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.
I'd say some people are faster with a DE and some with a cartridge. I don't know in general which would be consistently faster, but I'd say it would vary a bit depending on what type results you're after (CCS, DFS, BBS etc.), what type of hair you have, there'd be too many variables to say one if faster than another.
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'm guessing a cartridge would be worse for more days growth and wouldn't do as well? I think I used to shave every day or every two days when I used to use cartridge razors. I never really let it go longer than that, so it was always easy to cut through the hair.
Yeah, sounds interesting, but it sounds like a stressful situation, so I understand if he doesn't want to explain it any further.
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
Well, for me, I sort of wanted to try the look before I started thinning out and front started receding a little bit. That gave me the push I needed, but I did want to try it years earlier, but was a bit scared to try it as I wasn't sure what my head/head shape looked like. Turns out it was all good, and I could/should have done it sooner like I wanted to.
I’m one of the latter in a way. I have my head buzzed at #2 setting once a month. Makes life much easier, and more comfortable. Also, it looks much neater as the old dome was getting patchy and a comb-over is a big no, no for me, not to mention SWMBO.
I would like to do that, but I think that look would suit me better if my hair wasn't receding at the front. I prefer the clean head look, but it's a bit of a chore maintaining it if you don't have a razor/combination to do it easily with little or no irritation, and in a reasonable amount of time.
I’m the unfortunate owner of a Friar Tuck hairline and absolutely despise the look (on me). But I’m not interested at all in shaving my head, so Gayle bought me a Wahl clipper for my birthday in January. Now, the barber is a distant memory, as once a month or so I buzz myself. Roughly estimated I’ve already saved well over $150 which has instead been spent on guitar and shave goodies.
I'll have to look up a picture as I don't remember what Friar Tuck looks like. Nice saving not going to the barber. It can get expensive. I'd go every week if I had the money, and the, uh, hair
.
Fortunately I don't have a job where I have to shave every day. I usually shave every other day but I really enjoy the ritual of it.
The razors, the soaps, the brushes. All of it. I could never shave with a cartridge again. For the people who are getting less than stellar shaves with a DE- stick with it. Change your razor, your blades, your soap, your prep, use a milder razor if you have to, don't go for BBS, don't go ATG perhaps but don't, whatever you do, go back to a cartridge. It's just not the way we're meant to shave.
That's pretty great. I did a head shave last night and enjoyed it. It went a bit longer than usual, but I guess reading everyone's posts here reinvigorated me a bit. I really just slowed down and took my time.
I sort of agree with you about cartridges, but what if like the OP you've been at it since 2016 and you still haven't found that razor/combination? Do you not got back to a cartridge if you get better results (I guess Blackmass hasn't done a long enough comparison to decide yet, so we'll hold of on that as he's still accessing it)?
For me, I'm going to keep trying and I've only been at it for 2 years, but I haven't found anything I really like yet that gives me comfortable close shaves. When you say change your prep, what things are you referring to change there? I might try what you said about not going for BBS, but I can't not go against the grain before I'm left with a socially acceptable shave (one step below CCS) level shave at best, and I don't like leaving it at that level. I'd rather not shave at all if that is the level I'd be leaving it at.
