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Since I've been writing about my recent epiphany that the Injector razor can actually deliver an ever better quality shave than the classic double-edge DE razor preferred by 4 out of 5 shavegeeks, I can't tell you how many distinguished gentlemen of wetshaving letters have come out of the closet to privately email me about their secret preference for the Injector, and how it's been burning like a secret bonfire within their savage breast lo these many years of DE loyalty.

"Of course you found that the Injector is easier to use and gives a closer shave," said one well-known online presence on the shavegeek forums. "I figured this out back in the '70s, but I've been using a DE because the blades are easier to find."

"The Injector is a better design than the double-edge razor, both in terms of the razor itself and the blades, which are thicker and more like a straight razor than a DE," said another well-known wetshaving expert.

"I tried an Injector back in the '60s and I knew instantly that this razor was better than a DE," said one of the most well-known online vendors of wetshaving gear.

So why have all these guys kept mum about their favorite safety razor, and let the rest of us build a cult around the humble Gillette DE and its Merkurian offspring?

Two reasons. First, aside from a onesie-twosie here and there, there's only been one company making Injector razors -- Schick. And when they quit making them, that was that. So you couldn't and still can't buy aftermarket Injector razors and fancy handles and all the assorted gew-gawry that you can for the DE. If you can't score an old Schick from somewhere, you're out of luck. No Injector for you!

DE razors, on the other hand, were made by dozens of companies over the last hundred years, and they continue to be manufactured in large numbers to this day by companies like Merkur and even Wilkinson, who still crank out plastic safety razors for the DE faithful and anyone else too smart to fall for the multi-blade trip.

But most importantly, Injector blades aren't as easy to come by in many parts of the world as DE blades, which themselves are a unicorn-like rarity compared to Mach3, Quattro, and Sensor blades. Buying them online is as easy as clicking over to Amazon.com, but most men simply buy whatever their local drugstore or grocery store carries, and most don't carry Injector blades and haven't for quite awhile.

So the Injector faded from the wetshaving scene, and though a few diehard fans like Gordon (eminence grise of the Wetshavers forums past and present) have kept talking them up on the forums, the vast majority of shavegeeks have focused on the classic Gillette and the more recent Merkur DEs as the savior razior.

But now that a few guys have been trying the Injector and marveling at how incredibly well it shaves, and how much easier it is to master than a DE or especially the straight razor, whose quality of shave the Injector more closely mimics, suddenly the Injector is back in the spotlight and shavegeeks are beginning to consider that maybe, just maybe, the DE isn't the end-all be-all of wetshaving nirvana.

Listen, I love the DE. My Merkur HD, and the vintage Gillettes I've scored off eBay, are a pleasure to shave with. I've developed my technique over time, and I can get a fantastic shave with any of these world-class razors. They're leagues above a Mach3 in terms of shave quality, pleasure, and just plain coolness. If I could shave with nothing else, I'd be ecstatic. Give me an HD, some Taylor's rose shaving cream, and whatever Vulfix brush you choose I don't care what size it is, and I can get a superbly close shave with no irritation whatsoever.

But give me an Injector -- especially one loaded with a modified Feather Professional Super disposable straight razor blade that's been cut down to fit the razor -- and not only will my shave be much easier to do, but the shave will be noticeably closer while still remaining free of irritation. And the stubble will stay away for hours longer than a DE shave, just like it does with a good straight razor shave.

Yes, the Injector is definitely making a comeback. A razor this good can't stay a secret forever. I'm even hearing rumblings from some quarters that reissues are in the works -- several companies are making noise about bringing back the classic Injector and relaunching a newly manufactured version so that wetshavers who feel funny about trolling eBay for some dead guy's razor can buy a brand new model that shaves just as well as the vintage Injectors. Schick never stopped making the blades, and now that AndySam (blessed by thy name) figured out that you can use Feather disposable straight razor blades in any Injector if you clip them down to the right size, it looks like you'll be able to feed new blades into your Injector for many years to come.

Today I used my 1940s Feather/Injector rig with Proraso shaving cream in the green tube, a Vulfix brush, and some Proraso liquid aftershave balm to finish things off. Ho hum. Another day, another perfect shave. Close as a straight razor, easy as using an electric while you're half-asleep and spooning Wheaties into your pie-hole at the breakfast table. The best of both worlds.

I can't wait to see what happens with the Injector in the coming year. It's possible that in a few months' time, we'll see some newly manufactured Injectors on the market, which would be a godsend. And there's even some talk that Feather might begin producing a genuine Injector blade based on its disposable straight razor blades, so you could just jack them into your Injector like a regular blade without having to clip the current Feather blades down to the right size. I'm happy to keep clipping the Professional Super blades for the time being, but it would be excellent to simply buy an Injector magazine clip of proper-sized blades and just jack 'em into my razor like I can with the stock Schick blades.

It's all very exciting, but the question remains: now that the Injector and its longtime devotees are coming out of the closet (credit where credit's due : Gordon's been proudly "out" for quite some time, and in fact he's the one who "turned" me, girlfriend), can the shavegeek community peaceably accept those of us who choose to live an alternative shavestyle?