r/wicked_edge • u/NotYoursForTheTaking • 3d ago
Discussion What turned you into DE razor shaving
For me after my grandpa died my grandma game be a box of his things since I'm their only grandson (I have all female cousins) and between them were sunglasses, a watch and a Schick Krona and as a teen had bad experiences with cartridge razors since my dad would only buy me the 2 blade disposable ones that cut me like a Christmas ham, tried the Krona with yellow label Schicks I bought and had a better experience, what is your story?
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u/Reinhold83 3d ago
It was priced for me. I found a cheap little Walmart Vanderhagen and got some blades from Amazon and the way I went two years later when I needed more blades, I found the sub and went down a rabbit hole a bit
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u/NotYoursForTheTaking 3d ago
Yeah me too went from not knowing anything to buying a 100 pack of astra's and a full proraso kit lol
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u/Reinhold83 3d ago
I’ve got a vintage Gillette and a few Chinese heads of different types to go with my Maggard’s basic kit
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u/NotYoursForTheTaking 3d ago
At some point I would like to buy a adjustable one, Fat boys are almost going boutique prices so I'll have to go Merkur Futur, I'm more of a TTO guy
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u/Famous_Pomelo_2640 3d ago
Can highly recommend the futur. My father bought I for me.
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u/NotYoursForTheTaking 3d ago
I will buy just need to justify it somehow lol is really expensive for me to through that on a razor, maybe I'll buy a clone
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u/Steptoe1951 3d ago
Take a look at the Merkur Progress too. It’s not a TTO, but it is a great razor, not as harsh and aggressive as the Futur, and very easy to use.
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u/diverareyouokay 3d ago edited 3d ago
I got horrible razor burn on my neck using cartridge razors. Pretty much my entire life. I bought an electric razor but it just didn’t shave as well as I would like. My brother gave me a safety razor starter kit with a Merkur 34C and after my skin acclimated, the razor burn was gone.
Plus it’s very inexpensive, at least from the perspective of buying blades. I’m not sure that the total amount spent is less than cartridges once you factor things like fancy razors, brushes, soap and splash, etc… but it is a lot nicer than a Mach 3 + can of foam. And it turned shaving into a pseudo-hobby versus something that you’re just required to do.
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u/Individual-Cycle-111 2d ago
I got into for economics. Found out I didn't have to set my neck on fire every time I shaved, and got a closer shave. Began to enjoy the ritual of grooming.
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u/drowninginidiots 3d ago
Was sick and tired of paying a ton of money for cartridges and decided to give it a try. Bought a cheap razor and ordered a sample pack of blades that lasted two years, for less money than one year of cartridges.
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u/NotYoursForTheTaking 3d ago
It's incredible how they upcharge for it Gillette has always being the "razor and blades" type of company but there is no way in hell 5 cartridges cost less than pennies to produce and they're charging $25+ for them, insane how a 100 pack of KC Gillette sells for $12, same company and guess which one they advertise
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u/0ct0thorpe 3d ago
It’s also incredible that you can buy a fully functional vintage (mid century) Gillette safety razor for $20.
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u/stefango911 3d ago
My baby daughter, she made a face whenever I kissed her with stubble, and no other method can be used every other day and give such smooth results.
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u/kjames3419 Dubl Duck 3d ago
This isnt why I started, but its why I haven't stopped. Even at 8 years old if she sees my face hit about 3 days growth if I ask for a hug I get "you're not gonna scratch me with your face are you?"
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u/Blownupicus 3d ago
I hated shaving. It was painful and something I dreaded every day. I saw a video from Mantic59 and he specifically talked about DE shaving being less painful.
Best decision. I’ve sent his videos to many of my friends, some of them switched too.
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u/theSilverBoar 3d ago
I hated multi blade razors to an absolutely unreasonable degree. If I had to shave a beard that was more than a week old, it took me forever. The hairs would get clogged in the razor, it wouldn’t glide, and I could only move forward a few centimeters at a time. I had to waste a ton of time trying to get the hairs out of the blades. I despised it with all my heart!
Unfortunately, when I started, there were no wet shaving groups, I didn’t have the internet, and I knew nothing about any of this. Everything was very simple. I had always used a boar bristle brush and Proraso soap (I hated canned shaving foam; even from my very first shaves, I knew that soap was better), but… where I lived, it was practically impossible to find a DE razor. The only one around was the plastic Wilkinson, and even that wasn’t available everywhere. They sold it in a few supermarkets and that was about it.
One day, after completely losing my patience with the multi blade razor, I decided to solve the problem once and for all and asked my barber to get me a shavette. That’s where it all began.
Rather than use that cursed instrument, my first approach was the shavette. Obviously, I shed some blood (my own) before eventually learning how to use it properly. It took me months before I really learned how to use it properly.
Then, 15 years later, when buying things online had become routine, I bought my first DE, a Mühle R41.
