What was once a simple choice between one and two blades, has now turned into three, four, and five blade behemoths. It is easy to spend hundreds of dollars per year on the fancy branded blades: Mach’s, Quatro’s, Fusions.
Double-Edge shaving can save your budget
With talk of an impending ‘R-word’ or ‘Correction’, every last penny counts. You could save literally Hundred of Dollars by converting to the Double Edge.
It is a very simple equation:
Handle + (Cost of Blade * # of Blade Changes per year)
=Annual Cost
I used Amazon.com to compare prices, as they are one of the cheapest places for Multi-Blade razors – close to Costco prices…prices are always fluctuating, but you will get the point!
Lets look at the current Fusion Power from Gillette:
Handle (with one cartridge) is $11.47, Cartridges are 8 for $22 or $2.75 each, weekly changes.
$11.47 + (2.75 * 52)
$154.47 per year for Gillette Fusion Power Pivot Head Razor
And now compare that to the RetroRazor Weishi and Derby Extra blades
The RetroRazor with shipping is about $36, plus $2.15 cents for 5 pack of Derby Extra changed every 4 days (92 blades per year) – 100 Derby Extra blades through Amazon are about $25 if you want to commit to a years worth…
$36 + ($25 with a few blades for next year!)
$61 per year for RetroRazor Weishi plus Derby Extra blades
For fun, lets look at the ‘Budget’ disposable, Gillette Good News!
Amazon has 36 for $20.37 or $.57 cents each, with blade changes every 3 days (122 per year)
($.57*122)
$69.54
It is easy to see that a High Quality shave from the Double Edge razor can save you Hundreds of Dollars per year…even throw in a Badger Brush and some fun aftershaves and you are way ahead of the game!
People often ask, “Why try Classic Shaving?” This article series will discuss the benefits of traditional Double Edge Shaving versus the today’s Autopilot shaving.
Saving Face
Your face has both of the toughest and delicate skin of the body: extremely thin to allow early dawn light to enter; battle toughened and scarred by years of sun exposure and shaving. Wet Shaving improves the health of your face, through simple natural products and techniques that keep your skin healthy and refreshed.
Moisturize your skin and beard- as its namesake, the goal of Wet Shaving is to keep your face and beard supple by lathering heavily with a fine shave soap or cream and plenty of water. Some Wet Shavers apply a pre-shave conditioner or oil to further soften the wiry beard, and many shave after showering when the beard has been steamed into submission. By preparing a well-groomed shaving field, the face will be resilient to the upcoming shave.
Sharp blades reduce bumps and ingrowth
Double edge razors are extremely simple and effective- Most contemporary blades are edged with exotics such Platinum and Teflon, but above all, they have extraordinarily sharp and keen edges. As the razor cuts the beard, it will glide micrometers above the skin with little or no pressure on the face. This allows for a smooth shave, but without the irritation that many find with the multi-blade pivot razor. The action of shaving is micro-exfoliation, sloughing off the old and in with the new.
A reviewer on Amazon wrote this ditty:
I have been plagued with chronic acne and razor-burn all my life.
Then I discovered the Weishi, and my life changed.
Now, I have a glow on my face and a skip in my pace.
Thank you, Weishi.
The commercials by Gillete and Schick have slick computer-generated animations of the first Blade lifting up the hair, and the second blade swooping in for the cut. Common Sense dictates that cutting the hair below the surface of the skin creates a shorter cut, but with the possibility of ingrown hairs, bumps, irritation, redness – aka Razor Burn.
Polish and Protect
After the shave, it is important to protect the freshly shorn face from the elements. Classic shaving brings centuries of emollients, balms, lotions, and potions to contemporary scientific knowledge. I take a three step approach to Polishing and Protecting the post-shave face:
There are plenty of products, introduced in later articles, that provide a balance polish and protection.
Classic Wet Shaving = Healthy Shaving
