With the price of razor blades as high as they are and the abundance of subscription-based online services, it should come as no surprise that you can pay someone online to have shaving supplies shipped to your home. These services are much more convenient and are probably more economical than buying razors at the store, but I wouldn’t really know because I’ve been participating in my own “Dollar Shave Club”.
Since 2019, I’ve been shaving using a single-blade safety razor. If you’re unfamiliar with them, the name probably paints a picture of a hybrid between safety scissors and your typical cartridge-based razors. But really, single-blade safety razors were just the razors that people used before cartridge-based razors were popularized in the 1970s.
Why Make the Switch?
Cost
Around the time you turned 18, you may have received a free razor handle with cartridges from Gillette. If you didn’t know, this is part of the Razor-Razorblade Model. Gillette hopes that by giving you a razor for free, that you’ll stay within their ecosystem and continue purchasing their proprietary cartridges. While that’s very generous of Gillette, I’d rather not spend $25 for 10 blade cartridges.
The alternative is single-blade safety razors, where the razor handle itself can range from $30-$80 (I bought mine for $30 on eBay). Which seems like a large investment up front, and it is if you’re not even sure you’re going to enjoy the shaving experience. But the cost of blades are way cheaper than buying cartridges. A pack of 100 Astra Platinum Double Edged Blades will only set you back $10.
A single blade typically lasts me 4-6 shaves, and I shave every 3-4 days. If I went through a blade every four shaves and shaved every third day, then I’d only use 30 blades a year. That means I only spend $3.00 on blades for an entire year. Hence why I’m part of the REAL Dollar Shave Club.
The $25 dollars someone spends to buy 10 blade cartridges is enough money to get me blades for at least 8 years.
Experience
I’m going to sound like a total millennial saying this, but I just enjoy the shaving experience more when using my single-blade razor.
When I first got my Merkur 34C Razor, I bought a blade variety pack on eBay to try out different blades to see how they would compare to each other. I didn’t know razor blades could really be different from one brand to the other, but there were some noticeable differences in how some blades performed. The whole process was a lot of fun, and didn’t cost much to try a bunch of blades out.
Being able to try different blades without buying a whole new razor is how shaving should be. There shouldn’t be an ecosystem when it comes to something as simple and essential as shaving.
Recommendation
If you’re interested in making the switch, do some research to find what razor and blades will suit you the best. I have been really happy with my Merkur 34C razor and Astra Platinum blades, but that’s the best part about single-blade razors, you get to choose what’s best for you. And the option to switch to something else is always available.