Cartridges or safety razors?

[jebib3]

In my long experience in shaving I moved from safety razors to cartridges for the safety and convenience they provided. With the advent of the multi-blade the advertising suggests that the shave is closer too. Is there any reason to believe that the cartridge does shave relatively speaking closer than the safety razor blade?

Another thing I have discovered since my return to safety razor shaving is just how aggressive my shaving had become with a cartridge razor especially when shaving ATG. Have others also had this experience?

 

[luvmysuper]

I don't believe there is any emprical evidence. If there were, it would surely be referred to by the big two. Claims of the "lift and cut" have never been proved.

Yes, the cart razors encourage you to press into the face, it's the only way to get a decent shave with the things.

Switching to the DE, it takes a while for the muscles to forget that process and learn the new process of no pressure.

 

[Azza]

No way is a cartridge closer!
I don't need scientific experiments to tell me that.
The cartridge may take more off per pass but I can get a much closer shave with a DE than a cartridge.

I still use both. Also guilty of pressing into the face with the cartridge, but my DE shaving has affected my cartridge shaving (pressing hard) technique.

Aaron

 

[Markh3rd]

I will give you your empirical evidence! LoL no but here is my common sense approach to it. Cart's are covered in a box, and the blades can be pressed hard to your face without cutting you. Now try that with a DE razor (actually don't try that, it's just an example). You KNOW the DE razor will cut you if you press like that. So one sacrifices close shaves for safety, the other gives you control of the "safety" or the "closeness" you desire.

Why multiple blades then? Does it lift and cut? No it doesn't. A blade cuts period. If one blade in a DE razor cuts all your whiskers, then so should the first blade in a multi-blade razor. Why have multi-blades then? Because you sacrificed closeness for safety (razor is retracted into the cartridge and not overly exposed), if you add more razors it will act like multiple passes in one pass.

However, this is made somewhat moot because the extra blades also fill up with gunk faster than single blades do. So you are back to square one. In the end, a single blade is superior although slower than multi-blades, unless your sole concern is conservative shaves that are fool proof mostly from cuts.

 

[takeshi]

With the advent of the multi-blade the advertising suggests that the shave is closer too. Is there any reason to believe that the cartridge does shave relatively speaking closer than the safety razor blade?

Only if you buy into advertising above all else...

 

[Markh3rd]

One more peice of common sense evidence hehe. Now take a multi-blade razor and measure the distance between the front edge of the first blade and the front edge of the second blade. Got it? Now take a pair of tweazers and pull your beard hair out of your face by that amount and see if you feel it. I promise you, you will. It hurts.

So if the front blade is truly "pulling" your beard hair out further for the second blade to cut, you would feel that pull immediately. You don't do you? That's because the first blade does indeed cut like any blade would, the second blade just cuts over the same spot again. And so on with blade 3,4,and 5. All at the same level of penetration, all scrapping the same area.

Take your finger nail and pull it on your skin a little. Now take all your fingers and drag them across your skin. Which was more irritating to your skin? See the common sense science works!

 

[DE Shaver]

If you are relatively experienced at using a DE razors, your shave will be as close (or closer) when compared a cartridge razor system. Cartridge razor systems offer convenience, error tolerance and a relatively easy shave without the requisite skills. However, you pay for those advantages in terms of cost. Ultimately, as you use cartridge systems, human natures takes over. Your shaving skills can degrade as you become "lazy" in your routine.

Pressing with the cartridge razor becomes the default approach with the majority of users. The designer of cartridge systems realize this, hence, the reason some cartridge systems require more pressure than DE shaving. If you practice the same skills you learned with DE wet shaving, you will have great shaves with a cartridge. Regardless, DE wet shaving does not take second place against a cartridge system in terms of shaving closeness.

 

[Permit]

Something popped into my mind; if you are using multiple blades, the pressure from each blade decrease as the number of blades increase. This should tell us that five blades are better than two, if low pressure is something desired. Anyway, this reasoning does not say anything about DE's vs cartridges, only that IF you already use a cartridge, use one with more blades to decrease risk of cuts.

ON THE OTHER hand, say that every blade (in contact with the skin) removes some of the outer layer of the skin, more blades will probably remove more (some removed skin is fine) skin; i.e. irritation.

