Who is Alpha Shaving?

This week we welcome Alpha Shaving Works to the wet shaving brands at Agent Shave, with a selected range of synthetic shaving brushes. Agents have gone undercover to find out who is behind Alpha Shaving and what can we expect from this highly respected wet shave brand?

We want to get to know you - tell us a little bit about yourself, family, hobbies, where you live in the world?

My non-shave name is Steve Tinter and I live here with my family in Hong Kong. Myself, my wife and 2 boys. Originally from Newcastle Upon Tyne, I moved to Hong Kong to live in 2003 for 3 months. I am still here. Hobbies - eating... haha. I also enjoy design, electronics, retro styling and all facets of technology. I am an electronics and communications engineer by training. 

What do you eat for breakfast?!!! 

Right now - a handful of nuts, some fruit and a piece of toast washed down with a glass of milk although, if I had a totally free choice, it would be a full English every day! 

Wet shaving lifestyle

I exclusively wet shave with a traditional safety razor. I use a mix of razors - straights, Kamisori both traditional and modern, shavettes, single and double edged safety razor and injectors. I have a modest collection of about 20 straights and uncountable DE and SE - both modern and vintage.

Where is the strangest place you have ever wet shaved? 

Wet shaving outside in my sisters gazebo in Queensland. Watched over by two very puzzled bull terriers and with the neighbours peaking through the fence looking rather anxiously at my straight razor. 

History of Alpha Shaving

When did you start making shaving brushes & why? 

To finance my growing safety razor and shaving brush acquisition disorders! Alpha Shaving started life making the T-400 Rubberset 400 Tribute Shaving Brush in early 2017. Born out of a desire to own a Rubberset 400 vintage brush myself, I did a redesign and added a truly removable ferrule and a loft setting disc. Originally there was only going to be 10 shaving brushes made and sold in order to finance my own vintage Rubberset 400 shaving brush purchase... and here we are in 2022 still going strong.

I have to say that after 5 years I am NOT reformed and now also have a shaving soap acquisition disorder.  

What is the story behind the name Alpha Shaving Works? 

Well, as an engineer, I was familiar with the Greek alphabet from all the mathematics. I wanted to make a name that was easy to remember, would get me to the top of any search list and had not been used before. AAA was a bit too obvious... 

Alpha Shaving Brush 

What is your favourite shaving brush and why? 

As you can imagine I have a large choice! All of my own shaving brushes and a fair number of shaving brushes and knots, at all levels, from other vendors. Right now my favourite shaving brush is a Grizzly Bay with a G5D fan knot, 28mm. Before that my fave was an Alpha Bulldog with a G4 knot at 28mm. Both excellent shaving brushes. I do feel that you also cannot beat a good broken in boar knot and I have a few of those!! 

Talk to us about the shift in attitude away from badger towards synthetic shaving brushes – how this has perhaps changed your business? 

Even over the short life of Alpha Shaving the shaving brush trend has been away from badger knots. I do understand why. In the past synthetics were frowned upon by wet shaving aficionados but that has flipped now. G4 and G5 synthetics are right up there in terms of performance with badger knots. G4 is nice but still obviously a synth, G5C and G5D - these are right up there with badger knots in terms of looks and performance without the hassle of needing to dry them and so on. Low maintenance. I would say my shaving brush business is about 95% synthetic now. 

What is your secret to achieving the perfect lather with your shaving brushes? 

Load the shaving brush heavily and hydrate slowly, adding drop by drop. For a shaving bowl lather I just add drop by drop and for face lathering I use a spray bottle. Traditional wet shaving needs a little patience and it is kind of a Zen moment to build the lather and shave carefully. A decent wet shave CAN be had in 10-15 minutes. For a weekend, luxury wet shave, set 30 minutes aside and enjoy it! 

Coming soon from Alpha Shaving? 

In no particular order, coming soon... a new safety razor called 'Bandit' -  it has closed and open comb variants. It will be mid-aggressive but not scary. I have the prototypes out on pass-around right now and hope to get to production early in the new year. it will be stainless steel. I have a shaving brush collaboration with a well known shaving soap vendor coming in the next two months. I have a new shaving brush called "Raider" out soon and I also have a second shaving soap under test right now!!

Agents would like to thank Steve for taking the time to go undercover with us in our blog.