Wife says her disposables better then Lady's Gillette

[gearchow]

She came by last night and asked what happened to her disposable razors, she used the Lady's Gillette that I gave her twice now and both times cut her self - (and I didn't say, gee hon, that ain't bleeding!). Was POd that I had tossed that plastic crap into the recycling bin. Gave me a look like I personally assaulted her.

I will shave with her razor, but barring anything wrong, I always thought that they were supposed to be pretty mild?

I got a few schick eversharp injectors, I'll see if she will go for one of those. Kind of looks like her old disposables.

I don't shave my legs (it wouldn't help their looks either), so I have no idea...

-jim

 

[blantyre]

Well psychologically, this would be like your wife buying you a straight. Then after a couple of days shaving with it and getting a few nicks or worse, you come home and she's dumped your toggle, slant and Gems into the recycle with all the old soup cans.

I gave my wife a lady Gillette and she finds that Derbys work best - even BICs she gets cuts.

 

[WinstonSmith]

Well psychologically, this would be like your wife buying you a straight. Then after a couple of days shaving with it and getting a few nicks or worse, you come home and she's dumped your toggle, slant and Gems into the recycle with all the old soup cans.

I gave my wife a lady Gillette and she finds that Derbys work best - even BICs she gets cuts.

Well put. My wife tried the Lady. She said it did a poor job and she was kind of scared of it. She still buys and uses exactly what she likes, girlie plastic Personna disposables and canned goop. Vaya con dios. I have no complaints about her grooming. DE's there for her if she ever wants it.

 

[johnmrson]

The Lady Gillettes are mild. My guess is that she is shaving with the same technique as she used to shave with a disposable. Very few women under 50 would have used anything but disposables.

 

[Huxley]

Why don't you shave her and show her how it's done, then watch how she does it and help along the way, sounds like too much pressure mixed with rushing the blade around from using carts all these years.

 

[Blue-EyedSon]

I agree with John. The Lady's Gillette is mild and getting nicks or weepers is probably attributable to using the same technique with it as with a disposable (i.e. mash it against the skin with a fair amount of pressure).

 

[gearchow]

The Lady Gillettes are mild. My guess is that she is shaving with the same technique as she used to shave with a disposable. Very few women under 50 would have used anything but disposables.

I agree with John. The Lady's Gillette is mild and getting nicks or weepers is probably attributable to using the same technique with it as with a disposable (i.e. mash it against the skin with a fair amount of pressure).

John and Brian, I believe you both hit it very close. I told her don't apply any pressure, but she may not realize that really means no pressure. I watched her once, she attacks her legs like it is something to get done with.

Why don't you shave her and show her how it's done, then watch how she does it and help along the way, sounds like too much pressure mixed with rushing the blade around from using carts all these years.

I did offer. I don't think she trusts me! Can you imagine, I shave my _face_ every day of the week and she doesn't trust me with those long flat freeways of legs?

Well, I just picked up a Knack off of the BS&T - oh and along with a flat base plate Aristocrat Jr. - so I will be giving her that for trying out.

Brian, turns out I really should have bought that beautiful Schick Super II Classic.

Thanks all!

-jim

 

[BroJohn]

You should respect her choice, and let her go her own way. Grooming is very personal, and despite your enthusiasm for wet shaving, she's comfortable with what she's always done.

-- John Gehman

 

[wdwrx]

The Lady Gillettes are mild.

That seems to be the accepted wisdom, but I've visually compared a Lady Gillette to an adjustable Slim, and found that the blade depth on the LG is about equal to 6 or 7 on the Slim. That's not mild, is it?
I gave a LG to my daughter to try, and after using my Slim on lower settings, she promptly cut her legs up for the first time since she switched to DEs.
I'd have to say (IMveryHO; i don't use DE's) that LG are NOT mild.

 

[JBjunior]

I bought my wife the lady and then sat down with her to explain how to use it. I showed her how to make lather and how to apply it. I explained to her the importance of multiple passes and to go with the grain first and not to go over the same spot again if there wasn't any lather there. She has shaved with it twice so far and only got a tiny cut down by her ankle which is to be expected. She really enjoys it.

 

[c0ry]

I bought my girlfriend a Lady Gillette and she's had nothing bad to say about it. She got a cut by her ankle, but admitted she was rushing and probably used pressure. She's been using it for a few weeks now and has been using a pack of Crystals that I gave her with it.

