Talk me off the ledge

bkasbohm · Oct 7, 2014

Hi guys,

I've been DE shaving for about 2-3 months now. I've gotten to the point where I get little or no nicks / cuts when I shave, but there are certain areas of my face / neck that no matter how many times I relather and pass, don't get a close shave.

I used an old cartridge this morning (Schick hydro 5) and in two passes got an amazingly smooth shave with zero cuts or irritation.

I've tried using Astra and Feather blades and get the same results with each. I've tried a few different soaps and while I can tell the difference in comfort and slickness during & after the shave, regardless of the soap I use I get the same closeness of shave. I'm still getting ingrown hairs with my DE razor and razor bumps as well.

So I'm thinking of going back to the cartridge. Thoughts? One of my reasons for switching to a DE razor is about saving money, so I really don't want to spend $100s on equipment. If that's the case, I'm better off going back to the cartridge. I will not go back to the canned shave foam. I've been using proraso green, and it's so far superior to canned soap, that no amount of cost savings would be worth it.

Thanks!

BenO · Oct 7, 2014

If it works better for you than do it.
If cost is an issue try using a cart that is not so expensive as they Hydro 5 but still might offer you the close shave.
If you are getting bumps and ingrown hairs while using DE than it's likely something can be tweaked somewhere (technique most likely) but if you get a great shave from a cart, why not use a cart?

the_edski · Oct 7, 2014

DE is not the be-all and end-all of shaving. If you can't get the hang of it, or your face won't tolerate it, then don't do it. You have already won half the battle by not wanting to go back to canned goo. I know many guys who have great shaves with a fine soap/cream, brush and a Mach 3. It's not rocket surgery, it's shaving. Do what works for you. Good luck!

August West · Oct 7, 2014

Welcome to B&B.

It is your shave and you should enjoy it your way.

Happy Shaves!

Ulricus · Oct 7, 2014

+1 to the advice you've received already. This forum may make it seem sometimes that DEs, SEs and straights are an essential part of wet shaving, but they really aren't. If after three months you're still not happy with your results, it might be time for a change. Maybe come back to a DE in a few months and see if anything's changed. Or make the plunge to straights.

SpikedLemon · Oct 7, 2014

Do what feels right.

Keep with the soap (rather than foam) and return to the DE after a while to see if setting it down for a while and using what you know works.

While I was fortunate with a DE razor that I got good shaves very quickly: I cannot say the same when I picked up a shavette. The shavette took me an inordinate amount of time to learn to get a good shave.

Dave in the basement · Oct 7, 2014

Burn the heretic! :laugh:

As the other gents said, go with whatever works for you. I use a cartridge more often than not, but I still really enjoy the quality soaps and creams regardless of the hardware I select.

jlopez77 · Oct 7, 2014

It's taken me about 5 months to get great shaves, so 2 - 3 months is not that long in my opinion. Try bowl lathering if you don't already and really work it up with a lot of product and enough water.

celestino · Oct 7, 2014

the_edski said:
DE is not the be-all and end-all of shaving. If you can't get the hang of it, or your face won't tolerate it, then don't do it. You have already won half the battle by not wanting to go back to canned goo. I know many guys who have great shaves with a fine soap/cream, brush and a Mach 3. It's not rocket surgery, it's shaving. Do what works for you. Good luck!

+1 Welcome tot the forum!

bkasbohm · Oct 7, 2014

jlopez77 said:
It's taken me about 5 months to get great shaves, so 2 - 3 months is not that long in my opinion. Try bowl lathering if you don't already and really work it up with a lot of product and enough water.

Thanks guys. I'm not going to jump. I always shave in the shower, whether with a DE or cartridge, so if anything I feel like the lather is too wet / runny, but I'll keep experimenting.

Cheers!

BSAGuy · Oct 7, 2014

+1 for this.

the_edski said:
DE is not the be-all and end-all of shaving. If you can't get the hang of it, or your face won't tolerate it, then don't do it. You have already won half the battle by not wanting to go back to canned goo. I know many guys who have great shaves with a fine soap/cream, brush and a Mach 3. It's not rocket surgery, it's shaving. Do what works for you. Good luck!

ackvil · Oct 7, 2014

First, welcome to B&B.