Thus, if you have sensitive skin - use a DE, if not, use whatever!

EDIT: But still, use a DE

 

[sj184]

No Cartridge razor (and i have tried several) can shave as close for my beard than a DE. They are just not sharp enough. I could manage a DFS. But for those special occasions when I want to go for BBS, a cartridge just ain't gonna cut it.

In saying that, I know a handful of shavers who use traditional soaps/creams with their cartridge razor and get wonderful results. Therefore, Everyone's beard is different.

If I were to use a cartridge razor, it would be a sensor excel - even then I can noly go WTG. XTG and ATG result in major irritation.

 

[Go West Young Man]

If you know what you're doing, any razor system will give you a good shave.

 

[SUNA]

If you know what you're doing, any razor system will give you a good shave.

Pretty much.

I feel I can get excellent BBS's with both. It's just easier with a cartridge. I wish Feather made cartridges.

 

[jansob]

Feather does make carts in Japan...but they are overhyped Fusion clones. Haven't tried them and won't bother as long as their DE blades are made.

 

[HerbalAbuse]

Well my first ever razor was a Mach 3, then it was a Fusion with disposables sometimes. I shaved with the Fusion and Mach 3 mostly for around 10 years, most of the time going ATG.

I bought a Merkur slant about a month ago now and have never had a closer shave ever, that is proof that a DE can give a closer shave. It's quite obvious if you think about it - with a DE you can hold it as aggressive as you like, and get it as close as you like, but with a cartridge the blades are at a set angle and you have to use them that way, suppose it's just for user friendliness a general setting that the average person will find ok

 

[hoslerd]

I don't have any "scientific evidence" but I shaved with cartridge razors (and the occasional electric) my whole life until a couple of months ago when I stared DE shaving.

I never got anywhere near as good a shave or enjoyed shaving at all until I started using DEs. DE razors give far superior shaves. I always had 5 O'clock shadow at around noon, now I have a better shave the next morning than I did at noon prior to DE shaving.

Everyone makes up there own mind and decides what is more important to them i.e. speed and convenience vs. quality and comfort.

 

[Go West Young Man]

I don't have any "scientific evidence" but I shaved with cartridge razors (and the occasional electric) my whole life until a couple of months ago when I stared DE shaving.

I never got anywhere near as good a shave or enjoyed shaving at all until I started using DEs. DE razors give far superior shaves. I always had 5 O'clock shadow at around noon, now I have a better shave the next morning than I did at noon prior to DE shaving.

Everyone makes up there own mind and decides what is more important to them i.e. speed and convenience vs. quality and comfort.

Did you also use the same quality products, perform the same level of prep and use the same multipass techniques with the cartridges?

 

[Marco]

If you know what you're doing, any razor system will give you a good shave.

Excellent. I totally agree.

 

[buyandhold2018]

If you know what you're doing, any razor system will give you a good shave.

+2, it's all about knowing the tools and how best to use them.

 

[Myosin]

I am about to place an order for my first DE razor.

From what I have read so far on this forum many people are either shaving wrong with cartridges or are greatly over exaggerating their negative traits.

I have been shaving with the Fusion for 4 years, and before that I used the Mach 3.

I haven't cut myself since I was 16 years old learning how to shave (23 now).

The only time I get irritated is when I over use the cartridge and the blades are dull. Because of how expensive they are I have a bad habit of trying to squeeze more life out of them. It essentially costs $4.00 a week to shave using cartridges.

With a fresh fusion cartridge I get completely smooth shaves with zero irritation and don't have to shave again for two days.

The barber who introduced me to DE razors told me that in the hands of an experienced shaver the only thing a DE has over a cartridge is price per blade. 0.10cent vs $4.00 per week to shave. This is why I am switching.

IMO as long as you have a sharp blade, the pre and post shave ritual are more important than the razor.

 

[BladeDE40]

I agree with the fact that with the proper prep and good technique one should be able to get a good shave regardless of the instrument. I do agree however that the multiblade systems particularly the 4-5 bladers do get gunked up faster as there is very little space between the blades...I do notice this being more of a problem when using quality creams and soap v. canned goo...

 

[Ignatius]

I find cartridges (at least well made ones; Sensor and M3) give closer shaves than DE razors, at the cost of some neck irritation and lots of money.