Giving up on Cartridge Shaving...

Well,

Oh lets ask Tallen because he knows everything.

If you want a closer shave, go with the Merkur slant-bar. It'll irritate your face a lot less. The only reason to go with an open comb is if you want the scruffy look, or if you get ingrown hairs really, really easily. As for the brush, super-badger isn't necessary, but it is nice. Pure badger will work just fine and feel really good. Edwin Jagger makes a good, fairly inexpensive pure-badger brush that is very soft. http://www.duluthtrading.com/store/mens/mens-gifts-mens-gear/mens-skin-care/mens-shaving-supplies/32045.aspx

As for soaps, I find the lambs-fat soaps work the best if you've got sensitive skin. The natural lanolin in them keeps your skin soft and moist. Otherwise, go with a nice Colonel Conk or similar soap. Mind you, the "classic shaving" or "Edwin Jagger" brand soaps are really nice too.

As for aftershave, I like The Art of Shaving's lemon scented aftershave lotion. No burn and it moisturizes really well.

That said, it's going to take your face a few days to get used to the new razor. Go easy with long "with-the-grain" strokes. That will keep the irritation down to a minimum. As for blades, I'm particular to "Feather" and "Merkur Super Platinum" blades myself. But as Dave said, get a sample pack first and give them a try. Expect to get far more shaves out of a single double-edged blade than you'd ever get out of a cartridge.

I am curious, does one really need a huge expensive setup like Tolgak mentioned?

Yeah, cartridge is working nicely for me in terms of time and convenience, and giving me a good close shave. Most of my face is beard, so I dont need anything crazy.

Boss_DJ wrote: just curious...what's the deal with the shaving soap and brushes? is this preference or required if you're using one of those safety razors...you cant just use a can of barbasol?

Conformers use barbasol noob.

DaveEllis wrote: You can but a lot of the shave is about the prep.  With the shave soap you have a wide range of soaps and creams you can choose from in a variety of scents which is nice, I've used everything from Key Lime to Bay Rum and others.  The brush lifts up hairs and works the lather into the skin and makes for a better shave. Also with the DE Razor blades you aren't paying for a loss leader like with cartridges.  With carttridges sure, the razor itself is cheap but the cartridges are expensive.  With DE blades you pay up front for the quality razor then you can pay 10 cents per blade for the rest of your shaving life.

QFT. Seriously. How much is a 5pk of "Fusion" or "Mach 3" cartridges going for at the grocery store these days? $13 for five Mach 3 blades is the best I could find at Walgreens. That's $2.60/ catridge, and how long do they actually last? Not long at all.

Meanwhile, a 10pk of Feather double-edge blades will run you $0.59/ea and you get two blades for the price of one, which means you're really running at $0.295/ea. Also, since the safety razor blades are sharper, and held to a better cutting angle in the razor, they last longer, require fewer strokes, and don't tear up your face as much. The reason you find 3,4, & 5 blades on a cartridge head is that the cartridges don't allow the blades to flex and conform to the proper shape to shave in one go. Hence, to make for fewer strokes (and thus less irritation) they keep adding blades. All this does is combine 5 strokes (and thus 5 layers of skin being taken off) into one. Whereas with a correctly positioned and sharpened blade on a safety razor, you can get it done in one without the added irritation for less money.

I use Schick Xtreme 3 razors. I used to use a fusion, but as stated the carts are so damn expensive. These come in an 8 pack for like 5-6 bucks and they are actually decent if, again as stated above, you prep right. That being said, this thread has me highly interested in a straight razor/DE kind of blade. My facial hair is thick as nails and really hurts if I don't take the time to prep right. I would definitely be willing in investing in a quality razor, blades, soap, etc. Is it easy to slice your face open though? That's my only worry.

DaveEllis wrote: Boss_DJ wrote: just curious...what's the deal with the shaving soap and brushes? is this preference or required if you're using one of those safety razors...you cant just use a can of barbasol? You can but a lot of the shave is about the prep.  With the shave soap you have a wide range of soaps and creams you can choose from in a variety of scents which is nice, I've used everything from Key Lime to Bay Rum and others.  The brush lifts up hairs and works the lather into the skin and makes for a better shave. Also with the DE Razor blades you aren't paying for a loss leader like with cartridges.  With carttridges sure, the razor itself is cheap but the cartridges are expensive.  With DE blades you pay up front for the quality razor then you can pay 10 cents per blade for the rest of your shaving life.