Convince Me. Why Should I Switch?

[baldchin]

[vespergo]

yes, i definately get a closer shave with a DE razor. with a DE, at least a Merkur, I can feel the blade on my skin, whereas with a cartridge it's a bit recessed in. It just feels good to have the blade on the skin.

and yes, i remember the search for a better method and they recommended a single blade razor. i had no idea that DE's existed until I did some searching and stumbled across them on the internet. it's definately something that i'm going to pass on to my sons when i have some. i've already passed it on to my sister, and she's been using one of my old gillettes for the past couple months to shave her legs.

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Josh

[rtaylor61]

James,

If you are happy with what you are doing...stick with it. Having said that, I believe that you are also here for a reason. Maybe rather than switching, you are looking for variety? That would be a reason to make changes, but not to change. In more of a language you would understand, I would liken the Mach 3 to my Hero pens, and my DE's and straights to a Waterman Charleston. No, I don't have expensive pens (with an expensive shaving habit, who can afford it?), but those are my thoughts. The most important thing is that you are happy with your shaves and that you enjoy them. Nothing more. Or less.

Randy

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"I won't be wronged. I won't be insulted. I won't be laid a-hand on. I don't do these things to other people, and I require the same from them." J. B. Books

[bernards66]

James, I agree with Randy. My first thought when I saw your initial post was, "why?" ( convince you ). The fact that you were here, even posing the question/challenge told me that you were at least 3/4 there already. You'd already largely convinced yourself, and were just looking for a bit of validation, a little extra 'push' over the brink, as it were.

BTW, I also agree with Joe, I have never bought Gillette's rap on how their mult-blades cut. I think that they tend to cause razor bumps and such, because they don't cut cleanly, and the follow-up blades tend to mash the sharp ends of the whiskers back into the skin. This is a rather crude way of putting it, but, you get the idea.
Regards,
Gordon

[Joe Lerch]

[Joe Lerch]

[James P]

I'm wondering how much of an improvement, if any, will result from switching to something different. From my perspective, it's like I've been driving a Yugo all my life - but if I suddenly got a Lamborghini - I'd still get to the same place, but the quality of the ride would improve. Does that type of analogy hold with shaving products? Is the closeness or comfort of my shave going to increase by switching to a DE vs. the M3? If it's going to be better, or heck, even the same, then economics dictates it makes sense to switch - if I can master the nuances and techniques. How hard is that, really?

I really appreciate everyone's perspective on this - it's been really enlightening to me. I have read LeisureGuy's Blog and it's fascinating. Sam has been a tremendous help as well.

I think that Joes' comments about switching one thing at a time also makes sense - to limit the variables so I can pinpoint on what's causing the change. If I switch everything all at once, I won't know whether an improvement in one area may have compensated for a negative in another (i.e., brush v. razor v. cream), for example.

Anyway, thanks everyone for putting in your 2 cents. I'm wealthier for it!

James

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The Pear Tree Pen Company
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[MOSES]

Well, I wanted to say something about this, and I might as well post it here.

Last weekend I went home. My uncertainty about whether to check or carry on was solved by forgetting to pack my Futur (I was going to decide when I left work whether to leave it in the bag). So my only real shaving option were the things that I had left at home. I wasn't about to drag out the old Norelco, so that meant the Mach3 that I left there as a spare.

I have not tried a Mach3 a single time since picking up a DE, so I was actually very curious how it would go. I had often wondered if it was really that much different. After all, unlike some, I remember getting decent shaves with it. But then, I never went against the grain, so my shaves were not that smooth. I did use SCS soap and a brush.

First impression is that this thing does not sit well in the hand. I remembered the metal handle having decent weight, but, well, by comparison it felt dinky. Also much too light in the head.

With the grain. Ugg. Maybe good soap is not as compatible/does not protect as well when using a cartridge? It felt REALLY scratchy. Not tearing up my face or anything, just not pleasant. Much to my surprise, I realized that even with three blades, the one-pass N-S result was not as good as I can get with many DE combinations. So I decided to keep going, and see if my improved technique and good soap would allow a good multipass shave.

I did three passes, but never fully against the grain because I was getting too much irritation going across. With a feather DE blade in any decent razor, this would have left me with a near BBS shave. With the M3 is was good, but not great. But the real problem was irritation. My skin simply did not look happy. And sure enough, there came the red bumps.

