First cartridge shave for a year

[PZBarber]

I ran out of Derby blades at home last night and couldn't be bothered to drive to the barber shop to pick some up so decided for the first time in nearly a year to shave with a 2 blade Gillette disposable. I have shaved with nothing but my Sanguine shavettes for best part of a year.

Anyway, I did my usual prep and whizzed up some Taylors Sandalwood cream and shaved myself the way I normally would. 1 Pass WTG, 1 Pass ATG and a quick clean up at the end.

The result:

Not a particularly close shave. My cheeks were acceptable but under my chin and jawline were still rough. I nicked myself twice and felt a bit of burn for a couple of minutes. Granted, I was going for it, a real fast shave like the razor is supposed to handle. I went back over the rough areas a bit and for the life of me I couldn't reduce that stubble any more. I left it at that and decided that in future I would leave those disposables well alone unless I am in a real rush. I haven't been in a real rush for nearly a year so I doubt I shall need to use the disposable again.

Conclusion:

Sanguine shavette xd-20 loaded with a good ol Derby does a fantastic shave compared to a disposable hedge strimmer.

Cheers

Mat

 

[TimmyBoston]

I just glad you're still with the living.

 

[PZBarber]

Heh heh yeah right

There is a typo up there.

I wrote ATG and I meant XTG but you are right, I'm lucky to be alive. If it wasn't for the fact that I shave 4 or 5 times a day (not all me ) and have pretty damn good technique it could have been much worse.

I never really had any problems using cheap, crap razors but the difference in sharpness is amazing. The Derby will mow through 4 or 5 days stubble without any problems whereas the Gillette disposable was having difficulty hacking through 2 days growth.

I can't rate those Derby blades highly enough. I reckon they are as sharp as a feather but very forgiving and smooth in comparison. I haven't met a client yet that I can't shave good and clean with a Derby. For me they have to be the best all round blade available. I get through about 500 blades a year and I have yet to find a bad one.

Cheers

Mat

 

[Mr. Gillette]

It's like you just told me you ran out of Single-Malt and poured yourself a cup of Pennzoil for a before-dinner cocktail, because they were the same color.

I echo Tim Boston's statement-- I'm glad you survived!!! Just think, literally MILLIONS of men think they're getting a superior shave with the cartridge just because they saw Tiger Woods on a commercial, or because that's the only thing they know!

I think I'd rather take the blade off my John Deere lawn tractor and drag it over my face than to ever go the cartridge route again! (Engine not running, of course!)

 

[rafikz]

It's like you just told me you ran out of Single-Malt and poured yourself a cup of Pennzoil for a before-dinner cocktail, because they were the same color.

I echo Tim Boston's statement-- I'm glad you survived!!! Just think, literally MILLIONS of men think they're getting a superior shave with the cartridge just because they saw Tiger Woods on a commercial, or because that's the only thing they know!

I think I'd rather take the blade off my John Deere lawn tractor and drag it over my face than to ever go the cartridge route again! (Engine not running, of course!)

Cartridge razors give me a superior shave; but it's just me

Keep an open mind

 

[norman931]

The Derby is a great blade. But some of the cartridges work pretty well too. If I'm in a big hurry, I can get a pretty good shave with a Fusion razor. It's just not as enjoyable as using a DE.

Norm

 

[masonjarjar]

Um, there's a LARGE difference between disposables and Atra cartriges I use.

Those disposables kill my face.

I don't get that with the Atra.

Just sayin'

-Mason

 

[Mr. Gillette]

Cartridge razors give me a superior shave; but it's just me

Keep an open mind

Exactly...it's just you. In my experience, this isn't true, and in the experience of the poor barber, it obviously wasn't. I have an open mind-- to an extent, but I have to base my opinions largely on what I experience.

There are people who can live for 2 hours under the cover of an icy lake, but my experience tells me not to cut a hole in the ice, put a brick or two in my pocket and take a nap there until someone comes along to pull me out.

