Question for those who shave

After reading about stropping the blades I'm still on the same Mach 3 blade for almost a year now.

I shave electric first as it gets places that can be tough to do right with a manual blade such as around my lips. It also makes the manual portion of the shave more comfortable with less pulling. I'm not concerned whether the electric gives me a picture perfect shave. Then when I get into the shower I use the Mach 3. I've tried the 5 bladed ones and they don't hug the curves as well as the Mach 3.

I strop the blade on the glass prior to and after shaving. Which simply means I run it backwards for several strokes across the glass bricks in my shower. Stropping isn't sharpening the blade, that's done by it's shape when it's ground, it's perfecting the blade. Don't use a rough surface, use something smooth so the blade stays smooth. Think of it as more of polishing the blade. That's a better analogy than using a file to sharpen it.

I've noticed that you can't strop many brands of blades. They are designed with the blades reset or plastic supports in places that don't allow the glass to contact the edge of the blade.

I don't dry my blade after use, but I do shake it off very well and I store it with the sharp side up so that any water left runs to the dull back side.

I don't know about the alloy of SS the blades use but many SS's pit instead of rust. You don't want pits developing on the sharp side of the blade.

Mach 3 (the metal handled one) they ain't cheap bro, but that is the only thing that doesn't berkeley my face up.

Cheapish handle with quality double edged blades.

Shaving brush and old school shaving soap.

Far and away the best shave I've ever had. While the buy in wasn't super cheap (mainly the brush) the daily cost means the break even point is only a few months out, and then it's not only a better shave but a cheaper shave.

EricM wrote: Mach 3 (the metal handled one) they ain't cheap bro, but that is the only thing that doesn't berkeley my face up.

The same for me. I started with a straight razor because that is what my father used. Very quickly changed to a double edge safety razor. Tried electics while I was in college, all they did was irritate my skin.

I get my Mach 3 refills at Sam's Club or Costco which saes a bunch of money.

Hal wrote:

EricM wrote: Mach 3 (the metal handled one) they ain't cheap bro, but that is the only thing that doesn't berkeley my face up.

The same for me. I started with a straight razor because that is what my father used. Very quickly changed to a double edge safety razor. Tried electics while I was in college, all they did was irritate my skin. I get my Mach 3 refills at Sam's Club or Costco which saes a bunch of money.

Strop 'em and preshave with an electric to get the bush down to a lower level (mostly for comfort) and they'll last even longer!

I had been using a Gillete Fusion and a brush and soap for a number of years. After the other shaving thread I asked for a safety razor for Christmas and have been using that since December. Aside from a few nice cuts at the beginning I really like th combo I am useing. The shave is not quite as close but the price difference is astronomical, I like the feel of the heavier razor and I like old style stuff anyway.

Get one and give it a try, it does take some time to figure out the best angle for the razor but it really isn't too bad.

AngryCorvair wrote: Mach 3 for head and face. I recently tried the Meijer brand generic mach 3 copy and it sucked. didn't get nearly as close and lasted half as long. per the advice above, I will start using cold water and drying the razor after use. i'm currently getting one head and one face shave per cartridge, which is pretty expensive.

Dude, seriously dry them and use cold water for rinsing out (unless you shave your head in the shower like I do) I used to get 2 - 3 head shaves max till I started drying the blades off after use. I shave my head about once a week and Im on month 3 with the current blade, still good to go.

You dont have to get fancy with the drying either, just run them across a towel or tissue to get the water off. Its amazing how much better they hold up.

Safety razor for me. Closest shave, blades run 0.10 cents a piece and I toss them every week like clockwork.

Takes some getting used to though and you need to be careful around your neck as the blades get older they will nick.

I just ordered this http://www.royalshave.com/p/407-046-00/merkur-beginners-33c-shaving-set.html because I can't get more than 2 or 3 shaves out of the expensive 5 blade cartriges. The terrible 2 blade bic junk, I get ONE nearly decent shave. I'm hoping this will work. It seems that folks that use a DE razor love them.

wearymicrobe wrote: Safety razor for me. Closest shave, blades run 0.10 cents a piece and I toss them every week like clockwork. Takes some getting used to though and you need to be careful around your neck as the blades get older they will nick.

