I started out at Shave Nation for my first set of supplies https://shavenation.com/
Rich
"Failure is Not a Destination"
Coach K on the Dan Patrick Show, December 22, 2016
They don't unless the walls are being completely torn down. The space behind your medicine cabinet would essentially never fill up. You could put ten thousand blades in there, at least.
People tearing down old bathroom walls have come upon uncountable numbers of blades sitting inside the wall.
Yes. It shaved well. I actually started my open blade shaving journey with a non-folding Feather SS that I had borrowed. After about a month the guy offered to sell it to me for fifty bucks. I should have taken him up on it, but I wanted to try traditional straights so I sent it back.
Fast forward about a year and a half and the folding style was more attractive since it resembled more closely what I had been doing with traditional straights.
The other benefit of the folding razor is that the scales protect the blade and protect others from the blade. If you get a non-folder, you kind of have to purchase a cover for it.
Having said that, some people really like the non-folding style a lot better. On the Feather, the handle feels much softer and a bit more secure to most people. I think the non-folding style may, at least initially, be a bit more intuitive. For people who have used regular straights, the folding style is easier and feels more natural.
This is a minor point, and I know that a lot of people call the non-folding version a kamisori, but a traditional Japanese kamisori has an asymmetrical blade. Technically, therefore, the Feather SS non-folding razor is not really a kamisori.
You are looking for blades, not razors. Razors are the devices into which you put the blades.
The type of razor you have is called a three-piece razor. It is the most common type, mostly because it is easier to manufacture than a butterfly razor.
You could just go to CVS and buy a five pack if you want, but I would strongly advise you to go to a website like tryablade and order a sample pack. In the long run it will save you a ton of trouble.
By Bics you mean double edged safety razor blades, right? I saw Bics of this type on tryablade. I'm new to this world and til this point, Bics meant to me a single-blade disposable razor, sometimes cheaper than store brand double blade disposable razors.
Thanks all - wow there is a lot to learn about here.
Maybe I'm weird, but I use my standard Gillette (three blade) with the blue (or sometimes green) strip for like a month easy (maybe two, I don't keep track that closely) and it doesn't hurt me at all and still gives a close shave. I wait until that edge strip is worn. No fancy shaving creams or aftershaves, just gilette or barbasol sensitive skin shaving cream and shave in the shower. Am I doing something wrong? I probably shave every second or third day (been less in COVID era).
I'm the same. Gillette mach 3 with Gillette shaving cream. I get a close shave, very rare cuts. Like Bluedog, I generally use the blue strip as my guide, though I have been using these razors long enough that I can tell when a razor is becoming dull. Pre-Covid I shaved 5-6 days a week, taking a day or two off on the weekend, and a razor would last about a month (I think they recommend two weeks but they are in the business of selling razors). Now I am on a once every three day cycle - it takes slightly longer to shave but overall I am saving a lot of time in the morning. I grew out a small beard for the first two weeks of Covid in March and had to go get a clipper to get rid of it when I decided I didn't like it (too many splotches of gray!).
That being said, I have found this conversation very interesting and appreciate learning about everyone's experiences. I think I would enjoy a well done blade shave by an expert, but that is not happening for me during these Covid times.
If you are happy with your shave then no, you are not doing anything wrong.
I used to shave that way, too. Aveeno gel and a Mach3. Shaved pretty well, but I absolutely hated shaving. My hatred of shaving is what led me down the rabbit hole, eventually landing me on replaceable blade straights. The main difference is that now I love shaving. So I took what was a chore for me and turned it into a meditative time that I really enjoy.
But there is no right or wrong way to shave. You should do what works for you.
I wouldn’t say I hated shaving, agree with the rest of the above. It was more an exploration of is there a better way and is that way more cost effective.
Biggest upgrade for me was soap and brush, which I started before I switched from cartridge razors to the double edge blades.
There was a learning curve for me on the double edge blades, so the only other advice I would say is a styptic pencil or some sort of way to stop the bleeding when you nick yourself is a must.
While I wouldn’t say I pressed hard with a cartridge razor, there is little downside if you do.
With a safety razor, no pressure and let the blade do all the work.
My beard is pretty mild so I don’t follow any of the three pass technique or obsess over “baby butt smooth”.
I've been using the same ancient Sensor razor with Gillette blades for decades now, and I get a lot of good shaves as long as I shave right after I shower...
After retirement I reduced shaving to roughly thrice per week, in the pandemic it's more like once every five days, I definitely have the latter stages Howard Hughes look going on.
Bonus sports points are awarded for anyone who remembers Howard Cosell (on his radio show) hawking shave cream that "softens your beard like a hot steaming towel."
