The $5 PVC Shaving Stand

Corral your shaving paraphernalia and keep your brush and razor dry with this manliest--and cheapest--of shaving stands.

Step 1: Introduction and Justification

I had recently begun shaving with a double-edged safety razor and brush, and felt the need to corral my rapidly expanding pile of shaving junk as well as providing my razor and brush a safe place to dry. "Real" shaving stands cost from about $10 to upwards of $100, but I felt I could do better--and enjoy the fun of a project as well. And what better material to use for a manly shaving set than that most manly of materials, PVC pipe? (in truth, PVC is non-gendered, of course; it was just funny in this context).

Comments

[SecretGuideToShaving]

I made one of these. Great piece...I've got a shaving instructable up at : http://www.instructables.com/id/So-you-want-an-old-fashioned-double-edged-safety-r/ tell me what you think!

[old_code]

Great Instructable; definitely a "keeper" in Favorites. Thanks.

[sugg22]

woohoo! someone else who uses Propraso products! BTW, there cream is real good. but right now i'm using some cream i got as a gift. its still good, though.

[Hoopajoo]

Yep. Been wet shaving for over 20 years! It sure beats the crap out of electric shavers (don't care how close they claim to get either). I genuinely love this idea! I need to make this. Of course, I'll have to post my instructable on how to make you own shaving soap. I make mine out of a corn based oil. Closest shave you'll ever get without bleeding!

[ktulu1115]

i'd love to see a instructable on making your own shaving soap. the good stuff is great, but it's expensive. plus i'd love to tinker with my own recipe.

[vputz]

Actually, do some searching--I haven't seen much on making your own shaving soap, but I have seen some on tinkering with premade soaps, particularly glycerin-based soaps like Col Conk's; if you put those in the microwave they melt pretty well, which makes them great for modding (I've heard that a bit of bentonite clay added can increase the "slip" of a soap that doesn't have it, and you could add scents, etc).

[ktulu1115]

interesting.... i'll have to take a look at this in more detail when i get some free time. it certainly sounds fun and unique project. certainly would help to have an instructable to start from though! ;)

[masterochicken]

My parents won't let me use a real razor. It sucks because I practically have to shave twice a day.

[ktulu1115]

that's funny cause i first saw this i wondered what kind of razor you had - ie: would it work with my stuff? i laughed when i saw the picture - i use almost exactly the same stuff: a merkur razor, vulfix brush, and taylor of old bond shaving cream.... well i used to use that cream but switched to a great one by "nancy boy" recently. oh and i highly recommend geo f. trumper coral "skin food" aftershave (non alcohol-based of course). everything these guys are saying is right, wet shaving is the way to go both economically and performance-wise. great instructable btw. :)

[vputz]

Even funnier--since then I have switched from Taylor's to Nancy Boy, which is BAR NONE the best shave cream I have run across. But in the interim I have moved to Oxford, England and it's back to Taylor's, especially since I have now actually walked down Old Bond Street! Although honestly the fun of it aside, I miss the Nancy Boy cream; it's a fantastic product (both the original scent and the cucumber). Haven't tried the skin food yet--gotta give it a go next time I'm around London, if I can find it.

[ktulu1115]

haha that is funny. yes, I must agree.... nancy boy is the best out of the ones i've used at least, although i'm not sure if i prefer the original or cucumber myself. hate how i seem to go through it so quickly though! lol i can certainly imagine old bond being a lot easier to acquire out there in there in Oxford!! i definitely recommend the skin food, it's been my favorite so far... always have to order my stuff online b/c i can't find anywhere here in NJ (nearby or anywhere period!) that carries these products... so i'm sure you could order skin food via the web if you're willing to pay for s/h.

[crapflinger]

you want really manly...switch the pvc for pure lead pipe...nothing like shaving with utensiles that have been stored in lead! good instructable!

[Darkman]

Wow, I didn't mean to turn this instructables into an advertisement but I have to say that you guys just inspired me like a catchy infomercial. Once again though, nice project.

[vputz]

>> ho did I mention it's not tested on animals!!! Wha--you just said you tested it on a badger! Juuust kidding. Sounds good about the Dove, though I'm stickin' with the good creams for a while at least...

[xsmurf]

On using a badger. It changed my life!! I still use a 64-baldes cartridge razor, but I totally dropped the shaving cream/foam in favour of a good badger and..... soap! Just get a good bar of Dove (the unscented, no chemicals type), wet the badger just a little and rub it on the soap to make a nice heavy foam. It's über cheap and undoubtedly much better for your skin than the 2" long list of chemicals Gillette type shaving foam contains... and ho did I mention it's not tested on animals!!!

[xsmurf]

Eeeek, instructables doesn't seem to like UTF chars.... that was "uber". Not uber leet if you ask me ;)

[vputz]

Additional comment on the above for economics: Changing blades/cartridges and using the good brush, the Merkur razor, and $0.50/blade refills, you've come out ahead of the Mach 3 Turbo and its $2.50/blade refills at about 39 weeks and thenceforth save about $104/year by using the DE razor--and get a better shave in the bargain. DE wetshaving is the Linux of shaving (as compared to the cartridge razor's Windows)--takes a bit of learning, but afterward it's not only easier but can be more effective. And darn cheaper to boot.

[vputz]

In case folks have any other questions: that's a Vulfix Super Badger number hmm... 2234, I think (maybe 2235?), a bottle of ProRaso aftershave (available at your local Target in the "spa aisle" along with their VERY COOLING shaving cream), a tub of Taylor's of Old Bond Street shaving cream (rose-scented, very nice) and a small bottle of Jojoba oil (as an alternate aftershave). Hey, don't laugh--it beats my old kit of a Mach 3 Power and expensive cartridge refills HANDS DOWN.

[CrackMonkey]

From the looks of it, it's a Merkur "Hefty" (or "HD" for "Heavy Duty") double-edged razor. It's a fantastic way to shave, and the blades are less than 50 cents each.

http://zork.net/motd/nick/shave/

[vputz]

Why, that's the Merkur HD "Hefty Classic", a fine modern double-edged (DE) safety razor. Highly recommended as a good beginner's razor when learning the basics of wet shaving with a DE razor. Better (and cheaper in the long run) shave than your average 32-blade cartridge razor.

The HD looks more normal outside the PVC tube, obviously: http://www.classicshaving.com/catalog/item/522941/284057.htm

[Darkman]

Nice creation but dude, what kind of razor is that?