Reddit mentions of Personna Prep Double Edge Razor Blades - Model 74-0002 - Box of 100

/r/wicked_edge has lots of great advice. I'll boil a lot of it down for you though..

1. Stop using the 17-bladed nuclear-powered vibrating cartridge monsters with extra lubricating strip and kung-fu grip. Similarly, no electric shavers. They're really electric hair-ripper-outers. Not kidding. Kick it old school, like your grandfather. Look at a double-edge safety razor, or if you're really looking to go all-in, consider a straight razor.
   
   
2. Think about your shaving cream. Does it come out of a can using aerosol? Maybe rethink that too then. Plenty of options out there that don't involve chemical-laden aerosol-propelled goo. You can even really turn the clock back with a cup/bowl/mug and brush setup to whip up a nice lather. I'm a fan of Taylor of Old Bond Street. But, I've also used DR Harris products, and they're quite nice as well. One of the side benefits of my former job was all the trips to London, so I could just stop into the ToBS shop on Jermyn Street. Sadly, those days are past, so I rely on the kindness of co-workers that still go over. :) It's easy enough to get their products in the US, it just costs a bit more.
   
   
3. If you go the DE route, get a sample pack of different blades. Different blades work differently on different guys. For me, Derby blades are death. For others, they're amazing. For me, I work well with Astra, or can manage Feathers if I'm really careful (they're super sharp). My best blade though, has been a Personna medical prep blade.
   
   
4. Shave in passes. Do a with-the-grain pass, followed by an across-the-grain pass. If you're really not there yet, you can add an against-the-grain pass, but that's a pretty advanced move. Remember - you're doing multiple passes. You don't need to remove every bit of hair the first pass. You don't press the razor into your face (as you're probably used to!). This razor has heft, and a blade that's really sharp. You're accustomed to a lightweight razor that has blades that are as dull as a hunk of cardboard compared to your garden variety DE blade.
   
   
5. Use a quality aftershave. Try to avoid ones that contain alcohol, as it dries out the skin. I love the Nivea sensitive skin stuff. I can get it for way cheaper than that link shows at Walgreens, Target or Wegmans though.
   
   Many folks will try to sell you on the economics here, and how much money you'll save by shaving this way. While possible, it's not necessarily so. One can go bonkers and spend hundreds on the best gear if they wish. BUT, you don't have to.
   
   For me, I use a $30 brush from whippeddog.com with a $5 mug from Target. My cream (ToBS Jermyn St) runs about $15 a tub, which lasts me probably 6-9 months. My daily shaver is a $30 Edwin Jagger, and my blades run about $30 for a 100-pack. I get 2-3 shaves from each blade.
   
   If you run the numbers, you'll likely come out ahead by going to DE, get better shaves, and have better skin as well. It sure was cheaper for me. I used to go through a cartridge a week. So, that's 4 carts a month. I was spending $30-ish every other month on 8-packs of cartridges, or about $3.75 per week. Nowadays, that's 2 blades a week, at ~$0.30/blade, that's $0.60/week in blades. That's a massive savings alone.
   
   You can do the ROI analysis for yourself. Take into account what you'd spend on shaving supplies, and calculate at which points the cost lines cross (ie break-even).

If you don't it may be easier to get baby butt smooth. If you're not using a double edge / safety razor you could give it a shot. It's much better than gillette / whatever else that has like 5 razors.

For a setup I'd recommend Proraso Shaving Cream, A maggard synthetic brush, Persona Medical razors and a Muhle R41 handle. Then just use olive oil for a shaving oil.

It's a significantly better shave and after the initial purchase much cheaper than even buying from Dorco (the people who make the razors for dollar shave club.) The 100 razors should last you atleast 400 shaves but you could probably easily get 800.

I can get to BBS but not on my neck. Everything above the chin though? Perfect smoothness.

We must be related. I've got a bunch of Irish in me. I burn if the sun glances at me sideways, and my skin is so sensitive it's ridiculous. I'll preface this by saying I haven't gotten it totally under control. Here's what works best for me:

1. Before shaving, I take a hot shower. Use a sensitive skin cleanser (I use neutrogena). After rinsing, I rub some Dove conditioner all over the beard, and let it sit for a minute or so, just letting the steam of the shower do it's thing. I'll then do an extra-long rinse.
   
2. Get a sensitive skin shaving cream. I use Prorasa Sensitive Skin.
   
3. Once you have the lather built up in a bowl with a badger hair brush (see the sidebar for a basic DE kit), I then take it and re-lather it on my face. Try to get every direction. You should apply enough pressure that you can feel the bristles moving your bristles around.
   
4. My hanle is a Merkur 180
   
5. My blades are Personna Medical Prep blades. They are meant for hospitals to use when shaving hair for surgery. They are fantastically sharp, but WAY better than most DE blades I've tried. Derby blades tore my skin up. These also stay sharper longer, I can get 2-3 more shaves out of each blade. At 100 blades and shaving ~2/week, that 100 pack will last about 2 years.
   
6. I keep hot water running and let the razor get all drippy with it when I rinse and go back to the face. It's extra cleanup.
   
7. When I'm done, I do a quick splash with cold water, then finish cleanup with a towel.
   
8. I use Nivea Sensitive Skin Aftershave Balm immediately after the towel-off.
   
   That's my routine... it's worked pretty well.