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The “once you use it correctly” is worth highlighting though. I tried the double edge safety razor. Got the brush, shaving cream, big pack of Astra blades. Wat

by yojo 4y ago

The “once you use it correctly” is worth highlighting though. I tried the double edge safety razor. Got the brush, shaving cream, big pack of Astra blades. Watched a bunch of YouTube videos on technique. Spent way more time shaving. Nicked myself an ungodly number of times. Somehow got a worse shave out of it. Ended up going back to the cartridge razor. I really want to be a double edge razor guy, but I was not able to make it up the learning curve.

mr_mitm 4y ago
That's my experience as well. And if I don't go against the grain, I may not nick myself, but it doesn't result in a close shave at all. It feels like one day after I shave with a Mach3 which I can use against the grain. I really want it to work, but it's literally a blood bath.
unethical_ban 4y ago
It took mea little while too, but I've been using safety razors for almost ten years. Yeah, it took just doing all the right things by intuition. Dialing in the angle of the razor as i held it, getting good blades, getting the face clean and hot. Also, don't shave every day. I get a much better and more comfortable shave if i have two or three days of stubble.
pmoriarty 4y ago
"I tried the double edge safety razor. Got the brush, shaving cream, big pack of Astra blades. Watched a bunch of YouTube videos on technique. Spent way more time shaving. Nicked myself an ungodly number of times." Maybe it's the blades? I started with Derby Extra blades[1], and without using any special technique I've nicked myself only maybe once a year with them. The weight of the razor might also figure in to it -- I got a Parker 66R razor[2], which has a nice heft to it, which means I don't have to press in to my face with the razor -- the weight of the razor itself is enough. If you had a plastic and/or light-weight razor maybe you had to press in to your face, which could account for the nicks. [1] - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0032Q41LS/ https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0032Q41LS/ [2] - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0141BGDLI/ https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0141BGDLI/
- yojo 4y ago
  I got a vintage Gillette handle off eBay - it definitely has heft. Could be worth trying a different set of blades. The Astra Platinum were the Reddit hive mind recommend at the time, but this was ~8 years ago. I’m also wondering if it might be a hair thing. My facial hair is thick/coarse, particularly on the upper lip, which is where I consistently nicked myself. Short of a several pound handle I can’t imagine cutting it with the weight of the razor alone.
  - pmoriarty 4y ago
    You probably don't need to be told this, as it's pretty obvious, but just in case: you should curl your upper lip in to your mouth when you shave to make the skin taught and decrease the odds of nicks. Also, before starting to shave you should wet your facial hair with hot/warm water for a few minutes to soften it up. I usually wet my face as soon as I get in to my shower and shave inside the shower a few minutes later.

by yojo 4y ago

mr_mitm 4y ago

That's my experience as well. And if I don't go against the grain, I may not nick myself, but it doesn't result in a close shave at all. It feels like one day after I shave with a Mach3 which I can use against the grain. I really want it to work, but it's literally a blood bath.

unethical_ban 4y ago

It took mea little while too, but I've been using safety razors for almost ten years. Yeah, it took just doing all the right things by intuition. Dialing in the angle of the razor as i held it, getting good blades, getting the face clean and hot. Also, don't shave every day. I get a much better and more comfortable shave if i have two or three days of stubble.

pmoriarty 4y ago

"I tried the double edge safety razor. Got the brush, shaving cream, big pack of Astra blades. Watched a bunch of YouTube videos on technique. Spent way more time shaving. Nicked myself an ungodly number of times." Maybe it's the blades? I started with Derby Extra blades[1], and without using any special technique I've nicked myself only maybe once a year with them. The weight of the razor might also figure in to it -- I got a Parker 66R razor[2], which has a nice heft to it, which means I don't have to press in to my face with the razor -- the weight of the razor itself is enough. If you had a plastic and/or light-weight razor maybe you had to press in to your face, which could account for the nicks. [1] - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0032Q41LS/ https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0032Q41LS/ [2] - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0141BGDLI/ https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0141BGDLI/

yojo 4y ago
I got a vintage Gillette handle off eBay - it definitely has heft. Could be worth trying a different set of blades. The Astra Platinum were the Reddit hive mind recommend at the time, but this was ~8 years ago. I’m also wondering if it might be a hair thing. My facial hair is thick/coarse, particularly on the upper lip, which is where I consistently nicked myself. Short of a several pound handle I can’t imagine cutting it with the weight of the razor alone.
- pmoriarty 4y ago
  You probably don't need to be told this, as it's pretty obvious, but just in case: you should curl your upper lip in to your mouth when you shave to make the skin taught and decrease the odds of nicks. Also, before starting to shave you should wet your facial hair with hot/warm water for a few minutes to soften it up. I usually wet my face as soon as I get in to my shower and shave inside the shower a few minutes later.