Razors and shaving

RetiredUSNChief

RetiredUSNChief

Get over it, snowflake.
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For many years, I shaved with a Gillette Mach 3. I liked it...simple, straight forward, quality cut.

Then several years ago when Gillette decided to get political with their ads, going on about toxic masculinity, and in general going Woke, I decided "screw them" and quit buying from them.

That left me with a decision on what else to use. But name brands, like Gillette and the like, were not cheap on refills and I didn't want to make a leap into another brand and pick up on pricy refills again without knowing if I was going to like them or not.


Generic razors historically used to be nasty torture devices, as likely to scrape one's face off as cut anything. In the Navy, one learned very rapidly NOT to show up without being clean shaven when your Chief pulled out a disposable razor just for you from a bag in his desk. Cheap...you could buy a whole bag of them for less than a 5 or 10 pack of refills for my Gillette Mach 3.

But I decided to try some Equate brand disposable razors from Walmart anyway.

And DAMN if they weren't an excellent razor! Cheaper than the Mach 3, smooth cut, and no fear of scraping the flesh off my skull!

So I've been buying some variation of Equate razors ever since then, my favorite being the 5 blade disposable razors that say "Compare to Sensor 5". Their 3 blades are pretty good, too.

I shave daily, but since I do not come from a long line of beard growers, the razors last a couple weeks. Longer, if I want to put up with an increasing "pull" for some stupid reason. About what I recall from my Mach 3.


It seems that Gillette, and other big name brand razors, have actually come down in their prices these past few years. Is that my imagination? I like to think it's because the disposable razor makers started kicking it up a notch.


Anybody else use disposable razors these days?



 
RetiredUSNChief said:
For many years, I shaved with a Gillette Mach 3. I liked it...simple, straight forward, quality cut.

Then several years ago when Gillette decided to get political with their ads, going on about toxic masculinity, and in general going Woke, I decided "screw them" and quit buying from them.

That left me with a decision on what else to use. But name brands, like Gillette and the like, were not cheap on refills and I didn't want to make a leap into another brand and pick up on pricy refills again without knowing if I was going to like them or not.


Generic razors historically used to be nasty torture devices, as likely to scrape one's face off as cut anything. In the Navy, one learned very rapidly NOT to show up without being clean shaven when your Chief pulled out a disposable razor just for you from a bag in his desk. Cheap...you could buy a whole bag of them for less than a 5 or 10 pack of refills for my Gillette Mach 3.

But I decided to try some Equate brand disposable razors from Walmart anyway.

And DAMN if they weren't an excellent razor! Cheaper than the Mach 3, smooth cut, and no fear of scraping the flesh off my skull!

So I've been buying some variation of Equate razors ever since then, my favorite being the 5 blade disposable razors that say "Compare to Sensor 5". Their 3 blades are pretty good, too.

I shave daily, but since I do not come from a long line of beard growers, the razors last a couple weeks. Longer, if I want to put up with an increasing "pull" for some stupid reason. About what I recall from my Mach 3.


It seems that Gillette, and other big name brand razors, have actually come down in their prices these past few years. Is that my imagination? I like to think it's because the disposable razor makers started kicking it up a notch.


Anybody else use disposable razors these days?



Click to expand...



Any other suggestions because I ain't going to Walmart...............

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I went from Gillette, Harry’s and left them both because they hate me and my family.
I’m using and old school safety razor that’s doing a better job than the Harry’s with less irritation, and the blades are ~$0.05 each and use one a week. Shaving in the shower helps my skin not get so irritated.

Anyone Use Old School Single/Double Edged Safety Razors?

Are any of the replacement blades much better than another? I just got these four new stainless razors to try out. Two put a slight twist on the blade to stiffen it up, another takes a longer single edge. The machining is impressive.
carolinafirearmsforum.com carolinafirearmsforum.com
 
Gillette Sensor 2 disposable. Each one lasts two weeks, or ten shaves, as I shave every other day since retirement. I'd try the store brand but can't seem to find them in stock.
I tried the 5-bladed variety, but found it seemed to cause more ingrown hairs for some reason.
Before it all, I loved the Gillette Mach 3. I may go back and try a disposable version of that just to see if it's a happy medium between two and five blades.
 
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Gator said:
Any other suggestions because I ain't going to Walmart...............

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Buy them online, then?

