Electric Razor Rap

[Shavermeister]

https://www.electricrazorrap.com

Jim

[drmoss_ca]

Good luck with that, Jim. We are wet shavers.

Chris

[brothers]

Jim, when or should I say IF I make it to 80, and still shaving, I plan to go back to my old electric Norelco rotary head razor (if it still works then).

[Brutus]

Gave electric razors a try many years ago.
My dad had given me one about 55 years ago and still today I remember the shaves as dreadful…

Did some renewed research into electric razors a few years ago, because it would have made flying long-haul (as an airline pilot) easier and I could have eliminated that ubiquitous overnight suitcase that the company gave us.

While electric razors had improved significantly since the 70s, the underlying weakness that there is always a metal film between the blade and the skin had of course not gone away.
That, by design, limits the effectiveness and closeness of a shave with an electric.

Electric razor may serve some purpose (I always have that image of a guy shaving in his stationary car during rush-hour traffic my mind.), but they clearly cannot give me what I expect from my daily shaves.


B.

[CMur12]

Since this thread has been largely about negative experiences with electric shaves, I feel compelled to offer a counterpoint, as my experience has been different.

I didn't come back to classic blade shaving because of any dissatisfaction with electric shavers. I did it out of nostalgia, when I saw that one could still buy DE razors and blades. Then, while I had used a brush and creams or soaps before, through this forum I learned more about these and greatly improved my lathering technique.

I have used electric shavers off and on over many years, especially for travel and visiting when staying with family or friends. I have had cheap electrics that battered my skin and good-quality electrics that shaved as close as a blade and with less irritation than a blade shave. In fact, when it comes to a swirl of whiskers under my left ear, I can go over and over it in every direction, until I get it with an electric, while I can't go over it more than three times with a blade.

An electric shaver is a different tool from a bladed razor, so my technique with the electric is a little different. I get equally good shaves with both, so I choose the tool that appeals to me at the moment when I embark on a shave. (Though I'll admit that I choose the wet shave for enjoyment, while I choose the electric to just get it done.)

- Murray

[Gene]

Murray - My experiences were similar to yours - I used a DE in the 70's, then drank the multi-blade punch into the 80's. I found shaving to be a totally awful experience - prone to nicks and cuts all the time. One year I got a decent electric razor for Christmas, and thought I had found the grail. I have used Remingtons and Norelcos and much preferred the 3-blade rotary for comfort and overall shave. But - it wasn't a really great shave. With the arrival of the internet I was able to study shaving and shave gear in greater detail. For years the idea of traditional wet shaving had been something I couldn't get behind - using a brush to make lather? $20 for a tub of shave cream? Not me. But - after a while I began to wonder about it. Things finally came together for me in 2008. I had found SMF by then (internet forums were a new thing for me), lurking and not posting. I don't remember my first brush of cream, but the razor was a birth year red tip and the blades were from the local Walmart. It all showed up at the Seattle HQ for the company I worked for at the time (I was in town that week, so best place to ship it). I practised lathering (thanks Mantic!) a few times the night before - not great, but good. I remember that after that shave that morning I just couldn't stop feeling my face - it just felt so different! Amazing!

I can see a day when I would need to go back to an electric - but that's not for a long time to come.