Welcome to the darkside (going back to cartridges)
- Thread starter Blackmass
- Start date
Occams Razor
Legendary Member
We do this as a hobby for the enjoyment. If it isn't bringing you joy, then who can blame you for moving on?
For me, even if I go back to cartridges, the brushes and creams will stay. I can't get a good result from shaving foam and detest the stuff. Back in the day, we used canned shaving cream to get the corners of our army blankets squared up with the help of a couple of shoe brushes. PTSD in a can is what it is!
For me, even if I go back to cartridges, the brushes and creams will stay. I can't get a good result from shaving foam and detest the stuff. Back in the day, we used canned shaving cream to get the corners of our army blankets squared up with the help of a couple of shoe brushes. PTSD in a can is what it is!
Zorro
Forum GOD!
I have been through the same periods of uncomfortable shaves with DE and, for me, i resolve it by taking more time on prep-washing of face and going more slowly and carefully.
Am now 61 and have noticed that its easier to get this type of skin discomfort if i try to have any sort of "quick shave"
Am now 61 and have noticed that its easier to get this type of skin discomfort if i try to have any sort of "quick shave"
Occams Razor
Legendary Member
For me, a cartridge can be driven quicker, but the result is not as close, hence fewer nicks with a cartridge. A safety razor needs to be used on well prepped skin, and then treated a bit more carefully and driven deliberately, rather than on autopilot. By focusing more on angle and pressure, a DE is likely to reward you with a closer shave. As with all things shaving, YMMV considerably!
I can understand the discomfort that shaving causes, and that you look for alternatives. If that is going to be a cartridge razor - that is fine by me!
For me personally, I had really not great shaves with cartridges in the past. I also have not so great shaves with a DE razor, occasionally. And a few years ago, my skin was becoming really thin and paperlike - shaving wasn’t much fun and I wanted to do as little passes as possible. That condition has now been treated, and I can have 3 passes again, without irritation and any issues.
As we age, and luckily we all do, I think the skin changes and you have to find ways to deal with it. For me the cartridges weren’t the best answer but if it works well for you - then by all means use the cartridge! I needed to use sharper tools and sharper blades and reduce the amount of time the razor contacted my skin - but if you use a cartridge with an excellent lather and a good quality shaving soap you may indeed reduce the number of passes; and if it helps to reduce irritation, it helps!
For me personally, I had really not great shaves with cartridges in the past. I also have not so great shaves with a DE razor, occasionally. And a few years ago, my skin was becoming really thin and paperlike - shaving wasn’t much fun and I wanted to do as little passes as possible. That condition has now been treated, and I can have 3 passes again, without irritation and any issues.
As we age, and luckily we all do, I think the skin changes and you have to find ways to deal with it. For me the cartridges weren’t the best answer but if it works well for you - then by all means use the cartridge! I needed to use sharper tools and sharper blades and reduce the amount of time the razor contacted my skin - but if you use a cartridge with an excellent lather and a good quality shaving soap you may indeed reduce the number of passes; and if it helps to reduce irritation, it helps!
Everyone is different, but I'll tell you how it went for me.
I only head shave (only started a couple of years ago), and I only used a cartridge razor (Gillette Fusion) for a few weeks before moving on to a DE razor. I didn't get as close of a shave with the Fusion as I do with DE/SE/AC razors, but the shave time was much quicker from what I remember. I did get a little bit of irritation with the cartridge, though, but from what I recall, it wasn't that much. Having said that, I didn't know what I was doing back then as I only started head shaving, so I am not sure if I would do much better with one now (this is why I want to try a cartridge razor again like the Gillette Labs). I also don't think the Fusion is highly rated for head shaving, so I wonder if a better model would work better for me. I was also using shaving gel too, which I don't think I'd ever want to use right now if trying a cartridge again.
Darn, that isn't a fun story. Sounds stressful. Do you call it PSTD in a can due to the stress of trying to square up the blankets, or to clean it off after applying it? Why do they need to be squared up (I know nothing about the army, so I am generally curious), is it just a discipline thing they're trying to instill by getting people to do that?
Which foams would you guys say are the best value for when you might need something for travel purposes? The Gillette Labs is a bit too pricey here in AU to bother with that one if needed something easy for travelling. Good point about the shave gels too. I used to like them at first, but then started hating how gloopy they are, and also, the ones I've used, I found much harder to clean off than a foam.
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Vacumatic
Testy
Thank you for the insight.
No problem at all. Are you currently head shaving, and if so, what are you currently using?
I also forgot to say, I still got some nicks with the cartridge, but again, that could be due to my head being a lot more sensitive back then as I'd only just shaved it, so the skin wouldn't have toughened up like it would after numerous shaves. I don't think I'd get nicks and cuts with a cartridge if using one now. I am pretty sure I will buy the Gillette Labs just to test to see how it goes, that way, I can move on if it doesn't give me a better result than what I got before with the Fusion when I first started out with head shaves. I also still have most of my hair (like 85%), so there is still a decent amount of area to shave.
You’ll never know unless you try.
Vacumatic
Testy
I don't shave my head, I have a full head of hair in breach of my bald fathers prediction that I would be hair free by the time I was 21. I had thought that shaving the back of my head might be easier with a shaving surface that had some suspension.
Must admit that I don't even like to shave my face without a mirror to assist so a back-o-head shave is virgin territory.
I have had more nicks, and worse ones, shaving my head using a cartridge than I've had using a DE. I also don't notice any real difference in speed of the actual shaving part, making lather from soap is slower than simply gooping it out of a can and spreading it with my hand, but the actual shaving is about the same. Possibly a DE is faster for me as it doesn't clog, rinses easier and has more blade exposure.
Blackmass
Forum GOD!
A quick update.
I used the Gillette Labs for the second time a couple of nights back, this time with 3 days growth. I found it pretty rough and tuggy, the finished results were the same as previous, e.g. baby smooth.
I think I’ll try using shaving oil and soap with a DE blade tonight. I’ve bought a few different DE blades this morning. The Gillette Minora, Gillette London Bridge, Rapira Swedish Superstainless and Treet Super Stainless. The last two I think I might have tried in the past.
I used the Gillette Labs for the second time a couple of nights back, this time with 3 days growth. I found it pretty rough and tuggy, the finished results were the same as previous, e.g. baby smooth.
I think I’ll try using shaving oil and soap with a DE blade tonight. I’ve bought a few different DE blades this morning. The Gillette Minora, Gillette London Bridge, Rapira Swedish Superstainless and Treet Super Stainless. The last two I think I might have tried in the past.
chazt
Forum !
Explain, please?
Jealous! Those were the days when I let my freak flag fly! Eventually the snow on my roof melted to nothingness. I wanted each hair to hang on as long as possible, and some guys want to shave it off
