A close shave

I started out shaving (like most, I imagine) with a variety of electric razors.  They can give you a so-so shave fairly quickly, but take a while if you want to get a close one.  And since most of them need to be used dry, they're fairly limited.

Eventually I moved on to using disposables, although I think I use them a little differently than most.  I will use them for quite a long while; mostly, you just need to make sure to wash them every time you use them.  I started this when I found out that most razors are ruined by corrosion, not by dulling.  And this works pretty well; use them in the shower, wash them, and blow them dry.  It isn't really fast, but does give a very close shave with nicks and cuts being very rare.

But I've long been intrigued by the possibility of going to a real razor (I was even thinking about a straight blade).  After doing some reading, a double-edged safety razor seemed a better choice.  So I finally broke down and bought one a few days ago.  I tried it out today, and was pretty happy.  I actually used it about the same way I normally use my disposables, and it worked out just fine.

I surprised myself by not getting any cuts or abrasions, and it was a bit quicker than my normal.  I think it didn't end up being as close a shave, although I mostly attribute that to being in a bit of a hurry.  I suspect it will end up being pretty similar in both time and closeness, although most would argue that I'm still not doing it right.

That is, I'm not using a brush and foam to really set up the hair, and using them after the shower.  Perhaps an experiment for another time.