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And here's the reality on the consumer end of things today, straight from the horse's mouth (my husband): Before: 16 years of avg. $13/month for a 4/5-pack of

And here's the reality on the consumer end of things today, straight from the horse's mouth (my husband): Before: 16 years of avg. $13/month for a 4/5-pack of Gillette cartridges (they are $16 a pack today), along with razorburn and inflamed follicles due to their cartridges' design of pulling the hairs up and cutting them off below the level of the skin. Today: a single $60 investment for a Merkur safety razor, and $9/YEAR for 20 blades (40 razor edges, each lasting longer than any of Gillette's cartridges), with almost no razorburn, and not a single inflamed follicle since "the switch".

dekz 16y ago
Question, when is one man enough for a safety razor?
- hackermom 16y ago
  I don't know if you are joshing over the "safety" part of their names or not, but I'll assume you are not :) So, I would say, any day you are ready to stop wasting money on disposable Gillette cartridges. My husband bought one (a Merkur Futur) for his nephew who's a teenager, and apparently shaving is no longer an annoyance to him. Most likely he will also never have to buy another razor, ever - that thing was made in stainless steel, built to last a lifetime.
  - qjz 16y ago
    I bought my safety razor at a yard sale for one dollar, then ordered 100 blades from Amazon for $17. I get a great shave in the shower using an ordinary bar of Ivory soap. I'll go weeks on one blade, so I consider it an amazing investment compared to the poor value of buying disposables.
  - dekz 16y ago
    Thanks, I wasn't joshing ;). Will investigate.
ubernostrum 16y ago
Or option 3: invest $30 in a good beard trimmer :)
- run4yourlives 16y ago
  That only works if you can't grow facial hair anyway.
  - philwelch 16y ago
    No--a beard trimmer or electric razor does absolutely nothing for you if you can't grow facial hair. Thankfully, if you can't grow facial hair, shaving is pretty quick and easy and painfree. If you can grow facial hair, though, a beard trimmer is absolutely fantastic for keeping your beard trimmed, which I presume was the joke.
    - run4yourlives 16y ago
      Ah, see the joke now. Monday morning and all that. :-(
- Groxx 16y ago
  I converted a while ago, am significantly happier (and so is my skin). I've also managed to convert my wife to not shaving her legs - no more prickles, no more bumps, and waaay less wasted time and annoyance. She's much happier :)
- nhooey 16y ago
  You still have to shave your neck to avoid looking like a slob.
Tyrannosaurs 16y ago
I made the same switch a while back but eventually I moved back to Gillette. What I learned was: There are a bunch of things involved in a decent wet shave, the razor is only one part of it. Preparation is key - exfoliate every week and moisturise daily, warm your face before shaving (lots of hot water), ideally shave first thing in the morning (your face muscles are more relaxed) and apply shaving foam gel with a brush (it works it in and softens the bristles better). Razor burn is as much caused by technique as tools - shave downwards, all over the face once. Ignore the fact it still feels stubbly, you're taking off the worst of it. Now lather up again (avoid a razor on bare skin, that's going to burn) and do it again. Finally one last time (having lathered up again) going up the face if you have to to clear up anything remaining. Then cold water to rinse, and moisturise afterwards. On top of this an old fashioned safety razor did make a positive difference both to how clean the shave was and the razor burn (remarkable given that it's one fixed blade) but for me the extra effort involved in shaving with an old safety razor wasn't quite worth it. I like to be able to be a bit careless first thing in the morning while I'm half asleep and I can do that with a Gillette Fusion. (Can I just say, for the love of god anyone making the move read up on how to shave with one first - it's not the same and you will cut yourself to pieces if you go at it the way you go at it with a modern Gillette).
- whimsy 16y ago
  I might recommend shaving sideways for your second pass. Maybe your third, too. (That is, perpendicular to the grain.)
IgorPartola 16y ago
With one caveat: that kind of a razor takes 2-3 once-overs and many minutes. With my safety razor I can be done under a minute ideally.
stonemetal 16y ago
Anecdotes are not data. I use a Gillette, I just bought a 10 pack of blades for 16 dollars. That is going to last me a year, maybe longer. I shave properly. Hot shower, proper technique never had razor burn ever. As the saying goes the poor craftsmen blames his tools.
