Question to those who use both carts and DEs

[Ron Scott]

Do DEs give a consistently and noticeably better shave?

I have never owned a cart. I used a double bladed affair for awhile, but I believe that model was a use and toss razor.

 

[tm3]

for me, no. i get a more consistent, even BBS with less damage using a Fusion.

DEs are more comfortable due to less pull, and more fun.

 

[DirtDiver]

"those who use both carts and DEs"

These people exist?!

 

[aihpcfl]

I'm still using a Fusion when I travel. With just one pass with the Fusion the shave for me is as close as a 2-pass WTG and ATG shave with the DE89.

I have done three pass shaves with the DE89 and for me the shave is only marginally better. Maybe I would get better with practice, but the 2-pass is good enough and so that is all I do.

And although not recommended, I will sometimes do 2-passes, WTG and ATG, with the Fusion. I get an extremely close shave that way, and no irritation.

I have not tried for an extremely close shave with the DE89. It isn't worth it to me. Comfortable and close enough is fine.

I have nothing against carts except the cost. All methods have a procedure. Follow the procedure and the method works.

 

[Eeyore]

I get a good shave with Atra cartridges, and those are very cheap.
But the shave experience is far below a good DE shave.

 

[Nomad1600]

I used cartridge razors (Fusions) for a while before switching to DE. At first I thought I got a lot closer of a shave with the Fusion than I did with the DEs I used (Weishi, Slim). Now that I shaved with the Slim for about a month and using better blades I now believe I get very smooth and comfortable shaves. I can't say they are closer than what I used to get with the Fusion cartridges, but they seem at least as comfortable now, and if they are less close it isn't a significant difference.

 

[WVUfanMG]

My fusion always seemed to leave me with ingrown hairs and a very irritated neck with razor burn etc. Since switching to a DE (EJ89) the only irritation I get is if I use too much pressure. No more ingrown hairs and my neck has become much, much better. I think I can get just as close with a DE blade too if using the right combination of prep, blade, and technique.

 

[Dngolden]

I'm still using a Fusion when I travel. With just one pass with the Fusion the shave for me is as close as a 2-pass WTG and ATG shave with the DE89.

I have done three pass shaves with the DE89 and for me the shave is only marginally better. Maybe I would get better with practice, but the 2-pass is good enough and so that is all I do.

And although not recommended, I will sometimes do 2-passes, WTG and ATG, with the Fusion. I get an extremely close shave that way, and no irritation.

I have not tried for an extremely close shave with the DE89. It isn't worth it to me. Comfortable and close enough is fine.

I have nothing against carts except the cost. All methods have a procedure. Follow the procedure and the method works.

My experience is similar to AIHPCFL -
I often use a fusion when travelling.

Using the same prep and products for both carts and DE, I find one pass with the carts = wtg/xtg pass with DE and two passes with carts (wtg/xtg) = three passes with a DE. I still think 3 DE passes shave is a bit more even, close, the results are not widely different. Plus the cart shave takes a lot less time, almost zero weepers/cuts, and I don't have to be careful.

Even with great prep/products. I still get that pulling/scratching feeling from carts. Nothing painful, but I can still feel it. With DE - I often get almost no resistance.

After I shave with a cart, my face often feels a bit dry or pulled. Again, nothing painful, but not pleasurable. After DE, my face feels very fresh.

My beard is stiff and grows quickly. The longer between shaves, my cart experience degenerates quickly. I find DE to be very consistent no matter how long in between.
Carts are just too expensive.
Aesthetically, DE razors are cooler and you can get ones that match your tastes. Seems trivial? but why do we pay more for well designed apple products.

At the end of the day, I have nothing against carts other than price. And I do love spending 10-15 minutes less in the bathroom. But I do enjoy DE shaving more - a cleaner, more comfortable, more aesthetically pleasing, and a bit closer shave that costs less. Note: I could not have said the same thing even a month into DE shaving. It took me a month to get good and 3 months to get great (or great enough to get the results I mention above).

 

[Delawareguy]

I hate to admit it but I can't a better shave with less effort using Mach 3. I use my DE 99% of the time because it's more fun. I can get a shave that's just as good with my DE but it takes more effort and there is a much higher chance of seeing blood.

 

[Kilroy6644]

I don't get better shaves with a DE. My best shaves come from my old Mach 3, followed closely by by the Fusion ProGlide. Sensor, Atra, Trac II, and Guard all provide DE-equivalent shaves; no better, no worse. I started with the DE due to cart costs, and continue because it's fun, and the razors are so cool. I continue with carts because I refuse to give up my faithful Mach 3. The other carts I bought just to try, and now that I have them, might as well....