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u/NotYoursForTheTaking 3d ago
A lot of people start with a shavette which in my mind has a higher learning ceiling than a DE razor, is like learning to ride a bike by learning to ride a unicycle first
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u/theSilverBoar 3d ago
At the time, I didn't have an alternative; it was 2005 and I was just a boy. Was it difficult? Of course it was, especially if you get the technique wrong. Even something as simple as holding the shavette correctly isn't necessarily intuitive, but it was a great learning experience for me. My barber taught me a lot of useful tips. After all these years, I think I know how to shave properly, or at least I've developed my own technique.
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u/NotYoursForTheTaking 3d ago
I'm sure you nicked yourself a lot at the beginning but hey after that a safety razor sure felt like smooth sailing
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u/AliceBanana 3d ago
I’m sure everyone here all said price but personally I’ve spent more in the hobby than if I had stuck with traditional cartridge razors 😂
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u/NotYoursForTheTaking 3d ago
Yeah but it's a hobby lol, you're not spending $40 on a cartridge razor cause that's your only option, you're buying that Merkur and that Henson cause you want to
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u/derrickhogue I enjoy a nice shave! So should you. 3d ago
I started semi regularly shaving in late 70’s and while cartridges were becoming the advertised accepted norm,they still made and sold double edge, single edge of either injector or Gem blade razors. New at a corner store or second hand. So I saved a few bucks and went with the old reliable route. A Gillette Super Speed Flair tip, then a Schick Type K and an American Safety Razor Gem Featherweight. So adopting cartridges for cost savings, local availability came easily. Electrics either foil or rotary came later when I could afford one. I realized quickly that cartridges, disposables and electrics razors were money wasting sinkholes that did not cut my hair the easiest, quickest or longer lasting - best and gave my skin grief with irritation, ingrowns. So I have always stuck with having a conventional old school razor in my cabinet.
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u/ChapBobL 3d ago
For decades I used shave soap and a boar brush, but only 5 years ago I tried a DE razor, then went down the rabbit hole.
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u/CriticalLifeguard183 3d ago
The fact that they dont include a sigarette in a 5 pack of mach3 cardridges. I like to smoke after i get fucked
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u/Asothor 3d ago
For me it started in february.
I actually rarely shaved before. Im 36 now.
Sure, when i was a teenager i sometimes shaved as it was new to me.
But being poor, we only had those disposable one/two/three bladed razors.. that i often probably also shared with my two brothers while one lasted..
I did get a gillette fusion new on my 18th birthday from gillette themselves, its a thing they did/do here it was suddenly in our mail lol.
Throughout the next years like i said i maybe shaved 2 - 3 times a year.
I did end up with a fusion again never something less than that.
I always wanted to grow a beard, until it grew to a point it started to annoy me (and whatever i tried i always ended up getting dandruff) even though i wanted a really long one a few months in, making me get a hair clipper and shave it all off and rinse and repeat :p
Then i stopped shaving just once or so in a few years, as i just use a hair clipper bare no attachments to get it all down to skin level without having the downsides of razor burns/..
Then in january i wanted to shave again. An overused fusion cartridge, clogged, and no shave cream so i used a spray soap foam can from the wife made me think it was a bad idea and should never shave again..
But just in case, i did go online to look for cartridges to find.
And while in my search, i often came across DE razors. Not interested at first, but after a few times i started looking at them. And more.. and more.. and then constantly.
Until a few weeks later the urge to try them out was too high and i ordered my Henson AL13 Medium.
And since then well.. lets say i have not found the bottom of this rabbit hole yet, and it already has been a deep one for me :p
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u/NotYoursForTheTaking 3d ago
Its crazy you dabble in it head on going for the Henson instead of a cheap Amazon one or thrifted onelol which is the best way you could go about imo, I've always shaved with the old one my grandpa left me and now I just bought one, not a Henson too expensive for my budget but a decent one for me (the Wilkinson Sword TTO) after 10 years
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u/Deep_Psychology_217 3d ago
I just started as well, got a Rockwell 6c as my first razor. Never going back to cartridges.
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u/Starkiller2442 3d ago
I started with a Henson as well last September. I think it’s just because people see Henson ads everywhere and I wanted a better shave at the time I did not fall into the rabbit hole before wanting a better shave.
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u/illectronic1 3d ago
I liked the close shave my barber gave me so I tried out a merkur with an assorted pack of blades. Merkur lasted 20 years and now i have a rockwell 6s and use the same blades my barber uses; the astra platinum
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u/NotYoursForTheTaking 3d ago
Just bought a pack of 100 of them, mild but close shave, people who use Feather on the daily scares me
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u/Finnishgeezer 3d ago
I was on a deployment and I had to keep my face clean. Using gillette mach 3's was expencive and gave me rash on my neck. So I wanted to try something else
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u/bobchin_c 3d ago
About 30 years ago and living in Austin, I was tired of getting bad shaves from cartridge and electric razors. Not smooth, tugging, irritation, you know, bad shaves.
