I have been using the same disposable razor for over 5 years

[shooter311]

To preface this I want to state that I am not crazy, or cheap, or anything like that. I also have a normally thick beard and shave M-Th every week. I use a Gillette Fusion (the kind that vibrates).

Years ago I was listening to the Howard Stern show and he mentioned that razors don't go bad and it was marketing hype. I didn't think much of it, but then I was getting a straight razor shave at a barber shop and he mentioned that store razors don't need to be sharpened and they last forever. I typically replaced my razor's head once a month. Well I got to the point where I would normally toss the head and get a new one and I thought, what if I kept using the old one? I remember thinking that it pulled the hair a bit and it was not as smooth as a new one. I kept going for the rest of the week. By the next week I assume I got used to the pulling because I didn't even notice it. Next thing I know it has been a year, I decided a year was enough so I replaced the head. The new razor glide so much better, it felt weird and I had to keep checking to make sure it was cutting hair, but it actually made my face feel raw afterwards. Long story short, that was the last time I replaced my razor and that was five and a half years ago.

I don't do anything special with the razor, I use it, clean it off, shake it dry, put it in the little stand, and then put it away.

I know it sounds weird, and something a crazy hoarder would do, but then I think about how much money I have saved, and I am okay with it, lol.

[sniper97]

When a blade starts to pull, I am getting a new one. Inside the same package, some last longer than others.

[SETHZILLA!]

Once my razor starts pulling hair I swap out to a new blade, usually about 2 weeks worth of shaves.

My job requires a clean shave everyday before work starts(we carry gas masks as part of our response equipment and they HAVE to seal up to be effective.)

I made the choice to subscribe to getting 4 blades per month from Dollar Shave Club. $8 a month.
My wife uses 2 and i use 2 per month.

It works out well for us, and it's not much money per year considering what we used to pay.



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[shooter311]

I should add that I do have a professional job, and need to be clean shaving, I do have a goatee, but need to shave daily. Friday's are "dress down day" we can wear jeans and a button up, but I also don't shave on that day. the old razor seems to cut as closely to the skin as the new ones, my face is just as smooth.

$8 a month is way better than what I was paying for Fusion replacements, but still after five and a half years I would have saved over $550. Not that that is the basis of me doing this. It is really just that I never notice it when I shave now, so I don't see a point in switching back.

[Jordan]

I'm a once a week shaver at best, and usually just a bit of cleanup on my beard... I've always found a fresh razor keeps me from getting irritated skin/bumps/etc. Once the razor starts pulling I toss it.

I know a lot of guys seem to love shaving, I've never been one of them.

[OpusX]

I shave daily, and using vintage safety and straight razors is another hobby of mine. Blades do last quite a long time if they are good blades. If you want to go down the wetshaving hole beware it is deep.

Nothing quite beats a good straight razor shave.

Just for kicks, here is todays Shave Of The Day (note that razor is about 100 years old)

[Meleager7]

Your wet shaving game is strong

[Falcon16]

I'm in the same boat, always thought safety razors were neat, finally bought one about 5 years ago, now I have an entire cabinet full of soaps ad after shaves, 5 razors and probably 300 blades of various brands, my favorites being Astra SP, Personna Lab Blue and Rapira Stainless Chrome

[Toestr]

My highschool history teacher had used the same blade for 8 years at the time because he is a self proclaimed 'cheap bastard'. He said he would run the razor backwards on his forearm (so it wasn't cutting) like a strop. I've tried it a few times, but I didn't notice any real difference between if I did it every use or not.

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[punkncat]

Clark Howard did a piece on this some time ago, and it seems I was listening to such and such and Royal (I can't think of the personalities name) and they were also talking about it.
According to them, the issue is that people don't dry off the razor and it oxidizes. They both suggested blowing through and drying the head well and it would last far longer.
I have very fine facial hair, can't really grow more than a stache and a goat. The sides of my face are patchy with soft hair, and the underside of my chin is bit more course. I use one of those Gillette 3 blade things that they sent in the mail probably 15-20 years ago now. The refill packs are expensive as hell...so I started following their advice. I shave on average about twice a week, maybe three if I have somewhere to go. I change blades maybe twice a year.

