I'm Retiring from "the game", Gentlemen

[Tat2d Bald Dude]

After recently just not being able to resist pulling the Gillette Fusion Power Razor out of the drawer again a couple weeks ago, I have made the decision to retire indefinitely/take a LONG leave of absence from DE Shaving. Initially, my goal had been to go cold turkey from the world of canned goo and expensive cartridges, and while SWMBO did get me 2 tubes of C.O. Bigelow for Christmas, she also got me a couple cans of Gillette Fusion shave gel. When I looked at it, I heard my own voice in the back of my head saying "Oh! Well, hello there, old friend. What's that? No, to tell you the truth, I haven't forgotten about you. In fact, with how long this new method of shaving takes me, it's hard to not come back to you". So, that is what I am doing. While I have gotten great shaves with the DE razor, they also haven't necessarily been any better of shaves than I was getting with the Fusion. And the deal breaker seems to be just the mere fact that the Fusion is much quicker than the DE. And for me, who shaves not only his face but his head also, time is a VERY important factor for me in my shaving routine. With the DE, most days, it was taking me about 25-30 minutes to get a BBS shave of JUST my face alone! With the Fusion, I can get a BBS shave of BOTH my face AND head in 20 minutes consistently. And that's a big deal when it's 5:00 on Saturday evening and I've got a hockey game to go to, that I've got to be at the arena at 6:30 for. I don't know if there was something that I was doing wrong, but there were a few of those Saturday nights, where in order to be able to be walking out the door at 6:15, I had to start thinking about getting ready to shave (with the DE) around 4:30, 5:00.

Unfortunately, with the way things looked, I just don't think I was ever going to make it to be able to DE shave my head. I just didn't see it happening. And it would have been twice as expensive buying cartridge products for my head and then wet-shaving products for my face.

I am going to keep my razors in my rotation and I'm going to finish out those 2 tubes of Bigelow that SWMBO got me for Christmas, but after that, I'm going to go back to focusing on just buying the cartridges and canned goo for a while.

I want to thank each and every one of you for your help, advice, suggestions and comments. I never felt more welcome than when I came here to B&B. Thank you and I hope to chat with all of you again soon!

 

[JPM]

Sorry to hear you are leaving. Hopefully you'll come back and try it out again sometime.

 

[richmondesi]

Enjoy your shaves... The time element can definitely be improved upon though. I can do a full shower, 3 pass shave with a straight razor and finish cleanup (including stropping) in less than 20 minutes... In fact, I did it last Wednesday. But, if it's not your bag, then it's not your bag. You can still be a B&Ber and a Fusion Flunky

 

[Go West Young Man]

You're confusing DE shaving and wetshaving - I'll bet you get much better results using a brush and proper cream/soap and prep with your old fusion than you do with canned foam, and it takes only seconds longer.

 

[The Nid Hog]

Yeah, you gotta do what makes you happy. A good shave is a good shave and you shouldn't try to force yourself into something that isn't for you.

 

[kingfisher]

I am using cartridge razors, too, but I wouldn't even think about a Fusion. I am using either Trac II or Atra, depending on my mood. But I'm still whipping up a great lather from a shaving soap pretty much every day, with some top-shelf creams for the days I don't use a soap.

Good luck and enjoy your shaves. Such a coincidence; just this morning I was wondering whatever happened to you because I hadn't seen a post from you in quite some time.

 

[mmack66]

I am using cartridge razors, too, but I wouldn't even think about a Fusion. I am using either Trac II or Atra, depending on my mood. But I'm still whipping up a great lather from a shaving soap pretty much every day, with some top-shelf creams for the days I don't use a soap.

+1. No reason to give up soaps and/or creams, and you might give the Trac II or Sensor a try as well for better shaves with much less cost.

 

[GoldenMonkey]

Hey, at least you're a big enough man to admit it around these parts, lol. No harm in using a Fusion and goo, if it works for you. There's many factors for why all of us shave junkies do what we do, and more often than not, the time involved simply isn't part of the equation. We do it because we like the sensations, the smells, the relaxation, the "focus factor", the "old school" methodology, the geek chic, the collectable nature of old razors, the semi-uniqueness amongst our real world peers, etc. Yes, many folks come here seeking escape from the tedium, the expense, and the less than stellar results of cartridge shaving, but you gotta do what works best for you in the end.

