Understanding the Badger Brush Knot

Badger brush is the most preferred choice for use as a shaving brush. This has got to do with its properties and natural makeup. When badger brush knots are being discussed, these are some things that should be taken note of.

Badger brush tips

This is one way to check for the quality of your badger brush. A good quality badger brush will have the natural tips of the bristle. As a result of this, the tips will feel softer. When dealing with cheaper, inferior badger brushes, they usually have their bristle tips clipped and trimmed into a desirable shape. Such brushes have harsher edges than their natural high quality counterparts.

Brush knot density

Usually the denser the knots of a badger brush, the more it would be able to retain water and lather creams or soap effectively. Although in some few cases, a dense knot could act as lather hogs.

Machine or hand made

Badger brushes are either handmade or machine made. Machine made badger brushes usually have issues like clipped ends, excessive shedding of bristles, and poor knot density. As a result of this, they're usually cheaper to buy than handmade types. Handmade types usually do not have these issues.

Knot size

The knot will feel a whole lot firmer in the face if the knot is larger. Larger knots are formed by accumulating more badger hair. Obviously, this would make a badger brush with a large knot size more expensive.

How to Shave Sensitive Skin Delicately

Sensitive skin is no myth. There are people with sensitive skin who are easily prone to skin irritation with every shave. For them, the act of shaving alone is tormenting but it doesn't always have to be so. Try these steps if you have got sensitive skin.

Prep Your Skin

If this step could be repeated twice, it'd be better. Prepping your skin entails getting it wet and soft. Dry hair is hard and will tug on your sensitive skin if not softened. Either rinse hair area with warm water or just go take a shower. Allow skin stay wet for about 2 minutes before attempting to shave.

Use Shaving Cream

Prepping with water is just the first step to softening your hair. Shaving creams not only soften the hair, it moisturizes it by providing necessary proteins. Just like in the case of water, allow the shaving creams to sit for about 2 minutes before attempting to shave.

Exfoliate often

Dead skin can trap ingrown hairs and cause razor burns. Exfoliating helps remove these dead skin cells. Ensure you exfoliate once or twice in a week.

Allow hair to grow

You have a sensitive skin and cannot afford the luxury and perks of everyday shaving. Allow your hair grow a little before shaving. When you are not shaving, ensure you keep your skin and hair moisturized to keep them soft. With time, your hair will lose its natural dryness that causes razor burns when you shave.

The Vikings Blade vs Feather AS-D2 Double Edged Razor

Both of these brands are among the top best safety razors available in the market today. Using their design, dimension, unique features, and accessories, we compare both products to see how similar or different they are.

Design

The Vikings Blade is made from super quality materials that give it strength and durability. It has got a very attractive look with its chrome plating finish. It is a butterfly razor and comes with all of its perks. The Feather AS-D2 razor is a work of art. It is made from 100% stainless steel and it is a 3-piece razor.

Dimension

The Vikings Blade is a classic handle razor with a length of 3.75". The product has a weight of 85g and has a hefty feel to it. The Feather AS-D2 is also a classic razor with a length of approximately 3.85". It has a weight of 91g which puts it in the heavyweight category.

Unique feature

As a butterfly razor, the Vikings Blade comes with a micro-comb feature in its advanced butterfly head. The micro-comb prevents cuts while shaving. The Feather AS-D2 is one of the best 3-piece razors in the market today.

Accessories

The Vikings Blade comes with 5 unbranded, sharp blades that allow for uninterrupted shaving experience. It also has a travel case with a mirror attached inside. The Feather AS-D2 doesn’t come with any noticeable accessories.

Major Differences Between a 3-piece Razor and a Butterfly Razor

Modern safety razors usually come as either 3-piece razors or butterfly/TTO razors. Even old brands like the Gillette have found a way to adapt with this new safety razor types the way newer brands like Vikings Blade have done. There are quite some differences between these two. The first and foremost difference is seen in their...

