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I wholeheartedly second the suggestion of switching to a safety razor, badger brush, and shaving soap. It’s a rough change for the first few weeks, but once you get your technique down and learn to take your time, not only is it cheaper, you get a much better, much closer shave. But don’t just look for the cheapest blades - even good, comparatively expensive blades are cheap anyway, and cheap blades will cut your face to shit. Be open to trying different brands of blades for the first few weeks - some might be too sharp for you to comfortably use, some might be the opposite. But once you’ve got it figured out, it’s absolutley worth it.
I’ve seen a growing number of recommendations for safety razors. Conventional razors on the market today like the Mach-whatever follow the same business model as printers: the razor itself is cheap but the blades are ridiculously expensive, just like printers are cheap; it’s the ink cartridges that kill you in the end.
Check out this safety razor from the Vermont Country Store. My father used one like this for most of his life, and I used one for many years. Actually my dad used Wilkinson Sword safety razors, but they’re no longer good quality; the German one here will last you a lifetime and the blades last a remarkably long time. If you’re looking for badger brush, shaving soap, etc., you’ll find them here, also by the Vermont Country Store. I actually use an electric razor myself, but that’s because I have a beard and am just trimming around the edges; if I shaved every day I’d use a safety razor. A straight razor is even more economical, but takes time to maintain.
I highly recommend the badger brush and a good cream (Proraso or the like). You’ll never go back to daubing Gillette on your face with a wet finger.
I know this is going to sound crazy guys, but you can get a great shave with a regular razor and not use shaving cream. Just warm water. I saw it mentioned on a site (I’ll try and dig it up) but all I do now is use a plain ol’ schick razor and warm water in my shower. No creams no nothing. Stupid cheap and a great shave too.
And to make my razor last longer, I pop the razor head off when I’m done and put it in one of those little film canisters filled with isopropyl alcohol. I get a month’s worth of shaving out of a single cartridge that way. Try it for a week and see how it goes for you!
Ok, found the site. I’ve been doing this for almost a year now with no regrets. Quick, easy, good quality shave, and cheap!
http://www.lewrockwell.com/tucker/tucker65.html
I saw the lewrockwell article a year ago, too, and I’ve been shaving with a Mach 3 and no shaving cream ever since. It works best right out of the shower.
Thanks, Covert7. Believe it or not, I actually have a half-finished entry about that article someplace. I’m not sure why I never posted it. (I have dozens (hundreds?) of half-finished entries laying around…)
JD, Thanks a bunch for the mention. Though I cannot add much to the discussion on razors, I have on my end just produced a post on cosmetics, just to even out the field out there :D.