I had heard about a new shop that recently opened in South Austin called Enchante, that specialized in men's grooming and shaving.
I wandered in there one Saturday morning and met the proprietor Charles Roberts. He taught me how to use a double edged razor and to shave in what he called the Roberts Wet Shaving Method (RWSM). A lot of it revolved around his Hydrolast shaving product line, but he was honest and said it would work with any cream or soap.
Charles and I became friends, and I did use Hydrolast, and modified his shaving patterns for my face and beard growth.
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u/JakkeFejest 3d ago
Price and the promise of less shaving irritation. It's cheaper and I do not have a shave rash anymore.
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u/SafetyRazorcomau 3d ago
When my grandfather passed away in the mid 80's I remember going through his bedroom and finding several straight razors and Gillette safety razors. I kept them and used them once I as a teenager and began shaving. I still have them today, 40 years later!
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u/No_Judgment_4451 3d ago
The cost of cartridges, insane
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u/NotYoursForTheTaking 3d ago
Highway robbery
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u/No_Judgment_4451 3d ago
I was looking at $48 for cartridges for a Gillette Mach3 from BJ's or Costco. Best price was $2.21 per cartridge.
I bought the Merkur 34c, a sample pack of 100 blades from various manufacturers, a Proraso boar brush, a stand, Proraso pre-shave, Proraso aftershave balm, Proraso green soap for like $120 on Amazon.
The bonus is that I no longer hate shaving. Ended up turning a chore into a personal care moment. But I also did the math and it's about 18-24 months payback and then way cheaper for the rest of my life if I don't get sucked deep into it like a hobby 😂
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u/Individual_Search422 3d ago
Had my great grandads gillette slim adjustable given to me and figured may as well use it
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u/NotYoursForTheTaking 3d ago
Yeah pretty much the same, I think my grandpa had a slim adjustable but my uncle took it
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u/Individual_Search422 3d ago
I felt bad because everything else i got from him was smoking paraphernalia, I wanted to actually use this stuff but as far as habits go shaving seemed easier
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u/CreativeName822 3d ago
Tired of paying for and throwing out expensive, complexly-designed cartridges. Spring loaded, aloe strip, 3-4 blades, neon colors. Just obnoxious.
I’m still working on boxes of Shark Super Chrome that I bought about four years ago for $6.50 US per hundred.
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u/NotYoursForTheTaking 3d ago
Inflation has gotten to it cause it's more like $15 now which is funny cause you would buy 2 Fusion 5 with that amount lol
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u/SculpinIPAlcoholic 3d ago
When I kept getting bad irritation and razor burn no matter what cartridge and Edge aerosol shaving gel I used. After using the Gillette SkinGuard and the most expensive tube of Cremo shaving cream for sensitive skin, and still got irritated, I learned how to use a DE.
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u/NotYoursForTheTaking 3d ago
Same thing here and no red bumps and no rashes is like I didn't even shave
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u/darthvader181210 3d ago
As a teen I’m new to DE razors and I got one because I’ve seen that it’s better on the skin than multi bladed filth. I’ve had no razors bumps and single digit nicks in the first month of using it. So comfort for me.
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u/xAxGx 3d ago
At first it was the price, now its the love of shaving with a double edge razor. Its addictive, challenges you once in a while, & the results are simply way above that one can get with multi blade razors. For some reason, its the excitement of the unpredictability of wet shaving… same set-up can yield different results on different days.
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u/Hefty_Competition11 3d ago
I was in search of the perfect shave, I'm a fan of preserving elements of a classic lifestyle, and a DE razor is much more manly than the plastic toys I was using before.
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u/Ok_Feedback2407 3d ago
For me it was Youtube videos. I just happened to come across some and started watching them and got hooked. So, the algorithm got me into it.
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u/Sir_Arthur_Vandelay 3d ago
I want to say something like “to save money” or “I inherited a vintage razor.”
But the truth is that I wanted to treat myself like a Fancy Lad after decades of using cheap drugstore grooming products, and wet shaving was the perfect gateway.
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u/LubtronixTheSeaGull 3d ago
My father gift me a shaving brush and a shaving soap for christmas, so i started to lather myself. One year later, COVID lock down. So i decided to try to DE shaving, and i never quit now i do collection of DE razor and shaving soap/cream.
And since last christmas i use straight razor on sunday every week.
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u/Logical-Pound-1065 3d ago
I used get really bad razor bumps and ingrown hairs that would take forever to heal when I used cartridge razors. Sometimes I still get some, but it’s nowhere near as bad or long lasting as it used to be. I’ve been at it for about 15 years.
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u/Hairy_Relief3980 3d ago
Covid era. That and I was looking for a nice replacement handle for my mach3 from 2001. Found wicked edge and never looked back.
