That doesn't seem like a proper comparison. Nobody replaces their Mach 3 cartridge after every other shave but that's a common recommendation for DE blades.

> It legitimately took me 5 years to get really good and I still sometimes cut myself

Wow, if that isn't a strong indictment of saving pennies, I don't know what is.

Yeah, but you can buy a box of 100 DE blades for, like, $15. (Seriously: see https://www.westcoastshaving.com/collections/bulk-de-safety-...) So even if you change the blade every other shave, it still comes out cheaper.

This is a benefit of standardization: DE blades all have a common form factor, so any handle can use any blade. That means every DE blade maker is competing with all the others, which drives prices down. Cartridges on the other hand are all proprietary to the vendor that made the handle they fit with, so there's much less downward pressure on the pricing.

> if that isn't a strong indictment of saving pennies, I don't know what is.

The thing about a DE blade versus a cartridge is that with a DE the range of possible outcomes is much wider than it is with a cartridge. A DE blade can produce shaves ranging from "ow, I cut myself!" to "smooth as a baby's bottom", depending on the technique you apply to it. A cartridge won't ever cut you, but it'll also never give you as close a shave as you can get with a well-wielded DE blade; it provides a consistently mediocre shave every time.

To put this in terms HN readers will appreciate, arguments about DE versus cartridge tend to be kind of like arguments about vim/emacs versus IDEs. Vim and emacs users love to talk about all the crazy things they can do with their editor that no IDE can match, but they rarely talk about the learning curve they had to climb to reach that level of technique. Whereas IDEs tend to be less elegant, but by hewing more closely to modern desktop interface standards they let their users reach an acceptable level of productivity faster. Those IDE users will never reach the heights of wizardry that are possible with vim or emacs, but since very few programmers are true wizards anyway that doesn't really matter much to everyone else. Like the cartridge razor, the IDE is "good enough."

I don't for a minute believe that cartridge razors are incapable of giving me equally good shaves.

99% of the benefits of DE and straights is the incredible care you have to take with your technique, the awareness you need of your face's contours, and the grain of your beard over in multiple passes.

People who stick with wet-shaving care a lot about getting all of that right, and do a lot of work to get there. Similar attention to those things while using a cartridge will get you similar results. At least in my experience.

I wet-shave because it is more environmentally friendly, and I love the ritual. Also, it is cheaper.

I've been surprised in this thread about people talking about taking incredible care. It came very naturally to me. I was put off using DEs for decades because I thought they were hard to use and dreaded cutting myself. Now I'm sad I never used them before.

I would do a very poor job compared to all the knowledge there.

I feel like that some people (myself included at times) just like to develop skills with a steep learning curve regardless of how much benefit it actually incurs.

No, it's not. If anything there is a belief that DE blades actually stay sharp and last longer than cartridge blades. I don't know if there's any evidence to that, but the effect is that many DE shavers keep their blades for a number of shaves. I suspect that some are more inclined to swap blades frequently because the blades are so (comparatively) cheap.

I’m not sure how much you could reuse a single blade. Of course I think it was like $25 for 100.

For comparison, I’ve also used a Mach 3 blade for a month, so the Mach 3 blades lasted longer than a single blade but cost much more $40 for 10.

I find this hard to believe. I can use a single Gillette Fusion 5 cartridge for a month or more.

For me, the most noticeable difference is my daughter would never use my DE safety razor on her legs. The cartridge style.. well.. they dulled out way faster than they should have from my usage.

A $30 Wahl Peanut with a few guides, and 5-10 less minutes wasted in the morning per trim... and you get a beard!

Not everyone can grow a full beard.

[1] https://www.amazon.com/Wahl-Stainless-Rechargeable-Professio...

https://www.amazon.com/Grooming-Rechargeable-Trimmers-Profes...

I’ve had it since 2016. I mostly use it for shaving my head.

I develop dandruff under facial hair, just like the top of my head.

1. Regular hot water on your hair and beard dries out your skin terribly. Especially during winter. You need to use luke warm showers and probably avoid washing your head every time you shower. Use cold water on your face afterwards and gently dry it off. Which leads into the other point.

2. Stop touching your face so much. Routinely or obsessively touching your face or beard irritates it a lot. That can inflame the skin, causing it to over produce skin, oil, etc.

