[Closed] Shaving and proper razors

Yes, I have a rather similar looking superspeed which I think is 60's superspeed and also a rather worn out black handle superspeed given to me by my father. Think I will get that re-plated when I have some £££. The 82 looks very similar to my slim adjustable which I have two ... 😛

It's a **** razor AAARRRRRGGGHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!

Kevevs - Member

It's a **** razor AAARRRRRGGGHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!

LOL! Yes, it is and it's double edge so have you tried it yet? Give it a go and you might change your mind.

😆

Kevevs - Member
It's a **** razor AAARRRRRGGGHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!

<non-cyclist>
It's a **** bike AAARRRRRGGGHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!
</non-cyclist>

See what I did there ? 😉

I tried it for the first time yesterday and I'm impressed.

Well I didnt get started for two weeks as I was working away, now three shaves in with no blood baths 🙂 Started on setting 1 on the futur and now on 2. Using normal Wilkinson hlades, definitely want to try something sharper. Irritated spotty neck clearing up already, first time since starting shaving apart from the odd random occasion 🙂

[i]It's a **** razor AAARRRRRGGGHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!! [/i]
silly rabbit. these are much better razors. 😉

Well, I lived.

Had my first go with the Boots Wilkisword DE today. Nice hot shower, twice as much lather as I needed, and very shaky hands.

It went... ok. No major cuts, my neck was a bit tender afterwards so I did the sensible thing and wrapped it up with a helmet strap. Ow.

Can't say I'm 'converted' yet, but it was a lot easier than I expected. Better blades might help, and I'll be a bit more confident next time too.

What is the expected lifespan of a double edged blade?

I had my third go last night with the original 7 o'clock blade that came with the razor and found it started pulling halfway through. It's shot after 2.5 shaves; I know that the blade could be 40 years old though (and yes it was sealed and unused).

I will normally get 3 shaves out of a blade. Yesterday I pushed it out to 4 on a gillette yellow and I ended up with some irritation around my jaw line.

Your blade could be shot after 2.5 shaves if you have really thick stubble.

This isn't bad when the blades will only cost 10p to 20p and still works out cheaper than a cartridge.

I have a rather similar looking superspeed which I think is 60's superspeed and also a rather worn out black handle superspeed given to me by my father

3-4 shaves from a blade, but apparently you can extend the life of the blade by stropping it on your arm [url= http://www.theshaveden.com/forum/showthread.php?t=10716 ]according to this[/url], but it strikes me as a bit of a pain to preserve the life of a 10-20p blade so I've never bothered.

Maybe it's me, but I find that rinsing the blade in cold water seems to prolong the life of the blade, so I get a week out of each one.

(Obviously I use hot water to prepare my face and lather-up, just rise the blade after each stroke under cold running water)

Ben

I think my black handle superspeed is late 60s or early 70s model (haven't checked it properly yet).

Anyway, blade for me will last around 5 shaves as I do not have heavy beard and nowadays I hardly get razor burn or nick as I am beginning to get my technique spot on. The most important technique is to not to apply pressure and get the angle right. I get BBS almost all the time now.

🙂

BBSB - Interesting link but adding stropping + 4 passes to everything else seems like total overkill on blades costing pennies per shave.

I get the distinct impression that some of these guys will do anything to prolong their time spent in the bog !

I came on looking for peoples thoughts on electric razors [as Fusion blades are extorionate!] as I thought there were a few and found this. Already shave with a brush etc but never knew how highly rated these were, explains why my Dad has used his for the last 20 years. WIll try a cheap one from Boots first I think

chewy - [url= http://www.theshaveden.com/forum/showthread.php?t=9070 ]i think black superspeeds are 70's - 80's[/url]

woody - yup, tried that stropping thing once and thought what tf am i doing? about £3.30 for 30-50 shaves, life's too short. 1 pass or 2 if going out and ending the night with some cheek to cheek contact

BBSB,

Unless safety razor blades are going extinct I see no need to extend or to prolong the life of a blade. Better buy in bulk as they are rather cheap.

Woody,

15 mins max to get BBS for me as I do not have wired face hairs. 😆

Taff,

There are some good blades available at reasonable price if you buy bulk but if you are not sure which blades are suitable for you should buy some sample blades to try out before committing to bulk buy. Plenty available on the net.

LycraLout,

Yes, I think my black SuperSpeeds is from 1974. It needs re-plating as I can see brass on the guard. £15 for re-plating from the guy I bought my safety razor from.

