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Has this been your experience re: DE safety razors vs electric shavers?

I prefer mild razors like the Gillette Techs, the Henson mild, the Winning razor, and Game Changer .68p. I don't even particularly favor the sharpest blades. Astra plats, Gillette Silver Blues, Voskhod are frequently in use, no Feathers for me.
Now try not to be an old traditional shaving grouch, be objective.
I have a Panasonic Arc 5 electric shaver that I have used for months at a time. My experience is that the worst shave I have ever had from a DE safety razor was a closer, cleaner shave than I get from my top tier electric shaver.
I am trying to encourage myself to settle for an SAS or DFS instead of relentless pursuing a BBS, which frequently gets me nicks, cuts and irritation. Any DE safety razor shave is a good shave, IMO.
I love to poke the hornets' nest!
 
For most of my life I shaved with a rotary razor. Never amazing shaves, but always easy and reliable. Blades are somewhat expensive.

To get a good shave with it took quite a bit of time, relatively sharp blades, and was pretty boring. But I could end up with a fine shave every time. To get the equivalent with a DE probably doesn't take much more time and is more enjoyable. Taking a bit more time I can get a better shave than is possible with the rotary, but does add time and a bit of risk for a nick.
 
I prefer mild razors like the Gillette Techs, the Henson mild, the Winning razor, and Game Changer .68p. I don't even particularly favor the sharpest blades. Astra plats, Gillette Silver Blues, Voskhod are frequently in use, no Feathers for me.
Now try not to be an old traditional shaving grouch, be objective.
I have a Panasonic Arc 5 electric shaver that I have used for months at a time. My experience is that the worst shave I have ever had from a DE safety razor was a closer, cleaner shave than I get from my top tier electric shaver.
I am trying to encourage myself to settle for an SAS or DFS instead of relentless pursuing a BBS, which frequently gets me nicks, cuts and irritation. Any DE safety razor shave is a good shave, IMO.
I love to poke the hornets' nest!
I also prefer mild DE razors, and I also have an Arc 5. In the past I have used Norelco, which I prefer to panasonic. Electrics were very handy when I was working and time was tight.

I can get a good result with the electric. If my 34HD DE shave result is a 10, then a careful, well prepped Arc 5 shave is an 8. A quick, sloppy Arc 5 shave is a 6 (and on my scale I'll call 5 and above "acceptable").

It's not all about the final result for me, though. The DE process is more enjoyable. And I always get BBS with nicks and irritation being rare, maybe once every 10 or so shaves.
 
I used electric shavers for decades until I discovered B&B many years back. I got acceptable shaves but nothing close to what I get with my DE razors and SE razors. I also enjoy the wet shaving process much more.

I still use my electric to shave around my goatee as I can get a little closer to my whiskers without accidentally cutting into them.
 
Mild DE here also
the GC I am inbetween the 68 and 84 my timeless 68 wolfman .95 are my favs

I used a Braun forgot the exact model but its 10 yrs old ? Was the top then and before I got into this DE a couple years ago I used that and cart razors mostly and hated shaving was always a as little as I needed to as it just burnt and made my face soar
tried a rotary and was just a pull the hair ouch ouch ouch thing :)

WOW wish I found this DE thing years ago :) but yeah nothing is even close to the DE shave once I found the gear I like I have had some pretty bad shaves with DE that are razors just to much for my face the Lupo or the Rex Ambassador as example

so yeah now shaving daily look forward to it and my skin and face have never been better

I did go back and try each and what I thought was close was not even close and while I spend more time with DE because its fun and I want to the electric is close to the same time and no where near as close in any way not nearly as comfy not nearly as close and way more mess as I hate that whisker dust so I do it over the sink (neat freak) and then trying to condition or calm my face down not only that electric burn that just lasts way to long through the day

I do use my electric at times still to clean up the back of my neck and edge of my ears :) I hate hate hair where it should not be and at 59 like most you know it grows in odd spots sometimes :) hahahhaha


so YUP now my boy is only 13 but going to teach him from the start and let him choose his path :) but at least he will have all the tools
 
I still use my electric to shave around my goatee as I can get a little closer to my whiskers without accidentally cutting into them.
I have a vandyke so I can relate to that but got pretty good these days and dont tend to cut in

BUT learning the DE I had some odd angles once in a while learning when to stop cause the DE does not care if its long or short unlike the electric or cart types that would kinda hit and stall or just not cut so can relate !!
 
I used electrics for several years, trying compact, micro, "premium," etc., much as I have done with DE/SE/SR.

I've not found my electric shaves to be of any significant duration. 4 hours if I'm blowing through the shave, 6-ish if I take my time. By duration, I mean time until I feel roughage all around.

My high efficiency DEs easily deliver 12 hour shaves, with the only lightly tacky feel being ATG under my chin.

I don't recall ever trying any DE that could not deliver 6-8 hours, and I believe that's pretty much been the standard, striking the balance between fast and comfortable while delivering reasonably lasting professional appearance.
 
I solely used electric razors my entire 20 years in the Navy, mainly for the convenience, but also because cartridge razors and cheap SE disposables turned my face and neck to hamburger. I never got a super close shave with an electric without serious work, which meant bare, mostly unlubricated metal rubbing against my face thousands of times a minute pass after pass after pass, and I always used top notch electrics, the last being a Braun 7 series. So I just settled for close-enough-to-pass-inspection results.

Though there was a learning curve, my DE shaves have rivaled any shave I’d ever had with an electric, hands down. Plus, the lack of long-lasting burning and irritation (if any at all) is enough for me to never go back to an electric whatsoever for any reason at all.
 
