Now we're talking! Of all the wet shaving related kit, soaps and creams are the most abundant in New Zealand.
First stop, supermarket. Countdown (and anywhere still branded Woolworths) will have Aus made Palmolive Lather Shave Cream. This is not quite the same product that you sometimes see mentioned on various shaving forums, they are usually referring to European Palmolive cream. Likewise with the Aus made Palmolive Shave Sticks that can sometimes be found in supermarkets here. I've also seen the Palmolive cream/sticks in New World and Pak n Save. Here is the Badger and Blade review of the Aus Palmolive stick (also branded as Mennen sometimes.) Sadly that seems to be the only supermarket option. Would be nice to see a supermarket stocking another mid range product like Proraso, but alas.
After that, head down to the pharmacy, where from personal experience you will find at least one or two of the following no matter where you go (links to product reviews):
Tabac
Omega
Kappus (Nautik and Aloe Vera)
Aus Palmolive sticks and cream
Erasmic (check the ingredients, is tallow missing? Then it's the naff one)
Speick
.... the list goes on and on, but Tabac seems to be the most ubiquitous in Wellington pharmacies at any rate, and the rest are what are most commonly found. Beware pricing! The cheapest I have seen Tabac in stores here is $24.00 for a refill puck, the most was nearly $60.00, some places have ridiculous mark ups. I recommend finding out what your local pharmacy has then doing a price check online before going ahead.
Another great resource we have in New Zealand are the Indian grocers/spice shops that specialise in imported Indian supermarket goods. Find one near you and check out their health/toiletries aisle for Indian made Old Spice lather cream, Godrej shaving cream, and possibly Godrej shaving soaps.
Check the location of a L'Occitane store near you for Cade cream/soap and The Body Shop for Macca Root Shave Cream.
If you are a Wellingtonian and don't mind the inflated prices, check out Kirkcaldie and Stains for a great range of the high end soaps like Taylors of Old Bond Street, I'coloniali, and many more. You can find them in a small display stand next to the men's fragrance section.
If you are in Auckland, head to the Shaver Shop at 80 Pitt Street, they also carry the whole TOBS range as well as all the Col Conk soaps among others. You can also order from their (eye wateringly bad) website.
Heading online, but staying with New Zealand vendors good ol' Mancave to the rescue, along with stocking products that have already been mentioned, they also carry Proraso tubs, tubes and the aloe green tea Proraso.
Goodfella have a range of soaps and creams, including my favourite cream of all, Bluebeard's Revenge and worth every cent of its premium price.
As far as Trademe goes, I would not recommend the home made shave soaps to be found there. Give them a shot if you must, but while artisan or home made bath soaps can be just as good, if not vastly superior to commercial products, the same rarely holds true for the shave soaps.
Ordering from overseas, first stop for me is always Connaught Shaving they have very reasonable pricing and very good shipping rates to New Zealand. Of note is that they stock the very good budget performer the Palmolive Shave Stick (European formula) which is generally considered quite superior to the, nonetheless good, Australian made one. They are also stockists of Mitchell's Wool Fat which I have been unable to find locally.
Next check out BestShave I recommend trying out an Arko stick, and if you like them you can buy them in bulk lots of 6+ with free shipping. They also have a range of creams all at nice prices.
Mama Bear also ships internationally using First Class International by weight, meaning the pricing should be fairly reasonable. Mama Bear Shave Soaps are like the "artisan" soaps you might see on trademe, only these actually work and have an almost cult following among wet shaving enthusiasts.
If you're wondering why I pimp the same handful of sites, it is usually because I have ordered from and trust them and because not everywhere has NZ friendly shipping policies. If you find somewhere else you prefer, by all means, heck I would even appreciate some recommendations. But a general caveat should be to check shipping policies and costs with all online vendors, some require a scan of ID along with credit card payment or have very high flat rate shipping costs. http://www.shaving-shack.com for example has a great range, but all international orders command a 20 GBP shipping fee, which makes small orders of a shaving puck or packs of blades uneconomical.
Monday 28 November 2011
Thursday 24 November 2011
Purchasing A Shaving Brush in New Zealand
Now that you have purchased a razor and secured a sampler or regular supply of your favourite blades, it's time to get the next bit of kit, a shaving brush. The two most common types of brushes are boar bristle and badger hair. An important bit of information regarding these two types is that a badger will typically cost a lot more than a boar. This has nothing to do with quality, it is simply that boar bristle is cheaper to obtain than badger hair. $30 for instance spent on a good boar brush will mostly get you a better piece of kit than $30 on a comparatively cheap badger. Mostly. Not always.
Their lathering qualities is very much a case of Your Mileage May Vary. In my case I find a badger hair brush slightly easier to lather with, but a bristle to be much more pleasant to use on my face.
If you're going to stick to buying from brick and mortar stores, then I suggest you go for boar, since you are going to find plenty to choose from as the majority of pharmacies I have been in to carry AT LEAST one Omega boar bristle brush. Most have two or three, some, like Ian Schofer pharmacy in Lower Hutt have more. Expect to spend more than $10 but less than $20 on a stand alone brush. Some places only have them in a gift pack with a soap or cream and brush stand, in which case you are looking at about $30. Omega is the most common I have seen. I tried a "Windsor" branded one once, it was woeful and the knot came apart in the sink after a gentle soak and lathering session. Stick with Omega and you can't go wrong, or at least research other brands you see before purchasing.