I think the Sensor is actually a better razor than the Gillette razors that came after it. I actually like the Atra best of all, especially since you can get replacement cartridges called "Vector" off the internet that are much less expensive and actually much smoother than the Gillette-branded, overpriced blades. If i were forced to use a cartridge razor, it would come down to a choice between the Trac II, the Atra, or the Gillette Guard, which is a single-bladed cartridge razor that Gillette markets for India (but is available online). This is a gentle shaver that only costs about $2 for the handle and about 50 cents for each replacement blade.
My eldest son, who is now 26, has been shaving with the Guard for about 8 years now.
"We are not provided with wisdom, we must discover it for ourselves, after a journey through the wilderness which no one else can take for us, an effort which no one can spare us, for our wisdom is the point of view from which we come at last to regard the world." --M. Proust
Have ordered some samples (both pre-defined and handpicked) from tryablade. Looking forward to it! The razor I was handed "up" appears to be a Manscaped Plow.
Funny you mention Atra etc. I have an old Atra razor still (nice stainless, good heft), but quit buying the cartridges when they priced them through the roof. I figured Gillette just didn't want to support that razor anymore so they just priced it to fail. Occasionally I'll see a pack of Atra cartridges for sale in the store - usu. about 10 for $20 (that was a lot of years ago, probably more now), and think, who is buying them? They're not worth that ... twin blades and a strip and a pivoting head? Why not just buy a disposable.
When the >2 bladed razors came out, I felt I could see the writing on the wall and future SNL (or MadTV) skits, and I was not disappointed. When I questioned, "why?" I was told, "They last so much longer. I can go a month on a 3-bladed razor." I wonder if anyone still really goes a month. And it's not like they stopped at 3! Anyway, I never moved to them. Basically when Atras prices were jacked, I went generic, then I went disposable. Kept to twin blades usually (once in awhile I did the Bic). Rather liked the Schick Slim Twin, which was slim enough to get to the area immediately under my nose.
Never had a bad shave from any of them that I couldn't fairly attribute to lack of prep (like washing face with warm soapy water first).
Seven days from fusion is all i get.
Just a warning for you.i purchased a epilady for a chistmas present quite a few years ago .it was unwanted .
So i decided to grow my facial hair out enough to try it.i plug this joker in and give it a whirl.
Do not do this .it latched onto my face like a electrical pit bull. I jerked the cord out of the wall .it removed no hair . But did pull my skin into the oscillating springs.
Once i removed it from my face.it went into the trash.
Thank god tbere were no cameras .im sure it would have gone viral.
You cannot get around shaving .
Oh man! You have my sympathies. I recall hearing about such a thing long ago and it may not always be so kind to legs either. I'd think the face would be even more vulnerable.
I just hope to avoid nicks and cuts with my first few safety razor shaves. I can't even fathom going straight razor, makes me way too nervous. Though I've had that done on my neck (the Italian barber I had, mentiond upthread). In the hands of a pro, OK, but dang, I don't think that's a wise tool for a nervous amateur!
I had another fantastic straight razor shave yesterday evening.
Good luck with your safety razor adventure! Maintaining the correct angle is half the battle. If you have used pivoting razors all your life it may take some time to get used to it.
If you are nervous about the first shave, my advice would be to learn gradually. Just shave the easy parts of your face with the safety razor for the first few days or a week or whatever. Just a downward pass on both cheeks. It's really easy to do and since the angle doesn't change there's not much to worry about. After you do that for a few days you'll feel more confident with the razor, and you can expand to new areas. The chin and mustache area are probably the hardest, along with the transition from the face to the neck along the jawline. Those could be the areas you save for last in your learning. Don't ever worry about stopping at any point if you feel uncomfortable and finishing the shave with a tool to which you are completely accustomed. There is always the next shave to advance your skills. Just have fun and don't rush it unless it comes easy and you really want to.
Remember, you are likely applying a lot more pressure with your current system than is required for safety razor shaving. A light touch is a good idea. And if your goal for the first few shaves is to make sure you don't get nicked or injured, light touch and a shallow angle are your friends. By shallow angle I mean ride the CAP a lot. Start with the razor straight perpendicular to your face, cap touching the face, and then just tilt the handle down toward the floor a little bit until you can hear the blade cutting. Tilting the handle more towards the floor will increase the likelihood of an unpleasant shave.
Last edited by rsvman; 01-05-2021 at 12:30 PM.
"We are not provided with wisdom, we must discover it for ourselves, after a journey through the wilderness which no one else can take for us, an effort which no one can spare us, for our wisdom is the point of view from which we come at last to regard the world." --M. Proust
This has been a strangely fascinating thread to read, thanks to everyone for sharing. One question that has not been answered is what you do when shaving goes wrong and you nick yourself. Does anyone have a technique to staunch the bleeding on those little cuts, short of walking around with a piece of tissue paper on your face? (And as soon as you try to pull it off, you remove the scab and it starts bleeding all over again...sigh...)