Thread: can anyone share their experiences with DE's?

it's not that he isn't patient exactly; i should probably explain a little more. the thing is, he isn't really dissatisfied with his shaves now. to tell you the truth, i wasn't either, and i was using the plastic throw-aways too. i never cut myself with them and they never gave me razor burn and i assumed that getting any closer of a shave would inevitably lead to acne or ingrown hairs, so i didn't worry that it didn't feel smooth as silk, which is not to say that they felt all that rough, either. i only tried straights because i thought it was cool, much more environmentally responsible, and cheaper in the long run. the quality of the shave (drastically improved!) has really just been icing on the cake. it is his opinion that shaving is only a small part of a person's life and that it should occupy a proportionately small amount of their time, trouble, and expenses, and i can't really provide a rational, valid rebuttal since, for me, the reward (besides those that initially made me switch) has been a wierd fascination with the smoothness of my face. he's a purely rational being, so it wouldn't work on him as a convincing argument. anyway, that's why i don't think he'll ever shave with a straight, but i figured a DE doesn't require that shaving occupy or consume anything disproportionate to it's importance.

besides, if he doesn't like it, i get to keep it!!

I would stay away from the new injectors until more reviews come in. The early reviews on these are very negative. As for DEs, I have a Gillette adjustable that gives very good shaves when proper technique is employed. My old injectors give an equivalent shave that's almost foolproof, but where's the fun in that. I'm still on a learning curve for my Gem Micromatic (the other kind of stout single edge razor). The razor is only part of the fun of wetshaving. The other part is the brush(es) and all those wonderful soaps and creams.



Wayne

I have a mercur vision and I can get a pretty close shave with that. About as good as a straight. I agree with Joe that the proper angle is the most important thing with using a DE. If your not careful you can cut yourself almost as fast as with a straight. Maintainance is a snap. Just throw away the blade and replace it. I've used the mercur blades. They're pretty inexpensive and last awhile.

I'm using one of the new injectors now. I've had three shaves with it. I have both the regular and the adjustable, and I'm using the regular. Since I have never used an injector, day one was a good shave, but I wasn't looking for spectacular. Day two was about the same. Day three, I cleaned up with my DE. I'm not sure if my angle is still off or if the razor is just not very aggressive. I've had no irritation, nicks or weepers. But so far, I'm not impressed. I'll try the adjustable next week.

RT

Originally Posted by cyrano138

DE doesn't require that shaving occupy or consume anything disproportionate to it's importance.

Neither does str8 shaving, if yu don't want it to. Rememeber, there was a time when str8 shaving was all there was. It didn't require every gy to be a honemeister, although he did have to be able to strop and refresh his razor with a barber hone. Plenty of guys sent their razors out occasionally, when real honing was required.

Most barbers give str8 shaves today with a razor that has disposable blades and the same convenience as a DE. Of course there is a learning curve to shaving with them, but so is there with a DE.

Originally Posted by bbqncigars

I would stay away from the new injectors until more reviews come in. The early reviews on these are very negative. As for DEs, I have a Gillette adjustable that gives very good shaves when proper technique is employed. My old injectors give an equivalent shave that's almost foolproof, but where's the fun in that.

But that's exactly what his brother wants.

What I've heard is that the fixed new injectors are equivalent to the old ones, but the adjustables are inferior. I'll know as soon as I get mine. But there's no reason to keep away from them. At $15 it's hardly an investment, and it's safer than getting stuck with a lemon on Ebay.

Originally Posted by rtaylor61

I'm not sure if my angle is still off or if the razor is just not very aggressive. I've had no irritation, nicks or weepers. But so far, I'm not impressed.

A fixed injector should be more aggressive than a fixed Gillette DE. They need to be used with the blade as flat as possible against your face. The injectors naturally want to assume a very flat angle. Go with it.

What kind of blades are you using?