Am i alone in my DE shaving monogamy

M

Millay

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376
Well I have been shaving wit ha DE for about 10 months now, and well I have at my disposal about 10 fusion cartridges.

I often think to myself, oh will shave with a fusion see how it feels, but I cant bring myself to do it. I feel as if im missing a chance to have a proper shave, does this mean i will never use a cartridge again?

Even in a rush i do a two pass DE shave and ignore the fusion.

Its a strange conflict...
 
Millay said:
I often think to myself, oh will shave with a fusion see how it feels, but I cant bring myself to do it. I feel as if im missing a chance to have a proper shave, does this mean I will never use a cartridge again
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How come you think the Fusion would give you a proper shave? Or were you being ironic? (We do need an ironic smiley!) Not that the Fusion is completely terrible I'm sure, but there are many reasons chaps here have moved away from it, such as price, in-growns, environment etc. I also understand cartridges are often used for head shaves. Please explain! :D
 
That was really bad use of the english language..

Im a sarcastic person by nature and sometimes I forget it doesn't read the same way I am thinking it. I would not really call it a proper shave. Else I would be using my fusion every day :)

The sad thing is when the fusion came out I had one imported from America as they were released later over here, now I look at them with disdain, whee did that change in me happen?
 
:lol: Now I see! I agree that there is no way I'd go back to a cartridge. Even if it was cheaper. Even though price was a factor in changing over I just love my DE and couldn't imagine going back. I have a vintage Gillette which just looks so much nicer than my plasticky Mach 3, but even the modern DE razors have so much more character to them. I'm sure that's part of the charm. It's not that I want to be old-fashioned - I don't have any other 'classic' interests - it is just a way of making a hurried daily chore become a pleasurable experience that I actually look forward to. Now how many men can say that about shaving? :shave
 
Now I see! I agree that there is no way I'd go back to a cartridge. Even if it was cheaper. Even though price was a factor in changing over I just love my DE and couldn't imagine going back. I have a vintage Gillette which just looks so much nicer than my plasticky Mach 3, but even the modern DE razors have so much more character to them. I'm sure that's part of the charm. It's not that I want to be old-fashioned - I don't have any other 'classic' interests - it is just a way of making a hurried daily chore become a pleasurable experience that I actually look forward to. Now how many men can say that about shaving?
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I agree i am the same, I look forward to having a shave, shaving with a DE has become one of my favorite things to do.
 
Stupidly I assumed DE monogamy involved only one DE razor :lol:

After a week of successful DE shaves - with an unstable Parker 90R, I ditched my Mach3 handles and never looked back. I did try a free Fusion - dished out by a demodolly® in Boots and an Azor (free from KoS) but the dalliances didn't last more than half a shave each (so that probably counts as a Lewinsky :D )
 
As I have reported, endlessly, I had a so called traditional barber's shave at The Gentleman's Shop.
I was very surprised that my barber used a Mach 3 on a sensitive area on my chin and above the upper lip. This is apparently common practice among some of the London barbers and elsewhere as far as I know. I rather like this Mach 3 bearing The Gentleman's Shop logo. So it's now part of my daily toolkit. I've been using it for the same sensitive area where I have a little mole I try to avoid with my DE.

The other day I did a complete gentle 4th pass with my Mach 3. While it left an incredibly smooth skin. I won't be doing that again. I simply didn't enjoy the experience half as much as the pleasant slow pass I make with the DE. I'll use the Mach 3 for touch ups. I guess that way I'll feel like the traditional modern barber. Because I guess that's what we should call them if they use a Mach 3 in the traditional wet shave routine.

And, of course,the posh Mach 3 does look good and is pleasant to hold.
 

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Nothing wrong with Fusion, Mach3, Sensor, <insert another cartridge or disposable system here>. They all give you very close, comfortable shaves.

Honestly, do you think millions of men would have turned their backs on the DE if it wasn't the case?

The main problems with cartridges are the prices (which will come down A LOT once patents start to expire) and the fact they are usually paired with rubbish gels or foams which do nothing at all to prep the beard for shaving.

Come on now chaps, a couple of years ago hardly anyone even knew DEs existed and now (due to Internet Forums and some serious Impulsive / Compulsive behaviour) they are seen as the very last word in shaving, a hobby and even a ritual.

DEs are OK, they manage to scrape hair and dead skin cells off your face - just like anything else called a razor.
 
Quite right Joe - I don't doubt that cartridges do a highly effective job. At a very high price. Say £1.25 for a cartridge x 52 weeks = £65. Use a typicl DE blade every four days 2 say 15p = £13.65. An annual saving of £51. A decent DE razor for £30 will last a lifetime. What we spend on soaps and creams is irrelevant.

