I used to spend 15 bucks a month on Fusion blades. So I have probably saved 500-700 dollars over the years on blades. That's probably what my shaving gear cost, so it is a wash on cost. Of course, I now get to treat my face to an array of vintage Gillette DE razors, a Merkur HD razor, and straight razors. And Muhle, Rooney, and Vulfix Silvertip badger hair brushes. The best part, beyond the MUCH superior shave, is the products. At the store, there is like three brands of shitty shave "gels" and even worse foam in a can products. The stuff you get from Proraso, Colonel Conk, Art of Shaving, Tabac, and others is so far superior it isn't even funny, and it makes you actually smell like a fucking man instead of a hospital. Tabac shaving soap + Rooney medium brush + Merkur HD + Feather razor blades = perfection. I actually enjoy shaving... at this level, it is almost like pampering yourself.
Are there any ladies out there using a double edge safety razor? I spent forever reading about this and there seems to be a small contingent of very happy women doing so. I have CRAZY sensitive skin and have to use a super sharp blade every time because even a hint of drag gives me razor burn/ingrown hairs, so I spend a shit ton of money on razor blades. I wax, so I wouldn't have to shave anything too delicate. Thoughts/suggestions?
I use a Mekhur heavy duty safety razor, with a puck and brush. It shaves way better than those 3 or 5 blade disposables did, and costs a fraction of the price. I recommend them to everyone. Just get a styptic pencil for the slight learning curve on them. I have pretty coarse facial hair, I find the brush helps a lot with dealing with it. Blades cost me maybe $15 or $20 a year. Oddly, my mom used the same razor (type, not the actual razor) growing up. She thought it was better than anything else on the market at the time, and still recommends them. My friend just bought me a Dovo straight razor for my Christmas, I look forward to slitting my throat open with it a few times.
There are definitely women who use a DE. You could use a brand new (super sharp) blade every single day of the year for under $100 if you really wanted to. From what I've read women's shaving differs from men in that you're don't need as aggressive a razor, and a longer handle is helpful. If you dig around you can get some recommendations on specific razors. Also a good brush/cream is worth trying to see what kind of improvement that gives you.
My facial hair is all kinds of fucked up. It is course. I can actually make scratches on my wife's skin with it. The individual hairs are also super thick. However in terms of density, I have nothing. I had a friend that at 15 could grow a better beard than I can now, 11 years later. Hell, I am actually missing hair follicles or something where the stache turns into a goatee, so the one time I grew a beard for a play, I had patches. Worse, some of my beard hairs are red.
Alt-Focus: I prefer to use an electric shaver and have stubble. At the moment I have a cheap one that does the job but does anyone recommend a good one that keeps a tidy stubble for work (corporate environment) without it looking like I was stranded on an island with a ball named Wilson for two weeks?
I don't get why some people can have stubble and it not bother them. Am I alone in having stubble sharp enough to leave scratches?
My stubble is extremely rough as well but it doesn't bother me in the slightest. I have to shave for work but every time I think I can get away with it I don't shave. I've found if I shave my neck every few days when I'm growing a beard I don't get itchy at all. As to going through razor blades I'll be lucky to change mine more than once a month so cost doesn't really bother me, I only ever get a bit of skin damage on my neck towards the end of the week, nothing that upsets me enough to change the way I shave.
I use the old school shaving soap+brush too, not sure if its effective as 'purists' say but it really helped out with my acne when I was 19 so I've found no reason to switch. I can't verify it's miles better than aerosol cans, but a $5 soap lasts me a year and it's certainly no worse. As for electric shavers, I only use a trimmer for my goatee by Wahl and it's been great. My brother shaves regularly with a mid-to-high end Braun (which he will constantly remind you was ACTUALLY MADE IN GERMANY) and he generally looks clean shaven.
Re: TiB Tips and Tricks I want to make sure I'm not missing something before I venture into this DE thing. I assuming that DE is an abbreviation for double edge, and that double edge means two edges. As in shave with one edge, then turn it around and shave the next day with the other new edge. So, if an average month has 30 days . . . 10x2 = 20. $1.59 / 20 = $0.795. $0.795 * 30 = $2.39. $2.39 < three bucks. Is that right? Also, I heard a guy call into the Clark Howard show (radio guy based out of Atlanta that discusses ways to save money and avoid getting ripped off) that said he used to work for Gillette or Schick or somebody. He said that the blades in the multi-pack multi-blade razors have a thin extra coating on them to prevent rust. It takes one shave, generally to scrape that coating off. So, your sharpest blade shave would be your second shave with those. I don't know if that's right, or if the DE blades have a similar coating.