She loves it, though. She constantly sings the song from the commercial:

[YOUTUBE]_1mofDcrs_M[/YOUTUBE]

 

[Fairlight]

Has she tried the Bic Sensitive disposables? I think they're a good bridge between cartridges and DEs. I agree with the point already made that multi-blade cartridge-style razors are extremely tolerant of bad technique versus DEs. The Bic single blade disposables are somewhere between idiot proof and unforgiving, and more importantly, they LOOK familiar so there's less tendency to blame the new and baffling tool in your hand.

Since apparently you need to be buying a bunch of disposables for her again, I recommend giving them a try. They're quite mild (Compared to my EJ DE89L, which I am told is a mild DE) and give a nice shave.

 

[kg4ghn]

My wife shaves her legs and "stuff" at about 50MPH. It scares me to watch. There is no way she would slow down enough to use a DE the right way. And she definitely would not be interested in having to do multiple passes.

 

[Duamuteffe]

+1 to everyone who said you have to explain the basics. There's not a huge amount of difference in technique swapping from disposables to DE, but that doesn't mean there's *no* difference. Being told to slow down the first few goes is very important, lightening up on the pressure if you used pressure before, and all the other things any newbie needs to know about DE shaving. Even though myself and other women I know picked up DE shaving quickly, and were up to our (apparently scary) high speeds after some practice, we didn't pick it up *instantly,* and there's certainly a learning curve that needs addressed with a lot of information.
As far as you being two steps back now, have you considered perhaps buying her some nice brushless cream and a pack of whatever she's used to using, and work it one step at a time?

 

[gollum83]

Disposables are better? There's no hope for her. Cut your losses and get a divorce.

 

[Go West Young Man]

It's her legs, what do you care? Let her take care of her personal grooming the way she feels best, your marriage will last longer that way ;

 

[snufflesdarkness]

Did she use canned goop with Lady Gillette. That is probably a bad way to go. There is an article on the shaveblog about this issue recently.

http://shaveblog.com/

Scroll down till you see nice pair of legs.

That may help. One of the most important factors was using a high quality cream. Like KMF is perfect product with or without a brush.

 

[gearchow]

Did she use canned goop with Lady Gillette. That is probably a bad way to go. There is an article on the shaveblog about this issue recently.

http://shaveblog.com/

Scroll down till you see nice pair of legs.

That may help. One of the most important factors was using a high quality cream. Like KMF is perfect product with or without a brush.

No she didn't use canned goo. I whipped up some GFT Rose and my 7 yo daughter used a nice, soft brush to apply it to her legs. It was a family affair for sure. Mom's legs got lots of attention. But I did just let her have at it with the razor in her own style.

-jim

 

[Newfie]

SNIP<<<then watch how she does it and help along the way, sounds like too much pressure mixed with rushing the blade around from using carts all these years.

SNIP<<<<she attacks her legs like it is something to get done with.
>>>>SNIP

When my wife cuts herself shaving, it's a gouge more-so than a nick or a cut. I always wondered how she managed to do that.

I happened to walk into the bathroom a couple of weeks ago while Her Majesty was shaving her legs. I told her she reminded me of a kid pushing a dinky toy around the floor pretending he was in a car with a big # 24 on the side. I said "No bloody wonder you gouge yourself doing it like that, SLOW DOWN AND LIGHT PRESSURE".

Her response was "I've been doing this since before I knew you, don't tell me how to shave".

I can only imagine the damage she could do with my Slant and a Feather blade. There would be so much blood the sharks would walk ashore looking for it.

 

[gearchow]

all righty then, I think I got the picture. First, thank you each and everyone for your good advice. Very nicely, most of you came to my wife's defense, I certainly didn't feel any love. (except for the one suggestion to divorce her, but this is my third marriage, so I ain't going down that path again).

So here is my new plan. I will give her my old M3 with 11 carts. I was going to PIF them, but this is a good alternative. At some point, I will offer up my Schick Eversharp injector:

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showpost.php?p=1977672&postcount=182

and see how that goes. Then down the road I will see if she wants to try the LG again. If not, expect to see a LG with case for sale on the BS&T.

I will also look into brushless cream. Not sure what product that is though. I don't mind lathering up cream I have for her, or even lather up some soap. I enjoy that bit of the process.

thank you all,
jim