I thought it would be interesting to take a look at what it is that we spend so much time and trouble (and with traditional shaving, enjoyment) cutting.
A hair shaft is a dead and quite complex structure made mostly from a protein called keratin, it is manufactured continuously (during the Anagen phase) by a small bulb like structure just under the surface of the skin called the follicle. The shaft has three main components, on the outside is the cuticle which is made of flat thin cells. Next there is the cortex which is the most important bit which consists of bundles of strands of keratin, these give the hair its strength and they also contain the different forms of melanin that give the hair its colour. In the middle is an unstructured area called the medulla.
There are two different kinds of hair, Vellus hair is fine and is what women and children have on their faces, Terminal hair is caused by the action of androgen hormones starting at male puberty and are thicker, longer and darker, this is what we shave.
There is a huge variation in the diameter of human hairs from 17 to 180 µm (0.00067 to 0.0071 in), a ratio of more than ten to one, no wonder that is so much difference in people’s shaving experience. It also varies enormously in its growth pattern and density, not only from person to person but also in different areas of the same person’s face.
The hair density (hairs per square centimetre) of a beard is about double that of the same person’s scalp and about half of the body’s total number of hairs are on the head, a function of the need to provide more insulation for it. The beard grows very approximately 0.4mm per day, which is about 4 times the speed of fingernail growth. Shaving has no effect whatsoever on the rate of hair growth.
Hair readily absorbs water and as it does so it becomes weaker. When fully waterlogged, which takes several minutes, it loses about 80% of its strength. Which means that if you shave after a shower your blade will last five times longer than if your hair was not waterlogged at all.
Each individual hair has a growth cycle with distinct phases. The Anagen phase is when growth occurs, during the Telogen phase the hair is dormant. Different parts of your body have hairs with different growth cycles, which is why for instance eyebrows are shorter than scalp hairs. Hairs in the human beard also have different cycles lengths depending on where they are, the upper lip behaves differently to the chin which in turn differs from the cheeks. You can see this difference when someone grows a full, untrimmed beard.
All fascinating stuff and during a shaving lifetime you will cut through hairs a huge number of times. Just make sure you are not using a multibladed system razor or a lather generated out of an aerosol and then all that cutting will be far more pleasurable.
Shaving brushes by Vulfix, Simpson, Rooney, Omega, Semogue, Trumper, Edwin Jagger, Plisson, New Forest and Kent
Firstly a disclaimer, this is not a highly researched academic paper, just a romp around some of what I find interesting. There is a whole lot more information on Fido’s shaving brush blog. Europe is the traditional home of the top quality brands of shaving brushes, though nowadays most of the badger hair and often the whole knots and even the handles come from China. It is very difficult indeed for the buyer to know the true origin of the manufacturing and materials that make up any brush.
Shaving brushes by Vulfix, Simpson, Rooney, Omega, Semogue, Trumper, Edwin Jagger, Plisson, New Forest and Kent
United Kingdom. The main traditional home of the quality shaving brush.
Kent Brush. Established in 1777 they are a general brush manufacturer but make a great range of shaving brushes that come beautifully presented.
Rooney. Once vied for being the very best of all brushes. Nowadays only sold online by a handful of retailers, it is difficult to establish where their factory is. I can’t even find a website for them.
Edwin Jagger. A big range of brushes at good value prices. The handles are hand turned in the UK and bought in knots are used.
Simpson’s. Originally based in London, then for many years in Somerset they were bought by Vulfix in 2008, since when quality is reckoned to have improved further. These are regarded by many as being the best shaving brushes that money can buy, some keen shavers build up large collections of the many different models. Little surprise that I have already written three articles here about them.
Shaving brushes by Vulfix, Simpson, Rooney, Omega, Semogue, Trumper, Edwin Jagger, Plisson, New Forest and Kent
Portugal.
Semogue. A small family business whose products are very different from those of the British companies. They make badger brushes but are legendary in the shaving community for their boar bristle brushes which are widely held to be the very best available. You can buy them online from The Vintage Scent who have an excellent reputation.
Spain.
Vie Long. A manufacturer of different kinds of brushes and other products they make some beautifully crafted shaving brushes but are most famous in the shaving community for their excellent horse hair range. They can be bought from Gifts and Care who offer a great service.
Italy.
Omega. Possibly the biggest shaving brush company in Europe their massive range encompasses many price points. They vie with Semogue for the quality of their boar bristle brushes and their 48/49 models are very popular with enthusiasts.
France.
Plisson. Making shaving brushes since 1808. Rightfully very expensive and beautifully made they provided Napoleon with the shaving brushes he used as he conquered Europe. One of the few places you can buy some brushes made from genuine European badger hair.
