My dad gave me a DE for my 16th birthday and that was 31 years ago. However I did not start using a brush and soap until I joined the Navy. I served on submarines and canned cream was not a good idea plus they took up to much room in my kit.
I still use a butterfly DE with Feather blades and only strayed once back in the 80's when I tried one of the twin blade injectors for about a week because my DE at the time broke and I grabbed what I could at the exchange quickly and they did not have a DE in stock. When I found another DE I bought immediately and have stayed loyal since.