December 2013 when I joined B&B.
When did you start DE?
- Thread starter Aceofspades
- Start date
17 months ago, January 2015, after 38 years of cartridges.
January 2025. I was 42 then.
in the late 70's with my dads razors carried on till the mid 80's and then lived in the middle east so went to a straight razor, came back to blighty in the early 90's stopped when we had kids due to blades and safety , restarted about a year ago after we sold the last child on ebay and he moved out
February, after 25 years of carts (Atra, then Fusion).
The first time was in the early to mid 70's. After a few years I ended up in carts, then back to a DE in March 2014. I still have a couple of cartridge handles/razors.
This fall will mark the two year point for me. It all started on a pheasant hunting trip to South Dakota. I was enjoying a nice irish whiskey with a buddy and he asked what I do for shaving to which I replied cartridges and canned goo. He then showed me how he melts neutrogena face bars into a tupperware, scents them with Old Spice and uses that to load up a cheap shave brush. I went home, googled it in order to learn more and wound up discovering this wild and awesome world of wet shaving. Countless dollars later spent on gear, here I am and loving every shave!
1969 When I was 16, with my Dad's superspeed. I moved out at 18, bought a tech, the an Injector, then disposable's, multi blade cartridges, & electrics, until December of 2013 when I came back into the light from the darkside. Now a different setup each day with a DE, SE or Injector and I enjoy every one of my shaves.
Started April 2010. Use DE, SE, Injector Straight and Vintage Trac II.
Two years ago, I was 56. I wish that I had started much sooner.
I shaved with an electric for about 20 years and got some crappy shaves.
I shaved with an electric for about 20 years and got some crappy shaves.
Almost exactly 12 years ago a friend gave me his Grandfather's razor as a groomsman gift (best man gift whatever.) Now this razor is nothing special, a Filipino travel razor with no company markings that breaks down into 3 pieces, but it got the ball rolling. I shaved with it and goop for a while and then set it aside due to "taking too long" to shave that way. Then about 7 years ago I found that razor, bought a VDH kit and started trying wet shave in earnest. Upgraded some of the gear, but kept that razor. Don't shave with it often, but at least twice a year, and as would be expected it holds a special place in my heart.
I started DE shaving in 2013 and it's thanks to getting a one-off case of ingrown hair around the lip area, which caused my lip to swell and look like it'd had an encounter with an unfriendly fist!
Despite it being a one-off it led to me doing a bit of research about people having similar problems. I read a few accounts suggesting trying shaving with a blade as opposed to cartridges. I then watched a video on Youtube about how to shave with a DE razor - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oAg6CBr7ZmU.
I'd seen the Wilkinson Sword Classic a few times previously and decided for the sake of a few £ to give it a go. I got on with shaving that way immediately and a few weeks later I'd bought my Edwin Jagger DE89.
I hadn't really experienced problems shaving with cartridges apart from the rising cost. I'd abandoned my Gillette Mach 3 by 2010 and went through a phase of buying the Wilkinson Sword Extra 2 disposables, but I didn't enjoy shaving with them.
Despite it being a one-off it led to me doing a bit of research about people having similar problems. I read a few accounts suggesting trying shaving with a blade as opposed to cartridges. I then watched a video on Youtube about how to shave with a DE razor - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oAg6CBr7ZmU.
I'd seen the Wilkinson Sword Classic a few times previously and decided for the sake of a few £ to give it a go. I got on with shaving that way immediately and a few weeks later I'd bought my Edwin Jagger DE89.
I hadn't really experienced problems shaving with cartridges apart from the rising cost. I'd abandoned my Gillette Mach 3 by 2010 and went through a phase of buying the Wilkinson Sword Extra 2 disposables, but I didn't enjoy shaving with them.
After many years of disposable blade razors, I started about 10 years ago in my mid fifties.
Sometime in 2013. I was 28 or 29. Wish I had started...well, when I started shaving, hahaha. Lot of years of paying out the nose for an itchy, bumpy, rash-ridden shave.
Spring of 2010, age 37.
I had always used a nice Silver plated Gillette Atra that my Dad gave me when I turned 13. I used to buy the Personna blades at Walmart and they were I think $2.99, $3.99-ish for 18-20. Never flinched at the price, but always had burn on my neck, just assumed that was how it was supposed to be.
