So I've been side-by-side testing DE vs cartridge for 14 straight days.

[Tostig]

One side of face: Game Changer .84 with Polsilver. Other side of face: Fusion Proglide. Switched sides each day. 14 total shaves (two weeks).

A bit of context: I've been shaving DE for ~ 3 years. Before that, I used whatever I had on hand - cartridges, disposables, an old electric (which I hated). Recently, for unknown reasons, I got re-interested in cartridges and ordered a fresh pack of Fusion Proglide blades and have been using them on and off for a couple months, in between DE shaving.

Results of my 14 day experiment: No agenda here, nothing to prove, but here's my conclusion. The shave quality was similar between a Polsilver and a Proglide for four shaves. I always replace Polsilvers after 4 shaves, and the Proglide shave quality declines precipitously after 4, being ready for the trash after 6. But for those first four, the shave is similar and I'd have to give the edge to the Proglide as far as getting to true BBS is concerned. I found myself "cleaning up" stubborn chin stubble on the Polsilver side, which the Proglide obliterated with little effort in a few strokes. I am convinced the Proglide shaves closer than DE. As far as nicks, weepers, etc., I rarely get any with a Polsilver but I do occasionally get a small drop of blood here and there (around the neck area), but with the Proglide, absolutely no irritation or blood, anywhere, ever.

The only issue in my mind is cost. 4 shaves with a Polsilver costs about a nickle per shave. 6 shaves with a Proglide at the price I got them is $0.35 each. So there's a seven-fold increase in cost. That's not insignificant.

So on a cost basis I can understand why people are adamant about DE but aside from that I really do wonder about some of the cartridge hate out there. Proglide takes half the time for me to shave and the results are better than DE, true BBS. Although I'd have to add it is a little frustrating that that only really holds up for 4 shaves before I can start to feel the blade deterioration.

 

[Chandu]

I think many here (here, being this particular forum) agree with you. I like a DE or SE, most often. I've used carts a bunch and think they work excellently. For me the only place they are clearly superior is that it's quicker to get the pointy parts like the chin BBS quicker, but other than that I tend to get better comfort and enjoy the shave more when my hand is filled with brass or steel and sometimes bakelite.

 

[ajkel64]

I used carts for around 35 years. Nearly always got a very close shave but had some irritation depending on the type of cart. Cheapest plastic carts nearly always gave me some irritation. Even now I still get my closest shaves with a cart but I do like using DE razors. RAD struck me bad and I now have over 300 razors at home. I can usually get 7 shaves from most DE blades and 21 plus with a cart. It all seems to depend on prep, beard type and technique. Thanks for taking the time to do this test. I appreciate your thoughts and efforts.

 

[RayClem]

I have been shaving for around 55 years. Over that time, I have shaved with DE razors, SE injector razors, cartridge razors, straight razors, and electric shavers. I still have an electric shaver in the drawer, but rarely ever use it. I keep a cartridge razor in the shower for shaving the back of my neck while I am showering. If I need to shave in a hurry, I will shave in the shower using the cartridge razor. If I have time for a leisurely shave, I will use a SR, DE or SE, or combination of razor types. I do a four pass shave and sometimes use a different razor for each pass.

My skin is sensitive. I find that I get slightly more irritation with a cartridge razor than I do the more traditional blades. However, some of that might be because I only use a cartridge razor when I am in a hurry.

 

[Chef455]

I appreciate your write up and am glad you can switch hit. My hate for carts stemmed from irritation on my neck. I could not for the life of me find one that worked. As a result I would only shave once or twice a week. That plus the resentment of forking over a silly amount of $$$ for an experience I found so unpleasant. Now I shave daily AND enjoy it.

I don't hate carts in other's lives. Your face, your money, your business. They just won't be making an appearance in mine again.

 

[EclipseRedRing]

For me carts can shave every bit as close as a DE, maybe even closer, but there is more to a quality shave than simply the closeness of it. In fact for me the closeness, or not, of the finished shave is almost irrelevant as long as it is presentable. I value relaxation, time to think, history, tradition, learning a skill, and using old things; for that reason I would not use a cart if they were free, gave a perfect shave, and Miss World shaved me with it. If there was a 100 year old cartridge razor then I would consider it. For a modern razor, I much prefer the Bic Metal over any cart or stainless steel hand made artisan razor. I don't hate carts, or canned shave gel, or anything else in shaving, and I doubt anyone does, I just don't use them myself.

 

[DougK]

I can get almost as close with a cart as I can a DE and until recently I shaved with carts fairly frequently. Lately I've been gravitating to the DE almost exclusively now that I have a razor that really agrees with my face. I'm tired of the excessive cost and waste needed for cartridges and it's getting harder to justify it to myself. My wife also says that my face has been smoother since I switched back to DE, so who am I to argue?

 

[Joncr]

Thank you for posting your experiment. I do find a quicker and as close or closer shave with the fusion or any of the Gillette two blade carts as I can get with my DE’s . That said your method of testing may not have revealed the proglide’s level of skin irritation that many people get compared to safety razors. If you have the time and inclination try 2 weeks shaving with a DE and a Pro glide but shave with the same razor for the same side of your face. See if the proglide side gets more irritated.

 

[JCarr]

I appreciate your write up and am glad you can switch hit. My hate for carts stemmed from irritation on my neck. I could not for the life of me find one that worked. As a result I would only shave once or twice a week. That plus the resentment of forking over a silly amount of $$$ for an experience I found so unpleasant. Now I shave daily AND enjoy it.

I don't hate carts in other's lives. Your face, your money, your business. They just won't be making an appearance in mine again.

