Reverting to cartridge razors for a couple of weeks

[dferrari]

I recently returned from a 2-weeks vacation to the country where I lived until a few months ago. Right before moving (and making the switch to DE razors) I had bought some disposable Gillette cartridge razors and a new can of Gillette shaving gel, which I didn't take with me when I moved. It was bugging me to know that these supplies, no matter how cheap, were going to waste. Also, I was afraid I might forget or misplace my not-so-cheap Feather AS-D1 and I figured that I might as well travel light and just use the cheap stuff that I used for 20+ years. After all, I thought, I had shaved in a similar way (using mostly Mach3 razors) for most of my life and I had been mostly fine. It couldn't be so bad... could it?

Yes, it could. The first time I shaved, I actually had to stop after a single pass and look at the piece of plastic I was holding in my hand. The sound and the feeling were what I would associate to dragging a broken plastic toy on a dirt road that hadn't seen rain in months. In spite of how much care I had taken to prepare my skin for the shave, even if I had painstakingly massaged the gel all over my face multiple times, the resulting foam didn't seem to have any emollient or lubricant effect whatsoever. Once, for the sake of comparison, I tried shaving without using the Gillette gel, simply lathering up my face with a regular soap bar - as I had suspected, the Gillette gel was so ineffective that I could barely tell any difference between it and the regular soap (there was a difference, but it was almost negligible). I also rediscovered just how many passes I had to do to get anything resembling a close shave, going over some spots at least half a dozen times.

I am now back home, enjoying once again my Proraso shaving soap and my Feather AS-D1. I have already decided that, the next time I will take an extended vacation, I will at least pack my Tabac stick and a handful of the disposable DE razors (made by Gillette, of course) which were my first foray into wet shaving. Once you try the real stuff, it is impossible to "unknow" what you learned.

 

[michiganlover]

Hmmm...I can get a great quality shave from a Trac II razor, and a can of Barbasol. So not all canned goo is bad, and not all cartridge razors are bad (the Trac II is actually far from bad, it's a stellar razor; it shaves much like a Schick Injector).

However, Barbasol is simply really boring to use.

 

[Oscroft]

Once, for the sake of comparison, I tried shaving without using the Gillette gel, simply lathering up my face with a regular soap bar - as I had suspected, the Gillette gel was so ineffective that I could barely tell any difference between it and the regular soap

In the past, when I've used cartridge razors, I've found that some good bath soaps (for me it's Cusson's Imperial leather, which I still use for prep), actually worked better than some cans of goop or gel.

...a handful of the disposable DE razors

Or perhaps think of picking up a cheap Tech? My "grab and go" travel bag has an aluminium ball-handle Tech - it works great and is cheap enough to not worry about.

 

[CharlieFoxtrot]

Last weekend I was cleaning out a closet and I found a can of blue barbersol. It was probably close to a year and a half old, but I had recently watched the Barbersol video posted here and decided to be nostalgic about it. I shot a three pass amount of foam into the bowl and went to work with it. I used my daily set-up and made quick work of the beard (it was Monday morning & not much time to savor it). About an hour or two later, I started developing a rash from the bottom of my neck and it worked it's way up. Oh and it burned like the fires of Hell. It's strange that I used this stuff for nearly 20 years and my body now rejects it.

 

[dferrari]

Hmmm...I can get a great quality shave from a Trac II razor, and a can of Barbasol. So not all canned goo is bad, and not all cartridge razors are bad (the Trac II is actually far from bad, it's a stellar razor; it shaves much like a Schick Injector).

However, Barbasol is simply really boring to use.

To be honest, I have never tried a Trac II - maybe I should. I still think, however, that the biggest problem was that horrible Gillette gel.

 

[dferrari]

In the past, when I've used cartridge razors, I've found that some good bath soaps (for me it's Cusson's Imperial leather, which I still use for prep), actually worked better than some cans of goop or gel.



Or perhaps think of picking up a cheap Tech? My "grab and go" travel bag has an aluminium ball-handle Tech - it works great and is cheap enough to not worry about.

I am actually thinking of getting a Merkur 933CL, which is a 4-piece travel razor. The disposable DE razors from Gillette aren't so bad, to be honest. Sure, the razor itself is a nearly worthless piece of plastic, but the blades are quite all right (Gillette Super Thin).

 

[dferrari]

Last weekend I was cleaning out a closet and I found a can of blue barbersol. It was probably close to a year and a half old, but I had recently watched the Barbersol video posted here and decided to be nostalgic about it. I shot a three pass amount of foam into the bowl and went to work with it. I used my daily set-up and made quick work of the beard (it was Monday morning & not much time to savor it). About an hour or two later, I started developing a rash from the bottom of my neck and it worked it's way up. Oh and it burned like the fires of Hell. It's strange that I used this stuff for nearly 20 years and my body now rejects it.

