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Safety razors?

#21
wdinc01 said:
Is there much of a difference/advantage with the double sided safety razor? Or is it just more convenient to have to blades?
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your mean what's the benefit of having two sides? it's definitely not a deal-breaker, although it's nice to be able to flip sides of one gets loaded with soap/hair. you are rinsing off the thing constantly though, if you have a heavy beard it will be like 1-3 strokes on each razor edge then back to the sink.

as far as the double edge razor itself
advantages: cheaper in long run, less irritation if used properly, cool manly ritual, good smelling soaps
disadvantages: initially more expensive, easier to cut yourself, generally takes longer to shave
 
#22
I ususally shave with my Merkur Futur, but also have a 40's Superspeed and a Slim Adjustable.

I also just picked up a 2 Straights that should be ariving in the mail soon.

DE's = Better shave, replacement blades are cheap, a little time consuming at first but after awhile doesnt take much longer than a cartridge.

Cartridge = Expensive blades, ingrown hairs, so easy and guitarist can use it. Maybe...
 
#23
uethanian said:
your mean what's the benefit of having two sides? it's definitely not a deal-breaker, although it's nice to be able to flip sides of one gets loaded with soap/hair. you are rinsing off the thing constantly though, if you have a heavy beard it will be like 1-3 strokes on each razor edge then back to the sink.
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That was what I meant. I guess I answered my own question though.

I think I should also note that I shave about twice a week. My hair isn't very thick. But I can't get a beard, thus keeping it clean-shaven.

My only problem is that I'm thin/have a long neck. So I've got some weird angles to consider when shaving under my chin/cheek.
 
#24
I've tried every kind of razors out there due to my sensitive neck area.(It bleeds every time I shave with a razor,tried many doctors and the final solution they offer me is laser 'em out.)

I'd been using Mach III for years than one day I decided to go old school and got myself a safety razor.Best shaving experience I've ever had.

I used to need 2-3 runs with a Mach III but these cheap "razor sharp" blades do it with one run.

Benefits:Less bloody if I'm careful.Easier to shape beard if I'm going with a goatee or whatever.(Most of the time I have "hard to make" shapes btw.)

Trade off:Bloody mess if I'm not careful.
:p
 
#25
I got this a few months back as a birthday gift:
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I can say I will never go back to using a cartridge razor, though I keep one around for quick adjusts later in the day or for my adams apple, as I'm still a wee bit scared of using the Safety Razor around my rather large adams apple, though I need the cartridge less and less. I get a far better shave now using a brush and SR than I ever did with canned goop and a septuple-quadra-slick-reverse blade disposable or cartridge. Smoother, closer, less irritation. I use a sandalwood cream and after-shave, though spice and bay rum are quite nice too.

The upfront investment might be higher than cartridge razors, but as has been stated, in the long run it's cheaper, because safety blades are DIRT cheap.

And there's one more benefit no one else has mentioned: you feel so much more badass. How do you think Chuck Norris' beard shaves itself? Friends will be all like "Whaaaaaa!? That's crazy! How have you not cut your throat open yet."
And you can go: "Cause I'm a man......"

Okay, maybe not exactly like that, but at least I felt more bada$$.
 
#26
I recently found a supermarket that sells Trac II cartridges. I tried them out on some Indian knock-off Gillette handle and lo and behold it was the best shave I've had in years. I was using Schick Hydro 3 before that. Safety razors scare the shag out of me.
 
#27
zortation said:
I recently found a supermarket that sells Trac II cartridges. I tried them out on some Indian knock-off Gillette handle and lo and behold it was the best shave I've had in years. I was using Schick Hydro 3 before that. Safety razors scare the **** out of me.
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I've got an old Gillette shaving set for the Trac II: handle, brush and stand. I haven't picked up any cartridges yet. I've been using safety razors for 2 years. I have fewer nicks, no ingrown hairs and my skin has never been softer. Once you learn to hold the handle so the blade is at the correct angle, all is well.
 
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#29
My foray into DE razor shaving turned into a passionate interest in traditional wet shaving, and now I am a total shave geek. In my book, DE razors are the only way to go. Cartridge razors are horrible!

For anyone wanting to get into DE razors, I would suggest any razor in the Edwin Jagger DE89 line. The medium aggressive closed-comb head, and long handle, are particularly well suited to new shavers that are used to cartridges, and the plating work on Edwin Jagger's razors is impeccable. I would also suggest trying several brands of blades, because blades are a very extreme case of your mileage will vary. "Sharpest" does not necessarily mean "best." If a blade is too sharp, it will slice you to bits. Likewise, if it is too dull, it will tug at your hair and cause irritation. You have to find a balance, and that balance is different for every person.

Also, shaving with soap or cream that you have lathered with a brush is huge step above using canned goop, but it is not strictly necessary. The general consensus on wet shaving forums seems to be that canned shaving cream is adequate for the average shaver.
 
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#30
wdinc01 said:
Couldn't get the hang of it? Is there a learning curve to them? I don't want to carve my face up.

I'm not extremely worried about prices (for now), but I'd consider switching to them if they'll work better than cartridges, or at least easier to care for.
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I've been told that there's a learning curve, but it's not too bad.

seanm said:
I don't get quite as close a shave with the safety razor. But I quite often don't shave for a week. It is much easier to shave with a safety razor since I can loosen it up and wash the stubble out. The cartridge type razors just plug.
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I also don't shave too often, I tend to go from 2-3 times a week to less than once a month. I hate how the mach3 plugs up all the time, unless I shave very frequently.
 
