First DE Shave - thoughts

Milton Man · 09-04-2008, 12:52 AM

So, the first shave with my Gillette Fatboy was a resounding success. To be honest, I actually wanted it to fail, or at least just a little bit. I wanted to come out of the shave thinking that "boy, I'm sure glad I got into straights first, and this is just a stop-over to mock-3 hell."

(Un)fortunately, this wasn't the case - the shave was smooth, comfortable, and lightning fast. I used my $3 Gillette Fatboy F3 (1960, 3rd quarter) on a 3 and then 4 setting with UK Tesco Platinum coated blades. First shave, BBS, a little irritation but nothing too bad.

Why!?!?! I love my straights, but can, for the first time, see why the gentlemen (most of them) at B&B go on and on about the DE - and can see why the straight razor lost favour with the impatient general public. I told my wife that I love my straights and will always use them, but if I have to shave in the morning before work, or while away travelling, I'll be sure to grab my fatboy.

I feel shame.

Mark

gssixgun · 09-04-2008, 01:02 AM

Well Mark yer a bigger man than I.....
I picked up a $4 Gillette Adjustable 1964-1966 vintage with the thought that the wife might try it

.. She basically told me to get

so I said with great bravado that I would try it....
That was 2 weeks ago and it is still sitting there again gathering dust because honestly that thing scares me to death, I admit it freely

...
I keep having visions of a nice 1 inch flap of skin being nicely sliced away from my cheek....

So until I get up the nerve, more power to ya brother

Glad to hear that you survived....

Milton Man · 09-04-2008, 01:52 PM

Glen, that's too funny! I can just see it now - you have no problem putting a big W&B meatchopper to your throat, but you're scared of that little wee Gillette SAFETY razor! Ha!

Just kidding - I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little nervous as well - anytime you try something new with something sharp, I believe you should be a little nervous and cautious.

Give it a go, use super light pressure, and be sure to watch Mantic59's YouTube videos about DE shaving - they really are very good.

Mark

De Layne · 09-04-2008, 11:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Milton Man

So, the first shave with my Gillette Fatboy was a resounding success. To be honest, I actually wanted it to fail, or at least just a little bit. I wanted to come out of the shave thinking that "boy, I'm sure glad I got into straights first, and this is just a stop-over to mock-3 hell."

(Un)fortunately, this wasn't the case - the shave was smooth, comfortable, and lightning fast. I used my $3 Gillette Fatboy F3 (1960, 3rd quarter) on a 3 and then 4 setting with UK Tesco Platinum coated blades. First shave, BBS, a little irritation but nothing too bad.

Why!?!?! I love my straights, but can, for the first time, see why the gentlemen (most of them) at B&B go on and on about the DE - and can see why the straight razor lost favour with the impatient general public. I told my wife that I love my straights and will always use them, but if I have to shave in the morning before work, or while away travelling, I'll be sure to grab my fatboy.

I feel shame.

Mark

Hi there Mark,
I enjoyed reading your post about what must have been a painful (or lack of it)discovery. Yeah, those fatboys ARE nice razors, and sounds like you did really well for the first time trying one. Obviously, the slight irritation will disappear when the technique's refined a little more, and the shave will be even more enjoyable than right now. Amazes me how quick.........well, I've said that before.
Hehe, I was kinda amused reading the part about the "Impatient general public" not having the time for straights, and that helped cause the mass switch to a DE years ago. It's funny cause the DE users say exactly the same about shavers in a hurry having switched to cartridge systems of various sorts, and dumping the time consuming DE razor. Hmmmmmmm, I might point this out to show how straight and DE shavers think similarly in some ways. The reason(s) we use those tools.........well, let's just say it's not for convenience sake. No, it's a philosophy you gotta buy into , and expect to pay some dues along the way. Course, I'm not telling the readers anything they don't know.
Matter of fact, the easiest possible way to learn DE shaving is just take a slight detour and begin with a straight. Smart eh?
Anyway, thanks for your thoughts, and glad that experiment worked out.
Martin

Oh.....your last line actually made me laugh.........thanks.

hoglahoo · 09-04-2008, 11:21 PM

Don't feel shame, Milton Man! Use what works best for you

But this is a straight razor forum, traitor !!!

