Cut-throat shaving

lostboysaint

ddraver wrote:

How many of y'all are still using your full on shaver kit 2.5 years or so on then?

DE razor shave every weekday and occasionally at the weekend if I need to be smooth.

bigmonka

I'm still using mine but then I only shave twice a week. More recently I've started using super cheap BIC style twin-bladed disposable razors for when I'm in a hurry.
Even after a year with the DE I still have issues with nicks on my chin and neck though - I obviously haven't spent enough time learning to do it right (and only doing it every few days doesn't help with that)

lostboysaint

You probably haven't got the right blades. It sounds daft but the different types of blades are really very different and have a significant impact on how smooth and cut free your shave is. Worth getting a "mixed" pack and trying a few of them and seeing which one works best.

bigmonka

lostboysaint wrote:

You probably haven't got the right blades. It sounds daft but the different types of blades are really very different and have a significant impact on how smooth and cut free your shave is. Worth getting a "mixed" pack and trying a few of them and seeing which one works best.

I'm still working my way through a mixed pack, some are definitely better for me than others but I'm still missing something technique wise too.

veronese68

I still use my DE.
In response to MRS and the comment about leccy shavers. I used to use one, probably the same make, but never really liked it. It was just the quickest way of doing a necessary chore. I used to use a Gillette GII when I had a bit of time on my hands. Went to a DE and now shave after my shower in the evenings. The amount of growth by the morning is what it would be had I used the leccy when I got up. I wouldn't say shaving is a pleasure, but it seems less of a chore. Also I'd rather be clean shaven for an evening with the Mrs than sitting in my office.

walkingbootweather

ddraver wrote:

How many of y'all are still using your full on shaver kit 2.5 years or so on then?

I am. Still use the odd disposable razor when travelling but ordinarily I just rotate my two DE razors. Glad I got a good quality brush at the outset.

Man Of Lard

ddraver wrote:

How many of y'all are still using your full on shaver kit 2.5 years or so on then?

Still with it after swapping in 2008.

meanredspider

lostboysaint wrote:

meanredspider wrote:

lostboysaint wrote:

Because electric shavers are shoot.

Good scientific reason, then....

Why waste bandwidth on all their faults and flaws? They're a crap solution to a problem that didn't exist.

Yeah - they'll never catch on In fact, I don't think there's a future in electricity at all

meanredspider

OK - another quick bit of research amongst dyed-in-the-wool blade users: when was the last time you tried an electric razor and what was it?

I've just got our latest high-end razor and I struggle to think you can get a smoother shave (I certainly never achieved it with a blade). I bought my father one for his 80th birthday and he said it's the best shave he's had in his entire life. Now he only moved to our brand of razor because he started to get extremely bad reactions to shaving and his dermatologist suggested it was this or learn to live with a beard.

rick_chasey

Forget close shaves - who has 15 minutes free in the morning to spend faffing about with a proper razor?

I'm no fan of the gilette stuff. Dries my face out and it gets sore, but then it takes 2 minutes and an extra 1 minute whacking some moisturiser on.

ddraver

What colour was the hair on your head before it fell out?

This is one of the benefits of having light facial hair. A days growth can be felt, but doesn't show

bigmonka

meanredspider wrote:

lostboysaint wrote:

meanredspider wrote:

lostboysaint wrote:

Because electric shavers are shoot.

Good scientific reason, then....

Why waste bandwidth on all their faults and flaws? They're a crap solution to a problem that didn't exist.

Yeah - they'll never catch on In fact, I don't think there's a future in electricity at all

Lol!
I've got a Remington electric shaver which was fairly high end when I got it a few years ago. I always found that although the shave felt quite close it never looked like I was freshly shaved. Now it's getting a bit older and blunter it seems to pull/tug/pluck some of the hairs which can be quite painful and makes you a bit nervous using it.

veronese68

meanredspider wrote:

OK - another quick bit of research amongst dyed-in-the-wool blade users: when was the last time you tried an electric razor and what was it?

I've just got our latest high-end razor and I struggle to think you can get a smoother shave (I certainly never achieved it with a blade). I bought my father one for his 80th birthday and he said it's the best shave he's had in his entire life. Now he only moved to our brand of razor because he started to get extremely bad reactions to shaving and his dermatologist suggested it was this or learn to live with a beard.

Philishave something or other. Cheaper model, not top end.

meanredspider

BigMonka wrote:

Lol!
I've got a Remington electric shaver which was fairly high end when I got it a few years ago. I always found that although the shave felt quite close it never looked like I was freshly shaved. Now it's getting a bit older and blunter it seems to pull/tug/pluck some of the hairs which can be quite painful and makes you a bit nervous using it.

Have you changed the cutting elements? I don't know much about Remington but all cutting surfaces need changing eventually.

Wheelspinner

I bought the Braun top of the range electric, as a replacement for one of your models which I didn't get on with that well *ahem*. (Arctec or something like that?)

