I’m in the Navy right now. When I joined I got away with shaving once a week. After four years of this I now can’t skip a day! I have pretty sensitive skin and my Mach 3 blades only last me two days. Any more than that and my face is noticably irritated (especially my neck). I have to admit that the first time I use a blade, it’s probably the best shave I can imagine ever having. Anyway, these blades are starting to get really expensive and I am getting out in a couple of months to be a college student. I really don’t think I’ll be able to afford them.
I haven’t had good luck with electric razors. I have a Norelco 5756X sitting in my drawer unused for about a year now.
Does anybody have experience with or use a straight edge? I have a lot of experience with making and sharpening knives so I know I could keep it sharp enough, but i’m also worried about hacking my face off.
They must have put a lot of R&D cash into designing a blade that gets dull so quickly. sheesh!
I’ve known several tattoo artists that use a straight-edge to shave the area prior to inking. Some old-fashioned barber shops also use straight-edges (my husband used to get a straight-edge shave once a month - I used to call it the “male facial”). If you don’t get answers on the Dope, that might be two places to investigate.
I get ingrown hairs a lot, even though I don’t have much of a beard. Also, sometimes I like the 5-o’clock-shadow look.
So I sometimes use a beard trimmer and just trim down to the stubble. It doesn’t mess up your skin, at least not much at all, and you don’t have to buy razor blades.
Are you sure your blades are getting duller after just two shaves? I’ve got a pretty rough beard myself and I get a good two weeks out of mine. I use the Gillette Sensor. The Sensor blades are less bulky (easier to use around curves) than Mach IIIs and cheaper too.
I once read that blades don’t get dull from shaving off the hair but from impurities in the water. The water evaporates off of the blade when you put you razor away but the impurities stay. They sell a liquid to soak the razor in when you’re done shaving to get rid of these impurities. Maybe that would help. I’ll do a search.
Years ago I spent $80 on a straight razor and a shrop. I wanted to be Clint Eastwood. I quickly learned that I aint no cowboy. Its real hard to get used to.
OK, here’s a crazy idea but it might work. If the theory that impurities in the water are what’s causing the blades to go dull so quickly, how about trying this:
Buy a gallon of distlled water. After shaving, pour in to a cup. Vigorously shake the razor inside the distilled water to rid the blades of the impure water.
I use generic “safety razor” blades. People who don’t use them are sometimes surprised that those are still around for other purposes than slashing your wrists. They are a lot cheaper than proprietary blades, usually 1 euro per 10 double edged ones, less if you buy larger quantities. Since the individual blade is so cheap you can afford to get rid of it as soon as it deteriorates. The actual shaving is hardly different from modern brand razors.
See, I’ve tried disposables, but they don’t hold a candle to my Mach 3.
alterego, I can’t imagine that your blades are going dull after two days. That’s not even enough time for the gel strip to wear out! Try spending a little extra time washing your face beforehand, and make sure the water is as hot as you can stand.
What sort of shaving cream do you use? If your skin is extra sensitive, your shaving cream should reflect that.
My father still uses safety razors (so naturally that’s what I used when I first started shaving). I bought him an adjustable Merkur a couple of years ago; he loves it. I still prefer the Sensor though.
x-ray vision thanks that stuff looks good I will try it out. You can’t drink the water over here so the Seabees “purify” it for us. It’s not drinkable afterwards because it smells of chlorine. Anyway, I just took a close look at my blade from this morning, which has only been used once, and it has all kinds of mineral buildup on it so that is probably my problem!
Aeschines, I hadn’t thought of that either. When I get out I can just…not shave. Wow. How nice is that?
Johnny Bravo I havent explicitly been using hot water so I will try that as well.
Thanks everyone - I will let you know how my adventure goes
I use a Norelco electric razor and find that if my face is the least bit wet, it’s pretty hard to use. Considering I suck at shaving to begin with, it’s not a pleasant experience when I forget to shave until after I shower.
Aeschines: How well do beard trimmers work? How close do they shave? I’ve thought about getting one before since I actually like a little bit of hair on my face but don’t really like the scraggly hobo look I get when I let it grow for more than a week.
That’s all I ever use. (actually, I shave about once a year, for really important business meetings, etc.) $20 head shaver with no spacing blades. Drag it across the face once a week. Low maintenance, cool Don Johnson, Miami Vice look. what could be better?
And for the record, I had a friend who shaved with a straight razor until he nearly severed a finger one morning. Now he uses a safety razor, just like the rest of us. Also, my barber shaves the neck and trims the sideburns with a straight razor and hot lather. It feels great, but honestly the shave isn’t as close as I get from the Gillette Sensor.
The Japanese store here sells KAI disposable straight razors with guards. There is a picture on some packets that seem to indicate that they are used by japanese women to remove sideburns. They give a very close shave and don’t irritate the skin as much as some razors.
Obviously people gathered that the OP was referring to a straight razor, not a straight edge. A straight edge is a tool used not for cutting, but for measuring or insuring straightness/flatness. Some folks would be quite confused by the misuse of the term.
