How does classic shaving technique work for you?

I just want to know the honest truth from all those who choose to participate, where your gratitude to classic shave methods resides.. be it DE razors, or straight razors... when (if) you switched to these method(s) which do you feel improved more? what about doing it made you happy? was it the quality of the shave? (less irritation, smoother, less stubble afterwards, etc..) or was it the experience itself? (taking the time to do all those little skillful things we do that are required for us to shave like this, and enjoying that aspect... rather than loading a palm full of colgate shave cream and scraping a mach 3 over our face)? so which is it?

poll will be private for those who do not want to have their choices known to other members.... just be honest!

 

I couldnt choose between the 2 options...BOTH, would be my response.
Before my travels into WS began I was a sad, pathetic looking, every other day Mach 3 shaver.
Always scruffy and without friends.
Today, tho... my, oh my, how things have changed.
I shave 6-7 days a week, my skin is in great condition and doggone it....
People like me
Shaving is NOW a pleasure, not a chore.
Going strong 16 months after my enlightenment and I'm NEVER looking back.

 

I have fun.

 

Cartridges simply can not give me any where near the bang for the buck. Double edges give me a much better shave at a fraction of the price.

 

I can get a good shave with a cartridge razor. However, I can get just as good or better shave with a SER or DE now. So, for me, the intial attraction was the experience of it, and learning the skills necessary to achieve that great shave.

 

Which one does better for you the straight or the double edge?

 

Tough poll, between quality and fun I can't really say as it's both for me.

We'll go with fun though. Quality is kind of a given

 

Both. Fun and experience until I got the techniques down. Then the shave quality went way up and no I have the best of both worlds. Fun while getting a great shave.

 

I voted for "fun" because the greatest value for me is that I now actually ENJOY my shaves. No longer do I ask myself "Can I go another day before having to shave?" The quality is there, too: I think I do get a better shave, on average, with the traditional shaving. But the fun is what makes it tick.

 

SER shaving has a lot of skills in different areas that need to be mastered -- shaving, stropping, honing. Where as the DE is less so -- drop a blade in, tighten 'er down, and shave. So with that I'd have to give the SER the advantage. Of course, these traits can also be disadvantageous until you attain some proficiency.

Overall, with a sufficiently sharp SER, I stay stubble-free for longer using them than a DE. Furthermore, with a properly honed SER, I don't have to suffer from cuts, nicks, or razor burn to attain that closeness.

Where the DE excels, for me, is in sheer convenience. For example, as I am moving, I'll have DEs with me. I won't have to worry about the equipment to maintain a straight, or worry about anything happening to that equipment in transit. However, I can travel with a straight if I take the necessary preparations.

So, for me, it's SER.

(Whew! All them paragraphs to get to the bottomline. )

 

Both - the fun of it and the quality of the shaves

 

well the main reason i pick fun, is because currently i dont feel ive acquired the "quality" yet... some of my shaves are more irritating than others, and some times i find i still have stubble left over even after multiple passes... which is one thing i dont ever remember getting from my mach 3, 1 or 2 passes, no irritation, completely stubble free... im anxious to get the shave to the point where stubble is not a problem... same with irritation... im sure once i get those down, the decision will be just as difficult to make for me as it is for many other people

 

Quality *is* fun.

--Mark

 

The quality of the shave with the DE vs. the shave with the multi-blade. The sheer pleasure of shaving vs. the torment of "Here we go again. Let's get it over with."

No contest. There are additional reasons. The cost of DE's vs. the cost of replacement multi-blade cartridges. The knowledge that you are using a device that could for some of us be 100 +/- years old. Who used the razor, what sort life did they live, how many have used it, where did they live, what country. Was it used by someone involved in either of the World Wars, Korea, or Vietnam even. Nostalgia in addition to a better quality shave and less expensive blades is IMHO a good reason to shave with a SE or DE razor.

 

I can get a pretty good shave with a Mach3 but with a DE, brush, and cream the morning ritual is actually pretty "fun".

 

My shaves were pretty bad back in the day. For the me the improved quality in the shave was the definitive factor. Then it was fun to shave and it still is to this day. There is something about the morning shave that prepares me for the day.

Raf

 

I too couldn't vote because my response would be "both" as well.

 

i didnt intend for the poll to be a "which is it" but more of a "which MOSTLY is it" you know? i know a lot of people find both to be definitive reasons for doing it... my endeavor was to find which of the two you find the most truth to... you know?

 

The answer to your question can be intertwined...

The answer can be "both" and be a real answer...

You asked if we switched because it (a.) improved the quality of the shave or (b.) the experience.

I never really left wet shaving since I began in the mid 60's. I was given two electric razors in my life (I'm 55). I gave each about a week and right back to wet shaving. I did go through all of the "newer" multiblade razors but seemed to always migrate back to the DE where I am now and will remain until I die.

But, back to your question...

DE shaving both improved the quality of the shave and I really enjoy the shaving experience...

And as always...

Enjoy your shave... (I do)

 

well actually i asked which people felt improved MORE with the switch... i can definitely see how a question like this will form controversy where only 1 answer can be accepted into the poll... but, it makes you think... maybe even a lot... lol but in the end you may feel enlightened in yourself to know what makes you happy about it... i dont think people sit down and really grill themselves that often about why they do it... this is their chance


as i said, i enjoy the actual art of it all... i have yet to get a weeks worth of consistently BBS shaves with no irritation... so i cant say i enjoy the actual quality of the shave... at this point, i almost think of it as an inferior beast... but, my lack of experience is working against me, so i know that time will cure this ill... as things are always improving its just fun for me