I have been a DE shaver all my life, with only very occasional forays into cartridge shaving...very occasional. It was the results for MY face, (not yours) that continued to send me back ATG to my mug, my brush, my fatboy and all manner of blades.

IMO, and in my experience, I have never had an acceptable shave from any cartridge system, from Trac II in the 1970's through Fusion, with Rise, Barbasol, Edge, Axe...you name it...it's been given to me, all in an effort to make my 30 minute bathroom pilgrimage each morning turn into a 5 minute quickie. (And I hear some people do that with Sex, too!)

Of the cartridge systems I've used, I'd say the Sensor (for me) gave the best results, but on the other hand, I can shave at 5 AM on a Monday, work all day long, go to an evening event, get up in the morning on Tuesday, not shave, and somewhere about 11:30 on that second day I'm just starting to look like I just finished shaving with a cartridge.

I have been open minded enough to spend probably several hundred dollars and numerous hours trying to disprove that theory and to convert, like everyone, to whatever hoopla the company that bears my family name shoves at us...asking us to somehow believe that the first blade doesn't actually cut the whisker, but pulls it out and lets the second one do it. Does that seem at all logical? I can't accept the fact that a major corporation like that expects me to believe that pulling hairs out of the follicles by something that must (in order to do that job) be a less-than-sharp blade only to be cut by one that must magically be sharper than the first one, encased in plastic, sometimes with a really nice teflon or nylon strip with an indicator or wear-bar-- I can't accept that entire concept logically in my head, when I compare it to the experience of a proper prep, good technique and a single blade surface, wielded properly.

So...no, I am not open-minded. I correct myself. I have never had an acceptable shave with a cartridge system, and I see the results of them around me each day in the stubble of a thousand passing faces.

This is just my opinion, and I am happy that you have found an acceptable alternative. I think nothing less of you for that, any more than I would think anything less of you if you didn't share my taste in cars, food, Scotch or movies. Thanks for making me think, though!

 

[Wade253]

I am trying to talk myself into getting the Merkur HD and am currently using a M3. I am thinking the blades are positioned progressively closer on the M3 so that each blade cuts a little closer. Also, the M3 has the advantage of the swivel head. I don't nick myself--well unless they are past prime anyways. I think it is the Norelco electric shavers who tout the pull and cut method as they have a "lifter" before the blades. I do think I have gotten closer shaves with the M3 over the Norelco and other cartridge blades. Those monsters with five blades are over the top! Logically I think that the first blade in a cartidge should be at least the equal to a DE. I know my logic is probably skewed as I am much the newbie. I think I just need to use a DE and then compare the experience.

 

[bitshaver]

I had to used a cartridge on a trip about 6 months ago. The shave was mediocre. I did get irritation but I attributed that to my not being acclimated to it. (I had the same thing the first two or three shaves on a DE).

The real pain was the clogging. The blades are so close together that the lather and the cut whiskers clog it up after making a 1 inch long stroke. I spent more time banging that thing against the sink to clear it than I did shaving.

 

[Wade253]

I remember some of that banging cartidges against the sink! I don't have much of a problem with clogging using the M3 cartridges. They are open to the air. You can see straight through from the rear of the cartridge to the blades and so you can simply rinse after each long stroke.

DE Pros:
(1) People here say they get closer shave. Experienced people who follow good techniques say it is better.
(2) You can customize blade characteristics such as sharpness, angle, etc.
(3) Blades are cheaper than cartridges.
(4) You have better control over one blade than several.
(5) You don't have many blades continually chaffing your skin.
(6) Why not? One blade should not be any more difficult.

DE Cons:
(1) Greater probabability of cuts and nicks. You need to be more careful as the head does not flex over bumps, etc.
(2) Recovery from too close of a shave may make shaving inconsistent.
(3) Why change if a cartridge is doing well?