Germany.
Shavemac. Absolutely gorgeous, almost artisan, brushes, many of which are custom made. They also do quality restorations.
Shaving brushes by Vulfix, Simpson, Rooney, Omega, Semogue, Trumper, Edwin Jagger, Plisson, New Forest and Kent
Frankenrazor. Feather Portable with Lord, Edwin Jagger, Lux, Gillette and Feather handles
Frankenrazor is a term used in the shaving community to describe a razor that is made up of bits from one razor and bits from another razor, so what you end up with is a composite of the razors it was made up from. Making a frankenrazor is easy because most three part razor handles can be interchanged, so you would have the upper and lower parts of the head taken from one razor and the handle from a different razor.
Frankenrazor. Feather Portable with Lord, Edwin Jagger, Lux, Gillette and Feather handles
As you can see from the photographs I have an excellent Feather Portable razor from Japan, however the Feather handle, on the extreme right, is a bit too small and weedy. The razor works much better with the excellent Lux stainless steel handle from Poland fitted to it. But were I to want to I could instead use the Lord handle from Egypt on the left, the Edwin Jagger DE89L handle next to it or the Gillette Tech aluminium handle to the right of the razor. They all fit and each one completely changes the balance and feel of the whole razor. If you want to further customise your razor you could have a handle custom made by someone like iKon.
Frankenrazor. Feather Portable with Lord, Edwin Jagger, Lux, Gillette and Feather handles
So far so good, mixing and matching can make a better razor. The problem comes when people do this with valuable vintage razors. And they do. If someone has an early Gillette model with a damaged head and a different model with a damaged handle they can put the undamaged bits together to make a frankenrazor. These come up on eBay and as the real thing could be worth hundreds of dollars you can see that this has the potential to be a profitable scam. So take care, if you are buying an old razor first check it out against the photographs on Mr Razor.
I then set about removing the old knot from the brush and promptly broke the marble handle. Totally my own clumsy stupidity and haste. Which left me with a fantastic badger knot with no handle to put it in. Now I believe that when you have a lemon you should make lemonade, that when things go wrong it presents opportunities.
So I got in touch with Fido at New Forest Brushes who also writes the authoritative shaving brush blog and asked him who makes the best custom brushes in the UK. He told me to go to “beejay” (le Tuft) and he gave me his contact details. Now all I needed was something to make the handle out of.
It just so happens that my brother in law buys trees, ones that have been cut down. He then stores them for years and eventually has custom furniture made out of them once the wood is well matured. So I contacted him for a little piece of one of these trees to make a handle from. He emailed me back: “I have some oak at 9X9 cms and some iroko at 8X8 cms and some beech / ash (not sure which) at 9.5X9.5 cms, but the grain on all of them is not very interesting. Oak tends to blacken with prolonged exposure to water, so is not ideal for what you want. I have some smaller cross-section yew in sizes around 5X5X7.5 cms which turns well and is very durable and takes oiling well. If any of these are of use let me know.”
Ennerdale, Cumbria in the English lake district.
I looked up the properties of yew on the interwebs and found that it was very long lasting and tough, it machines nicely and likes to be oiled and that it had been the wood of choice for making the traditional English longbow. So I asked for some of this and my brother in law kindly sent me enough for three handles which I then mailed to “beejay” with the knot. The tree the wood came from had been growing in Ennerdale in the English lake district but about 10 years ago the local council ordered the farmer to cut it down because it was in a dangerous condition.
“Beejay” had emailed me: “If you have a shape in mind, a drawing or brand example will give me enough to work with. Yew is a nice wood but is prone to checking and it can throw up some surprises at times, knots and pips etc which can work loose. The knot you have will probably be 67/68mm total length and normally I set those at 48-50mm but in this instance I would think around 52mm loft will be about right. Tell me though if you want a different loft. I do a mock up first to show shape a loft before I commit to the final material and for this I charge £25 inc del to a UK address. I should explain that this is a hobby for me, and I do work so it’s done at weekends and in my spare time. At present, you’d be looking at 2-3 weeks to complete.”
Custom shaving brush that I liked.
I was looking for a big handle that really showed off the wood and for a floppy brush for using with shaving creams, so I sent “beejay” a picture of a custom brush I had found on the internet that I liked, just to give him a very rough idea of what was on my mind, but said that he was the expert and it was up to him to make the best of the wood.