I haven't tried an electric razor in at least 15 years, but before that I tried several different models and never had any success. Mostly I used top of the line Norelco rotary and Braun foil razors, but none of them provided a close and comfortable shave. I liked the idea of electric razors but just couldn't get them to work for me.
 
I’ve been using eletric since I was a teenager. My last is a Arc 4. Until I started wet shaving a one year ago, shaving was a chore that I want to get done as soon as possible. Revisiting some old photos, I can see now the shaves wasn’t that close.

Any DE provides a closer shaves, although, in my opinion, soap is the main difference. Nowadays, my skin looks better. Using a brush and a good soap is far superior than shaving with a electric without any skin preparation.
 
I gave up on electric razors when I was 17 and then switched over to the new fangled Trac II. I couldn’t get a good shave out of the electric and it felt as though someone was plucking the hairs right off my face and neck. Of course I struggled in the beginning with the Trac II. I switched over to DE razors close to 10 years ago.

For medical reasons (blood thinners) I now only use mild DE razors. I find that I can get a DFS every time in two passes and I enjoy the shaves very much, with no roughness or irritation at all.

A SAS? Nah! I think it just takes some time to fine tune your technique and you will also end up with a DFS every time.
 
I remember the Remington microscreen commercials from the 1980s: "Shaves as close as a blade, or your money back!"

My Dad has been using electrics for 40+ years. I think it takes him at least as long, or longer, to get to a good shave than I take with a DE razor.

I haven't used an electric daily for probably 20 years or so, but I do have a battery-operated Braun travel shaver that I use on occasion. It's a wet/dry shaver and it provides a socially acceptable quick shave in a short amount of time. Not nearly as close or comfortable as a "proper" DE shave, though.
 
I haven’t used a electric in 13-14 years and a multi blade in about the same! In switching I got rid of a steady stream of ingrown hairs, razor bumps and irritation!!! I am no longer chasing a BBS shave and I am fine with a DFS with my current rotation.

Tom
 
I have a fast growing, coarse beard that simply isn't a good match for an electric shaver. Whatever advantages they offer in time and convenience doesn't turn a failure into a success. To the extent they work, it won't be for long, and it won't handle multiple days growth without irritation.

I don't think I'm jealous of those who get satisfactory results with electrics, but rather baffled. I've used them in a final line of defense back-up/spot performer roll in the distant past. No more. Kind of the spirit of "For the people who like that sort of thing, that's the sort of thing those people like."

And however much truly better they are now than N years ago-- and I don't doubt that they are truly oh so much better now-- it won't be good enough, and the exact same thing was truly and correctly said of them N years ago.
 
I prefer mild razors like the Gillette Techs, the Henson mild, the Winning razor, and Game Changer .68p. I don't even particularly favor the sharpest blades. Astra plats, Gillette Silver Blues, Voskhod are frequently in use, no Feathers for me.
Now try not to be an old traditional shaving grouch, be objective.
I have a Panasonic Arc 5 electric shaver that I have used for months at a time. My experience is that the worst shave I have ever had from a DE safety razor was a closer, cleaner shave than I get from my top tier electric shaver.
I am trying to encourage myself to settle for an SAS or DFS instead of relentless pursuing a BBS, which frequently gets me nicks, cuts and irritation. Any DE safety razor shave is a good shave, IMO.
I love to poke the hornets' nest!

+1! For me, ‘any DE safety razor shave is a good shave!!!‘ Plus, it’s more fun.
 
I use both. Each has a place. DE for months then face will get irritated each shave. Switch to foil for a few months. Both work equally well.

Most of my enjoyment comes from aftershaves.
 
I prefer mild razors like the Gillette Techs, the Henson mild, the Winning razor, and Game Changer .68p. I don't even particularly favor the sharpest blades. Astra plats, Gillette Silver Blues, Voskhod are frequently in use, no Feathers for me.
Now try not to be an old traditional shaving grouch, be objective.
I have a Panasonic Arc 5 electric shaver that I have used for months at a time. My experience is that the worst shave I have ever had from a DE safety razor was a closer, cleaner shave than I get from my top tier electric shaver.
I am trying to encourage myself to settle for an SAS or DFS instead of relentless pursuing a BBS, which frequently gets me nicks, cuts and irritation. Any DE safety razor shave is a good shave, IMO.
I love to poke the hornets' nest!
IMO, once a guy knows the ways of DE shaving, a daily BBS is easily obtainable without nicks, weepers, cuts, irritation, or madness. It's having the right prep, knowledge, gear for your face and beard, and technique. I've been doing it daily for decades. Do I sometimes get a nick or weeper? Sure, if I lost focus for a moment or got careless but it's very rare. I think I just might be lucky as well because my skin, while fair complected, with a medium beard, simply doesn't cause too many challenges. My biggest issue is aging but, so far, I'm beating that too when it comes to my daily shave.
 
Yup. We shave with DE safety razors because it's fun, interesting, and a challenge. But honestly, I think those "monstosities" like the Fusion 5 and the Mach 3 are extremely well engineered and designed, and I get very comfortable, close shaves effortlessly with these razors. I can be on auto pilot with these razors. You don't have to shave with one or the other, you can shave with whatever type razor you feel like on any given day. I go through phases when I like a good electric shaver for the convenience. So I keep traditional DE safety razors, Fusion 5, Mach 3, a Panasonic Arc 5 and a Braun Series 3. So shoot me, I'll do whatever I feel like. :)
 
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