I'm in with Ken and Wheelz. I use a Mach 3. I have not tried the 4 or 5 blade sets. Sometimes if I am running late, I use my Norelco Speed-XL.
The best shaving-related thing I ever did was step into an Art of Shaving store in the Aventura Mall when I was in the Miami area for a continuing education conference. My shaving experience was transformed. A little bit of education can go a long way towards a better shave. And, as we've noted, this is something that a lot of us have to do every day for the rest of our lives, so the payoff can be huge. For me, the main lessons were:
* always use fresh/sharp blades - as Peter said, you don't want to have the blades pull on your skin; you want them to glide over easily.
* learn the direction of growth of your whiskers.
* shave with the grain. Relather with cream and then shave against the grain for an extra-smooth shave.
* if your face is not wet enough at the start, use a pre-shave oil to achieve proper moisture. Or just use it anyway for best results.
* glycerin chave cream is the best. That
$22 tub lasts me over a year and provides the smoothest shave I have ever had.
Using my Mach3, a badger hair brush, and glycerin shaving cream, I get a shave that no electric can touch. I have fast growing whiskers, and there's days where I still look and feel fresh-shaven at 5 pm. Bye bye 5 o'clock shadow!
