Basic safety razor vs. sensor excel

J

JackNate

Joined
Sep 21, 2008
Messages
137
So I've used Gillette's sensor excel razor for most of my shaving life. I don't have too many complaints other than price, sometimes blades are dull or scratchy straight out of the box. It shaves close enough for me, but I do tend to get some cuts and irritation in the lower neck.

Recently I decided that if I'm spending heaps of cash on cartridges I might as well buy another razor. Sensor excel seems to be phasing out, and I hate using Mach3. So, I picked up a basic little Merkur safety razor, that uses standard blades of their brand or another.

I've just been doing the same routine as always. (1) Wash face with warm water and leave wet. (2) Spread shave foam all around. (3) Make single gentle stroke "with the grain". (4) Rinse razor in warm water and repeat step #3

Using the new Merkur I seem to have fairly good results. Nice tidy and painless shave, and consistantly short. I also experimented a bit with it against the grain and got a very short but raw shave..ouch! I really like the ability to keep it very clean.

I'm generaly pleased with it but would apppreciate any comments, or advice.
Thanks for reading this longish post - Nate
 
Nate,
First off ditch the foam in a can stuff and get some real shave soap or cream. Proraso is a great one to start with . Also use less pressure than you usually do and let the razor's weight do the work. Look online for blades, Derby's are a great deal and are a great shave. For a lot more advice try http://www.badgerandblade.com/
 
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The best shave I have ever had was from a Gillette Fusion razor, the one with the batteries in the handle. :thumbup::thumbup:Wonderful, but too expensive to use. The store manager at the local Krogers gave all the handle packs away for free finally. :) BUT No one pays $25 for a replacement pack of three heads. :eek: SO I am still using the old Gillette double edge from the early 1970s. The good blades are hard to find and still too expensive, so I settle for the cheap SS blades and replace them about every four shaves. I find the trick to be don't try to shave too close; after all you can do it again tomorrow. Or shave closely and then skip a day. Or shave lightly each day. Skip a couple of days on the weekend, and start the week with a comfortable close shave. :)
 
I've got to agree with citizensoldierNY. Junk that foam in a can and get some shaving soap, a mug, and a brush. You'll never go back.


--Mike L.
 
The double edge razor is just the first step... but there more to wet shaving than all of that. I just got into it myself, and my shaves are much improved, and my skin looks 1000% better.

I second checking out badgerandblade.com. Lots of stickies in the forums.

More information on this subject than you'd want to read here.
 
These recommendations are great ones. Once you start sampling different shaving soaps you'll find some that work for you. I'm partial to Geo F Trumper...try their limes cream. Great stuff! They also have a product called Skin Food. Great for after shave and a toner.

If you can, get some Feather brand blades. These are out of Japan and are the sharpest blades I've ever used. They will give you an unbelievable shave, just using the weight of the razor. No pressure at all.

You might want to get yourself an alum block as well, just for those times where your nick yourself or shave "too closely."

Hmm...you'll be trying a straight razor next! They get addicting as well!
 
I may also try a brush. My neck hair tends to grow in various directions, and brushes supposedly(according to GQ magazine) help stand the hairs up to be shaved.
 
JackNate said:
I may also try a brush. My neck hair tends to grow in various directions, and brushes supposedly(according to GQ magazine) help stand the hairs up to be shaved.
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That's a bit of an old-wive's tale. What a brush can do for you is work up a really good lather with a proper shave soap or cream. A well-prepared lather from one of these products is head and shoulders above anything that comes in a can. A brush will work it into your face better than fingers, plus it feels good on the ol' face in the morning.
 
I agree with the brush and shaving soap being worlds better than the spray can stuff, and I think I use some of the cheapest soaps and brushes out there. Another thing I consider very important is to really get your face wet and warm; a hot moist towel and/or just out of (or while in?) a hot shower can make a big difference. When I don't have the time for the ritual, I would rather go electric.

I am a fan of the more modern razors. I tossed my Gillette double edge the first time I tried a Trac II and have never looked back. I considered it a major leap in comfort. Never used a Sensor much except for some cheap disposables; went straight from the Atra to the Mach III. Not much of an improvement, but slightly better IMO.

I actually would like to try a straight razor one of these days. I find them fascinating, but at the same time am afraid of possible razor burn, nicks, and amputations.
 
guyfalks said:
I agree with the brush and shaving soap being worlds better than the spray can stuff, and I think I use some of the cheapest soaps and brushes out there. Another thing I consider very important is to really get your face wet and warm; a hot moist towel and/or just out of (or while in?) a hot shower can make a big difference. When I don't have the time for the ritual, I would rather go electric.

I am a fan of the more modern razors. I tossed my Gillette double edge the first time I tried a Trac II and have never looked back. I considered it a major leap in comfort. Never used a Sensor much except for some cheap disposables; went straight from the Atra to the Mach III. Not much of an improvement, but slightly better IMO.

I actually would like to try a straight razor one of these days. I find them fascinating, but at the same time am afraid of possible razor burn, nicks, and amputations.
Click to expand...


Thats interesting, I went the other way. I ditched my Gilette Fusion for a Murkur DE. I cringe when I have to use one now. Using good cream and brush though makes any kind of shaving much much better. A straight razor sure seems neat... but I'm way to chicken, and have much to shaky hands...
 
After using a DE for a while and learning about skin prep and how to use the razor properly, I've found that I get the best shave with cheap disposable twin blade razors.

I take a nice long hot shower first. I make sure to work the water into my face as much as possible, just rubbing my chin and cheeks and the couple of problem spots I've identified below my jawbone on my neck. A minute or two of that is all it takes.

Out of the shower, robe on, immediately apply a little hand soap or whatever, and go to town with the razor. The DE is a good shave, don't get me wrong. The brush is nice too. I use the cheapo Williams soap and a decent badger brush to work up a lather in about three seconds, apply, and then get the razor on my face immediately.

The faster I go from hot water on my face to the blade on my face seems to be the key factor in how good a shave I get. The price difference between DE blades and anything else is huge, so I use the DE as much as possible. After two or three shaves I pitch the blade and move on to the next one.

If you get your hands on a Schick injector razor those are the bomb diggity. Somebody out there sells blades for the Schick injector in lots of 400 or so as medical specimen blades, they're cheap as hell, I can't remember who sells them at the moment.

I use the Schick as my travel razor. Don't use the CVS blades with the Schick, it's like trying to shave with a torn Coke can. Yikes.
 
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