I am going back to my Fusion also. . .

[warhawk]

Hi Gents: Hope all is well with you and your families. I just wanted to say that it was a fun ride with this safety razor journey but I'm going back to my Gillette Fusion.

BTW... I am just joking and kidding. I noticed that a few of our B&B members have went back to the cartridge world. I remember someone here who went back to his Mach3 and recently someone who went back to his Fusion Proglide. To the few who have went back to the cartridge world... I am glad that you have found your combo. Shaving is definitely a YMMV. Not everyone will like the safety razor world.

Basically... I am writing just to let you know that I am a former cartridge shaver. Prior to discovering the safety razor world... I was a big fan of the Gillette Fusion and Schick Hydro5. However... since April 2012 I have discovered the world of safety razors and have been enjoying this fun and incredible journey.

Yeah... I know it takes longer to shave compared to cartridge razors but this is NOT a race. This is about me. This is my "me" time. This is my zen-time. This is the only time that I am "away" from the world. I enjoy my spa-time. I deserve it.

No... I am not in it for saving the money. Are ya kidding me? I am in the safety razor journey because it is a fun and challenging way to shave. It is fun trying different products. It is fun meeting new friends here on B&B. You guys are quality gents.

So... if you are a former cartridge world person and you have embraced the safety razor world, let me hear your story. As long as I have great coordination of my upper extremities... I am continuing on my safety razor journey.

Carry on gents and happy shaves,

WARHAWK

Real Men Wear Pink: Proud supporter of Breast Cancer Awareness Month

 

[barnstormer]

I just gave up my cartridges. I love the shaves I am getting and only expect them to get better as I improve my technique. I had been using a mach 3 and barbasol canned cream. The shave wasn't that bad but at the price of cartriges, I would use them way beyond their useful life. Thats when the shaves got uncomfortable. I did move over to a safety razor for the money savings (if I can harness the AD i can feel welling up inside me, time will tell) but more for the experience. The Zen aspect is what really intrigued me. I have found it quite relaxing, almost meditative. I've read posts about how fast you can get done with the shave. If anything, I wish it took a little longer, just to extend the Zen of it all. It's like driving a classic car. It's not about how fast you get to your destination but enjoying the journey.

So I guess for me, the mach 3 went in the trash and from now on I'll be driving some classics. Peace be the jouney!

 

[Attila]

Great post Warhawk. I too converted over from the cartridge and electric world. My shaves are much more enjoyable now and my skin is in much better shape as well. Am I spending more money? For now yes, but I find my AD settling down into selecting just a few products now that I really like to use and will only need to replace them as they get used up. At that point, I will be saving money. But part of the fun of this hobby is trying out new things and the fact that I had something turned into a really fun activity that was a huge drudgery before is just fantastic. I for one, am never going back to cartridges.

 

[Krona Kruiser]

You freakn' scared there......
I have to admit my first thought was....how much for your UFO handles.......

 

[Monday317]

Hi all,

Seems like a terrific forum, so here I be. I am a current cartridge shaver (Pro-Fusion), which works well enough, but the prices are getting ree-dicklus. In addition as I pass through my 57th year, curmudgeonliness is beginning to rear its ugly head and more often than I not, I decry inexpensive, marginally effective Pacific-Rim crapola so easily found at Wal-Mart et. al. Thus, I'm thinking about getting back to basics, saving some dough--and having more fun shaving! Also, while my neck hasn't actually gone the Vernon Walters route, there are signs of Things Yet to Come in the works...


Anyway, my first question to all you tomomaniacs is DE or SE betterer? I seem to see a shift toward straight razors in general, which is fine if you so say.

A little HIStory: My first shaving experiences (back in the Stone Age when I had hair...) were with a decent Gillette DE from my Dad and the occasional try with an injector. Shaving in my house was self-taught, and I'm lucky today to retain my nose, ears, Adam's Apple and other chunks I use on occasion. The DE was adjustable, and all I really noticed about it was that it was murder on pimples. The injector seemed a tad more goof-proof and I stayed with that until the Gillette Trac-II came out, which was a ton better (for me) at the time. That and Noxema Menthol seemed to work OK, though I confess with shame I strayed once or twice to the Dark Side viz Norelco...

I tried a straight once though was in my late 20's and without patience, which means I gave it right up, though retained a love of brush & cream. Now I use the afore-mentioned Pro-Fusion (feeling like a real dupe: you guys remember that SNL skit of the 70's, right? "Buy the new 'Gillette Trac-III', because... You'll believe anything.") and there we are.

Seems like any carbon-steel, 5/8" hollow ground instrument would be a decent start, with maybe a switch to Prorasso products and a better badger brush to go along with the strop and hone.

Unlike your wives/Significant Others/partners, your opinions are welcome.

 

[j_fro]

You freakn' scared there......
I have to admit my first thought was....how much for your UFO handles.......

I will admit to thinking the exact same thing.

 

[Chicago]

I was a Fusion ProGlide user, and before that I was a Mach3 user (and before that, I was a Sensor Excel user, and before that, I was a Norelco rotating-blade face destroyer user). I used to shave once a week, on Sundays, very grudgingly...I have a very thick beard of very thick whiskers, and shaving was an awful, painful experience. Shaving would leave my skin burning, red, and raw, and it would sometimes be a day or two before the overall pain & redness went away, and I'd be left with painful razor bumps and ingrown hairs for weeks, which would inevitably get nicked during the next shave. I didn't dare go ATG, because the last thing I wanted to do was shave even closer than the Fusion already did, because I just knew that would cause more ingrowns & irritation. I dreaded shaving.