Well, at about that time, Walmart did away with Personna and went back to Gillette for blades, overnight my blades went to $8.99 a ten pack, iirc. I threw an absolute fit, and told the Wife they could suck a turd. Then I grabbed a pack and threw them in the cart. At the same time I noticed they still had the Personna DE blades for $1.50 a 10 pack, so I grabbed two and threw them in the cart, too. Wife said I had gone crazy, I didn't even have a razor for those. Small details I yelled, I will find one somewhere!!!
Well, a couple weeks later I was at a yard sale and looking at some end tables. Lo and behold, there was a crusty Gillette Red Tip in a dirty old Fat Boy case(didn't know that at the time). I asked how much and some 20 something says "Hey Grandpa, how much for the old razor?". Grandpa come out, grouses at the kid for selling all his stuff, then looks at me and asks "What do you want it for?". Told him I was tired of the price of razor blades and I was gonna use it to shave with. He laughed and since I bought the end tables, I think he gave it to me, maybe charged me a buck.
A couple days later, half a can of WD-40, and thinking it looked clean enough, I loaded it up to give it a go. Hopped in the shower, smeared my Gillete razor goo on my face, and preceded to take about half the skin off my face. Cuts, weepers, razor burn, razor rash, and more. Half a roll of toilet paper later, I began to rethink this DE thing. Did the same for about another week before I decided something wasn't right. Got online, found the B & B, lurked, and learned a bit. But brushes, soaps, creams, pfftt that's for old guys! I persisted with my goo, acquired another razor or two along the line and got along halfway decent.
About 4 months or so in, I picked up an inexpensive Col Conk brush and some soap, Hey! What a difference!! Some cream, sure lemme at it, some more soap, sure. Finally after about 6 months after I boarded the Roller Coaster with that Red Tip, I was whipping along, smooth shaves, and the world was mine!!! Never looked back. Haven't touched a cartridge since, tho I keep a small stash with my old Atra handle. Haven't used goo in 6 years, except for the occasional trial and error product that turns out to be brushless.
For me, it truly has been a eye opening and enlightening journey.
I had always used a nice Silver plated Gillette Atra that my Dad gave me when I turned 13. I used to buy the Personna blades at Walmart and they were I think $2.99, $3.99-ish for 18-20. Never flinched at the price, but always had burn on my neck, just assumed that was how it was supposed to be.
Well, at about that time, Walmart did away with Personna and went back to Gillette for blades, overnight my blades went to $8.99 a ten pack, iirc. I threw an absolute fit, and told the Wife they could suck a turd. Then I grabbed a pack and threw them in the cart. At the same time I noticed they still had the Personna DE blades for $1.50 a 10 pack, so I grabbed two and threw them in the cart, too. Wife said I had gone crazy, I didn't even have a razor for those. Small details I yelled, I will find one somewhere!!!
Well, a couple weeks later I was at a yard sale and looking at some end tables. Lo and behold, there was a crusty Gillette Red Tip in a dirty old Fat Boy case(didn't know that at the time). I asked how much and some 20 something says "Hey Grandpa, how much for the old razor?". Grandpa come out, grouses at the kid for selling all his stuff, then looks at me and asks "What do you want it for?". Told him I was tired of the price of razor blades and I was gonna use it to shave with. He laughed and since I bought the end tables, I think he gave it to me, maybe charged me a buck.
A couple days later, half a can of WD-40, and thinking it looked clean enough, I loaded it up to give it a go. Hopped in the shower, smeared my Gillete razor goo on my face, and preceded to take about half the skin off my face. Cuts, weepers, razor burn, razor rash, and more. Half a roll of toilet paper later, I began to rethink this DE thing. Did the same for about another week before I decided something wasn't right. Got online, found the B & B, lurked, and learned a bit. But brushes, soaps, creams, pfftt that's for old guys! I persisted with my goo, acquired another razor or two along the line and got along halfway decent.
About 4 months or so in, I picked up an inexpensive Col Conk brush and some soap, Hey! What a difference!! Some cream, sure lemme at it, some more soap, sure. Finally after about 6 months after I boarded the Roller Coaster with that Red Tip, I was whipping along, smooth shaves, and the world was mine!!! Never looked back. Haven't touched a cartridge since, tho I keep a small stash with my old Atra handle. Haven't used goo in 6 years, except for the occasional trial and error product that turns out to be brushless.
For me, it truly has been a eye opening and enlightening journey.
1962
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