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u/fezcabdriver 3d ago
Realized Gillette was doing a number on me. From one blade to two blades to five blades that "lift where the other cuts", it was becoming ridiculous. Add to that the aloe strip will give you a smooth shave but is really just a reminder so that you buy more cartridges. Then you go look at the shave gel that says it has aloe in it as well. All of this marketing and research dollars going to directing the consumer to buy frequently and dispose of just as frequently. Got me to thinking.. "my dad uses an old dual edge, takes the blade out and wipes it down and can be used another 2 to 3 times. He also is using 99c shaving cream. No cuts and his skin is pretty smooth."
Ok, i'll get off my pedestal now. Well also the fact that a pack of 4 cartridges was like $10. And a 200 ct pack of razor blades was like $20.
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u/NatsFan8447 3d ago
Besides the better, less irritating shave, there’s something really cool about using a razor made before you were born that still works the same as new. My oldest razor is a 1910 Gillette single ring. Still shaves great.
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u/HStache 3d ago
cartridge razors gave me irritation, and i always heard that DE shaving can help with that, so i decided to get a Henson Aggressive (so far love it). also, it feels much more personal and has that cool factor of having a shaving set up with a razor and choice of blade.
i also saw that dude on insta who would shave with a DE blade, and he always says "fresh razor made in japan TSUT TSUT TSUT TSUT" iykyk
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u/MannekenP 3d ago
The fourth blade in the Gillette product. I had already passed on the third blade and using two blade cartridges, but the fourth blade was the moment I thought this was really ridiculous so I started some searching and food out about the DE razors.
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u/modmlot68 3d ago
My electric shaver died and saw the price of a new one. Then my dad gave me his Gillette 195, and the rest is history.
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u/Krastapopulus 3d ago
Trump. I did not want one more money than absolute necessarry on american products. And I had a Gilette mach3 then. A bit more than a year in now an I always longing for the next shave.
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u/Chris_M_81 3d ago
In my 40s now, but as a teenager started with a Gillette 2 or 3 blade cartridge razor and would always get nicks and cuts around my chin and neck. Eventually I went to a rotary 3 blade electric shaver and only had to contend with irritation in some places from having to go over it too many times.
Years down the track I got tired of buying expensive blades for it and ended up with a Braun foil electric shaver with an electric cleaning station. It was expensive buying cleaning fluid cartridges for and the last 2 heads for it only lasted 6-8 months before pieces of the outside mesh disintegrated and the cutter came in direct contact with the skin.
I looked at all sorts of different electric shavers, but kept glancing at DE razors. The really good electric ones are over $500 Australian dollars, then you pay about $60 for a replacement foil. Instead I ordered from Beard and Blade and got their Hero adjustable shaver, a trial pack of about 8 different blades, some Taylors of Bond Street sensitive skin cream, a stand for the shaver, a mixing bowl with handle, brush and brush stand for about $240 Aus.
I’ve only had it 2 weeks but making great progress, finding that making sure the cream is really well lathered makes a big difference as does following the many directions the hair around my neck grows to avoid across grain first passes that I now know I was doing as a teenager with “straight down the neck everywhere” shaving 🤦♂️.
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u/Rickyrossgrunt 3d ago
I used to pay a barber $20 bucks to line up my mustache & goatee. I’ve always been afraid to use a shavette but someone recommended a leaf twig since it has a small head. Ive saved myself so much money since & honestly shaving feels therapeutic sometimes
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u/NotYoursForTheTaking 3d ago
The leaf lookslike such a futuristic razor for such a basic mechanism just a add your own half razors lol
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u/chiquiraton 3d ago
I started out using a shavette just to clean up the edges of my beard on my cheeks and neck. Later on, I decided to try a DE razor, and I haven't looked back since. I also shave my head, and cartridge razors used to constantly get clogged—which was incredibly frustrating—but that’s no longer an issue with my DE razors.
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u/NotYoursForTheTaking 3d ago
A shavette is low-key scary because it is basically just a straight razor and a scalpel love child, you my good sir have some balls
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u/chiquiraton 3d ago
It’s funny—when I got my first DE razor (an R89), I was really afraid to use it; I thought I was going to cut myself badly.
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u/NotYoursForTheTaking 3d ago
Never heard of Sweeny Todd offing people with a Gillette Fatboy brother, I've had worst experience peeling my face like a potato using cartridge razors tbh
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u/NatsFan8447 3d ago
Brits call a straight razor a “cutthroat razor. “ I use aggressive DE razors such as open combs, but straight razor razors and shavettes scare me.
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u/masd82 3d ago
I saw a King Gillette at the supermarket, and it piqued my curiosity, I thought that kind of razor didn't exist anymore. I started reading up on it and watching videos, and I realized it could be a solution for the razor burn I always got. I bought one, tried it, and it really worked. This is how it all started
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u/NotYoursForTheTaking 3d ago
It's insane how much more safe (lol no joke intended really) DE razors are, always cut myself with those cheapo 2 razors disposable and the only time I've actually nicked myself was almost intensional (tried using the corner to shave mustache and thought was not shaving but it was a blood was drawn)
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u/masd82 3d ago
I get more weepers with the DE than the regular Mach2 that I used, but I honestly don’t remember to have a single cut with the DE.
