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Recently I was challenged to try double edge safety razor shaving. I thought DEs were for the birds. After all didn't my dad stop doing this back in the late 70s early 80s?
So I bought a razor, a merkur #180 from amazon.com, some razor blades, and a shave kit from walmart.
Low and behold what did I find? I found that while there is a learning curve it can be done, you can get a great shave, that costs very little, and is kinda of fun.
DE shaving vs Cartridges
Cartridge razors come as a cheap plastic handle that take very expensive blades. A 12 pack of gillete fusion proglide refils cost $45 at walmart.
Double edge razors are generally more expensive (not always!) but the blades are dirt cheap compared to cartridge blades.
example: a 4 pack of Schick Quattro titanium blades is about $12. the handle runs about $8
a 100 package of Astra Superior Platnum blades is $12 on amazon prime and my Merkur #180 is $33.
the Quatros last me about a month of shaving per cartridge and i would shave with them 3 times a week.
the Astra blades last three shaves and I shave 6 times a week now so $12 in blades lasts a YEAR.
Dorco st301s will go 6 shaves a blade and a 100 pack is $8.53 from amazon.
Double edge razors can vary in price from as little as $2.25 for a 3 peice chinese razor to a couple of hundred dollars for an expensive upscale brand.
After i got the Merkur and learned how to use it I decided to try some cheaper razors. I bought a shaving factory DE butterfly razor.
Do not buy that razor. I gouged up my face with it.
I bought one of the $2.25 chinese razors. It works, not as well as the merkur but its serviceable. I have a russian made schick premium DE razor coming from russia via ebay. I should have it in a week or 2. it was $12 with shipping and comes with 5 blades.
So you'll need a razor and blades and what else? I bought a van der hagen shave kit at walmart. it consists of a brush, bowl, and soap.
Soap? Soap? yeap shaving soap. you wet the brush and with the soap in the bottom of the bowl, you whip the brush on the soap to produce lather.
and it works great! you could even use the brush and soap with your cartridge razor.
so I learned how to shave like my grand father did for not a whole lot of money. once you have a shave kit and razors the consumables are blades and soap. soap will last you a couple of months atleast and its $1.59 a puck at walmart. $12 in blades will last year!
http://www.amazon.com/Merkur-Model-1...rds=merkur+180
http://www.amazon.com/Dorco-ST301-Platinum-Double-Blades/dp/B001MJSAJQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1379197616&sr=8-1&keywords=dorco+st301
http://www.amazon.com/Silver-Double-...=van+der+hagen
http://www.amazon.com/Van-Hagen-Prem...=van+der+hagen
So I bought a razor, a merkur #180 from amazon.com, some razor blades, and a shave kit from walmart.
Low and behold what did I find? I found that while there is a learning curve it can be done, you can get a great shave, that costs very little, and is kinda of fun.
DE shaving vs Cartridges
Cartridge razors come as a cheap plastic handle that take very expensive blades. A 12 pack of gillete fusion proglide refils cost $45 at walmart.
Double edge razors are generally more expensive (not always!) but the blades are dirt cheap compared to cartridge blades.
example: a 4 pack of Schick Quattro titanium blades is about $12. the handle runs about $8
a 100 package of Astra Superior Platnum blades is $12 on amazon prime and my Merkur #180 is $33.
the Quatros last me about a month of shaving per cartridge and i would shave with them 3 times a week.
the Astra blades last three shaves and I shave 6 times a week now so $12 in blades lasts a YEAR.
Dorco st301s will go 6 shaves a blade and a 100 pack is $8.53 from amazon.
Double edge razors can vary in price from as little as $2.25 for a 3 peice chinese razor to a couple of hundred dollars for an expensive upscale brand.
After i got the Merkur and learned how to use it I decided to try some cheaper razors. I bought a shaving factory DE butterfly razor.
Do not buy that razor. I gouged up my face with it.
I bought one of the $2.25 chinese razors. It works, not as well as the merkur but its serviceable. I have a russian made schick premium DE razor coming from russia via ebay. I should have it in a week or 2. it was $12 with shipping and comes with 5 blades.
So you'll need a razor and blades and what else? I bought a van der hagen shave kit at walmart. it consists of a brush, bowl, and soap.
Soap? Soap? yeap shaving soap. you wet the brush and with the soap in the bottom of the bowl, you whip the brush on the soap to produce lather.
and it works great! you could even use the brush and soap with your cartridge razor.
so I learned how to shave like my grand father did for not a whole lot of money. once you have a shave kit and razors the consumables are blades and soap. soap will last you a couple of months atleast and its $1.59 a puck at walmart. $12 in blades will last year!
http://www.amazon.com/Merkur-Model-1...rds=merkur+180
http://www.amazon.com/Dorco-ST301-Platinum-Double-Blades/dp/B001MJSAJQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1379197616&sr=8-1&keywords=dorco+st301
http://www.amazon.com/Silver-Double-...=van+der+hagen
http://www.amazon.com/Van-Hagen-Prem...=van+der+hagen
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