If you want to try badger it's going to be a little trickier to find them available in stores and the prices are probably going to pinch a little. That said, if you're in Wellington Kirkcaldie and Stains have them in a display case next to the men's fragrance section. Monsignor's Barbers at 109 Featherston St had them as well. Elsewhere try the tobacconist - gift store type places I talked about in the DE/Blades guide. Try the pharmacies, as they rarely have them but you might strike it lucky. Have a L'Occitane store nearby? If they have a shaving section you might spot one there too. Bear in mind that if you really want badger, you are better off buying online. Though I did snag a bargain hand made Edwin Jagger "best" badger brush for $10 at an antique store recently, so check them too.
Synthetic brushes I am unfamiliar with but I did see one in The Body Shop.
Buying online domestically you can't go past Mancave they have a whole herd of Semogue boar brushes at fair prices. A fantastic range of badgers as well, from the budget to the luxurious.
Goodfella, the makers of New Zealand's own Goodfella razor, also have a small selection.
Shavershop also have a small selection. Though I really wish they would do something about their website. You used to be able to place an order there, but damned if I can find it now.
Trademe sellers seem to be taking advantage of the fact that wet shaving is becoming a bit of a fad, but still people are unfamiliar with how much things should really cost. If you really want to buy a brush on trademe, get the model and make and do some research on the normal retail pricing first. Google is your friend. I see brushes that could be had for around $100 normal retail with $250 buy now prices. Hell, this applies to everything bought new on Trademe, not only will you likely not get a bargain, you probably end up overpaying by a significant amount.
Buying online international, you get a whole lot more range. Starting with Connaught shaving who offer some of the best shipping rates around. They stock oodles of Omega boars, the synthetic badger Muhles, and a selection of Vulfix brushes as well. Pretty sure they don't have any straight badger brushes though.
You could go direct to Kent brushes website and order from the manufacturer and get the ultimate luxurious fat silvertip badger brush or at the other extreme try BestShave with their <$5 horse hair brush that has had very positive reviews in the wet shaving world.
Check out Vintage Scent for a great range of Semogue boars including the coveted "Semogue Owners Club" brushes. Ships from the EU.
That's all I want to get in to really with brushes. Of course there are many more international vendors that will ship to NZ. I recommend a little research at B&B to find more places.
Their lathering qualities is very much a case of Your Mileage May Vary. In my case I find a badger hair brush slightly easier to lather with, but a bristle to be much more pleasant to use on my face.
If you're going to stick to buying from brick and mortar stores, then I suggest you go for boar, since you are going to find plenty to choose from as the majority of pharmacies I have been in to carry AT LEAST one Omega boar bristle brush. Most have two or three, some, like Ian Schofer pharmacy in Lower Hutt have more. Expect to spend more than $10 but less than $20 on a stand alone brush. Some places only have them in a gift pack with a soap or cream and brush stand, in which case you are looking at about $30. Omega is the most common I have seen. I tried a "Windsor" branded one once, it was woeful and the knot came apart in the sink after a gentle soak and lathering session. Stick with Omega and you can't go wrong, or at least research other brands you see before purchasing.
If you want to try badger it's going to be a little trickier to find them available in stores and the prices are probably going to pinch a little. That said, if you're in Wellington Kirkcaldie and Stains have them in a display case next to the men's fragrance section. Monsignor's Barbers at 109 Featherston St had them as well. Elsewhere try the tobacconist - gift store type places I talked about in the DE/Blades guide. Try the pharmacies, as they rarely have them but you might strike it lucky. Have a L'Occitane store nearby? If they have a shaving section you might spot one there too. Bear in mind that if you really want badger, you are better off buying online. Though I did snag a bargain hand made Edwin Jagger "best" badger brush for $10 at an antique store recently, so check them too.
Synthetic brushes I am unfamiliar with but I did see one in The Body Shop.
Buying online domestically you can't go past Mancave they have a whole herd of Semogue boar brushes at fair prices. A fantastic range of badgers as well, from the budget to the luxurious.
Goodfella, the makers of New Zealand's own Goodfella razor, also have a small selection.
Shavershop also have a small selection. Though I really wish they would do something about their website. You used to be able to place an order there, but damned if I can find it now.
Trademe sellers seem to be taking advantage of the fact that wet shaving is becoming a bit of a fad, but still people are unfamiliar with how much things should really cost. If you really want to buy a brush on trademe, get the model and make and do some research on the normal retail pricing first. Google is your friend. I see brushes that could be had for around $100 normal retail with $250 buy now prices. Hell, this applies to everything bought new on Trademe, not only will you likely not get a bargain, you probably end up overpaying by a significant amount.
Buying online international, you get a whole lot more range. Starting with Connaught shaving who offer some of the best shipping rates around. They stock oodles of Omega boars, the synthetic badger Muhles, and a selection of Vulfix brushes as well. Pretty sure they don't have any straight badger brushes though.