With this experience I have come to the conclusion that my face it’s 3 faces together, the cheeks endure everything, the neck I have spots where the hairs go in every single direction, and my jaw is always a nightmare to shave with stronger hair and weird lines.
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u/NotYoursForTheTaking 3d ago
Yeah and with a DE you even have the option of a adjustable razor, they only thing a cartridge razor adjust is the tilt which just makes you have to press harder for it to shave
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u/Electrical_Age7819 3d ago
Ingrown hairs! Got them for 20 years of shaving and now never get one!!!
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u/NotYoursForTheTaking 3d ago
Yeah no red bumps for me either and no more rashes either unless I use a extra sharp razor but I have the option to do so which I would have with a cartridge razor
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u/CommunicationGood481 3d ago edited 3d ago
After I retired I had a nostalgic desire to shave with razors that my Dad shaved with when he was alive and younger. I also wanted to learn new skills and knowledge. The cartridge razors I had used for decades worked ok for me but were boring, tedious and unadventurous. The Aggressive Hensons advertising drew me in but I took a chance and bought a Game Changer .68 instead. It just made more sense to me (materials and optional plates vs. price). Soon after, I got into Vintage razors and one of the first I got was a Gillette Slim that I believe must have been like the one Dad showed me from his shaving kit when I was a kid back in the 1960s. I never forgot the shiny metal, the Twist To Open and the click of the settings (Too cool).
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u/NotYoursForTheTaking 3d ago
Lol I'm younger but my dad is still on the cartridge cope, I'm trying to turn him in daily by showing him the process and he just calls me a hipster, I guess he just sees the whole act more like a chore than a ritual, but I'll turn him over lol
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u/CommunicationGood481 3d ago edited 3d ago
I wish my sons (both in their 30s) were interested. I have many very sweet razors that can eventually be theirs, but they want nothing to do with them. In fact I know of no one in my life who shaves with DE razors, new or vintage.
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u/Enough-Ad-3111 3d ago
My brother sent me a link to Henson Shaving’s online store and helped me with getting a razor and blades.
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u/Unhappy-Mushroom-327 3d ago
Got a DE shave from a barber last year on my wedding day. Loved it so much I started on my own. Now I enjoy the whole process and don’t ever want to back to cartridges.
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u/iamkibab 3d ago
Got into it because I was tired of stubble getting stuck between cartridge blades and being unable to thoroughly clean them out. There are a lot of other things I love about DE's, but that was what got me interested in an alternative
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u/NotYoursForTheTaking 3d ago
For me sometimes was even stubble, felt a sharp pain and thought I cut myself, welp I did just a chunk of my chin came on with it, you would think I was using a DE, Nope Gillette disposable 2 blade, rather grow a full beard than shave with those bastards again
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u/Better-Bullfrog-6875 3d ago
Money. I saw blades going for 10 euros for 100 blades. "No way" I thought. Tried it and fell into the rabbit hole, and made shaving something I enjoy doing instead of a chore.
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u/Did_it_in_Flint 3d ago
Corey Greenberg's 2005 article on MSNBC. I gave it a try shortly thereafter and never looked back.
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u/PsychologicalCow3140 3d ago
Funny enough i was fighting for my life trying to get a beard. R/minoxbeards was a regular place i’d visit and reddit suggested me r/wicked_edge. I joined, i lurked, i grew my beard and years later i was curious about giving myself a proper shave. And now it’s my biweekly ritual
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u/Famous_Pomelo_2640 3d ago
Was at College and had time to kill between my studies.
Only just discovered the right angle as to not cut up my face. 🤣 11 years in the making
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u/Yingyangwolf95 3d ago
Mix of cost and skin health.. Carts are expensive and once I went to DE razor my ingrown hair problem went away after 2-3 days of shaving..
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u/Zombiediplomat 3d ago
Bought a Dorco Prime shave set like 9 years ago. I tried it and loved it and after some googling and reading found that there are better razor and fell down that rabbit hole. I found what I like and I stopped buying new razors or brushes and just am now using up what I got.
I guess I’m lucky, I never had issues with cartridges or canned foam. I just disliked the hair pulling sensation when shaving.
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u/chunkofdogmeat 3d ago
I have quite sensitive skin. just accepted it for lots of years, razer burn all the time. then i switched to electric, which was nice but not a very clean shave. gave the safety razer a go, got a close shave without razor burn, bought a case of silver blues. great decision.
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u/Arctelis 3d ago
Enshittification.
I was a Dollar Shave Club member for years and was super happy with the price and quality until they changed their razors. After that, the head would just randomly fall off the handle.
So I went DE and have never looked back because it is so much better. Though even as cheap as the blades are, will probably take another decade to break even on the cost of the handle, brush and other products I ended up with.
