Make sure you stock up on toilet paper. (There will be blood).
Nope, not kidding. Back in the day we used little bits and pieces of toilet paper on the nick or two that we might get on occasion.
I love my DE safety razor. Been using it for about two years along with a badger brush on my face. I like the Derby blades. Not as sharp as Feather but I don't get all the nicks with Derby. I find I get less irritation on my head shaving in shower but get a better shave with my face at the sink. So I shave with a cartridge blade right now in the shower for my head every other day and my DE at the sink every day...except Saturdays. I take Saturdays off from all shaving.
I have very coarse facial hair. I've never had a better shave than that of my double edge razor. I have shaved my face exclusively with a double edge razor for at least 10 years. Prior to that I'd tried many triple-blade options. All of which provided good shaves.However, I have sensitive skin. I've discovered that while I have to be a bit more meticulous and slow with a DE, I make fewer passes. Fewer passes, I assume, has resulted in less irritation. As a result, the overall time spent shaving is less.That said, using the DE also meant I was using mug soap and applying it with a natural bristle brush. When I used the Mach 3, for instance, I used Edge gel. I don't know why, but I never tried mug soap with the Mach 3, and conversely, I've never used anything but mug soap with the DE. For all I know the better shave is a result of the mug soap and the brush.In either case, I always shave in the shower with a mirror.I've always been sentimental. I like shaving with the same razor my grandfather used, along with the same vintage Old Spice shaving mug. I never knew my grandfather (he died prior to my birth), but he handed it down to my father who prefers the more modern razors.(I also drink my morning coffee from a mug my late aunt used. I remember over 35 years ago the ritual with which she drank her coffee from that mug. Spilling about a third of the coffee into the saucer for it to cool. She'd even set the mug back down into the saucer. Then, she'd go flip the bacon---come back to her mug, and pour the cooled coffee from the saucer back into the mug. While I just drink scorching hot coffee straight from the same mug, I think of her ritual every time I pour a cup. When I pick up that razor, I often wonder about the ritual my grandfather must've gone through while using it.)