Only Cindy finds vibrating appliances effective. For shaving? I still prefer a 2 bladed whatever.

I forgot to mention it's important to shave with the grain. Overall, not a great shave but it beats the alternative.

Well, two things. First you should notice the effects of the not-so-close shave pretty quickly, couple weeks maybe?
Second, if I'm remembering right it takes a while for your beard to recover from shaving against the grain.

Bottom line is, stick to the razor, stick to the tend-skin and it may take a while but it'll only improve in the meantime.
That's been my experience at least.

I have very sensitive skin so shaving is a real pain. We can;t have facial hair at work so that is not an option. I have tried all kinds of razors, electric and straight over the years. The last 3 years or so Ihave been using a Gillette twin blade in the shower to shave my neck and most of my face with lots of Dial Actibacterial soap. Then when done, I use a foil travel shaver I found at a local store for $5.00 to go over my entire face, dipping it in rubbing alcohol as I go. Sure, it burns a bit but it tightens up the pores nicely. My ingrown hairs have been reduced to almost nothing. Strange, I know but it works for me.

keep your blades sharp.http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1200457133.jpg

I didn't say that the edge on a straight razor is sharper than on a new disposable... I said you would get a better, closer shave with a straight razor than anything else, which is absolutely true.

Have you ever tried it? SmileWavy

I'm trying to follow your logic, duller blade, closer shave, absolutely? Have I ever tried it? I used to have a barber's license.

Let's try this. If you apply the same techniques you use with a straight razor, only using a much sharper blade, 5 of 'em, you get a worse shave?

I assume that your barber's license means you have given yourself a shave with a straight razor, correct?

I'm saying that, in my experience, my straight razor gives me a better shave than my twin blade Gillette. I would not say that I "apply the same techniques" when shaving with both; different motion, more gets shaved in a single swipe of the straight razor, etc.

If we take sharpness out of the equation (since there are indeed injector/disposable straight razors on the market), you don't think you get a closer shave with a straight razor?

Maybe this is just a case of different (razor) strokes for different folks :)

I have shaved myself & Many other people with straight razors. No way can they perform like a modern razor. Technology wins out. 5 vibrating blades at varying angles, many times sharper than a straight razor, thinner, harder steel, no comparison. Any barber worth his scissors will tell you the same.

interesting thread.

couple of thoughts.......

i use a gillette twin blade micro-trac,........ its super thin and i love it because i can see what i am doing, the 3, 4, or 5 blades things are too big to see what i am doing.

i dont use shaving cream, oil, soap, or gel.... DRY (so i can see what i am doing) works great for me as long as the blade is clean and SHARP as my whiskers are a but thick.

here is my trick... super easy and convenient. i use a small spray bottle with water to clean the blade with it might be getting a little clogged (one or two strokes) in about 1 or seconds the blade is crystal clean and ready to shave, the cold seems to feel good also.

i can shave in 3-5 minutes,...... and the blades last months, yes MONTHS because the are always cutting clean and sharp.... water bottle is the trick.

the eletric razors take FOREVER with multiple passes and not very close of a shave.

dry shave, clean razor, water bottle. easy.

at the end of the day... find what works for you and go with it..... NONE of this is worth debating, all technigues work for who ever is using it.......

i get alot of "gasps"... when i mention i dry shave........... for me... it works.

Hot water softens the beard. Washing before shaving helps remove oil on the hair. Shaving in the shower with water as hot as you can stand is the way to go. I use a small mirror when I travel.

Try it, Paul -- surprisingly effective & only $9 to try it out.

Better not let her find out you posted that, BTW.

Ok, so i tried shaving right after leaving the shower while the bathroom is nice and steamy and it seems to work better. Now comes the new problem, after shave. I noticed after shave comes in regular and mild, so i figured that they index after shave the same way as food where regular has no spice, mild is a little kick, and so forth. So i buy a bottle of regular after shave thinking that this must be for the wimps like myself. I get out of the shower, i shave, put some after shave in my hands and slap it on. I immediately begin to franticly run around the bathroom, then grab a towel to try and get some of it off, because it now feels as if my face is in fire. So, should i bother using after shave and is there one that won't set my face on fire?

nah, aftershave is mostly alcohol..it's supposed to burn your face. i think it's maybe supposed to close your pores and smell nice though. was it worth it? :)