I don't know about their quality, but you can buy McKesson Disposable twin blade razors from various sources. I've never tried them. Honest Medical sells a 50 piece box for $7.31, Amazon has 100 piece boxes for $18.99.

There are BIC disposables, which I haven't tried. Target sells disposables, but I haven't checked out what all they have.
 
my three opinions:

1. do not buy Bic. it is the worst of all disposables i have ever tried.
2. double-edge is my favorite, but ONLY with Feather blades. no other kind will do.
3. all blades will last longer if they are dried off COMPLETELY each and every time.
 
RetiredUSNChief said:
For many years, I shaved with a Gillette Mach 3. I liked it...simple, straight forward, quality cut.

Then several years ago when Gillette decided to get political with their ads, going on about toxic masculinity, and in general going Woke, I decided "screw them" and quit buying from them.

That left me with a decision on what else to use. But name brands, like Gillette and the like, were not cheap on refills and I didn't want to make a leap into another brand and pick up on pricy refills again without knowing if I was going to like them or not.


Generic razors historically used to be nasty torture devices, as likely to scrape one's face off as cut anything. In the Navy, one learned very rapidly NOT to show up without being clean shaven when your Chief pulled out a disposable razor just for you from a bag in his desk. Cheap...you could buy a whole bag of them for less than a 5 or 10 pack of refills for my Gillette Mach 3.

But I decided to try some Equate brand disposable razors from Walmart anyway.

And DAMN if they weren't an excellent razor! Cheaper than the Mach 3, smooth cut, and no fear of scraping the flesh off my skull!

So I've been buying some variation of Equate razors ever since then, my favorite being the 5 blade disposable razors that say "Compare to Sensor 5". Their 3 blades are pretty good, too.

I shave daily, but since I do not come from a long line of beard growers, the razors last a couple weeks. Longer, if I want to put up with an increasing "pull" for some stupid reason. About what I recall from my Mach 3.


It seems that Gillette, and other big name brand razors, have actually come down in their prices these past few years. Is that my imagination? I like to think it's because the disposable razor makers started kicking it up a notch.


Anybody else use disposable razors these days?



Click to expand...
I used disposable razors from the time I was about 17. Two years ago I went to a badger brush, bowl, cake soap and safety razor. I get a WAY closer shave. Carole likes it, anyway.
 
turkeydance said:
my three opinions:

1. do not buy Bic. it is the worst of all disposables i have ever tried.
2. double-edge is my favorite, but ONLY with Feather blades. no other kind will do.
3. all blades will last longer if they are dried off COMPLETELY each and every time.
Click to expand...
I bought Astra blades & they’re working great.
 
Dump the cartridge and get a safety razor. You won’t regret it.

Anyone Use Old School Single/Double Edged Safety Razors?

Are any of the replacement blades much better than another? I just got these four new stainless razors to try out. Two put a slight twist on the blade to stiffen it up, another takes a longer single edge. The machining is impressive.
carolinafirearmsforum.com carolinafirearmsforum.com
 
I use Dorco off Amazon.

1706646949816.png

I use Arco shave soap in a stick like this and then put it in one of the twist dispenser.

1706646912511.png 1706647130258.png

Of the safety razors, I would get a nice one and then try out a selection of blades. Astra is my favorite blade to use.
 
I use cheap disposables for a coupla months each and toss'em when they get too "scratchy".
Shave in the shower w/o shaving lotion and rinse them out well after every use. No problemo.
Also use an electric for in-betweens and the inevitable missed spots.. 🤠 👍
 
I tried Harry’s thought they were awful. I still use Gillette, I’m not willing to torture myself to prove a point.

That said y’all need to get a Razor Pit


I only shave my neck but I do so 6x a week. Razors last me about 3 months with that use. Prior to using a pit to clean the razor I got 2-3 weeks like most.
 
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I switched to Harry's from Gillette when they came out with that tranny commercial. I was disappointed when they too went 'woke', however I haven't switched in part because they work quite well, and they have been very good about not cutting myself. I find that rather than hurting when they get dull, like the Gillette did, the Harry's simply don't do as good of a job, with more missed spots like @HawgBonz said (and his post makes me tempted to get an electric for the in-betweens.

I don't shave every day, but once or twice a week, but that includes my head too. Speaking of which, my DL says hair color blonde, but what comes out of the razor is dark gray. I wonder if it's time to update that?
 