Also using too much beard oil as well can cause irritation. Your skin doesn't need too much oil. Only what it produces naturally (when you don't wash it away with soap or hot water).

For me, after learning with a shavette straight razor, the DE is easy mode for when I have no time.

The majority of that comes from the handle, not the blades. You can buy 100/500 pack of blades for dirt cheap

Like DE, it takes some practice, and in addition, requires maintenance. I use a leather strop on a rigid surface with 0.5 micron diamond paste, but the traditional method is a hanging strop and occasional honing on stones.

It's not a hobby for me, but it is a considerably more comfortable shave than cartridges. On the rare occasions I've used cartridges after getting used to the straight, I've noticed irritation, which I hadn't when I was used to cartridges.

Of course, it has a cost in time, but the straight razor itself can be faster than other razors because the blade is longer and it doesn't clog. I'm not sure if it's a net win, but I'm sure it's close.

To me straight razors represent community, whereas cartridge/disposables represent isolation, loneliness and obviously disposability. The people who are too afraid to use a straight razor, have to go to a barber to experience it. That's fantastic as it creates more social elements to this routine aspect of life.

With a hollow-ground razor, the most popular style, the blade is held flat against the strop or hone and the width of the spine holds the edge at the proper angle. This makes serious mis-sharpening less likely. It probably does help to have some knife sharpening experience though.

My method using a bench strop and diamond compound is not traditional, but I've found that as long as there's no actual damage to the edge, it always restores proper sharpness while more traditional methods with a hanging strop require sharpening on a stone every few months.

I use a oneblade now, and ignore what it costs. It’s fast, convenient, safe, and has never once cut me.

I tend to just keep my facial hair trimmed. I try not to use a blade because it irritates my neck. I do Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, so I'm sure the grappling contributes to the irritation, which is partially why I've all but given up on shaving with any form of blade.

I tried DE and it simply did not shave as well as gilette, no matter what the blade. I had a permanent 5'oclock shadow because of how thick and dark my beard is where as gilette was a clean shave with zero effort.

Point is, whatever razor works for you, works for you. End of story.

I'm glad Harry's found a nice exit, I guess, although on general principle I wish they'd been more invested in staying independent than they evidently were.

That said, I thin the price has gone up since they came out. Saw 12 refills for $25.99 at Target and I could swear they were lots cheaper when I first tried them.

Or you buy during a sale. I got so many Dorco razors I bought for not much, I think less than $1/each... Put an alert on Slickdeals.

I've used a DE with these https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0077LAJT2, https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B014HJKZ2C, and https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000NL0T1G. Amazon tells me the last time I bought them was almost 2 years ago. I shave about every week and a half, with a new blade each time, and I'm just about 2/3 through this one $8 box.

It takes some getting used to, but I haven't nicked myself seriously in a year or two. Seriously worth trying it out if you haven't already.

I settled on the Persona Blue blades, fwiw.

I purchased a Merkur because it had awesome reviews, then got their “large” size but they’re both laughably small IMHO.

P.S. I claim I’m older and boringer, but I wasn’t smart enough to snag that username ;)

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2702518

https://www.amazon.com/Merkur-Long-Handled-Safety-Razor/dp/B...

I turned a simple aluminum handle when I switched to a DE safety razor, because I had the same reaction to what was available. Matched the thread of the one I purchased, turned the handle a bit longer and fatter, and then knurled the lower 3/4ths of it.

It's a very easy and fun lathe project with very few critical dimensions.

I am reminded of "Acronyms Seriously Suck" (Elon Musk memo)

Dorco razors are the best option. They make the razors for Dollar Shave Club, but are cheaper. They've been in business a long time and make a great product.

> It's sometimes pointed out that (in the past, at least, cannot confirm this is still true) Dollar Shave Co. is just reselling handles and blades made by a company called Dorco. While true, it turns out that buying the DSC-branded gear is actually cheaper in most cases than buying it straight from Dorco, unless you buy a lot at a time.

I can't talk too much about straight razors, I think they're a bit dangerous without a good amount of practice.

Safety razors are fine for below jawline shaving, though you will probably nick yourself a bit until used to it. I use a Merkur 25C and have a beard and I think it's excellent. Rarely nick myself. Could never use electrics or modern disposables effectively, they tended to load up and clog badly.

At first you will be slow, as worried about cutting yourself. You probably won’t actually cut yourself until you relax about it after while...