Shaving! I ditched the $$$$$ Cartridges!

[Lion]

I have had a beard for many years but when I do shave I use a safety razor with the DE blades. It gives me a close shave and I do not have a tough beard to shave so I know I'm lucky.....

[GradyPhilpott]

Originally Posted by Goodwatch

2 months? NO WAY!

I've gotten 4.5 months out of my current Fusion Power cartridge and it's still going strong, as long as my beard is soft and my blades are hot and vibrating.

Gillette haven even upped the ante with their latest commercial: as soon as the blue strip has turned white you must change the cartridge. Yeah, sure.

They don't actually say that you "must" change the cartridge when the strip turns white, but they do strongly suggest that you should.

That's pure bull. The cartridge is shot when it no longer provides a clean, comfortable shave.

[Latrodectus]

Originally Posted by GradyPhilpott

I've gotten 4.5 months out of my current Fusion Power cartridge and it's still going strong, as long as my beard is soft and my blades are hot and vibrating.

Thank you!
You are giving the best tips....I am almost on 2 months now and I can not believe how great it still shaves....

[walds11]

4.5 months? Holy sh*t! I get about a week out of my Mach3 cartridge. Either I must be doing something wrong or I have a really heavy beard. I do a two pass shave, so that's like using a cartridge twice a shave.

Originally Posted by GradyPhilpott

I've gotten 4.5 months out of my current Fusion Power cartridge and it's still going strong, as long as my beard is soft and my blades are hot and vibrating.



They don't actually say that you "must" change the cartridge when the strip turns white, but they do strongly suggest that you should.

That's pure bull. The cartridge is shot when it no longer provides a clean, comfortable shave.

[Puffy]

Electric all the way

[Captainz]

Originally Posted by Puffy

Electric all the way

My beard is too thick not to use electric!!! Can u believe that? I have been a Braun user all my life, so I a few months ago I bought a Norelco Arctic.

After 5 months, I can tell u the Arctic felt light and shaved OK. My beard took a couple weeks to get used to the rotary shaver. The battery situation was not good. I felt the Norelco battery was very fragile. Nice Shaver, just did not feel solid or perform at a "10" level.

Two days ago, I purchased a Braun 5 series!!!!!! WOW this shaver feels Very solid and my first shave was really nice and close. I have a feeling I am going to really like this Braun <---------From the get-go, it has given me a very close shave.

[joeychitwood]

Used the DE razor again this morning with better lather. No cuts and probably the smoothest shave I've ever had

[pz93c]

Just picked up a long handle, 1969 Gillette Super Slim Adjustable.

With some Shave Secret oil, this can't be beat.

[sea-dweller]

Thanks, I have been using cartridges for so long, that I managed a deal on a 100 pack (Gillette Sensor) a year ago. Still have some time to use them up !

[Latrodectus]

Originally Posted by pz93c

Just picked up a long handle, 1969 Gillette Super Slim Adjustable.

With some Shave Secret oil, this can't be beat.

Where did you buy it???

[Paulie]

Originally Posted by Puffy

Electric all the way

Same here. I have an old Panasonic Linear ES8080, wet/dry 13k rpm. It's by far the best shaver I've ever owned.

When going manual, I can only use a single blade disposable once. It's closer, but the rash isn't worth it.

[pz93c]

Originally Posted by Latrodectus

Where did you buy it???

Our old pal, E-prey, a couple of weeks back. It half flew under the radar.

[Latrodectus]

Originally Posted by pz93c

Our old pal, E-prey, a couple of weeks back. It half flew under the radar.

Thanks, I have to get one myself

[joeychitwood]

It's been about six weeks since I started shaving with a double edge razor and higher quality products. Most interesting to me is that a chore which I've been grudgingly doing for almost 40 years has become much more enjoyable.

In addition to the Merkur DE razor, I've started using essential oils shaving creams and a badger bristle brush, resulting in comfortable and smooth shave. My five o'clock shadow doesn't show up until the following day. I still chuckle at times as I apply the cream with a brush, thinking about my grandfather doing the same when I was a child while telling me stories of the trenches of the Battle of Argonne during World War I. He was on to something as far as shaving goes.

