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One thing you have to remember though, is to treat it like you're pampering yourself. If you want a quick shave in the mornings, don't bother with it. If you don't want to put effort into it, you might as well resort to alternatives like waxing or electrolysis, since it would save you money and huge amounts of time in the end. But I'd never give up that relaxing morning shave.
In my rather unscientific, anecdotal view, it does seem better.
Same way everyone went, "3 blades? Bah! For x thousand years men have used only one!" etc. Now everything comes with 3.
I use my girlfriend as a rather accurate 'close-shave meter'. She can tell!
Those of us who use only 1 blade would argue that less blades requires more passes, but results in less total scrapage, for a closer shave with less irritation.
I am pretty much in the exact same situation as you. I shower at night, so I only shave Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday nights. My facial hair grows just fast enough so that shaving every other day is not enough, but not fast enough so that shaving every day would be productive. I also have sensitive skin.
EDIT: I use one of those four-bladed vibrating things. It works really well. Intimidating though.
I find that a single blade requires less passes than a multibladed contraption AND causes less irritation if you have good technique. It takes time to develop, but once you've got it, no cartridge razor can compare. That's why barbers still use straight razors.
My only concern is that I have 2 moles on my face. One is on my chin about halfway between my lips and the chin proper, and the other's on my jawline. Shaving around these is bad enough with a Mach 3; could anyone with experience comment on whether a DE razor will be even worse?
Any help?
PSN: SirGrinchX
Xbox Live: SirGrinch X
I can't find any UK online merchants with shaving kits that feature DE razors, but here are some places that sell DE's and brushes.
http://www.executive-shaving.co.uk/shaving/safety-razors/safety-razors.php
http://www.tayloroldbondst.co.uk/index.html (They're primarily famous for their great shave creams)
http://www.mankind.co.uk/goshopping.asp?GroupID=737
All you need is a razor, blades, brush and cream. You might also want a fat shaving mug to lather the cream in, though you can lather it in your hand or right on your face. The bottom of the line Merkur razor will shave just as well as the top of the line, it just has fewer features. Merkur blades are also quite good. They cut very well, without being too aggressive. I wouldn't recommend someone getting started with wetshaving to use Feather blades. Personna blades are about as good as Merkur blades, and possibly cheaper. You can get a cheap boar hair brush, rather than a more expensive badger hair brush, it will just hold less water, so you may have to add a bit when lathering. As for creams, Taylor's of Old Bond Street, Geo F. Trumper and Truefitt & Hill are all extremely good. Many of the best shaving creams come from the UK, so you're lucky there.
You should really check ebay though. You can get all kinds of old DE razors on there for dirt cheap. Generally, you don't want anything made after 1960 unless it's a Merkur though, because the Gillette razors went to shit after the 50's. The best were from the early 40's, though anything prior to that time period are also good.
Dropped the electric shaver and shaving cream a while ago for a similar method, on my own discovery. Best decision ever. Just shave while in the shower. This method does wonders for your skin, saves time, and saves money because you won't go through razors so frickin fast. I never cut myself, or get razor burn, and my skin doesnt get all bumpy when im done.
Keep a small mirror in the shower. Otherwise, you'll have to do some touch-ups when you get out.
Try www.artofshaving.com Thier gift sets include a badger hair brush for $40 and they ship internationally. Thier razors aren't worth it though, they're just well balanced gillette razors. I do like thier products as well though if you can find Billy Jealousy I recommend that even more and you won't need a brush.
-Terry Pratchett
Chicago is a big place, so there very well may be somewhere you can get wet shaving supplies, but the only brick and mortar stores I know of are the Art of Shaving stores that are in a handful of major cities. Chicago isn't one of them. As for online,
http://www.classicshaving.com/catalog/item/522941/284057.htm
Classic Shaving, though they've got a crappy looking site, is a pillar of the wet shaving market and has been around longer than most online shaving merchants. Also worth trying is their shave soap. It's surprisingly good for a soap. Soaps by nature aren't as thick and lubricating as a traditional cream, but I like them because their thinness allows a closer shave.
If I stay with it, I'll probably take the advice of those YouTube videos and shave with the grain for a few weeks, since I haven't been doing that.
I have very sensitive skin, and very thick hair that grows fast.
I'm wondering if that plug of the injector razor on the shavingblog site is a good idea, assuming I can easily find blades for it. While he made it sound like it was hard to get a good quality one, even an old one, he also implied it was much easier. I'm not sure why that would be though. Perhaps he just got one that happened to have the razor at the right angle and position compared to the safety areas around it.
