Shaving/Grooming

I have the exact same shaving cream. Really great stuff, highly recommended.

Yes I did. It's definitely a more enjoyable shave and works better. Just need to get better at it now.

Just need to figure out which aftershave I like. I went with Lucky Tiger, should be in soon. I am going to get a shorter and heavier handle though to swap out on the Edwin for more control and a better grip.

West coast shaving has all kinds of handles etc as I dial everything in.

the key is to go slow until you're confident enough not to knick yourself in the jugular. I've cut myself plenty of times when I was in a hurry, so I've used the disposables for that. the other thing that can help you get a decent shave is the type of soap/cream you use. I've tried many different varieties but oddly enough, I found some of the cheaper soaps to work better for me. I really like Palmolive shavesticks because of the slickness they provide. I'd basically take a shavestick, shred it down into a bowl with a cheese grater and lather up with my brush. easily the slickest of all the soaps i've tried. I've tried the more expensive stuff like Tabac and Mitchell's Wool Fat with little success.

As a guy who has used a Mach 3 and edge shaving gel for about 10 years with no complaints, can you explain the benefits of the systems being described here?  Is this just another hobby/thing to nerd out about, or is there some tangible advantage?  I mean, the mach 3 cartridges are fairly expensive, sure, but I never cut myself and don't have to order brushes made from the scrotal hair of an ibex.

I ask this fully aware that this forum debates the merits of broken vs. left hand twill.

yep, the financial savings alone were enough to convince me to switch to DE shaving. And as Bentin pointed out, the shave is much closer than a traditional disposable in my experience. I don't know what disposable cartridges are going for these days but I could probably buy a 100 pk of DE blades for the same amount and they'd last me for years. In fact, it's been approximately 5 yrs since I last bought DE blades and I know I still have a butt load left.

Disposables have their place but i'm drawn to the quality of DE products in the market. I started with a Merkur 33c, which I still have and use, but I'm also a fan of vintage Gillettes because of how well they're made. I will own my DE razors for life and pass them onto my son. I find it interesting that a lot of pre and post WW2 stuff is well made from a manufacturing perspective. I look at DE razors as being the Iron Heart of shaving (minus the hefty price tag).

I think for me it's a few reasons.  Cost for one, as bentin stated.  I've had facial hair for the past 5 years now so the only thing I'm shaving is my neck so a puck of soap and my shaving gear lasts me an extremely long time.  Also, I have issues with persistent ingrown hairs on my neck and I think I remember reading that using a brush to apply the lather helps lift the hairs off the skin and eliminate ingrown hairs.  I haven't eliminated them entirely but they do seem to be much less of a problem.  Third, I have historically hated shaving/beard trimming but shaving this way has made it more enjoyable for sure.  I simply like the whole process and it's almost relaxing in a way.  

Compelling arguments, but I think I'll stick with my system.  It's very predictable and my beard grows slowly.  I usually go two to three days between shaves and it only starts looking kinda sorta shadowy by the third day.

Also the shaving soap Last Forever.
A $7 bowl of Proraso last 6 months give or take (can't really remember because I buy it so infrequently)

lol my setup was way more expensive but it was because i bought like 5 or 6 razors all within two months to test which one i liked best.

I finally bought an open comb in 2013 and use it here and there. It is pretty aggressive but I got lazy to shave daily or every couple of days. It does mow through my thick beard with the combs though.

I replace my blades every 3-4 shaves and average a 2-3 pass on my face. I been using bic chromes (100 pack) and still been on that case for the last 2 years.

There is one area near my neck where I can never get baby smooth as my hair grows in all different directions in that one section. I just get the closest I can in that area and leave it be. Playing around too much will irritate the area.

yinzer don't have to go for bbs shaves in my opinion but a clean and smooth shave that works for ya.

Not sure if it has been mentioned yet, but I highly recommend Stirling Soap Company.

Just got some samples in, and at first I wasn't a fan but now I love every scent I got. They shaved so much better than my previous cream too. You get a pretty large sample puck for how cheap they all are.

Trumpers makes good, non alcohol ones in a lot of scents. They also make some pretty good alcohol based ones if you like the burn. Amazon and West Coast Shaving usually stock most of them.

Oops, non alcohol ones are called Skin Food.