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Can you speak to the additional time commitment? I have been considering ditching the Fusion for a Merkur, but I'm worried about adding more time to my AM routi

by JunkDNA 16y ago

Can you speak to the additional time commitment? I have been considering ditching the Fusion for a Merkur, but I'm worried about adding more time to my AM routine. Are we talking double the amount of time? Triple? The thought of getting up at 5:30 AM just to get a better shave has been the primary reason I haven't pulled the trigger.

tomjen3 16y ago
How long does it take you now? Depending on things it would take me between 20-25 minutes to shave (using a Merkur, forget which one it was exactly) but I wasn't good at it at all, so you could properly cut it down to 15-20 minutes. And there is nothing as good as getting out of bed at 5:30 to start a productive day.
joev 16y ago
The whole thing, from lathering to cleanup, takes me around 15 minutes. Many people can do it faster, but this gives me time to wake up.
brk 16y ago
Can you speak to the additional time commitment? Keep in mind I haven't done any stop-watch studies... Shaving with a normal razor takes me about 5-7 minutes (I still use a plastic 2-blade razor when I travel). The DE razor probably doubles that, maybe in the range of 10-12 minutes. At first it was much longer, like 15+ minutes until I got the feel of it. But after developing a technique, it goes pretty quick overall. Either way, the additional time is still on the order of 10-15 minutes at most, and should be an extra 5-8 or so when you get the hang of it.
- sliverstorm 16y ago
  I can agree with both the potential savings, and the enjoyment. I've switched to a straight razor, and I'll never need to buy another blade probably for the rest of my life. Soap and possibly my waterstone are my only consumables. As for time and enjoyment, it takes me probably 15+ minutes because I'm still getting the hang of it, maybe even 20 if I'm practicing a 3rd pass (for the perfect shave, you go with the grain, across the grain, against the grain, and your face will be smooth in all directions), but I feel good when I'm done.
weezer 16y ago
Don't do it. I bought a Merkur two years ago and I just back the switch back to the Gillette. Here's the issue: errors with a single blade safety razor are much worse. I didn't cut myself 99% of the time, but when I did, the cuts were large divots out of my skin. It sucks. Go with the modern technology and leave the single blades to the obsessive.
- sliverstorm 16y ago
  Is that unique to de safeties? I am using a straight razor, and while I cut myself sometimes, it's always a slice, not a chunk.
johnswamps 16y ago
It depends on how close of a shave you want. If you simply want to be presentable you can do one quick pass "with the grain", but if you want a perfectly smooth shave you can do several passes (perpendicular and against the grain). If I'm in a hurry I can shave in 5 minutes (though this is a good way to cut yourself), if I'm taking my time it's maybe 10 minutes. I also only shave every other day, in large part due to how close of a shave you can get, though I also naturally don't grow hair quickly.
meta 16y ago
I switched to DE coming on a year ago. I didn't get a new DE but went for some of the older models (available off ebay for cheap). My favorite one regularly goes for about 5 bucks (They are usually tagged with: Canadian 1932 "military issue" like these: http://cgi.ebay.ca/LOT-2-GILLETTE-SAFETY-RAZORS-3-PIECES-BLADES-/140424595386?cmd=ViewItem#ht_2836wt_1139 http://cgi.ebay.ca/LOT-2-GILLETTE-SAFETY-RAZORS-3-PIECES-BLA...). The first week I shaved before bed to get the hang of it. Went slow, paid attention to technique, beard growth direction, etc. After that I shave almost every morning after my shower. Takes ~10 minutes including Lather, Shave and Cleanup. For me, I like it. I have a small collection of some cooler looking old DE razors. Buy blades for incredibly cheap. And can enjoy a variety of shaving creams.

by JunkDNA 16y ago

tomjen3 16y ago

How long does it take you now? Depending on things it would take me between 20-25 minutes to shave (using a Merkur, forget which one it was exactly) but I wasn't good at it at all, so you could properly cut it down to 15-20 minutes. And there is nothing as good as getting out of bed at 5:30 to start a productive day.

joev 16y ago

The whole thing, from lathering to cleanup, takes me around 15 minutes. Many people can do it faster, but this gives me time to wake up.

brk 16y ago

Can you speak to the additional time commitment? Keep in mind I haven't done any stop-watch studies... Shaving with a normal razor takes me about 5-7 minutes (I still use a plastic 2-blade razor when I travel). The DE razor probably doubles that, maybe in the range of 10-12 minutes. At first it was much longer, like 15+ minutes until I got the feel of it. But after developing a technique, it goes pretty quick overall. Either way, the additional time is still on the order of 10-15 minutes at most, and should be an extra 5-8 or so when you get the hang of it.

sliverstorm 16y ago
I can agree with both the potential savings, and the enjoyment. I've switched to a straight razor, and I'll never need to buy another blade probably for the rest of my life. Soap and possibly my waterstone are my only consumables. As for time and enjoyment, it takes me probably 15+ minutes because I'm still getting the hang of it, maybe even 20 if I'm practicing a 3rd pass (for the perfect shave, you go with the grain, across the grain, against the grain, and your face will be smooth in all directions), but I feel good when I'm done.

weezer 16y ago

Don't do it. I bought a Merkur two years ago and I just back the switch back to the Gillette. Here's the issue: errors with a single blade safety razor are much worse. I didn't cut myself 99% of the time, but when I did, the cuts were large divots out of my skin. It sucks. Go with the modern technology and leave the single blades to the obsessive.

sliverstorm 16y ago
Is that unique to de safeties? I am using a straight razor, and while I cut myself sometimes, it's always a slice, not a chunk.

johnswamps 16y ago

It depends on how close of a shave you want. If you simply want to be presentable you can do one quick pass "with the grain", but if you want a perfectly smooth shave you can do several passes (perpendicular and against the grain). If I'm in a hurry I can shave in 5 minutes (though this is a good way to cut yourself), if I'm taking my time it's maybe 10 minutes. I also only shave every other day, in large part due to how close of a shave you can get, though I also naturally don't grow hair quickly.

meta 16y ago

I switched to DE coming on a year ago. I didn't get a new DE but went for some of the older models (available off ebay for cheap). My favorite one regularly goes for about 5 bucks (They are usually tagged with: Canadian 1932 "military issue" like these: http://cgi.ebay.ca/LOT-2-GILLETTE-SAFETY-RAZORS-3-PIECES-BLADES-/140424595386?cmd=ViewItem#ht_2836wt_1139 http://cgi.ebay.ca/LOT-2-GILLETTE-SAFETY-RAZORS-3-PIECES-BLA...). The first week I shaved before bed to get the hang of it. Went slow, paid attention to technique, beard growth direction, etc. After that I shave almost every morning after my shower. Takes ~10 minutes including Lather, Shave and Cleanup. For me, I like it. I have a small collection of some cooler looking old DE razors. Buy blades for incredibly cheap. And can enjoy a variety of shaving creams.