For the 24 years that I was on active duty, and the four years before that when I was in ROTC in college, growing a beard was not an option. When I "retired" in 1990 one of the first things I did was to stop shaving every day. On and off over the last 33 years I have had long beards, short beards, Van Dyke beards, and for the last couple of years, no beard at all. Most days I just use my electric shaver, but while that gets my face to look clean shaven, it does not feel smooth. So every other day I shave with a disposable Gillete razor, which lasts a dozen shaves or so before I have to replace it. I would never go back to the old double edge "safety" razors with which I would end up with small cuts on my face more often than not.