I am glad it wasn't just me I didn't get any lasting irritation, in my case, but I ended up with a couple of ingrown hairs - something that I had gotten used to when using cartridge razors, probably because I shave every 2-4 days on average.

 

[pcumby]

I am actually thinking of getting a Merkur 933CL, which is a 4-piece travel razor. The disposable DE razors from Gillette aren't so bad, to be honest. Sure, the razor itself is a nearly worthless piece of plastic, but the blades are quite all right (Gillette Super Thin).

I bought the Merkur travel last fall
It shaves a lot like the HD (IMO) but is considerably less hefty
If you're acquainted with the HD i would recommend the closed comb version of the travel

I was shocked by how small it is when broken down

I do manage a great 3 pass shave out of it when I'm on the road

 

[fonkemonkey]

In the past, when I've used cartridge razors, I've found that some good bath soaps (for me it's Cusson's Imperial leather, which I still use for prep), actually worked better than some cans of goop or gel.



Or perhaps think of picking up a cheap Tech? My "grab and go" travel bag has an aluminium ball-handle Tech - it works great and is cheap enough to not worry about.

Or, there is this razor from Amazon http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0050HO9MI/ref=oh_o03_s00_i00_details
With nothing else to compare it to yet, I have been able to get decent shaves from it. I was going to give it away to a friend to try and convert him, but I think I am going to keep it for a travle blade.

That could all change when I shave tomorrow with my EJ89 that is coming today, and I decide that $7 razor isn't even worth keeping for travle.

 

[GregDR]

Hmmm...I can get a great quality shave from a Trac II razor,

+1

I use a trac II to clean up the back of my neck.

 

[dferrari]

Or, there is this razor from Amazon http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0050HO9MI/ref=oh_o03_s00_i00_details
With nothing else to compare it to yet, I have been able to get decent shaves from it. I was going to give it away to a friend to try and convert him, but I think I am going to keep it for a travle blade.

That could all change when I shave tomorrow with my EJ89 that is coming today, and I decide that $7 razor isn't even worth keeping for travle.

Here in Singapore, I can find an extremely cheap razor from Shogun. I was about to buy it and keep it as a travel razor, then I thought of the Feather I have at home and thought that I wouldn't want to use something so cheap. The travel Merkur is reasonably priced, in my opinion, and I like that it is made of 4 parts. I will probably end up picking it up very soon

 

[fonkemonkey]

OR YOU COULD GET BOTH!!!!

 

[Don Shinchan]

For me, the only bad experience with cartridge was when I had to shave with cheap yellow 2-blade razor while I was in company's seminar. The result was small cuts all over my face. The WORST shave of my life.

Now I still use Fusion for quick shaving, and it gives me CCS, DFS, or when I am lucky, a BBS. But I use it with "proper" shaving cream/soap, though.

 

[dferrari]

OR YOU COULD GET BOTH!!!!

My gf saw your comment and suggest that you are a "bad friend" I actually have three razors on the radar and I will probably be buying them very soon: Merkur Travel 933CL (or 985CL, same thing but open comb), Merkur Futur satin (I have been dying to get an adjustable razor) and a Muhle R41 (I just hav to see how special this razor is). After that, I will probably be set. For a while, at least

 

[dferrari]

For me, the only bad experience with cartridge was when I had to shave with cheap yellow 2-blade razor while I was in company's seminar. The result was small cuts all over my face. The WORST shave of my life.

Now I still use Fusion for quick shaving, and it gives me CCS, DFS, or when I am lucky, a BBS. But I use it with "proper" shaving cream/soap, though.

Long before I switched to a DE razor, I tried a Fusion but ended up going back to a Mach3. I know that many people are happy with the Fusion, but it was just too big for my taste. As bad as my recent experience with the disposable Gillette was, I think that my worst shave of all times was with a disposable 2-blade Bic. For emergencies, I have kept a cartridge Kai razor that I bought here in Singapore and works quite well... except that I haven't picked up once after I got my Feather DE.

 

[ThePatrician]

I tried doing the exact same thing when I went to England for a week. I had my DE stuff here and didn't want to travel with it, so when I got to London I stopped by Tesco and bought the Fusion with two cartridges and a can of NIVEA foam. I took my time and was careful, but my face looked like I used sandpaper to scrub my beard off. Last time. It seems as though experience is the best teacher.