Thread: Worst Shave

Wow, I'd forgotten about the single-blade plastic disposables. Murder.

Worst in memory: my trusty DOVO straight. A case of user error. I had had it in very nice shape, then tried for a touch-up at the Norton 4k/8k. Possibly I produced a wire edge, or else I kept changing the angle of the honing laps and wound up with with the striations all higgledy-piggledy. Good God. Every inch of skin that I shaved was raw: it looked scratched,, like mild abrasions, even a bit swollen. It was on the third day that the redness passed.

Since then, I've honed at a strict 45-degree angle. In fact, somebody here wrote about using a piece of paper with lines on it as a guide: I've done that ever since and managed to produce smooth edges.

Hands down my worst shaves ever were with my electric (and it was a nice braun too). I used that razor for years, so it wasn't a matter of "giving it time". It sucked on the first day and it sucked on the last day and it sucked every day in between. Why did I keep using it? Because I didn't know any better and I thought shaving was *supposed* to suck. I mean it always sucked when I used mach 3, ultras, atras, disposables, etc why should it be any different? I used to use disposables on the weekend or when I had time just to give my face a break from the torture of using the braun when I was in a hurry... and I even "wetshaved" using a brush and soap with my disposables and I considered using the cheap disposables as a "luxury" shave compared to what I was used to normally.

Obviously shaving was *supposed* to suck and was my penance for being lucky enough to have a penis.

The day I shaved with my feather for the first time without nicking myself was also the day I put the braun in the trash can. All my disposables followed the braun into the trash and I had to resist the urge to pee on them when I threw everything away.

-- Gary F.

I never found electrics to be too uncomfortable.. Just inferior performers.. I've used both systems (Braun and Philips) without any issues other than quality.

Originally Posted by gfoster

Hands down my worst shaves ever were with my electric (and it was a nice braun too). I used that razor for years, so it wasn't a matter of "giving it time". It sucked on the first day and it sucked on the last day and it sucked every day in between. Why did I keep using it? Because I didn't know any better and I thought shaving was *supposed* to suck. I mean it always sucked when I used mach 3, ultras, atras, disposables, etc why should it be any different? I used to use disposables on the weekend or when I had time just to give my face a break from the torture of using the braun when I was in a hurry... and I even "wetshaved" using a brush and soap with my disposables and I considered using the cheap disposables as a "luxury" shave compared to what I was used to normally.

Obviously shaving was *supposed* to suck and was my penance for being lucky enough to have a penis.

The day I shaved with my feather for the first time without nicking myself was also the day I put the braun in the trash can. All my disposables followed the braun into the trash and I had to resist the urge to pee on them when I threw everything away.

-- Gary F.

Gary,
I can relate! I shaved with an electric for over 20 years--it sucked! The shaves were rarely close, never truely comfortable, and it chapped my hide to have to replace the foils and cutterheads every 6-months to a year for about the cost of a new razor. I finally got truely sick of it and threw my Braun against a brick wall (literally) in a fit of rage. That was when I found SRP and I've not looked back since. Yes it takes a bit of time for your face to adjust to a new shaving system, but I think the 20 years I spent with an electric was about 19.99 years too long.
Ed

Bic (or really most of the disposables)Mach III. Haven't used an electric yet that shaves as close as a bic. Made hamburger meat out of my face with an old Gllette double edge that was my grandfathers until I learned how to use. But it did shave close.

When I was 19 I shaving with a Braun electric and the foil broke as I was going across my chin.... It sounded like running over something with a lawn mower. Ground up my chin pretty good...

Grandfathers DE when I was teenager. You can guess the rest

As a student with a DE. Made every possible mistake. Used cold water. Instantly after lathering I began to shave with hasty strokes. Looked pretty awfull afterwards ...

The first worst shave was with a Panasonic Wet/Dry electric razor. I lathered up in the shower and took that p.o.s. to my face and neck. I had such razor burn that I couldn't wear a shirt! The burn lasted for about 3 to 4 days. I threw the thing out.

Same experience but I took the thing back and got my money back. I had tried several electrics up to this point and this was final straw. I still have a cheap electric that I use the trimmer to trim up the mustache but it goes no closer to the rest of the face.

Originally Posted by str8rzrshvr

The first worst shave was with a Panasonic Wet/Dry electric razor. I lathered up in the shower and took that p.o.s. to my face and neck. I had such razor burn that I couldn't wear a shirt! The burn lasted for about 3 to 4 days. I threw the thing out.

The second worst shave was with one of those disposable bic razors. You know, the white handled single blade razors with the cheese yellow protector. Not only did I get a serious burn, but I cut the $hit out of my face.

I had about the same experience with the same two "razors", although the electric was some fancy norelco. Now I just take two straghts with me wherever I go...this requires me to check my luggage every time I fly (which is very often) and its worth it. Even this week, the flight to boston is around 1 hour and it takes 30 minutes to get my checked baggage, but everytime I get to shave makes it worth the pain of dealing with checking baggage.