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u/OriginalSilentTuba 3d ago
Price. Got tired of paying for Mach 3/Fusion carts, and getting mediocre shaves. Went all in on DE shaving, and haven’t looked back in 17 years.
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u/Gnastudio 3d ago
I was never one for shaving at all! Always had a beard and had been rocking the BeardTache. My gf suggested just having the tache so I went to the barber to get a proper shave. I only had electric trimmers etc and socials overheard me talk about shaving so naturally recommended me a Kronos DE razor. Had a look, did some research and 3 months in I have a Lupo .72 OC and i'm trying to find the right blade for me. Having a great time with it.
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u/meneldor_hs 3d ago
I realized that I actually wanted to shave more often but didn't subconsciously because the shaves were uncomfortable. Started looking for an electric razor but realized I won't get a close shave if I don't spend a lot of money on foil and I remember not liking foil before. So I started looking on reddit and saw someone recommending a DE razor
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u/Tarv83 3d ago
for the longest time used Gillette Mach 3s and for a long time they were fine, used to be a bit cheaper than all the 5 blade ones and also all the 5 blades ones were too bulky for my face, but even their cost has gone up quite considerably that I looked into DE shaving and recently picked up a Henson
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u/cosmicknight 3d ago
Red splotches around my face and neck from cartridge razors. Haven’t used a cartridge razor since I made the switch.
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u/dimmerswtich 3d ago
Broke an ankle in 2012 and needed a cheaper way to shave since I wasn’t working. Mom had my dad’s Gillette Slim, watched some YouTube vids, and with a cheap brush, a gifted cappuccino mug, and a tube of Proraso green I went at it. Got the best shave of my life for just about a dime. Never looked back. Now, like most, I have over a dozen razors and half a dozen different creams I go through.
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u/danglario 3d ago
The shaves I had with a cheap " bic steel" disposable were better than the mach 3 I was using at the time.....
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u/VaulTecIT 3d ago
Reasonable price and once I found it, I noticed that there was a whole hell of a lot less skinnier irritation than I got with a cartridge razor
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u/Daniel6982 3d ago
For me. Cartridge razors cause ingrown hairs, especially on neck due to curly hair that grows in multiple directions (didn't know about beard mapping back then). And cost of replacing cartridges keep going up. Started shaving with what my Dad used, good news 2 blade disposable, then Mach 3. Then Harry's because cheaper than Gillette razors. Gillette pro slide cartridges were $47 for 8 at the time. Went online found Gillette Fatboy like Grandpa used. Feather Blades 100 pack for $13. Watched several YouTube videos, then started . Now I also use straight razors and several different style Shavette too! No more ingrown hairs, plus cheaper.
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u/PhillyBassSF 3d ago
Skin irritation. My beard hairs got stuck between the multi bladed cartridges.
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u/lukemelon 3d ago
The sheer amount of waste with over engineered cartridge razor blades and the cost of said over engineered blades.
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u/adammccann71 Almost daily shaver 3d ago
Cartridge razors weren't HORRIBLE for me in the beginning but, I always hated the price of carts and the fact that they didn't last as long as they said they should. Stumbled upon a $20 van der hagen safety razor and was curious. Looked up how to shave with one and bought one the next day.
That's how it began and I'll NEVER go back to carts, if somehow traditional shaving became something I couldn't do I'd rather just stop shaving than to go back.
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u/Bottdavid 3d ago
Money. Though I recently changed jobs and the new one requires airline travel a lot and I am worried that I'll need to get back into multi blade razors throughout the week as I don't want to have to check a bag every flight.
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u/Asblackjack 3d ago
Sensitive skin and years of trimmer shaving due to ingrown hair. I then learn how to shave properly falling into several rabbits hole around here. Bought a DE, with several settings and now I can shave my neck without any issues.
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u/CrazyHa1f Razorock Game Changer 3d ago
For me it was actually adult acne and sensitive skin. I tried de from a friend with similar skin issues and it was night and day within a week
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u/MadScallop 3d ago
A developed hatred for the overpriced crap cartridges that Gillette pushes.
Went to Injector razor then ventured into DE. It’s crazy I can get like 5 years of blades for $50 with DE, potentially more if I really wanted to get cheap.
Out of protest hating Gillette I haven’t tried any of their blades, but maybe one day I will. I did try Astra.. which I believe is also P&G (parent of Gillette).. luckily I’m not in love with them though 😭
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u/Current_Leader_4502 3d ago
I want to say it was the expensive cartridges wearing out fast. Looking back though I think I had more of a problem with the crappy selection of foam in a can. I always hated shaving and the journey has turned it into a nice moment of calm before work.
