Carts vs DE Razors - Pros and cons of both

[Franz_Biberkopf]

I was thinking of a thread debunking (or confirming) myths on both sides of the 'shaving fence'. For instance - myth that carts cause more irritation and ingrowns - and if that's not true but you see it as a talking point by DE evangelists, you point it out.

Let me start:

Carts myth:
It takes a lot less time to shave. - In my case, only five minutes difference between DE and carts, as it takes time to spread the canned goo all over the face and takes a lot more rinsing.

DE myth:
A money saver on the long run. - In my case, false, as it only got me interested in shaving and I wound up spending way too much dinero on it.

Continue...

 

[Franz_Biberkopf]

More.

Carts myth - closer shave with less passes: In my case true. With two passes I get a BBS every time.

 

[RayClem]

As with nearly all things shaving, this is another one of the YMMV things. I have a very tough beard and very sensitive skin. I have shaved with cartridge razors, DE Razors, SE razors and straight razors. If I am in a big hurry, I shave in the shower with a cartridge razor using shampoo or conditioner for my lather. It gets the job done, but it is not a pleasurable experience. Normally, I use one of my shaving brushes to lather one of my excellent shaving soaps. Then I will shave with some combination of straights, DE or SE razors. I get my very best, closest, most comfortable shaves using a straight razor for the initial passes and then finishing up with a DE or SE razor for clean-up on my chin and jawline.

Using a straight razors does take a little more time as I spend a few minutes stropping the blade before use and clean and oil the blade after use. I also have to hone blades frequently as my beard is hard on edges and I want my edges to be both very sharp and very smooth.

From a financial point of view, I would have been far better of sticking with cartridge razors and shampoo. I have spent thousands of dollars on razors, hones, strops, blades, brushes and soaps. If I had an opportunity to do it all over again, I would make a few changes, but I would end up fairly close to what I have now.

Although I keep a cartridge razor hanging in the shower, the primary use is to shave the back of my neck every few days.

 

[Al Bundy]

On the subject of saving money by switching to DE shaving I have 2 suspicions:

1. In the short term most people will probably spend more as what seems like a whole new world of razors and soaps and brushes opens up to replace the existing one razor/one gel regime (as it was for me)
In time this may level well level out to one or two razors, one or two favourite soaps

2. The expense feels different because it is in some way voluntary. For example I've spent far, far more on software since switching but I don't mind doing so because of the variety of scents and other qualities
In my cartridge days I used only King of Shaves gel but found myself resenting the £3.75 I had to pay to buy each new tube!

As ever, YMMV

 

[Macfrommichigan]

Shaving is like eating. There are folks who eat cheap rice & beans, folks who eat fast food and frozen dinners, folks who dine. In the shaving world, folks who have a Tech and puck of VDH, folks who use disposables, folks who use carts, guys with a rotation of brushes, soaps, razors.

Enjoy your lunch. And your shave. May you get to do it again tomorrow.

 

[Twelvefret]

What I have learned from this forum is how to do a better job shaving than the shower shaving I did for decades. I am assuming this would apply to whatever your tool of choice happens to be.

This, however, is not a myth. A man could get a 1950 Gillette Superspeed or Schick Krona for less than $15 and 100 Astra SP blades for $9 that would keep him well groomed for years. From the prices I have seen, this would not be possible using modern shaving systems.

 

[psfred]

Cartridges: Pretty low skill level, adequate but not usually great shaves, very expensive. Many people get razor bumps and ingrown hairs from them, although I didn't. Just less than stellar shaves (using only water in the shower).

DE/SE: Much more skill required, but far better shaves. Much less irritation and longer lasting closer shaves. Once you get over the "I need every razor ever made" and "I have to try every blade ever made", much less expensive.

I have multiple lifetime supplies of blades and far too many razors, but I expect that will change as I sell or give away most of the razors. Always did get many shaves per blade, but good ones these days last me three months or more.