I had to back down to a one pass with the grain the next day, and the third day just did not shave at all.

So, the end conclusion is that a DE really does get me a MUCH better result, both in closeness and comfort. What is interesting about this, though, is that this is coming from someone who was perfectly happy with his Mach3, and saw no need to change. I only tried a DE because of the price of stupid cartridges, and the guy love of gadgets.

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Alrighty, stickim up and hand over the Coates real nice and slow like....

[Headshave]

The closeness of the shave will increase, if you switch from a mach3 to a DE. A DE puts you back in control, the downside of that is that you have to angle the blade yourself, as opposed to having the angle preset (which I found wasn't much good anyway).

The comfort of the shave... ah... not as easily answered. Everyone's different. Read the soaps forum, read the brushes forum, read the blade recomendations in this forum... everyone has their own setup. Plus, the amount of effort you put into the preshave (softening the stubble, etc) does make a difference.

The analogy of "going from an automatic to a manual gearbox" really does hold something.

[Headshave]

[aircraft_electrician]

James, I used Gillette's "3-bladed wonder" for years, and I always thought I was getting a decent shave. My biggest problem was after using the thing 5 days in a row, my face was raw and couldn't take it anymore. I always thought that I just had sensitive skin and a tough beard and would have to put up wtih it.

Then I ran across a post over on the Fountain Pen Network about old school wet shaving and this forum. I had my grandpa's old Gillette adjustable, so I found a cheap boar brush and some Surrey soap, and I've never regretted it.

I'm in the Air Force, and while at home, I'm usually off-duty on weekends, so I don't shave on weekends, but when deployed, I often go months without a day off, and a fresh blade loaded in a DE every 5 shaves keeps my face happy for months with out a rest.

Not only are the shaves less irritating, but what I used to consider a decent shave from the M3 just isn't close enough for me anymore. I consistently get much closer shaves with a DE or injector. So not only is my face happy, but so is the darling wife.

The only downside to all this is I've developed more aquisition disorders. I was already suffering from fountain pen aquisition disorder (FPAD), now I suffer from razor and shaving cream aquisition disorders (RAD and SCAD).

So, even if the M3 doesn't irritate your face like it did mine, you may still get closer shaves from a DE, and as a fellow fountain pen user, I expect you'll find you enjoy using a DE for the same reasons you use fountain pens.

In any case, it's worth a try, and if by some chance you don't like it, you can always sell your DE razors here at SMF.

Tom

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A razor is a good deal like a gun, much depends on the man behind it - paraphrased from John Philip Sousa

ALWAYS wear a helmet when on 2 wheels; a helmet saved my life on 1Oct2007!

[Beethoven]

You might try this; think of it as DE shaving with training wheels: I shave first with a Mach 3, once with the grain, once against. Then I re-lather and make light passes against the grain with a Merkur Slant (with a Merkur blade - I've don't seem to be able to master Feathers) on my neck and cheeks. You could, of course, use any DE razor.

I get a baby-smooth shave with no nicks and with all the enjoyment of wet shaving. I acknowledge that it;s kind of a nutty method, but it works - and works safely - for me.

Maybe something to try for a time, then try losing the training wheels and just go with the DE.

Michael Bradley

[Duggo]

James,

Ironically, I also was getting a great shave, or so I thought from my Mach 3 from Gillette. I was running out of cartridges. I was looking for the cheapest place to buy them from.

I was "lurking" in the woodwork reading the posts and I figured, if this many people are getting great shaves from DE razors, and so I thought, I would give it a try. And the economics of it all, is an added bonus.

I later found out that, for me the reason to switch was the experience. The challenge of: how can I refine my skill a litte more to come out with that perfect shave? Shaving with a DE is really an art.

It's the best part of my morning. It's been my experience that, the people who use the caridge razors without any of the pre and post prep don't understand what the experience is all about. And that's ok. That leaves me more Double Edged Single Blades for me to buy. Now I love to shave.

Those are my reasons for switching, only you can decide if it is worth the time and effort to learn how to shave with a safety razor, otherwise known around these parts, as just "DE" for short. (because I was transitioning from a Mach 3 to a DE, the learning curve, for me wasn't as bad) <--unconfirmed theory

Duggo