Still don't like it much for my face, but it is good for the roadie legs look.. 8)

Underscore

Rick Chasey wrote:

Forget close shaves - who has 15 minutes free in the morning to spend faffing about with a proper razor?

I'm no fan of the gilette stuff. Dries my face out and it gets sore, but then it takes 2 minutes and an extra 1 minute whacking some moisturiser on.

Agreed, I don't have 15 minutes in the morning but it takes me about 5 minutes for a passable 2-pass shave with a DE. I reckon that's only a couple of minutes more than a shave with a cartridge razor...

_

lostboysaint

meanredspider wrote:

OK - another quick bit of research amongst dyed-in-the-wool blade users: when was the last time you tried an electric razor and what was it?

I've just got our latest high-end razor and I struggle to think you can get a smoother shave (I certainly never achieved it with a blade). I bought my father one for his 80th birthday and he said it's the best shave he's had in his entire life. Now he only moved to our brand of razor because he started to get extremely bad reactions to shaving and his dermatologist suggested it was this or learn to live with a beard.

About 18 months ago, a Philishave "Wet n Dry" lube me up special. It left my face feeling like it'd been wet'n'dried (and not with a good grade) so at least it was aptly named.

ddraver

Good to hear

The trouble I have MRS is that electric shaving treats shaving as a chore akin to emptying the dishwasher or hoovering rather than something that might be enjoyed like bike cleaning

veronese68

lostboysaint wrote:

About 18 months ago, a Philishave "Wet n Dry" lube me up special. It left my face feeling like it'd been wet'n'dried (and not with a good grade) so at least it was aptly named.

I don't get this wet shave with electric razors thing. My understanding was that electric is designed to work on dry stubble. This wet electric business is trying to make an electric shave into a wet shave in which case you might as well have a wet shave. Moisturise afterwards by all means.
Besides, I thought electrickery and water were a bad combination.
Yes, I know I'm a curmudgeonly old git at times.

Man Of Lard

meanredspider wrote:

Now he only moved to our brand of razor because he started to get extremely bad reactions to shaving and his dermatologist suggested it was this or learn to live with a beard.

Hilarious - after many years of going to a long succession of them I'd been through it all:

Shave dry
Shave with 2 blades
Use foam
Use water
Use gel
Use soap
Use oil
Go electric rotary
Go electric oscillating
Go 3 blades
Grow a beard
Take these tablets
Use this facewash
Use this ointment
Use that ointment
....

All had the same effect - massive irritation and shaving was something to be endured.

Not once did anyone suggest going back to a DE safety razor or an open razor. I did that myself on a whim after a chance remark by someone on the radio... within a week my skin was the clearest it had been since I started shaving. Bumped into my GP (in the pub) and he was taken aback by the improvement in my skin tone & appearance.

So for me going back to soap, water, brush and a single blade was way better than the alternatives. The fact that the blades I'm using were less than 2p each and last a week means it's nearly as cheap as running a beard but nowhere near as itchy

meanredspider

Veronese68 wrote:

lostboysaint wrote:

About 18 months ago, a Philishave "Wet n Dry" lube me up special. It left my face feeling like it'd been wet'n'dried (and not with a good grade) so at least it was aptly named.

I don't get this wet shave with electric razors thing. My understanding was that electric is designed to work on dry stubble. This wet electric business is trying to make an electric shave into a wet shave in which case you might as well have a wet shave. Moisturise afterwards by all means.
Besides, I thought electrickery and water were a bad combination.
Yes, I know I'm a curmudgeonly old git at times.

I can agree with your last point completely, V68

Actually the whole wet'n'dry bit I think comes from a desire to wash the razor. By the time you've achieved that, it's a short step to making it fully shower-proof. Personally I don't like that option but some people do. I don't think that it's in an attempt to make it more like blade shaving (though, I suppose we could add a feature to give you occasional nicks and cuts so that everyone thinks you use 18th century technology )

ddraver wrote:

The trouble I have MRS is that electric shaving treats shaving as a chore akin to emptying the dishwasher or hoovering rather than something that might be enjoyed like bike cleaning

Yup - there's no hope for people who enjoy cleaning a bike :P

I suppose the question you have to ask is whether you spend MORE time on shaving when you can or LESS time. Personally, the idea of doing something theoretically unnecessary every day is mind-blowingly dull - life's far too short. I love the fact that with an electric razor I can wander around and do other stuff. Horses for courses of course - I'm just keen to understand a topic I really haven't given a lot of thought to.

essex-commuter

I've used a mid-range Phillips for years, it does a great job. I've replaced the rotary blades on it twice, feels like a new razor when done.

Only time I will wet shave is if I go a week without shaving, then I use disposables.

