Why are cartridge razors so much easier to shave with. This is the case for me at least. I'm assuming that the blades angle on the cartridges are just right for no matter which way you are shaving? They've dumbed up the process so you can't screw it up? What gives? All I know is that I get close irritation free shaves and no cuts with a cartridge yet I'm still learning DE after some time now. Just seems easier for me.
Cartridge razors easier
- Thread starter cobainngc
- Start date
Yep. Pre-angled blades and a pivoting head make the angle easier than with a DE. However, the multi-blades create problems with ingrown hairs for many shavers.
For me, DE shaving yields better results and it took me about 3-4 weeks to develop the technique I needed to exceed cart results.
If carts work better for you, that's fine. This is all about finding what is best for you, not anyone else.
For me, DE shaving yields better results and it took me about 3-4 weeks to develop the technique I needed to exceed cart results.
If carts work better for you, that's fine. This is all about finding what is best for you, not anyone else.
Carts are easier, that's true. You can pick it up when you're first starting out and have no issues. Carts don't require you to worry about pressure or blade angle. You just rub it on your face and go. However, they're cheaply produced and sold for a huge mark up. They are engineered to fail and you must replace them at 5 dollars a blade head. That's a huge rip off compared to DE.
It took me several months to get it down .Glad I stuck with it. And yes I still have bad shaves sometimes. But I cut myself with a cart some days, too.
It took me several months to get it down .Glad I stuck with it. And yes I still have bad shaves sometimes. But I cut myself with a cart some days, too.
As stated, the areas where carts are better than de are in speed and ease of use. I equate it to using a microwave vs using an oven. The cost of carts, short life span, cheap build and the fact that I can get far superior shaves with se, de and straights is why I will never entertain using a cart again. The actual final product of shaving with a cart may be pretty good....but in my opinion isn't really worth it. In any case, ymmv.
Cartridge Razors- Fast, somewhat close shave. Expensive. Major irritation, for me. Major ingrown hairs, for me. Makes shaving a dreaded chore. No nostalgia or pride involved in this type of shaving. No skill involved in using. Designed for maximum profit, for the maker.
Vintage Shaving(straight razors,DE razors, SE razors, injectors)- As close of a shave as you want or need. Skill needed. Pride in learning to master the skill used in this type of shaving. A skill that can be passed on to your kids/grandkids. Very low cost factor, as long as you don't become addicted to collecting. No irritation shaves, for me. No more ingrown hairs, for me. Shaving becomes enjoyable, for me. The razors used are tanks, able to be passed down for generations. A lot of these razors are works of art, suitable for display.
In parting, how many of you cartridge shaves are going to will their Mach 3 handles to their favorite, or best deserving heirs?
Vintage Shaving(straight razors,DE razors, SE razors, injectors)- As close of a shave as you want or need. Skill needed. Pride in learning to master the skill used in this type of shaving. A skill that can be passed on to your kids/grandkids. Very low cost factor, as long as you don't become addicted to collecting. No irritation shaves, for me. No more ingrown hairs, for me. Shaving becomes enjoyable, for me. The razors used are tanks, able to be passed down for generations. A lot of these razors are works of art, suitable for display.
In parting, how many of you cartridge shaves are going to will their Mach 3 handles to their favorite, or best deserving heirs?
Ive just recently started shaving without the cart. I have a shavette which I have used about 15 times, also have a DE which I won in a PIF which I'm 2 shaves in. Immediately on trying the DE, I threw out the old mach 3 handle, I found it so much more enjoyable than using a cart. Each to their own though. Try and it you may like it.
Carts always produce a decent shave when I use them, but never a good or outstanding one. DE shaving takes a bit more time, but gives better — sometimes much better — results, and is more enjoyable.
2 shaves in for me after 17+ years of carts and I think DE is far easier. My issue with the carts is they like to get caught on and rip hair out from my chin and throat after only 2 days without shaving. Plus they go dull pretty quickly. Can't speak for how long the DE will stay sharp yet, but being able to shave with no pain is amazing to me. Only thing I don't like with the DE so far is the soaping. Seems to be the biggest pain I have found with it.
I will say though that as far as did finding blades and ease of use though you are right in the cart. If I could just grab a can of shaving creme and a cart and go to town without pain & bleeding everywhere I would have stuck with it. So if it works for you that is fantastic. Haven't thrown my fusion away just yet, but if I do wind up using it again will be for like a work emergency getting called in or something.
I will say though that as far as did finding blades and ease of use though you are right in the cart. If I could just grab a can of shaving creme and a cart and go to town without pain & bleeding everywhere I would have stuck with it. So if it works for you that is fantastic. Haven't thrown my fusion away just yet, but if I do wind up using it again will be for like a work emergency getting called in or something.
Use whatever you like and enjoy the best. It's all about what is more comfortable for you.
I'll admit it takes a lot more skill and practice to have a great shave with a DE than it was does with a cart. It's also easier to call a repairman to fix something rather than doing it yourself. But you get a lot more satisfaction when you fix something yourself. I get more satisfaction making my own lather and shaving with a single blade in a DE than I do with some canned gel and a cartridge razor.
I equate it to driving with an automatic transmission vs. a stick shift.
This is exactly how I would describe it too.
I was hanging on to my Quattro just because I found it really hard to get my DE into my nose enough to get all of my moustache, but I could pitch that now without worry.
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Yes, carts may be easier, but they don't provide as good a shave as the DE or SE razors that I use.
