Traveling and DE Shaving – is it time to name a new Disorder?

[Bri-Dog]

In preparation for a business trip next week, I reviewed the Travel section of the B&B FAQ and the current TSA prohibited items list.

SWMBO suggested leaving a blade in the razor (I’ve read postings where travelers have done this without issue), but I didn’t want to risk it.

I decided to revert to a Sensor Excel for hardware, but planned to keep my usual pre- and post-shave components the same. I shaved with this setup today to make sure I would be happy with the results – and I’m not. I just returned from the post office where I mailed the next two blades in my sampler pack (a Crystal and a Personna Red) to the hotel, and they should arrive Monday – which means only one morning using the Sensor Excel.

It will be interesting to see if TSA spots the Merkur in my gear, and if they inspect further to verify that no blades are present.

There are currently 15 Disorders in the Wiki Abbreviations/Acronyms list, none of which IMHO describe how I just spent 50 cents for a padded envelope and $1.25 for postage to mail 70 cents worth of razor blades. Any suggestions?

 

[DESkydiver]

My experience has been that the TSA inspectors have actually examined my DE 6 out of 10 trips since the first of the year, even though I keep it in pieces while traveling. One of the times it was not scrutinized closer, my nephew was the TSA inspector (I guess family has its privileges). I do still have 1 Gillette disposable in my dopp kit, just for use in case I cannot get any blades quickly at my destination.

I will buy whatever blades I can find at the local drug store, Wally World, or Bed Bath and Beyond store and use what I need while I am there. I have started to leave / donate my remaining blades at the front desk when I check out, suggesting they hold on to them for any of their other customers looking for some DE blades. Two of the hotels I have returned to still had the blades I left them, and one hotel (a Marriott Courtyard) has even picked up an assortment of their own for their customers, after I talked with the manager and suggested they try this.

 

[JPM]

I've been traveling a bit recently and I use a TRAC II cartridge with a Bump Fighter handle. It's not quite a DE, but about the most serviceable cartridge, IMO. I also picked up some squishy bowls from Think Geek on-line. They make great bowls to soak your brush and lather in. I got the suggestion for all these items from other B&B'ers who have travel experience. With the Castle Forbes travel size cream, pre-shave and AS balm, it was actually quite a pleasant shave.

 

[Geordon]

When I was working on an externship at a local hospital, I discovered what may be the neatest contraption since DE razors were invented: The DE "prep razor" I would love to see one or more of our friendly vendors pick up some of these, since they would pass the test for TSA. The blades are permanently mounted in the head, similar in fashion to how the blades are mounted in a typical disposable safety razor. But! They're DE!

Being the bozo that I am, I had to swipe one. Sure, I don't know what brand it is, but I know that it's open comb and DE, so it's going into my travel kit. It also has a shield that clips over the blade, for safety in storage.

They're a little out of my price range to get some "just for kicks" since they only seem to come by the case-load. Granted, I haven't looked real hard, and Googled for "prep razor". I'm willing to bet that some of the members here would be more than happy to hand over $1 US for the chance to shave with a beloved DE while traveling by air! I know that I would!

 

[Go West Young Man]

I'm not that I would want to mess with DE shaving on the road while still going through a blade sampler. You'd be surprised at how much different water in a different bathrom and a general change of routine can mess up your shave even with products you know and love.

 

[Hair Vise]

I do mail blades to myself when I'm on the road (just mailed some to San Diego, where I'll be next week). I tend to take out my razor from my bag, open it up, and leave it on top of my carry on when going through the scanner. That way, there's no hide and seek game to go on. I even tell them I mail myself the blades.

Has worked every time without a hitch.

HV

 

[OldSaw]

Capital idea on mailing blades. I have suggested this in the past to other travelers who were worried about having blades and didn't want to check their bags.

 

[DESkydiver]

Capital idea on mailing blades. I have suggested this in the past to other travelers who were worried about having blades and didn't want to check their bags.

I think it is a great idea as long as you have advance notice. It just is not conducive when you have to travel on the spur of the moment. I have a three day go-bag in my trunk all the time as I could be on a plane with less than 12 hours notice at times.

 

[OldSaw]

I think it is a great idea as long as you have advance notice. It just is not conducive when you have to travel on the spur of the moment. I have a three day go-bag in my trunk all the time as I could be on a plane with less than 12 hours notice at times.

Think Bic disposable.

