Shaving with DE Razors Part 1

A few years back, around 2005 or so… I got totally fed up with the costs of replaceable cartridge razors (Mach 2, Mach 3, Sensors, Fusions etc). So I embarked on a journey to learn about an old school method. This method is called wet shaving. I stumbled upon various forums, posted questions, bought various products and experimented. The costs of the razors are a bit more than say a Fusion, but if you think about it Gillette sells the Fusion at a loss, and makes up the cost via the replacement blades — quickly I might add (read more).

So I will cut to the chase. Here is what I learned, it is actually pretty simple…

1. Buy a few good items and buy some of them used.
Two of the first razors I bought were from eBay. Used Double Edged safety razors. One was a 1960’s Gillette Supper Speed the other a 1970’s Schick Krona. I think I bought both razors for about $15 including shipping. Both of these razors are mild and can give you a great shave. While I like the Krona I like the Super Speeds more (I also have a Super Speed from the 1940’s).

2. Razor Blades
DE razor blades cost far less (.10 – .25) than say a replacement Fusion cartridge ($4). But understand this as well. You dont have to use a Gillette DE with a Gillette blade. There are many different vendors that sell different blades. The other thing to understand is that you may not like a certain blade in a certain razor, but it might work perfectly in another type of razor. Ive noticed this a few times already. So what is one to do? Purchase a sampler pack from one of these companies:

BullGooseShaving
West Coast Shaving
Razor & Brush

This will allow you to try out different types of blades without buying large quantities of each blade.

Part 2 coming soon….