Multi Blade vs Single blade dispute with myself

Hysterocystemisy.
Hysterecostropy.
Hystrospescopy.

Something like that (see Mantic59's shaving videos on YouTube). The scientific name for the effect produced by multi-blade cartridges, where the first blade does not actually CUT the hair, but snags it, and pulls it up and out of the follicle a bit, and then the second (or fifth) blade cuts the hair, so that when it recedes it is below the skin surface and thus smooth. That is the idea anyways. The so called "lift and cut" is more, like mantic put it, yank and hack.

I could never get through a shave with my M3 without at least a dozen bleeding nicks/cuts. I think this was caused by the blade lifting a bunch of my SKIN up with that hair and hacking the tip of it off. As well as the hystostersosmy effect that killed me, I think the blades themselves in M3s and others are NOWHERE NEAR as sharp as the blades we are talking about (Swiss Gillettes, Derbys, and of course Feathers). Thus there was also BRUTAL snaging and skipping on the against the grain pass.

In addition, something I have never heard mentioned here before, HOW ABOUT CLEARING THOSE BLADES?!?!?! Are you KIDDING me? Did no one have to beat their razor under the stream of water, many times actually having to rub the blades with their finger, to actually get the hair/skin/cream to dislodge and come out from between the blades? I ALWAYS had that problem!

Sharper blade, and cleaner cut. No more yank and hack = more comfortable shave and less nicks. No more screwing around trying to clear the blade; it just rinses off. And no more donating my hard earned money to the Gillette charity.

Cartridge blades? Not bloody likely.

What a coincidence- I had a little extra time this morning, so I decided to use my Gillette adjustable + Derby on the right side, and dug out the Mach3 for the left side, for comparison. Long story short, I finished the poor left side job with the DE Gillette, and am sitting here with an incredibly painful ingrown hair on that side. First one in months.

So yeah, at least for me, technique can only get you as far as the tools will allow.

My experience was the same as Eric's. I used the 3 bladed cartridge razors for too long. Never had a problem with them.

I needed more cartridges this past August, September. I thought Badger and Blade was a place that was going to have the blades for less than my other merchant that I had been using.

Everyone here raved about the shave you get from the safety razor (DE). So close, so comfortable. There's a learning curve associated with it, but boy was it worth it. So, I watched the YouTube videos, and On Faith hoped on the bandwagon. I'd have given anything to have learned about shaving with a safety razor when I was 13 or 14. I really hate to think about all those wasted years. I now look forward to shaving, and when I'm in a funk, it's a bright spot of my day. Try saying that about a shave with a CR.

I find that shaving with Feathers are like a knife slicing through butter. It's so soft. The other is like a cheese grater on your face. (No offense to other members.) That's what I don't like about the CR's. And the Price! $14. for 4. $21 for 8 (M3 Power)

Generating your own lather is a whole new experience. Combine that the feel of a Silvertip across your face, instead of using your hand, and I'd rather fight than go back.

Ginns said:

Hysterocystemisy.
Hysterecostropy.
Hystrospescopy.

Something like that (see Mantic59's shaving videos on YouTube). The scientific name for the effect produced by multi-blade cartridges, where the first blade does not actually CUT the hair, but snags it, and pulls it up and out of the follicle a bit, and then the second (or fifth) blade cuts the hair, so that when it recedes it is below the skin surface and thus smooth. That is the idea anyways. The so called "lift and cut" is more, like mantic put it, yank and hack.

Click to expand...

hysteresis

--Mark

I woke up late this morning and saw the Shick FX, loaded with a twin blade Diamond cartridge, that I found while cleaning this weekend. So I grabbed it,Lathered some AOS lemmon cream right on my face with my AOS pure badger brush and ran the Diamond around my face. I only took about 30 seconds to just enjoy the lather before shaving, but it was very comfortable and smooth. My FX Diamond shaves are easily as good if not better than DE shaves.

So why use a DE?

Well first, I can't find the Diamond cartridges any more. Second, even when I could they were pricey. Third, anything with more than two blades is just plain trouble for me. I can't trim my side burns or shave under my nose worth a darn with them. I find the multi-blades and most of their handles to be cheap and flimsy but priced like they are hand made by Swiss watchmakers. I also get lousy shaves with 3 blade devices, lots of burn. Finally, (actually reasons, 4, 5, 6...) COST, COST & COST! and the constantly changing supply/market.

Because the cost of cartridges are so high, I used to use them long after they should have been tossed, which lead to all sorts of shaving problems. I think over using a blade, especially cartridges, is one of the biggest reasons for ingrown hairs and irritation, due to bacteria that grows in the microscopic nicks in the edge of the blades. As you shave with the worn blade that doesn't cut like it should you push a little harder and scrape the skin.

I like to think of myself as frugal, sometimes I call myself a cheapskate. Not because I only get the cheapest things but try to get what gives me the most bang for the buck. So with DE blades I can use a new blade every day or every other day and still spend a lot less than I did on cartridges. I get great comfortable shaves and have fun talking about it here.

Having said all that I would still have a supply of FX Diamonds, if I could get them without having to take out a loan. I would use them on those days when I really need to fly but still want a decent shave.

OldSaw said:

Because the cost of cartridges are so high, I used to use them long after they should have been tossed, which lead to all sorts of shaving problems. I think over using a blade, especially cartridges, is one of the biggest reasons for ingrown hairs and irritation, due to bacteria that grows in the microscopic nicks in the edge of the blades. As you shave with the worn blade that doesn't cut like it should you push a little harder and scrape the skin.

I like to think of myself as frugal, sometimes I call myself a cheapskate. Not because I only get the cheapest things but try to get what gives me the most bang for the buck. So with DE blades I can use a new blade every day or every other day and still spend a lot less than I did on cartridges. I get great comfortable shaves and have fun talking about it here.