Nowadays stropping is for cut throat razor only but in those very early days of safety razor where the blade is rather thick and made of carbon steel, especially single edge razor, then stropping is necessary.

I just bought 200 Gillette blades today ... made in Russia.

Will last me years I hope but I have the feeling that I will still keep buying ... 😳

I've bought a sample pack of blades from [url= http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=230514912691&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT ]here - eBay[/url]. So far, the most impressive blades have been the Feathers.... I still think I could get closer though - do I need to replace my Tech already????? Bollocks, I can see this shaving lark turning into the bottomless pit that is bike ownership!

freddyg - Member

I've bought a sample pack of blades from here - eBay. So far, the most impressive blades have been the Feathers.... I still think I could get closer though - do I need to replace my Tech already????? Bollocks, I can see this shaving lark turning into the bottomless pit that is bike ownership!

10 x Dorco 301 Platinum
10 x Derby Extra
10 x Feather New Hi-Stainless
10 x Iridium Super Extra Stainless
10 x Treet Durasharp Carbon
10 x Trig Silver Edge
10 x Treet Platinum
10 x Super-Max Stainless
5 x Astra Superior Platinum
5 x Gillette 7 o'clock Sharp Edge

Looking at the ebay link on the items you bought they seem fine except Dorco and Super-Max Stainless which I am not sure of. From the list from your ebay link I feel the best for me are Iridium & Gillette Sharp Edge. Derby is fine too for me but gets mixed review by other users. As for the sharpest of the sharp that Feather (yellow pack) I simply cannot not be asked to try because they are expensive.

Just keep to the razor(s) that gives you the best shave and stick to that unless you want a stainless steel version. It all depends on the combination of razor and the aggressiveness of your razor so your Tech should be fine with the sharpest blade.

[b]apparently[/b] you can extend the life of the blade

Thanks Chewkw for the advise. Will try a sample pack similar to those found by Freddyg. Been looking on ebay at razors and have seen a Parker 90R which appears to have a decent length handle as opposed to some of the others whihc appear quite short

Had my first go with the Boots Wilkisword DE today

I had my second, it appears to be gash, I guess I should look up the youtube guides.

I had a great shave this morning.

The only thing that got in my way was my great, big Adam's apple, grrr!

It is a pain in the arse and I do wish it was smaller.

The only thing that got in my way was my great, big [b]Adam's apple[/b], grrr!

It is a pain in the [b]arse[/b] and I do wish it was smaller.

That is big 😯

So far, the most impressive blades have been the Feathers.... I still think I could get closer though - do I need to replace my Tech already????? Bollocks, I can see this shaving lark turning into the bottomless pit that is bike ownership!

Feathers and Tech razor are a good but basically safe combination. if you put a Feather blade into a more agressive razor you would have a different shaving experience.
But to answer your question...... yes you probably do (but keep the Tech and a nice simple razor to use when you don't want to try too hard).

Think I'm going to sell my Gillette Aristocrat Junior if you're interested.

does anyone use a cut throat razor then?

I tried years agho using my Grandfathers old one but didn't get on very well but I think that was also down to nerves

Taff - Member

Thanks Chewkw for the advise. Will try a sample pack similar to those found by Freddyg. Been looking on ebay at razors and have seen a Parker 90R which appears to have a decent length handle as opposed to some of the others whihc appear quite short

I am not sure about Parker but the followings do get good reviews.

[url= http://www.shaving.ie/products/Edwin-Jagger-DE89L.html ]This one - DE89L.[/url]

Or

[url= http://www.shaving.ie/products/Edwin-Jagger-DE89-Chrome.html ]This one - DE89 Chrome[/url]

or

[url= http://www.shaving.ie/products/Muhle-R89-Classic-Razor.html ]This one - MUHLE R89 Classic[/url]

or

Merkur Classic 34HD - but some said that the quality has gone down a bit for this brand.

All from this site but shop around for good price.

[url= http://www.shaving.ie/categories/Safety-Razors/Standard-Closed-Comb/ ]This site[/url]

P/s: forget Parker as you are better off with any of the above.

Sharkbait. YGM.

freddyg - Member

Sharkbait. YGM.

Gillette Aristocrat Junior is a good upgrade.

😛

Chewkw, how does the Aristocrat Jr compare to the ones you mentioned above?

