Still learning DE shaving- best option for quick mornings?

[OCMusicJunkie]

So I promise to attempt keeping this short (my posts have been ridiculously detailed if anyone cares to read them...)

Anyway, I'm starting to feel good about my entire morning shave routine, from prep to post-shave. The one thing I have yet to perfect (it's only been two months of DE shaving) is speed. I can brush lather in just a minute or two, but still can't use the DE without careful strokes that take 10-15 minutes. Until I get the DE down to a total of less than 10 minutes from prep to post-care, I need a speedy plan B.

I want to stay as close to the DE experience as possible, so something with 1-2 blades would be wonderful. Bic Sensitives don't really work for me. In my area, locating any reusable handle older than the Mach3 would require effort. I'm more than willing to do so, but I'd like some idea what razors should be option #1, #2, and perhaps even #3 to purchase and compare if found. An FYI, I would love any suggestions without lube strips. In my experience, they wash away and become trouble before the blades dull, especially if only used a couple times a week. I really don't have a preference to disposable vs cartridge.

Thanks for any help guys!

 

[Duke of Somerset]

A few pointers for saving time in the morning. You may want to consider a brushless cream like Cremo to cut down on brush lathering time - that's a couple minutes you could be shaving. Also, doing a less elaborate 1-2 pass shave is a big time-saver for me. In terms of an alternative to DEs, I know the Schick Injector has a devoted following around here and blades are still easily procured.

Finally, I'll toss out some cheeky advice - what about getting up 10-15 minutes earlier?

 

[M80]

I would recommend waking up earlier.

 

[vanztb4]

I hear ya, I'm in the same boat. I need too need a back-up speedy razor for when I'm in the field...or running a little late.

 

[DerFly]

Gillette Sensor was my weapon of choice before DE. I never did waste my time with more than two blades.

You should be able to do "go to whoa" in under 5 minutes wth one of these. Give it a bit of practice, you should be able to do this with a mild DE too.

DF

 

[rtt]

good question! I've gone back and tried all the cartridges I loved and even those I didn't after shaving with a DE for a few months. I guess my technique has changed or something because it was quite an eye-opener:

bic sensitive - dull, dull, dull. doesn't give me anything but irritation
bic metal - same deal
fusion - hate this one, the drag is unbearable (I used to love it before)
mach3 - what a rough razor (I used to love this one in its day too)
sensor excel - didn't like it before, but this is now my go-to on a day where I don't quite feel alert and awake enough to use a DE.

I'd recommend a sensor/sensor excel - the ones I've seen here are made in Brazil but easily found in almost any store. I picked up mine from Walmart.

 

[vanztb4]

good question! I've gone back and tried all the cartridges I loved and even those I didn't after shaving with a DE for a few months. I guess my technique has changed or something because it was quite an eye-opener:

bic sensitive - dull, dull, dull. doesn't give me anything but irritation
bic metal - same deal
fusion - hate this one, the drag is unbearable (I used to love it before)
mach3 - what a rough razor (I used to love this one in its day too)
sensor excel - didn't like it before, but this is now my go-to on a day where I don't quite feel alert and awake enough to use a DE.

I'd recommend a sensor/sensor excel - the ones I've seen here are made in Brazil but easily found in almost any store. I picked up mine from Walmart.

What shaving cream do you use when not using your DE? Still using the brush?

 

[40boy]

Buy a Bump Fighter handle for $3.99 and a 10 pak of Twin II Plus blades for $2.99(free shipping for both) direct from Personna.com

 

[BBrad]

If I had to, I can do a two-pass face-lathered shave in under ten minutes with no damage to flesh or pride. I am, however, quite glad that I don't usually have to!

I can also do a one-and-a-half-pass event (hate to call it a shave) with a Mach 3 or Schick Quattro in under five, still with a brushed lather. Said event would probably get me through morning formation . . . but by noon I'd be feeling stubble and the irritation would be killing me.

The extra five or ten minutes invested in a proper shave gets my day off to a great start. If my schedule required a clean shave before breakfast, I would gladly get up fifteen minutes earlier if needed just to enjoy the process!!