#31
line6man said:
My foray into DE razor shaving turned into a passionate interest in traditional wet shaving, and now I am a total shave geek. In my book, DE razors are the only way to go. Cartridge razors are horrible!

For anyone wanting to get into DE razors, I would suggest any razor in the Edwin Jagger DE89 line. The medium aggressive closed-comb head, and long handle, are particularly well suited to new shavers that are used to cartridges, and the plating work on Edwin Jagger's razors is impeccable. I would also suggest trying several brands of blades, because blades are a very extreme case of your mileage will vary. "Sharpest" does not necessarily mean "best." If a blade is too sharp, it will slice you to bits. Likewise, if it is too dull, it will tug at your hair and cause irritation. You have to find a balance, and that balance is different for every person.

Also, shaving with soap or cream that you have lathered with a brush is huge step above using canned goop, but it is not strictly necessary. The general consensus on wet shaving forums seems to be that canned shaving cream is adequate for the average shaver.
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I like the new Rockwell 6s. Stainless steel with 6 settings. 1 is mild, and 6 is very agressive. In compariso, my vintage Gillette adjustable covers the 1-3 range of the Rockwell.

pie_man_25 said:
I've been told that there's a learning curve, but it's not too bad.



I also don't shave too often, I tend to go from 2-3 times a week to less than once a month. I hate how the mach3 plugs up all the time, unless I shave very frequently.
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Just learning to hold the razor at the correct angle. Your cartridge head pivots, so you don't have to worry about the angle. The first week with a safety, I had a few more nicks than with the cartridges, but now the nicks have gone down to almost zero.
 
#32
Amusingly, I just went electric. I shaved in the shower for years, and two things happened. First, I decided that it was a waste of hot water. Second, the soap was leaving soap scum, and detergent based "body wash" isn't as nice for shaving. So I got a cheap Norelco electric at Target. Does the job.
 
#33
Frank Tuesday said:
I like the new Rockwell 6s. Stainless steel with 6 settings. 1 is mild, and 6 is very agressive. In compariso, my vintage Gillette adjustable covers the 1-3 range of the Rockwell.

Just learning to hold the razor at the correct angle. Your cartridge head pivots, so you don't have to worry about the angle. The first week with a safety, I had a few more nicks than with the cartridges, but now the nicks have gone down to almost zero.
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I should probably mention, instead of just implying, that I've never used a safety, though it's on my mind, they sell them here in little shops, they don't seem bad and it's probably cheaper in the long run too, of course not shaving is cheapest.
 
#34
Frank Tuesday said:
I like the new Rockwell 6s. Stainless steel with 6 settings. 1 is mild, and 6 is very agressive. In compariso, my vintage Gillette adjustable covers the 1-3 range of the Rockwell.
Click to expand...

Cool. I like the idea of an adjustable razor that does not have very many moving pieces.

I've been using an Edwin Jagger Kelvin for a while now, and I like that it is sort of a cross between an Edwin Jagger DE89 and a Merkur 34C HD. I've been wanting to get a more aggressive head, though. I have been eyeing slant bar razors, lately, and sooner or later, I will probably pick one up.

As for stainless steel, I've noted that a lot of the lower priced razors on the market are zamak alloy, which is basically worthless, once your plating wears through. Stainless steel is expensive, but in the long run, it is well worth it. Lol.
 
#37
line6man said:
Cool. I like the idea of an adjustable razor that does not have very many moving pieces.

I've been using an Edwin Jagger Kelvin for a while now, and I like that it is sort of a cross between an Edwin Jagger DE89 and a Merkur 34C HD. I've been wanting to get a more aggressive head, though. I have been eyeing slant bar razors, lately, and sooner or later, I will probably pick one up.

As for stainless steel, I've noted that a lot of the lower priced razors on the market are zamak alloy, which is basically worthless, once your plating wears through. Stainless steel is expensive, but in the long run, it is well worth it. Lol.
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I did their kickstarter and they sent me a couple extra heads. The threads are "standard" according to them. If you want a set, it would probably work with one of your handles.
 
#39
I started shaving with a safety razor two years ago and I dont have plans to use the cartridge razors again.

Moving to safety razor was easy, took me couple of shavings to figure it out, not cuts so far :). I am using a Merkur 34 C, my favorite blades: Feather, Astra, Guillete silver blue and PolSilver, shaving soap: Tabac or Dr Harris.
 
#40
pedroims said:
I started shaving with a safety razor two years ago and I dont have plans to use the cartridge razors again.

Moving to safety razor was easy, took me couple of shavings to figure it out, not cuts so far :). I am using a Merkur 34 C, my favorite blades: Feather, Astra, Guillete silver blue and PolSilver, shaving soap: Tabac or Dr Harris.
Click to expand...

I think at this point it's pertinent to point out that looking at your profile picture before your username I assume that you're a brown-haired woman from Michigan. This particular thread made me think of a brown-haired woman from Michigan discussing the equipment with which she shaves her chin. Though I suppose it's safe to say that people think the same of JimmyM being a bobble-head with a firefighter's hat.
 

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