How did you discover DE shaving?

[DougieB]

I went to Sam's Wholesale Club early last month to purchase my Gillette Fusion cartridges. I woke up. $45 for 16 cartridges?!? Never again. That's $45 four or five times a year.
I walked out empty handed. Went home and google-ed shaving. Ended up on B&B and the rest is history. Better, closer, smoother, less irritating shave.

 

[CptNemo]

I just found a brand new one in a store. A black Williams classic. I had read the article on Art of Manliness but did'nt really went out looking for a DE. But then and there I just bought the Williams, a brush and soap and for about a year I was happy with this cheap form of shaving. Then I took on straight shaving and with that I began to hoard razors, soaps and brushes and said goodbye to cheap shaving.

 

[Urlte]

I use to shave with a Gillette Fusion and an electric razor. My problem was that I could not get a close shave with just an electric razor and I needed new Fusion carts, but I did not want to pay 30$ for just 4 carts that would clog up. So I remember on one episode of Heroes where this guy used a DE Razor and I thought it looked neat so I looked at on Google different ways to shave. If it wasn't for that one episode of Heroes where the guy shaves with a DE, then I might have still been stuck on thinking carts is the only way. I might have not saved much more since switching over, but now my shaves are more enjoyable and I love my display of my razors. The single blade is way of the baby BBS shave.

 

[johnnypipe]

For 50+ years I've done nothing but wet shave with either a straight blade, DE, or Injector and a brush/mostly boar and a mug/now a scuttle. Never used a can of shave cream/gel or a multi-blade razor. I might just have to make a trip to the store and buy a can and a multi-blade just to find out what it's all about.

On second thought, why try to fix something that's not broke or reinvent the wheel. Probably just take the money I would spend on a can and a multi-blade and buy me a new Semogue or Omega boar.

 

[markewallace]

Wife kept commenting on how much the Schick Quattro cartridges cost us every year. I went out on Amazon to see if they cost any less out there, and one of the Suggested Items in my view was a EJ DE89. That was my research starting point. Didn't take me long to find this place, Mantic's vids, and a few other sites, all of which eventually convinced me to leave the cartridges behind. Now I'm one of many folks who are making up for the money saved in cartridges by buying more safety razors than he'll ever need.

- Mark

 

[The Kiwi]

Were you once a multiblade shaver or electric shaver?
I'm wondering how you discovered DE shaving?

What's your story?

I suspect that I'm on the upper end of the range of men who have come in here. As a young person, I saw mostly DE blade advertisements and DE razors used on the movie screens. My grandfather had a set of seven straight razors, but my father preferred electric shavers. My high school coaches didn't like "long" peach fuzz on a boy's upper lip or as sideburns. I shaved once a week, using ordinary Ivory bar soap and some kind of SE razor I acquired from an Aunt or Uncle. I was given a Good Will DE, but it was prone to both nicking me and leaving behind a case of razor burn, when used with the bar soap (no brush).

I still have the Good Will, although not the SE. At college, I started using Injector Razors with the period's foam in squirt cans, and got good shaves with the sparse beard I had then. Some time in the mid to late 1960s, I bought both a TracII and my first Slim Adjustable, and used them together. I was starting my first mustache, and the TracII was for trimming that, with its dainty head. I still have the TracII and all three Gillette Adjustables I bought. No one showed me how to shave; there were no videos, no U-Tube, I learned by doing it, and reading the labels on the products I used.

I'd "graduated" from canned foam to shaving cream in a tube, and eventually added shaving brushes to stir that into a better lather. A series of alterations in life style resulted in holding two jobs at once and not having enough time for much of a real shaving ritual, and I detoured into the path of the unrighteous, using cartridge razors and shaving gels to get rid of the beard faster, if not as comfortably. I've retired, and feel more free about both skipping shaving on weekends, and taking time for a real old-fashioned shave again. It's a very pleasant feeling when I do shave, once again.

 

[Giant Kiwi]

Always wanted to try a straight razor plus the cost of Gillette Fusion razor blades in Ireland was about €20 for 8.
So while recovering from spinal surgery last year I got myself set up with a DE to start with and worked on angles and lather until I could do it blindfolded almost.
Then when I could stand up for longer I moved onto straights.
Best thing I ever did.
Apart from getting my back fixed of course.

 

[Gatsby]

I was tired of the cost and sub-par results of the multi-blade carts.
A few searches on Google later, I came across mantic's videos and the Art of Manliness article on "shaving like your grandfather."
The latter lead me to B&B!

 

[stefa_no]

I was looking rather unkempt one week at work and got into a discussion about shaving with a colleague. I explained to him that I started out on the Mach 3, graduated to more blades with not much better results. After dealing with a fair amount of irritation and ingrowns bought an electric razor and had been using one for the past three years. After complaining about having uncomfortable shaves even with the electric, he pretty much sold me on the gillette fusion proglide power. I visited the local supermarket but was disgusted by the exorbitant cartridge prices. Convinced there had to be something better I visited the local barber and perused their selection of shave soaps and badger brushes. Did a bit of googling, read The Art of Manliness article "How to Shave like your Grandfather" and was set on trying this "new" form of shaving. I found this forum and then mantic59's videos when the penny dropped. Found a terrific online vendor (I'm in Australia) bought some product and have been somewhat obsessed ever since. My wife still asks me what I'm looking up on my phone even though she KNOWS I'm on the forums. She doesn't quite understand what AD is but will soon when I get my second batch of shaving supplies this week!