You could go direct to Kent brushes website and order from the manufacturer and get the ultimate luxurious fat silvertip badger brush or at the other extreme try BestShave with their <$5 horse hair brush that has had very positive reviews in the wet shaving world.
Check out Vintage Scent for a great range of Semogue boars including the coveted "Semogue Owners Club" brushes. Ships from the EU.
That's all I want to get in to really with brushes. Of course there are many more international vendors that will ship to NZ. I recommend a little research at B&B to find more places.
Friday 18 November 2011
Purchasing Single Edge Blades in New Zealand
If you're keen to put one of those Gems, Ever Readys or Valets you picked up on Trademe a whirl then you'll need some blades!
Buying locally:
I don't know why, but pharmacies in New Zealand sometimes have the blades that would fit the Gem/Ever Readys, or be modified to fit the earlier Valet models, they are a pack of 10 blades, in the shaving section, with Gem branding on them. HOWEVER they are not the blades you are looking for. Well probably not anyway. The ones I have seen all have the word "scrapers" on them. As you might guess, this is not a word that has pleasant connotations when it comes to shaving. And no wonder as these particular blades are not made for, nor marketed at shaving. They are no where near sharp enough to deliver anything approaching a decent shave. No seriously, learn from my mistake. I'm not talking about a "your mileage may vary" type of performance, THEY DON'T WORK. They are designed for scraper tools that accept that style of blade.
And that's all I (sadly) have to say about buying SE blades locally. Have never seen anything but the above.
Online locally:
Nope, nothing to see here either.
Online internationally:
If you've been to BestShave.net looking at the DE blades, you might have noticed they sell SE blades as well. These are not the blades you are looking for, they are properly called "saloon" blades, they are designed for "shavette" replaceable blade straight razors and will not fit any of the SE razors I have discussed.
For the Gem/Ever Ready (and the ones modifiable for the early Valets) blades best bet is Connaught Shaving decent price and excellent shipping rates. While there you may notice a type of Feather branded SE blade, again not the type you are looking for. For those, the Feather blades with the cutouts that will fit the nibs on the newer Valet models, there is only one place I know of: Razorbladesandmore and their wince worthy shipping rates. The blades are (at this time) $4.50USD per pack of 5, and only in packs of 5.
A note:
If you've seen reference to "Ted Pella" blades and their super awesomeness, fret not. If you get the Gem PTFE coated blades from Connaught, then you are getting the blades sometimes (erroneously) referred to as "Ted Pellas"
Buying locally:
I don't know why, but pharmacies in New Zealand sometimes have the blades that would fit the Gem/Ever Readys, or be modified to fit the earlier Valet models, they are a pack of 10 blades, in the shaving section, with Gem branding on them. HOWEVER they are not the blades you are looking for. Well probably not anyway. The ones I have seen all have the word "scrapers" on them. As you might guess, this is not a word that has pleasant connotations when it comes to shaving. And no wonder as these particular blades are not made for, nor marketed at shaving. They are no where near sharp enough to deliver anything approaching a decent shave. No seriously, learn from my mistake. I'm not talking about a "your mileage may vary" type of performance, THEY DON'T WORK. They are designed for scraper tools that accept that style of blade.
And that's all I (sadly) have to say about buying SE blades locally. Have never seen anything but the above.
Online locally:
Nope, nothing to see here either.
Online internationally:
If you've been to BestShave.net looking at the DE blades, you might have noticed they sell SE blades as well. These are not the blades you are looking for, they are properly called "saloon" blades, they are designed for "shavette" replaceable blade straight razors and will not fit any of the SE razors I have discussed.
For the Gem/Ever Ready (and the ones modifiable for the early Valets) blades best bet is Connaught Shaving decent price and excellent shipping rates. While there you may notice a type of Feather branded SE blade, again not the type you are looking for. For those, the Feather blades with the cutouts that will fit the nibs on the newer Valet models, there is only one place I know of: Razorbladesandmore and their wince worthy shipping rates. The blades are (at this time) $4.50USD per pack of 5, and only in packs of 5.
A note:
If you've seen reference to "Ted Pella" blades and their super awesomeness, fret not. If you get the Gem PTFE coated blades from Connaught, then you are getting the blades sometimes (erroneously) referred to as "Ted Pellas"
Purchasing Double Edge Blades in New Zealand
If you have chosen to go with a double edge razor, then you will of course need double edge blades! Let's start by assuming you want to buy locally, and offline. Your best bet is the supermarket. Woolworth's and Countdown both stock "Home Brand" DE blades in a dispenser pack of 10. These are usually priced around $5.60, and in my experience are good for around four shaves per blade making the cost about 14c per shave. Don't be put off by the cheap branding, these blades are in fact US made Personnas, reviews for this blade can be found here. My own experience with these is that they give a smooth and comfortable shave.
