Has this already been asked? - Why are they called “Safety” razors. Seems they are anything but…
Safe compared to straight razors, I think.
Odds are you were doing it wrong.
The only benefit of the cartridge-style razor is a lower chance of cutting yourself, but why not live dangerously? As has been said, the idea is to get the angle right, as which point the hair just pops off. Tilt the blade so you barely feel it, then tilt it just a bit more. You should be able to sweep the hair off with short, smooth strokes. The blades don’t last quite so long as the cartridges, but that is because they start sharper in the first place and only two blades are doing the work. Luckily they’re cheap to replace.
I just tried it and it was fantastic. This will be great for traveling as well.
Unless I’m mistaken, most safety razors today are designed to accommodate the two-edged blades. I just rotate the razor periodically as I shave and thereby use the two edges about evenly, each time. Shaving about every other morning I use approximately two blades a week or less; I know it doesn’t sound like many but then I’m only shaving around my goatee and mustache. I don’t know what brand I’m using right now because it isn’t on the container, but I believe it’s CVS’ house brand. To find them (or indeed any blades) I usually have to go to the biggest local CVS store.*
As for technique, the most surprising thing I’ve learned is that I get the best shave and fewest cuts by keeping the blade edge about perpendicular to my skin as I move it along. It’s slightly counter-intuitive coming from disposables and cartridges, because those force you to use an extremely low angle. I learned this at my barbershop, where they offer straight-razor shaves and also use the blades to finish up haircuts (e.g. back of the neck) and beard trims. The barber almost always holds the blade about perpendicular to the area being shaved.
*You know, the one that’s open 24/7 and is about twice as big as any of the others. I assume this is a standard business practice they use.
I’m not sure that works for coarse hair, which I have. I tried all the different angles, tried holding the razor right at the end and “letting the razor do the work”, all that. None of it worked for me.
I wasn’t planning to buy one, but I saw a “Super Gillette Blue” (Shanghai) handle and blade for $3, so I thought why not, it’s half the price of a Fusion blade. The top of the handle is metal, and the handle is plastic. It unscrews into 3 pieces. Some people say the head is the same as the “Tech” head, and not very aggressive. First impression: hey the blade is really thin and flexible! I thought they were like penknife blades.
The good:
+I was only bleeding in about 2 places on my first shave - it’s not that hard.
+It’s not that slow either
The bad:
-It’s not a very close shave - some places were smooth, but some were still rough. I could still see hair close-up, which meant I didn’t look very clean-shaven from far
-How do I know I’m using both edges equally?
Oh, I didn’t have any shaving cream so I used QV wash. It’ll probably get better if I use proper cream. I don’t plan to use a whole bunch of products, though. Also, are you supposed to hold the blade at a constant angle? Because in this video: How to shave with a double-edged safety razor - YouTube , around 4:18, he sort of “swings” the blade, so the angle changes.
On the whole, comparable with an old Fusion blade. If this lasts for more than a few shaves, I might just stick to it.
“It’s not a very close shave - some places were smooth, but some were still rough.”
You shave with the grain on the first pass. Against the grain on the second/third pass. I get perfectly smooth shaves on my head and face when I do that.
“How do I know I’m using both edges equally?”
You don’t know but that’s ok. If you find a cheap supply of good blades*, it doesn’t matter.
“are you supposed to hold the blade at a constant angle?”
It helps although perhaps more skilled shavers than I have figured out when and how to angle the blade. I just use an adjustable razor that adjusts the angle of the blade for me. I suppose with non-adjustable razors, shallower angles are better for the first pass while steeper angles provide a closer shave.
*Like Astra, blue/black 7 O’clock, Personna on Ebay.
I’d probably use whatever shaving cream you normally use and let the variable in the experiment be the razor.
Beyond that, it takes a fair amount of practice to get good with a DE razor- a few weeks to get passable, and longer to get good.
I started out like you, but these days I can generally do better single-pass shaves than I could 2-3 pass shaves when I started out, and when I do multiple pass shaves, I no longer need perfectly made lather or anything like that- I can do it with Wal Mart’s knockoff of Gillette Foamy if I so choose, without cuts, scraping or irritation.
As a matter of fact, the only time I have cuts or irritation is when my attention lapses for some reason- kid cries, I daydream, etc…
I’ve been shaving with a safety razor for a while now. I was using 7 o clock blades but I’ve had a hell of a time with them lately so I’ve decided to try Feather. I just ordered them today. I think I’m experienced enough now that I can handle the sharpness. I also bought some aftershave lotion so hopefully between the two that will fix my problem.
Ok I found out that if you just make sure both sides have shaving cream when you rinse, that means they’re used equally.
I just threw away my blade, after 40 days of use. Of course by then it wasn’t very sharp, but I found that good enough for a normal shave, plus I could shave faster without worrying about cutting myself. Actually I think it could go for longer.
The thing about shaving against the grain is - everyone says it’ll lead to ingrown hairs. Which is odd, because I heard ingrown hairs are caused by shaving too close. So closer isn’t necessarily better?
This has been an interesting read. I’m thinking about buying a safety razor. But, I want to know if I’ll be able to get a more detailed shave with one to better shape my facial hair?
Last week I bought a Merkur 33C Safety Razor, based in large part on the posts in this thread. I shaved with it for the first time this morning, and rather enjoyed the feeling of shaving with the safety razor, though I was a little intimidated by the aggressiveness of the blade. I think I got about as good a shave as I would have gotten with my Gillette Sensor Excel (which I’ve been using for about 20 years), but I think once I get used to it I will get a much closer shave. No nics and no cuts, so certainly a success, though I did have a little trouble in my mustache area, as the head of this razor is much larger than what I’m used to. I could certainly feel the difference, and it was immediately evident that the Safety Razor Purists are on to something - it’s a great shave and the razor itself has a great feel to it. It feels substantial and solid. To make sort a sort of silly analogy, it’s like eating with real silverware after eating with plastic picnicware.
When I was done, I splashed on some Old Spice aftershave. 
All in all, I kinda like being middle-aged.
Or, depending on whereyou buyyour blades, you can probably find a little metal blade bank for less than $5, that’ll last you for years. (I’ve had mine for 5 years now, and it’s just now starting to get full. I’d guess it’ll hold 200-300 blades).
As far as razors go, I’d suggest an adjustable model, like a Merkur Futur, Merkur Progress or Gillette Fat Boy (ebay!). That way, you can adjust the aggressiveness of the shave to your own liking, without having to either buy multiple razors until you find the right one, or make do with one that doesn’t fit your shaving style. Merkur 33C razors are good though- it was my first one as well. If you find you like it, I’d suggest moving up to a 34C, just because the blade changing is less of a pain in the butt, it being 2-piece rather than 3.
Soap/cream wise, I’ve had the best overall performance with the following 3 brands: Proraso (the red & green), Barrister & Mann, and Musgo Real. Don’t bother with Williams at the drugstore- it sucks. Van Der Hagen is actually decent stuff though.