So far, I'm very impressed with this method of shaving, but think I could do a bit better; maybe a more aggressive razor than my current Tech would give me what I want? Basically, growth below the jawline is in all different directions and I struggle to get a perfectly smooth finish - still loads better than my old multi-blade though.

freddyg - Member

Chewkw, how does the Aristocrat Jr compare to the ones you mentioned above?

Slightly less perhaps according to the gap (aggressiveness) profile here:

[url= http://wiki.badgerandblade.com/index.php/Double-Edged_Safety_Razors_Ranked_by_Aggressiveness ]The Safety Razor aggressiveness profile[/url]

😛

P/s: forget Parker as you are better off with any of the above.

Why? I now have 4 different ones including a Merkur HD and an old Gillette and the Parker is still my first choice as it is comfortable (7 o'clock blades), good weight and handle length. [url= http://www.bestcovery.com/parker-90r-long-handle-double-edge-safety-razor ]Review Here[/url]

converted. And I don't even like shaving! I've been a clippers over the stubble kind of guy, shaving a few times a year for proper special occasions. Shaving every three days now, its great. Probably just the faff that I enjoy, but still! If nothing else, a badger brush and proper razor looks loads cooler in the bathroom that a crappy old Bic!

Woody - Member

Why? I now have 4 different ones including a Merkur HD and an old Gillette and the Parker is still my first choice as it is comfortable (7 o'clock blades), good weight and handle length. Review Here

I favour simplicity i.e. 3 piece and 2 piece safety razors have no mechanic to go wrong.

Chewkw - I have been pointed in the direction of [url= http://www.shaving-shack.com/timor-double-edge-safety-razor-gun-metal.html ]The Timor[/url] because of value for money but I'm put off by the complicated butterfly action. Any thoughts?

Still tempted by the Muhle you mentioned above but realise this is all coming down to personal experiences and I may have to do a bit of trial an error with razors as well as blades. Got a very sensitive face and don't want to go through the whole shaving rash mallarchy again but don't want to spend £20 for 8 Gillette Fusion blades ever again!

Taff - i have a gillette superspeed with said butterfly action. mechanically fairly complex, certainly over a 3 piece, but it's easier to get blades in and out of, and even without a dispenser, you can still get a blade in and out of the razor without actually touching it. over the years, i've lost more blood from fingers and thumbs than my face, so it's something to think about. that said, butterflies were at their best when gillette sold blades unwrapped in a dispenser so you could slide the blade out of the dispenser straight into the razor, which you can't do any more.
can't comment on the action of the timor razors.
fwiw the razor is 44 years old and the mech works a treat.

Thanks for that. I've looked at the Gillette Superspeeds on eBay although there were a lot of red tips on there which are aggressive apparently (still have to work out what the mild and aggressive terms mean!). I would trust a complex razor of that era more as they were built to last ba k then but nowadays the quality isn't as high which is why I'm hesitant over a £15 complicated design where a simple £20 razor may provide a much better shave.

The Muhle R89 is a great razor.

I have a Muhle R106, the only difference is in the handle as the head is the same - I fancied a black handle rather than the silver one.

taff -more aggressive= closer shave but more disruptive to sensitive skin
mild = easier on the skin, but not quite as close. in superspeed terms, red=aggressive, blue= mild. superspeeds generally (noncoloured) are fairly mild, imho
if you're new to safety razors, i'd be inclined to swerving away from the red tips, look for blues or non-coloured

oh and butterfly v 2- or 3- piece won't affect the quality of the shave

re: the issue of razor aggressiveness, I've found [url= http://wiki.badgerandblade.com/index.php/Double-Edged_Safety_Razors_Ranked_by_Aggressiveness ]This page[/url] which gives information... tempted by the Merkur Progress.. my cheap WS is already looking a bit feeble 😉

I received my Edwin Jagger DE89L this morning and have a face full of stubble to try it out on!

Taff - Member

I received my Edwin Jagger DE89L this morning and have a face full of stubble to try it out on!

That's a very nice razor so do update us with your experience of trying out your first safety razor.

[u][b]Remember Do Not apply pressure when shaving[/b][/u] with safety razor as you will end up with razor burn.

Now all you need to do is to choose a double edge blade to go with it and a good blade will make the whole experience of shaving much better.

With sensitive skin you need to make sure you choose blade(s) that are most suitable for the way you shave. i.e. all of us hold the angle of shave differently so be patience with getting it right.