 

[Atinofpeas]

like for like, using a safety razor is far more economical than using a modern cartridge system at whatever price point you choose. E.G:
Cheap: Yaqi razor and brush with a a pack of 100 astras and a tub of WS soap. vs. Supermarket disposables and goop.

Expensive: Badger brush with a Muhle razor and a bowl of SV and Feathers. vs Gillette's finest.

Over a short enough period, the DE payback will always kick in.

You have to ignore any collecting and hobby costs when comparing the two.

DE shaving is vastly better for the environment. Disposables are a disgrace in comparison.

DE shaving should be better for your skin as well. Goop usually contains all sorts of stuff.
A Soap can be reasonably simple.

Given due time and technique, DE shaving gives a better result.

Cartridges excel in 3 key areas of modern life:

Time: You can be done in a flash with a cartridge.
Effort: 6 blade razors are a low effort shave by design.
Efficiency: It isnt going to be great, but it won't be awful either. Hard to nick yourself when you rely on the razor rather than technique.

Modern life is all about the last 3 points though so for most people, Disposable Cartridges win.

 

[Cphobes]

Both my son's have only one razor, blade and soap combo that costs very little. I have spent some cash on razors but overall I'm still way ahead vs. Cartridges even just for me. Blades alone for the three of us would be carts at least $6/week, DE blades are $0.50 total, it won't take long for me to overcome any razor acquisitions. Soaps aren't even either, we like Arko the cheapest you can get which beats canned goo every time. Brushes are pretty cheap as well.

I just ordered several hundred blades which cost less than a package of carts..

 

[BigJ]

The best thing about a cart is that it is easy to get one past TSA!!

For me ‘traditional wet shaving’ wins on most every other count! (And I save $ compared to other hobbies!!)

 

[Macduff]

Here’s one i find thrown around all the time: “Carts aren’t an innovation.” Of course they are! There is a reason people using DE do multiple passes and cart users do one. The cart razor is essentially doing a three pass shave in one go. Far more efficient and thus an innovation over everything that came before it. The results of a DE vs a cart are definitely YMMV, but people who say carts aren’t an innovation are deluding themselves. There’s a reason men switched from straights to DE to carts and it has nothing to do with marketing. The best comparison to me is cars. You may still drive a Model T or muscle car, but there’s no denying cars today are vastly improved. The enjoyment and result you get from the improvement is what’s in question.

 

[Al Bundy]

To get a decent shave I still had to do multiple passes with a cartridge so in that respect switching to DE hasn't made that much of a difference, although 3 passes with a DE takes me longer than 3 passes with a cart due to the extra care needed.

The big difference, for me, is in the quality of the outcome for which a DE beats the cartridge hands down.

 

[phelix]

Here’s one i find thrown around all the time: “Carts aren’t an innovation.” Of course they are! There is a reason people using DE do multiple passes and cart users do one. The cart razor is essentially doing a three pass shave in one go. Far more efficient and thus an innovation over everything that came before it. The results of a DE vs a cart are definitely YMMV, but people who say carts aren’t an innovation are deluding themselves. There’s a reason men switched from straights to DE to carts and it has nothing to do with marketing. The best comparison to me is cars. You may still drive a Model T or muscle car, but there’s no denying cars today are vastly improved. The enjoyment and result you get from the improvement is what’s in question.

The quality of shave with a 'one pass' cart vs a 3 pass DE is a grand canyon sized chasm IME. Not even an apples to watermelon comparison. The latter method extending the process by about 5-10 minutes at most and providing a massive difference with a lasting smoothness during the course of the day.

 

[Macduff]

The quality of shave with a 'one pass' cart vs a 3 pass DE is a grand canyon sized chasm IME. Not even an apples to watermelon comparison. The latter method extending the process by about 5-10 minutes at most and providing a massive difference with a lasting smoothness during the course of the day.

That’s the whole YMMV thing though. Personally one pass with a cart and some cleanup gives me near the same result as 3 with a DE and cleanup. Carts just take down more hair in one pass period. Now like you said, for many here the actual results are very different. One pass with your face cut up and razor burned does not beat out 3 comfortable passes with a perfect result. But as far as efficiency i don’t know why there’s so much pushback on the issue. Carts are simply better at removing hair more quickly.

