seriously thinking about buying a DE

My wife and I occasionally go away for weekend trips. Every time we pack my wife gets irritated by all the shaving stuff I need to take with me. So I have been considering buying a DE to take with me on trips away.
I've never used a DE before. I went straight from an M3 thingy to a straight.
I'm looking at buying three peice razor. I would like to know, is using a DE the same as using a straight? Is there anything important that I need to know? Do I just basically do the same passes at I do with the straight? And, how many shaves does one get from one razor?
Thanks in advance for any info you can give me.
Cheers,
Nathan

I use my DE as I use my straight - with one main obvious difference: the grip ;-)
It is important to keep - as with a straight - a 30° angle; it is also very important not to put pressure when shaving; and I do exactly the same passes as I do with my straight: WTG, WTG / XTG and, if needed ATG
The number of shaves depends on the quality of the blades, the thickness of your beard and the frequency of your shaves... but I'll say at least 4-5 days (I don't use my DE very frequently - only for touch ups or when I am in a hurry, so a blade last me for months).

I hope you'll enjoy shaving with a DE... it is a very nice experience... I still like it.

Using a DE is different than using a straight. Some of the same principles though, Angle and Pressure. Otherwise, you still do the same type of passes WTG, XTG, and ATG. You will get multiple shaves from one blade, probably 3 - 5, depending on the blade and your style/beard/tolerance.

I've got a couple of DEs I could get rid of. PM me if you are interested in seeing what I have.

never used a de but i heard they are very unforgiving. wht not buy a arrow or wapi to take with you? if you are going to be gona a long time carry a barbers hone. go as cheap as possible so if you lose something you are not out a lot of money but can still enjoy a real str8 shave :D

Forget DE. Go SE. Schick Injectors.

Great shaves, easy to use and shave with similar qualities to a cartridge.

The bonus is that you don't need to hunt and peck for the "right" blade for your self.

There are only 3 or 4 blade makers for SEs and the Personnas are good blades and you can get then at the local Mallmart or Drug store.

PM me I have several laying about if you are interested.

Lost my earlier reply...

It is not the same as a straight, but should be easy to figure out coming from straight IMHO.

You all ready know face prep, lather, angles, beard direction, so the hard part is all ready done.

Just like a straight, you do not use pressure. the weight of the razor takes care of that.

The brand of blade(there are many), number of passes, and beard coarseness all attribute to how long a blade lasts.

I would say between 3-7 shaves depending on these factors for a blade, but they are cheap.

mantic's videos have lots of info on DE shaving.

YouTube - mantic59's Channel

you might also consider a wife who becomes less irritated ;).

how much are you taking? my shave kit is pretty small, with the strop taking up most of the room.

Maybe find a paddle strop that doubles as a case to cut down on the equipment? I think Tony Miller sells a kit.

I would look to condense rather than change over (unless you want to try something new);

-t

Quote:

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Originally Posted by eddielang

you might also consider a wife who becomes less irritated ;).

how much are you taking? my shave kit is pretty small, with the strop taking up most of the room.

Maybe find a paddle strop that doubles as a case to cut down on the equipment? I think Tony Miller sells a kit.

I would look to condense rather than change over (unless you want to try something new);

-t

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Agreed. I use a Tony Miller paddle strop for travel. It fits in an overnight bag and you don't have to worry about creasing it.

If your wife can bring her girlie accessories, why can't you bring your shave stuff? :gl:

Jordan

Why not buy a Shavette?

My latest weird suggestion - Straight Razor Place Forums

Bart.

i have a gillette fatboy and a schick injector. i i don't use either very often anymore, but when i did i liked them both.

so besides the strop, would you really be saving all that much space?
i know i used the exact same prep stuff for both the SR shaves and DE shaves, and a DE isn't that much smaller.
to me the Tony Miller paddle strop for travel would be a better option, if you're like me and really like SRs.

that being said, i think DEs are great, neat razors and i still check ebay every so often as i have gotten a couple really good deals on there. no harm in getting one and trying it out right.

For travel, you should be able to find a Gillette Tech travel kit at a decent price that is virtually brand new. The thing about the Tech though is that its really light in weight.

(I can't speak to an SE, since I've never used one; but on the DE:)

On angle, there's a trick that Mantic59 (on YouTube) does that helped me find my angle with my DE (Merkur Slant Bar).

1. First do a completely useless stroke on your cheek, with the head of the razor flat against your cheek and the handle sticking out at a 90-degree angle. You will cut no hair, because the blade is not touching your face.

