Cut-throats, Double-edges, Disposables and the inverted elitist

Hi and congratulations on such a superb site.

I registered last week after reading the forum with interest and feel the time is right to ‘nail my colours to the mast’ and ‘put my head above the parapet’ so to speak.

I’ve been using Mach 3 razors since they came out and before those, the Gillette Sensor. I tried an electric razor years ago but found the collection of stubble it keeps disgusting and having seen a close up of two hairs- one cut by an electric and one with a normal razor, I switched to wet shaving. That was about 15-20 years ago.

Recently I bought a Gillette Fusion (powered version) and was pretty impressed at the quality of shave I got… the first time. After that it has been a let down and outlined below why I think this is:

The little strip that lifts the hairs does this too well, it's wider than previous razors I have used and I feel this razor cuts the hairs not just below the skin but too far below the skin, leading to the obvious problem with ingrowing hairs, etc. Also small hairs get stuck in the grooves and won't wash out. This is not good.

The other strip that 'lubricates the skin' wears out very quickly and as this is supposed to tell you when to change the cartridge. I feel this is made deliberately weak to encourage faster purchase of new cartridges. Also, why doesn’t it last the life of the blade? I have found that with the blade still in good condition the lubricating strip is worn out.

The cost of replacement cartridges is too high.

I have used this for a week or so and am now changing to a slightly different method of shaving…

Gillette’s marketing has, so far, been good. In fact, excellent but I feel Gillette has over-cooked it and produced and marketed a razor that will have a lot of people thinking: ‘Hang on, the last one was the best, now with extra this and extra that, you're taking it too far. I’m re-assessing what I shave with’.

This has happened to me.

I’ve thought about Double-edged shaving, Cut-throat shaving and finally settled on something else…

Each has their advantages and disadvantages. I travel, so a Cut-throat just isn’t practical but I’m seriously considering a ‘Shavette’ that uses disposable DE blades.

I can see the attraction of using a DE razor for aficionados but just can’t see it being as practical as I want. Besides, It’s a ‘safety razor’, so strictly speaking, as it evolved from the Cut-throat, you must lose something in the transition: Safer, yes, better? No. Also the idea of replacing and disposing of blades does not appeal. So if you are a purist there is only one way to go: The Straight razor you buy, hone and sharpen yourself.

Anyway, back to my dilemma. I’m using a good quality shaving oil and a canned gel on top, lots of hot water before and a post shave gel afterwards. This works for me. I can see why Badger brushes and good soap or cream work and why folks like to use them as part of the whole experience. I also believe that quality counts here. I do doubt though, at times, just how much difference they could make, but that’s down to the individual I suppose and the ‘shaving experience’.

Today I’m going back to basics, when I next shave, I’ll be concentrating on the technique and method to get a really good shave. Modern razors like the Fusion do things too well, a bit like a PC and word processor take the skill out of writing compared to a pen and paper, where one really has to think before one touches the other. Writers from days gone by never wasted words as I probably have here.

Today, for the first time in at least a decade I’ll be thinking more than usual about the shave oil, the angle, the temperature and the post shave treatment, etc.

I'll have to...

The razor? A thirty pence / fifty cent disposable.

I’ll let you know how I get on…

Welcome and please do!

I travel a lot and found that my DE and shaving soap kit travel far better than my old disposable and can of gel. I'm the sort that would always have the cap come off and a bag full of blue gunk in my dopp kit after a flight. =/

Welcome to B & B!

Just one request- be flexible and open minded to what you are going to learn in this new way of shaving. The use of a brush might sound ridiculous or even elitist, but once you have, I believe you may change your mind.

There was a time when I thought( knew) that the brush did not make a difference. Well, trust me, I know longer think or believe that ( and I own a brush in boar, pure badger, and silvertip.) I can feel the differences on my face and have to adjust my lathering technique for each of them to get the lather just right.

Let us know how your experiences turn out- as always, its interesting to hear a fresh and new viewpoint.


Marty

Welcome to B&B!

I think the push back towards using a DE will lead more folks in the direction of straights as well. However, the "learning curve" seems to be such that you can really hurt yourself without some hands-on experience. I don't know about yours, but my bathroom here in San Francisco was hacked violently out of an old "cold room" (pre-refrigeration), so there's barely enough room for a sink, much less a hanging strop.

Also, we (collectively) rarely have the luxury of having someone teach us in person how to use a straight, so at least we're not risking our noses.

Welcome to B&B... Hey, who cares what you wind up using -- as long as it's effective for you, and you enjoy the shave. The journey is definitely part of the fun.

Welcome !

welcome to B&B

matthew

It's your face and you should be able to treat it how you like. Multi-blades never ever worked for me without massive bloodshed and leaving patches of stubble everywhere. A strange combination of results to be sure. An electric razor sounds good in theory but I'm actually able to cut my neck in several places using an electric. BTW both systems would leave me with ingrown hairs that were really painful. That's how I wound up here looking for help.

Now I shave with a DE and no cuts, no blood and no patches of stubble anywhere and no ingrown hairs. Best shaves of my life without a doubt. I think much of my good results are due to better prep and finish but a lot has to do with the razor as well. Long live the DE razor.

BTW welcome to a great place that doesn't discriminate about how you shave, the people here want you to get the best results as well.

Thanks for the warm welcome.

As I said in the first post I would let you know how I got on using a disposable:

Well you certainly know you are shaving, as the noise is much more than with a M3 or other cartridge razor but I got one of the best shaves I've had for a while, certainly better than when using a Fusion. The next day (today) my face feels smooth with no sign of razor burn or anything else nasty. I noticed a couple of things when using the disposable:

(1) The type I am using is a twin blade with lubricating strip and some very small 'ripples' at the leading edge, which I guess, are there to lift the hairs. It is very small and the head is fixed, which I think is one of the most important elements: You have excellent control and can vary the angle as you feel or hear it 'bite'. (So I think the fixed head is better)

(2) Today I've found some more of the same type in a supermarket and at a much lower price, so they work out at around one seventh the cost of a replacement cartridge type (M3 / Fusion) This means that as the shave I'm getting is for me, as good as before, I can replace the razor often so always having a pretty sharp blade rather than try to squeeze a few more days from it. (So I can always have a sharp blade, never more than two or three shaves old and have consistent shaves)

To be honest I don't think I'll go back to a M3 type razor but I will be trying out different shaving creams and post shave balms in the future. To sum up, I think I've taken the razor out of the equation, leaving me in a position to enjoy the other aspects.

I will though, never write-off DE or straight razor shaving. So watch this space...