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Should I even attempt shaving with a double edged razor?

I've always been clean shaven, as I can't grow a beard to save my life. I'm Asian, so I look twelve all the time even though I'm 36.

I was never really taught to shave, I just started by doing what felt natural and what got the job done. I mean it's not rocket science, right?

So my father always shaved with the cheap-*** disposable razors. You know, the yellow and white BIC ones. So that's what I started with as a teenager. I found that I got a closer shave going against the grain, so through my teens and twenties I just did a single pass against the grain.

Then I bought into the hype of the multi-bladed monstrosities as an early twenty-something. I kept that forever as I started wising up to the marketing wank.

Eventually that broke and I went back to disposables. Though old habits die hard, so they're triple bladed disposables from Costco.

When my wife sees me shave, she cringes. She calls me reckless with the razor blade. I mean really, it's impossible to really injure yourself with one of these things. Sure I'll get a nick here or there... But it's a papercut. No biggie. Shaving is not something I really enjoy doing, it's a necessity. I want to finish the job as efficiently as possible; Safety Third.
 
Well, there's going to be massive selection bias as you're posting "Should I try double edged razor shaving" on a board that is almost exclusively populated by people with an interest in that exact thing.

Having said that, I certainly would - I tried shaving with a safety (double edged) razor to try to save money, and while I didn't do that I did find a hobby which I enjoy a lot (even as my collection keeps growing!). I find DE shaving to be enjoyable, rewarding, and about as fast as with a cartridge once I had some experience in making lathers and finding a razor (or many!) that works for me.

You can find a Baili BD178/BD176 or a vintage Gillette Tech with a small blade sampler, a tube of Proraso green, and a cheap synthetic brush (I'd try APShaveCo's SynBad brushes on Etsy, roughly $20) for under $50 total (roughly). You could even try a Baili razor with a 5 pack of blades for under $15 and use your current shaving cream. Heck, if funds are tight, you could say that here and several people would probably mail you a razor with some blades.

Have fun!
 
I don't think you're likely to beat a one-pass shave in terms of efficiency if that's your end goal but you stated that you don't enjoy shaving and to me that's what DE shaving is all about - taking a drudgery and making something fun and relaxing out of it. Collecting things if that's your bag, trying new stuff, and learning some new skills.
 
No. Figure out how to whip up lather with a stick of Arko and a boar brush. Pretend this is the only way to get lather for shaving and finish the soap. This is 2/3's of the fun in this sport anyway. If that appeals to you then venture into razors. If not then you learned something.
 
Welcome to B&B,
I've always been clean shaven, as I can't grow a beard to save my life. I'm Asian, so I look twelve all the time even though I'm 36.

I was never really taught to shave, I just started by doing what felt natural and what got the job done. I mean it's not rocket science, right?

So my father always shaved with the cheap-*** disposable razors. You know, the yellow and white BIC ones. So that's what I started with as a teenager. I found that I got a closer shave going against the grain, so through my teens and twenties I just did a single pass against the grain.

When my wife sees me shave, she cringes. She calls me reckless with the razor blade. I mean really, it's impossible to really injure yourself with one of these things. Sure I'll get a nick here or there... But it's a papercut. No biggie. Shaving is not something I really enjoy doing, it's a necessity. I want to finish the job as efficiently as possible; Safety Third.
If you are going to be reckless then I could not recommend the DE razor. The technique has to be learnt but it is not difficult.
The cartridge razor and canned foam was designed for your shaving experience but it comes at a high price.
 
Can't agree. Shaving is science. If you are careless, better not start with a DE razor. And sorry to say that but judging by your attitude to shaving, it might be better to keep using cartridges.
 
You will have to re-learn shaving. It is easy to do. I would not recommend only doing an against the grain pass as your only shaving pass. Wet shaving will change your ideas about shaving it did for me. Watch YouTube videos watch SinatraLennon, Kensurfs, Mantic59, Geofatboy and many others. If you find it interesting I would start looking at what kind of kit you would like: razor, brush, soap, razor blades. It sounds like you hate shaving. I have been there. I remembered shaving with the cheapest disposable razors from the drug store. $3 bucks for 5 razors. What I can tell you from the other side now is that you can have fun shaving. You can find joy, happiness and fun from shaving. There is nothing like a great shave. It can be relaxing and fun. It is a learning adventure. If you decide to take the plunge enjoy the ride. There are a lot of people here with lots of great knowledge and experience with wet shaving so feel free to ask questions. Good luck.

Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk
 
Can't agree. Shaving is science. If you are careless, better not start with a DE razor. And sorry to say that but judging by your attitude to shaving, it might be better to keep using cartridges.

He doesn’t use cartridges. He uses disposables. Your point stands, though.
 
Well, at least for me it was the best transition in shaving I have done. I've used electric razors then went to multi-blades Gillettes, and after getting tired of that pulling and high cost switched to DE 3 months ago. Went all in with a Muehle Rocca set - and now trying different blades/soaps/creams - shaving was never that fun and rewarding. And damn that desire to try different things (waiting around 10 different Stirling soaps now, and a Feather AC DX) never had such excitement with multi-blades.
It's all up to you but I bet you won't be disappointed.
 