As for under the nose, I use a Schick I-1 injector for that. The Gillette Fat Boy makes it tricky, for using under my nose. My wife uses two I-1 injectors, in rotation. When her blade starts getting dull, on one, I take that razor for myself, and put a new blade in the other, for her. The more dull one gets sterilized and that is my undernose razor.
I started shaving via DE 50+ years ago. Switched to carts with the Willinson bonded blade (it was real goog.). Then to the track Ii. It wasn't bad jut the odd ingrown hair now and then. I then tried the Mach 3's and their successors and got ingrown hairs all the tine. Then went to electrics. They worked, but after many years my beard adjusted and I couldn't get a decent shave.
One day about 9 months ago, while browsing Amazon, I stumbled upon DE's. I ordered a cheap one and the rest is history. I'm back where I started rotating now between a 47 Superspeed, 52 Tech, and a Schick Krona. Ingrown hairs have disappeared, minimal irritation, shaving takes about the same amount of time as with a cart, and generally it's cheaper than cart. The Scotsman in me likes that as does SWMBO.
One day about 9 months ago, while browsing Amazon, I stumbled upon DE's. I ordered a cheap one and the rest is history. I'm back where I started rotating now between a 47 Superspeed, 52 Tech, and a Schick Krona. Ingrown hairs have disappeared, minimal irritation, shaving takes about the same amount of time as with a cart, and generally it's cheaper than cart. The Scotsman in me likes that as does SWMBO.
The reasons that carts are easier:
1) The blade angle is built in to the system. As long as you hold the cartridge flat against your skin, the blades will always be at an angle that will cut hairs and provide a low risk of cutting skin/causing irritation.
2) The head is on a pivot, and the blades are on springs. This means that as you move the cart from place to place, you don't have to worry about changing the angle because it pivots and does that for you.
3) The pressure you apply is spread out over multiple blades. This is a feature that nobody talks about much. Think about lying on your back on two thin edged pieces of wood; now imagine that there were 20 of those edges spread out over your back. It's a lot more comfortable with 20 edges than with two. That's because the weight of your body is spread out (distributed) over these multiple places. The 5-bladed monstrosity does the same thing. People apply way too much pressure, but because it is spread out over the 5 blades, it spreads that pressure out.
In short, the cartridge has been specifically engineered to allow you to shave using horrendous technique. The cartridge razor, in other words, assumes that you don't have any idea how to shave. The DE razor, by way of contrast, assumes that you have shaving skill.
I much prefer the DE, but it took me MONTHS, not weeks, to develop the type of skill that is required to make the DE shave superior.
1) The blade angle is built in to the system. As long as you hold the cartridge flat against your skin, the blades will always be at an angle that will cut hairs and provide a low risk of cutting skin/causing irritation.
2) The head is on a pivot, and the blades are on springs. This means that as you move the cart from place to place, you don't have to worry about changing the angle because it pivots and does that for you.
3) The pressure you apply is spread out over multiple blades. This is a feature that nobody talks about much. Think about lying on your back on two thin edged pieces of wood; now imagine that there were 20 of those edges spread out over your back. It's a lot more comfortable with 20 edges than with two. That's because the weight of your body is spread out (distributed) over these multiple places. The 5-bladed monstrosity does the same thing. People apply way too much pressure, but because it is spread out over the 5 blades, it spreads that pressure out.
In short, the cartridge has been specifically engineered to allow you to shave using horrendous technique. The cartridge razor, in other words, assumes that you don't have any idea how to shave. The DE razor, by way of contrast, assumes that you have shaving skill.
I much prefer the DE, but it took me MONTHS, not weeks, to develop the type of skill that is required to make the DE shave superior.
This pretty much sums it up. To me and probably the majority here there's a certain "reward" in taking the extra time, slowing down and enjoying a nice shave with brush and lather.
You'll get the hang of it. Stick with one razor combo and learn it (this is easier than switching around). It's VASTLY more enjoyable and affordable compared to the absurd cost of today's cartridge razors. If what you're using isn't a good combo for you then experiment until you find what works.
Kilroy6644
Smoking a corn dog in aviators and a top hat
You nailed it. Cartridge razors are easier because they're designed to be. But if cartridge shaving works for you, no reason to give it up. There are plenty of good reasons to take up the DE, but it sounds like in your case, none of them are compelling. Cost is a big one. Quality of the shave is another, but that's more of a subjective quality. To this day, nothing beats my Mach 3 for smoothness. The Fusion and the Sensor come close, and the first shave with my Super Adjustable was close, but the Mach 3 still tops them. The point is, in shaving, the end justifies the means. Do what works for you, and if more than one way works, pick the one you enjoy the most. I would advise you to stick with DE, though. It's a skill worth learning, and once you have it down you'll get great shaves. Also, the extra attention it requires translates well to cartridge shaving. It may or may not improve the shaves get with carts, but you'll better appreciate how they work.
The blade exposure is also pre set on carts and so some perceive them as a lot smoother. De razors vary a lot in gap, exposure. I think once you find the right de razor for you, one that is right in that sweet spot in terms of blade gap, exposure, aggression, and you start getting a truly smooth shave from one, you'll never be able to put it down for the rest of your life. You should pick up an adjustable and play around with one a bit, I know the slim was a great first razor for me and Im very glad I had the option to adjust the aggression of the blade, and once I found the right setting and that smoothness was felt, I knew de was going to be for me. You just gotta experiment a little. btw, Progress is a great shaver as well. You can pretty much guarantee you'll find the shave you want with it.
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I would also add #4. The leading blades on a cart are actually duller than the trailing blades. This ensures the Pull-Then-Cut action that gives you the close shave. It also makes cutting yourself with them less likely than with DE.
