Welcome back to the Gentleman's Gazette In today's video, we discuss why you should
switch to a double-edged safety razor.
Technology has changed our lives radically in the last century mostly for
the better, however, in terms of shaving, that's not the case. Today's dominant
shaving method, the cartridge razor is not at the top because it's the best
method, but simply because it makes the most money for the manufacturers.
With aggressive marketing brands like Gillette or the Dollar Shave Club have taught
men that the cartridge razor with more blades is the way to go. In reality, the
best shavers for men are decades old and sometimes pre-date sliced bread.
So what am I talking about? The straight razor, the single-blade razor, and of course, the
double-edged safety razor. So why should you switch from a cartridge system to a
de razor? First of all, it's cost. Over the course of a year or even 10 years, you
spend probably ten times as much in a cartridge system than you would on a
double-edged system. Now the big difference with cartridge systems and a de razor
is that you get the handle for the cartridge razors for free, but you'll pay
anywhere from one to four dollars for each cartridge; and if you're like me
that just last once or twice, especially if you have thick hair and otherwise, it's
painful to shave. On the other hand, with a double-edged razor, you have to invest
50 bucks or maybe even 100 bucks up front to get all the tools you need, but
then you'll only pay pennies for each blade thereafter. The second reason to switch to
the de razor is that you get a much closer shave. If you want a buttery
smooth, baby butt-like shave, you need a sharper blade. On top of that, a sharp
blade really helps to avoid any kinds of razor bumps and skin conditions that you
get with blades that are too dull. How can you tell if a blade is too dull?
Well, if it pulls at any point in time when you shave, that means the blade isn't
sharp enough. Every man has different hair. Some are coarse and thick, others are soft.
With a de razor, you can pick exactly the right blade for
your hair and your skin type. On top of that, you can change the handles and
heads and that angle makes it more or less aggressive and you can find the
right combination that works just for your face. On the other hand, with a
cartridge system like Dollar Shave Club Gillette Mach3 or Fusion is just one
size fits at all but it truly doesn't fit anyone. The third reason people
choose double-edged safety razors is because they get less irritation.
Yes, you have to invest in high-fat shave creams but with a cartridge razor, they don't
really work because they clog up the multitude of blades.
Now with the de razor, you have full control of your blades and they're so
inexpensive that you can afford to discard them after each use even though
I don't think you even have to do that. Now let's assume we throw your blade
away after each shave, you still produce a whole lot less waste than you would
with a cartridge system, so switching to a de system means no clock double landfills
and a handle that you can use for a lifetime. So obviously, these are big
pros for the de systems. What are the cons? Well, as I mentioned, you have a larger
upfront investment and on top of that you have to learn the right technique,
otherwise, you're more likely to get a nick or a cut. Of course, it also takes
longer than using an electric shave but the result is also a lot better and
fortunately, you can easily learn a technique; it's really not a big secret.
That being said, Rome wasn't built in a day and you're not gonna get your
perfect shave the first time you use a de razor. Frankly, in my mind, the only
time I could see you use a cartridge system is when you travel by plane
because the cartridge razors are TSA-approved, single-blades, or not.
Personally, I just use an electric shaver when I travel because I can also use that when
I shave with a DE razor. Now lately, a lot of new single-blade shaving systems have
popped up and people who formerly use a cartridge razor seemed to be converted.
Okay, let's take a look at the single-edged razors, OneBlade and Supply and how they
stack up against de. First up, I have to say both are good products and compared to a
cartridge system, they are way better which is why if most people switch from
a cartridge system to a OneBlade or Supply system, they're blown away because
their shave is better and they spend less money. For example, that OneBlade
uses a feather FHS-10 blade which is thicker than a de blade and costs about
seventy-five cents apiece. It used to be really expensive to get a handle and you have
to pay anywhere from three to four hundred dollars. now you're gonna get a starter
handle for just twenty bucks the shave is great with a swivel head of
the one blade you get an experience that is very close to a cartridge system it's
very easy but it's much smoother and better at a cost that is lower than a
cartridge system but above that of the de system, especially in the long run.
Why? One de blade costs anywhere from five to ten cents maybe a little more
for a sharper blade but nowhere near to seventy-five cents. On a rating system
from zero to 10 with 10 being the best, I'd rate a de shaving system as a 9
simply because it's not quite a 10 because it takes a little more time and
it takes a little technique. The OneBlade system I would rate 8 because it's
still very good, it's just slightly more expensive than a de system. So what about
the Supply razor? It has kind of an injection plate which is from Schick.
It also costs about 75 cents a blade and there are three different angles so you
can adjust how aggressive you want your shave to be but ultimately, it's also more
expensive even though the handle just cost about 75 bucks or think of hundred
fifty when you get the better ones. So because of that I'd rate the Supply system at an 8, too.
What about systems like Bevel? Well actually, that's a double-edged
razor and the only reason it works so well and doesn't create skin irritation
is because they use sharp blades, that's it. Fortunately, you can achieve it with any
kind of de razor you don't need the Bevel branded products that are more
expensive than other options in the market. Alright, enough about why you
should shave with a de razor and how it stacks up against other methods.
What do you need to shave with a de razor? So, first of all, it is a razor handle that
comes with a head: you need the right blades and you need a high-fat shaving cream.
Don't use those cheap aerosol cans, they won't work. You should also use a
post-shave product such as an aftershave or an aftershave balm simply because
they help to soothe your skin. You should also invest in a styptic
pencil in case you cut yourself because it stops the bleeding.
Now, if you want to learn about the 9 most common shaving mistakes, please check out this video
here, and if you're not sure about what product to choose we created an over 250
page strong guide book about shaving that covers all different items and we
tested hundreds of things just to figure out what's best for the money and best
for a certain kind of shave type, skin, and hair type.
In today's video, I'm wearing a combination of an orange salmon-colored
shirt with a Fair Isle knit vest in brown. I'm combining it with a light
beige herringbone tweed jacket and a Prince of Wales check bow tie in
burgundy. It's from Fort Belvedere, just like the silk-wool pocket squares which
picks up these Earthy tones of red, brown, green, and yellow. My pants are
mid-brown corduroys and I'm combining them with Fort Belvedere socks in charcoal
and orange shadow stripes which from afar creates a look of something brownish
which goes well with the pants as well as the olive green Derby shoes that
provides enough contrast and picks up the orange and warmer tones in the other
parts of my outfit.