Another thing to consider is aftershave. A well regarded cheap aftershave is the non-alcohol Nivea Men Sensitive aftershave balm. Almost half price at Superdrug at the moment at £3 per 100ml bottle. Very good & I bought three yesterday. Very light scent and does not turn you into a girl. A very light scent that disappears after 30mins which is good.

Timor safety razor is okay but some consider it a re-brand Chinese Weishi safety razor with better finish if I can recall. A mild razor.

🙂

p/s: I won an ebay bid for a Gillette razor but the seller is still messing about for not sending the razor to me.

Re soothing the skin after a shave, I would highly recommend Original Source Soothing Shave Balm from Boots. Really nice and cooling with a light odour.

Is there a big difference in how long blades last? I don't have a particularly heavy beard and I reckon I get about 6-8 shaves from 7 O'clocks but minimum 12 from Feathers before they are noticeably 'draggy'. I would have thought the opposite would have been the case !

This evening has been a definite improvement over the working day. Cooked another tasty alcohol based meal and had a succesful first DE shave!

Always sworn by a Gillette Fusion and Boots no. 7 anti friction shave gel [brush applied] comba as it's given the closest and least irritative shave. I have just had my closest shave ever, even on my neck around my voice box [known as Everest by the mrs] and not got any razor burn at all despite having to do some patches a couple of times ie chin. Prep'ed as usual and was really surprised at how easy and smooth the razor is on my skin. Only issue I 'had' was a small spot on my neck... problem solved now.

Really cuffed, only spent £15 on the EJ from Amazon and it came with 5 Derby Extra blades. Will still try that sample selection from eBay in any case to see what else works or doens't work.

I used to use Nivea afterhsave balm but founjd it a bit greasy and used to have spots. Can't remember what I used previously but I know use Boots No. 7 After Shave recovery balm. Slightly more expensive but definately worth it if you ahve really sensitive skin like me.

PS was it you who outbid me on some of those vintage superspeeds then?! I lost out on two decent looking ones.

Thanks for all the advise just wish I had known about these razors sooner

Whoever started this thread thank you.

I used a gillette poverty safty razor for years no problem with the gillette blades

BUT I tried the Muhle blades and the shave improved quite alot

So YOU SWINE I then got the bug and I bought the Muhle R89 Classic Razor
and WOW completly differant ball game, what a shave

The Muhle is a completly differant level to Mach3 etc

We do make our own soaps so the next project will be a whipped cream shaving soap with eucaliptus oil, more experimenting to come. 💡

Any other recomendations for shaving cream flavours ❓

Taff - Member

Always sworn by a Gillette Fusion and Boots no. 7 anti friction shave gel [brush applied] comba as it's given the closest and least irritative shave. I have just had my closest shave ever, even on my neck around my voice box [known as Everest by the mrs] and not got any razor burn at all despite having to do some patches a couple of times ie chin. Prep'ed as usual and was really surprised at how easy and smooth the razor is on my skin. Only issue I 'had' was a small spot on my neck... problem solved now.

I use Semogue 620 boar brush (£13 including postage) and a 49p Palmolive shave stick. (I do have an expensive Kent BK8 £50 pure badger) The fun is in whipping up the lather to the right consistency which needs a bit of practising but very easy to learn. So cheap and cheerful for me there. I do face lathering but now I just grind the shave stick into a cheap bowl to make a shave soap out it just for fun. Yes, pre-shave preparation is very important and only takes me 3 mins normally and then I am ready to go.

Really cuffed, only spent £15 on the EJ from Amazon and it came with 5 Derby Extra blades. Will still try that sample selection from eBay in any case to see what else works or doens't work.

£15 for EJ is a very good price considering their normal retail price is around £18 to £24. I have Derby blade on one of my favourite aggressive Red Tip SuperSpeed too and so far they work out rather well. Derby is a miss or hit for some but so far I have no problem.

I used to use Nivea afterhsave balm but founjd it a bit greasy and used to have spots. Can't remember what I used previously but I know use Boots No. 7 After Shave recovery balm. Slightly more expensive but definately worth it if you ahve really sensitive skin like me.

No need to use a lot of it. Just a tiny bit will be sufficient and after that if you want you can apply another layer of aftershave etc. For some reasons my skin is a bit oily but then normal soap will dry it up badly and I found my solution in my "home made" pre-shave oil ... mixing Jojoba oil with other essential oil etc. Solve the problem.

PS was it you who outbid me on some of those vintage superspeeds then?! I lost out on two decent looking ones.