It's a chore that I want to complete as soon as possible.

ddraver

meanredspider wrote:

I suppose the question you have to ask is whether you spend MORE time on shaving when you can or LESS time. Personally, the idea of doing something theoretically unnecessary every day is mind-blowingly dull - life's far too short. I love the fact that with an electric razor I can wander around and do other stuff. Horses for courses of course - I'm just keen to understand a topic I really haven't given a lot of thought to.

Then it comes down to self-pampering and not needing to be clean shaven every day

lostboysaint

meanredspider wrote:

I suppose the question you have to ask is whether you spend MORE time on shaving when you can or LESS time. Personally, the idea of doing something theoretically unnecessary every day is mind-blowingly dull - life's far too short. I love the fact that with an electric razor I can wander around and do other stuff. Horses for courses of course - I'm just keen to understand a topic I really haven't given a lot of thought to.

You're absolutely right. So why on earth would you want to ride a bike when you could see the same sights in half the time in a car, or if you want the fresh air then on a motorcycle? Why go to all the trouble of reading a full book when you can get the Readers Digest concise version or just listen to Stephen Fry or some other luvvie warbling it in the background whilst you drive somewhere?

Why bother having any kind of hairstyle? Just clipper it off every few weeks, save on all that wasted time drying it and styling it.

etc. etc.

Not that you've got any vested interest, obviously.

dhope

lostboysaint wrote:

meanredspider wrote:

I suppose the question you have to ask is whether you spend MORE time on shaving when you can or LESS time. Personally, the idea of doing something theoretically unnecessary every day is mind-blowingly dull - life's far too short. I love the fact that with an electric razor I can wander around and do other stuff. Horses for courses of course - I'm just keen to understand a topic I really haven't given a lot of thought to.

You're absolutely right. So why on earth would you want to ride a bike when you could see the same sights in half the time in a car, or if you want the fresh air then on a motorcycle? Why go to all the trouble of reading a full book when you can get the Readers Digest concise version or just listen to Stephen Fry or some other luvvie warbling it in the background whilst you drive somewhere?

Why bother having any kind of hairstyle? Just clipper it off every few weeks, save on all that wasted time drying it and styling it.

etc. etc.

Not that you've got any vested interest, obviously.

Surely we all actually realise that shaving is just another coffee/carbon bottle cage geek topic. There's very little tangible benefit aside from enjoying the process and enjoying being knowledgeable about it. I doubt that a cut throat razor is objectively better than a modern electric one, but I'm sure the process is more satisfying.

meanredspider

lostboysaint wrote:

meanredspider wrote:

I suppose the question you have to ask is whether you spend MORE time on shaving when you can or LESS time. Personally, the idea of doing something theoretically unnecessary every day is mind-blowingly dull - life's far too short. I love the fact that with an electric razor I can wander around and do other stuff. Horses for courses of course - I'm just keen to understand a topic I really haven't given a lot of thought to.

You're absolutely right. So why on earth would you want to ride a bike when you could see the same sights in half the time in a car, or if you want the fresh air then on a motorcycle? Why go to all the trouble of reading a full book when you can get the Readers Digest concise version or just listen to Stephen Fry or some other luvvie warbling it in the background whilst you drive somewhere?

Why bother having any kind of hairstyle? Just clipper it off every few weeks, save on all that wasted time drying it and styling it.

etc. etc.

Not that you've got any vested interest, obviously.

Well, of course I have a vested interest - I've been completely up front about it and that I'm looking to learn about blade users.

Cycling has the triple benefit of being fun, getting you fit and keeping the weight off. That's why I don't drive. I have more time for cycling because I use an electric razor and I'm out of the house 10 minutes quicker.

Now, if you just said (like others have) that you find wet-shaving with a blade is pleasant or whatever, that's perfectly reasonable. I don't understand it but then I don't understand why some people like celery or certain types of jazz music. To say electric shaving is "shoot" and a solution to a problem that doesn't exist doesn't help me much.

I don't bother styling my hair but I do trim my beard to a shade over stubble length (not so easy with any form of blade).

veronese68

meanredspider wrote:

...but I do trim my beard to a shade over stubble length (not so easy with any form of blade).

That's because your fancy leccy shaver doesn't shave you close enough.
I forgot to add smartarse to curmudgeonly old git.

meanredspider

Veronese68 wrote:

meanredspider wrote:

...but I do trim my beard to a shade over stubble length (not so easy with any form of blade).

That's because your fancy leccy shaver doesn't shave you close enough.
I forgot to add smartarse to curmudgeonly old git.

You're right of course (on both points ). But that's because it comes with a fancy beard trimmer attachment 8)

veronese68

Maybe I should invent a comb attachment to turn a DE razor into a beard trimmer and sell it to the fixie hipster brigade.

UndercoverElephant

meanredspider wrote:

I've just got our latest high-end razor and I struggle to think you can get a smoother shave (I certainly never achieved it with a blade).

I'm sure it's a great shaver, but for those of us without an employee discount, it's probably the best part of £300.

That's a lot of 2p blades for no real extra benefit.