If you can't find these in the shaving section of your supermarket, try and find a local Indian grocers. You won't find the US Personnas there, but you may find one of many excellent Indian made DE blades. I often stop by Ankur's Nice n Spice Indian grocers in Petone (Nelson St, a couple of doors down from the Jackson St end) and pick up a 6 pack of Vidyut Super Max Platinum blades for $1.90. These are great blades, one of the smoothest and most comfortable blades I have tried, especially in a mild shaver like a Tech or a dialed down adjustable. Their drawback is that for me, they last one MAYBE two shaves before they are awful. Assuming two shaves per blade (being generous) that makes them slightly less economical than the Home Brand Personna at 15c per shave. But even at 30c per shave, I enjoy the very smooth shave they deliver. A review of Super Max Platinums can be found here
You can occasionally find blades for sale in pharmacies, but I have yet to see them at a decent price, when I see them at all. In a couple of Wellington pharmacies I have found Wilkinson Sword blades for $30 per 10 pack. Outrageous.
Tobacconist stores are another good place to check out. You know the ones that have glass display cases of Zippos and pipes and novelty gift merch. The Discount Tobacconist in Lower Hutt has Astra Superior Platinums for instance. Can't remember the price, but remember it being one I was happy with in a pinch. That sadly is about it for offline purchasing.
If you can't find DE blades for sale locally at a decent price, or you want to try a different brand than what you can get locally your next stop should be buying online domestically.
A great place to start is Mancave.co.nz who also happen to stock the much loved Feather brand DE blades, in bulk and and in 5 packs. Personna reds are also available there. Reviews for red Personnas and Feather blades can of course be found at Badger and Blade: here and here respectively. If you're new to wet shaving and you want to try a variety of blades, Mancave also offer a 5 brand "sample pack".
If you picked up a Goodfella razor and are happy with the Derby blades that came with it, then you can continue to purchase Derby blades at Goodfella.com .
Shavershop also has Merkur, Lord and Bic blades available. Though I have to admit the prices aren't bad, but they aren't great either. Worth checking out if you want to toss in a pack or two along with another purchase.
Trademe. Ignore the tool from Whakatane trying to pass off Derby blades as "Normally retail up to $15 a pack and hard to find now days " and charging $19.50 a 10 pack, and you'll actually find reasonable deals when all is said and done.
Buying Online Internationally:
To get the best deal and the best variety of blades you need to go international. If you have settled on a brand you like and want to buy bulk then have a look at the bulk deals with free shipping from Best shave. Or buy fewer and with excellent shipping rates.
Connaught Shaving ships from the UK. They have a good variety of brands, available as small purchases or in bulk with excellent shipping rates, and a nice range of sample packs.
Razor Blades and More come highly recommended at Badger and Blade. The service is often lauded and the prices and range look good too. The shipping rates to NZ last I checked though were heart clutchingly high.
eBay. Uhhhh... minefield. Counterfeit blades have been reported. Use at your own risk.
That about covers it. Personally I am happy paying more for the convenience of just picking up the odd pack locally when I need them. But you will definitely save money shopping online either locally or internationally.
If you can't find these in the shaving section of your supermarket, try and find a local Indian grocers. You won't find the US Personnas there, but you may find one of many excellent Indian made DE blades. I often stop by Ankur's Nice n Spice Indian grocers in Petone (Nelson St, a couple of doors down from the Jackson St end) and pick up a 6 pack of Vidyut Super Max Platinum blades for $1.90. These are great blades, one of the smoothest and most comfortable blades I have tried, especially in a mild shaver like a Tech or a dialed down adjustable. Their drawback is that for me, they last one MAYBE two shaves before they are awful. Assuming two shaves per blade (being generous) that makes them slightly less economical than the Home Brand Personna at 15c per shave. But even at 30c per shave, I enjoy the very smooth shave they deliver. A review of Super Max Platinums can be found here
You can occasionally find blades for sale in pharmacies, but I have yet to see them at a decent price, when I see them at all. In a couple of Wellington pharmacies I have found Wilkinson Sword blades for $30 per 10 pack. Outrageous.
Tobacconist stores are another good place to check out. You know the ones that have glass display cases of Zippos and pipes and novelty gift merch. The Discount Tobacconist in Lower Hutt has Astra Superior Platinums for instance. Can't remember the price, but remember it being one I was happy with in a pinch. That sadly is about it for offline purchasing.
If you can't find DE blades for sale locally at a decent price, or you want to try a different brand than what you can get locally your next stop should be buying online domestically.
A great place to start is Mancave.co.nz who also happen to stock the much loved Feather brand DE blades, in bulk and and in 5 packs. Personna reds are also available there. Reviews for red Personnas and Feather blades can of course be found at Badger and Blade: here and here respectively. If you're new to wet shaving and you want to try a variety of blades, Mancave also offer a 5 brand "sample pack".
If you picked up a Goodfella razor and are happy with the Derby blades that came with it, then you can continue to purchase Derby blades at Goodfella.com .
Shavershop also has Merkur, Lord and Bic blades available. Though I have to admit the prices aren't bad, but they aren't great either. Worth checking out if you want to toss in a pack or two along with another purchase.
Trademe. Ignore the tool from Whakatane trying to pass off Derby blades as "Normally retail up to $15 a pack and hard to find now days " and charging $19.50 a 10 pack, and you'll actually find reasonable deals when all is said and done.
Buying Online Internationally:
To get the best deal and the best variety of blades you need to go international. If you have settled on a brand you like and want to buy bulk then have a look at the bulk deals with free shipping from Best shave. Or buy fewer and with excellent shipping rates.