I quit shaving when I retired. About once a month, I’ll grab one of my wife’s new razors and touch up my neck. Made the mistake the first time of using one she had already used. All I can say is NEVER AGAIN!!! Prior to, I shaved daily and used the Mach 3. Tried the Harry’s, Dollar Shave Club, and several other disposables. Never found anything that matched the Mach 3. I have decided if I do start back shaving daily. It will be with a safety razor. Keep hearing good things about them.
 
noway2 said:
I switched to Harry's from Gillette when they came out with that tranny commercial. I was disappointed when they too went 'woke', however I haven't switched in part because they work quite well, and they have been very good about not cutting myself. I find that rather than hurting when they get dull, like the Gillette did, the Harry's simply don't do as good of a job, with more missed spots like @HawgBonz said (and his post makes me tempted to get an electric for the in-betweens.

I don't shave every day, but once or twice a week, but that includes my head too. Speaking of which, my DL says hair color blonde, but what comes out of the razor is dark gray. I wonder if it's time to update that?
Click to expand...

Give the Dorco a try. They are like Harry's in that when they get dull, they don't hurt ya, just work a little less efficiently.
 
Average Joe said:
I quit shaving when I retired. About once a month, I’ll grab one of my wife’s new razors and touch up my neck. Made the mistake the first time of using one she had already used. All I can say is NEVER AGAIN!!! Prior to, I shaved daily and used the Mach 3. Tried the Harry’s, Dollar Shave Club, and several other disposables. Never found anything that matched the Mach 3. I have decided if I do start back shaving daily. It will be with a safety razor. Keep hearing good things about them.
Click to expand...

My first wife used my Mach 3 once to shave her legs and never told me about it. I found out in short order the next day when I tried shaving with it. Brand new blade, down the drain.
 
Sp00ks said:
I just stopped shaving in 2021, saved me a lot of money. Stopped cutting my hair too.considering buying a Harley too....
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come-to-me-dr-evil.gif
 
Studentofthegun said:
Give the Dorco a try. They are like Harry's in that when they get dull, they don't hurt ya, just work a little less efficiently.
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Just ordered a handle and some blades, a few sticks of the Arco and along a similar topic line, a stick of Native deodorant (wanted the free shipping). It's not cheap, but it works, doesn't have aluminum, and interestingly enough - once you start using it for a while, you no longer smell extremely foul if you don't wash or use it the next day like I did using Degree or similar ones.
 
noway2 said:
Just ordered a handle and some blades, a few sticks of the Arco and along a similar topic line, a stick of Native deodorant (wanted the free shipping). It's not cheap, but it works, doesn't have aluminum, and interestingly enough - once you start using it for a while, you no longer smell extremely foul if you don't wash or use it the next day like I did using Degree or similar ones.
Click to expand...
I live the Native stuff quite a bit because I must be allergic to dang near every other kind of deodorant. Hope you enjoy the Dorco and Arco stuff. Little of the Arco goes a long way and it smells awesome.
 
I just realized I didn’t explain myself. The razor pit is a hard silicon, you put a little bit of lather on it and run the blade backwards on it before shaving. It cleans the blades off gets the hair and oils off and keeps them nice and sharp. It’s basically a strope, but nicer and more functional. Why I get much much longer shaves out of them now. For $28 it’ll pay for itself over the course of one to two packs of blades.
 
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Astra double edge are great for older safety razors and reasonably priced.

15 or more years ago I couldn’t wrap my mind around spending on razor cartridges even then and bought a strop, restored straight razor and a brush. If it didn’t turn into another collection addiction I’d have spent no more on shaving for 15 years than shaving soap and aftershave. Straight razors are not the throat cutters a lot believe them to be, and give a darn good shave at really no more cost than time to maintain them after initial purchase.
 
I have a short beard so only shave my neck twice a week. I had enough Gillette to last me a few years since they went woke; but would never buy again. I was interested in Harry's but they fell in love with the rainbow flavored d*ck too, so no way I'm buying from them either. I bought the Bic version of the mach 3 and it's ok for now. Does the job but also a tad more razor burn.

Has anyone tried "Jeremy's razors" yet? I'd love to support a company that doesn't hate me for being a man, but the product still has to be good.
 