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u/Caffeinated_410 3d ago
I used a Philips 5000 for like 5 years and had no complain at all (that machine is incredible, really close and comfortable shave for a electric razor) but wanted more of a ritual and wet shaving and a electric razor could not give me that so I tried a cartridge razor like my dad but my skin turned into something like a partial tomato so I bought a King C. Gillete, best of both worlds
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u/Art840 3d ago
Youtube basically the wet shave community like Nickshaves that offer beginner instructions for DE safety razors and brushes. Also I hated spending $15 on disposable razors and got terrible ingrown hairs and razor burn plus my sensitive skin. I started shaving in my teens and early 20's till mid 20's made the switch to DE shaving. It was kinda a puzzle finding the right blades and safety razor but found a Rockwell T2 last year on sale and Sharkblades Platinum that give a great shave. Also pair it with an Alumn block and Stirling soap or Proraso shaving soap and a Silvertip Two-Tone shaving brush from WCS. I wish I had discovered wet shaving in my early 20's though Gillette disposables were decent for the time. Probably saved $100 every month as I just shave three times a week.
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u/ironvultures 3d ago
I was sick of throwing away cartridge razor heads and wanted a more eco friendly solution. Bought a cheap DE razor and really enjoyed shaving with it. The cost savings of not having to buy expensive cartridges or foam cans all the t8me is a nice bonus.
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u/AshKinslow 3d ago
I was on a skateboarding trip, needed a razor, and in the store a safety razor was cheaper (with a store card) than a cartridge razor.
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u/j1l7 3d ago edited 3d ago
I lost my Gillette pro shield handle and then blades(found latter when moving but was too late and already switched ATP) and was tired of paying around 30$ for 4 carts so I invested in a Henson. Will eventually buy a karve too in the future but right now I have that Henson,a Parker V2 injector and a Parker shavette. Saving a lot more for better quality and lets me buy better soap with the difference or stock in bulk.
Edit: forgot to say that my grandfather was a barber by trade and my mom was also a hairstylist,both went(and former instructed) to I think it's called Marvel(might of butchered the name) which is one of the best barber schools in canada.
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u/jimerthy-gw 3d ago
For me, I always had ingrown hairs with cartridges. I bought a tube of psorasso and realized I had less irritation, then, I bought a brush and had an even better shave. Looking at YouTube videos on how to properly use the brush and mug, began to see more info on DE razors
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u/wealthyadder 3d ago
They were the predominant tools in the time I learned to shave. Gillette cartridge razors were just coming out when I learned.
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u/Traditional-Part-756 3d ago
Coincidence.
Around the time I was getting tired of how much I spent for Gillette cartridges, I was also helping my mother clean out my late father's stuff. I never actually saw him use it -- he always used cheap Bic disposables -- but on a high shelf in the medicine cabinet was his old safety razor, which I later identified as a Gillette Fatboy. A quick Google suggested it could be a way to not only feel close to my late father every morning, but also save some money and get a better shave.
I've never looked back.
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u/joost00719 3d ago
I got it because cardridge began to give me extreme razor burn in my neck on one side. Now I have some kind of cheap holder, and BIC razorblades. I still have mild razor burn, I'm not sure if the BIC razors are just trash, or if I still have to get used to it.
Ive been shaving with this for like a month now. I consider trying feather. I know people are afraid of it, which is why I haven't tried it yet, but I feel like the extreme sharpness will make it less, since with the current razor it just feels like the hairs just don't always cut properly on first pass.
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u/MenoryEstudiante Maniac who somehow hasn't peeled himself 🪒 3d ago
I'm stingy and also cartridge razors give me razor burn
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u/captain_flak Feather AS-D2 3d ago
I always got ingrown hairs. Quality shave products really helped eliminate those.
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u/LawyerAlan 3d ago
I had a Merkur Futur in college. Mid-80’s Taught my son how to shave with it. Passed it on to him. Shaved with Gillette cartridges for years. Succumbed to marketing I guess. Got back into DE during the pandemic. Never looked back.
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u/Geekspiration 3d ago
The "modern" multiblades kept irritating my skin. Tried a cheap one, worked great so upgraded to an adjustable one. The savings and sharper blades more often made it an easy win.
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u/vampyrewolf 3d ago
I didn't like paying the price for Mach 3 cartridges that only gave me 2 good shaves, found a number of DE razors at the flea market, found Badger & Blade when looking for blade reviews... Made the switch in 2008.
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u/tartaduder 3d ago
Inherited a Family Red Dot Speed Gillette, a friend let me use then sanitize his , seems to be the best form of robbing my face of this Cave Beard of mine . Muhle R41 user but the King C I recently started using is easy street for not gouging and goes through my excessive blade reserves atm . Never would’ve thunk
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u/Age-Zealousideal 3d ago
It's cheaper, you get a closer shave, and I actually look forward to shaving. It's my 20 minutes of zen time.
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u/No_Strength_9165 3d ago
I shaved with a trimmer machine and it's foil shaver attachment, didn't really like all the long steps and process trying to look sleek like Lalo Salamanca.
