I bought a traditional "safety razor" 15 years ago, and haven't looked back since. No more razor burn. I shave regularly and got somewhat dense and coarse beard, yet I spend less than $10 a year on blades now, down from about $100 when I used disposable Gillette cartridges.
Shaving is an example of how consumer products extract more money
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Re: Shaving is an example of how consumer products extract more money
#22[deleted]
Re: Shaving is an example of how consumer products extract more money
#23The Gillette cartrdiges last quite a while and, for me, 15 shaves would be a conservative guess. I don't recall ever cutting myself either, unlike with old style razors and cheap disposables where it was pretty much a daily hazard. Nonetheless, I often go a week between shaves nowadays and this seems to be much more socially acceptable than used to be the case.
As I recall from a long ago experiment in school, a lot of the "wear" on a razor blade is actually corrosion. So it may actually be possible to extend the life in various ways.
depends on your beard hair, mine can blunt a razor after 1/2 of my face... I stopped using razors about 10 years ago, not just trim to stubble... shaving sucks
Re: Shaving is an example of how consumer products extract more money
#24There is maybe another reason why cartridge razors are standard now, apart from the lower upfront cost: They are foolproof. It's more or less impossible to hurt yourself with it. On the other hand, it's absolutly possible to cut yourself with a double edge / safety razor, as you have to handle a razor blade and you can scratch yourself quite badly if you don't hold it at the right angle. But IMO, as with many of the…
Not to nitpick, but more for other readers that want to read more, the term is "safety razor"
Ah, oops, thank you! :D
(In German it's called "Sicherheitsrasierer", literally security razor, mixed that up)
Re: Shaving is an example of how consumer products extract more money
#25Shoes with white along the bottom. What a scam. What putty the mind of the fashion hive is.
Re: Shaving is an example of how consumer products extract more money
#26The key thing to recognize with modern Gillette cartridges is that the blades last a lot longer than the lubricating strips. For me, those lubricating strips last a couple of shaves at most but I get 15-20 shaves out of the blades.
When the strip wears off the shaves get a bit uncomfortable while that stuff peels off but then they start to feel better again after that. A friend of mine actually hates the strip so much that she scrapes it off brand new razor cartridges before using them for the first time! I think the discomfort caused by the worn out lubricating strip is a subtle push by Gillette to get people to toss the cartridge and start a new one before the blades have even begun to dull.
Re: Shaving is an example of how consumer products extract more money
#27Disposable Gillettes have lasted me the longest with the least headache. more than 3 blades is insanity. I bet I get 25 shaves on a razor. not eco friendly but the plastic handle waste is minimal for 12 a year.
I'm in your club. I tried a few other ways to shave, always came back to the good ol' 3 blades (that seems to be more and more difficult to find in shops around my home)
Re: Shaving is an example of how consumer products extract more money
#28I just use my clippers and call it a day.
Same here. Close enough for me.
Re: Shaving is an example of how consumer products extract more money
#29Biggest issue with an injector razor blades (single edge/straight razor) is carry-on traveling through TSA. Apparently they want to keep a monopoly on barber studios at 30,000 MSL
Switched several years ago from cartridges to an injector blade system, and have never considered switching back.
Re: Shaving is an example of how consumer products extract more money
#30The Gillette cartrdiges last quite a while and, for me, 15 shaves would be a conservative guess. I don't recall ever cutting myself either, unlike with old style razors and cheap disposables where it was pretty much a daily hazard. Nonetheless, I often go a week between shaves nowadays and this seems to be much more socially acceptable than used to be the case.
Shaved head for 20+ years here. I use Gillette and get at least 8 weeks shaving daily without issue (ie. 8x7 = 56 shaves or 350% of your reported longevity). The trick is wet shaving (in the shower) with good lather (I use soap). Dry shaving is an anachronism in this day and age, save for water-scarce or highly unsanitary environments, where I prefer to just not bother.
As an aside, I'm pretty sure they are incrementally tweaking the chemistry of the blade-front indicator to break down more rapidly, which destroys the uniformity of the leading edge. IMHO older cartridges actually last longer. If you find a stash in the developing world or some other slow-moving place, buy them.