 

[painless]

When I was working on an externship at a local hospital, I discovered what may be the neatest contraption since DE razors were invented: The DE "prep razor" I would love to see one or more of our friendly vendors pick up some of these, since they would pass the test for TSA. The blades are permanently mounted in the head, similar in fashion to how the blades are mounted in a typical disposable safety razor. But! They're DE!

Being the bozo that I am, I had to swipe one. Sure, I don't know what brand it is, but I know that it's open comb and DE, so it's going into my travel kit. It also has a shield that clips over the blade, for safety in storage.

They're a little out of my price range to get some "just for kicks" since they only seem to come by the case-load. Granted, I haven't looked real hard, and Googled for "prep razor". I'm willing to bet that some of the members here would be more than happy to hand over $1 US for the chance to shave with a beloved DE while traveling by air! I know that I would!

http://usfamilymedical.com/Itm-Shav...froogle&utm_medium=organic&utm_source=froogle

$30 bucks for a case of 100

http://cgi.ebay.com/1-x-Gillette-7-...emQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item27b0542a51

a 5 buck solution. Changeable blade. Order ahead, as he ships from India. (think 3 weeks)

 

[Blue-EyedSon]

Mailing blades or putting them in your checked baggage is the way to go. I've realized that mailing blades is going to be cheaper than paying the absurd fees that most airlines are now charging for checking a bag. It really is crazy, though, the mixed experiences I've had going through security. I've had about 2-3 times where they didn't even look at my safety razor and another 2-3 times where they did.

 

[grouse79]

Think Bic disposable.

I'd agree with this option. I have bought a pack of these so if I need to fly, I know I can get a decent shave without having to check in luggage. I have tried them in advance and results were great. At less than £2 for 20, I wouldn't bother trying to use one more than once. Plus, you will probably be able to find them just about anywhere.

 

[luvmysuper]

Are you folks that only want to take carry on luggage travelling on personal trips or is it for work?

'Cuz - I travel for work, and I take check in bags and put the baggage charge on the expense report.

Why would you NOT do that if you could?

For us guys who do a lot of business travel, I can tell you that it is a major pain in the rear to try to fit my small carry on bag in the overhead compartment because every schmuck on the plane is trying to take the biggest heaviest carryon bag he can manage to push down the walkway just to avoid checking a bag.

 

[southernmail]

My practice is to check my luggage, with my laptop computer bag my only carry on. I do this for both domestic and international trips. Water does vary from city to city, but I have had consistently excellent results using TOBS Almond Shaving Cream in a tube. Travel brush is a Vulfix 374 which I store in a Muhle travel tube. Merkur HD, a pack of Feathers, and TOBS Mr. Taylors A/S completes the travel kit.

 

[DESkydiver]

Think Bic disposable.

Most of my travel is for business and often I will be advised in the morning that for whatever large customer ‘emergency’ requires that I need to be on a plane that afternoon. So yes, the dopp kit in my go-bag always has a disposable in it along with either my Progress or Executive. Like others have stated, the disposable is really only good for one or two shaves and IMO that is fairly true. It’s good enough until I can get to a local store at my destination and buy some DE blades.

My go-bag is the same size carry-on that most flight attendants use (22x8x10), which goes in the overhead and my computer bag under the seat. As for checking bags, I only do that if I am taking a longer trip or have a need for a bag larger than my carry-on. On few trips I have been required to check my carry-on bag because I transfer to a ‘puddle-jumper’ on the last leg, but that is a rarity.

It does seem the general consensus is to:
Check your bags and have no worries about what shaving gear you bring, as long as it is not compressed canned goo type stuff.

If you must carry-on, for whatever reason or excuse:
carry 1 or 2 disposables, and/or
mail blades to yourself at the destination, and/or
buy random blades locally, and/or
use an electric

 

[OldSaw]

Most of my travel is for business and often I will be advised in the morning that for whatever large customer ‘emergency’ requires that I need to be on a plane that afternoon. So yes, the dopp kit in my go-bag always has a disposable in it along with either my Progress or Executive. Like others have stated, the disposable is really only good for one or two shaves and IMO that is fairly true. It’s good enough until I can get to a local store at my destination and buy some DE blades.

My go-bag is the same size carry-on that most flight attendants use (22x8x10), which goes in the overhead and my computer bag under the seat. As for checking bags, I only do that if I am taking a longer trip or have a need for a bag larger than my carry-on. On few trips I have been required to check my carry-on bag because I transfer to a ‘puddle-jumper’ on the last leg, but that is a rarity.