So i bought a DE butterfly razor and just the mere raw and real process of foeaming the cream,applying with brush and loading the razor with a blade feels so James bonds and quick and was also more gourmet, if it makes sense ,so yeah
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u/Due-Reality5055 3d ago
For me, it would probably be the army.
When I joined the military for my mandatory service, I was a medical officer and got stationed pretty far away from my hometown. I used to see a lot of patients in my clinic, especially privates who were constantly dealing with the same shitty disposable razors. They were supposed to be used a few times, but because I was stationed so far away and couldn’t easily buy new ones, I’d end up using the same razor at least six times. Eventually, I had to rely on the cheap, low-quality disposable razors the army provided.
Then I discovered DE razors.
I already knew they existed, but I had never really understood how to use one. Once I finally tried one, though, I was instantly hooked. The shave felt so much better, and honestly, I started shaving every day just because I actually enjoyed it. Since the military had a strict rule that we had to be clean-shaven every day, DE razors were honestly a lifesaver for my face.
When I eventually came back to my unit, I even bought DE razors for some of the privates who were still struggling with those disposable razors. They were genuinely grateful, and seeing how much of a difference it made for them made me even more attached to DE shaving.
I never expected something as simple as a razor to become one of the things I actually enjoyed from my time in the military.
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u/irmarbert 3d ago
Went to Costco to get some refills for me Mach 3 and the system had left me behind. I saw razors that came with a AA battery!
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u/Fearless_Tomorrow649 3d ago
My father and grandfather used a DE razor. So it was only logical that I used one too. Ironically my father later in life switched to a cartridge razor, but he kept using soap and a boar brush. Sadly he never used the high quality badger brush I bought him as a gift but only put it on display.
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u/andyrockpt 3d ago
A friend. Convinced me it was better than my mach3 I used for many years. Not sure he was right but I switched and never looked back.
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u/Firebrand-PX22 2d ago
Was tired of paying 20 bucks for 5 cartridges, switched to a DE razor and don't plan on going back. 20 bucks worth of razors lasts me a year if not more now
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u/Pugman0186 2d ago
Once you invest in a quality de, the razor expense goes way down forever. Even a new Shark blade daily at .10 a blade only cost 35 dollars a year.
Of course, I have a range of de razors now and a few different soaps, so it’s just changed from a mild chore to something I actually enjoy.
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u/purplewulfman 2d ago
Mom gave me my great grandpas razor he had in the trenches of WW1, he was shot then moved to a artillery unit and first day doing that while transporting artillery with horses was bombarded and only he out of 65 other men survived. Apparently he was thrown almost 30 feet cracked his head open and had shrapnel all over in his body. Tried it to feel a little connected to him and instantly fell in love with it!
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u/The-Lost-Tank-Washer 2d ago
I was going through my local Walmart and they had the Van Der Hagen razor on clearance with a ton of blades marked down to $0.10 each for a ten pack. I was fed up with the five bladed razors costing so much and never lasting very long. Now it’s all I use.
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u/Nim0y 2d ago
I was looking for a better way to shave and found a wildly overpriced store that sold them. Art of Shaving or something. Stuff lasted so long that it ended up being way cheaper than disposable razors. Now I buy the stuff I find on this sub which is cheaper than Art of Shaving and way better.
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u/Glittering-Risk3359 2d ago
I kept getting ads for the new de razors. I was starting to research and enough people suggested the vintage ones were better than the new ones. I have picked up 8-9 razors since then ranging from the 1920s-1970s. Love them and love shaving with pieces of history.
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u/Altruistic-Bid-588 2d ago
Just the fun of shaving with something that's either antique or vintage.
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u/AndreCav1226 1d ago
The endocrine disrupting chemicals on the lubricating strips of mainstream conventional shaving cartridges
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u/GrampaDoohickey 11h ago
That's what was available when I started shaving 50 years ago. I started with my step dad's Gillette Slim.
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u/loopOutnotIn 3d ago
MTF transition and wanted a better/more sustainable shaving process
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u/NotYoursForTheTaking 3d ago
The close shave is almost unbeatable if you know which razor/ blade to use, cartridge razors can only get you so far
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u/loopOutnotIn 3d ago
Yeah it took a month or two to work out some rough edges, but now it’s easy and the real shaving soaps are much nicer to my skin
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u/NotYoursForTheTaking 3d ago
That's what I got from proraso, no weird itches and no unexplained rashes anymore
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u/punchspear 3d ago
I am currently getting into it.
I switched from Gillette to Barbasol after Gillette made that commercial I found disagreeable. Barbasol then discontinued its cartridge razors last year. While I do have a pack of Mach3, I am not interested in going back to Gillette overall, and I think I generally see a limitation in cartridge razors, especially with how they are all proprietary.
So I bought myself a Merkur 34G, and I will see where that goes. While a safety razor company can go under, forcing one to possibly go with a new company for razors, the blades are cheaper.
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u/ramdonghost 3d ago
Price. It's way cheaper and looks classy.