I am fond of my beard but since I own a very small business I began to take pointers from seasoned business owners and I kept hearing the same thing over and over, lose the beard . So I started looking for decent razors and felt like my shave was just okay with the disposables, even the mach 3. Eventually I came across safety razors. I don't know if anyone here uses one but I bought one a few weeks ago and I love it. Requires a bit more work and a little patience but once you get the hang of it, it's the closest shave I've ever had. Cut my self superficially a few times and had to turn to good old youtube to see of there were any tips there on how to use one without getting nicks. Of course there was:biker: I ended up having to buy a badger hair brush to go along with the razor and the little tub of lotion. It's not totally necessary to use the lotion, you could use Jergens or conditioner. Anyway I opted for the full system. After watching a few vids I saw that the trick is to reapply the lotion after the first pass, you don't really have to do this with a disposable but it's a must with safety razors. Also don't push it against your skin like you would with a disposable. Short, light strokes is the best way. After finally getting the hang of it, I will never go back to disposable razors.
First of all, I despise the current idea that people with too much facial hair aren't looking "business-like". And anyone who looks like they are a member of the Taliban won't get anywhere in the biz world these days. It's all based on looks. You gotta wear a suit and tie and fancy shoes or you are nothing. That is exactly what my generation rejected. The "Suits" are the enemy of the people, and it's never been more clear than today. Of course I mean that in general terms. Now as far as blades go, I found the cheaper the razor blades, the better! Fuck the double, triple, quad, quint, whatever blades. All they do is get clogged with your hair and shaving cream. Nearly impossible to clean. So you go thru them much faster, delighting the razor blade company and adding to their PROFITS! Instead by the cheapest one blade disposables in bulk. They last far longer, are easier to clean and actually do a better job because they don't get clogged. I can make one last a couple of months at least. Did you know that razor blades were one of the first disposable items invented under the doctrine of "planned obsolescence?" The concept that you buy something only to find out later that you need to buy yet another because the old one is obsolete or no longer useful. They now design thousands of things to be disposable that really don't need to be thrown away if they were only designed better or lasted longer. Gillette used to make an adjustable razor so you could change the angle a bit according to your needs. Those were classic!
Best Shaving tool I ever had was one of these,,, (Straight Razor, for when the image eventually becomes a little red X)
Skip, I agree with you about the suits and facial hair. I had to wrestle with that whole thing but in the end had to accept the facts that people are programmed a certain way and if I wanted my business to move forward I had to get on board. Regular haircuts are a business expense for me now also. People are especially judgemental here in South Carolina. You have to fall into a certain mold or adapt to it, or you may as well hang it up out here. On the bright side my biz is growing and one day I will be able to retire and I fully intend to look like Gandalph. I agree also that the biggest scumbags in this world wear suits and ties and have perfect hair cuts. The masses refuse to accept that and look at long haired bearded types as uneducated, unsanitary and potential criminal. Yes everything is designed to make these rich bastards richer. I've looked into downsizing my living situation and moving into a 240 sq ft cabin but there is a lot of red tape in the way. It seems the system pushes you toward a home that will max you out financially to keep you punching the clock for the rich man. Eh, I could go on forever but back to razors. Check this out, I got 100 double edge razors for my safety razor for $20. I get multiple shaves out of each blade on both sides. Fritz I would like to try one of those straight razors. Nothing is disposable with one of those but they just look menacing. You have to be proficient at sharpening those as well. Still worth a try though.
Iv been beared for a few years now and Im staying that way. Im not bowing to "peers" I have longish hair to boot as well. You could just keep your beard well trimmed/groomed. Thats actually a very common beard look. When mine gets too wild I will take sissor and trim it down but I don't go all out and groom it or anything, just hack the wild parts down some. I used to have a girlfriend who would sit in my lap and trim it, thats the best way to do it....
I have a bunch of those old Gilettes from the 1950s and 40s that use real razor blades, and I use them. They're by far the best thing you could ever shave your face with. In the 1970s SNL did a skit where a guy shaved his face with a razor that was 2 or three blades. There's now 5 blade razors... One good blade is all your need.
Yeah, those gillettes are saftey razors. I agree they are the best thing to shave with, once you get the hang of em.
For me it's not about the number of blades, but if the head moves as you shave and the fact that the very cheap single or double blade options the blades aren't up to much. Without doubt the number of blades don't matter much, but it does seem you need to go that way to get a decent one. I've found quite a good supermarket own brand system that's got 3 blades and is half the price of a mach 3, so they can be worth looking at.
