Thread: A lengthy absence from DE use..

I love my de razors but my new love has been my se gem 1912.

Sometimes when the dog is lurking about and in a mischievousness mood I'll make a sudden decision to forgo the straight that day.

I literally forgot what it was like to have a de in my hand hopefully my fatboy will be here soon from the replating

I first started shaving with a Gillette DE around 1962 or '63. I believe it was a Super Speed. Went on to the Fatboy and I remember nicking myself with it when I started out with too large an adjustment. It was like WOW, that stings ! Found the Schick injector razors and preferred those until Gillette came out with the twin blade 'Good News'.

I shaved with those for 30 years until I rediscovered the DE in 2006. Through the internet shaving forums I discovered there is more to shaving than taking an instrument and scraping your face. Prep, lathering, multiple passes for gradual stubble removal. So you might say I learned to shave in my 50s. Learned the correct way anyhow.

I really liked the various Gillette DEs. British and USA Aristocrats, Big Fellows, and Super Speeds, especially the early version. The old type and "new" open comb 3 piece Gillettes, the Barbasol and finally the slant head. Slants used to be known to collectors as "twisted head". AFAIC, having tried many of that style the Merkur is the best of the bunch in design. Probably why it is the only slant that continues in production into the 21st century.

Having run on with all that I have come to really prefer straight razor shaving. Once I got comfortable with the straight I made shaving with them exclusively a commitment. At that point I didn't really prefer straights but I wanted to be able to say that I "only" shave with straight razors. That lasted a couple of years then I would go to a DE once in awhile. Usually because I was running late for work or church.

Now I'm not into that "be true to your school" mentallity and I have no qualms about shaving with a DE. I even enjoy it, visiting an old Gillette or slant once in awhile, but I've come to the conclusion that I do prefer straight razor shaving to any other method or tool to get the job done.

I really like my straights and used them exclusively for a year or so while getting the hang of things.
I also only had two kids and worm was 4 miles away.
Now I have three kids and work is 15 miles away and I have to get one child on the school bus and drop the other two off at the sitter on my way to work. The straights are a treat, right now. They honestly take the same amount of time to shave with but I still have to concentrate on what I'm doing and these days concentration and patience aren't high up on my list.
Also, my bathroom has a curtain instead of a door and with two insane boys who insist upon expending more energy than three mile island produces in a daily basis, I think you understand where I'm coming from.
Hopefully in the next year the youngest will calm down so he can be contained a bit more and I'll get around to building a header and putting a door in so I can straight shave more than just on the weekend.

The DE still allows me the same prep but is more forgiving of being distracted. Almost as good a shave. Plus if I shave before work and the wife and I have a hot date that night I can still shave before the date so on the upside I get to shave more

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

I stopped using DEs for a few years once I became proficient with the straight. Now I will use a Merkur slant, a Gillette Big Fellow or a Barbasol if I am running late for church or something like that. Other than running into a time constraint situation I still shave with straight razors by choice. I just like the shaves better.

A metamorphasis has taken place. I feel more comfortable with a straight with anything else, which is something I wouldn't have believed would be possible even 2-3 months ago.