When I started safety razor shaving last year, I thought it was going to be a relatively easy transition from multi-blade razors.

I couldn't have been more wrong.

I started with a couple of good shaves, but they went quickly downhill. Shaves that would take five minutes with a Mach 3 were taking forty-five minutes, and even then I had to touch up with the M3. I had a lot of cuts and nicks, and I didn't understand how the contours of my face would ever appreciate After quite a bit of frustration I had to put away the safety razor and go back to cartridge shaving.

Even though I wasn't successful, I learned a lot from picking up a safety razor.

Facial features: I learned more about my face and how hair grows on it than ever before. Granted, I still have a bony jaw and some serious neck contours, but now I understand that a lot of my hair grows horizontally in the middle of my neck and even upward near the bottom of it. It kind of swirls around to the right, which is quite intriguing. Using this knowlege made me reconsider how to shave for less irritation than simply straight down.

Of course, it didn't help that I developed a 16x12mm cyst in my neck. I've since had it removed (with no complications, thankfully) and it's now much easier and more pleasurable to shave than before.

Technique: My shaving experiences started back in the early 90's with an electric razor given to me because my parents thought I would be too klutzy with a blade razor. My first razor didn't last too long, and eventually I picked up a Gilette Sensor. Unfortunately I learned that I could get away with grinding into my face with an electric, and it translated into trying to take off all of my hair in one pass of the face with the Sensor. I did my research before going to a safety razor, and I knew better, but it's a hard habit to break when you've been doing it for nearly two decades.

Over the past few months I've worked with trying to reduce the amount of hair in a given pass instead of taking it all off in five minutes. This means that I now do two or three passes of the razor per shave, which means I need more time to shave. Fortunately, my face feels much better and I get closer shaves then going machete-style and hacking it all off the first pass.

Wetshaving: I admit it - I used to buy the can of Gilette gel and smear it all over my face. I still have a can that I use for travel. It works okay for me, but oftentimes it wouldn't be a great shave. When I switched to a safety razor I had to learn how to build lather from a cream or a puck. I kept it going after switching back to a cartridge razor, and it's made a beneficial difference in how I shave. My skin feels better, more natural and less slick than previously, and I'm noticing less irritation from using a soap instead of a gel. Besides, the minute or two to build a lather allows me to get clear and focus on the shave ahead more than just apply-and-go as I did before.

Having said all of this, I've decided to try using a safety razor again. After refining my shave technique and getting the cyst removed, I asked for and received a new shaving setup for Christmas. I'm surprised my mother didn't include a box of Band-Aids with it.

For now I'll keep using the same shaving cream and brush while I break the new brush in. The most significant change is the razor itself. I learned that trying to learn on an adjustable razor ups the difficulty since I had a tendency to want to change the adjustable setting every time something didn't work. I got to a point where I had the adjustable razor on the minimal setting and I couldn't feel or see anything coming off my face in three passes. I'll keep them around and clean them up, to give them another go once I feel more confident with a safety razor.

The new razor is a Merkur HD (the 34C); it's non-adjustable and recommended by quite a few people as a great starting razor. I won't use the included Merkur blades yet; I still have the sample pack that I can go through again.

Tonight I start again with a new razor and a new outlook on shaving. I'll likely have a Derby blade in there, and try to keep my setup the same otherwise for the first couple of weeks. I'll let you know how the first shave goes, even if it doesn't go that well.

When I started researching safety razors, I was astonished to find so many different razors and razor blades on the market. When I was buying cleaning supplies for the razors I bought, I was fortunate to find blades at a beauty supply store. I tried them out, getting a couple of decent shaves. However, I wanted to get that perfect starter setup. I felt I could do better with a different blade.

I went to West Coast Shaving on the advice of a few people and found that they sell sampler packs of safety blades. I bought the "Everything" pack because it had the biggest variety of blades.

The picture above is all of the blades I received, along with my current shaving setup. In the "Everything" pack I received the following:

• Dorco ST-300
• Dorco ST-301
• Shark Stainless
• Shark Super Chrome
• Lord Stainless
• Lord Platinum
• Sharp Stainless
• Derby
• Merkur
• Nacet Platinum
• Astra Platinum
• Crystal "Israelis"
• Gillette 7 O'Clock Yellows
• Iridiums
• Feather

Most of these came in packs of five, but there are a few brands that I received ten of.