I don't shave anymore because my skin is sensitive. I wax. it is awesomely smooth and I've gotten pretty quick at it. Some girls say it "hurts too much." I don't know what to say to that because I don't notice it. Plus they have cooling gel with lidocaine for any sissies.
Everyone who is saying that a shave with a DE razor will cut your face up is right...for the first few shaves. One cannot shave with a DE razor the same way you would with a cartridge razor. The cartridge razor allows for fewer, longer passes accross the face. The DE requires many, shorter strokes. It isn't that great of a hurdle to learn how to adopt this method, but for me it was the difference between the Closest Shave Ever (TM) or looking like my face ran into the business end of an ornery cat. Also, the soap you use really matters. I use CO Bigelow Premium Shave Cream from Bath & Body Works, which is just a rebranded version of Proraso from Italy. When I first started I picked up one of the sampler packs of blades, because I had no idea what to get. Over time I have come to prefer Feather because I feel they are the sharpest, but Wilkinson Sword are also very nice and the most forgiving if you're still working on technique.
I'm a shaving soap guy as well and will probably switch to the Merkur HD once my cartridges run out, is this what you use for blades?
I got a safety razor recently and tried it out for the same nostalgic like feelings of shaving like the Drapedog. No one had ever actually taught me how to shave in the first place so I had just been hacking away with A Quatro and Mach 3 for years. I youtubed how to use a DE safety razor and learned the right stroke and patterns for reducing and cleaning up the rest. It still takes me a while to get a complete baby's ass shave with the DE, seeing as you have to refoam multiple times if you want the super smooth feeling. I tried the same stroke and pattern techniques with a new Mach 3 blade and it gave me the quickest and smoothest shave I have ever had. You don't have to worry about holding the blade at the perfect angle like you do with DE's because it is already manufactured that way. So if I am in a rush (usually) I still use my Mach 3. If I have a little more time on my hands I'll use the safety as a sort of labor of love treat. I too have a shitty collection of man hair on my face. I can get away with shaving twice a week as it usually takes a day and a half to produce a five oclock shadow. My job isn't too particular about being freshly shaven so I rarely go through razor blades that fast.
I actually prefer 1-2 day growth over anything else. And I've got a porcupine pelt on my face. Its perfect for scratching my palms after I eat tomato sauce. Or combing my sister in laws Siberian Husky.
I have very coarse black hair. I also get a lot of razor burn and ingrown hairs from shaving. It's been an endless battle to find something that works. I use Venus razors these days and they do an alright job. I started watching some youtube videos about single blade shaving. This one in particular said something in the intro that made me think: The pivot head razors are designed to pull the hair up slightly out of its follicle and the next blade or blades hack it off. This might be the reason that I always have problems just below the surface of the skin. I will read up some more and buy some of these blades. It's a cheap experiment and I hope it pays off. I know I cringe when I have to go pick up razors. I usually end up not shaving much and wearing pants because the experience is so painful and the razors are so pricey.
I've used reglar Mach 3's since they've invented them, but I can use plain ol' shitty razors if I'm on vacation or in jail just fine. I shave every two days unless I'm feeling Don Johnsoney. However guys, let me stress this: NOTHING beats getting a professional hot shave from a barber with the good old fashioned Deadly Death Razor (Of Death). I only recently tried one for the first time and MAN. Refreshing. And barbers are usually cheap (another great thing about being a dude) so have at it. As long as you're not worried about Gene Hackman sneaking up on you (I was a little), you should be fine.
If you don't want to switch to an old-school razor but still want to save some cash, you can often find auctions on ebay for Mach3 (or whatever brand) cartridges in bulk quantities. I've never actually bought cartridges from there as I don't shave clean very often but a buddy of mine does and has never had a problem with getting used or obviously counterfeit cartridges. Or, if you're gullible and possibly retarded, you can use The Power of Pyramids to keep your blades sharp. Simply place your razors inside a pyramid made from wire and the Mystic Power of the Pyramid will keep it sharp.