Take my razor...please!

[scotrace]

Men like to stick with what they're comfortable using, I guess.

I like my Merkur double edge safety razor. I can now shave with it quickly, never get a scratch, get as smooth everywhere as is humanly possible with one swipe. I could get two weeks out of a blade, but usually swap it out after seven days. Each blade cost less than 20 cents. I shave my face every day, and the back of my neck twice a week.

Each guy spends so much time scraping at his face, he pretty quickly develops the right method for him, with the least bloodletting. Some of the other methods I've tried have left the bathroom sink looking like a Civil War field hospital.

 

[cooncatbob]

Pshaw...the R&D that has gone into most of today's razors has been, "How can we get the consumer to buy more expensive razors/blades/cartridges, and more of them?"

Your right on on that. I pulled the middle blade from a Mach3 cartridge and it shaved the same. New and improved should say more bells and whistles and more expensive. LOL

 

[Jovan]

I should state, for the record, that my shave with a Mach3 was improved greatly with shaving soap instead of aerosol cream. It would be really nice to have a swivel-head like a Mach3, but with only one blade. If this already exists, someone PLEASE point me in that direction and I'll give it a try.

 

[Mr. Rover]

Men like to stick with what they're comfortable using, I guess.

I like my Merkur double edge safety razor. I can now shave with it quickly, never get a scratch, get as smooth everywhere as is humanly possible with one swipe. I could get two weeks out of a blade, but usually swap it out after seven days. Each blade cost less than 20 cents. I shave my face every day, and the back of my neck twice a week.

Each guy spends so much time scraping at his face, he pretty quickly develops the right method for him, with the least bloodletting. Some of the other methods I've tried have left the bathroom sink looking like a Civil War field hospital.

What is the proper technique to shave the back of one's neck?

 

[Feraud]

What is the proper technique to shave the back of one's neck?

Mom/Honey (for the married fellows) come shave my neck!
lol

I can do it with two mirrors.

 

[scotrace]

She cut me bad!

So I use two mirrors. lol

 

[Tomasso]

I'm sorry but using 3 razors that take 3 different cartridges doesn't seem like a very sensible solution.

I don't find my use of multiple razors to be much different than that of a builder, soldier, surgeon, painter, chef, etc... who require various tools (and their replacement parts) to get the job done. Or is there some rule that says you may only use one tool for the job? [huh]

 

[jamespowers]

I normally shave with the three blade job but all this discussion got me to go back to the old Gillette DE this morning. Setting the blade to 6 and going pretty quickly did a decent job of shaving my face. I really don't notice much difference other than a few obvious factors.
The DE has a larger more bulky head and it is far heavier than the three blade job I normally use.
It was not as easy to get my chin area with the DE as with the three blade. I wear a moustache so I can't comment on that area.
Lastly, I notice the Bay Rum application at the end tended to burn a bit more than usual.
Of course you have to realize that I used the DE everyday for years before I switched to the Three blade so I just drew upon what I knew from back then. I didn't nick myself once but there is that apprehension all the same.

Regards,

J

 

[RondoHatton]

After many tries with my Merkur DE...I just can’t make it work...

The patient gentleman who sold my (Merkur 23C? on box) over the counter loaded the first blade as I watched. First a brief reacquantaince (after years of riding the multiblade bandwagon), it shaved smooth, I looked forward to morning again. When I replaced that first blade... it would not shave! I had dyslexically put the razor back together upside down. Flipped and retightened, it works like a charm again. A "clamshell" type safety razor would eliminate that. But this was in stock and when weighed against the price of yet another "name" blade pack replacement (the no name store brands tore me up out of the package), I jumped on it. No regrets. Better luck "necks" time.

 

[Tomasso]

I didn't nick myself once but there is that apprehension all the same.

 

[RondoHatton]

On the heels of that image:

http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u90/Mr_Mid_Century_Modern/fedora lounge/ripped.jpg

 

[Maj.Nick Danger]

What is the proper technique to shave the back of one's neck?

Very carefully!

 

[Tomasso]

Save this for the thread on electric razors.

 

[The real Henry]

What is the proper technique to shave the back of one's neck?

I simply use two mirrors to do that.



Regards,
Henrik

 

[Orgetorix]

I have the barber shave my neck when he cuts my hair, and it doesn't need shaving more often than that.

 

[jamespowers]

Oh thanks---as if I wasn't apprehensive enough. :eusa_doh:

 

[cooncatbob]

I don't find my use of multiple razors to be much different than that of a builder, soldier, surgeon, painter, chef, etc... who require various tools (and their replacement parts) to get the job done. Or is there some rule that says you may only use one tool for the job? [huh]

No: there's no rule but the fact that you feel the need to use 3 different razors suggest that none of then are up to the job. As a head shave I used to use the Headblade on my head and the Mach3 on my face and around my ears as the Headblade not suited to either shaving ones face or the fine work of going around the ears. I did this for several years the I rediscovered the DE razor Old Ironsides which I had abandoned in the distant past as a tool of medieval torture good for nothing but carving chunks of flesh from ones face. When I started to use the DE again I also discover the sites "Shavemyface" and "Badgerandblade" from these site I learned about blades better then the generic from Walgreens like Feather, Derby and Israelis. I also learned about beard reduction taking multiple passes and maintaining proper blade angle. My back ground as a Professional woodworker has helped with my understanding of proper blade angle and I feel many problems that people have with cartridge razors stem from the fact that pivoting head take away control of the blade angle away from the shaver. This might be why you need to use 3 different razors. Anyway after I felt that I had mastered shaving my face with the DE I noticed that my fave shaves were superior to the headshaves that I was getting using the Headblade with Sensor Excel cartridges. I became determined to learn to shave my head with the DE. While there was a learning curve and headshaving with a DE isn't for everyone I have mastered the skill and now only use 1 razor at a time, of course I have many razors (RAD) which I rotate through. I'm no longer a slave to Gillette's latest technological terror, what will it be next? 6 blades or 7, 8? Through my own research I have determined that it's not the quantity of the blades but the quality. Gillette's Mach and Fusion razors would still shave great if they only had 1 blade but Gillette wouldn't be able to justify charging $3 a piece for then.

 

[Tomasso]

after I felt that I had mastered shaving my face with the DE .

Do you shave against the grain with a DE?

 

[cooncatbob]

Do you shave against the grain with a DE?

Sometimes and in some places. Most of the time I shave 1st pass with the grain relather then shave across the grain. I use a brush and soap or cream. I don't claim to be an expert, most of best information I found was at
www.shavemyface.com under the shave my face university heading.
I also found that with a DE better blades can be found online like Feathers and Derbys.

 

[M_Jones]

First of all let me say that I HATE Shaving more than words can express. I am in the military so it is a daily requirement for me. The other day I realized that I was out of DE blades and had to use a new three bladed razor. It felt like I was shaving with a butterknife and looked like I splashed on some battery acid when I was through. *shudders* It was awful.

Now having said that, a DE isn't much better. I sucked it up and bought the expensive shaving soaps, badger brushes, aftershave and of course a Merkur DE razor. Although it does feel better and is far nicer than a mach 3 (to me at least) I still find that I get ingrown hairs and nicks (especially below the jaw line). I hear that it is all about routine and maybe mine is lacking but I'll be darned if I can figure out where.[huh]

I guess for me a DE is the lesser of two evils.......