Anyone feel that they get a better shave with a cart?

[Bookie]

I conducted 3 small tests in last 3 days since thread has become active again.
I could not answer the question.
Driven by the title question and another one what would be the best combo on a days when running late for work or faculty lecture.
Participants have been; Gillette Superspeed flare tip vs Schick ST2 (2 blades) vs Feintechnik's challenge (3 blades razor).
One pass shave with usual touch up on lower neck. Stretching skin on my sideburns for closer shave .
I was using second mirror to check my profile to see how noticeable is that shadow immediately after shaving.
First day; I decided to start with my favourite modern razor- ST2
Did one pass, went xtg on lower neck as additional touch up
Result was SAS, small burning after applying aftershave. Noticeable shadow in spite being smooth.
Second day (yesterday)- Challenge 3
I was expecting the best result from this one, after one pass, shave seemed the same with ST2, difference was Challenge was closer on cheeks, but ST2 was under the face.
Result; SAS, and a lot more burning when aftershave was applied.Noticeable shadow in spite being smooth.
3rd day (today); Gillette SS Flare tip loaded with MeM Platinum blade.
This is an underdog, I was expecting just a normal shave with noticeable shadow and stubble under fingers when rubbing it against the grain. I was so wrong.
Result: Clean close shave. When rubbing it against the grain almost nothing. Burning feeling after aftershave-NONE
It's logical, cartridges are limited because they're spaced into cartridge parallel with lubrastrip and that rubber. While DE has much more adjustable angle and blade is more prominent, pulling skin has much bigger effect.

Actually my problem was I was using either only DE or cartridge, never one after another and my memory could not exactly remember how shave went before 10 days since I was using cartridge for 10 days in a row.
I knew I could get good shave with DE with just one pass but could not precisely compare one with another.
In terms of how fast shave went DE was quicker, I'm using DE for almost 6 years and I have muscle memory, Challenge skipped few places so I had to pass that place again. Since both ST2 and Challenge have lubrastrips I could not get under the nose so I tried with going from left to right or right to left but also cartridge has too big sides.
And most importantly I was biased. Last week I bought 10 Challenge cartridges (aren't that expensive, actually 6$ for 10 carts) and I wanted them to be better than DE and ST2.
Now I'm stuck with 9 more cartridges.

 

[LLP2112]

After a year of both DE and straight shaving, I've gotten very busy lately and started looking for a time-saving alternative without going back to the dreaded electric which always left me very irritated.

I've purchased a large variety of cart razors and so far, the Mach 3 Power works best and the Fusion Proglide Power is #2. Only issue with the Proglide is that it can't get the hairs at the corner of my lips but one quick swipe with a straight on either side takes care of that in about 10 seconds. The Sensor Excel also gave me a good shave but with more time spent getting the rough spots taken care of. Today I tried the Dorco Pace 6 and that was total garbage- very irritation and left me with 4-5 nicks vs. none with the other carts!

In all I'm finding that with the same prep and high-quality soap and brush that we use with traditional wet shaving, a cart can perform surprisingly well and I get a closer shave in less time. (I can get BBS with a DE but figure on 15-20 minutes vs. 5 with one of the good carts).

 

[Komboloi]

Do I get a "better shave" with a cartridge razor? I get a smoother more comfortable shave, but not a better shave.

Traditional wet shaving with a DE or injector razor is an overall satisfying experience for me. I enjoy the ritual, I enjoy the mindfulness of it, I enjoy the fact that I need to be on my game every day to do it properly, and I enjoy wielding the machine -- often a very old machine -- whose blade I have chosen and installed myself.

So in the end, it's not just a question of which type of razor produces smoother skin or which is the more efficient tool.

Traditional wet shaving has taught how the hairs grow on different parts of my face and neck and how best to meet them with a razor. It's also taught me that good preparation and a good lather, properly applied, improves shave quality.

So now when I use my trusty Gillette Fusion (it's my "carry on only" razor), I use it with the ritual, tools, and attention to detail I learned through traditional wet shaving. I've blessed it with a nice faux horn handle from Edwin Jagger, so it's a "nice" razor, not a cheap clump of injection-molded plastic. The results are outstanding for me. The skin is at least as smooth as with a DE or injector, more consistently smooth, and the shave is always incredibly comfortable. Never a weeper or nick.

But does that make it a "better shave?" No, not for me. Because smooth skin is not all I'm after with my shaving. There's more to it, and that "more" is what traditional wet shaving provides. Still, I do love my Fusion, now that I have adorned it with a proper handle and know how to use it properly.

The cost per shave is about 10 times that of DE razors, factoring in the number of shaves I get from a blade/cartridge and the cost of each. But for all the money I've spent on DE and injector razors, I could have purchased several lifetimes worth of Fusion cartridges. That's not a fair comparison, because cartridge shaving will never be a hobby.