have strong opinions on knives and low tolerance for poor quality. I am no exception.  Any knife I chose to hold to my own throat and face needs to be respectable. I am at the age that my eyesight and steadiness is not where it used to be and I only rarely take out my fine Solingen straight razor and the whole happy horsecrap of multi blade disposables has always rankled me.

Recently a friend referred me to his discovery....fine made double edged safety razors. I ended up purchasing a simple three piece German machined Merkur. I ordered 30 blades to go with it along with a cake of better quality shaving soap.

What a difference! There was a short learning curve, mostly regarding holding the proper angle since the head does not pivot. The shave is every bit as good as my best straight razor shave with far less irritation that I have ever gotten from ANY brand of disposable multi blade. Been shaving for a month with it now, and not a single nick!

« Last Edit: October 11, 2020, 02:18:08 pm by JW_Halverson »
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Offline Marc St Louis

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Re: New face knife
« Reply #1 on: October 11, 2020, 08:47:58 pm »
I have one of those someplace.  Haven't used it in years
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Offline chamookman

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Re: New face knife
« Reply #2 on: October 12, 2020, 02:17:01 am »
Way Cool JW ! Bob
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"May the Gods give Us the strength to draw the string to the cheek, the arrow to the barb and loose the flying shaft, so long as life may last." Saxon Pope - 1923.

Offline JEB

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Re: New face knife
« Reply #3 on: October 12, 2020, 03:21:50 pm »
Old Spice next?, lol
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Offline Pat B

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Re: New face knife
« Reply #4 on: October 12, 2020, 04:39:48 pm »
What's that thing, some kind of a mini bow plane?  ???   )P(
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Offline Mesophilic

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Re: New face knife
« Reply #5 on: October 12, 2020, 06:50:18 pm »
Before I quit shaving all together, about 4 years ago, I'd used a DE safety razor for years, too.

I got fed up with 5 bladed disposables that cost too much and didn't shave me any better or last any longer than the old 2 bladed razors that were getting harder to find.

As part of the learning curve I purchased 5 or 6 different brands of DE replacement blades to narrow down what my skin liked.  Can't remember but I think the brand I settled on was an Israeli blade (but it's been a while).

I'd always shave after a hot shower or use a hot wet towel first, loosened things up and made for a better experience.

I did make a couple of Japanese style straight razors from high carbon tool steel and they worked well enough but took a bit more patience so I didn't spend too much time mastering straight razors.   I do prefer the Japanese style to the western folding style, though...better control in my opinion.  Not to mention that the folding straight razor was never designed for you to shave yourself,  it was designed for the barber or your wife and daughters to shave you.

Dang...I'm kind of wanting a clean shave right now...but like quitting smoking if I just stay strong it'll pass.
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Offline BoisBrule

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Re: New face knife
« Reply #6 on: October 13, 2020, 10:34:11 am »
I've got a good quality safety razor I bought in Italy. Works great... for the half a square inch of my cheeks I shave. (Haven't seen my chin in almost 30 years now).

But, I do shave my head every day... and nothing, and I mean NOTHING beats the cheap, single bladed, orange handled "sensitive skin" BIC razors for that. I get a good 2-3 weeks out of each one. I've tried everything else, nothing even comes as close.
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Offline JW_Halverson

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Re: New face knife
« Reply #7 on: October 13, 2020, 08:01:01 pm »
Quote from: Mesophilic on October 12, 2020, 06:50:18 pm

I'd always shave after a hot shower or use a hot wet towel first, loosened things up and made for a better experience.

Absolutely! That hot shower and followed with a hot towel before shaving is a wonderful luxury up here in the winter!

Turns out the saving soap I bought is a "melt and pour" soap, so I microwaved it and poured it into my shaving mug to re-harden. The mug is a heavy de-commissioned US Navy white mug. I stand it upside down in a sink full of hot water so that the ceramic warms up. When I use the brush to whisk up lather, it comes out toasty warm! 
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Offline Flyonline

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Re: New face knife
« Reply #8 on: October 15, 2020, 02:54:58 am »
Interesting, I've been contemplating using one of those 'old fashioned double edge thingies' for a while now, just never got round to it so far.

Is it possible to sharpen the blades? I keep thinking that it should be possible to make up a KME style sharpener specifically for the blades.

One thing my dad told me to try was using conditioner on the stubble, it's for softening hair after all and he's a straight razor user as well.
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Offline Mesophilic

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Re: New face knife
« Reply #9 on: October 15, 2020, 09:14:34 am »
Quote from: Flyonline on October 15, 2020, 02:54:58 am

Is it possible to sharpen the blades? I keep thinking that it should be possible to make up a KME style sharpener specifically for the blades.


For the price of the replacement blades I'm not even sure it's worth it.  A quick amazon search turns them up at $0.28 per blade.
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Offline BoisBrule

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Re: New face knife
« Reply #10 on: October 15, 2020, 11:40:56 am »
Yes, they can be sharpened. There are little mechanical devices meant exactly for that. But as stated, blades are so cheap it would take a hundred of them or more to break even. I did a quick search, and the cheapest sharpener that popped up was $29.
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"...break the skin of civilization, and you find the ape, roaring and red-handed."

Offline AndrewS

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Re: New face knife
« Reply #11 on: October 15, 2020, 01:07:21 pm »
I like these shaving planes and I don't use something different.
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Offline Flyonline

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Re: New face knife
« Reply #12 on: October 16, 2020, 12:16:34 am »
I'm not worried about the cost, more of all the packaging that goes with buying more 'stuff' and then shipping etc.
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Offline Strelets

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Re: New face knife
« Reply #13 on: October 16, 2020, 02:35:59 am »
My father told me that during the war, when everything was difficult to obtain, they used to sharpen razor blades by rubbing them on the inside of a glass.
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Offline Pappy

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Re: New face knife
« Reply #14 on: October 16, 2020, 05:26:08 am »
I like it JW, use to have one about like that, probably cut my throat with it now.  :)
 Pappy
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