A close shave
So, I took the plunge and ordered myself a safety razor, a badger brush and some soap. I've been thinking about this on and off for a few years now. I've always wanted to know how to use a straight razor, but I'm too damn groggy in the morning to trust my meager fine motor skills. So an old school safety razor seemed like a good idea.
I have come to the end of my current crop of Mach 3 cartridges and decided this was the time to go ahead and give this a shot. I normally buy my cartridges at Costco in groups of 20 for about $40. So two bucks for a cartridge that lasts about 15-20 comfortable shaves. With a safety razor, a pack of ten double edge blades is about $6. With about 7 shaves per blade, that's about $0.42 per blade. Even if you add in the soap (I've been without shaving cream for years now in favor of Ivory) I think I'll still be comfortably under the cost of what I've been spending on blades.
I went ahead and got a Merkur HD. Apparently, this is a great all-around razor. Most people online claim that this is one of the go-to, everyone should have, kind of razor. So I spent the extra $15 to get it figuring it's better to have a good one to try. I also ended up with a cheap badger brush. I went with a lower quality brush to save the money for the razor. I got a couple of cheap soaps (Col. Clunk soap, Lime and Bay Rum) to try. Shipping included, I spent $92.33 and with luck, only have to spend about $5 or so every month.
We'll see if I end up able to keep up a kind of intensive morning routine. On one hand, I like the idea of an invigorating morning shave. On the other hand, some days I don't remember driving to work. Hopefully I'll have the gumption to stick with this long enough to learn how. And really, what man can deny the appeal of a warm lather, a soapy brush, baby-butt smooth cheeks, and a procedure that's as likely to wound you as spiff you up?
I have come to the end of my current crop of Mach 3 cartridges and decided this was the time to go ahead and give this a shot. I normally buy my cartridges at Costco in groups of 20 for about $40. So two bucks for a cartridge that lasts about 15-20 comfortable shaves. With a safety razor, a pack of ten double edge blades is about $6. With about 7 shaves per blade, that's about $0.42 per blade. Even if you add in the soap (I've been without shaving cream for years now in favor of Ivory) I think I'll still be comfortably under the cost of what I've been spending on blades.
I went ahead and got a Merkur HD. Apparently, this is a great all-around razor. Most people online claim that this is one of the go-to, everyone should have, kind of razor. So I spent the extra $15 to get it figuring it's better to have a good one to try. I also ended up with a cheap badger brush. I went with a lower quality brush to save the money for the razor. I got a couple of cheap soaps (Col. Clunk soap, Lime and Bay Rum) to try. Shipping included, I spent $92.33 and with luck, only have to spend about $5 or so every month.
We'll see if I end up able to keep up a kind of intensive morning routine. On one hand, I like the idea of an invigorating morning shave. On the other hand, some days I don't remember driving to work. Hopefully I'll have the gumption to stick with this long enough to learn how. And really, what man can deny the appeal of a warm lather, a soapy brush, baby-butt smooth cheeks, and a procedure that's as likely to wound you as spiff you up?