[Savor the Stick]

Originally Posted by ktblunden

It's slightly more time consuming, but it's so much more enjoyable than spraying some foam and using a cartridge razor. The initial investment is a little pricey (though not unreasonably so), but once you have a handle and a brush, it's really cheap. Shave soaps last a lot longer than canned shave cream and tend to be much cheaper. Also, double-edged razor blades are a tiny fraction of the price of razor cartridges or even disposables.

I'm so glad I made the switch to a DE safety razor. I think it gives me a much smoother shave than the multi-blade razors. I have the "long" handle Merkur (it's actually pretty stubby) and a really nice silvertip badger brush. I've been using the same Proraso shave soap for almost a year now and haven't had to replace it yet. Razors are cheap, and there are a lot of sampler packs on Amazon that let you try out a bunch of different blades to see which you prefer. At some point I'll pick up a new handle that feels a little better in my hand, but for now I love it.

EDIT: Wow, Kevin posted while I was typing. I'd strongly recommend taking him up on that, that's an awesome offer. I also want to stress the importance of getting a badger brush. I started with a boar bristle and not only was it uncomfortable, but it shed bristles with every use.

Yeah what the other Kevin said.