One day just this summer, my neck was still burning pretty badly 3 days after my last shave, when I thought, "screw this, there's got to be something better out there"...a bit of online research led me to DE razors and this site. After reading for a bit and watching a bunch of instructional videos, I ordered an EJ DE89, a badger brush, a pack of Personna red blades, and a tube of Proraso, and bought a bottle of bay rum-based AS splash...my first shave was absolute heaven! Not as close as with the Fusion, but close enough - not bad for my first time. But man, it felt so great! No redness, no pain, within 5 minutes of splashing on some aftershave, I didn't even feel like I'd just shaved. I was completely sold, and have been genuinely enjoying & eagerly anticipating shaves since then, and my skin has never been better - not only do I not have ingrowns, razor bumps, redness, or burning, but my complexion has cleared up completely.

Sure, I've dallied with various ADs over these past few months - in addition to that original kit, I've added 4 more DEs, 2 straights, another brush (a Simpson even), 5 soaps, 4 aftershaves, a strop, and a set of homemade "hones" (a.k.a. lapping films on marble tiles), not to mention a bunch of straights I'm in the process of cleaning up & putting new edges on and a bunch of vintage brushes I'm in the process of restoring - so I have no delusions of saving money through proper DE/straight wetshaving. But that was never my motive...I primarily wanted to put an end to painful, terrible shaves, and in that I've most definitely succeeded.

 

[Giant Kiwi]

I will admit to thinking the exact same thing.

I was thinking about his slants

 

[sychodelix]

You freakn' scared there......
I have to admit my first thought was....how much for your UFO handles.......

+1! Scared the hell outta me! I was like, " Nooo! Not Warhawk too!"

 

[Shave_Rat]

I disagree with the "it takes more time" part. Yes, I love my long leisure time with a nice shave. However, I've timed it, and if I am short on time, I can pull off a 3-5 minute 2 pass SAS after you have general technique nailed down. Took me 3 months or so to get the blade/razor combo, but after that, a squirt of cream, swirl the wet brush 30 seconds, apply and go. That isn't any longer than a canned goop and cart SAS would take me, only I get a better feeling face after the DE shave.

I won't knock the ones that end up liking their carts better, hey, more nice items on the BST to fuel my AD. I just think the time factor is more of perceived than actual.

 

[rxonmymind]

Welcome Monday317. While I can't tell you specifically whether a DE or SE is better that is a matter of preference. Many here still use a trac or injector like myself mow and then. So buy a few razors here on BST and if they don't work for you move onto something else. Good luck.

WARHAWK: I eluded to this in my thread as there seems to be an uptick in people going back to carts. Wonder if they even considered injectors?

 

[DFSDAILY]

I have fun with everything. Most of the time I use a straight and then I'll use a DE for awhile, and finally when the mood strikes I'll dabble with the carts. Straights are my preferred weapon of choice though. Warhawk are you the same as the Warhawk on Sly Guys forum?

 

[Agravic]

Mel, it seems there are
a) tremendous concerns for your supposed departure back to the world of cartridges
b) helpful and eager hands ready to relieve you of your DE gear!
Ha!

 

[Shave_Rat]

Mel, it seems there are
a) tremendous concerns for your supposed departure back to the world of cartridges
b) helpful and eager hands ready to relieve you of your DE gear!
Ha!

Oh yeah, I forgot to comment on that.. so.. how many merkur slants would you no longer be needing?

 

[warhawk]

@ Krona Kruiser, j_fro, Giant Kiwi (Leigh), Agravic (Ravi)and Sychodelix (Jason):

@Rxonmymind: I'm with ya on the Injectors. The Schick Injectors would be a better choice than the cartridges. Of course...YMMV but I would definitely try out an Injector if I had to give up on a DE razor.

Thank goodness that I love my safety razors. At least I already know who will be interested on my DE razors if I ever decide to sell them. Until than... I am loving the safety razor world.

WARHAWK

Real Men Wear Pink: Proud supporter of Breast Cancer Awareness Month

 

[warhawk]

Mel, it seems there are
a) tremendous concerns for your supposed departure back to the world of cartridges
b) helpful and eager hands ready to relieve you of your DE gear!
Ha!

Ha!!! Hey Ravi: If you ever want to get rid of your DE gear... let me know I will even pay for shipping. That goes for Krona Kruiser, Jason, Leigh, and the rest of ya gents.

WARHAWK

Real Men Wear Pink: Proud supporter of Breast Cancer Awareness Month

 

[Krona Kruiser]

This is like pillaging an estate before the inheritance is issued.

 

[warhawk]

@Monday317: Welcome to B&B. Glad that ya joined us. I would suggest you post up your questions in the Newbie Section of the Forum so that you will get more "hits" and responses to your questions. For me... I would try out a DE razor over an SE razor because you can enjoy more variety with different blades. Keep us posted on your safety razor journey and I look forward to seeing you around the forum.

WARHAWK

 

[warhawk]

This is like pillaging an estate before the inheritance is issued.

Ha!!! You gotta to admit that it will be in good hands if anyone of us inherits ones safety razor "estate".

WARHAWK

Real Men Wear Pink: Proud supporter of Breast Cancer Awareness Month

 

[GregDR]

Yeah, I grew up on the Mach 3 and progressed to the Fusion up until a little over a year and a half ago when I started using a DE, SE, etc... I was curious to see how it would feel to use the Fusion again so a few months ago I used it once and immediately chucked it in the garbage. Nothing but irritation, felt like running a cheese grater on my face.

I'm never looking back!!!