A while I ago I got tired of buying these cartridges for my cartridge razor, some Gillette brand.
A pack of 5 blades were like 25 USD or 20 EUR.
A straight razor is about 100 USD or 80 EUR (for a good carbon steel 5/8") so I thought in four bladepacks I would have already paid the amount it would cost to get such a blade…
And that blade would last me a lifetime.
I like shaving with it more, oh the danger, especially when shaving the neck
The shave quality is also better. I usually just go with the grain first, then against the grain, instead of the “babybutt” WTG, XTG and then ATG full three pass shave, because I am lazy and my hair is not so super thick.
I use a safety razor. Disposable blades cost me 15-30 dollars for a 100 pack and they are sharp as hell. In my mind that is easier than having to constantly sharpen an expensive blade. That’s already a pain in the ass with my kitchen knives.
Not too long ago I was using the Gilette things but got tired of paying ridiculous prices for refills that didn’t even last long anyways. When I switched over it was like night and day. I use a cheap blade max 10 times then throw it away. Always sharp and don’t have to be annoyed with my face being ripped apart because I’m too cheap to throw it out so soon.
Yeah, a safety razor is a good compromise, I guess.
I bought four different diamond pastes and strops to go with my blade, and a chromium oxide paste (and a strop for that) plus I bought a strop that I will finish the edge with that I haven’t put anything on. I only run it through the whole regimen every 3-4 shaves though, takes 15 minutes.
I bought the blade from a reputable company that hones the blades they sell, now I can use this blade for a good few years before I will get it sharpened by a honemeister, that will be only like 25 USD or 20 EUR.
i ordered a straight razor online, it was under $10 including shipping. its honed nicely just needed a strop when it arrives. i use the back of my leather belt as a strop. can also use corrugated cardboard as a strop. edit: non-corrugated works better, like the inside of a cereal box or back of a notepad
i had a phillips electric wet/dry i inherited from my grandfather but it must have been 20-30 years old 20 years ago. super well made and dependable. they’re probably cheap janky plastic made to break now though. i always dry shave and it worked well for that.
This is what the hubby had when we married 20 years ago. I just replaced it after pricing blades. The new one is nice and seems just as sturdy. Time will tell.