Early on, this was my experience also. Cartridges and disposable type razors irritated the heck out of my neck especially.

Thanks for posting your experience with the side by side.

 

[chromedometone]

Im interested in how many passes the OP did with each type of razor? What type of beard does the OP have, course, thin medium? What type of growth, heavy, light, etc.?

I am truly interested.

 

[Tostig]

Im interested in how many passes the OP did with each type of razor? What type of beard does the OP have, course, thin medium? What type of growth, heavy, light, etc.?

I am truly interested.

OP here. I would say I have a course beard with medium growth. The stubble can be tough but doesn't grow all that fast; however even after just 24 hours mowing it down to BBS level in the jawbone area below my left ear can be quite challenging.

I'm a 3 pass shaver with DE - WTG, XTG, ATG, then buffing as needed to satisfy my BBS craving. It is usually in the buffing stage when drama pops up, like weepers. If I stop with ATG and don't buff, I can get a drama free shave with virtually any razor.

With cartridge, it's more like WTG, ATG, buffing, so more like a 2 pass + buffing. It doesn't take 3 full passes to get to BBS with the Proglide, but that's only true for the first 4-5 uses. By shave 5 or 6, I have to backtrack to a DE approach - 3 passes + buffing.

 

[mata_66]

Many people have bad memories of the old times shaving with cartridges and disposables and often they don't recall they were also used canned foam and shaved just because they had to.

I followed a pretty similar path as Tostig, went back to DE and SE for 4 years, then, just for fun, I used a cartridge again, a Mach3 Turbo for the record. But now I wasn't using foam, neither considered the shave a chore like I once did. I used a brush and an excellent soap and guess what? Perfect BBS in half the time and no irritation whatsoever. Not a bit of sting from an alcoholic splash.

Since then I use cartridges almost exclusively, "Quattro Titanium Sensitive" when I have to shave daily and Fusion Proglide (king of kings) with a two+ days beard.

Once you learn to take care of your cartridges (and learn the specific technique) a cartridge can last a long time (20-30 shaves). I can have the same number of shaves from a Fusion Proglide cartridge and a tuck of good blades at a similar cost. Quattro titanium cartridges, if you consider the cost per shave are way cheaper, on par with Treet, Lord etc... but they are far more comfortable and efficient.

 

[karacha]

I've always gotten great shaves from cartridge razors. No complaints, other than the price.

 

[mata_66]

With cartridge, it's more like WTG, ATG, buffing, so more like a 2 pass + buffing.

Exactly

It doesn't take 3 full passes to get to BBS with the Proglide, but that's only true for the first 4-5 uses. By shave 5 or 6, I have to backtrack to a DE approach - 3 passes + buffing.

The blades don't lose sharpness after 4-5 shaves. You can rinse a cartridge how long as you want, still the blades will be coated with soap. And the soap builds up at every shave making them less efficient. That's why I dip them in alcohol after every shave, not only to sanitize them but to help the soap coating to dissolve. With 15-20 strops most of the soap build-up goes away and the blades are still new. Of course after 20+ shaves the blades start to degrade but you can still have ten or more excellent shaves.

 

[mata_66]

You can strop the cartridge on your palm, your forearm or on a patch of denim like I do.
Or drop a tenner and buy a Razorpit.

 

[K86]

Price and clogging, those were the points of contention for me. It's been a while now, but paying around $20-$30 CAD for 4 replacement cartridges made it depressing to throw one out, which made me try to use them longer than I should have. And then having to do some pretty mad swishing of the razor in the sink, mixed with running under the tap, and as a last resort pulling out a safety pin to unclog some pack of hair that got caught in the tiny space between the blades was frustrating.

My solution was to try a DE razor and now I don't plan to go back!

 

[Tostig]

Exactly



The blades don't lose sharpness after 4-5 shaves. You can rinse a cartridge how long as you want, still the blades will be coated with soap. And the soap builds up at every shave making them less efficient. That's why I dip them in alcohol after every shave, not only to sanitize them but to help the soap coating to dissolve. With 15-20 strops most of the soap build-up goes away and the blades are still new. Of course after 20+ shaves the blades start to degrade but you can still have ten or more excellent shaves.

Can you elaborate on stropping? Obviously it's impossible to strop both sides of a cartridge blade. Is the idea to just run the cartridge in one direction on the denim (or other material)? Isn't that just honing one side of the blade?

 

[mata_66]

Can you elaborate on stropping? Obviously it's impossible to strop both sides of a cartridge blade. Is the idea to just run the cartridge in one direction on the denim (or other material)? Isn't that just honing one side of the blade?

Yes, the idea is to run the cartridge in one direction (the opposite direction of the regular stroke). Actually the blades don't get honed but cleaned from the soap coating (your enemy) previously softened from the alcohol dip.
It sounds complicated and boring but it's just a few seconds routine, like rinsing and drying your brush.

P.S./OT: How about your Battle of Hastings project? Has it seen the light?

 

[mata_66]

Price and clogging, those were the points of contention for me.

My solution was to try a DE razor and now I don't plan to go back!

Proglides are expensive, here in Italy they comes at € 14.50 (4-pack) but they last me 120 shaves at least. If you shave every other day (you don't need daily shaves with the Proglide) they can last up to 8 months.
Quattro Titaniums comes at € 6.50 and Mach3s € 7 (4-packs) and they are good for 80 shaves.

Clogging is a non-issue. The trick is a well hydrated lather (yogurt-like), short strokes and frequent rinses.

 

[ajkel64]

I have found lately that cleaning the cartridge itself in a Scrubbing Bubbles type cleaner can help to clear the area between the blades that clogs and help with the longevity of the blades.