Thread: I would Love Some Recommendations

Ladies, I would love to get some recommendations for a friend of mine from you. Let me explain.

Last week I offered a good friend of mine a Wapi I had in storage, as well as an old strop of mine. He had been wanting to learn the straight art, and I was all to happy to add another convert. I got the razor honed up for him and this past Friday I did a demo for him and then had him go through a shave himself. His girlfriend (also a good friend of mine) insisted on being present for the shave, as she is somewhat attached to certain parts of his beard.

Suffice to say, when it came to the lather portion of the demo, she became very interested herself! "That looks like it would be amazing!", she said. She is quite keen on learning to use a brush and traditional shaving soaps and creams for her legs. She is not so keen on using a straight razor yet. I am hoping she will become my first, female convert in the future.

So I would love to get some recommendations on soaps, creams, and brushes that you ladies have found particularly good. I would also like to get some recommendations on SE and DE razors that you have tried. I think I might be able to convince her to tread that far into this new experience.

Thanks

Matt

EDIT: Just saw the "the lady's favorite DE?" thread, so I will be looking their for DE suggestions. Still want to hear any thoughts though!

Hi Kentriv!

I really, really like my boar brush, even if it's a cheapie. It does start out with a stiffer texture than badger, but the skin on the legs is a little tougher, and the hair is also finer. I quite like the slightly stiffer feeling as it feels like it's actually exfoliating as opposed to just dusting over.

I do also like Mama Bear's soap and she makes lots of scents that ladies would like. Also, a lot of the "modern man" scents have sweeter, more fruity scents to them which I suspect a lady would also like.

As far as if you manage to get her excited about straights...

I started with a 9/16 Wapi and had no problems with it at all. It is a little scale-heavy, if it has the original stainless scales. Perhaps something a little lighter would be less threatening. I went into this very boldly so that wasn't really an issue to me. But it may be for other ladies.

I've also tried a hollow 4/8 round point which I loved. It has a more even balance to it. The lightness of the hollow seemed a little scary at first, but I found I didn't have any harder of a time shaving with it than the heavier quarter hollow Wapi.

As far as DE's, no idea, haven't used them.

But you can tell her this - with proper guidance and preparation, shaving ones legs with a straight isn't anywhere near as hard as I imagine face shaving would be. Stropping difficulties aside, I've had a pretty good go of it so far!

My fav brush is a Vulfix Pure Badger 21mm, For soaps/creams I do like TGQ's Lavender although since starting to make my own I have not bought much in the past year.

DE fav, an Gillette adjustable slim with Derby or Isreali personna blades. She can use whatever she has now until she can get a DE. I started with DE's before I moved to straights and still use them on occasion if I am short on time.

As to leg shaving being easier than facial shaving, I will have to disagree, we have many more blind spots to try to shave and ankle and knee areas are a major challenge, especially behind the knees. We often have to become a bit of a contortionist to get a good shave.

I may not be the best person for a woman's perspective, but my girlfriend showed interest in my shaving -thank God, I spend so much time on this stuff, if she wasn't a little interested, she'd be furious!-

I'll give you the abridge version: I only have a cheapy badger, and an Omega (#11137) Boar, the badger has clip tips, so they aren't as soft, but I doubt the leg is sensitive enough for that, however, Olivia -my lady- BY FAR prefers the firmness of the boar, as Cassie noted, she said that, between the hot towel, warm lather, and stiff bristles with very soft tips, it felt like a very relaxing leg massage... Also, I tried with a straight on one leg -scared her, that's a no go- and had her try a DE on the other.

The outcome:
Creams: She loved CarrieM's lilac... I have a feeling she'll die for the Black Raspberry Vanilla when it gets in (Thanks again, Carrie!)
Brush: Go Boar -IME- and get a good one... Top of the line Omegas and Semogues in boar cost as much as a cheap badger, and they are gooooooood.
Soap: She liked sandalwood, but she wants something sweeter (I'm sure a Mama Bear soap [Backyard Gazebo, Energy, somethign like those] would be great!]
Razor: Get her a DE, it trumps disposables big time, and isn't as scary as the straight, give it time, maybe her man will share the straight with her when she acclimates
Blades: Derby, as Carrie said, work great

Okay... That wasn't as short as I intended >.>

Good luck!

Cheers,
Jeremy

Edit: Carrie, I just got the Email notification that my package is in, so I'll be picking it up tomorrow morning, and using the cream to steal the virginity of my new Boar Brush! Thanks again for the excellent service!

Originally Posted by ShavedZombie

I may not be the best person for a woman's perspective, but my girlfriend showed interest in my shaving -thank God, I spend so much time on this stuff, if she wasn't a little interested, she'd be furious!-

I'll give you the abridge version: I only have a cheapy badger, and an Omega (#11137) Boar, the badger has clip tips, so they aren't as soft, but I doubt the leg is sensitive enough for that, however, Olivia -my lady- BY FAR prefers the firmness of the boar, as Cassie noted, she said that, between the hot towel, warm lather, and stiff bristles with very soft tips, it felt like a very relaxing leg massage... Also, I tried with a straight on one leg -scared her, that's a no go- and had her try a DE on the other.