I won a Superspeeds (not flare tip) for £10.16 + £1.75 delivery recently. The condition is so so with a bit of lazy silo doors but the gap is even and usable. Used it this morning and all I can say is I like SuperSpeed. It is my 5th Superspeeds (I have 2 reds, 1 black handle, 1 English flare tip and this pre-60s superspeed).

Yes, I missed out on few of the US made flare tip SuperSpeeds. English SuperSpeeds are more aggressive by comparison to the US made ones by the way. The reason for this I guess is that there were plenty of blue beards in the olde UK ... 😆

I also won a gold Aristocrat for approximately £23 but the seller is messing about at the moment with no email reply etc so I shall sit and wait for another few days before I take actions.

Thanks for all the advise just wish I had known about these razors sooner

Before I started using safety razor I really hated all things related to shaving because 1) they are bloody expensive 2) they are bloody in effective 3) the company keeps advertising their 5 blades etc garbage with all those so called alpha males sport men shite. At one point I refused to buy any more of their cartridge blades that led me to prolong the use of the same blades which eventually resulted in a bloodied face. i.e bad cut. Pissed me off big time. Had to call my father for rescue so he sent me his black handle superspeed. Now, I can't wait to have a shave.

saladdodger - Member

BUT I tried the Muhle blades and the shave improved quite alot

So YOU SWINE I then got the bug and I bought the Muhle R89 Classic Razor
and WOW completly differant ball game, what a shave

Muhle is generally well regarded so no surprise there. Enjoy.

The Muhle is a completly differant level to Mach3 etc

It is world apart in terms of shaving experience. I have never ventured beyond Sensor and even that I hated it let alone Mach3.

We do make our own soaps so the next project will be a whipped cream shaving soap with eucaliptus oil, more experimenting to come.

Any other recomendations for shaving cream flavours

Hmmm ... would be interesting to see your creation.

In terms of flavours try the direction of spice i.e. cardamom, cinnamon, cloves etc but I am no expert there as I like the smell of traditional old spice. Another one perhaps is adding rose water scent but not too much.

Now, I can't wait to have a shave.

Strange that, me too nowadays. I used to postpone shaving as often as I could.

I've been working my way through the sample pack of blades and have a couple of favourites already; the rest will be given away when I've gone through the set if any one is interested - one or two blades used pet pack... Will include some Derbys as I just didn't get on with them. Feathers and Iridium Supers on the other hand - wow!

Sorry.. but how is this for shaving geekery...

take the normal merkur progress.. remove the horrible plastic end with a custom made machined part and...

http://www.leesrazors.com/products/Mergress-Adjustable-Safety-Razor.html

Oooh, I like that. I have asked Santa for a progress for Christmas, but might amend my request now. 🙂

Interesting that this thread should pop up again as I have a couple of questions. Took the plunge about 3 weeks ago and invested in a Muhle R89(?) razor, Edwin Jagger brush and lathering bowl, plus a multi blade selection.

Question 1 - how do I get the best/thickest lather? I'm getting plently of it, but need to reapply half way through as it doesn't seem to last for the whole shave

Question 2 - blade reccommendations. The razor came with a Derby blade which worked well. The Feather I just didn't get on with at all. Currently trying the Irridium which is quite good. What's the general concensus on blades in the Derby/Irridium ilk?

Ref the lather, I have some shave cream (Geo Trumper), put a dab on my wet chin and use the brush to lather around my face. I get a lovely thick lather, very quickly. What soap are you using?

Ref the blades, I guess it is all down to trial and error. I have a Gillette Tech from e-bay and really didn't like the Derbys. Feathers, Personna platinums and Iridium supers I really liked. Treet Iridiums (from ****stan) are pretty good for me too.

If I understand some of the more knowledgeable chaps on here - I am using a pretty mild razor, so it allows me to get away with more aggressive blades.

freddyg, I'm using Geo Trumper shaving cake in a bowl, whirl round until I get some lather then lather up on my face.

I am guessing I am using too much water or too little but experimenting doesn't seem to be solving the problem

CaptainMainwaring - Member
freddyg, I'm using Geo Trumper shaving cake in a bowl, whirl round until I get some lather then lather up on my face.

I am guessing I am using too much water or too little but experimenting doesn't seem to be solving the problem

Cutting down on the amount of water in the brush would be a good idea.