Connaught Shaving ships from the UK. They have a good variety of brands, available as small purchases or in bulk with excellent shipping rates, and a nice range of sample packs.
Razor Blades and More come highly recommended at Badger and Blade. The service is often lauded and the prices and range look good too. The shipping rates to NZ last I checked though were heart clutchingly high.
eBay. Uhhhh... minefield. Counterfeit blades have been reported. Use at your own risk.
That about covers it. Personally I am happy paying more for the convenience of just picking up the odd pack locally when I need them. But you will definitely save money shopping online either locally or internationally.
Tuesday 15 November 2011
Purchasing A Vintage Single Edge Razor in New Zealand
A common progression in the world of traditional wet shaving is to go from double edge razors to single edge to eventually trying a straight razor (otherwise known as a "cut-throat"). This is not of course required and you can start anywhere you please, trying all or only one or two. I myself am currently in the "single edge" or SE phase, I have acquired a couple of vintage straight razors, but have not purchased the other accessories like strops or hones. I still use my DE razors quite regularly, but find an SE to give the closest and most comfortable shave.
The Razors
If you want to give shaving with an SE razor a shot, you're in luck! Sort of. Single edge razors often outnumber vintage DE razors in both online auction listings and antique stores in New Zealand. There are four basic brands most commonly found here:
Gem
Ever Ready
Valet
Rolls
Occasionally you might see Star or other brands, but these above four are basically what you are most likely to find. What you are unlikely to find however, are shave worthy blades for any of them. But more on that later. First let's break them down brand by brand.
Firstly the Gem and Ever Ready. Gem is a trademark/brand used by the American Safety Razor Co. along with Ever Ready. In fact they are interchangeable, a Gem is an Ever Ready is a Gem. The variety of razors available under the Gem and Ever Ready brands probably doesn't come close to Gillette, but there is still plenty to choose from. If you are buying from an antique store or on trademe, the most common model you are likely to come across is the Gem or Ever Ready 1912, so named for the patent date stamped on the base of the razor head where it screws onto the handle. The blade is held in place by means of a spring loaded door opened and closed by means of a tab on the razor head.
Next is the Gem Jewel or Ever Ready Streamline.
This is actually fairly rare on eBay, but often found once in a while on trademe, which given the smaller user base, indicates a greater concentration of them here. I have not seen one in an antique store yet. There are referred to as the Cadillac of SE razors. Hefty, solid, thick chrome plating and a super smooth shaver. I would NOT recommend these as a first SE though, they work extremely well once you have a handle on SE shaving, but will probably leave a first timer with a terrible impression of SE shaving. In fact these are so dangerous that should you see them for sale, immediately send me the link or store address and I will, at great personal sacrifice remove them from the market.
Those two are the most commonly found Gems/Ever Readys in New Zealand. But by no means are all. Rarer here but common as muck in the US are the Micromatics. The Micromatic Open Comb being favoured by SE shavers that like an aggressive razor.
Another razor, and perhaps one of the most commonly found vintage razors in New Zealand is the Valet Auto Strop. A marvelous piece of engineering and minimalism. The mechanics of this razor are not hidden away, the cogs are laid bare and always give me the impression that the razor is missing a piece. Beware though! Valet razors while one of the most common vintage razors to be found in New Zealand are one of the hardest to acquire blades for and not all models will accept the same blades.
The Autostrop A model will accept a modified Gem SE blade
The Autostrop B model will accept a modified Gem SE blade
The Valet Autostrop VB1 and VC1 models will accept a modified Gem SE blade
The Valet Autostrop VB2 and VC2 models will ONLY accept the Feather SE (with cut outs) blade
The Valet Autostrop VC3 and VC4 models will ONLY accept the Feather SE (with cut outs) blade
The reason for the later models only accepting the Feathers (assuming of course you don't have vintage NOS Valet blades) is that unlike the earlier models which you slid the blade into a spine that held it in place, the later models had a flap that opens up with nibs in place to secure the blade once closed, the Feather SE blades with the cut outs are the only modern blades that can match up to the nibs.
Rolls Razor
The Rolls is a very early safety razor, that takes a honable, stroppable, reusable, wedge blade. They are typically found on trademe and in antique stores as a complete set, with case, hone, strop, stropping tool and handle. I have very limited experience with the Rolls, and since the information has no real New Zealand specific caveats or addendum I will hand this one over to the badgerandblade wiki that has a very comprehensive guide to the Rolls. The clear advantage of a Rolls over Valet/Gem/EverReady in New Zealand is of course the lack of need to replace the blades which the others require ordering online as they are simply not available (to my knowledge) in New Zealand.
The Razors
If you want to give shaving with an SE razor a shot, you're in luck! Sort of. Single edge razors often outnumber vintage DE razors in both online auction listings and antique stores in New Zealand. There are four basic brands most commonly found here:
Gem
Ever Ready
Valet
Rolls
Occasionally you might see Star or other brands, but these above four are basically what you are most likely to find. What you are unlikely to find however, are shave worthy blades for any of them. But more on that later. First let's break them down brand by brand.