I highly recommend giving the DE razor a trial run if you want to break up the drudgery of shaving. If you are like me, you'll also enjoy researching the equipment and products. Who knew one could spend $600 on a brush made from the neck hairs of the most handsome of badgers?

[boa2]

Originally Posted by kingkongkelley

Don't have an opinion but very interesting thread!

Especially with the volume turned up.

[axxeman01]

Originally Posted by joeychitwood

Who knew one could spend $600 on a brush made from the neck hairs of the most handsome of badgers?

Wow! Now that must be a *nice* brush!

Side note: For you guys (like me) using the good old safety razors, do you do a 2 step process?

1) Go with the hair
2) Go against the grain so to speak

If you do, do you relather between steps? I'm still searching for the best way, I want a shave like television personalities have in their close up shots (no, not the airbrushed ones!).

- Chris

[joeychitwood]

I first go with the grain. I then wet the area once again (there is always left over lather mixed in) and go against the grain. Occasionally, I make another swipe with the brush. Smooth as silk.

[Dr. Robert]

I hate to shave.

[clew84]

Originally Posted by joeychitwood

I first go with the grain. I then wet the area once again (there is always left over lather mixed in) and go against the grain. Occasionally, I make another swipe with the brush. Smooth as silk.

I've tried the Merkur DE razor with really good shave cream and a synthetic badger hair brush (made from synthetic badgers!) and I liked it but did not love it. Maybe not doing it correctly. I would do with the grain and then across the grain. I cannot do against the grain and really don't understand how anyone can - painful and bloody was that one morning.

Still, I like the process and taking the time to do it right but I reserve it for a weekend morning thing. When I need a quick shave, it's back to the Fusion (non-power).

[bobdog377]

Best advise i can give about using a DE razor is to buy a good quality cream lather and spend at least two minutes mixing it.I use proraso which I apply with a badger hair brush.

[CashGap]

I tried everything (cartridges with two to N blades, safety razors, straight razor, and even an eight year infatuation with Braun).

Settled on this:



Gillette Custom Plus Disposable Twin Blade 52 count $23 at Sams Club

Use a new one every two days.

Step into shower, grab the Irish Spring, rub vigorously on stubble. Shave with grain. Relather, shave against grain. Rinse razor if first use, toss if second. No mirror, I know what my face looks like by now and align the blade with the earlobe to gauge the bottom of the sideburns.

Best results ever, and all of about two minutes for $.22 a day.

I hope this isn't the equivalent of posting "I just look at my cellphone for the time...".

[Sose]

Wow. Incredibly informative.

Now, theoretically speaking, what if you wanted to add a THIRD step which is shaving across the grain. Anyone do this? Do you also re-lather?

[bobdog377]

Originally Posted by Sose

Wow. Incredibly informative.

Now, theoretically speaking, what if you wanted to add a THIRD step which is shaving across the grain. Anyone do this? Do you also re-lather?

when i first started using a DE razor I did indeed use three passes ,once down,once across and finally once up,but as I learnt the "map" of my face I can now get as good a result with only two passes as I know where the bristles that a cross pass would remove are located.To re lather before each pass is a must for me as my face is very sensitive.

[Jonathan007]

Originally Posted by joeychitwood

It's been about six weeks since I started shaving with a double edge razor and higher quality products. Most interesting to me is that a chore which I've been grudgingly doing for almost 40 years has become much more enjoyable.

In addition to the Merkur DE razor, I've started using essential oils shaving creams and a badger bristle brush, resulting in comfortable and smooth shave. My five o'clock shadow doesn't show up until the following day. I still chuckle at times as I apply the cream with a brush, thinking about my grandfather doing the same when I was a child while telling me stories of the trenches of the Battle of Argonne during World War I. He was on to something as far as shaving goes.

