(I am writing through my wife's profile)...!
I started my search for safety razors driven by ecological concerns (throwing plastic razors in the trash...) I started reading, watching videos, learning terminology like open comb, closed comb, two-piece, three-piece, etc., one shaves, the other doesn't cut, and somewhere I said: I will go to a specialist. I went to a relevant store in Argyroupoli and trusted the experts!
The employee served me perfectly and told me how things are (without extremes as they write a lot here...) I told him about my shaving profile (once or twice a week, not against the grain), he saw my beard and recommended me to get a hybrid type so that I could have the benefits of both designs. I didn't get the cheapest one (12.5 €) and I got the Yaqi because it had more weight, longer length, and textured handle, so it wouldn't slip from my hand.
Having a week's worth of beard, the employee had told me, among other things:
1) First, take a shower,
2) Warm up the brush with water,
3) Mix with the shaving soap of choice (I got a soft one, specifically for shaving, 6 €),
4) Apply,
5) Shave first with the open comb and then with the closed comb.
-He gave me two blades, one was the Gillette-platinum (milder) and the other was the perma-sharp (more aggressive)-
After I put on the Gillette and with a little anxiety, I started shaving...
-You know, I said to myself with the first stroke;
-How foolish I was all these years not shaving like this!
Take it with closed eyes! Its hybrid advantage makes it very useful!
That's it.