As an FTM, I have never shaved a single body part in my life but I am trying to learn by practicing on my legs because they're there.  First run went okay--didn't cut myself--but also failed to get all the hair off, maybe started sliding over the hair instead of cutting it.

I was running the tub water to clean the blade of all the hair, which is terrible.  How do you keep the blade clean without using gallons of H2O?

Also, how do I know when the blades are too dull? I'd ask my wife but she cheerfully uses dull blades to shave her pits (don't ask), not to mention no blade is too dull in the kitchen (drives me nuts).

I'm using a Gillette Mach3 Turbo because it is a very popular product.

When shaving, pull the blade and don't slide it sideways as that results in cuts. I shave my legs in the shower but I turn the water off. Because I am dealing with a small amount of hair, I move the blade backwards over a clean area to clean the blade. After I am done. I turn the water on and do a final cleaning. For a face, fill the sink with water and rinse the blade in the sink. While I have never heard of it, you you could use a bowl in the shower to rinse the blade.

A sharp blade will give you a closer shave and will require almost no pressure to cut. If you find yourself pressing the blade to get a close shave, the blade is getting dull and might need to be replaced or passed to your wife.

As for kitchen knifes, I could teach you but often part of the problem is using them on the wrong surface and destroying the edge. I always use my good knifes on the proper cutting surface and only need to touch up the edge once in a while.

You might look for one of those electical shavers with gel dispensers, with real rotation heads (no foils).
They usually give a clean shave without the hassle of blades.
Many work without gel just as well, it should be indicated in the manual if they do.

For knives there are small devices available where they can be sharpened with.
Alternative is a stone designed for this purpose, like grandpa used 
There are manuals on that. Its not difficult, the knife just needs to be held at a certain angle.


*hugs*

I use a double edge safety razor when I actually shave. I get about 3 shaves out of it before it needs to be changed. I've found I get fewer ingrown hairs with the single blade than if I were to use all those fancy ones. There are lots of videos you can watch online of guys shaving - look for razor product reviews and you'll find plenty that can show you technique.

I don't use a lot of water. I fill the sink up about half way (and my bathroom sink is pitifully small so it's *maybe* 20oz of water), wet my face, exfoliate, wet my face again, wet a washcloth and set it aside, brush my teeth, apply shaving cream, and shave 2x (one with the grain, one across the grain). After one swipe with each side of the razor, I dip it in the water and clear it off. I wipe my face down with the wet washcloth in between and after. Afterwards, I use an aftershave and wipe my hands off. This is all using the same original 20oz of water. It really doesn't take a lot. The leg is just a larger area to cover, so it's best done in a tub.

To really clean my razor I loosen the clasp that holds the blade in place, swish it back and forth in the water a few times, and then re-tighten. No more hair. Every other shave, I also clean it with hydrogen peroxide because the shaving cream will develop a kind of film on there.

I'm at a point now where I don't shave anymore, I just trim. And I just use ordinary hair clippers for that. Nothing fancy.

When using a razor blade to shave your legs I did it in the bathtub so the hair wouldn't go everywhere and had to go other the same spot several times to make sure the hair was gone. Try not to use too much force. I've done that a few times and it caused a bit of bleeding and scratches.  Afterwards it's best to use moisterising cream on the area otherwise it's gonna hurt. You should also use a shaving cream or soap on the part of your body you want to shave; but I don't bother.
When it takes a lot of effort to get rid of hair or the blade still leaves behind stubblw; that's when you need a new one.

As someone with 40 years of practice shaving my face this is what I've learned.
1) electric razors do not do anywhere as good a job as blades (at least my Norelco didn't).
2) Blades are expensive - BUT I've started ordering from Harrys.com.  (use coupon code "security now" for $5 off - maybe one word?)
    -- note my wife likes them too for her legs.
3) I use each blade head for about a week (6 or 7 shaves), then turn them on my legs.
    -- If you want to save some $$ you can use them longer as I don't notice much difference from day 1 to day 7.  but I'm not a "lumberjack".
4) As for not wasting H2O - I take two or three strokes (vertically), start water, rinse blade out, turn water off.

Some other things:
   I've learned is rinse with very warm water.  Your face will thank you.
   Before I start shaving I hold a HOT face cloth over my face.  The longer/hotter I get a better shave.  If you watch old movies/tv the barber would put a hot towel over the client's face - There's a reason for that and it works.

Thank you for giving a rip about earth friendly options.  Much as I dislike it, i still shave.  I agree, the electric razors offer a less close shave while disposables send more junk to the landfill dumps.  The old reliable hand held and buying 5-10 pack blades is one option.  If you have the time, a nice warm and wet towel softens the whiskers.  I then run a little hot water in the sink with the stopper in and just swish the blades around briskly.