I highly recommend giving the DE razor a trial run if you want to break up the drudgery of shaving. If you are like me, you'll also enjoy researching the equipment and products. Who knew one could spend $600 on a brush made from the neck hairs of the most handsome of badgers?

I bet your grandfathers stories were very very interesting indeed! Lest we forget.

[Sose]

Originally Posted by bobdog377

when i first started using a DE razor I did indeed use three passes ,once down,once across and finally once up,but as I learnt the "map" of my face I can now get as good a result with only two passes as I know where the bristles that a cross pass would remove are located.To re lather before each pass is a must for me as my face is very sensitive.

Fair enough! Thank you!

And one more quick question that I haven't seen addressed... what about ingrown hairs? What do you do about them?

I take a pair of tweezers to my face and dig them out. I've pulled some that are several times longer than the hairs I just shaved. Problem is that if I can't get them out easily, I will dig them out the hard way and this usually leaves my face marked up.

What do you guys do?

[Hooper]

Originally Posted by CashGap

I tried everything (cartridges with two to N blades, safety razors, straight razor, and even an eight year infatuation with Braun).

Settled on this:



Gillette Custom Plus Disposable Twin Blade 52 count $23 at Sams Club

Use a new one every two days.

Step into shower, grab the Irish Spring, rub vigorously on stubble. Shave with grain. Relather, shave against grain. Rinse razor if first use, toss if second. No mirror, I know what my face looks like by now and align the blade with the earlobe to gauge the bottom of the sideburns.

Best results ever, and all of about two minutes for $.22 a day.

I hope this isn't the equivalent of posting "I just look at my cellphone for the time...".

If I shaved against the Grain, Id feel like I was decapitated !!

[bobdog377]

Originally Posted by Sose

Fair enough! Thank you!

And one more quick question that I haven't seen addressed... what about ingrown hairs? What do you do about them?

I take a pair of tweezers to my face and dig them out. I've pulled some that are several times longer than the hairs I just shaved. Problem is that if I can't get them out easily, I will dig them out the hard way and this usually leaves my face marked up.

What do you guys do?

Fortunately I dont suffer from ingrown hairs but one treatment I am told that works is to dab some toothpaste on the effected area and it acts like an acne treatment reducing the swelling and allowing easy or at least easier removal of the hair,I have never tried this so it may well be BS

[Sose]

Originally Posted by bobdog377

Fortunately I dont suffer from ingrown hairs but one treatment I am told that works is to dab some toothpaste on the effected area and it acts like an acne treatment reducing the swelling and allowing easy or at least easier removal of the hair,I have never tried this so it may well be BS

Worth a shot. I'll try it.

[GradyPhilpott]

I used one Fusion Power cartridge for a full ten months following the advice I gave in my previous post.

I was trying to get a full year out of it and the only reason I'm not using it today is because I knocked the razor off the lavatory shelf and broke the cartridge.

I have to say that that cartridge would not shave if I tried to shave by any method other than the one I outlined in my previous post, but following that procedure the blade did as well when it broke as the one I've been using for the last two months.

[Sose]

So after reading this thread and having had many thoughts about ditching my disposable mach blades... I caved:



I went to the local Art of Shaving store.



I got myself a safety razor, a Sandalwood kit with a brush, pre-shave oil, shaving cream and after shave. As well as a bar of soap (hey, why not? ) and upon reading a few recommendations - a styptic pen.



Chose the cheapest safety razor they had because it was the heaviest and provided the best grip to me.






Platinum blades! Think if I buy a bunch, I could get a YM made out of them?


Bought this to hold the brush, but didn't think of testing it first. The brush is too fat for his. :facepalm:


Bought the sandalwood one since it's supposed to be better for dry skin and mine is particularly dry now due to the winter weather.

Needless to say, I'm pretty amped about my next shave. Will have to study up a little more in order to understand what and how I'm supposed to use the safety razor properly.




But.

Wait.

What's this?


My former roommate and I are very close friends. We met up to catch up tonight for dinner and she handed me my xmas gift. And inside this bag I found...


I kid you not!

It's even the same scent I had picked up just an hour earlier. Unbelievable!