No matter how fancy, when a spinning blade pulls a hair out by its root... ...ouch.

It's all I've ever done.

I used to get lots of cuts from them when I used them. I finally decided the blades weren't very well locked down in the razor and tended to bend against my face, hence the wounds. I use 3-blade throwaways now, with better results. And like others on this thread, I was unaware that wet shaving was in need of a comeback....

No mirror, either. Close my eyes and do it by feel. I like using Gillette blades and will probably never switch. Recently discovered the joys of shaving gel, and will use that from now on.

Hey,
Not sure what I would end up with if I didn't use a mirror, especially now that I have some beardage. The shower makes it so much easier and not much clean up, which is nice.

Peace

I did some research on the subject and bought an Edwin Jagger De89lbl Double Edge Safety Razor for $33 from Amazon.com as well as some shaving soap and a synthetic brush. (I have been using a Gillette Fusion razor for several years but the cost of the cartridges and their possibly diminishing quality was beginning to irritate me.)

During my research I had read a lot of terror stories that almost suggested that I would have to call 911 after my first attempt.

I remembered that I started shaving when I was 12 or 13 years old and I don't remember having any major problems with using a safety razor over the years I did so with the exception of a few nicks. So while I was warned, I wasn't scared to try.

I took a shower and washed my face. I applied some pre-shave cream and lubricant to my beard and used the brush to work up a lather in a fairly large coffee mug. I took my time shaving and first went with the grain, re lathered and went against the grain and finally used what remained of the lather and ran the blade sidewise across my face. I did not press with the razor as I would wIth the Fusion razor but mainly allowed the weight of the razor to do the job. I finished by slapping some Witch Hazel on my face.

The result was a close shave with no nicks or cuts. It was a thoroughly enjoyable experience rather than a chore and my face felt great afterward. Oddly that feeling lasted much of the day.

The razor came with a five pack of Derby safety blades. I intend to try some other razor blades to see if they are superior but I was entirely satisfied with the Derby blade I was using. I can buy a 100 pack of these blades from Amazon.com for $9.90.

If you wish a fast shave, the Gillette Fusion is probably the way to go. If you can afford to take perhaps fifteen to twenty minutes to shave, you may find it an experience you can look forward to.

I like Rick Harrison a lot.

I sometimes borrowed it to shave my legs, and Dad knew when I did. He would tell my Mom that she needed to buy razors for her & me, that his razors were off limits to the females in the house. I do remember cutting myself a few times with it, but it did a good job.

I shave my head and they make it nice and smooth.

and of course with wet shaving. My dad left me a beautiful set of straight razors that his own dad used, I've been shaved with a straight razor in a barbershop before and the smoothness of the shave is better than you can get with any safety razor. You don't ever have to buy shavers or blades again and for that reason it's friendly to the environment. You do have to proceed more slowly and carefully and now that I've retired, I have more time for the ceremony in the morning. It requires a special whetstone to sharpen the blade and stropping it on a strop. And doing it in a mirror is probably a must.

We recycle metal in this county. We take our garbage to a central collection point, and there we separate plastic, metal, and cardboard/paper and put it into the proper collection bins. So the metal blades get dropped into one of the many cans produced during the week, vegetables, coffee, etc. Then the metal gets put into a bin I set aside just for that particular recyclable. It is just part of the collection that gets dumped into that bin.

So environmental impact is minimal, and the straight razor coupled with my cats ability to startle would mean I would likely require a face transplant, should I survive.

... everything else sounds like too much work, too much stuff.

I guess I'm just lazy. Especially at this hour.