Firstly the Gem and Ever Ready. Gem is a trademark/brand used by the American Safety Razor Co. along with Ever Ready. In fact they are interchangeable, a Gem is an Ever Ready is a Gem. The variety of razors available under the Gem and Ever Ready brands probably doesn't come close to Gillette, but there is still plenty to choose from. If you are buying from an antique store or on trademe, the most common model you are likely to come across is the Gem or Ever Ready 1912, so named for the patent date stamped on the base of the razor head where it screws onto the handle. The blade is held in place by means of a spring loaded door opened and closed by means of a tab on the razor head.
Next is the Gem Jewel or Ever Ready Streamline.
This is actually fairly rare on eBay, but often found once in a while on trademe, which given the smaller user base, indicates a greater concentration of them here. I have not seen one in an antique store yet. There are referred to as the Cadillac of SE razors. Hefty, solid, thick chrome plating and a super smooth shaver. I would NOT recommend these as a first SE though, they work extremely well once you have a handle on SE shaving, but will probably leave a first timer with a terrible impression of SE shaving. In fact these are so dangerous that should you see them for sale, immediately send me the link or store address and I will, at great personal sacrifice remove them from the market.
Those two are the most commonly found Gems/Ever Readys in New Zealand. But by no means are all. Rarer here but common as muck in the US are the Micromatics. The Micromatic Open Comb being favoured by SE shavers that like an aggressive razor.
Another razor, and perhaps one of the most commonly found vintage razors in New Zealand is the Valet Auto Strop. A marvelous piece of engineering and minimalism. The mechanics of this razor are not hidden away, the cogs are laid bare and always give me the impression that the razor is missing a piece. Beware though! Valet razors while one of the most common vintage razors to be found in New Zealand are one of the hardest to acquire blades for and not all models will accept the same blades.
The Autostrop A model will accept a modified Gem SE blade
The Autostrop B model will accept a modified Gem SE blade
The Valet Autostrop VB1 and VC1 models will accept a modified Gem SE blade
The Valet Autostrop VB2 and VC2 models will ONLY accept the Feather SE (with cut outs) blade
The Valet Autostrop VC3 and VC4 models will ONLY accept the Feather SE (with cut outs) blade
The reason for the later models only accepting the Feathers (assuming of course you don't have vintage NOS Valet blades) is that unlike the earlier models which you slid the blade into a spine that held it in place, the later models had a flap that opens up with nibs in place to secure the blade once closed, the Feather SE blades with the cut outs are the only modern blades that can match up to the nibs.
Rolls Razor
The Rolls is a very early safety razor, that takes a honable, stroppable, reusable, wedge blade. They are typically found on trademe and in antique stores as a complete set, with case, hone, strop, stropping tool and handle. I have very limited experience with the Rolls, and since the information has no real New Zealand specific caveats or addendum I will hand this one over to the badgerandblade wiki that has a very comprehensive guide to the Rolls. The clear advantage of a Rolls over Valet/Gem/EverReady in New Zealand is of course the lack of need to replace the blades which the others require ordering online as they are simply not available (to my knowledge) in New Zealand.
Friday 11 November 2011
Purchasing a Brand New DE Razor in New Zealand
Going with a new double edge razor.
Purchasing new is where it gets exciting, because, did you know... little ol' New Zealand actually has our very own brand of razor made right here! The Goodfella razor, made in Auckland, is a 3 piece (much like a Gillette Tech) open comb, chrome plated razor.
www.goodfella.com
Now, if money is no object, this is a great place to start. Not only do you get a very high quality razor, which also incidentally makes an excellent starter razor as it is a mild and forgiving shaver, but you also can buy ready to go starter kits including a soap/cream, brush, blades and razor. And give your support to a kiwi entrepreneur!
HOWEVER
It is a LOT of money to drop on a single razor in an endeavour that you may or may not stick with yet.
HOWEVER
They are incredibly, incredibly well built. Very precise threading when putting it all together. Come with a lifetime warranty.
Mancave has a great selection of Merkur, Muhle and other brands of new razors the pricing seems quite fair for the convenience of buying local and saving on shipping compared to ordering overseas. You may save yourself a dollar or two buying from overseas, but you won't get shipping nearly as fast, nor have the convenience of a local vendor should you have any issues that require a product to be returned.
Shavershop is the online version of a brick and mortar store in Auckland, located at 80 Pitt St, off Karangahape Road. They sell the Feather Popular razor and Weishi as well as a couple of Merkur models. Moderately high prices, but again local vendor, shipping costs etc ad nauseum.
Trademe often has new "Parker" branded razors among the listings under "Health and Beauty". These are usually fairly priced and although they can be found cheaper through overseas sources, the difference is fairly negligible once shipping costs are accounted for.
Local barbers/tobacconists/gift shops. I have often been into a few of these that have a cabinet with a small selection of wet shaving products. Sometimes seen here are Weishi, Derby, or Lord branded razors. "The Discount Tobacconist" in Lower Hutt for instance has a stand with some Derby razors, Astra Superior Platinum blades, Connoy shave soaps and a small range of brushes. Everything quite fairly priced for a low volume, and non specialty store. Anything more than $30 spent on a razor here, unless they have Merkur or Muhle, is paying too much.
If you really want to squeeze out an extra dollar or two, you can try Connaught Shaving, UK based, they have fair prices, a great range, and very low shipping rates.