The outcome:
Creams: She loved CarrieM's lilac... I have a feeling she'll die for the Black Raspberry Vanilla when it gets in (Thanks again, Carrie!)
Brush: Go Boar -IME- and get a good one... Top of the line Omegas and Semogues in boar cost as much as a cheap badger, and they are gooooooood.
Soap: She liked sandalwood, but she wants something sweeter (I'm sure a Mama Bear soap [Backyard Gazebo, Energy, somethign like those] would be great!]
Razor: Get her a DE, it trumps disposables big time, and isn't as scary as the straight, give it time, maybe her man will share the straight with her when she acclimates
Blades: Derby, as Carrie said, work great

Okay... That wasn't as short as I intended >.>

Good luck!

Cheers,
Jeremy

Edit: Carrie, I just got the Email notification that my package is in, so I'll be picking it up tomorrow morning, and using the cream to steal the virginity of my new Boar Brush! Thanks again for the excellent service!

I just got my wife interested in DE shaving. She tried my Edwin Jagger, but the handle was too short and has no texture on it, so for her it was too slipery. So I am getting her a Merkur 23C Long Handled Classic. She said the longer handle would be needed for manuvering the hard to reach places. I have no idea what she is talking about.

Originally Posted by Alembic

I just got my wife interested in DE shaving. She tried my Edwin Jagger, but the handle was too short and has no texture on it, so for her it was too slipery. So I am getting her a Merkur 23C Long Handled Classic. She said the longer handle would be needed for manuvering the hard to reach places. I have no idea what she is talking about.

I think that the "hard to reach places" -if we're still referring to the legs- would be the knees, behind the knees, curves like that... wouldn't a longer handle make that maneuvering harder ?

CarrieM - Perhaps so - it's hard for me to know as I don't have a beard! But it certainly seems like quite an undertaking to shave ones face.

ShavedZombie - Not if you're used to it. If you know the angles, a longer handle is easier. You don't have to contort as much to get at it, and you also have more leverage.

That's been one of the hard things with straights for me. I don't yet know how to map the curves on places I can't see with a straight razor. And the flip side of them being so much more controllable is that they take far more finesse.

I can, and do, shave parts of my body that I cannot see at all, and can only reach with my disposable razor held at the very end of the handle. And I can't remember the last time I nicked myself. I could do it blindfolded.

With a straight? Ehhh, not yet, heh.

I'm sure it'll come with time.

Got it, Cassie. Thanks...

Guess the long handle would be good for reach and leverage, Mea culpa.

With the straight, I can definitely imagine the reach issues...

To me, the issue with straights isn't so much a reach issue as a proficiency issue.

It is like learning to shave all over again. With a handled razor of any sort, it's sort of like making your fingers longer, but not having knuckles. With a straight it's a whole new "appendage" to deal with entirely. I can get things with a straight I just don't think I could get with a handled razor - my ankles in particular. I can just use the very edge of an open razor to get into those tiny tiny little indentations, whereas there was really nothing I could do with a disposable apart from swipe at it and call it "good enough," but I often didn't bother because that's how nicks happen.

To be honest, I haven't nicked myself learning with a straight anywhere near as much as I did learning with a disposable. I got some NASTY cuts through my first year of shaving that I still have scars from. But all straight shaving has rendered me with so far is a couple very minor nicks.

But then again, I am far more aware of the blade when it's basically just a razor on a stick, than when it's surrounded in pink plastic. I'm much more careful.

In tight areas, it's mostly learning how to deal with the length, and use entirely new and unfamiliar angles. I can definitely see the use of a shorter blade for women.

Originally Posted by MistressNomad

To me, the issue with straights isn't so much a reach issue as a proficiency issue.

It is like learning to shave all over again. With a handled razor of any sort, it's sort of like making your fingers longer, but not having knuckles. With a straight it's a whole new "appendage" to deal with entirely. I can get things with a straight I just don't think I could get with a handled razor - my ankles in particular. I can just use the very edge of an open razor to get into those tiny tiny little indentations, whereas there was really nothing I could do with a disposable apart from swipe at it and call it "good enough," but I often didn't bother because that's how nicks happen.

To be honest, I haven't nicked myself learning with a straight anywhere near as much as I did learning with a disposable. I got some NASTY cuts through my first year of shaving that I still have scars from. But all straight shaving has rendered me with so far is a couple very minor nicks.

But then again, I am far more aware of the blade when it's basically just a razor on a stick, than when it's surrounded in pink plastic. I'm much more careful.

In tight areas, it's mostly learning how to deal with the length, and use entirely new and unfamiliar angles. I can definitely see the use of a shorter blade for women.

There are actually a few people here working on shorter blades for the lady members... If you are interested in those, I'd recommend reading through a thread endearingly named Project Coochie Razor... Unless you've already been there... There are quite a few lady-friendly razors circulating, thanks to them, mostly shorter blades, but also lighter grinds, and the like...

Just figured I'd throw that out there.