About a week later “beejay” sent me an email with some photographs of a mock up of the brush. He said: “I’ve mocked up a handle for you to look at. It’s from a piece of yew from my stock so don’t worry. The knot you sent is 77mm ht. and 23mm plug diameter. The cove between the two beads is 29mm and the hole is 25mm diameter to accept the knot and allow some spread. That means of course that wood at that point isn’t terribly thick, viz, 2mm each side. The pics are really to show the loft and to ask if you’re happy with it or do want it set to 50mm. It’s a big knot, 77mm, and at 53mm loft the backbone isn’t too bad. The shape of the handle will change a bit to give more height to the bulb at the expense of the two beads which will be narrower (more compressed) and slightly more rounded, hope that makes sense. Naturally your comments are invited re shape style size etc. At 111mm total height it’s a good size brush and should feel well balanced. The handle is 58/59mm but can be made longer if you wish, there’s enough wood.”
A week later and disaster has struck. “Beejay” sends me this: “I finished your handle yesterday and noticed that the rim had some fine checks (splits) beginning to show through. Although almost hairline they would open up sooner or later. I’ve now cut about 1” off and will do it again. Apologies for the delay, yew is just one those woods I’m afraid, sometimes no problem other times this can happen.”
Decision time. Three Yew shaving brush handles to choose from.
Then another week or so and it was decision time as “beejay” sent me the following email: “Almost done, just a case of you picking the handle you’d like the knot to be set in. I’ve attached 3 pics showing the knot in each one. L-R, Purple Yew from my stock as the piece you had with some showing kept splintering and checking on me and I couldn’t really get a workable piece from it that looked nice. No extra charge for this by the way. Middle one is from the second piece you sent and it’s quite a nice piece with a few pips at the base giving it a bit of character. RH is another piece from my stock with just a hint of sapwood, the rest dark heartwood with some pips showing. Nice pattern on this bit. Again no extra charge if you want this one. They’ve all had one coat of oil and a light buff to show a soft sheen. Let me know which one you’d like and I’ll set the knot, give it a few more coats/buff and get it out to you probably Saturday if that’s Ok. I need that time as it’ll be 1 maybe 2 coats per day.”
Obviously the middle one was the choice as it comes from the original Ennerdale yew tree. And it looks fantastic. “Beejay also sent a travel tube with a lovely wooden lid, the handle on the left in the picture above as a spare, a wooden pen and a letter with more details of the brush and comprehensive usage and care instructions.
Custom Yew Silvertip Badger shaving brush, letter, spare handle, travelling tube and wooden pen.
Custom Yew Silvertip Badger shaving brush in its travel tube
Custom Yew Silvertip Badger shaving brush handles
Custom Yew Silvertip Badger shaving brush
So out of the disaster of breaking the marble brush handle I now a have a special, unique, very high quality brush which is a work of art as well as being a functional tool. “Beejay” has excelled himself in delivering such a great product with a great service. And the whole exercise has cost very little compared with buying an equivalent top end shaving brush off a shop shelf.
Traditional, real shaving is a popular movement in the Western world that has really taken off. Suppliers are having difficulty keeping up with demand and the online activity is increasing steadily. Against this background the Leisureguy’s Guide to Gourmet Shaving is very important because it is the only book that is at the centre of what is going on.
Michael has been very clever in that the book is not designed to compete with the online resources, instead he has written a book that complements them. The main problem with online shaving resources is that they are mainly forums with a very poor bandwidth of valuable content and woefully bad organisation of that content. This book is the exact opposite with a huge concentration of valuable information that is presented in a well organised manner.
The Leisureguy’s Guide to Gourmet Shaving really conveys the authors love and enthusiasm for the subject. He seems to be genuinely in awe that the daily tedium that is shaving using a multibladed system razor can be totally transformed into a joyful and luxurious daily ceremony.
The book is primarily aimed at the neophyte. It is the absolutely perfect gift for someone who is new to traditional shaving. More than that it is also ideal for those poor people who are still stuck with multibladed system razors. It shows them that there is a far better way. Whilst the book may be targeted at the beginner it has an outstanding characteristic that makes it valuable for anyone who is interested in the subject which is that it is so rich in resources. It tells you where to find a whole wealth of shaving information. Bruce on Shaving is listed, for instance.
Whilst Michael is American and so the book is US centric, it still has great value for readers elsewhere, this is because of the global nature of retail in shaving goods and the global nature of the online shaving communities.
I have said repeatedly in this blog that real, traditional shaving is very personalised. Products and methods that work for you may not work for the next man. This is part of the joy of what we do: we exercise infinite choice. So when Michael gives advice it is very good and well founded advice but it is not necessarily always what I would do. But this is obviously to be expected and the book gives the reader a very solid grounding from which to develop and experiment.