It does seem the general consensus is to:
Check your bags and have no worries about what shaving gear you bring, as long as it is not compressed canned goo type stuff.

If you must carry-on, for whatever reason or excuse:
carry 1 or 2 disposables, and/or
mail blades to yourself at the destination, and/or
buy random blades locally, and/or
use an electric

HOLY SMOKE!! Are you trying to get yourself banned?

 

[Pumpkin]

I have started to leave / donate my remaining blades at the front desk when I check out, suggesting they hold on to them for any of their other customers looking for some DE blades. Two of the hotels I have returned to still had the blades I left them, and one hotel (a Marriott Courtyard) has even picked up an assortment of their own for their customers, after I talked with the manager and suggested they try this.

Excellent suggestion! It probably counts as a PIF for purposes of Karma

 

[DougK]

Are you folks that only want to take carry on luggage travelling on personal trips or is it for work?

'Cuz - I travel for work, and I take check in bags and put the baggage charge on the expense report.

Why would you NOT do that if you could?

For us guys who do a lot of business travel, I can tell you that it is a major pain in the rear to try to fit my small carry on bag in the overhead compartment because every schmuck on the plane is trying to take the biggest heaviest carryon bag he can manage to push down the walkway just to avoid checking a bag.

I don't do a lot of business travel anymore, but I never check a bag if I can avoid it. I love being able to walk off the plane, grab a cab, and be on my way to the hotel before everyone else's bags are unloaded. I'm a pretty minimalist traveler and I don't have to wear suits very often, though, so I can get away with using an 18" pilot case and maybe a laptop bag on the rare occasions I need one. Depending on your job, carry-on-only travel may or may not work for you.

The people who use the biggest carry-on bags they can get away with drive me insane, but I also have to lay some blame on the airlines for not enforcing bag size limits as strictly as they should.

EDIT: I should also add that I travel carry-on-only for my personal travel as well. As long as you choose your clothes wisely and don't try to bring everything you think you might need, it's pretty easy to get along with just a carry-on. Having a smartphone helps too because I don't have to drag along a laptop for entertainment purposes.

 

[DESkydiver]

EDIT: I should also add that I travel carry-on-only for my personal travel as well. As long as you choose your clothes wisely and don't try to bring everything you think you might need, it's pretty easy to get along with just a carry-on. Having a smartphone helps too because I don't have to drag along a laptop for entertainment purposes.

I am a firm believer in this method. With the proper selection of clothes, and the use of compression bags I pack 3 days of clothes in my go bag with what I am wearing, that makes 4 days. SO I need to do laundry more frequently... no big deal.
A number of years ago my kid went on a school trip to Europe and his teacher only had her carry-on for a two week trip. Imagine that... a woman only using a single carry-on for 2 weeks! That was an eye opening experience, not having to wait for luggage gets you through customs much faster, and in the case of those kids that had their luggage still on the tarmac in Rome as their plane landed in the US... by the time they got their luggage back, and had been rifled through by customs unattended, some of their items were 'missing'.

 

[luvmysuper]

I don't do a lot of business travel anymore, but I never check a bag if I can avoid it. I love being able to walk off the plane, grab a cab, and be on my way to the hotel before everyone else's bags are unloaded. I'm a pretty minimalist traveler and I don't have to wear suits very often, though, so I can get away with using an 18" pilot case and maybe a laptop bag on the rare occasions I need one. Depending on your job, carry-on-only travel may or may not work for you.

The people who use the biggest carry-on bags they can get away with drive me insane, but I also have to lay some blame on the airlines for not enforcing bag size limits as strictly as they should.

EDIT: I should also add that I travel carry-on-only for my personal travel as well. As long as you choose your clothes wisely and don't try to bring everything you think you might need, it's pretty easy to get along with just a carry-on. Having a smartphone helps too because I don't have to drag along a laptop for entertainment purposes.

Oh yeah, don't get me wrong, I put the responsibility square in the lap of the Airlines.

Personally, I don't care about having to pay to check a bag, I wish they would just include the price in the ticket cost so people would go back to checking bags.

It is doubly irritating for me because checked bags are weighed and are part of the decision process for a plane taking off. Carry on bags are just part of the passenger estimate that is made.

It has already been reported that the passenger estimates may be in need of revamping just because people are getting bigger physically, let alone now that every man woman and child is lugging a massive carry on bag to save a few bucks.

I'm waiting for the crash that gets pinned to bad weight estimates to happen, it is only a matter of time.

How much money will have been saved then. Any Commercial airline pilots out there care to chime in?