Water's for fighting, whiskey's for drinking: Mark Twain

Quote from: AnxietyDisord3r on April 10, 2016, 01:41:03 PM
I was running the tub water to clean the blade of all the hair, which is terrible.  How do you keep the blade clean without using gallons of H2O?

I shake it vigorously into hot water in the sink. Different types of hair are going to collect in the blades more... long leg hairs will. Short whiskers not so much. If I was shaving a leg I'd use running water because never-before-shaven legs are going to clog. Regularly shaved areas won't be anywhere near as bad.

QuoteAlso, how do I know when the blades are too dull? I'd ask my wife but she cheerfully uses dull blades to shave her pits (don't ask), not to mention no blade is too dull in the kitchen (drives me nuts).

It'll take more passes to get all the hairs off and in my case cuts/blood spots are more frequent with a dull blade. If it's really dull it'll hurt on your face, anyway. I find I can extend the blade life a bit more by running boiled or v. hot water on the blade and leaving them to air dry facing up. I assume it's because bits of grease and other crap from the skin/hair are completely removed by the hot water and allowing the blades to dry prevents the metal degrading from dampness. Some people reckon baby oil or alcohol extends the life of the blade but I never tried that.

Quote from: pj on April 10, 2016, 02:43:59 PM
As someone with 40 years of practice shaving my face this is what I've learned.
1) electric razors do not do anywhere as good a job as blades (at least my Norelco didn't).
2) Blades are expensive - BUT I've started ordering from Harrys.com.  (use coupon code "security now" for $5 off - maybe one word?)
    -- note my wife likes them too for her legs.
3) I use each blade head for about a week (6 or 7 shaves), then turn them on my legs.
    -- If you want to save some $$ you can use them longer as I don't notice much difference from day 1 to day 7.  but I'm not a "lumberjack".
4) As for not wasting H2O - I take two or three strokes (vertically), start water, rinse blade out, turn water off.

Some other things:
   I've learned is rinse with very warm water.  Your face will thank you.
   Before I start shaving I hold a HOT face cloth over my face.  The longer/hotter I get a better shave.  If you watch old movies/tv the barber would put a hot towel over the client's face - There's a reason for that and it works.

1: You are right about that. I had one of those things when I was around 21 and I HATED it. Didn't do the job and broke me out something fierce.

2: I might look into that. It IS insane how much good blades cost. I always buy them in bulk and stretch them out that way. Yeah, it's expensive. But, in the long run, it isn't so bad. But, it would be great if I could get good blades for cheaper.

3: I have no idea how long each individual blade actually lasts. But, I do know that since I had the orchi done several years ago, that really helped stretch them out. I've also had some electro done in the past as well.

4: I honestly don't care about the water that I use. I live alone. So, the amount of water that I use isn't as much as what some would think.

Thanks for the answers, everyone. That leg hair was like cat hair, stuck hard to the razor in a big wad. I used a brand new blade so I am a little confused about why some areas didn't get depilated and others did. More practice, I guess.

I may have used a little too much shaving cream, too, because paranoid.

I should clarify that *I* know how to keep kitchen blades sharp. It's more of a difference in philosophy between my wife and myself.

The first time is always a problem. If my leg hair gets really long, I use a hair clipper to shorten it before shaving. If I shave once every week or two, it's short enough not to load up the razor.

Anyone ever owned a cutthroat? That would solve the blade expense problem, although the sharpening needs to be frequent.

even though i an pre-t i am an extremely hairy person and have to shave my face. I shave with coconut oil. I allow a teaspoon or two to melt in my hands and then apply to my face, then i shave with the hair(very important for preventing ingrown hairs) and wipe my raiser back and forth on a towel to clean it. after i'm done shaving i take a exfoliating mitt and rub the coconut oil in (to help further prevent ingrown hairs) if when you shave it feels like the raiser is pulling on your hair and skin it is too dull, it should glide over the skin without causing pain.

Are you using a straight razor, that you can wipe it back and forth on a towel?

Quote from: AnxietyDisord3r on April 15, 2016, 08:20:25 PM
Are you using a straight razor, that you can wipe it back and forth on a towel?

nope, just a plain disposable razors. (i just noticed i misspelled razor in my last post *faceplam* i feel like such an idiot) i guess i should have said that i wipe the head of the razor right and left on the towel.

Quote from: CrazyCatMan on April 15, 2016, 08:28:00 PM

Quote from: AnxietyDisord3r on April 15, 2016, 08:20:25 PM
Are you using a straight razor, that you can wipe it back and forth on a towel?

nope, just a plain disposable razors. (i just noticed i misspelled razor in my last post *faceplam* i feel like such an idiot) i guess i should have said that i wipe the head of the razor right and left on the towel.

OP, depending on the frequency that you plan on shaving, this may be the most environmentally friendly route you could go down. If you're not shaving everyday, you could dedicate one washcloth as a shaving cloth, use it for a week, and clean it off with the rest of the laundry. Probably would not be the easiest method if you were shaving everyday though.