Thread: A Story of Vacation, Forgetfulness & Re-evalution

Hello all,

I've recently had a bit of a break from SRP as my wife and I just returned from a wonderful trip to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. As a lot of members know, especially the Canadians, this winter has been on the bad side of crappy, and it was a fantastic break in the sun!

As usually, the leadup to our vacation was hectic, trying to work out the last minute details and packing, etc. I really tried to slim down my shaving kit and keep it simple - didn't keep it as simple as I would have liked lol - I couldn't resist all the temptations. One thing I will not do is pack a straight, I love my collection too much to risk damage or confiscation. I will forgo straight shaving for a week to protect my babies. Anyhow, I went with the all-Proraso system: preshave, soap, and aftershave. Along with my trusty Merkur 38C DE (my travel razor of choice)and my Vulfix brush my shaving kit was set.

After take-off, and when the airport adrenaline had subsided, my mind started to drift to things possibly forgotten at home. It seemed okay until I realized - horror of horrors - that I forgot to pack DE blades! In my 4:00 am haste I had done the unthinkable. For some strange reason I usually pack a Mach III as a backup, but never thought I'd have to use it. That day finally arrived.

So, that afternoon I prepared to shave with my old Mach III, something I hadn't done in over 2 years. I did my regular prep and went for a two pass shave. The result, you wonder? A good shave overall, however even using a new blade it really didn't feel very sharp, and it didn't pass my ATG test under my chin whatsoever. Still left a lot of stubble. Surprisingly, there was no irritation (I attribute this to my prep) and the rest of my face was smooth, but the experience still left a lot to be desired.

My next shave a couple days later was exactly the same. The M3 blade felt not-so-sharp on my 2 day stubble, but still had a smooth shave (ATG was still a disappointment though).

After that I thought I'd try something new. My wife brought a bag of Bic 2 blade disposables. I figured that my DE technique might better suit the fixed blade design of the Bic, rather than the pivot head of the cartridge. So, I picked out a manly colour (blue) and had at it like a DE. The result this time? A shave many times superior to the Mach III. It felt sharper, smoother and passed my ATG test, albeit not as well as a DE, but still respectable. The fixed head was also great for defining my goatee and sideburn lines. And better still, no irritation either. A surprise for sure, but a welcome one.

So my friends, a few vacation pointers from yours truly:

-Pack your DE blades the night before
-The all-Proraso system is fantastic for tropical climates (especially the AS)
-The Mach III is a servicable razor, but leaves a lot to be desired. I also no longer like the pivoting head, which didn't seem to bother me before.
-A two-bladed Bic disposable is superior to the multibladed cartridge monstrosities.
-Although I found the Bic to give a nice shave, it still reminded me why I love straights and DE's
-If you're looking for a great vacation, go to PV!

Great to be back,

Ryan

Why didnt you bring us any sun!?

Welcome back Ryan! Glad you had a good vacation!

So how was the first shave after being stuck using the plastic fantastic for a few weeks? I know I always really enjoy a proper shave if I havent done one in a while..!

Originally Posted by nun2sharp

Why didnt you bring us any sun!?

I think the entire Province of Alberta is asking the same thing. It was miserable when we got back, about -23 c (about -10 f for our American friends).

I never liked the pivot on the Mach 3. The Fusion seemed to be a little better, but I would have to say that the older razors with a simplier pivot were better. I don't think either the Mach 3 or Fusion blades are up to par. They need to do way better to keep their customers. Sometimes a blade would feel dull the first shave, sometimes I could get 5 shaves from a blade. For the cost per blade you should get a much better product.

Thats how I got started on straight shaving. Tired of bad quality and high cost. Now I have high guality and even higher cost. But of course I could keep the cost down if it wasn't for all the RAD, HAD, etc, etc. This has quickly become my favorite hobby.

Originally Posted by Stubear

Welcome back Ryan! Glad you had a good vacation!

So how was the first shave after being stuck using the plastic fantastic for a few weeks? I know I always really enjoy a proper shave if I havent done one in a while..!

LOL - I'll let you know when I do! It will be The Update....

It's been pretty hectic since I got back, so I haven't had a chance to shave yet, but I'm planning on it the first opportunity this afternoon/evening. And I completely agree with you Stu, that proper shave will feel great!