’Traditional’ wet shaving is a commitment!

You need to invest time and effort to master the necessary skills. Then you need to concentrate on your technique with every shave until you have sufficient ’muscle memory.’

For me the investment was well worth the effort! I look forward to my daily shave! I also enjoy this hobby! :a29: :a29: :a29:

But, this may not be everyone’s cup of tea (and that‘s just fine with me).
 
Based on what you've said I'm not sure if a double edge razor is going to be what you want. Compared to what you do now, a DE razor is going to take longer, require more technique to get a good shave, and there is going to be a learning curve where you'll get more nicks at first than you do now with disposables. The one advantage to DE shaving would be cost of blades compared to disposables.

However, there is also a hobby side to DE shaving that a lot of folks here are into. If you're approaching this from a hobby perspective then I say go for it.

For me, cartridges always caused a lot of irritation on my neck. I got into DE shaving because I'm able to shave more frequently and with less irritation with a DE razor than I can with a cartridge. Trying out different soaps and razors and turning this into a bit of a hobby was just a side benefit for me.

The good news is it can be a relatively inexpensive hobby compared to a lot of things. It can also be expensive if you aren't careful.
 
Perhaps you could dip your toe into the DE shaving waters by not using a DE right away but trying some more enjoyable creams or soaps. Pick up an inexpensive brush and a few soaps or cream to start. Watch some videos on YouTube to familiarize yourself with DE shaving with the idea of getting a razor in the future. There are many cheap DE razors that get the job done but there is much to learn in the beginning. West Coast shaving has a mild razor head named Lithe that works very well and then you just purchased any handle you wish. My advice is to Take Your Time and enjoy yourself.
 
I am not a normal shaver. I shave in the shower (no mirror) and use the soap that is in there. My wife, a beard rash paranoid, rarely complains about the quality of shave I get. In addition I used to operate a retro store and sold a lot of vintage razors to 1st timers that never picked one up before which is also how I started. Many brought their friends back to buy one later too. I gave each a 3 minute talk about do & not do which centered on blade angle of a cartridge vs. a DE and how you must be mindful. The underlying point is that mileage differs on how successful you will be. I was, saw many others firsthand that were, and none of this negates anything posted before me. It all comes down to you and your willingness to persevere until you get it right. That took me about a week, but then again I couldn't see what I was doing. Good luck!
 
You can enter traditional wet shaving going whole hog and use soap/ cream, brush and decent DE / SE / injector razor.

But you do not need to. Any DE razor will work with whatever you use now for foam about on par with a tripple bladed disposable. Much less stuff going to landfills with DE.

Later you can experiment with better lather. Or decide you do not bother.

It's up to you.

br
godek
 
I would just stick with what you are using, Costco's disposables. You have proven they work for you, they are a known variable, easy to source and inexpensive.

Unless you are willing to put some money, time and arrangements into acquisition of gear, arrangements to taking it with you when you travel and time learning DE shaving nuances, just stick with what you know will work.
 

Old Hippie

Somewhere between 61 and dead
I would just stick with what you are using, Costco's disposables. You have proven they work for you, they are a known variable, easy to source and inexpensive.

Reasoned advice, I believe. :thumbup1:

Keep using them. But also do some cautious trying. The beautiful thing is you don't have to go all in, all the way. Learn lather. Get a puck of Williams -- we get gouged on it up here and have to pay $1.99 for it -- and a Wilkinson Sword boar brush ($10 or so). Put the puck in a big ol' coffee mug and whip up some lather. Shave. EZ/PZ.

If you want to try DE shaving nobody's gonna say no with any finality. Pick up a DE razor, get a pack of blades and then maybe set aside a weekend morning when you'll whip up some lather (already got that skill) and shave (already got that skill) with a new style of razor.

One day. Then maybe it becomes a pleasurable habit to do that special shave, and it's once a week. Then more...

Or not. You're in the driver's seat.

Rock on. :a5:

O.H.
 
I'd say stick with disposables or buy a good cartridge razor. Nothing wrong with that. If you want to enjoy your shaves more, better to invest in a nice cream or soap + aftershave. You don't have a heavy beard anyway, you just need a fast, efficient shave.
 
If you are interested in tying wet shaving and you live in the US. I will gladly set you up with a nice starter kit.
Gillette flair tip and a Gillette Tech
Boar brush
A few sample blades
And some soap.

All free of charge. All I ask is that you check out this great forum and learn from it. If in the end you do not like it. No biggie you gave it an honest shot.

Just send a PM with your address and I can get it out later this week.

Tom
 
If you want to enjoy shaving as a hobby, Yes, you should attempt wet/traditional shaving. I didn't enjoy cartridge shaving because it was a chore everytime. Now I'm excited to shave every time, especially with the variety of products.
 
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