Why did you start?

For me, I wan unhappy with multi-blade cartridges; cost and performance - irritation on my neck.

I wanted to save money (no laughing at the back), with better shaves and improved skin condition.

My only wish was that I learned to shave with a DE when I started shaving.

Chris
 
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I think getting better shaving experience is not hardware related to the extent many consider it to be. By entering this hobby people learn two things 1) How to shave properly (technique), and 2) How to slow down and enjoy grooming as a luxury, not a necessity.

A lot of men still do wet shaving with nice soaps and brushes while using cartridges and get equally good shaves as the DE crowd. They aren't missing out anything.

I personally dislike cartridges because they clog too much for less frequent shaving. But they are perfectly fine as daily shavers. My favorite ones were the Wilkinson disposable with the push-to-clean tab exactly for this reason. .

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Shaving with canned foam/goo and disposables is way cheaper than this hobby, even if you don't go down the rabbit hole. No reason why should one buy expensive multi blade Gillette cart systems and then whine their way into even more expensive solution, this hobby. I can shave with canned foam or creams and disposable 2-blades for 5 years at the cost of one badger brush. When has any hobby saved money to anyone? ;)
 
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My OH's dad has previously used a DE from what I gather which was of a fairly substantial talking point amongst her family from what I can gather. I've also got a 'dopp' bag with an image of a SR on the front, which is what really pushed me over the edge to try out straight razor shaving as an alternative to trimming my beard with an electric clipper.
Ergo, I started with a SR. I used carts previously (read: years before) but detested them.
 
I think getting better shaving experience is not hardware related to the extent many consider it to be. By entering this hobby people learn two things 1) How to shave properly (technique), and 2) How to slow down and enjoy grooming as a luxury, not a necessity.

A lot of men still do wet shaving with nice soaps and brushes while using cartridges and get equally good shaves as the DE crowd. They aren't missing out anything.

I personally dislike cartridges because they clog too much for less frequent shaving. But they are perfectly fine as daily shavers. My favorite ones were the Wilkinson disposable with the push-to-clean tab exactly for this reason. .

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Shaving with canned foam/goo and disposables is way cheaper than this hobby, even if you don't go down the rabbit hole. No reason why should one buy expensive multi blade Gillette cart systems and then whine their way into even more expensive solution, this hobby. I can shave with canned foam or creams and disposable 2-blades for 5 years at the cost of one badger brush. When has any hobby saved money to anyone? ;)

Well I've saved money on it. I like cheap soaps, don't go in for much in the way of pre and post shave stuff, prefer boar to badger and managed to avoid the rabbit hole. Err...I also inherited some nice razors and what might be a lifetime's supply of blades, yeh that helped ;)
 
I hated shaving from being a teen always left me with a screamingly sore face so I avoided it. Then my mum and dad bought me a Rolls Razor when I was in my early 40s, as a curio rather than to shave with but I tried it and it was the best shave I'd ever had. Not without discomfort but still miles better so a year or two later when my ex was blagging me about shaving I started to do some research and ended up here.
 
Well I've saved money on it. I like cheap soaps, don't go in for much in the way of pre and post shave stuff, prefer boar to badger and managed to avoid the rabbit hole. Err...I also inherited some nice razors and what might be a lifetime's supply of blades, yeh that helped ;)

Indeed, one can introduce a feel of luxury and variety into shaving for very little money. However, the sky is the limit, as some will spend $5000 on a limited edition toggle razor on auctions.

You know the story.
"I only buy cheap stuff" - buys x1000 units of everything. I have 5 boar brushes btw. :p
"I don't want to waste money on disposable blades or razors" - buys 50 straight razors and specialized honing kit.
"Anything except $20 artisan soaps and $150 steel milled razors is bunch of crapola" - doesn't know how to shave still.

99% of the hobby is hardware obsession (hunter-gatherer genes?), but I believe the biggest factor of getting a better shave is learning how to shave properly and the right attitude at male grooming. Yes, most men who shaved for decades still don't know how to shave properly until they enter this community and start learning.

When people reach the learning curve peak, come to a realization they can now shave literally with anything because their technique has developed. Then they revisit hardware they started with and come to a shocking realization that Weishi, Arko, Proraso and Semogue aren't so bad at all. Actually, even disposables and canned goo can be good with the right technique. But good luck taking their stash away! :D

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I shaved with DE and SE razors for years, but not being satisfied with the resultant shaves I went back to shaving with a Gillette Mach3 and a Gillette Sensor. Since then my shaves have been close and comfortable. I think shaving with a DE or SE is highly overrated, but each person has to decide what works best to have a “proper” shave.
 
I started because i have to be clean shaven for work and because my wife really dislikes facial hair on a chap, i found the cartridge system that i was using was both expensive and uncomfortable, a little research and i ended up with a DE set up, but you know those online stores also sell straights and i always wanted to try that, that part of the journey led me here and here i started to find out about all those really cool vintage razors that shave better than a lot of modern stuff, i reckon you can join the dots and work it out from there!
 
I had just purchased the latest Gillette multiblade boyracer shaver and damn the blades were expensive. Then I noticed my face kept itching and I found out thst this is a recognised although not serious medical condition. So further research led me to get a DE and I found I liked it. I now take up way more bathroom space than my good lady.
 
I had a huge stash of Sensor blades which I got for a silly price on ebay - looking back, it must have been a stock clearance thing as when I had used them up the price had jumped up massively and the new thing was the Mach multi-blade silliness. grew a beard then found this place. :) I would have stayed with the sensor forever otherwise
 
I had just purchased the latest Gillette multiblade boyracer shaver and damn the blades were expensive. Then I noticed my face kept itching and I found out thst this is a recognised although not serious medical condition. So further research led me to get a DE and I found I liked it. I now take up way more bathroom space than my good lady.

Curious to hear more about this. I sometimes get itching on my non shaving day. I get this more with some DE blades than with others for some reason.
 
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