 

[JerimiahC]

I am trying to talk myself into getting the Merkur HD and am currently using a M3. I am thinking the blades are positioned progressively closer on the M3 so that each blade cuts a little closer. Also, the M3 has the advantage of the swivel head. I don't nick myself--well unless they are past prime anyways. I think it is the Norelco electric shavers who tout the pull and cut method as they have a "lifter" before the blades. I do think I have gotten closer shaves with the M3 over the Norelco and other cartridge blades. Those monsters with five blades are over the top! Logically I think that the first blade in a cartidge should be at least the equal to a DE. I know my logic is probably skewed as I am much the newbie. I think I just need to use a DE and then compare the experience.

I'm not trying to talk you out of using the cartridge, but the steel in the cartrige razors is USUALLY inferiour to the DE blades. Like everything on this site...YMMV.

Personally, cartridge razors gave me razor burn everytime and never gave me as close a shave as my DE and I've only been using it for a little over a month now. I think the biggest change in results though is switching from the canned goo to a good cream or soap. I used Nivia, which IMO was better than most and it still doesn't compair to what I'm using now.

 

[rm71]

I need to echo Mr Gillett's sentiments myself. Having never used cartridge I can't comment but for more than 15 years used twin blade disposables. The DE is superior IMO. This is based on the difference I see in the quality of my shaves, very few if any cuts and nicks, no ingrowns or razor burn etc during the last 4 months of DE. My shave at night is my favourite time of the day and I look forward to it, unlike my twin blade disposable days.

 

[Aevum]

actually, i use to go mad banging my Mach 3, and my wilkinsons Xtreme 3 and Quattro against the sink, trying to get the hairs out, with my Slim, i just give it a swirl under water and back to work,

i have had the misfortune of shaving with both disposables and cartrige, the best disposable is probobly the gillette Blue II pivot head, best cartrige i shaved with is the quatro,

but they all pale when compared to my 1966 L2 slim, either loaded with a gillette blade (funny isnt it) or a derby, it removed so many problems, i no longer have ingrown hairs, i dont hhave to fight a clogged razor, a 8 pack of wilkinson quatro catriges use to cost me 16-18 euros, depending on if i gut normals or titaniums, now for 14 i have 100 derby blades, which is basicly more then a years supply,

but then, theres the other things, i was a bit disturbed that the tabac shaving soap costed me 16 euros in the mall next to my house, and i´ve started to obsessivly collect razors when i can afford it, and now im thinking about replacing my standart badger omega for a silver tip with my xmas bonus from work, so, its not a cheap hobby if you take it as such,

but then again, when i use to use cartrige, i could for for days, even a couple of weeks without shaving, just didnt care much for it, now every time i go in to the bathroom, and see my DE´s, the krona, the DE classic, my 2 slims, i start touching my face to see if i have enough strubble for a shave, i guess its becoming an obsession,

 

[rm71]

actually, i use to go mad banging my Mach 3, and my wilkinsons Xtreme 3 and Quattro against the sink, trying to get the hairs out, with my Slim, i just give it a swirl under water and back to work,

i have had the misfortune of shaving with both disposables and cartrige, the best disposable is probobly the gillette Blue II pivot head, best cartrige i shaved with is the quatro,

but they all pale when compared to my 1966 L2 slim, either loaded with a gillette blade (funny isnt it) or a derby, it removed so many problems, i no longer have ingrown hairs, i dont hhave to fight a clogged razor, a 8 pack of wilkinson quatro catriges use to cost me 16-18 euros, depending on if i gut normals or titaniums, now for 14 i have 100 derby blades, which is basicly more then a years supply,

but then, theres the other things, i was a bit disturbed that the tabac shaving soap costed me 16 euros in the mall next to my house, and i´ve started to obsessivly collect razors when i can afford it, and now im thinking about replacing my standart badger omega for a silver tip with my xmas bonus from work, so, its not a cheap hobby if you take it as such,

but then again, when i use to use cartrige, i could for for days, even a couple of weeks without shaving, just didnt care much for it, now every time i go in to the bathroom, and see my DE´s, the krona, the DE classic, my 2 slims, i start touching my face to see if i have enough strubble for a shave, i guess its becoming an obsession,

Yep that is pretty good sign.