How long are you swirling the brush on the soap? I find with hard soaps that I need to do it for 30 to 45 seconds, you need to load the brush with soap, so keep swirling until you feel it almost becoming tacky and then apply to the face and work the lather up.

I haven't used soap for years but the last time I did I used Crabtree and Evelyn soap and like you it was disappearing too quickly but I also had issues with it drying my cheeks out causing some irritation. My grandfather told me I should be wetting the brush for 30s in warm water then giving it a light squeeze between my fingers and then putting it into the soap... was still trial and error for me though but could have been down to the type of soap used. I tend to use a shave gel or Ingram for ease and consistency nowadays.

Only hard my first safety razor shave last night so can't comment on blades although I used the Derby blade and found it pretty good. Ordered a sample pack from Connaught earlier so will see how well I fair with other makes [Treet, Trig, Astra, Feather etc]

ho-hum thanks. I will try that next time

^^^^

Captain,

I have found the UK based forum The Shaving Room to be a very informative place and they have a section dedicated to help with shaving and some very informative tutorials:

[url= http://www.theshavingroom.co.uk/viewforum.php?f=6 ]Shaving help[/url]

Second shave tonight. Got a little better with the razor but still have difficulty on the right side of my neck and around a scar. Think I may need to get a styptic pencil too...

Thanks ho hum. Will have a look at that

Woohoo ... received my ebay gold razor yesterday.

Absolutely mint for £23.

It has no date code but is thought be made between 1948 to 1950.

This one.

[img] [/img]

[img] [/img]

😛

p/s: D'oh ... I mean similar to the above gold razor. The link is from Wiki.

Looks very nice. I saw one of those on eBay but didn't say superspeed so didn't bother. Reading through other peoples comments I thought only the Superspeeds from a certain era were worth chasing but I've seen a few very similar to yours but in a chrome (dull) finish perhaps pewter colour.

Got my sample pack through today, good old Connaught. Didn't realise that some shops refurb old razors and sell them on too.

It's wierd that for the first time in years I'm actually looking forward to the next shave!

^^^^

Hello Taff!

Some people on here think we are daft for enjoying shaving, pffft! 😉

All I can say is take your time at first and reduce the pressure and don't be cocky like me and think that if at first you don't succeed, try, try, try again!

It does not work with against the grain shaving and my skin is recovering, but I should have learned.

Have fun anyway.

Dez B will love this as he can not understand it 😉

I'll never, ever, get why shaving well is so important. There must be something missing in my life. But, respect to you guys who love shaving!! 😀

^^^^

How old are you Kevevs and what lifestage are you at?

I am not being nasty or anything, just curious.

I am quickly approaching 40 and this shaving thing is hard to explain, particularly as I am now finding myself setting my alarm 10 minutes earlier so I can get up and have a decent shave 😉

Maybe it is an age thing?

Brilliant thread! 6 pages!!!
For me, I quickly realised that 9 blades all shoved up together just doesn't work! It's a proper design fault - irrespective of how sharp they are, they just clog up! So I bought an 'old fashioned' razor with the double sided blades and, bingo! Nice big gap behind the blade so you can keep on shaving and all the crud just keeps moving away!

So I'm at the cheap ones from boots stage - love to move upmarket a bit, don't know where to start.

But seriously, these modern multiple blade razors are a real con.

37 and curious also. I just don't get the whole shaving thing. shaving is a tedious chore, I don't care how amazing the razor is. shaving is dull.

Hohum - I realised pretty quickly that I wouldn't need to shave against the grain as I was getting a really close shave anyway. The only difficulty I really have is maintaining the correct angle on my neck especially where I have a scar. With a larger head restricting visibility I'm not quite used to being thy accurate with it but that will come with time.

Kevevs - I too was like you and thought what are these people on about. Shaving has always been a chore and always will be but because I was gifted with the sensitive skin if I shave every day or sometimes every other day it looks like I've been making out with a bear! In my job I'm off seeing clients every few days or every day in some cases and I don't like looking scruffy but I've had no choice other than to go on with a face full of stubble as the alternative is too painful. I've been able to shave every day since having this new razor and the only facial issue I have is I have cut the scar on my neck. It's Saturday now... And I probably won't shave again until Sunday evening now

Ps I'm 28

Kevevs - I also despised shaving; but it is a necessary evil. I have to look smart for work.

This whole shaving thing is not all about how amazing the razor is. It's about the quality of the shave. Try it, you might like it. I know I did.

Edit: I'm 42.