My goal is to try two or three of each type, saving the sharper blades for later so I don't leave my face full of shaving wounds. Once I receive enough experience, I can go back and try blades again to see if my opinions change.

I counted something like 130 blades in the pack, so if I use one blade a week for three shaves I'll take two years to go through the entire stock. However, I don't think I'll be using each blade. I'm on my second brand - more on that later - and while this one feels pretty good, I still have a lot to learn about my face and my shaving technique.

I'll report on the blades I use after I use a couple of them. I am going to be a bit biased - it is my face after all - but my reports will hopefully give people somewhere to start.

This article is a few months old, but I'm surprised that CNN/Money covered safety razors. If you're already interested in starting to shave with a safety razor, you might want to check out their suggestions.

Spend Less on a Close Shave - CNN/Money

Of course, one of the reasons why I switched to safety razors is outlined in this other article from CNN/Money:

A Look at Gillette's New Razor - CNN/Money

The replacement blades are retailing at $18 for four. That can easily get me a year's worth of safety razor blades via the Internet. I doubt the new replacement blades would work after a month for me, let alone three months.

This quote in the last article explains another reason why I am switching to safety razors:

Gillette says the old Fusion will remain available. It even says the Mach3 remains in production - providing you can find a drug store that still stocks it.

In another words, don't be surprised about any planned obsolence of your favorite cartridge blade. Fortunately, you can find a lot of safety razor blades that are still available.

This blog is about one man's journey into shaving. Namely, a guy named Mike.

I've been shaving for almost two decades, and I never really enjoyed the process. I have always wondered if it was because of my first experiences with shaving. I had to practically learn on my own with my first razor: a Norelco "Smooth Operator" electric. I had minimal fuzz when I was 13, but it was frustrated with the "blade" grabbing hold of whatever it could with no rhyme or reason to it. In fact, I first shaved with the mustache trimmer more than I did the razor itself.

A couple of years later I went to the Gillette disposable cartridge blades. My first disposable razor was the Sensor. I remember cutting myself with it pretty good when I was 16. In fact, I have a bald spot on my chin that's visible if I haven't shaved in a couple of days. Over time, I learned how to control the steel and plastic to the point where I was getting good shaves. I have a tricky face, so it took me a little longer to get the hang of it. I was a little jealous of those who seemed to be clean-shaven all of the time with faces that were conducive to shaving.

As I became older I kept moving up the cartridge blade chain when opportunities presented themselves. I went from the Sensor to the Sensor Excel, the Mach 3, and finally the Mach 3 Turbo which I have used for some time. To be honest I didn't think much about it. I was a Mach 3/gel/aftershave guy for a long time. I was getting good shaves, and I had to shave every other day, but it was something I just did instead of thinking about it. It was working for me, so why change?

The turning point for me was reading this article about safety razors. I'm not sure how I arrived at this article, but it left an impact on me. I started thinking about how much I spent on cartridges. I remembered how the past few years I'd ask for cartridges for Christmas or if anyone was going to Costco so I could buy them cheaper. I noticed recently in the big box stores that they are selling at $20 for eight, and now they are being locked up behind counters and in the aisles. I didn't think they were a big safety risk, but then I realized that they are an attractive target for thieves.

So on a trial method, I looked into safety razors. I found a bustling market on eBay, won an auction, and learned how to get them shave-ready. I bought blades from a local hair supply store, read and watched about technique, creams, lather, and how to hold a safety razor. I'm not going to lie: my first shave with a safety razor burned. But I found a peace and challenge to it like some of my other interests in my life: yoga, investing, rock climbing, meditation, and yes, women.

This blog documents the journey of shaving all over again. I'm not an expert at this. I'm not even going to say that I will be an expert and a face of the safety razor community. I just hope to serve as inspiration and as a small resource for those interested in changing their shaving habits.

That is, if I don't cut off half of my face in the process.