Overall The Leisureguy’s Guide to Gourmet Shaving serves a very valuable purpose, not only is it a great resource for every traditional shaver, it is also a great tool for evangelising and proselytising what we do. For converting poor multibladed system shavers over from the dark side. Lend or give a copy to your friends and they will thank you.
Here you can see a few pictures of some of the old shaving brushes I have acquired in my travels. On the front row are some Culmak brushes that are very common in the UK, in the centre of which is a small Bakelite brush. On the left of the back row are three of the prized “butterscotch” handled brushes, these were made from a thermosetting polymer called Catalin which oxidises over time to this colour. The big one on the left is very faintly branded “Boots” so is probably a rebranded Rooney, the next one looks like it could be a Culmak or maybe a Simpson’s shape, the next two I don’t know anything about. On the right are probably two Kent BK2s.
Now I am sure that there are some people who collect these, just as there are people who collect postage stamps, but their real value is in being brought back into use, many keen traditional shavers see brush restoration as being a key part of their hobby. The first step is to remove the bundle of hairs (the knot) which is usually held in with epoxy or a vintage equivalent strong glue. This requires great care and the weapon of choice is usually a Dremel. The handle can then be polished, repainted or revarnished as appropriate and a new knot cemented in.
If you are too lazy or impractical to do this for yourself there are some brush manufacturers and some brush restorers who will do it for you. Whichever route you follow you can end up with a very nice shaving brush indeed for a very economic price.
The key to traditional shaving is the double edged (DE) safety razor blade invented by King Camp Gillette which has been in continuous production now for over 100 years. This is a consumable product so we real shavers need a continuous supply of them. If this supply were to ever dry up then traditional double edged shaving would be impossible, the dreaded shavepocalypse.
Gillette themselves say (my bold): “This week, we will make one of the most significant product introductions in Gillette’s history. This product, called Gillette Guard, is the first razor we have ever designed from start to finish for consumers in emerging markets and brings to life our mission of serving more men, in more parts of the world more completely.”
The third big news is the takeover of The American Safety Razor Company (Personna etc) by Energizer (Wilkinson Sword, Schick etc). If the combined entity is going to have the faintest chance of taking on Gillette then they need to rationalise their production and marketing behind strong, profitable brands, which means patent protected system razors. So we could be very easily about to lose a whole pile more brands of DE razor blades. The good news is that Energizer haven’t announced a low cost system razor like the Guard. Yet.
If the above triple whammy transpires we will have lost most of the Western DE razor brands, not only that there will be two massively powerful global organisations proselytising patented system razors and trying to make the shavepocalypse happen by killing off DE shaving.
Working on the traditional shaving side is sheer momentum, 400 million wet shavers in India who don’t use system razors yet and probably a similar number in China (but remember that there is a lot of disposable razor use in much of the developing world). So the big multinational shaving companies have an immense conversion job, but this is a job that Gillette are throwing equally immense resources at.
Also there are other DE blade manufacturers. Biggest is Super-Max in India, but there is Treet in Pakistan, Lion in South Africa, Lord and their many brands in Egypt, Feather and Kai in Japan, Derby in Turkey, Dorco in Korea etc. Obviously Gillette with the Guard has declared war on all of these so we could be looking at a house of cards that brings the shavepocalypse when it collapses. Making DE razor blades is a low profit commodity industry whilst the Guard is a high profit brand.
What might emerge now are low volume, high cost artisan razor blade brands. This is eminently feasible. Without the economies of scale each blade would be a lot more expensive, but still far cheaper than a system blade cartridge. And we would still have DE blades. There are a couple of brands (Souplex and Timor) in Germany who are almost at this level already.
For diehard DE shavers who refuse to ever go over to the dark side of system shaving there are three ways to handle a shavepocalypse. The first is to grow a beard, the second is to use a straight, cut throat razor and the third is to hoard. In fact razor blades are so cheap now and storing them takes so little room that hoarding makes a lot of sense and many traditional shavers already have enough stashed away to last their expected lifetimes. 1,000 good quality blades cost about $120 and are enough to last at least 10 years. With recent events this seems to make good sense.
Weishi, Edwin Jagger DE89L and Merkur 39C safety razors
It strikes me that in a traditional wet shave with three passes each of those passes is doing a different thing. In the first pass most of the hair is removed, so this requires a razor that really munches through the stubble effortlessly. In the second pass a fair amount of hair is still being removed but there is more across the grain (XTG) and against the grain (ATG) work so this requires a razor that is very smooth yet still able to remove a lot of hair. The third pass is touch up and putting a finishing touch to things so a nice mild razor is needed.