Click to expand...

you make a great points there. I am mostly the same, with a bit of extra problems on the neck area, and just a general unhappy experience.

Switched to D/E. Neck has never felt/looked better. Never looked back.

All the guys here say so good things
And yeah
as Ginns said
Cleaning the Mach-3 is such a MESS !!!
I usually just throw it to the garbage can after a one time shave or something, because it get so many dirt and hair that I just can't use it any more with a nice reliable blade
(Just think how much will it cost you to actually have a nice like new shave every time )
So
DE is a PERFECT proudect so far for me, and yeah I love the fact that it is only getting better every time I learn new stuff about it

Ginns said:

I could never get through a shave with my M3 without at least a dozen bleeding nicks/cuts. I think this was caused by the blade lifting a bunch of my SKIN up with that hair and hacking the tip of it off. As well as the hystostersosmy effect that killed me, I think the blades themselves in M3s and others are NOWHERE NEAR as sharp as the blades we are talking about (Swiss Gillettes, Derbys, and of course Feathers). Thus there was also BRUTAL snaging and skipping on the against the grain pass.

Click to expand...

This makes sense, increase how much hair you grab and more skin will be raised.

Ginns said:

In addition, something I have never heard mentioned here before, HOW ABOUT CLEARING THOSE BLADES?!?!?! Are you KIDDING me? Did no one have to beat their razor under the stream of water, many times actually having to rub the blades with their finger, to actually get the hair/skin/cream to dislodge and come out from between the blades? I ALWAYS had that problem!

Click to expand...

I know I've mentioned the clogged blades a few times. When I switched to making my own lather from shaving soap the clogged blade problem went away. I already had a huge improvement just by having exposed blades with each pass. When I was in the Navy, I remember watching other guys smack their razors against the sink. I suggested ditching the spray cream to a few. Then one day I walked into the head and saw what I thought was a guy using a straight razor. Intrigued, I said, "Dude, what the heck are you shaving with?" He waved that blade in my face and said, "I'll shave my way, you shave yours." Turns out it was actually depilatory cream he was applying with a butter knife and he was somewhat embarrassed by my comment. I've never really brought up shaving much after that.

I think that a few months ago I would have agreed with you. I began DE shaving last summer. I bought a Merkur DE, some good creams, and several good aftershaves. I also got a very good brush. i began shaving with my DE but the shaves were inconsistent. They were close shaves, but there were often many nicks and (what I call) pinhole cuts. It was actually a bit disapointing.

i often wondered what you are wondering now. Is it the DE? Or is it the prep time, the technique, and the attention to detail that is giving people all these great shaves that they never had before?

I am still not entirely sure myself.

Similarly, I wodered if the DE itself was what was making people's shaves so good as they really got into this whole thing. I conjectured that they might be able to toss their DE aside, and go back to using a Mach3. But they would keep all thier newly learned techniques, their creams, their oils, etc, etc. Checking out this theory would require a test that I think few here would ever care or want to try.

All I can say is that I am getting the best shaves I have ever had with 3 or 4 passes using a DE razor. Is it the DE doing this? I used to wonder, but DEs are so cool and I am so emersed in this thing that I simply don't care.

I just can't tell you what a joy it is to know that tomorrow I will wake up, and shave my face, and there will be no blood drawn whatsoever. My skin will feel great and it will be a pleasureable experience! This was not always the case, back in the days where I just happened to be using a Mach3 or a Fusion. By the way, I also resented having to pay so muh for those cartrides! I'd rather spend the money saved on creams and brushes.

For me it all began with the brush. As a kid I watched my Dad lather up with his brush and mug of soap, and when he was done he would splash us both with "sweet smellum" (skin bracer.) When I began shaving I recieved a Crabtree & Evelyn brush, some sandelwood soap, and some bayrum. I never believed that a can of foam was superior to a brushed on lather.
I was a little older and working at a summer camp called Philmont in New Mexico when on a shopping trip to the local Wally Market I bemoaned the lack of descent shave soap. One of the younger fellows asked what I was talking about, and when I explained my lather process he said "let me introduce you to a modern shaving system" and thought he was doing me a favor. I smiled and declined.
I've used the single blade desposibles for a long time with fair resuls every where but my neck. I was contimplating a way to make my own aftershave when I found this site, and now I have a community of men and a few women that feel as I do about shaving. It's silly to some and devine to those who know. I learned new techniques and discovered new products. Plus the tools look and feel really cool! I still use that brush, it's about 18.

OldSaw said:

This makes sense, increase how much hair you grab and more skin will be raised.



I know I've mentioned the clogged blades a few times. When I switched to making my own lather from shaving soap the clogged blade problem went away. I already had a huge improvement just by having exposed blades with each pass. When I was in the Navy, I remember watching other guys smack their razors against the sink. I suggested ditching the spray cream to a few. Then one day I walked into the head and saw what I thought was a guy using a straight razor. Intrigued, I said, "Dude, what the heck are you shaving with?" He waved that blade in my face and said, "I'll shave my way, you shave yours." Turns out it was actually depilatory cream he was applying with a butter knife and he was somewhat embarrassed by my comment. I've never really brought up shaving much after that.

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The stroy about the guy remvoing hair with a wax was really cool!
(Well I guess it is better using Mach-3 then remvoing hair this way)

ead said:

The stroy about the guy remvoing hair with a wax was really cool!
(Well I guess it is better using Mach-3 then remvoing hair this way)

Click to expand...

It is not really cool.

It is a product caled Magic Shave that some men use when the cartridges cause ingrown hairs and razor bumps.

I used it for a while. It is a depilatory and burns the hair off your face. Leaves your face BBS but with an un-natural feeling. Seems to dehydate the face. Also stinks up the bathroom