Shave Tips

Shave Tips for Parker Safety Razor and Taconic Shave Products

Let the weight of the razor do the work - never press the razor against your skin with force.
If you are new to using a double edge safety razor, hold your razor so that its head is perpendicular to your face while shaving. As you perfect your technique you can angle the razor more to make it more aggressive. The ideal angle to hold the blade to your skin is 30 degrees.
Most razor blades have a protective coating to help lubricate and protect them, so do not wipe the blade dry. Instead, rinse your razor and blade and then gently shake off the excess water. Store away from water when possible.
Every few months or so, give your razor a thorough cleaning to remove buildup. Simply disassemble your razor and clean all parts with dish soap, and if needed, scrub with a toothbrush to get into small areas. Rinse and pat dry with a cloth.
To change the razor blade, for Parker's butterfly open models, simply twist open at the base of the handle until the doors open. Holding the blade carefully at the ends, drop into the slot and twist closed to tighten.
For Parker's three piece models:

Simply hold the head of the razor and unscrew the entire head from the handle.
Separate the top cap from the base. Insert blade onto the top cap and select your base plate.
Insert the base plate over the screw of the cap. Make sure that the larger indented middle circle is on the handle side and that the edges with ridges are facing upward when closed. (otherwise, your razor won't work correctly)
Screw the head back onto the handle and enjoy a great shave.

Another advantage of using a double edge razor is that the blades are recyclable. Store the used blades in a blade bank or small metal container. Once filled up, look into your town's procedures for recycling scrap metals.

After each use, rinse your brush in warm water and shake dry. Never wring-out your brush.
Always hang your brush in its stand, bristles facing downward. This ensures proper drying of the brush.
When lathering with your brush, don't press the brush too firmly against your face. This will protect the brush knot from becoming damaged.
Over time your brush will "break in" - it will become softer and will bloom too!
Some people like to use a gentle conditioning shampoo on their brush every few months. This helps to remove soap residues and condition the bristles. Gently shampooing the brush before the first use is also suggested.
It is not unusual for your brush to shed a few bristles during its first few uses. This should stop after the first week or so.

Taconic's shave cream is very concentrated - just use a small bit to create a fabulous lather.
While this shave cream can be applied brushless, we recommend you use a shaving brush to produce a richer, more luxurious lather. Add very small amounts of water as needed to build your lather. If it's bubbly, you've added too much water. Swirl in the cream a bit more. If it's too thick, add a few drops of water and swirl again.
Taconic Shave's shave creams are made with many natural ingredients, such as real honey. For this reason, the color and thickness of the shave cream may vary in appearance from one batch to the next.
Your shave cream may thicken in the container over time - especially if you forget to put the lid on. If this happens, just add a little water and stir until the desired consistency is reached.

Taconic Shave's pre-shave oil is very concentrated. As a result, it is best applied with wet hands.
We recommend that you take the time to really massage the pre-shave oil into your beard before applying your shaving soap or cream. This helps to condition and prepare your face for shaving.
Taconic Shave's pre-shave oil contains all natural ingredients and is hand crafted in small batches. For this reason, the color of the product may vary slightly between batches.

Taconic Shave's shaving soaps are best used with a high quality brush and a shave mug. We recommend any of the Parker brushes and Parker's stoneware apothecary mug.
Prepare your shave soap by soaking briefly in hot water. This will soften it for an improved lather.
Start with a pre-soaked shave brush and gently shake dry. When lathering your brush, use hot water. This will produce a soothing, warm lather.
Swirl your wet brush gently against the soap puck until the lather reaches your desired consistency. Some people prefer to swirl a bit longer until the soap reaches a thicker consistency.
Because the Taconic Shave shaving soaps are made in small batches with many natural ingredients, the color of the soap may vary between batches.

Taconic Shave's shampoo bar is very concentrated. To use, simply wet the bar and your hair and rub the bar on hair a few times and lather away!
To extend the life of your shampoo bar, cut it in half and use one half at a time.
Due to the high content of moisturizers in the shampoo bars they may become soggy if they are left to sit in the shower. We recommend you allow it to dry between uses. Please don't let it sit in a water filled soap dish.

Parker's Stoneware Apothecary Mug is best used with a quality shaving soap and brush. The Taconic Shave shaving soaps and Parker Safety Razor brushes are great choices.
When building a lather, gently swirl your brush against the soap. For a richer thicker, more luxurious lather, swirl for longer.
The mug can accommodate soaps up to 3 inches round. If you should purchase a large soap, you can simply cut it to size, but 3-inch round seems to be the standard "large" size for most shave soaps.