Super-fast shaves require a multi-blade spring-loaded cartridge that is forgiving enough to handle the inherently poor technique. With that also comes irritation and ingrown hair, at $20 a package. Yuck.

 

[Alacrity59]

Combine steps

 

[OCMusicJunkie]

Wow, didn't expect so many helpful responses so quickly. Thanks everyone so far!

Right now, I'm still at the point with my DE that I can only be certain of one clean pass without drawing blood. My technique is getting better and better, but I still have areas that have suffered razor burn and ingrown hairs for near a decade. Those just aren't places I feel ready for something like ATG strokes just yet. Thankfully I have lighter hair that isn't too thick, so careful attention to a single pass is actually good enough for me.

That said, I can't really get away with shaving the night before (good idea though Mike)- I sleep face-down, and I know from experience that a fresh shave anywhere near bedtime will lead to irritation and redness from the pillow. Don't ask me how I inherited such finicky skin.

I hope that the use of a cartridge/disposable on rushed morning becomes a thing of the past, as I grow more comfortable DE shaving without laser-like focus and fear of slicing myself. In the meanwhile, I just don't want my "backup plan" to be something like a Fusion, which would undo all my hard work of not creating ingrown issues.

No Walmart near me carries the Sensor line, but I'll try a couple of drug stores. Does the bump-fighter handle always accept the Trac II blades perfectly? If so, both of those items are readily available near me.

 

[laberinto24]

I am not a morning person....so I either take the time the night before or I keep a Wilkinson Sword Tech 3 (cartridge razor) around for early morning shaves

 

[M80]

The extra five or ten minutes invested in a proper shave gets my day off to a great start. If my schedule required a clean shave before breakfast, I would gladly get up fifteen minutes earlier if needed just to enjoy the process!!

This is what I was trying to say. But BBrad did it with more class.

 

[rtt]

What shaving cream do you use when not using your DE? Still using the brush?

Yes, still a brush with one of my regular creams or soaps - I hate cthe canned stuff

 

[superbleu]

Injector

 

[Mike'sWorld]

Injector

Yup on that one. My G6 injector reminds me of my Sensor. Quick smooth, no cuts or irritation, but not very close. Combine this with Barbasol shave cream out of a can layered over cheap shave gel gives me a reasonably close, very comfortable shave in about 5 minutes.

 

[kingfisher]

No Walmart near me carries the Sensor line, but I'll try a couple of drug stores. Does the bump-fighter handle always accept the Trac II blades perfectly? If so, both of those items are readily available near me.

1) If you have a Bed, Bath, and Beyond nearby, they usually carry the Sensor.

2) I have a Bump Fighter handle, and it fits Gillette Trac II blades perfectly. It also fits the Personna Twin II cartridges perfectly, and these cartridges do not have a lube strip. HOWEVER, the Dollar General Korean-made Trac II-like cartridges do NOT fit on the Bump Fighter handle properly. Just FYI.
If you prefer no lube strip, the Bump Fighter with the Personna cartridges should work fine.

 

[kingfisher]

....

bic sensitive - dull, dull, dull. doesn't give me anything but irritation

I don't know where you buy your Bic Sensitives, but the ones I use are sharper than any DE blades I've tried except Feather and Kai.

 

[Sledgehammer39]

buy a bump fighter handle for $3.99 and a 10 pak of twin ii plus blades for $2.99(free shipping for both) direct from personna.com

+1

 

[binowatch]

Depending on your beard, you could shave the night before. Or as others have mentioned just do one or two passes in the AM. When I use my straight razor I shave the night before just so I can take my time.
Mike

Yes!! When I know the morning will be pressed I do a BBS shave at bedtime. It is fine all day. Before changing over from the dreaded Fusion if I did that I would be feeling rough by noon. On days I oversleep or an emergency calls me in without warning I use a brushless cream like Cremo or Dr Hunters and use my Schick injector. It still demands respect but for some reason I am quicker with it. I do a quick warm then cold rinse and use Porter's AS rather that my warm rinse, alum block, cold rinse, AS balm routine. I also just do a single or double pass. The Schick is aggressive enough that a 1 pass shave is pretty good. While not as quick as the Fusion in the shower it is close and still gives a comfortable, satisfying shave.