Eco-Shaving?

[Tango Charlie]

Thank you, AndrewJ, for inspiring me. I have long been hating spending WAY too much on cartridge razors (Sensor excel) and canned goo. After doing some reading on the 'Badger and Blade' forum, I started using the shaving soap and brush. Loved it! So I took the next step and ordered the '57 model Super Speed off of Ebay. It arrived in the mail today! Yay! Can't wait to try it out this weekend.



You guys using electric, phht. Might as well hand in your Man Cards right now...
j/k.

[The Atomic Ass]

I have a straight razor on it's way to my house as we speak.

[TestDrive]

Originally Posted by The Atomic Ass

I have a straight razor on it's way to my house as we speak.

FWIW Coffee and/or energy drinks don't mix well with straight razors. You need a steady hand.

[The Atomic Ass]

Originally Posted by TestDrive

FWIW Coffee and/or energy drinks don't mix well with straight razors. You need a steady hand.

Now that I've gotten stitched up from my first bout, I can see what you mean.

On a related note, my father still shaves with a Gillette Super Speed his father gave him, many, many years ago.

[Eddles]

Originally Posted by WisJim

Why shave??

Maybe because most women hates kissing men with stubble/beards as it hurts...? Once, after a day of growth, I accidentally rubbed my chin on my shoulder and it was extremely uncomfortable!

Originally Posted by Wilden

Just wondering, how close a shave do you guys seem to get from an electric shaver (my fiance insinists that I have it smooth)? I've been using a manual blade with the disposable heads for years but only just realised how expensive it really is. I think it's time to invest in an electric, probably a cheapo one. Any suggestions?

Dry electric ones aren't all that hot to be honest. They do a reasonable job but isn't *that* smooth - you can feel slight roughness. I have sensitive skin for shaving, so after 5 mins of shaving with a dry shaver, I have a bright red neck for a hour or so. For me, wet razors are the smoothest, and hurts only slightly and my neck reddens for 15 minutes (no, I'm not a redneck...). I've got an wet electric shaver and while it's smoother than the dry electric, it's not as smooth as the wet razor, but nearly there. It also hurts the least, I rarely get the red irritation.

I tend to shave with the wet electric every day, and wet razor once every two weeks. An unexpected bonus was that straight after shaving with the wet razor caused my ex to be all over my face for a while which was quite nice! Do keep on using the wet razor once in a while as a treat for your g/f. I use an old Gillette Sensor razor as they give the exact same result as the Sensor Excel, all of the Mach razors and, I assume, the OTT Fusion razors. I've tried out disposable razors, and other razors with replaceable heads but for me, the Sensor razor is the best modern razor that gives a good balance between cost and effectiveness. Of course, this might not be the same for you.

However, my wet shaver requires a gel cartridge that needs to be replaced each week which isn't too environmentally friendly. I've read that some people with my wet shaver use normal shaving gel instead of the cartridge. I tried that once and it seemed to work, but not as good. I should do this instead as the can is recycleable, while the cartridges aren't.

If you do get one, try not to drop your electric shaver though, they're not too tough - I once accidentally knocked my old dry razor off the bath edge and the plastic head smashed. Not too impressed!

I do want to try out the old safety razors but still a little nervous about trying those out, especially no-one will be able to show me how to use it, or phone an ambulance for me in case of an accident...

Getting to the point of this post, I agree with everyone else, that you should give the old safety razor a try first before plumbing for an electric. I don't know about costs, though.

At the end of the day, everyone is different, and different things work for different people.

[NiHaoMike]

I just use a disposable razor and plain water. Note that the razor itself only accounts for a small carbon footprint. The really bad stuff is the shaving cream that puts HFCs into the atmosphere when it's used. (HFC-134a has a GWP of 1400! The HFC-152a used nowadays is much better at only 122, but that's still 122 times as bad as an equivalent amount of CO2!)

The interesting part is that at Texas A&M University, a large percentage of environmentalists shave their legs. (Yes, I'm one of them.) The reason is because it gets hot in Texas, so shaving your legs keeps you cool, so you don't have to run the A/C as much, which saves energy! Also note that Jennie Chen (the world's best hypermiler - an Aggie!) shaves her legs in order to do better in hypermiling, and not just by reducing A/C use either. By shaving your legs just before driving, it puts you into a better mood when driving, which really helps MPG regardless of the weather!

And then there's waxing, but it's expensive.

[Lazarus]

Originally Posted by NiHaoMike

I just use a disposable razor and plain water. Note that the razor itself only accounts for a small carbon footprint. The really bad stuff is the shaving cream that puts HFCs into the atmosphere when it's used. (HFC-134a has a GWP of 1400! The HFC-152a used nowadays is much better at only 122, but that's still 122 times as bad as an equivalent amount of CO2!)

The interesting part is that at Texas A&M University, a large percentage of environmentalists shave their legs. (Yes, I'm one of them.) The reason is because it gets hot in Texas, so shaving your legs keeps you cool, so you don't have to run the A/C as much, which saves energy! Also note that Jennie Chen (the world's best hypermiler - an Aggie!) shaves her legs in order to do better in hypermiling, and not just by reducing A/C use either. By shaving your legs just before driving, it puts you into a better mood when driving, which really helps MPG regardless of the weather!

And then there's waxing, but it's expensive.

The worlds best?? Gig Um.

[NiHaoMike]

Originally Posted by Lazarus

The worlds best?? Gig Um.

It's "Gig 'em Green".

[Eddles]

Originally Posted by NiHaoMike

I just use a disposable razor and plain water.

Ugh, that just tears my face into shreds. I did try that once, and never again!

Like I said, different things work for different people, it's just a question of finding the the most reasonable solution.

[Who]

I hate Gillette but I love their Fusion... it shaves great with just liquid soap and a single cartridge lasts for months. You need some soap and water to wash your face regardless unless you like being green and any other color that happens to be on your skin.