Purchasing new is where it gets exciting, because, did you know... little ol' New Zealand actually has our very own brand of razor made right here! The Goodfella razor, made in Auckland, is a 3 piece (much like a Gillette Tech) open comb, chrome plated razor.
www.goodfella.com
Now, if money is no object, this is a great place to start. Not only do you get a very high quality razor, which also incidentally makes an excellent starter razor as it is a mild and forgiving shaver, but you also can buy ready to go starter kits including a soap/cream, brush, blades and razor. And give your support to a kiwi entrepreneur!
HOWEVER
It is a LOT of money to drop on a single razor in an endeavour that you may or may not stick with yet.
HOWEVER
They are incredibly, incredibly well built. Very precise threading when putting it all together. Come with a lifetime warranty.
Mancave has a great selection of Merkur, Muhle and other brands of new razors the pricing seems quite fair for the convenience of buying local and saving on shipping compared to ordering overseas. You may save yourself a dollar or two buying from overseas, but you won't get shipping nearly as fast, nor have the convenience of a local vendor should you have any issues that require a product to be returned.
Shavershop is the online version of a brick and mortar store in Auckland, located at 80 Pitt St, off Karangahape Road. They sell the Feather Popular razor and Weishi as well as a couple of Merkur models. Moderately high prices, but again local vendor, shipping costs etc ad nauseum.
Trademe often has new "Parker" branded razors among the listings under "Health and Beauty". These are usually fairly priced and although they can be found cheaper through overseas sources, the difference is fairly negligible once shipping costs are accounted for.
Local barbers/tobacconists/gift shops. I have often been into a few of these that have a cabinet with a small selection of wet shaving products. Sometimes seen here are Weishi, Derby, or Lord branded razors. "The Discount Tobacconist" in Lower Hutt for instance has a stand with some Derby razors, Astra Superior Platinum blades, Connoy shave soaps and a small range of brushes. Everything quite fairly priced for a low volume, and non specialty store. Anything more than $30 spent on a razor here, unless they have Merkur or Muhle, is paying too much.
If you really want to squeeze out an extra dollar or two, you can try Connaught Shaving, UK based, they have fair prices, a great range, and very low shipping rates.
Purchasing a Vintage DE Razor in New Zealand
Okay, you've gone and learned all about wet shaving techniques and equipment and now you're ready to look at purchasing your very first piece of hardware. The central tool in any shave kit; the razor!
Let's start with a DE (double edge) selection and purchase:
To select and purchase a DE razor in New Zealand you need to consider whether you want to go vintage or new. If you want to go vintage and not pay exorbitant international shipping fees on an eBay purchase, then if you really are a Kiwi, you know where to head. That link takes you to a search for "razor" the "Antiques and Collectibles" category on trademe. They are usually spread far and wide among the sub categories and there are usually only 50-80 results returned at any one time, so I never bother narrowing my search down from that.
As one can see, the pickings are slim, once you eliminate all the damn "razor sharp" "samurai" swords from the result. There appear to be only a small handful of vintage DE razors at any given time. One trader there, based in Waihi, asks for exorbitant prices that could honestly be beat even with shipping costs on eBay. But occasionally you can snag a real bargain. Expect a fair price of around $10 for a 3 piece "Tech" type Gillette, and $20ish for a Twist to Open like a Super Speed Gillette. Much more than those prices and you are better off heading to eBay.
Take note, just in case you cannot tell from the pictures, if you are looking for a double edge razor on trademe, you do NOT want a:
Gem
Ever Ready
Valet
Rolls
These are single edge razors (the Rolls takes a reusable wedge blade) and I have not seen the blades for these for sale in New Zealand. Some pharmacies do sell the correct shape blade for the Gem and Ever Ready but not the correct grade. Despite these blades being located in the shaving section of many pharmacies, they are tool grade blades, not made for shaving. If you see a pack of Gem single edge blades with the word "Scraper" on them, even if they are in the shaving section DO NOT USE, learn from my fail.
Local antique stores are another excellent resource. These can be hit and miss since a lot of owners either consider razors to be worthless and never acquire them for sale, or think that the rusty, grime encrusted, parts missing, "comes with original blade!" monstrosities on their shelves are worth $50 or more. Honestly unless it is a toggle Fat Boy or mint cased Aristocrat, check eBay to see if you couldn't save yourself a significant portion on the price buying from overseas. The rule of thumb I use is: If it is more than $10 for a Tech or similar and more than $20 for an adjustable or twist to open, it probably isn't worth it.
Let's start with a DE (double edge) selection and purchase:
To select and purchase a DE razor in New Zealand you need to consider whether you want to go vintage or new. If you want to go vintage and not pay exorbitant international shipping fees on an eBay purchase, then if you really are a Kiwi, you know where to head. That link takes you to a search for "razor" the "Antiques and Collectibles" category on trademe. They are usually spread far and wide among the sub categories and there are usually only 50-80 results returned at any one time, so I never bother narrowing my search down from that.
As one can see, the pickings are slim, once you eliminate all the damn "razor sharp" "samurai" swords from the result. There appear to be only a small handful of vintage DE razors at any given time. One trader there, based in Waihi, asks for exorbitant prices that could honestly be beat even with shipping costs on eBay. But occasionally you can snag a real bargain. Expect a fair price of around $10 for a 3 piece "Tech" type Gillette, and $20ish for a Twist to Open like a Super Speed Gillette. Much more than those prices and you are better off heading to eBay.
