I was referred here by a thread at hammockforums.

I've never really liked shaving much. I have used various cartridge razors that Gillette sent me free in the mail and a few different electrics. I've just never really been happy with the results.

The first razor Gillette sent was a two-bladed deal which wasn't too bad for shave quality if not for the irritation. The next one they sent was a 3 bladed monster that I couldn't get into that notch under my nose and now the blades are so close together that my whiskers get stuck between them and make the shave take longer (it's hard to get them out of there) and increase irritation (the odd one I can't get out really scratches).

That encouraged me to try electrics for awhile. I've been through a few Norelcos, the latest one doesn't irritate my face (I think the self-cleaning base helps a lot with this) but the shave quality is not very good. Even immediately after the shave, I feel the whiskers. Trying to finish with a disposable or cartridge blade just causes too much irritation.

That thread on hammockforums got me thinking that this has got to be a better way. First off, it sounds like the method pays more attention to pre- and post- shave skin care which seems like it would boost the comfort level. And then just using a reusable blade where a high degree of sharpness can be consistently maintained seems like it would work well.

I decided I'd get some straight razor shaves from a barber before deciding completely whether to drop some coin on a good kit. My local barber does it, so when I got my last haircut, I had him give me a shave, too. I was impressed with the overall results regarding the comfort during the shave and the closeness. There was a bit of irritation at the jawline, though, and after reading here for a few hours last night, I wonder how much his pre-shave prep and the shaving method he used had to do with it.

His pre-shave prep involved some warmed foam from a dispenser that looked like it came from the 50's, so I don't know specifically what product it was. He lathered me up and then put a warm, wet towel on my face. Then after that, he re-applied the foam and proceeded to shave. I have a fairly sharp jawline and I know the grain of my whiskers changes below there, which makes me wonder if that was a factor in the irritation.

Still, it felt much better than a cartridge blade, and he wasn't even using the same sort of straight razor I see posted about here a lot. His had replaceable blades.

At any rate, I will continue to have him give me a shave when I go in for a haircut, since I don't have the budget for a good shave kit right now (in a long, drawn-out process of moving halfway across the country and trying to sell my current home and save for a down payment on a new home) and I will take the opportunity to get a shave elsewhere if I find somewhere else that offers the service to compare the differences in methods and/or equipment.

It seems I can at least practice stropping technique and maybe get some soap and practice lathering.