Yes, but those eight blades are shipped every two months, so you’re only getting four blades a month. And it doesn’t matter if you can use the blades more often then that, because they’re still going to bill you $7.50 per month. That’s the disadvantage of a subscription service like that. They’re counting on people not turning off the subscription.
What about electrics? Electrics, the package says to change the blades once a year. I just bought some for $17. Yes, it isn’t quite as close of a shave, and there’s this somewhat uncomfortable tugging sensation with an electric shaver. But
- You don’t cut yourself
- It’s cheap
- You don’t need a sink or water, and the shavers run on batteries.
Yeah, but you live with wolves on the tundra.
OK I didn’t catch that - but as far as the subscription goes you never have to turn it on, you can just order blades manually as needed.
I used to use a Gilette Mach 3 and it was expensive.
Now, I use a Dorco 3 blade system and it is just as good for a lot less money.
I get them through Amazon. When I get low on them, I order more.
Actually the best shave club to join is the smallest one in the world. The only members are me and my father. So when I visit my parents, my father asks, “Do you need anything? Do you need any razor blades?” And so I go home without spending any money on razor blades and yet having enough until I next visit them.
I bought a really nice handle for Atra/Trac II blades from Amazon several years ago for $25.00. My Personna blades I buy for it, I buy in bulk so my blade cost is 25 cents each. Each blade lasts for a week. So my annual blade cost is only $13.00.
Let’s start listing solutions by annual cost :
Norelco Electric Razor : $17 + occasional replacement of the motor unit, which is $20 (it costs about 34 but comes with a blade on it). Let’s call it an extra $7 a year, or, $24/year total.
Duckster’s solution : some kind of disposable razor head at 25 cents each? $13/year.
Dollar Shave Club : $36/year for the cheapest package.
Gillette Fusion : per above, $90/year.
A lot of variance here. If we could characterize the tradeoffs between these different methods, it would be possible to figure out what the optimal choice is for most people.
What do third world people do? $90 a year is a lot of money for someone who lives in Argentina, etc.
I’ve been using the Gillette cartridges for about 20 years. A few years ago I read some of the web hype on the DE razors, and sprung for the whole soap/brush/razor/sampler pack. While it is true that some of the blades worked much better than others, the bottom line was that, with the Mach 3 or Fusion, I could shave forward with the grain and then back against it in about 1/2 the time that it took to do the same with the DE, and I got a closer shave and far fewer nicks. I typically shave 3-4 times a week and a cartridge usually lasts 4-6 weeks before I think it feels rough enough to throw away. In my case, the difference in cost was irrelevant, since the DE never seemed worth the effort.
Double edged safety razors, I believe. The only reason that appears to be an expensive option in this thread is because the handle chosen as an example was a fancy one. The blades I buy are cheap. Just a few cents a blade. A basic handle in a country where there isn’t a hipster factor for them should be a couple bucks I’d guess, and as mentioned above, should last for life.
You know Donald Trump? He needs a quality shave, every time! 
Personally, I’ll use those blades for crazy long time. I’m a cheapskate, but I think a ten shaves minimum or you’re being wasteful. That disgusting gel strip is still barely gone at that point.Back in the stone ages when there was only 2 blades I couldn’t go more than a week. I remember laughing at that fake shaving ad on SNL once where they made fun of the ever increasing number but I ain’t laughing now.
Well, they don’t use cartridge razors. It’s not a difficult problem to solve.
Yeah, there seems to be resurgence of interest in DE razor shaving from the vinyl-record-playing, fixed-gear-bicycle-riding online hipster contingent - but there’s a reason practically everyone switched away from it as soon as an alternative came on the market.
Years ago, I remember seeing an article about how when Gillette introduced one of its new cartridge systems (e.g., Atra, Trac II, Mach3) they discovered that the blades were usable for a long time. But Gillette wanted to encourage men to change blades sooner. So they introduced the “lubricating strip” and instructed its customers that when the blue color faded, they should replace the cartridge. The trick was that the lubricating strip would fade far before the blades were dulled. I can’t find that article now, but I vaguely remember that it was in The New York Times.
This; I love Harry’s.
Stylish, comfortable handles. Sharp(!) durable and flexible blades.
I don’t know how long a blade lasts, but between the wife and I it’s a matter of weeks. And they’re so cheap I basically don’t even really consider it anex expense.
Does nobody swish their blade in alcohol after they’re done shaving? This increases the life of the blade tremendously. I can’t even remember when I last changed my current blade (best guess: early June)and it’s still going strong.
I just try and make my cartridges last as long as possible.
Whenever I shave, before I start I run the razor up the inside of my (wet) forearm (going backwards; not actually shaving my arm!) a dozen times or so, then again a couple of times when I’m finished.
This has the effect of a) cleaning all the crud out from between the blades, and b) stropping the blades slightly, similar to using a leather strop. Not quite as effective, of course, but still better than nothing.
By doing that, I’ve managed to make my current cartridge last nearly three months and it’s still usable. Not like new, but not completely knackered either.
Do any of you just shave in the shower?
I have a medium to heavy beard, but any razor and any lotion or soap will do just fine after I wash my hair and things steam up a bit. It’s a lot easier and less messy too.
Gilette has its own “shave club” now; would that be any improvement over what you’re paying now?
I’ve been using the Dollar Shave Club for awhile now and have been generally satisfied with the quality and price. Before that I shaved with Gilette brand store-bought razors, and I found that buying disposable razors seemed to be a lot more cost-effective than buying cartridges for a non-disposable razor.
A DE razor is a razor, you know. You can use it with the same creams/foams/gels/etc. that you can with any other razor. It’s neither harder nor easier to use than a cartridge razor or a disposable. When the blade wears out you replace it, just like with a cartridge razor. I don’t see the comparison with fixed-gear bicycles.