I don't disinfect my blades, just replace them about once a week. It cost me around $13 for 100 replacement blades so could easily replace more regularly and not stress about cost. The quality of shave improves with time as you learn the contours of your face, whisker grain etc. I'm told different brands and models of safety razor give varying degrees of closeness too, but can't comment as I've only ever used one. An alum stick or styptic pencil is a worthwhile investment, as it helps stop nicks from bleeding too much and calms skin irritation. I find it to be an infinitely more enjoyable experience over using a disposable razor.

I've been shaving with a safety razor and a straight razor for well over 20 years at this point. What works for me doesn't necessarily work for others, and our skin/hair is all of different needs and consistency. So grain of salt here.

When you start using a safety razor it takes both practice, and time for your skin and routines to start to adapt. It goes pretty quickly, and you'll find your shaves get better and better every time for the next month or so. I shave usually 3 times a week, sometimes more depending on what's going on, and I use my safety razor probably 95% of the time. I don't disinfect it or really do much of anything to it, it's very unlike the straight razor (which is an entire production - it's a rewarding shave but it's slow and you have to do some work to your blade pre/post shave). I also am lucky enough to have facial hair thats pretty soft, so I can go a month to a month and a half without changing the blade, depending on what brand of blades I'm using. I do find the feather blades to be better than most, but I also have had decent enough luck with Derby blades, and they are much cheaper. Find what works for you, try to get your hands on a few different manufacturers and try them all out as they all have some differences.

Get a stand, and get a brush. I prefer shaving soap, but good soap or creme is a must. While you are showering, soak your brush in a bowl with warmer (but not scalding hot) water. Be generous with the shaving creme, make a big ol mess, and learn to enjoy the process. Biggest tip, is to not apply any force at first. Let the weight of the razor do the work (that's why it's so heavy). Also just do two with the grain passes at first, until your skin adapts, and it will quickly. I do a first past with the grain, second rep is against the grain, third is again with the grain. That's what works for me.

I don't bother disinfecting the blade beyond a rinse between shaves. I'll definitely clean the razor a little between blades though.

As others have said the stubble thing will improve with practice. If I need an insanely close shave for some reason though I'll do a second shave "against the grain". So if normally I shave from my temple pulling down to my chin, with the handle down next to my chin, I'll flip the whole thing. I'll pull from my chin up to the temple, with the handle up next to me temple.

Again that's only on occasion when I need true glass smooth.

Here's a few words of self-proclaimed wisdom: use soap or cream with a decent brush. Avoid the foam or the gel. Soap does not have to be expensive. If you live in or near Germany, buy the Palmolive stuff. It's dirt cheap and works well.

Your choice of blade is personal. I personally love the Feathers or green Astras and avoid Personna or Lord like the plague. Some Gillette blades are quite decent too (I like the ones you buy in France). Some shaving shops offfer starter sets with multiple brands.

When you shave, do at least two passes: one with the grain and one across the grain. Some people do against the grain as well, but others prefer not to due to ingrown hairs.

Finally, there is a nice wet shaving community with its own lemmy instance. It is a nice community.

Welcome to the world of wet shaving! A few comments: To avoid stubble, I'll do a second round of shaving. Once I've shaved, I'll slap on another layer of shaving soap and do it again.

Also, blades make a huge difference. I've been using Feather blades - I think they're manufactured in Japan - for about a decade now and they're sharper and smoother than anything else I've tried. Avoid Crystal brand.

I switched to a safety razor about a year and a half ago. I'll never switch back to a cartridge razor. I agree, your skin probably still needs to get acclimated to the new razors. I use very little gel now and my shaves are very similar to a Gillette. I only rinse mine and blow it dry and my razors last for a few weeks, I don't disinfect.

You should be able to get a stubble-less shave with more practice. It might be the angle you're using it at, but could be the design of your particular tool.

Definitely my preferred mode of shaving. I got one from Hensen since they’re Canadian, been loving it the last few years. They also sell a big pack of blades for dirt cheap and they work really well. Highly recommended.

I got into "wet shaving" a couple years ago. I still have all my stuff and still occasionally use my safety razor. I've also upgraded my kit with a straight razor so I can get really nice straight beard/necklines if I want to put in the effort.The straight razor uses the same disposable blades so it's very convenient. I don't go all out every day, there's a lot of technique involved and I usually just clean up my neck with a cheaper razor. But it's nice to have the kit to pamper myself if I want.

I'd disinfect before/after every use personally but I don't use mine every day. It's pretty simple, just soak it all in some isopropyl alcohol for a few minutes then wipe everything down. The blades are dirt cheap so there's no reason to hang onto them, they start dulling pretty quickly.

