Learning the hard way

W

Wseaton

Noob
Hey guys, wanted to post this here because it seems like a good forum and I think you will all respond like adults to some friendly criticism.

I started using a safety razor last year after getting fed up with cartridge burn and the stupid prices. I'm 50 years old with fair skin, a fine but dense beard and smooth but absurdly thin skin. Shaving used to be my least favorite activity because of the pain and discomfort. I was actually using olive oil as a lube because my skin won't tolerate most commercial creams or lathers.

So, I switched to a Safety razor, and here was my first mistake. I picked up a Vander Hagen safety razor based on reviews, and the experience was mediocre at best. The Vanderhagen was horribly inconsistent ranging from a decently smooth shave to feeling every hair yanked out and having to soak my face in an icy washcloth to relieve some post shave pain. Tried different blades, different soaps and butters but nothing helped. I actually went back to cartridges for a bit after the Vanderhagen bit me pretty hard and left a bloody mess.

I then did some more research and popped some money for a Merkur34c. Problem solved. The Merkur gave me a perfect shave with no issues or burn and little effort with any razor thrown in it. Threw the VanderHagen in the trash. The difference between a disposable cartridge razor and the Vanderhagen was less than the Van vs the Merkurs.

Here's my gripe. DE razor reviews often read like a description of the fit and finish of a vintage Leica vs a hygiene appliance that rarely leaves the restroom. For me in any respect I dont care about the precision balance and weight of a handle or if it was used by a WW2 bomber crew. All I care about is if I can get a smooth and reliable shave from a tool that's all made in China now anyways. The Vanderhagen was a really bad experience and it took too long to resolve the problem because reviews on these type of products seem to drift away from a simple functional shave. In Vanderhagens defense their shave soap is really good, but I've used trailer hitches that would give me a better shave than their DE razor.

Appreciate you guys listening to the rant and glad I finally joined shaving club for adults :)
 
R

R181

Grumpy old man
Glad you found a DE that worked for you. The term YMMV really applies to all aspects of shaving. We are all different in one way or another and so are our likes and dislikes making all reviews highly subjective. Unfortunately that is the best we can do when reviewing things.

Bob
 
Boycie83

Boycie83

Space Cadet
Welcome to ATG! Good to hear you're now getting comfortable shaves. You can tell from the conversations that go on here that shaving is more than a task - a hobby for many of us. This naturally leads to us overanalysing many things about a shave, but that's part of the fun - particularly useful when we need to justify a £200+ razor over a perfectly functional £30-£40 one. The truth is that any razor will shave you perfectly fine once you've nailed the technique with it. We learn some quicker than others though.
 
wintoid

wintoid

Out of control
That's absolutely one perspective. For me personally, the hobby has provided various non-logical appeals, such as:
  • Marvelling at historical razors that still work as well as they did when they were made
  • Selfish toy-buying materialism
  • Practical improvements in the actual shave
  • Understanding what other people are talking about on the forums
I'm under no illusion that any of this is logical, except for the actual shave itself. The rest of it is just "part of the hobby" for me, and yes it's pretty silly.
 
Grarea

Grarea

Forum Plod
It really is good that you have found a razor and blade combo that works for you.
And on your second try. Brilliant.
It is pretty amusing the detail that one gets in the description.
Some is just trying to draw money out of pockets for sure, but also, in this amazing world, there is now an almost infinite range of hardware.
It creates so much choice which is fantastic.
Unfortunately it can be daunting (like buying most things nowadays).
The thing is, I suspect any one of those details might just make the difference for the perfect shave for somebody.
Someone is looking for something 'just that little bit heavier' If only it had a little more knurling for grip' 'i would love one with just a bit more bite' etc etc.
Plus some of it is sheer engineering shave porn 🤤.

I have quite a few razors. Almost all of which i bought used so that i could try them and not lose too much money.
I was really struggling to work it out.
Now I have eventually discovered my diet and health was affecting things, making stubble almost impossible to shave.
So I get to play like it is a whole new game.

I will be trying to find the 'ideal' razor.
 
Nishy

Nishy

Forum GOD!
Staff member
Glad you found a good razor for your needs. I think the analogy made by a previous member, with respect to cars is good. Priority is to get from A to B but YMMV in how you wish to reach the destination. A £30 razor or £300 razor will essentially perform the same task, however, it's the difference in craftsmanship that interests others.
 
Sig Solo

Sig Solo

#WAD
Wseaton said:
Hey guys, wanted to post this here because it seems like a good forum and I think you will all respond like adults to some friendly criticism.

I started using a safety razor last year after getting fed up with cartridge burn and the stupid prices. I'm 50 years old with fair skin, a fine but dense beard and smooth but absurdly thin skin. Shaving used to be my least favorite activity because of the pain and discomfort. I was actually using olive oil as a lube because my skin won't tolerate most commercial creams or lathers.

So, I switched to a Safety razor, and here was my first mistake. I picked up a Vander Hagen safety razor based on reviews, and the experience was mediocre at best. The Vanderhagen was horribly inconsistent ranging from a decently smooth shave to feeling every hair yanked out and having to soak my face in an icy washcloth to relieve some post shave pain. Tried different blades, different soaps and butters but nothing helped. I actually went back to cartridges for a bit after the Vanderhagen bit me pretty hard and left a bloody mess.

I then did some more research and popped some money for a Merkur34c. Problem solved. The Merkur gave me a perfect shave with no issues or burn and little effort with any razor thrown in it. Threw the VanderHagen in the trash. The difference between a disposable cartridge razor and the Vanderhagen was less than the Van vs the Merkurs.

Here's my gripe. DE razor reviews often read like a description of the fit and finish of a vintage Leica vs a hygiene appliance that rarely leaves the restroom. For me in any respect I dont care about the precision balance and weight of a handle or if it was used by a WW2 bomber crew. All I care about is if I can get a smooth and reliable shave from a tool that's all made in China now anyways. The Vanderhagen was a really bad experience and it took too long to resolve the problem because reviews on these type of products seem to drift away from a simple functional shave. In Vanderhagens defense their shave soap is really good, but I've used trailer hitches that would give me a better shave than their DE razor.

Appreciate you guys listening to the rant and glad I finally joined shaving club for adults :)
Click to expand...
Your story is not unlike mine.
Have you tried different blades? As for me I'm still learning. Ordered a bunch of different blades. I'm looking forward to trying different blades and perfecting the art of finding the optimal combo.
Safe travels!
 
UKRob

UKRob

Forum GOD!
There are other considerations - apart from the razor, that can affect your shaving experience. I have a collection that covers straight razors, Feather Artist types, DE and SE razors in a range of ages. The one constant for me is that I’ve always used a decent brush and soap - and I assume you do the same. For some time now I’ve hardly used DE blades as I much prefer the after shave feel I get from an SE blade. It’s difficult to explain, but I put it down to the thickness of blade - DE blades being very thin seem to leave me just a bit raw faced compared to SE Blades which are much thicker.

it’s maybe something for you to consider - the Razorock Hawk is a reasonably priced stainless SE razor that IMO gives a great shave and, if you’re like me, might make a difference to your DE razor.
 
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