07-03-2014, 12:10 AM
RAM,
I thought I'd need a lifetime supply of styptic pencils, too. Turns out I rarely nick myself and definitely don't do it any more than I did with a cartridge razor. The difference in cost between a cartridge razor of any kind and cartridges and a DE razor and blades is dramatic.
A good enough starter DE razor can be had for under $15.00. My original cost $14.95. It's not a great razor by any means but it was good as a starter. Expect to pay between $30 and $40 for a better razor. But, it isn't a necessity.
Blades can cost pennies, depending on how you buy them. I bought a 100 qty pack of Derby Extra for $9.59 in January 2013. Eighteen months later and I still have about 70 of them. Meaning, I use only about 2 blades per month.
A critical difference between a DE razor and any cartridge razor, regardless of make and model, is that DE blades are standardized. A blade that fits in one DE razor will fit in any other DE razor. There is a huge selection of blades out there. Don't like X blade? Try Y blade. Don't like that? Try Z blade. They'll all work with your DE razor.
'course, you can also spend _much_ more money on DE products, too.
FWIW, I don't rotate my razor after each stroke. Rather, I use side A for the first pass and side B for the second pass. The next day, I use side B for the first pass and side A for the second pass. The second pass is a careful sideways shave rather than an vertical shave. I've always been a two pass shaver, even when using cartridge razors. Just how I was learned when I started shaving in my teens.
Robert
I thought I'd need a lifetime supply of styptic pencils, too. Turns out I rarely nick myself and definitely don't do it any more than I did with a cartridge razor. The difference in cost between a cartridge razor of any kind and cartridges and a DE razor and blades is dramatic.
A good enough starter DE razor can be had for under $15.00. My original cost $14.95. It's not a great razor by any means but it was good as a starter. Expect to pay between $30 and $40 for a better razor. But, it isn't a necessity.
Blades can cost pennies, depending on how you buy them. I bought a 100 qty pack of Derby Extra for $9.59 in January 2013. Eighteen months later and I still have about 70 of them. Meaning, I use only about 2 blades per month.
A critical difference between a DE razor and any cartridge razor, regardless of make and model, is that DE blades are standardized. A blade that fits in one DE razor will fit in any other DE razor. There is a huge selection of blades out there. Don't like X blade? Try Y blade. Don't like that? Try Z blade. They'll all work with your DE razor.
'course, you can also spend _much_ more money on DE products, too.
FWIW, I don't rotate my razor after each stroke. Rather, I use side A for the first pass and side B for the second pass. The next day, I use side B for the first pass and side A for the second pass. The second pass is a careful sideways shave rather than an vertical shave. I've always been a two pass shaver, even when using cartridge razors. Just how I was learned when I started shaving in my teens.
Robert