a good shave

I mentioned before that I’ve been investigating shaving technique.

Currently I use what are called cartridge razors.  As the name suggests you buy a cartridge that clips into the handle.  You know the sort of thing - they’re heavily advertised, so it would be difficult not to know about them.

I actually have two - a Mach3, which has 3 blades and a Fusion Pro, which has 5.  The Mach 3 I’ve had years but my Dad got me the Fusion at Christmas.

And I think it’s really the Fusion Pro that’s been a big part of why I’ve been looking at the whole issue.  The cartridges are staggeringly expensive - around £14 for 8, so nearly £2 each!

Now if I could get plenty of shaves out of then that might be okay, but I don’t- I can get 3 good shaves and then one okay shave.  I know that’s a lot less than other men, but my beard is incredibly tough and very dense.  If I try to get more shaves than that then I just end up with horrible razor burn.

So if we say 4 shaves per blade then that’s 50p a shave.  If you say I have to shave about 200 times a year that’s £100 on blades alone.  Add in shower gel and aftershave balm and I must spend £150 a year on shaving.  That’s a lot of money.

The Mach 3 is a bit better in price terms in some ways, but I get fewer good shaves out of each blade, so it becomes a bit swings and roundabouts.

Now if it was a good shave then I wouldn’t mind, but in all honesty it isn’t.  To shave closely I have to take multiple passes, going with and against the grain.  However, this causes me to get razor burn, razor bumps, in-grown hairs and all sorts.  My neck is a particular problem area - the hair grows up on my neck, meaning it’s difficult to go with and against the grain and not miss bits.

One of the weir things with cartridge razors is they’re big - a good 1cm wide, so the front blade is in a different place to the back blade and it’s difficult to know where you’re shaving.

The compromise I’ve come to is a light shave each day - I take one pass and it involves going with the grain on my neck (so up) and against the grain on my chin and cheeks (so up again).  But with my beard being so thick and heavy and dark I therefore get five ‘o’clock shadow my mid-day.

It’s all a bit rubbish really, which is why I’ve been reading up about the possibility of going for a Double Edge (DE) safety razor - going old skool, basically.

I’ll continue later in the week.