Yup, add me to the old school safety razor list. I can get 2 weeks from a blade if I take care of it (pretty much just drying it off). A box of ten blades costs a little over a buck. Use some real shaving soap and a brush and you are set. I get a new cake of soap for Christmas each year (in the scent my wife prefers, maybe the gift is really for her I guess). Shaves closer than anything I've ever tried.

There is an entire community devoted to shaving, much like we're devoted to cars:

http://badgerandblade.com/

Safety razors don't have to be expensive! Check out the links that I posted in the first page. A safety razor, brush, bowl, soap, and 30 blades for about $25 shipped. Your chin doesn't care if the soap is applied with rat hair (which my $3 brush may very well be) or polar bear pubic hair; as long as the soap is applied to the face; money can be allocated towards more important things.

MitchellC wrote: Your chin doesn't care if the soap is applied with rat hair (which my $3 brush may very well be)

If you're using a bar/cake instead of a cream, the water retention of a moderate brush is worth it for building a better lather faster. I'm not talking about a $100 brush or anything like that, but the cheapest badger brush you can get your hands on is worth the $$ if you ask me. Amazon's got quite a few in the ~$25 range, and at least one under $20.

Had a boar brush; it was usable. For just a little more a cheapo badger brush is well worth it IMO.

I recently picked up a bag of Kroger disposable razors after being irked that the price on the Gillette Sensor Excel blades I normally use had gone up again. Much to my surprise, they've been lasting about 6 shaves or so each and aren't too bad once I got the hang of using a fixed angle head.

Never had much luck with electric trimmers myself; they always seem to leave me looking like I haven't really shaved.

I shave about 3-4 times a year. Thankfully everywhere I have worked since college doesn't mind that I do the electric clippers (like they use for your hair and such) and just keep my face trimmed to a permanent 1-2 day shadow.

Good thing to as I've tried everything short of the safety/straigh edge stuff and it just murders my skin, even with fancy cream/lotions/etc.

z31maniac wrote: I shave about 3-4 times a year. Thankfully everywhere I have worked since college doesn't mind that I do the electric clippers (like they use for your hair and such) and just keep my face trimmed to a permanent 1-2 day shadow. Good thing to as I've tried everything short of the safety/straigh edge stuff and it just murders my skin, even with fancy cream/lotions/etc.

That's me. I'm almost 50, and at no time in my life have I shaved every day. It used to be once a week until I discoverd the electric clippers. Now I shave, and cut my hair at the same time and don't murder my skin.

I have really thick, coarse hair, and found the Mach 3 turbo blades to do a great job, and last a long time, although my son has a Remington 3 head electric that works far better than I expected it to.

I have a Mach 3. Works great. Electrics don't work for me, I have really thick, coarse facial hair.

I don't shave that often though. I use my trimmers to cut it short but I only shave about twice a week.

I just started typing something rather off-color. Then, for the first time in my life I thought about it first and typed this instead. Are you guys proud of me?

Zomby woof wrote:

z31maniac wrote: I shave about 3-4 times a year. Thankfully everywhere I have worked since college doesn't mind that I do the electric clippers (like they use for your hair and such) and just keep my face trimmed to a permanent 1-2 day shadow. Good thing to as I've tried everything short of the safety/straigh edge stuff and it just murders my skin, even with fancy cream/lotions/etc.

That's me. I'm almost 50, and at no time in my life have I shaved every day. It used to be once a week until I discoverd the electric clippers. Now I shave, and cut my hair at the same time and don't murder my skin. I have really thick, coarse hair, and found the Mach 3 turbo blades to do a great job, and last a long time, although my son has a Remington 3 head electric that works far better than I expected it to.

Now put the 2 together and you'll be amazed at how close your shave is and how comfortable.

^I already do that on the rare occasions when I shave. Been doing that for 10+ years (I'm 29).

I have a safety razor, been using it for a while, off and on. I alternate that and a Mach 3. The SR berkeleyed up my neck tonight, so back to the Mach 3

Joey

DrBoost wrote: I just started typing something rather off-color. Then, for the first time in my life I thought about it first and typed this instead. Are you guys proud of me?

Attaboy

DrBoost wrote: I just started typing something rather off-color. Then, for the first time in my life I thought about it first and typed this instead. Are you guys proud of me?

I'm not. Now I just want to know what you started.

old school razor blade lol nah just get some quattro disposables and I have my trusty Norelco for the fine stuff and trim work

I am rocking Gillette Fusions. I generally get about 3 weeks out of one.