ACP said:
Straight razors are not the throat cutters a lot believe them to be, and give a darn good shave at really no more cost than time to maintain them after initial purchase.
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I keep saying if I get back to High Point (Jamestown) I am going to stop in at the local barber shop and splurge on the hot lather head shave with a straight razor.
 
noway2 said:
I keep saying if I get back to High Point (Jamestown) I am going to stop in at the local barber shop and splurge on the hot lather head shave with a straight razor.
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Most are using a “shavette” razor now which is a single edge replaceable blade that sits in a spine similar to a straight razor. I get it from a maintenance standpoint and consistency for customers but just not the real deal to me, different feel. Perhaps your place is one of the handful still using a true straight razor.
 
ACP said:
Most are using a “shavette” razor now which is a single edge replaceable blade that sits in a spine similar to a straight razor. I get it from a maintenance standpoint and consistency for customers but just not the real deal to me, different feel. Perhaps your place is one of the handful still using a true straight razor.
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Don’t know. It’s been many years since I’ve stopped in there and I used to be a regular. About 10 years ago, I decided to do something about the balding effect and started shaving my head. Wish I had done it sooner. When I used to get hair cuts they used some kind of straight razor on your neck and what not. Super close, smooth shave.

I just think the full barbershop treatment would be a treat. Maybe have them do that with a beard trim and shave.
 
I posted the cliff notes above but I'll just ad this bit. It is necessary for me to shave because of work. Must be on camera all day and then occasionally get on an airplane and be onsite. That's not to say I can't have a beard, it's just that I look a lot older with a beard since it comes in mostly white these days.

Once upon a time I got into the whole shaving thing where it is all involved with expensive badger hair brushes. safety razors, and fancy shaving cream like Taylor of Old Bond Street's Sandlewood, Trufitt and Hill, etc. The problem is it takes a bit to make the lather and so forth. There is a big group of shaving aficionados that take things way too seriously and one can go down the rabbit hole. Got into that a little bit but don't really have the time to fool with it. Safety razors (the double edged kind) do a wonderful job and you can buy enough razors for not a lot of money and have enough to last you until the end days. However, all I really wanted to do is get the hair off my face so it isn't all that important to me.

There are some really nice shaving creams and soaps out there. When I was a younger, better looking man, I used to have women stop me when I was traveling and ask me what cologne I was wearing. It was just the TOB Sandlewood.
 
WeepingAngel said:
I headed to the realm of double edge safety razors and haven’t looked back.
Click to expand...


Before reading this thread, if anyone would have asked me about a double edged safety razor, I would have told you they don't make them anymore. I never thought about it I guess. We do live in a throw away world.

I can't tell you what razor I use without getting out of my recliner to go look ( not gonna happen ). It's some brand of multi blade disposable. I shave about every 5-6 days so they last good while.

Years ago I used a Shick Stick single edge, had a knob on the end of the handle like a shifter knob.



shick stick.jpg

.
 
Studentofthegun said:
I posted the cliff notes above but I'll just ad this bit. It is necessary for me to shave because of work. Must be on camera all day and then occasionally get on an airplane and be onsite. That's not to say I can't have a beard, it's just that I look a lot older with a beard since it comes in mostly white these days.

Once upon a time I got into the whole shaving thing where it is all involved with expensive badger hair brushes. safety razors, and fancy shaving cream like Taylor of Old Bond Street's Sandlewood, Trufitt and Hill, etc. The problem is it takes a bit to make the lather and so forth. There is a big group of shaving aficionados that take things way too seriously and one can go down the rabbit hole. Got into that a little bit but don't really have the time to fool with it. Safety razors (the double edged kind) do a wonderful job and you can buy enough razors for not a lot of money and have enough to last you until the end days. However, all I really wanted to do is get the hair off my face so it isn't all that important to me.

There are some really nice shaving creams and soaps out there. When I was a younger, better looking man, I used to have women stop me when I was traveling and ask me what cologne I was wearing. It was just the TOB Sandlewood.
Click to expand...
I’ve gone down the rabbit hole on some of the high end soaps as well and it’s one of the few things I found to be mostly worth what you pay for- there’s some darn good shaving soaps out there. That being said, I’ve also been very well pleased with the likes of Arko, Tabac and Speik hard soaps for everyday use and really offer quite a bit for the money.
 
noway2 said:
I just think the full barbershop treatment would be a treat. Maybe have them do that with a beard trim and shave.
Click to expand...
I got a full barbershop treatment once. Every guy should do it at least once. Makes you feel like IMG_7598.png
 
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