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+--- Thread: Anyone try Dollar Shave Club? (/showthread.php?tid=168788)
Re: Anyone try Dollar Shave Club? - Robert M - 07-03-2014
RAM,
I thought I'd need a lifetime supply of styptic pencils, too. Turns out I rarely nick myself and definitely don't do it any more than I did with a cartridge razor. The difference in cost between a cartridge razor of any kind and cartridges and a DE razor and blades is dramatic.
A good enough starter DE razor can be had for under $15.00. My original cost $14.95. It's not a great razor by any means but it was good as a starter. Expect to pay between $30 and $40 for a better razor. But, it isn't a necessity.
Blades can cost pennies, depending on how you buy them. I bought a 100 qty pack of Derby Extra for $9.59 in January 2013. Eighteen months later and I still have about 70 of them. Meaning, I use only about 2 blades per month.
A critical difference between a DE razor and any cartridge razor, regardless of make and model, is that DE blades are standardized. A blade that fits in one DE razor will fit in any other DE razor. There is a huge selection of blades out there. Don't like X blade? Try Y blade. Don't like that? Try Z blade. They'll all work with your DE razor.
'course, you can also spend _much_ more money on DE products, too.
FWIW, I don't rotate my razor after each stroke. Rather, I use side A for the first pass and side B for the second pass. The next day, I use side B for the first pass and side A for the second pass. The second pass is a careful sideways shave rather than an vertical shave. I've always been a two pass shaver, even when using cartridge razors. Just how I was learned when I started shaving in my teens.
Robert
Re: Anyone try Dollar Shave Club? - Racer X - 07-03-2014
robfilms wrote:
[quote=Mini 9]
My dad said the best thing about chemo in his opinion was not having to shave.
now that is FUNNY!
you dad is a special guy if he can share that kind of humor.
good for you both.
be well.
rob
well, no hair to clog the drains, that's a plus.
Re: Anyone try Dollar Shave Club? - deckeda - 07-03-2014
Still working on finding a perfect setup, if there is one for me. I use a Gillett Super Speed; I'm one of those guys who bought one made in the year of his birth from eBay … but overall I wanted a solid, known design that was middle of the road regarding aggressiveness. Gotta start somewhere, and a classic TTL Gillett is as good as any.
I've tried about 5 different blades so far. The only one that shaves my seemingly-rough beard type is the Feather. For me, Feathers are good for about 3 shaves and something like a Bic or Kai blade will do fine for about 4, maybe 5 shaves.
This page has a short roundup of some blades, ranking (or at least, describing them) based on sharpness. Not everyone needs nor should get the sharpest.
Shaving every day hasn't yet worked for me with DE. My skin gets too irritated and I begin to get cuts. I use a nice brush and a quality shaving soap puck. If I ever go back into the daily workforce I'll want something that works for everyday …
I retain use of a Schick Quattro for touch ups where I missed or can't get to with the DE. It's also become my reference, the only razor I've yet used that gets me very close shaves (closer than the DE with Feathers …) for like a month before needing a new blade head. There, I always dry the blades, using my arm or a towel as a strop.
For some DE blades I was drying them, too, but Feather says not to rub them; they're coated.
All in all, and even when looking at the math, I come out cheaper and with a better/easier shave using the Schick Quattro.
Re: Anyone try Dollar Shave Club? - Robert M - 07-03-2014
Deck,
I shave daily with my Edwin Jagger Barleycorn and a Derby Extra blade. No irritation. No doubt the Feather blades may be a contributing factor but have you considered trying a different soap? Lather from pucks never did the job for me. I stick with a quality cream. It makes a _huge_ difference in the closeness of the shave and any irritation resulting from said shave.
Robert
Re: Anyone try Dollar Shave Club? - deckeda - 07-03-2014
I first tried Proraso in a tube, the red one. Still have it. Never could get it to lather. Seems to have two states, dry and pasty or wet and runny. Don't understand it at all.