 

[vocalistbob]

Every time I'd pass the Art of Shaving store at my local upscale mall, I'd think "How do these guys stay in business?". I never saw any customers in the store. A buddy of mine runs a men's clothing shop in the same mall and he told me that if I were to sit and watch the store on a Saturday afternoon, I'd be amazed at the number of shoppers. I thought to myself "There must be something going on there that I don't know about". So I checked the AOS website, looked up internet sellers and finally stumbled upon one of GeoFatBoy's youtube videos - and that got me hooked. I had never been able to give myself a decent shave - I had tried all of the multi-blade cartridge razors and high-end electrics with no luck, so this seemed to be the next logical step. I have been addicted to wet shaving every since.

 

[wstruth]

I saw a link to shaving web site. The link was about getting a luxurious shave. I've been hooked ever since.

 

[Lar]

I was introduced to DE shaving as a teen in the early '60s. That's what most people used then I think. I briefly tried a few other types and jumped on the Trak2 when it came out. I stayed with that for years and finally moved up to the Mach3. I kept with that even after the newer stuff came out because I didn't want to be constantly chasing the latest and greatest. Besides how many blades do you really need in a cartridge? As I got older I developed carpal tunnel and my hands started shaking somewhat and I noticed I was cutting myself more and more frequently with the Mach3. I decided to go electric which had always irritated my skin in the past. I got a Braun 800 series with self cleaning, etc. I must admit after the first week it didn't irritate my skin much and gave a reasonable shave even though not as close as the Mach3. But I didn't cut myself either. During this time I became aware of how much my wife was spending to keep my Mach3 and Braun electric ready to go. I thought the cost of the cartridges was outrageous (no wonder Gillette sometimes gives away the razor!). I soon discovered that the cost of the electric was almost as bad. I thought the electric would just be a heavy initial outlay and then it would be almost nothing. Wrong! You need to replace that cleaning solution every 3-4 weeks and the head wears out every year. So I finally decided I'd go back to DE shaving, if it still existed. I researched the subject on the internet and quickly found that it did still exist and found this wonderful website which provided me with all the information and links to vendors that I'd ever need.

My challenge now - not to let this become another hobby that will cost me thousands of dollars like I did fountain pens once I discovered The Fountainpen Network! And I can see that this will be a major challenge. I'm already "wanting" what I don't really "need".

Larry

 

[Comet]

Found Mantic's video on how to clean a shaving brush. Started watching his other videos and was hooked. Google brought me here.

 

[bAkewelle]

Tried my grandparent Schick old razor like it, and wanted more

 

[tjm]

I was looking for the ultimate shave, and all I knew about was straight razors. So while seeking info about the subject, I came across B&B. I thought DE shaving would be a good intro to straight blades; little did I know that I would be completely sidetracked into a whole new and fascinating aspect of grooming. I can see this getting expensive over time, but thats what happens to me when find a great hobby.

 

[wwilson]

I've always used a mug and brush. I was told at 17 that using a brush would make my beard grow thicker...I have used a Sensor Excel for as long as I can remember. I started out with the OS mug and Williams and the ER C40 combo until the wife introduced me to Cade. Having a beard since 1997 has allowed me to only need to shave my neck so cartridge issues were never a financial concern. SWMBO has brought several 3,4 and 5 bladed razors home for me to try and I always returned them to her and stuck with my trusty Excel. I found this site from AoM last year and I finally jumped on the Amazon deal for the DE89 back in January...

 

[Jorocom]

By finding shaving web sites.

 

[The Easy Life]

Walked into target to get some fusion cartridges since I was down to my last two. At $18 for four I got aggravated. Didn't buy them and thought I would search the WWW for a cheaper alternative. Ended up here and my decision was made in a week. I bought the stuff and haven't looked back.

 

[TAP119]

After 32 years of mainly shaving with an electric and getting worse and worse shaves as I'd gotten older I went back to wet shaving. I'd started shaving in 1974 with a Gillette Open Comb 3-piece my Dad had given me, then a Wilkinson cartridge razor but changed to electrics as I was always nicking myself into hamburger. Dad wasn't any help. In September 2010, I'd had enough. Lousy shaves from even new electric razors led me to use canned goo and a cartridge razor.

In the 1990s after the Sensor came out, I'd gotten a lot of free or low-cost Sensor starter kits and I had liked them. I shaved pretty well with the Sensor carts and I had a few left. So, in September 2010, I dug them out and used the few I had but noticed they clogged quickly and I couldn't clear them. I changed carts after they clogged too densely and went to buy more. Sticker shock! I just could not believe that cartridges had gotten that expensive! I really didn't wish to pay $45.00 for 10 cartridges which only lasted a few shaves. Then I remembered something.........

Dad's FatBoy and my Open Comb never clogged. They always rinsed clean, so I began searching for a DE razor since I no longer had one. Maybe I still had my Open Comb but I had no idea where it was (like buying another hammer) so I looked online and tried an inexpensive DE razor--an aluminum Weishi for $8. It was awful but I saw the benefit of DE shaving and then began shopping eBay. I bought a Long Handle Super Adjustable which was just right for my large hands and long fingers. It broke shortly after but I got another and I still have it. And love it. Then, I started trying different blades and soaps and I've been a DE True Believer ever since. I've tried a FatBoy, a Super Speed, a Red Tip, an SE G-Bar and an Open Comb but I still keep my Black Beauty as my go-to razor. I also like my Schick Type G and my Gem 1912 in my rotation.

 

[DaveL]

I used to hate shaving, the cart razors, especially those with 3+ blades would irratate me badly. It got so bad that I wouldn't shave unless I had to go to work.

Then I saw the Jonah Goldberg segment on the Today Show. Now I look forward to shaving.