 

[Climb14er]

I feel fortunate, after fifty years of wet shaving, with still smooth skin and relatively tough whiskers, I'm using only two of the old Merkur Progresses, both converted to Mergress XL's ... a Feather AC RG straight and my travel razor a Sensor Excel, a forty year old English badger travel brush and a Shavemac Custom Silvertip Badger. I've got a Mach 3 Turbo that I use from time to time but that's it! Nothing else, trying to always keep things simple. Great shaves, in fact so close, I shave every 1.5 to every other day. Everything works well and the DE over the years has saved me a lot of money. YMMV... use what you like, life is too short, it goes by quickly.

 

[phelix]

That’s the whole YMMV thing though. Personally one pass with a cart and some cleanup gives me near the same result as 3 with a DE and cleanup. Carts just take down more hair in one pass period. Now like you said, for many here the actual results are very different. One pass with your face cut up and razor burned does not beat out 3 comfortable passes with a perfect result. But as far as efficiency i don’t know why there’s so much pushback on the issue. Carts are simply better at removing hair more quickly.

You are 100% correct, if carts get the job done to a shavers satisfaction that is all a person can can ask for. I must have sounded quite dogmatic in my initial reply and I know that people usually include a YMMV disclaimer when stating their subjective use cases. Of course all of my previous statements apply only to my face and my HW/soap choices, thank you for that reminder as I hate sounding like "that guy".

 

[Tallships]

I have tried Carts time and again, from 2- 5 blades and each time without fail, I got razor burn and ingrown hairs. Carts may be great for others, but for me, I'll stick with what I started with.

As far as DE/SE shaving being cheaper that buying carts, DE/SE shaving is definitely cheaper, As long as you use the 1 Razor and Blade, 1 Soap, 1 Brush, 1 After Shave. All else is a collection and as a collector you spend money.
In 1963 my Razor A Gillette Slim, Soap, AS, extra blades, cost under $5.00 (about $35 - $40.00 in today's money) and Mom donated one of her mugs. It didn't cost me allot through the years to keep my shaving kit up to par, except when I bought the extra razor that I didn't need. Since I joined B&B my little space in the Medicine Cabinet became an extensive Shave Den, thanks guys

 

[Macduff]

You are 100% correct, if carts get the job done to a shavers satisfaction that is all a person can can ask for. I must have sounded quite dogmatic in my initial reply and I know that people usually include a YMMV disclaimer when stating their subjective use cases. Of course all of my previous statements apply only to my face and my HW/soap choices, thank you for that reminder as I hate sounding like "that guy".

I didn’t think you at all sounded like “that guy.” For most people here your statement is spot on. My point was just that it’s undeniable that carts do represent an innovation over a DE blade. Most people here actively hate carts but for most of John Q public, they really do work well. People never would have switched from DE to cart if it sucked for them; just like we’d still be shaving with straight razors if DE’s weren’t an innovation. Again that’s not saying any one method is superior or inferior, just that each one was an innovation and time saver over the previous method.

 

[psfred]

I suspect the current popularity of beards has a lot to do with the quality and comfort of shaving using cartridges, along with the cost. If it were easy and cheap and comfortable, everyone would shave!

 

[Sabre]

Cartridges: Pretty low skill level, adequate but not usually great shaves, very expensive. Many people get razor bumps and ingrown hairs from them, although I didn't. Just less than stellar shaves (using only water in the shower).

DE/SE: Much more skill required, but far better shaves. Much less irritation and longer lasting closer shaves. Once you get over the "I need every razor ever made" and "I have to try every blade ever made", much less expensive.

I have multiple lifetime supplies of blades and far too many razors, but I expect that will change as I sell or give away most of the razors. Always did get many shaves per blade, but good ones these days last me three months or more.

What percentage of individuals that shave with carts suffer from ingrown hairs and razor burn? Any scientific journal references?