- jrockway 16y ago
  Same experience, although the blades I use are $10/4 and I change them every week. I don't think much about shaving, and I get a close shave without razor burn. $10 is less than 10 minutes of my time, so it seems like a good deal to me. Though I am tempted to order a safety razor from Amazon to see what I'm missing...
- hackermom 16y ago
  This is by no means a slandering or questioning of your masculinity, but, if you can manage to go for a whole year on just 10 blades then maybe it is so that your particular stubble is playing into the equation? Some men have velvet skin and "peach fuzz" beard, and some men have leather skin and steel wool growing out of their chin.
  - simonsarris 16y ago
    This is most likely it. Some of my friends can shave in the shower without having to use anything but water. I and others must use conditioner while in the shower plus cream or shaving soap (I've tried many) and its still an uphill battle. And yet I can't help but wonder if at least some of it is my technique. I was thinking of going to the barber for a shave, just to see how well he'd do.
    - chipsy 16y ago
      I use disposables in the shower, usually with soap and a bit of lathering time. I can draw a blade out for months at a time, and usually prefer it after the first few days since a dull blade is more forgiving. The caveat(if any) is that the technique requires a lot of slow passes - first with the grain a few times, then sideways a few times, then against the grain - so I end up with 15-20 minute showers. The skin preparation is a big part in how well it comes out in the end; a moist lather is the only reason I can work with dull blades. I compared my brother's technique against mine once. He took the cream, spread it on without lathering, and then practically rammed a fresh Mach 3 blade straight down his face, one stroke per section. Finished in under a minute. Suddenly, it became clear why he always had persistent five-o-clock shadow; as I told him upon seeing this, he wasn't really shaven by doing this, he just wouldn't get a beard.
roel_v 16y ago
In my experience, a Gilette shaves cleanly (no cuts and inflamed follicles or ingrown hairs) for the first couple of times (when it's very sharp), then causes a few cuts unless you're very careful for the next 5 shavings or so, and from then on becomes so dull that it becomes quite hard to cut yourself unless you try to or move the blade along its length. A single Gilette blade lasts me several weeks to 2 months. It's only during the 'transitory' period that you need to be careful, and not apply too much pressure. When the skin becomes very red and irritated, it's time to ditch the blade. Like someone mentioned above, for me the trick is to shave first along the grain, then lather up again, and then against the grain. That prevents redness, cuts and inflammations much more than using a fresh blade.
jerf 16y ago
I must protest in the strongest of terms that this is not Hacker news. It is a well known fact that hackers require beards. Glorious, full-bodied beards. Beards that look good with suspenders and the occasional suit when necessary. Beards that get you on lists like this: http://www.codethinked.com/post/2007/12/06/The-Programmer-Dress-Code.aspx http://www.codethinked.com/post/2007/12/06/The-Programmer-Dr...
- sethg 16y ago
  When girls are taught in high school how they, too, can cultivate glorious, full-bodied beards, we will see gender balance in the hacker community.
pavel_lishin 16y ago
I have pretty sparse facial hair, so I guess I can't really cope with going through a blade a week.
jonknee 16y ago
My biggest problem with a safety razor is you can't travel with it. Other than that I'm not sure why disposables ever caught on.
- macrael 16y ago
  Not so. I'm pretty sure the TSA allows safety razors in carryon luggage. I looked it up on their site a couple months ago. Straight razors are not allowed, naturally.
  - jonknee 16y ago
    They made me throw out the blades. http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/prohibited/permitted-prohibited-items.shtm http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/prohibited/permitted-... "Razor-Type Blades - such as box cutters, utility knives, and safety razor blades (disposable razors and their cartridges are permitted)"
    - macrael 16y ago
      Ah, you are right. I read a 2002 advisory that allowed them. http://www.tsa.gov/press/releases/2002/press_release_0104.shtm http://www.tsa.gov/press/releases/2002/press_release_0104.sh... Alas.
RobLach 16y ago
I stand by this. I recently bought a Merkur safety razor and a sample pack of different blade brands. I have been recommending all of my male friends to make the switch.