The safety razor I got is actually adjustable, (the angle) but I have no idea how the angle helps at all... :S
I think I might have to try using a cloth or something... my facial hair just doesn't soften well. I really hate splashing hot water on my face. It's only on my face for a fraction of a second.
Useful?
You're definitely not softening your beard enough. The thicker the hairs, the longer it takes to soften them.
As for the Schick Injector, while you can't get them new anymore (outside of Japan), there are still a ton available on ebay that are perfectly good and near dirt cheap. I particularly like the brass and bakelite-handle Injector, though just about any up until the 1970's were equally very good. Schick still manufactures the blades and they're readily available in most big chain drug stores, and also on Amazon.com. If a DE is too foreign in use to get good results with, you're likely better off using an Injector to perfect your single blade razor technique. It's quite similiar in use to a cartridge razor, but with all the benefits of a single blade. It's been argued the Injector blade itself is sharper and holds an edge better than a DE, because it is made out of thicker metal and as a result, cuts more like a straight razor. Reduced flexing of the blade is one possible reason for this. Regarding the angle, that was one of the best parts of the Injector's design. The geometry of the head of the Injector has never changed since 1935, so every one should cut just as well. The only difference is the handle, which is more a matter of preference. The razor is very durably built (thicker metal than your PC case for sure) and it would take deliberate effort to change the angle of the head and safety bar, so he didn't just get a good one. It is that good by design.
The adjustability of certain DE razors is simply to adjust the angle of the blade to provide a more or less aggressive cut without changing the angle of your technique. If you're not familiar with DE shaving, or you're nicking or irritating your skin, set it back to 1 or even 0.
1) Wet face liberally with hot water, apply large amounts of Gilette sensative skin gel.
2) Shave lightly with the grain, rinse thoroughly, lather up again, shave lightly against the grain. Rinse thoroughly. Shave lightly.
3) Apply a non-alcohol-based aftershave lotion. I use some Nivia for Men aftershave lotion that you can buy anywhere.
Some tips:
* Don't rush. It takes me around ten minutes start-to-finish- and I have a goatee now and thus don't have to shave the tricky bits.
* Use a quality cartridge razor. I've been using the same Mach 3 for ten years or so. If you need to press instead of drag the razor across your face, it's dull and needs replacement. I run through a cartridge about once every four shaves or so, but I'm picky. I could stretch it to six or seven easily.
* Skimping on gel is bad- if you think you might not be using enough, you probably aren't. The American Crew shaving stuff is pretty nice as a fancy alternative. It smells better but I prefer the foamy gel (I've had allergy problems in the past with a lot of brands, I try to play it safe).
I've been using the same method for a long, long time and I get a perfectly smooth shave every time, even when I wait a week. I can't remember the last time I cut myself, I don't have problems with breakouts, and I don't have to fiddle with expensive or hard-to-acquire brushes, creams, or razors. I can get everything I need at the local supermarket or any Walgreens in America. The fancy stuff probably works great but I tried a badger-hair brush and English cream awhile back and didn't stick with it as it didn't give me any improvement in the quality of my shave.
For reference I'm white, 27, and have dense brown facial hair. I don't shave every day, or even every other day. Maybe three times a week at most. I used to shave every day for work, though, and never had any problems. I don't bother now because I already have a girlfriend and (she says) she likes the rugged look
This is the key. A lot of people push hard thinking it'll give a closer shave, when in reality it just irritates the skin. As long as the razor is sharp, you'll get the best shave with a very light touch. Also, if shaving against the grain is too irritating, you can try making your second pass perpendicular to the grain instead. Works well for some people.
Oddly, that's why I switched away from cartridge razors. A $70 straight quickly pays for itself when you're not going through those ridiculously priced cartridges every few days. They must make a fortune off those things.
This has piqued my interest -- any more information on where these are available, what they are called, etc? I'd like to import one and try it out.
I do, however, believe my Granddad who died a few years ago had an expensive shaving kit that is residing in my parents house. Before I buy anything I'm going to check that out over the weekend.
PSN: SirGrinchX
Xbox Live: SirGrinch X
http://www.safetyrazors.net/schick/schicktech.htm
They're all just called Schick Injectors. No fancy Fusion Turbo Power Shadow shit. The one at the bottom is the last Injector model produced and was only released in Japan, though I think it would be cheaper just buying off ebay. They all shave just as well. You can get a vintage model for only a few bucks.