Thread: How did you do it prior to straights?

I thought I would try and satisfy curiosity here, and I apologise if it's been done before.
Personally I started off with a Gillette twin blade that was a high school graduation gift from the Gillette company. I don't know if that is still a marketing ploy by that company, but it's effective. I stuck with that plastic handle for years, only needing to buy new cartridges on a regular basis. I never went for those crappy plastic disposable razors, guess yellow just isn't my colour.
Bought a mach 3, because three blades were supposed to be better, never noticed the difference my self. Mostly stuck with the twin blade (yes I still have it today too, sentimental fool I am). Bought an electric razor, just because I'm a James Bond fan and it was the electric razor that J.B chose to use and it was Duty Free. Totally dis-satisfyied with that. Went back to the twin blade. Short answer Gillette twin blade cartridge.
Now I have corrected my errant ways and have gone straight.


Mick

My first razor back when all I had was peach fuzz was actually a straight. My dad did all the maintenance, I just whacked the fuzz off. Before long, he switched to a Gillette DE of some kind, and so I followed suit. At some point I started using cartridge razors, then disposables...I always hated shaving. Couldn't get a close shave, got the bumps.

Several times I tried to go back to the straight, but I didn't know (a) you can't get a good, shave-ready straight for $15 and (b) you have to maintain the razor. So every attempt on the straight was a failure and abortive.

Until about 3 months ago, when somehow i stumbled on a discussion among students at the school where I teach--they had a group they called "man shavers" and were re-discovering traditional shaving, mainly the safety razor. But as I read their discussions and began to go to the websites they were visiting, I realized that straight was what i wanted and that I needed to get quality razors and learn to maintain them well.

I'm still learning something every day. Had a nasty cut a couple days ago, and today discovered that somehow that razor (a round point) had been dinged a little and had a nasty but nearly invisible turned-up edge on the tip. So it wasn't my technique, it was carelessness in inspecting the blade. I've gently worked that snag out and smoothed the point, so hopefully now I know something new.

I have to say also that half the fun for me is a good shave soap. Even if I dropped the straight and went to the DE razor, I'd never go back to canned shave cream. I love a good soap lather!

I used a Gilette Sensor for over 20 years. I still have the original handle, maybe it's now "vintage"? I always felt like I got good shaves that way (still do, in fact) but nowhere near as good as I'm now getting with str8s. By the way, I dabbled with a Braun electric for a few years, never liked it-a lousy shave and too much irritation.

I was kind of in flux here. I used the Mach/fusion style for a long time, then switched to electric for about 3 years, back to mach/fusion for about 2 months then straight razor for about 6 months now. I have a total of 5 razors. Mostly my face seems to like the hollow grinds over full wedge, but that may be cuz I think the full wedge i've been experimenting with may need a professional hone. I've tried to hone it my self but the blas has a smile to it. Maybe more practice honing a blade with a curve.

- Mike

I just starting using a Bic disposable because I was just plain sick of the multi-bladed extruded junk. Shaving was something that I just did in a hurry with pathetic results.


later,
Richard

It's good to see a poll, they seem to be less common these days...

I started with a twin blade Gillette Sensor Excel. I reluctantly switched to a Mach 3 sometime in my early 20's, thinking "why would a guy need a 3-bladed razor," clueless as to what would be coming in the future (this was before 4 or 5 bladed razors). Compared to the Sensor the shaves seemed wonderful, but I was still getting irritation.

It wasn't until late 2008 that I learned to use a SR, along with proper shaving techniques, and the irritation all but disappeared. It's amazing what happens when you do something the right way

I didn't shave. I used the same clippers I used to cut my hair, with our without guards depending on how short I wanted it.

I had tried an electric, a Bic-like disposable, and a Mach3, but I never used any one more than a handful of times cause they were all terrible.

In the mid '60s when I began shaving I used Gillette DEs. By the early '70s Schick injectors. When the Gillette 'Good News' twin blade disposables came out in '76 I began shaving with those for 30 years. I had a brief fling of a couple of months with straight razors in the mid '80s and then back to the Gillette disposables. In '06 I began using various DEs with the Merkur Slant being my weapon of choice. I went to the straight razors exclusively in early '08. I've used a shaving brush to lather with since '73 so I was doing one thing right.

I switched around. When I was maybe 17 I bought a Persona injector razor for my first and used that. Bought a rechargeable Norelco triple header and swapped back and forth for awhile. Then I started trying different injector razors to see if one of them could give me a comfortable close shave (like the TV commercial promised). Wilkinson Sword, Shick, I even tried one oddball razor that had a sharpened ribbon of metal inside the cartridge that you advanced by rotating a lever. Gave me the worst shave I ever had in my life! I think the only one I didn't try was the single edge with the blades they use in paint scrapers (my older brother actually used one of them in high school).

Moved up to a Gillette double edge (the one with the 0-13 adjustment). Gave me the closest shave ever but cut myself every shave and awful razor burn. When they came out with the Track II, I tried that. Not as close a shave, but less hazardous to my face so I stuck with it.

Eventually Gillette added advancements like a pivoting cartridge, the lube strip, changed the name and so forth. I stayed with Gillette and didn't bother trying other brands.

Somewhere along the line I tried one of Victor Kiam's "As close as a blade or your money back!" electrics. It wasn't as close as my old Gillette DE, but neither did it cut me. I used it on and off until I moved one time and forgot to pack it.

I bought one other electric a couple of years later just for the novelty. It was a Braun waterproof rechargeable. You could shave dry as you would with any other electric. You could also put shaving cream on your face or use it to shave in the shower. The novelty wore off and I went back to my Gillette twin blade cartridge.

When Gillette came out with the Mach 3, I rushed out to buy one. There was less razor burn than with the Atra/Sensor twin blade, but I could never get used to that darn pivoting head. I tossed it after a year and went back to my Sensor.

When Gillette added a third blade to their Sensor razor, I thought I'd found Nirvana. Huge improvement in comfort without that darn floppy head.

Eventually Gillette added a couple of more blades to their floppy headed line (one on the back of the cartridge to make mustache/sideburn trimming easier -- huh?). They actually sent me one free in the mail. No thanks, floppy head. I tossed it without ever bothering to try it.

So there I was with the Gillette Sensor 3, thinking I'd be using that for the rest of my life.

And then I found SRP.

My Sensor 3 sits gathering dust. I suppose eventually I'll toss that one, too.
Namaste,
Morty -_-

I went back andforth with the Mach 3 or hair clippers without the guard.

I used to rock the stubble lots back in the day.

I was using a shavette for the past couple of years because I never knew enough about what kind of real straight I wanted to buy.

I found this site just after I took the plunge and bought a friodur from henckels.


Now I enjoy great shaves and am loving it.