You rock that Fusion, and you rock that Bigelow, and go forth happily, secure in your knowledge that you HAVE seen the other side of the mountain and returned a wiser man!

 

[alabamalawyer]

Hey, do whichever you prefer. I use a straight or DE for my face but still use a Headblade on my head. I will say that with some time the DE speed should increase. I can shave with a DE as fast as a Mach3 or other such cartridge razor. I will admit the straight shaves still take a little longer.

 

[Mr. Scruffy]

Vaya con Díos.

 

[phantomsphan]

You gotta do what you gotta do and I can certainly understand. I find myself pinched for time a lot too. Just like others have said, even if you stick with the Fusion, I'd still try to use the Bigelow and a brush rather than the canned stuff.

And that's a big deal when it's 5:00 on Saturday evening and I've got a hockey game to go to, that I've got to be at the arena at 6:30 for.

Go Griffins!!!!

 

[michiganlover]

You're confusing DE shaving and wetshaving - I'll bet you get much better results using a brush and proper cream/soap and prep with your old fusion than you do with canned foam, and it takes only seconds longer.

+1

I have a hard time believing that someone who has learned proper lathering skills would ever think about going back to canned goo. I personally would miss all of the wonderful scents; to me canned goo has a horrid synthetic chemical smell. It's about as repulsive of a smell as you can find.

I am using cartridge razors, too, but I wouldn't even think about a Fusion. I am using either Trac II or Atra, depending on my mood. But I'm still whipping up a great lather from a shaving soap pretty much every day, with some top-shelf creams for the days I don't use a soap.

+1

There are certainly superior choices available in the cartridge market over the Fusion. I have a Trac II on hand, that I enjoy using once in awhile. It does a great job, and in my mind is the best cartridge razor ever made.

Also, if the O.P. likes the feel of a cartridge razor, the Schick Injector shaves very much like a single blade cartridge with more heft to it.

 

[Greyfox]

Good luck to you. Do what you enjoy and is right for you.

 

[Geordon]

You rock that Fusion, and you rock that Bigelow, and go forth happily, secure in your knowledge that you HAVE seen the other side of the mountain and returned a wiser man!

+ many

 

[Sharpj74]

I'm glad you've found what works for you. I'm sure that the Fusion works wonderfully, if it didn't people wouldnt pay that price for the cartridges, period. I know that few times I use my Sensor, (Wow, it's been a while. Have to bust that out soon.) I always get a great shave. DE & straight shaving appeal to me for the fact that it does take longer, the fact that I have to shut up for 30 min and clear my head of everything but the shave. That's the deal maker for me. I've been on record many times as saying that DE & staright shaving produce no better results than cartridge it's just a preference & the better your prep & technique the better your shave which ever path you choose.

 

[mkevenson]

The Dark side has Won.

May the Force be with you!

Till we meet again.

 

[Slivovitz]

You gotta do what you gotta do and I can certainly understand. I find myself pinched for time a lot too. Just like others have said, even if you stick with the Fusion, I'd still try to use the Bigelow and a brush rather than the canned stuff. . .

+1 on that. But anyway, the use of a forum like this is to make information available, on wetshaving techniques and wetshaving equipment, not to brainwash you into doing something that doesn't work for you. Shaving with a DE, or an SE, injector, or straight, is a methodology, not an ideology. If a Fusion works best for you, then the sensible thing is to stick with it.

 

[lamina]

Retiring from the game, did you say? As Kenny Rogers says on The Gambler lyrics...

If you're gonna play the game, boy, ya gotta learn to play it right
You got to know when to hold' em, know when to fold' em,
Know when to walk away and know when to run...

The tables are 24/24 open here...

 

[htownmmm]

I gots nowhere else ta go!!!!(w/ apologies to Richard Gere).

I wetshave using a DE on my face and a Schick Extreme 3 on my head(it flexes and follows the contours of my dome easily). In this way, I am able to shave on autopilot for the most part. Both areas done in 20 minutes.

Do what's best for you, but don't forget us!



marty

 

[tlanning]

Maybe when you retire/retire you'll have time to return to one of the finer things in life

Good luck