Design

Just like the name implies, 3-piece safety razors are made up of three basic parts - top safety bar plate, base plate, and handle. The butterfly or TTO have no removable part but has a handle that can be twisted to open two doors on the base plate.

Blade Change

With the 3-piece razors, the top plate has to be separated from the base plate after the handle is unscrewed to effect blade change. In the butterfly razors, by twisting the base of the handle, the base plate opens up like two doors. This exposes the protected blade and replacement can be made.

Price

The 3-piece razor is regarded as a more traditional type or razor. Most people think it should be obsolete but razor brands have found a way to reinvent and redesign them. The 3-piece razors are less expensive in comparison with the butterfly razors. This is because of their simplicity in design and function.

Parker 92R Ultra Heavyweight Butterfly Open Double Edge Safety Razor - Too Aggressive for a Daily Shaver

The 92R is well made, and my particular model had symmetric blade exposure on both sides. Well and good. However, the 92R is recommended by some websites as a good starter or general purpose razor, and I can assure you it is not. A lot of blade is showing here, far more than on a Merkur 34C or Jagger DE89, which are good starter razors, and indeed good for most shavers. The 92 R by comparison is far too aggressive for regular beards shaved daily. If you use this even with a mild blade (like a Derby) you will scrape too much skin off your face even with good technique as the blade gap and weight combine to make this a very harsh shaver. Using this razor with a Derby produced razor burn roughly 2 out of 3 times even in my relatively experienced hands (18 months of wet shaving, own 11 razors). Using a sharper blade like say a Persona Blue or Feather is truly a nightmare and I would not suggest doing so unless you have a really voluminous and / or tough beard.

As the saying goes, your experience may vary. If you have a tough beard and tough face, this may be a great daily shaver. If you shave like 2 or 3 times per week, this may be ideal for you. But for me, and for other guys who shave daily and have faces sensitive to razor burn, this is a bad idea. I am giving this 2 stars because Parker does not advertise this properly as an aggressive razor for experienced users but instead claims it is Everyman's Razor. Quality is not the problem here, but rather the core design elements.

Micro Touch Safety Razor Chrome Review

I guess I shouldn't have expected much for $15. I grew up using double edge safety razors and wanted to get away from using the plastic disposables and shave like a man again. I have seen this advertised all over the web and on TV and thought it might live up to its hype. It doesn't. The shaver feels cheap and poorly weighted in my hand and its almost impossible to open or close the razor when your hands are wet because the chrome finish is smooth and slippery. Even with dry hands, the mechanism feels stiff and uneven. The gate closes down unevenly on the razor blade so that one side is always slightly higher than the other and makes me feel like it would be easy to be cut if you're not careful. It doesn't feel like the razor is held securely on the high side. I try to use the lower side and that side cuts well, but that's a testament to the razor blade and not the shaver that holds it.

Also, the razor does not fit securely onto the stand supplied and falls to one side or the other. It doesn't look like the stand was designed for this particular shaver at all. It shouldn't be such a careful balancing act just to make the thing sit straight.

I can't imagine how this got such good reviews on Amazon from other users. It is a real disappointment for me.

Razor Basics

Shaving is a part of every man’s life, irrespective of how often he engages in it. Generally speaking, shaving is using a blade to remove the top part of hair. There are different types of razors available but they all have their strengths and weaknesses. Even with the more technologically advanced electric razors, the traditional razors still have its place in today’s world.

Electric razors are just simply amazing. Like seriously, they are easy to use and aren’t as rocket science as something safety razors (if we can put it that way). It offers quick and convenient shave but it doesn’t deliver a close and smooth shave as a safety razor would. Safety razors are built to deliver a closer shave on the face. Place at the right angles, the shave delivered make it seem like you have been playing using the electric razor.

When it comes to using safety razors, you have to ensure you use one with a sharp blade. Safety razors like the Vikings Blade are known for their super clean shaves. It even comes with 5 extra blades to ensure you don’t have to use a dull blade. Using the right shaving techniques, shaving with a safety razor has no rival with other razor types.