Enjoy the shave! It can be a pretty wholesome, meditative experience, may your blades never be dull.

Welcome to the super cheap shaving club!

I recommend the Leasureguys guide to gourmet shaving,, it's a real deep dive into shaving with a safety razor.

I'd recommend getting yourself a blade trial pack, a few places on the net do them, and try out a selection of blades to see what your preference turns out to. Different combos of blade and razor, skin and hair types will have quite different results

For wet shaving I do 3 passes for a really close shave, with the grain, across and finally against. If I'm short on time I only do the first two and it's presentable.

I just rinse my blade after but I only typically keep a blade for 4 or 5 shaves.

I'd recommend getting a good quality brush and an alum block for after, it will help you improve your technique too as the stingy bits are more irritated so you can focus on that for next time.

One thing I haven't seen mentioned is safe disposal. You'll need to pick up a razor blade slot for the house (landlord probably wouldn't be happy): https://maggardrazors.com/...

I got a Henson Razor.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B6QJY4Z2

Blah blah, aerospace engineering precision crafted etc etc. It's not bad, but I'm only old and not an expert. See what the others say about it and maybe consider getting one.

Main thing is to make sure its tight. I generally only have cut myself when I did not have it tight and that mostly happened in the begining before I realized that was what caused me to get cut. I actually use one disposable a year to get it a bit closer for things like job interviews or special occasions. day to day it gets close enough. not smooth as a babys but but visually its fine.

This is crazy. I was just thinking about these razors in the shower about ten minutes ago.

Can I ask you something? Do you think they'd be good for manscaping?

It takes a little getting used to for sure. And I'll echo the other comments; it's sound advice. A second round against-the-grain shave will clean up that stubble, and no disinfection necessary, just replace the blades regularly.

Always disinfect and dry the blade after each use, with rubbing alcohol. Not only are you disinfecting it, you're also drying it out so the mechanism and the blade won't end up rusting.

I have been using the same blade for over 6 years, and it still seems just as sharp as brand new, partly because I always disinfect and dry mine immediately after each use, and also partly because I'm lazy and don't shave often LOL!

Hey, you treat it right, it'll last you damn near forever. But yeah, if you ever feel you need to replace the blade, well by all means do, at least they're super cheap 👍

Oh the gel on cartridge razors is almost certainly made of petrochemicals.

I don't know anyone who disinfects their blades, or generally takes them out between shaves. Just rinse the razor in hot water and hang it in a stand to dry.

Different blades work for different people - hair, skin, sensitivity, and technique vary, so try a dozen different blades and decide what works best for you.

After 30 years of different products, Henri et Victoria have become my go-to for soap. They make great shaving stuff in general, and have a vegan option.

As you get more comfortable with your razor, pay close attention to its angle to your skin.

Safety razor was the best thing I ever did for my shave.

Well, buying good quality shave soap to go with it made the biggest difference for my skin.

A few tips:

• I always take my blades out and dry them so I can get a few more uses out of them. I don’t disinfect.
• when I put a blade away, I wrap it in paper and use a permanent marker to add a tick mark, it helps me keep track of how much I’ve used a blade and when to get a new one. Permanent marker is more water safe so it doesn’t wash out.
• use the best possible shave soap you can. It lasts a long time. There are vegan brands, I use Badger, it’s great on my skin.
• buy an alum block or pencil, they help close up nicks.
• use a blade bank to safely dispose of your blades! It’s much safer.
• try out a ton of blades to find your brand. Everyone’s hair and skin is different. The commonly recommended blades don’t work for me, or some work but have a waxy seal I don’t like. Buy a variety box and experiment!

I used a Merkur HD with Feather blades for about 20 years and was very happy with it as long as I didn’t rush and used a good shave soap. It was still a bit easy to nick myself, but good enough. I shave about 3 times a week, two rounds each time.

A few years back my partner bought me one of the Leaf razors, which use normal safety razor blades but split into half and as a triple blade setup. I do prefer it, less likely to nick while still having that nice blade feel. Changing blades is fussier with it, and the blade holder mechanism feels fragile, but it’s still fine three or four years later.

I don't do long strokes. I do many small (1cm or less) strokes, overlapping. Trying to shave like you would with one of those 26 blade monstrosities doesn't yield good results. Also, I shave twice. wet lather, shave, rinse, lather, shave. Water is your friend. It's called wet shaving for a reason. I never, ever use canned foam. People seem to like to use bowls and stuff to lather. I like to use cream, La Toja or LEA. Spread cream on wet face, and lather in place until the texture of whipped cream, I never go against the grain, always down or sideways. Also, stretch the area with your fingers, so that skin is taut. If possible I shave after showering. My go to blades are Feather, Astra, and Shark.