Thread: What's your shaving history?

Like a lot of people I started out with Bics post high school and Bootcamp. Switched to an electric and used that 98% of the time with two blade cheap razor if I wanted to clean things up. Switched to wet shaving about 3 years ago with DE razors and then added straight razors a little over a month ago.

Spent 26 years in the Marine Corps. Was issued a Gillette DE razor in boot camp (still have this and use it on occasion). Then used the disposables. When I got out of the Marines, I vowed never again to shave my face. I had a beard for almost twenty years. Then I decided to shave it off when I retired from my civilian job (2 years ago) and started using my old DE. About a year ago I ran across an old JR Torrey that I really liked. So I have invested in 20 old vintage straight razors (18 hollow grounds & 2 Wedges) that I shave with and have loved the experience ever since.

Age 15, shaved with my Grandfathers Gillette DE. Carved myself up nicely, the blade probably had 30 shaves on it already.
Patched it with toilet tissue, something I learned from Norman Gunston...




Along with the comb over...

Next 32 years were renditions of ugly beards and goatees intertwined with clippers and terrible shower shaves with various rubbish razors and carts that didn't last more than one or two shaves perpetuated by Bulls Hit advertisements telling me one blade is not enough. Shave cream from a can, not once did I use a brush or decent soap. Don't ever recall enjoying shaving, or doing more than one pass.

The last four years have been great, albeit a little expensive thanks to SRP and all its helpful members.

Started shaving off the peach fuzz when I was 13 or 14 with the early versions of carts back in the early 1970's. From that point forward I shaved, grew beards, or skipped shaving as often as I could. I started my mustache when I was in my late teens and have never shaved it off since. Very early in my shaving life I preferred soap puck, mug and brush. Used canned goo whenever I travelled. I used a cart until a couple of years ago when I discovered DE shaving. I haven't missed a shave since I started DE shaving. I thought I discovered my Holy Grail when I found the Schick Type G. One of the best shavers ever invented. Then a couple of months ago I decided to start SR shaving and enjoyed learning this form of shaving. I never thought shaving could be so fun.

Somewhere around 1982 I shave off the peach fuzz with some Gillette 2 bladed cartridge thing.
Also in 1982 my grandfather tried to teach me how to use a straight, but I was young and dumb and thought it took too much time.
Used the 2 bladed cartridge thing until around 1992 when I switch to a Norelco electric. That didn't last long, horrible shaves.
1993 went back to the cartridges, I think it was Gillette Sensor 2 bladed pivot head. Stayed with that until around 2012.
2012 my wife gave me a Gillette Fusion 5 bladed thing, used that for about a month, got terrible shaves, and then found out how much the cartridges cost and went back to the Sensor.
2014 realized I had a shavette sitting in a toolbox. Honed it up, gave it a go, liked it, and then found this forum to empty my wallet.
2014 learned how to use a Straight - may another cartridge never touch my face.
2015 added a DE to mix for travel.

Originally Posted by criswilson10

Honed it up, gave it a go, liked it, and then found this forum to empty my wallet.

I know what you mean there, but I figure when you take away the cost of a shave compared to the cheese grater shaves from the multi bladed plastic land-fillers, you can afford to spend some, right??

tried electric - hated it
started with dads butterfly DE ... it was so mild and was so odd to find the right angle i didn't think it was cutting. so i would 1/4 open the De blade till i felt the edge. many times i had pink lather.
cartrage for a year
girlfriend (fiancee now) got me a DE set for my 20th b-day
girlfriend (fiancee now) got me a straight for 21st b-day - (upon my request)
after that i was hooked and bought a new blade every month for 4 years, some grail pieces, some what-ever's.
now its been 8 months of no purchases except for a few Jnats. but im done saving for this wedding we have coming up. and at 24, im excited to put another 60+ years of use into my now "complete" collection

Originally Posted by Lucasfur

tried electric - hated it
started with dads butterfly DE ... it was so mild and was so odd to find the right angle i didn't think it was cutting. so i would 1/4 open the De blade till i felt the edge. many times i had pink lather.
cartrage for a year
girlfriend (fiancee now) got me a DE set for my 20th b-day
girlfriend (fiancee now) got me a straight for 21st b-day - (upon my request)
after that i was hooked and bought a new blade every month for 4 years, some grail pieces, some what-ever's.
now its been 8 months of no purchases except for a few Jnats. but im done saving for this wedding we have coming up. and at 24, im excited to put another 60+ years of use into my now "complete" collection

Congratulations on the upcoming wedding. Wish you both a long and happy future together.

Also, I like your Avatar avatar...

First shave was to get rid of my peach fuzz stache with a gillette something for 8th grade graduation, my family said I looked like a young pedophile and didn't want those pics.

Shaved occasionally in highschool, typically just let my beard grow.

In college, I had a big ol' beard, got bored one day in the dorms and took progressive pics until I had a FuManchu. Then went back to the beard/goatee for years. Eventually would just clean-up with a Wahl Peanut.

Started straight shaves for a bit, then fell off the wagon when they needed honing. Used a Dovo Shavette for years.

Got back into it last December when my GF got them honed, started honing when I tried to shave with them and they were crap.

I started to shave around The age of 12, at 13 years if i wouldn't shave i whould had a full grown beard. At 12 i used The Gillette Astra and can of goo till my 13 years old my mom bought me a Philips shaver. I stick whit that shaver for about 10 years till The shaver was done. After that i did come back whit my Astra and The can of goo, i stick whit that for about 5 years. After that i went back to Electric for another 10 years or so. I was around 40 when a old man who i was taking care of was using a bar of soap and a brush whit a Bic single razor. I was kind of surprise that he was using that, to my surprise he told me what do you think your grand pa use to shave. When i came home that day i stop at my local drug store and bought myself a puck of Williams and a brush. At that Time i was using The Gillette Mach 111 and to my surprise i did get good shaves, so for me wet shaving is not very New but doing 2 or 3 pass whit a Mach 111 i did get irritation after a while. I was 43 and i was travelling and i had to stay at a motel for a night and so i bought The Bic single Blade and wow what a difference. I was looking for a stand for my razor and my brush and i found The Micro Touch DE, when i first tried it i knew right there that i Will Never come back to other way of shaving. Whit The net and The forums The straight came in for me it was something i was always whant to do. The rest is history, after almost 2 years of DE and Straight shaving this is The best way to shave.