dekz 16y ago

Question, when is one man enough for a safety razor?

hackermom 16y ago
I don't know if you are joshing over the "safety" part of their names or not, but I'll assume you are not :) So, I would say, any day you are ready to stop wasting money on disposable Gillette cartridges. My husband bought one (a Merkur Futur) for his nephew who's a teenager, and apparently shaving is no longer an annoyance to him. Most likely he will also never have to buy another razor, ever - that thing was made in stainless steel, built to last a lifetime.
- qjz 16y ago
  I bought my safety razor at a yard sale for one dollar, then ordered 100 blades from Amazon for $17. I get a great shave in the shower using an ordinary bar of Ivory soap. I'll go weeks on one blade, so I consider it an amazing investment compared to the poor value of buying disposables.
- dekz 16y ago
  Thanks, I wasn't joshing ;). Will investigate.

ubernostrum 16y ago

Or option 3: invest $30 in a good beard trimmer :)

run4yourlives 16y ago
That only works if you can't grow facial hair anyway.
- philwelch 16y ago
  No--a beard trimmer or electric razor does absolutely nothing for you if you can't grow facial hair. Thankfully, if you can't grow facial hair, shaving is pretty quick and easy and painfree. If you can grow facial hair, though, a beard trimmer is absolutely fantastic for keeping your beard trimmed, which I presume was the joke.
  - run4yourlives 16y ago
    Ah, see the joke now. Monday morning and all that. :-(
Groxx 16y ago
I converted a while ago, am significantly happier (and so is my skin). I've also managed to convert my wife to not shaving her legs - no more prickles, no more bumps, and waaay less wasted time and annoyance. She's much happier :)
nhooey 16y ago
You still have to shave your neck to avoid looking like a slob.

Tyrannosaurs 16y ago

I made the same switch a while back but eventually I moved back to Gillette. What I learned was: There are a bunch of things involved in a decent wet shave, the razor is only one part of it. Preparation is key - exfoliate every week and moisturise daily, warm your face before shaving (lots of hot water), ideally shave first thing in the morning (your face muscles are more relaxed) and apply shaving foam gel with a brush (it works it in and softens the bristles better). Razor burn is as much caused by technique as tools - shave downwards, all over the face once. Ignore the fact it still feels stubbly, you're taking off the worst of it. Now lather up again (avoid a razor on bare skin, that's going to burn) and do it again. Finally one last time (having lathered up again) going up the face if you have to to clear up anything remaining. Then cold water to rinse, and moisturise afterwards. On top of this an old fashioned safety razor did make a positive difference both to how clean the shave was and the razor burn (remarkable given that it's one fixed blade) but for me the extra effort involved in shaving with an old safety razor wasn't quite worth it. I like to be able to be a bit careless first thing in the morning while I'm half asleep and I can do that with a Gillette Fusion. (Can I just say, for the love of god anyone making the move read up on how to shave with one first - it's not the same and you will cut yourself to pieces if you go at it the way you go at it with a modern Gillette).

whimsy 16y ago
I might recommend shaving sideways for your second pass. Maybe your third, too. (That is, perpendicular to the grain.)

