How many times have you left your barber and wondered how you could go home and duplicate the results you get from the barbershop? Well… maybe not the overall experience itself, which is pretty fantastic if I do say so myself, but a similar shave to what you get from your barber? One of the key benefits of getting a straight razor shave from a barber is that the shave is customized for your face. Simply put, the single blade gives the barber the capability of deciding how close he/she should shave your face (depending on comfort and sensitivity). So again, is it possible to duplicate the shave results at home? The answer is YES! With the right tools…
Have you ever heard of a Double Edge (DE) safety razor? Trust me you’ve seen them in movies; however, many of you think that they no longer exist… but they do! Not to mention how much they’ve truly evolved with the help of technology. The safety razor ranges in price from $30 – $100+, but a complete set (safety razor, badger brush and stand) can run you $150+.
The benefits?
They last a lifetime. Depending on how much you want to spend, they can be handed down to your great-grandson! A 10-pack of razors are less than $10, and you can use the blades in most cases more than 5 times (you can’t beat that!). All this to have more control on how close you want your shave to be, thereby greatly reducing skin irritation, is well worth the cost.
Just a quick note to readers of this post: shaving with a DE is not particularly difficult, but it is a little different than shaving with a cartridge razor. You’ll be learning a new skill, like riding a bike or playing a musical instrument, so there is a bit of a learning curve. I have a video that will help with the transition (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufG1dPmVo8Q)
I agree with Mantic59 and would encourage any ‘newbie’ to the art of DE razor shaving to watch his video as it contains some great tips!
I would also just add that when shaving with just the one blade as you would be with a DE, as opposed to 3, 4, 5 and yes now even 6 blades?! (what’s wrong with the first 2, 3, 4 or 5?!), you are being far kinder to your skin!
To drive home the point of saving money with a DE, you should mention the availability of lower cost blades; 50 cents for a single DE blade is still too rich for my blood (unless I’m buying Feathers).
Yes, that’s probably what you’ll pay at any retail store (with the exception of Wal-Mart which is around $2/10 blades), but if anyone is interested to know just how cheap blades can get, I’ll just say the last bunch I bought was $12.95 for 200 Derby blades, which breaks down to just under 6.5 cents per blade!
I second what Mike said. Plus, Wal-mart actually sells good quality blades (Wilkinson Sword) as opposed to the cheap rebranded blades that you find at Walgreens, Kroger, or anywhere else.
Totally agree.
Do you want – to be pampered, a much better shave, do something solid for the environment and save some $$ in the process?
Google Mantic59′ site – it’s very well worth your time and effort. It is a step-by-step easy process.
I look forward to shaving and you will too.
I inherited a vintage 1957 Gillette DE safety razor and I couldn’t be happier with its performance. Way better than the cartridge crap. No way I’d ever shave with anything else ever again. Once you go DE, you’ll never go back!
Best thing going. And if i may add, if you Can’t beat them join them. 8)
I have tried both the safety and cartridge razors and would say that both of them works just fine for basic purposes. If you’re on a budget, use safety razors but the cartridge ones are the best for aesthetic purposes!