When I was a boy, my father was a man...

[Milkman666]

When I was a young lad, I can clearly remember sitting in the bathroom with my dad while he shaved his face with a good ol' safety razor. At one point, he even got me a plastic toy version, which I'd use, light as a feather, to carefully remove all of the shaving cream Dad had applied to my face.

Later, when I was in my late teens, Dad gave me a very nice vintage safety razor and all the fixins to get me shaving like a man. One morning, after a heavy night of partying and carrying on, my friends and I decided to roll out on a road trip and I decided to shave right before we left. I nearly decapitated myself.

I put the safety razor away and went back to cartridges. I continued to use the brush and shaving soap though.

A few years ago, I scored a case of Gilette Sensor cartridges for next to nothing (they weren't stolen). It was a 144 packages of 10 cartridges. I just got to the end of my magic supply, so I started to reconsider the safety razor.

I couldn't find my old one, so I ordered a new Merkur 34C this week. It arrived today and I just had my first shave with it and the sample Merkur blade that came with it. I feel very manly indeed! I ordered a sample pack of blades too, so over the next little while I can zero in on the best brand that works for me (the wet shaving community is adamant that the particular blade makes a huge difference to the user).

The shave is great, and while the razor cost me $45, the shaving soap is about $1.50 a bar and lasts for MONTHS, and the sample pack of 60 blades (which is overpriced - no doubt) was only $22.

[Donovan]

Should'a gone full on striaght razor. It's actually amazingly easy, never have to replace the blade (you can hone it at home fairly simply), and short of dropping it and horrifically damaging the blade I expect mine to last me at least 30 years.

Good for your for getting away from Gilette though. Waste of money (well except for the magic case you just ran out of) and just isn't worth it for the shave. I've had to use my brother's a few times recently and I couldn't stand it. I have no idea why we moved away from the standard safety razor or cut-throat in the first place.

[Karl]

Amazingly, the cost of shaving when one has a full beard approaches infinitely close to $0.00.  :)

[Donovan]

And I am jealous of that fact :p Unfortunately, I've tried growing one before and for some reason there seem to be two large patches of skin just under my jawline on each side that simply do not grow hair, so it ends up as a funny looking mess. Plus my fiance didn't like it and I'd rather like to keep her!

[Richard3]

Another option is to have nothing but pre-teen fuzz like me.

I think I buy about 5 Gillette cartridges a year. Not five packs. One five pack. Maybe less. I've yet to replace the cartridge I put in early November.

[Matt K]

Amazingly, the cost of shaving when one has a full beard approaches infinitely close to $0.00.  :)

Yea,  shave my cheeks and neck. I buy (maybe) two $3 cans of shave gel every year, and one 4 pack of cartridges lasts me over a year. None the less, my Gillette mach3 need to be replaced. The silicon on the handle is disintegrating - it's pretty nasty. I can buy an all metal unit that uses the mach3 cartridges, or I can move to a safety razor. I'm still trying to figure out which way I'll go.

[arebelspy]

I also haven't shaved for a few years (despite being just a bit patchy), but when I did I didn't care about the razor.

Would use those little $1 disposable guys for months, maybe up to a year.  No shaving cream or gel, just water.  Never really understood the obsession with a "good shave" - long as it gets the hair off so you're smooth, does it matter what type of metal you scrape it off with?  /shrug

My reason for not shaving is more laziness (luckily mine doesn't grow fast enough to have to shave every day, but even every third day or so was annoying) than caring if I have a beard or not.  Though the wife does prefer me with a beard, so that gives me a good excuse to go the no shave route.

[StarswirlTheMustached]

Would use those little $1 disposable guys for months, maybe up to a year.  No shaving cream or gel, just water.   Never really understood the obsession with a "good shave" - long as it gets the hair off so you're smooth, does it matter what type of metal you scrape it off with?  /shrug

Not everyone's skin is made of leather. :P
Some of us would come out of your $1-razor-and-water shave looking like lobsters and/or bleeding like a stuck pig.

[vern]

I've had good luck making the cartridges last with these sharpening tricks...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3Kxiom83Js

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ADaRIqy0Dc

[Matt K]

I can buy an all metal unit that uses the mach3 cartridges, or I can move to a safety razor. I'm still trying to figure out which way I'll go.

I ended up going for a safety razor (I went with the Merkur 23C). I figured it was worth trying. This morning was my first shave with the new kit. My initial impressions:

1- Even if you keep using a cartridge razor, try a shaving brush and shaving soap. If I go back to my Mach3, I'll keep the brush and forego shave gel.

2- Using a safety razor is much slower, and not something I'd want to do half asleep, it takes more concentration than a modern pivoting head razor.

3- I now understand the want for a proper aftershave (I'd always figured they were just colognes).

4- My face is much smoother than with the mach3, but my neck isn't. Cheeks are easy to shave, adam's apples less so.

As Milkman points out, there is a very vocal internet community built up around wet shaves - but then, there are vocal internet communities built up around just about everything. I'm not yet sold that the good old safety razor is actually better than the modern marvels; but it is less expensive in the long run, and there is a good feeling to using a well crafted hunk of metal instead of a flimsy bit of plastic.

For anyone wondering costs, my break down was this:
Razor: $38
Blades (Sampler 40 pack): $12
Brush: $25
Soap: $8

[unitsinc]

Aside from my time in the military, I've always kept some facial hair.

The best investment I made was a ~25 dollar electric buzzer with a little guard. Without the guard it gets my cheeks and neck pretty short(say maybe 3 days of growth).
Put the guard on and I can keep my chin and jawline slightly longer(say a 7-10 days growth) so you can tell that I have a beard.

It takes just a few minutes and has no chance of injury or irritation. They tend to last me about 3 years or so before the little motor dies.

[Milkman666]

3- I now understand the want for a proper aftershave (I'd always figured they were just colognes).

I hear you on this one! I have been trying Aqua Velva lately. My wife said she thought it was a joke, but I'm telling you, it feels awesome after a shave. Just like the brush and shaving soap (which I've always used), I will keep up the aftershave routine whether using a safety razor or not.

[pentae]

I must say, I really enjoy my Braun electric shaver. I've had mine for almost 10 years now and aside from having to change the shaving foil about 4 years ago, it's worked like a champ. Despite the initial outlay of about $200, given how long its lasted me I have definitely saved a lot of money on razors and shaving cream.

It's a totally different shaving experience, and obviously will never get as close as a traditional razor, but I thoroughly enjoy the convenience of not having to use shave cream and the batteries still easily last a week. It's quite amazing really.

[clutchy]

glorious!!

My father never taught me this tradition and ended up hearing about it from a friend about 5 months ago.

I remember when I was younger thinking that it was stupid and why not use new razor tech.


Well I picked a Merkur 34C like OP and I've been shaving that way for months now.  The shaves have never been better and my skin looks great.

I've since been gifted a merkur futur which I love and it's adjustable which is great.



Initially I believed this would save me money and maybe when I've settled on a specific blade it will but I'm still going through them and spending more than I should on soaps and creams.


Honestly I feel like I've been cheated not knowing about this earlier.


My best results so far have come from:

1. blade Astra platinum
2. Soap, Taylor of old bond street sandalwood.
3. Toss the brush in hot water before I shower
4. Shave in the bathroom after showering.

obviously it takes a bit longer but it's worth it and I find it to be a centering activity in the morning.

www.reddit.com/r/wicked_edge/