Utopian · 09-05-2008, 03:50 AM

I have to agree. It is amazing that anyone who has put an incredibly sharp and naked blade at least 3 inches long against a blood vessel pulsing in their neck could possibly be afraid of using an itty bitty SAFETY razor. I used a DE before a straight and I loved the DE in comparison to my old Gillette Atra but I was never so aware of my PULSE in my carotid artery as I was the first time I used a straight razor. I just can't imagine a straight user being afraid of a DE.
Oh well, everybody's different.

sensei_kyle · 09-05-2008, 04:04 AM

Use what works! I use a DE about as frequently as a straight. There are some parts of my face the DE does better, while there are some parts the straight does better. It's about climbing the peak of shaving nirvana. In the end, it doesn't matter what gear you use, only that you reach the summit.

Kevin8888 · 09-05-2008, 04:23 AM

Don't worry your self, I have simmilar feelings about a DE. I recently got a DE gillette (no idea which) circa 1932 from my grandfathers estate, and I get as nice a shave as I do with my straight without the prep-work, so I use it when I'm in a hurry most other days I use a straight. Suffice to say I enjoy both shaves and use both regularaly, no harm no foul as they say, so use what you like and let no one tell you any different.

dolf · 09-05-2008, 04:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Utopian

I just can't imagine a straight user being afraid of a DE.

I think I had posted a short story about my first shaving experience awhile ago (thinking about it is what caused me to buy a fatboy over @ B&B.

My first time I had a trac II and a cheap, plastic handled DE on the counter before me. I took one swipe with the DE, more or less skinned the right side of my face (perhaps I exaggerate, but that is how I remember it) threw it away and shaved with the Trac II for years.

Now I am very comfortable with a straight and remembering the story is forcing me to face my demons and pick up a DE. At lest this time I have some idea about prep and angles. May G** have mercy on my... face?

backpackerx · 09-06-2008, 01:14 AM

No shame in that. I'm mostly using a straight now while in the learning phase but use my DEs when I need to hurry and get out the door or when I travel. They give a great shave and I can easily get BBS with a 2-3 pass shave where I can't consistently yet with a straight.

littlesilverbladefromwale · 09-07-2008, 08:43 PM

I honestly have to say, I get as good a shave from a good sharp straight as I can get from a DE razor. My Rolls's aren't far off either.

mischievous · 09-27-2008, 04:10 PM

Excellent Mark!

I use my DE for the majority of my shaves now, with the straights being the weapon of choice when time permits.

I also have and F3 fatboy and love it, love it!

I'll crank the thing up to nine, prep and oil up my beard, and in one irritation free pass, with stretching of course, have a bbs shave that will last as long all day. No ingrown hairs just smoothee goodness!

No shame from me my friend.

Now you can have fun exploring different blades!

Smithee · 09-27-2008, 09:34 PM

Funny. My grandfather shaved every day with a straight for years. One Christmas my dad got him a DE razor (SuperSpeed, I think) so he wouldn't have to hone and strop a straight anymore. My grandad used it for about two weeks, and was always nicking himself or getting razor burn. He finally gave up on it and went back to the straight, saying the DE was just to damned dangerous.

Smithee

sebell · 09-30-2008, 01:58 AM

My face (especially my neck) seems to prefer the thicker blade of the straight, not
to mention much longer lasting closeness. That being said, I can still get a great
shave with the DE and it is the preferred shaver so far for my head.

- Scott

cybrok · 10-05-2008, 08:45 PM

I too had my first DE shave, this morning.

The razor was the first razor my father ever bought, a 1968 Gillette Superspeed. It hasn't been used for 20 years. I saw one in a mantic59 vid, he said "they were so well made that most of them just need to be cleaned up". I had nothing to lose.

I threw it in an ultrasonic cleaner at school and it looks as good as new.

I still prefer a straight razor shave, but a DE shave is more convenient and fast, so like Mark said, it will become my fast/travel razor.

holli4pirating · 10-05-2008, 11:26 PM

I keep a DE on hand, I believe it is a Superspeed (it's not adjustable). The only time I use it is if I haven't had (or, I should say, put aside) the time for a straight shave the night before. I can do a single WTG pass with just water and be presentable for the day. But those types of shaves are just that...shaves. They are not relaxing, enjoyable experiences; they are nothing more than necessary grooming.

cybrok · 10-06-2008, 12:15 AM

See it this way: I prefer to take 10 minutes to get a decent DE shave than take this time to rush a straight shave.

Rush + straight razor = bloody mess