Got a fantastic shave with it once however, again using the Quattro. At the end of the day there was still no beard and the next day it was still a close shave. I squealed with glee.
Re: Anyone try Dollar Shave Club? - Robert M - 07-03-2014
Deck,
I've never experienced that with any flavor of Proraso (or C.O. Bigelow Premium Shave Cream akak repackaged Proraso). Sounds like you got a bad tube.
I switch between three shaving creams. Currently, the roundup includes Art of Shaving Unscented, C.O. Bigelow Shave Cream (in the can) and Kiss My Face Fragrance-free. I'm almost out of the Art of Shaving cream and will replace that with The Real Shaving Company Moisturizing shave cream.
Not sure what I'll try when the C.O. Bigelow or Kiss My Face creams run out. Probably Dreadnaught or Duke Cannon Superior shave cream. I've used other Duke Cannon products and they are very good. I'll probably go for their shave cream since it gets rave reviews and is reasonably priced.
Robert
Re: Anyone try Dollar Shave Club? - robfilms - 07-03-2014
because of this goofy thread and the fact that i'm in-between gigs, i shaved this morning with a de blade.
i had my father's old gillette super speed, black bottom, and a wilkenson blade that i purchased the last time i went down this path.
i did employ a brush, and did a 2-shave.
after watching some "how to shave" vids (geofatboy rules!), i thought a twice lathered shave might make for a better experience.
and it was a much better shave and experience than the last time i used a de.
i was thinking of picking up a pack of astra blades and maybe some col conk soap pucks.
care to share your thoughts on shaving creams?
i never used a soap puck.
i have just used barbasol from a can and used the brush to whip in around.
(all this shave gab is fun but i really need another film!)
ymmv
be well.
rob
Re: Anyone try Dollar Shave Club? - Robert M - 07-03-2014
Rob,
Blades and cream are a very personal choice. There are a zillion creams out there and what works good for me won't necessarily work well for you (or anyone else for that matter). But, if you look at the reviews, you'll find several solid and reasonably priced choices. I'm not a fan of shaving soap that comes in the form of a puck. It's never worked well for me. That's why I stick with creams.
One of my faves that is fairly priced and readily available at the local RiteAid is The Real Shaving Company shaving cream. It's a very good cream. Not the best, but definitely many steps up from Barbasol. Works well with cartridge and DE razors alike. If I wanted a new cream and didn't want to spend a lot of money on it, I'd definitely give The Real Shaving Company cream a try before the others.
Robert
Re: Anyone try Dollar Shave Club? - robfilms - 07-03-2014
Robert M wrote:
Rob,
Blades and cream are a very personal choice. There are a zillion creams out there and what works good for me won't necessarily work well for you (or anyone else for that matter). But, if you look at the reviews, you'll find several solid and reasonably priced choices. I'm not a fan of shaving soap that comes in the form of a puck. It's never worked well for me. That's why I stick with creams.
One of my faves that is fairly priced and readily available at the local RiteAid is The Real Shaving Company shaving cream. It's a very good cream. Not the best, but definitely many steps up from Barbasol. Works well with cartridge and DE razors alike. If I wanted a new cream and didn't want to spend a lot of money on it, I'd definitely give The Real Shaving Company cream a try before the others.
Robert
robert m-
thank you, sir.
i will look for "the real shaving company" cream.
be well.
rob
Re: Anyone try Dollar Shave Club? - Dennis S - 07-03-2014
Rob,
I ran across an invoice for 100 Astra blades I bought a year ago for $10. I gave away 25 and have 25 left. So I used about 50. That's $.10 a week for blades.
I just got an Omega 10049 brush for $6 on ebay (they're gone now and about $13). I thought a brush was a brush, but it's light years better than a $7 one I got at Walmart. I have a $10 puck of Proraso white soap that whips into a nice luxurious lather. The Proraso green cream didn't and smelled bad.
I highly recommend getting into double-edge shaving. The nicks are no big deal at all and before long, you won't have any. You'll save money, get better shaves, and enjoy the experience.