IgorPartola 16y ago

With one caveat: that kind of a razor takes 2-3 once-overs and many minutes. With my safety razor I can be done under a minute ideally.

stonemetal 16y ago

Anecdotes are not data. I use a Gillette, I just bought a 10 pack of blades for 16 dollars. That is going to last me a year, maybe longer. I shave properly. Hot shower, proper technique never had razor burn ever. As the saying goes the poor craftsmen blames his tools.

jrockway 16y ago
Same experience, although the blades I use are $10/4 and I change them every week. I don't think much about shaving, and I get a close shave without razor burn. $10 is less than 10 minutes of my time, so it seems like a good deal to me. Though I am tempted to order a safety razor from Amazon to see what I'm missing...
hackermom 16y ago
This is by no means a slandering or questioning of your masculinity, but, if you can manage to go for a whole year on just 10 blades then maybe it is so that your particular stubble is playing into the equation? Some men have velvet skin and "peach fuzz" beard, and some men have leather skin and steel wool growing out of their chin.
- simonsarris 16y ago
  This is most likely it. Some of my friends can shave in the shower without having to use anything but water. I and others must use conditioner while in the shower plus cream or shaving soap (I've tried many) and its still an uphill battle. And yet I can't help but wonder if at least some of it is my technique. I was thinking of going to the barber for a shave, just to see how well he'd do.
  - chipsy 16y ago
    I use disposables in the shower, usually with soap and a bit of lathering time. I can draw a blade out for months at a time, and usually prefer it after the first few days since a dull blade is more forgiving. The caveat(if any) is that the technique requires a lot of slow passes - first with the grain a few times, then sideways a few times, then against the grain - so I end up with 15-20 minute showers. The skin preparation is a big part in how well it comes out in the end; a moist lather is the only reason I can work with dull blades. I compared my brother's technique against mine once. He took the cream, spread it on without lathering, and then practically rammed a fresh Mach 3 blade straight down his face, one stroke per section. Finished in under a minute. Suddenly, it became clear why he always had persistent five-o-clock shadow; as I told him upon seeing this, he wasn't really shaven by doing this, he just wouldn't get a beard.

roel_v 16y ago

In my experience, a Gilette shaves cleanly (no cuts and inflamed follicles or ingrown hairs) for the first couple of times (when it's very sharp), then causes a few cuts unless you're very careful for the next 5 shavings or so, and from then on becomes so dull that it becomes quite hard to cut yourself unless you try to or move the blade along its length. A single Gilette blade lasts me several weeks to 2 months. It's only during the 'transitory' period that you need to be careful, and not apply too much pressure. When the skin becomes very red and irritated, it's time to ditch the blade. Like someone mentioned above, for me the trick is to shave first along the grain, then lather up again, and then against the grain. That prevents redness, cuts and inflammations much more than using a fresh blade.

jerf 16y ago

I must protest in the strongest of terms that this is not Hacker news. It is a well known fact that hackers require beards. Glorious, full-bodied beards. Beards that look good with suspenders and the occasional suit when necessary. Beards that get you on lists like this: http://www.codethinked.com/post/2007/12/06/The-Programmer-Dress-Code.aspx http://www.codethinked.com/post/2007/12/06/The-Programmer-Dr...

sethg 16y ago
When girls are taught in high school how they, too, can cultivate glorious, full-bodied beards, we will see gender balance in the hacker community.

pavel_lishin 16y ago

I have pretty sparse facial hair, so I guess I can't really cope with going through a blade a week.

jonknee 16y ago

My biggest problem with a safety razor is you can't travel with it. Other than that I'm not sure why disposables ever caught on.

macrael 16y ago
Not so. I'm pretty sure the TSA allows safety razors in carryon luggage. I looked it up on their site a couple months ago. Straight razors are not allowed, naturally.
- jonknee 16y ago
  They made me throw out the blades. http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/prohibited/permitted-prohibited-items.shtm http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/prohibited/permitted-... "Razor-Type Blades - such as box cutters, utility knives, and safety razor blades (disposable razors and their cartridges are permitted)"
  - macrael 16y ago
    Ah, you are right. I read a 2002 advisory that allowed them. http://www.tsa.gov/press/releases/2002/press_release_0104.shtm http://www.tsa.gov/press/releases/2002/press_release_0104.sh... Alas.

RobLach 16y ago

I stand by this. I recently bought a Merkur safety razor and a sample pack of different blade brands. I have been recommending all of my male friends to make the switch.