Recently I found this electric razor, I want to say Norelco but could be wrong. It's shaped like a regular "head type" razor and the little end does a spectacular job with any length hair. It doesn't finish as close as a razor but I generally have gotten to using it more than the bladed one. Those "three round head" electric type suck for me, don't work well at all. I think my hair is too fine to act the way the blades in those need it to.

[punkncat]

Nice find Tracker.

[Tracker]

i had come from this thread and saw that, was like, well, i know someone who would like to know about that

[MrBarraclough]

After rinsing my razor, I give it a flick and then spray it with some rubbing alcohol from a little pump bottle. The alcohol displaces any remaining water droplets and it will evaporate without oxidizing the metal.

[autococker04]

I switched to a safety razor about 4 years ago and got a variety pack of blades for $8. I’m still not through that pack, blades really do last a long time. Unlike you, I did it cause I’m cheap though.

[punkncat]

I attempted to use the safety razor set that my grandfather used so far as I am aware, forever. I (had) a good sized mole on my right cheek/chin and would often cut it. The first time I used the safety razor I cut that bad boy clean off. I bled like a stuck freaking pig, like murder scene amount of blood. I dang near passed out and I am not the squeamish type for blood. The razor is still inside it's really nice leather case as a keepsake.

[autococker04]

I guess the “safety” part is relative lol.

[JonM]

All blades will dull with repeated use regardless of whether it's a razor, a knife, or whatever. Since you can't reliably sharpen a cartridge blade (regardless of the snake oil gadgets that claim otherwise), it will eventually pull and cause skin irritation / razor burn in some people. If not, you must have a pretty tough hide.

I too went down this rabbit hole maybe ten years ago or so. I ended up trying many kinds of razors (single edge, double edge, straight, you name it, I probably tried it at some point). I even made & restored a few of my own. To this day, I'm still using the same box of DE blades I bought a decade ago for under $20. At that price, it's not worth it to use a dull blade.

[DocsMachine]

See, this is one of those things that's never really made sense to me.

Personally, I've basically always been a broke puppy. And I'm talking long bouts of dollar-store Ramen and shaking change from the couch broke.

And even I could afford disposable razor blades.

Yes, the companies overcharge for them just like the inkjet-cartridge people do, but in my case (I don't have to shave every day) a $25 pack of cartridges lasts me a year. That's not even seven cents a day. If you shave four times more often than I do, even then you're looking at slightly over a quarter a day.

And I often hear about ways to save money shaving, from guys that buy a $6 coffee each morning on the way to work, have three or more $50-a-month streaming services, and a $100-a-month smartphone account.

Doc.

[gabe]

Ah, broke young men and "unnecessary" expenses. I love to hear how unaffordable razor blades are from people who would come running cash in hand foaming at the mouth if someone offered some overpriced old brass paintball gun that barely works.

I did the same thing, ran for several years off of a 5 pack of disposable razors but I just clean up beard edges so it's not that big a deal. The blades definitely dull and start to pull hairs but you can make up for that with getting a really good quality shave butter/cream. I normally run for at least 4-6 months on a single razor head and use one of those 3 blade razors. Good enough.

Now don't get me started on the bed frame brainwashing or those wide eyed idiots who insist on using trash bags in small waste baskets. It's a conspiracy! The bed sits just fine on a boxspring on the floor! You don't need it another 6" higher up! Now that's a whole conspiracy by the bed frame makers to shame young single men.

[Meleager7]

Gillette just put a hit out on you

[bellicose]

I shave once a week (just the neck), and have been using the same disposable for over a year. Soon as I am out of the shower, I forget about it, so I would never remember to replace it.

[Pumpytrilly1]

I would always dry off the 4 blade razors and reuse them. They lasted a long time. Now I use a safety razor and change blades often.

[Olsson]

I have bought several safety razors with a pack of blades coming with the razor. Usually when I have traveled, been stationed abroad, etc, etc, and I have forgotten to bring a razor - yet another purchase. So I do have a quite decent stash of fresh razor blades, and yet I find that I don't switch blades more often than every other year or so. Since I don't find any noticeable worsening of the shaving experience, coupled with the fact that I am unbelievably lazy, I simply keep shaving with the blade that is on, even though I have enough razors for decades to come.

Yes - I really am THAT lazy.