Take note, just in case you cannot tell from the pictures, if you are looking for a double edge razor on trademe, you do NOT want a:
Gem
Ever Ready
Valet
Rolls
These are single edge razors (the Rolls takes a reusable wedge blade) and I have not seen the blades for these for sale in New Zealand. Some pharmacies do sell the correct shape blade for the Gem and Ever Ready but not the correct grade. Despite these blades being located in the shaving section of many pharmacies, they are tool grade blades, not made for shaving. If you see a pack of Gem single edge blades with the word "Scraper" on them, even if they are in the shaving section DO NOT USE, learn from my fail.
Local antique stores are another excellent resource. These can be hit and miss since a lot of owners either consider razors to be worthless and never acquire them for sale, or think that the rusty, grime encrusted, parts missing, "comes with original blade!" monstrosities on their shelves are worth $50 or more. Honestly unless it is a toggle Fat Boy or mint cased Aristocrat, check eBay to see if you couldn't save yourself a significant portion on the price buying from overseas. The rule of thumb I use is: If it is more than $10 for a Tech or similar and more than $20 for an adjustable or twist to open, it probably isn't worth it.
Thursday 10 November 2011
Okay, I want to get started in traditional wet shaving!
Great! I recommend a pile of research before you rush out and acquire all the gear. Get a feel for what you want to try, be it jumping straight into straight razor shaving, trying out a double edge, or maybe kicking it old old school and trying a single edge. Anecdotally speaking the common experience seems to be that people try out a double edge first, maybe dabble a little with single edge razors like Gems, Ever Readys, Valets, or the "straight on a stick" Rolls.
Then there are brush considerations: boar, badger, synthetic? Are you going to face lather or use a bowl? Creams or soaps? Until you have a good picture of what a traditional wet shaving routine looks like these questions are going to be very hard to answer.
This solution is quite simple. Go here http://www.youtube.com/user/mantic59 and watch and learn. Fortunately this technique aspect of wet shaving is universal, there are no real NZ specific oddities I need to expand on here. Watch and learn, get a feel for what it is all about and consider your options. If you want you can also check out the mind bogglingly good Badger and Blade wiki page on getting started in traditional wet shaving.
Once you have done all that then come back here to find New Zealand specific information on wet shaving.
Then there are brush considerations: boar, badger, synthetic? Are you going to face lather or use a bowl? Creams or soaps? Until you have a good picture of what a traditional wet shaving routine looks like these questions are going to be very hard to answer.
This solution is quite simple. Go here http://www.youtube.com/user/mantic59 and watch and learn. Fortunately this technique aspect of wet shaving is universal, there are no real NZ specific oddities I need to expand on here. Watch and learn, get a feel for what it is all about and consider your options. If you want you can also check out the mind bogglingly good Badger and Blade wiki page on getting started in traditional wet shaving.
Once you have done all that then come back here to find New Zealand specific information on wet shaving.
Why NZ Shaving?
Traditional wet shaving, that is using a shaving soap or cream and a shaving brush to create a lather - most often in conjunction with a straight, single edge or double edge razor, continues to be appreciated by men the world over. For those of us who grew up in the "system" shaving era (multi-bladed cartridge razors and canned foam) it often comes as a surprise how a vastly superior shaving method, using high quality tools, offering luxury and comfort, was displaced by cheap injection moulded disposable junk, irritation, and turned a pleasurable experience into a dreaded chore.
The answer is surprisingly simple. Traditional wet shaving ain't all it's cracked up to be, at first. Of course once you have mastered the basics, researched online, ordered various products and had them shipped to your door, watched tutorial videos on how to create a lather, watched tutorial videos on how to angle the razor properly, sought advice from such great wet shaving communities as badgerandblade etc, etc... are you starting to see where this is going? Traditional wet shaving takes time and practice to master. System shaving doesn't, it's fool proof. And it works, it does the job; for some it does it well, for some it does it adequately, for some it does it poorly but they persist and go on with their lives. When system shaving was introduced, it found a niche with men who did not have the benefit of the internet, global trade, online reviews, tips and advice and who found the old style of shaving to be a tedious chore, that delivered at best tolerable results, because they had never learned to do it properly. System shaving offered a solution that they gratefully accepted.
Oh and marketing, lots of marketing. And money/patents/thatsortofthing
So, why a New Zealand specific blog on traditional wet shaving? Because the wealth of information available online has some gaps. Gaps pertaining to products, stores, vendor recommendations. Cleaning tips, for instance, are great but not when they tell you to use "Scrubbing Bubbles" a US product unavailable in NZ stores. Vendor recommendations can become irrelevant if the great price offered on a given product is outweighed by excessive shipping costs to New Zealand. I never could find a resource online that gave me some New Zealand specific information on wet shaving, and subsequently have spent a lot of time researching online, footing it around brick and mortar stores to see what is available to New Zealand wet shavers and have a very solid foundation on which to build a blog all about how to get started and continue wet shaving in New Zealand.
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