DE shaving is differs from using a cartridge in that it is up to you to maintain the correct angle and follow the no pressure rule. Once you master both of these areas, you will get good, close, comfortable shaves. However, there is no harm in using a cartridge razor if that suits your style better.

alex2363 · Oct 7, 2014

bkasbohm said:
Hi guys,

I've been DE shaving for about 2-3 months now. I've gotten to the point where I get little or no nicks / cuts when I shave, but there are certain areas of my face / neck that no matter how many times I relather and pass, don't get a close shave.

I used an old cartridge this morning (Schick hydro 5) and in two passes got an amazingly smooth shave with zero cuts or irritation.

I've tried using Astra and Feather blades and get the same results with each. I've tried a few different soaps and while I can tell the difference in comfort and slickness during & after the shave, regardless of the soap I use I get the same closeness of shave. I'm still getting ingrown hairs with my DE razor and razor bumps as well.

So I'm thinking of going back to the cartridge. Thoughts? One of my reasons for switching to a DE razor is about saving money, so I really don't want to spend $100s on equipment. If that's the case, I'm better off going back to the cartridge. I will not go back to the canned shave foam. I've been using proraso green, and it's so far superior to canned soap, that no amount of cost savings would be worth it.

Thanks!

What DE razor are you using? This can make a difference is shave results too. Remember , its a combination of factors that effects the shave.

geoffvsjeff · Oct 7, 2014

As everyone has said, if carts are working better than DE, then use them. I certainly think cartridge razors have their advantages of DE's or straights. You earned your "gave it an honest try" merit badge by giving it a go for 2-3 months.

As for cost savings with cartridge razors, why not try one of the subscription services (like Dollar Shave Club) or one of the other non-Gillette/non-Schick cartridge systems? There seems to be a lot of choices outside the $4/cart Gillette offerings these days, which is fantastic.

Good luck!

bkasbohm · Oct 7, 2014

I've been using a feather popular.

alex2363 · Oct 7, 2014

bkasbohm said:
I've been using a feather popular.

That is a good choice, but maybe you may need another razor model. I would suggest an adjustable razor. They have many shave levels that you can experiment with. It may be better than the one dimensional Feather razor.

ahntu · Oct 7, 2014

bkasbohm said:
I've been using a feather popular.

Aha we've found the problem. The feather popular is very mild. It's only really good for a quick shave because you can just throw it against your face and it won't hurt you. For a great shave you need something more aggressive.

Don't give up on DE's. Try something more aggressive 2.5/3+ on this aggressiveness scale http://wiki.badgerandblade.com/Modern_Double-Edged_Safety_Razors_Ranked_by_Aggressiveness. You will find you get much better shave with a DE.

PMT · Oct 7, 2014

the_edski said:
DE is not the be-all and end-all of shaving. If you can't get the hang of it, or your face won't tolerate it, then don't do it. You have already won half the battle by not wanting to go back to canned goo. I know many guys who have great shaves with a fine soap/cream, brush and a Mach 3. It's not rocket surgery, it's shaving. Do what works for you. Good luck!

Yep

Eeyore · Oct 7, 2014

If cartridges work better for you, then use cartridges. The razor and blade are just tools. The magic is in the lather.

YMMV, of course.

ThePatrician · Oct 8, 2014

I won't repeat what Edski said, since a few other gents have already done so. Cruising the forums, or 'rums as no-one calls them because that's a ridiculous nickname, it may seem as though if you wet-shave you MUST use a str8, DE, or SE, but that is not true. At the end of the day, as long as you are using water you are wet-shaving. You have learned much, young paddy-won, which you will carry with you into the hinterlands. If a cart works better for you than a safety razor, then I wish you the best of luck with it. There are certainly benefits of using a cart, such as the blades being encased in plastic to constantly hold them at the correct angle. After all, the ultimate motto 'round these parts is YMMV.

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Talk me off the ledge

bkasbohm

BenO

the_edski

August West

Ulricus

SpikedLemon

Dave in the basement

jlopez77

celestino

bkasbohm

BSAGuy

ackvil

alex2363

geoffvsjeff

bkasbohm

alex2363

ahntu

PMT

Eeyore

ThePatrician

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