Fact is, I now find shaving with a DE razor a much more pleasant experience. For me, end of story. It's not about money.
 
joe mcclaine said:
Nothing wrong with Fusion, Mach3, Sensor, <insert another cartridge or disposable system here>. They all give you very close, comfortable shaves.

Honestly, do you think millions of men would have turned their backs on the DE if it wasn't the case?

The main problems with cartridges are the prices (which will come down A LOT once patents start to expire) and the fact they are usually paired with rubbish gels or foams which do nothing at all to prep the beard for shaving.
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Didn't try the Fusion but that wasn't my experience I'm afraid, I achieved close shaves eventually but rarely comfortable, even with proper prep.
What alternative is readily available now for the average high street Joe? Some Palmolive, poor blades and nasty brushes.

Gillette pioneered the razor and blade model why wouldn't you switch it's the best a man can get.
 
I am with Tony on this one, I rarely (if ever) got a comfortable, irritation free shave using a mach 3,I was using a brush and soap with one for quite a while too.
 
We seem to be going over old ground here, but I'll chuck in my tuppence worth.

It is, as with most things, what works for the individual. I have discovered that I can get a good shave from a DE, a Mach3, a Sensor or a Schick Injector, as long as I use proper prep and a brush.

Ian
 
joe mcclaine said:
Honestly, do you think millions of men would have turned their backs on the DE if it wasn't the case?
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Never underestimate the stupidity of large groups of people (or how gullible they are when it comes to advertising).

Having worked extensively with "the Great British Public" in the past, it never ceased to amaze me how much help so many people need to be able to function in their daily lives (I'm talking about people who when in dire financial straits - facing loss of their home & bankruptcy, listed their "necessary/essential" outgoings as "Sky TV, pub on Friday" and didn't bother to list anything like "rent, council tax, food" at all - and that wasn't uncommon).

They swallow anything that is thrown at them whether it be by government, tabloid newspaper, advert, TV, film...

To most of them the G-II, Sensor, Contour, Mach3, Fusion etc gives an acceptable shave (the only thing that comes close to DE for me is the G-II - but the blades definitely changed over time and are now harder to find than the Mach3/Fusion and not significantly cheaper even though it's technology introduced nearly 40 years ago, tooling has been paid for etc, so should be peanuts - like DE blades), but because they (the rampaging hoards of the GB Public) know no better - they're herded by a company that controls 90% of the market (and has done for decades) to the next "better" thing, by the slow degradation in the old products and the changing of pricing to make the "new better" more attractive.
 
hunnymonster said:
They swallow anything that is thrown at them whether it be by government, tabloid newspaper, advert, TV, film...
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I'm afraid it's true. Although this is not mean't to be a cartridge verses D.E rant, market dominance plus high marketing & advertising spend = lots of units.

Just out of interest, before the switch did the Mrs ever buy cartridges for you? Probably too simplistic but when Gillette girl she strokes her fella's freshly shaved chops with a lustful smile, is that aimed at the lad's, girl's or both.

I only ask because I'm sure the lynx ads are really aimed at the mums of teenage boys.
 
hunnymonster said:
[Never underestimate the stupidity of large groups of people (or how gullible they are when it comes to advertising).
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Well, if they are stupid enough to continue to shave with something that causes them irritation and discomfort and not look into alternatives, then I'm a happy to let them carry on.

Darwin was right.

Ian
 
I'm with Joe on this one. I can't vouch for Fusion, but I can say that my Mach3 served me well before switching to DE. I used to shave every second/third day, using a blue plastic gilette disposable and nivea gel to scthye down the growth on the first pass, followed by Mach 3 on the second pass. Very good shave with little or no irritation to the neck area (my problem spot). The only drawback was that cartridge clogged up all too easily.

So why did I come over to DE? I was just curious, I guess: having read so many glowing testimonials in favour of DE on the interweb (an incredibly powerful marketing tool in itself), I wanted to see what all the fuss was about. Besides, shiny DE razors look sexy, and building a lather with a badger, soaps and creams really sounded like fun. Cartridge cost wasn't the issue - I'd feel a bit silly telling all my friends that was my reason when I've spent so much on creams, soaps etc.

I've still held on to my Mach 3. But if I do use it again, it'll be with a proper prep, a badger and real lather. Who knows, maybe I'm already sowing the seeds for a wild fling - a 7-month itch.

Tolstoy
 
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