Maybe dumb questions.

[lancelot]

So much has been said about how much kinder a se or de single edge, one blade razor is to your face than a cartridge razor that it gives me question. Would that apply to all cartridge razors or just those with multiple blades? There are times I wonder if a lightweight, say mach3, razor would compensate for the difference between harshness between it and a heavy, de or se, razor.
Also it has been said that a Razorpit sharpener will work for a cartridge razor because of the recessed blades, but not other razors. Darned if I can figure out why it would not work for an se razor. Am I just dumber than dirt or does anyone else have these questions? I wish someone would explain to me where I am missing the boat. Thanks.

Best regards,

Ron I

 

[Joncr]

Personally the plain Gilette Sensor, not the Excel, is the least irritating razor of all de and carts I have tried

 

[seattleshaver]

I'm pretty sure, that if used correctly, any razor is as kind to your face as any other razor.

When people get into wet shaving they pay more attention to technique and preparation, soaps, etc. If you do that with cartridges they work just as well in that regard I think.

Cartridges to me (personal experience) is only Trac II and not the newer ones but I'm sure the same principals apply.

I recently bought a Trac II again (after years of only DE and straight razor shaving) just for the novelty of it. I probably use it a couple of times a month just for something different.

I just used it today and I did 3 or 4 passes just to see how "perfect" a shave I could get. I got no irritation regardless of how many passes I did. I used TOBS cream, light pressure and paid attention to the grain direction of my facial hair. It was "fun".

It would be even more pleasurable if the handle was a little heavier and even better if there was a little less plastic surrounding everything.

I can't address any products for honing cartridges but I do clean the cartridge out well after every shave, dry it against a towel and "strop" it against my arm each time before I shave. So far I'm still on my first cartridge (out of the 5 that came with the razor).

I don't have any immediate plans to buy more when these are no longer usable but for what I paid for the razor and 5 cartridges ($6 shipped on Ebay) it has been worth it for the enjoyment factor.

It's probably even improved by technique for shaving with DE's and straight razors since I can try out most anything without much of a risk of nicking myself.

 

[DougK]

Once I learned to use the same techniques with a cartridge (along with good soap/cream and a brush) that I would with a DE or SE, any irritation or shave quality problems carts ever gave me disappeared. It doesn't matter to me if there is one blade or five in the cart, but I respect that others may have a different experience.

I can't help you on the Razorpit strop as I've never seen or used one.

 

[Shiloh]

I used carts (Mach3) for decades, and returned to "real blade" (for me, Schick injectors). Once I stopped using the "squeegee" technique that carts permit, I found the shaves better, and the whole experience is great. For me, the biggest advantage is no more ingrowns...they plagued me with the carts.

 

[Highspeedlane]

Stropping might be more problematic on an SE or DE razors simply because if the angle isn't maintained correctly, there is the danger of "rolling the edge", or gently curving the cutting edge over so that it is no longer symmetrical. This is less of an issue with cart razors because the head must be pressed flat on the strop material and you can't deviate the angle as a result.

 

[lancelot]

Stropping might be more problematic on an SE or DE razors simply because if the angle isn't maintained correctly, there is the danger of "rolling the edge", or gently curving the cutting edge over so that it is no longer symmetrical. This is less of an issue with cart razors because the head must be pressed flat on the strop material and you can't deviate the angle as a result.

Thanks. Your answer's logic makes perfect sense. I would think that a flat angle SE ( SE1 or Mongoose) would be easier to strop than a rolled top (General) SE or a DE razor. Does that seem right?
Ron

 

[TheVez2]

I started with a Mach 3. Eventually switched to DE because of the irritation. After years of perfecting my technique with DE and SE I tried 2 bladed carts like Trac II and Atra. I like them both, but like the Trac II better, because I control the angle due to the stationary head. The pivoting head of the Atra (and all subsequent carts) takes that bit of control away. When I tried a 2 and 3 bladed Sensor, a Mach 3 and a Quattro again I got horrible shaves. Even using all the techniques I learned in the DE world, they all irritated my neck something fierce. I believe it's a combination of the factory preset angle and the multiple blades together that just doesn't work for me. It just gets too close to my skin. I'll never go back to a 3+ bladed cart again. If I need a cart for travel it'll be a Trac II or a Bic Disposable.

 

[Highspeedlane]

Thanks. Your answer's logic makes perfect sense. I would think that a flat angle SE ( SE1 or Mongoose) would be easier to strop than a rolled top (General) SE or a DE razor. Does that seem right?
Ron

Yes that could very well be. The closer to the angle of the grind the stropping angle is kept the better the results.

 

[Go West Young Man]

When I travel I take out buy the cheapest plastic disposable junk razor I can find. With good lather, good prep and good technique, those crappy razors will deliver a perfect 3-pass shave.

 

[Bookie]

I've been seeing on croatian auction sites stropps for DE blades, also I saw while back in video o YT you basically have oval strop and then slightly press de and than you sharpen it, repeating the process on another side

here is the video it's onthe right time

 

[Old beard]

With a DE Blade costing .12 each and getting easy 4 shaves why strop. At .03 per shave that's cheap enough for me.

 

[Bookie]

With a DE Blade costing .12 each and getting easy 4 shaves why strop. At .03 per shave that's cheap enough for me.

But now we have mass production, bigger market for the blades, more competitors ect. I do not know prices back than but men did not shave that often and good amount of population lived in rural area, so blades were probably costly and perhaps to many people not locally available. By costly I mean they had to travel to get them.
Similar thing with straight razors in 19th century. Men did have strops and razors but honing was for specialists, probably smithers.
My family comes from mountainous rural area and people there used straights up until recently because last 20 years supermarkets came to that part of the country, even now some places are so remote that they have traveling market that goes in that villages.