Now some would say this is what an adjustable is for, just click it down between the passes. And yes, I have done this and it works with my Mergress and my Gillette adjustables. But by going for different razors you are going for more than just a change in blade exposure, you are going for a change in the whole feel and action of how the razor works. So the three razor method has to work better, it is just a matter of choosing the right razors.
For the first pass the obvious choice of razor has to be the Merkur 39C Slant Sledgehammer. There can’t be much that is more efficient at removing stubble, the scything action of the slant bar goes through anything you can offer up with consummate ease. And yet, surprisingly, it isn’t an aggressive razor to use. An alternative to the 39C as a pure whisker muncher would be the Mergress turned up to 4 and a bit. But between the two I think that the 39C is the better tool for this job.
The second pass is the perfect place for the Edwin Jagger DE89L, since it came out this razor has won many friends for its all round ability. It is recommended to beginners as a starter razor because it doesn’t bite, yet at the same time it is an efficient cutting tool that all shavers should be able to appreciate. This is just perfect for going XTG and ATG. An alternative would be the Merkur 38C Barber’s Pole, another fine razor. But owning and using both of these the Edwin Jagger shades it.
The third pass has to be the natural home for the Weishi razor from China. You would have to try very hard indeed to get this lightweight Super Speed clone to cut you, it is so benign. Yet when you get the angle right (and with this razor angle really is critical) then it is still a masterful piece of shaving equipment. I don’t know any other razor that behaves like this. Which means it is just perfect for touching up, you can go after those difficult patches with no danger of causing weepers. Alternatives would be a vintage Super Speed or a vintage Tech, but really the Weishi is better.
Now the big thing about traditional shaving is that all the choices are down to the individual (not to some massive multinational “personal products” conglomerate) so you may disagree strongly with my choice of razors. Feel free to do so because that is part of the fun and enjoyment. However I feel that the principle of three different razors for three different jobs carries some weight and is worth experimenting with.
So putting theory into practice does it work? The answer is as an unequivocal yes. The 39C likes a sharp blade in it for its action to work and it certainly removes most of the hair in just one pass. The DE89L is less blade sensitive and smoothly gets rid of virtually all the rest. You could stop now after 2 passes. But for the best shave the Weishi pass makes a big difference and you can buff the problem areas in a way that would be impossible with a more aggressive razor.
The net result is a very quick and efficient transformation from stubble to smoothness. Not only is it quicker but it has less impact on the skin. The method causes less trauma. For someone with sensitive skin this would be a winner.
From a practical point of view you can either use one blade and switch it or you can use 3 separate blades. I shave in the shower which makes the blade change interesting, to put it mildly. But having three blades out triples the amount of time they are exposed to a wet environment.
Of course it isn’t just the razor that is involved here. You could also go for a three different razor blade method. For the first pass you could use a Kai or a Feather, then for the second pass an Astra or an Iridium (if you are one of the lucky ones) and for the third pass a Personna or a Derby. Or you could go for some combination of razors and blades. Or experiment by mixing and matching till you get what suits you.
When it comes to traditional shaving I have a fair bit of kit, however it is far less than many others own and I am a user of this stuff not a collector. OK so I have two Toggles, but one is going for replating whilst the other stays original. But in general I think that I have the OCD under control.
They are made in Shanghai, China by Kwang Yung Safety Razor Set Factory but they are not generally sold in the West. However they sometimes come up on eBay for very low prices indeed, mainly because most people don’t know what they are. To shave with they are reasonably mild but quite effective. You could definitely actually use one as a travel razor.
The two basic shapes of a shaving brush knot are the bulb and the fan, there are reasons for this and they both behave differently.
A fan shaped knot puts more bristles in contact with your face, so for a given size it will massage and face lather more effectively, also it will pick up more of a potted cream or a soap when you first charge your brush. Everything else being equal a fan needs to be made with a shorter loft if it is not to be too floppy.
A bulb shaped knot has a centre that is supported by the shorter hairs around it, this means that it will have more backbone or can have a longer loft for the same backbone. It will bowl lather more effectively. Obviously the supported centre will have a smaller contact patch on the face. The bulb can split more easily into two sections with a gap between them when you are picking up a hard soap or when you are massaging your face firmly.
When I look at my brushes I see very few that are pure fans or pure bulbs. They mostly seem to be a mixture of the two elements as the designer has tried to give the brush a certain set of characteristics. This may be a compromise or it may give you the best of both worlds, the only way to find out is to use them to see what suits you.