2. Do another stroke, changing the angle so that you're almost touching the blade to the face. Again, nothing cut.

3. Now finally do another stroke (lather up again, of course), changing the angle just enough to bring the blade into contact with the face.

This last is the angle that you're trying for, especially at the beginning of your efforts. Increasing the angle too far beyond that point is what gets me the red painful face. The DE edges are just so darned sharp, they are less forgiving about angles.

Just as with the straight, after some practice, it's all automatic and takes no time at all. I really like to keep my DE in my rotation.

I was also shaving with a straight razor before I decided to get a DE.

I think they're great. On the days when I couldn't shave with a straight for whatever reason, I wanted something that would provide a shaving experience worth whipping up a lather with a brush for. If you're using some plastic cartridge razor, I don't see the point.

So I got a Merkur classic. It's great. Used it yesterday, actually. At first I diced my neck up with it, but you learn the feel pretty quickly. Just try to maintain a consistent angle, just like the straight, and use a very light touch.

Later, I found this old Gillette in an antique store. Is this what you mean by a three-piece razor? 'Cause the Merkur I have has the same components. It just didn't come with a metal storage box.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...letteDE004.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...letteDE008.jpg

I have several shave ready DEs for sale on e-bay right now.. if you win one I'll give ya free shipping and throw in a few blades for you. toss me a pm if you are interested and I'll get some links for ya. Ahh the benefits of SRP membership! :D

Hi there,

Maybe I can help with one or two ideas about trying a DE for infrequent use. The first thing I'd ask is...........what kind of shave are you looking for? If the expectation is one of a BBS experience, you're probably not gonna get that the first couple of shaves. If you want a shave that looks and feels good but not great, then you won't have a problem.

You're gonna have to learn a new technique, so be prepared to pay some dues. Yeah, you're already way ahead of the whole shaving deal, but the DE is a new tool to master. It's got a learning curve, but it shouldn't be a steep one in your case. The member who suggested Mark's (Mantic) videos was giving you good advice.

Some members already gave you some good tips about blade samplers and that's a MUST. Sure you can use lousy blades if you like, but that would sorta defeat the purpose. You have no idea how much of a difference the right blade can make for both comfort and performance. Crystal, Derby, and Swedish Gillette blades are good ones to start with. Merkur blades are ones to NOT start with, but to try after you have a reference point for what a good blade feels like. It's only then that you'll understand how bad these blades are......heh. Actually, some people like em, but most don't.

As mentioned by another member, injectors are capable of giving tremendous shaves, but once again there's a learning curve to em. Plus, some models are more aggressive than others, AND, not all SE blades are the same either. Luckily, the Chinese made Schick blades have been getting very good reviews, and they're widely available now.

I'm not trying to talk you out of using a DE or SE razor.........they're both excellent shavers. I did want to mention that you will need to practice a little bit before taking these on vacation. I don't use a straight (too much screwing around honing and stropping silliness.....heh)), but I do know a good bit about the two razors mentioned here. I use a gillette fatboy as my everyday razor, and would recommend any of the adjustable models made by that company.

Anyway, I hope this helps in some way,
Martin

Quote:

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Originally Posted by eddielang

you might also consider a wife who becomes less irritated ;).

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My wife has allowed me to have a monthly allowance to fund my RAD and any future HAD. So I have no intention of getting a new wife.

Hi everyone.
Thanks for your great advice. I have decided to go with the three peice. This is it here.
GILLETTE Gold Safety Razor in Black & Red Metal Case - eBay Safety Razors, Shaving, Vanity, Perfume Shaving, Collectibles. (end time 06-Mar-09 13:41:51 AEDST)
I have access to feather blades here in Bangkok. Are they any good to start with?

As for Eddielang's idea:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by eddielang

you might also consider a wife who becomes less irritated ;).

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I have no intention of getting a new wife. My wife has decided to enable my RAD and any future HAD with a monthly allowance.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ndw76

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I have access to feather blades here in Bangkok. Are they any good to start with?

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Some think the feathers are too sharp. Just give them a try and see how you like 'em.

Nice looking DE at what I imagine must be a good price!

I haven't used the feather blades, but if you do a Search on the forums you'll find plenty of opinions. Overall it's a lot like the discussions about the Shavette: feather blades are "scary sharp," and opinion is divided on whether that's a good place to start with a new shaving tool.

Have fun!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ndw76

Hi everyone.
Thanks for your great advice. I have decided to go with the three peice. This is it here.
GILLETTE Gold Safety Razor in Black & Red Metal Case - eBay Safety Razors, Shaving, Vanity, Perfume Shaving, Collectibles. (end time 06-Mar-09 13:41:51 AEDST)
I have access to feather blades here in Bangkok. Are they any good to start with?