 

[Amzimbo]

I definitely get a longer lasting shave with DE. I recently tried using just a cart on one or two days. Each time, the shave felt pretty close right after, but by 6 p.m. I felt scruffy again. With the DE
I'm good til the next day.

 

[Emanon]

I use carts on my head and DE on my face. When I travel I use only carts and I use shave gel, no brush. If I travel I need to save room and time so I shave quick with a cart and no lathering time. I get great shaves. I still do 3 passes ala wet shaving. I switched to wet shaving for all it was cracked up to be and it has been all that. However, I can't actually say the actual shave is really better. I can get a great shave with a Mach 3. But it isn't as enjoyable.

But I have been beginning to wonder. I shaved my head for years with a Fusion and Headslick applied by hand. I got what I thought were great shaves. I recently started using a brush and creating a lather and wow....what difference. So I am beginning to wonder if maybe the razor (cart or DE) matters as much as the lather.

I noticed similar on my face when switching to a different cream/soap and/or lathering technique. Food for thought. We are generally used to using canned goo with carts. When we switch to DE/wet shaving we also switch to lathering by brush with better product. So we assume it's the DE giving us a better shave. Maybe it's the lather!!!

 

[Magicmdj]

I noticed similar on my face when switching to a different cream/soap and/or lathering technique. Food for thought. We are generally used to using canned goo with carts. When we switch to DE/wet shaving we also switch to lathering by brush with better product. So we assume it's the DE giving us a better shave. Maybe it's the lather!!!

Emanon I think you may be right on this. *I use my Mach 3 for my head and ATG pass on my neck. I never draw blood, or have irritation. Have been trying to get used to my iKon OSS, hit or miss but that's poor technique on my part. Only been DE shaving since Jan of this year.*

*denotes added*

 

[aihpcfl]

I went back and forth between canned gel or foam and soap and brush when using various cartridge razors. I did this for years. I got the same shave regardless, but I was using cheap soap and tended to like the gel better. I also preferred gel over foam. As I say, the cartridges are ok for me. Now I am using a better soap and I think the quality is as good as the gel. But I still think that as far as performance is concerned the gel is pretty good.

I guess some people don't do well with the cartridges and for some reason do better with a single blade. I'm thinking about those who have a tendency to get ingrown hairs. I also think some people use too much pressure with cartridges but DE forces a no-pressure discipline, and they blame the cartridges when it was their fault. My bet is the person who nowadays decides to invest time and effort in using a DE is a person who has started paying attention to shaving and that accounts for the improvement of DE over cartridge for them. However, I can't explain those who say they tried a cartridge again and it was still horrible for them as before.

 

[Splat_NJ]

I get consistently more comfortable shaves using my d/e SS but my Mach3 did shave faster (less passes). However, the main reason I tried and am staying with my d/e is cost. I'm tired of paying top dollar for carts or disposables. I can't see a reason for me to go back from my d/e.

 

[Mythrol]

Two passes with a Mach 3 gave me BBS. I can't do that with my DE. I'm still inbetween DFS and BBS with my DE. Where my DE completely destroys any cart I've ever tried is with razor burn. DE shaving has virtually elimated my razor burn. After every cart shave my neck was on fire and would stay that way for hours.

 

[Grimakis]

Agreed. Razor burn has been eliminated, but I can't say that DE's have given me a closer shave than say a Fusion. The DE gets very close to what I used to get from the Fusion, at a fraction of the cost.

 

[peplovesu]

I get a bbs with cartridge (schick hydro 5) but it also comes with really bad razor burn. I would have to say that i do get more consistent shave with cartridge razor, but i love shaving with DE more. It just looks cooler and more fun. Using a cartridge is boring, but i use it when i'm traveling and i know i wont be able to get a DE blade or when i only have 5 minutes to shave.

 

[Niles]

DEs are more comfortable due to less pull, and more fun.

Exactly what I was going to say.

 

[rcl65]

I left Fusions for DE's and am now using a Mergress with Personna Reds. I find it takes more time to get that BBS with DEs but it's a lot more satisfying. There's generally less irritation too. I noticed something else on a trip a couple weeks ago when I took a Fusion along for speedy shaves. The immediate results are about the same but as the day goes on the DE shave always lasts longer. Another thing I noticed, as the stubble comes out the Fusion stubble is very sharp and much more irritating than the DE stubble. I think the Fusion cuts at such a steep sharp angle it leaves little spear points as opposed to the DE's straight cut.
I'm just sayin'.