As for Eddielang's idea:


I have no intention of getting a new wife. My wife has decided to enable my RAD and any future HAD with a monthly allowance.

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hmm don't know about the condition of that one ... Those gold gillettes you have to be careful with when cleaning/restoring. I think it's metal then a coat of laquer on them or something. Scrubbing bubbles will be too harsh. I've used dishwasher soap with a toothbrush with good results on regular DE's but that may even be too harsh.

If you dont' have luck with that one, some awesome shavers that you can find cheap on badger and blade are:

Gillette fatboy (adjustable click collar for blade aggressiveness) prob around $50
Gillette slim adjustable (adjustable click collar for blade aggressiveness) prob around $25 in great cond
Gillette super speed (SS's are fixed but generally thought as an awesome shaver) even cheaper than slim

I've shaved with the slim and the SS. I can get really baby smooth shaves with a DE but not a straight, weird huh? Guess it's all in the practice.

The feather blades are what I used. They are very sharp and can be harsh but are fine if you are careful. Some put it through a cork before shaving the first shave with one. I usually can get 2 to 3 weeks out of a DE blade shaving every other day.

My view on the DE edges is that they are super sharp, maybe even sharper than straights, but don't have a smooth edge like straights. Pretty harsh if you are not light and careful with angle. Don't let these guys get you down, you're not cheating on your straights by using a DE for travel. They are great when you don't have much time and you get an equivalent shave!

idk if this link was given yet but here are sample packs from a reputable dealer:
Sample Packs : West Coast Shaving, Double Edge Blade Sampler Packs

I was in exactly the same spot three weeks ago. Screwed up my courage and ordered my first DE Merkur Futur. I LOVE this razor. Much better shave than the Mach 3 and incredably less expensive for blades. I get a far better shave. I also have the Merkur Progressive - which is an outstanding razor as well - but I prefer the Futur because it's heavier and feels better in my hand and also against the skin. Both are outstanding razors, light years better than the Mach 3.

I also invested in a really great shaving brush and some high end Castle Forbes Lime and Castle Forbes Lavendar shaving cream/soap. The brush is a hand made silver tip badger which I got from Bobs Razor Works (<bobsrazorworks@aol.com>). Very high quality brush and beautifully hand made exotic handel. I also use Castle Forbs unscented pre-shave. All of this is to say - it's now a true luxury to shave!

Have no fear. The double edge is far far better to use than the Mach 3.

I have a merkur HD that i really like and have had it for over a year. When i started with a DE, one thing that took me a while to figure out is (finding) the best blade to use with it. Different blades can cause different levels of irritation. I have used blades I picked up at walgreens, personna, derby, wilkinson sword, etc. So far I really like the wilkinson sword blades. Also the HD has a nice weight to it and is just all around a good razor considering the price.

If you do get a safety razor pick up a sample pack of with a good variety of blades. I'll get maybe 5 shaves a blade, best shave is 2 and 3. As with a straight, prep is very important. I dont know if you use preshave but i recommend it with a DE. I actually just use a bit of olive oil. Good luck.

oh and from what i've heard stay away from any pakistani or other blades from the region, just what i've heard.

Three pieces can be good, but a TTO (twist to open) is convenient. I can get a week of shaves from one blade, but I think others get less. Many people recommend getting sampler packs to match blade, razor and beard, but I am two thirds of the way through one of these sampler packs and have not made any discernible differences.

I had my first DE shave thismorning. It was great, but I do miss the satisfaction of doing something difficult like I get with the straight. I got a very smooth shave in most places. The most notable difference was that I was able to go atg on my neck. I also had a little difficulty getting the angle right on the left side of my face. But nothing a little more practice can't fix.

Just an update for you all. I tried using Dorco blades. The shaves were rather good. But this morning I tried using an Astra blade. I bled almost as much as I would with a roughly honed straight with a poor grade shaving soap. After I finished I looked like Homer Simpson with peices of tissue paper stuck all over my face. I think I will be going back to the Dorco blades, until I find something better.

I had the same problem with derby blades, I bled all over. Which was surprising because a lot of people really like Derby blades. I like personna and wilkinson sword, very smooth shaves. (for me at least) Some peoples skin react differently, I read somewhere possibly because of the sharpness differences between brands.

My new fav is 1917 single ring that i just got . I get 3 shaves from a blade.

The Gillette NEW improved before 1930 is the best DE I have ever used, period. I would strongly recommend one to anybody. Perfect BBS everytime with my Feathers.