Read time: 5 mins

You’ve been lied to – supermarket-style cartridge razors are not the best a man can get. Multi-blade razors, with their lubricating strips, swivel heads and racing-stripe colour schemes look great in animated adverts with commanding voice-overs, but come crashing back down to earth when put to actual use.

Whether it’s the skin irritation and razor burn, the exorbitant cost of replacement blades or the sticky, artificial mess that is mass-produced shaving gel, it’s clear that there’s something broken with supermarket-style shaving.

Some men turn to electric razors for help, and after departing with around half a thousand dollars of their hard-earned money soon find that they’ve swapped the skin irritation and nasty shaving gels with the pulling, tugging and mediocre closeness that’s typical of electric razor shaving.

Some others give up altogether and resign themselves to maintaining short stubble with a trimmer because the shaving world has let them down. If that’s not enough, they face the added strain on their relationship from the light dusting of trimmed beard hair that covers their bathroom!

Somewhere along the line, multi-national razor companies figured they could make more money from these plastic razors and very expensive electric products and lost sight of delivering a great shave.

At Beard & Blade, we’re here to tell you that there’s a better way: double-edge safety razors and shaving creams made by companies that actually care about your face. Below, we’ll discuss the four main benefits of these traditional shaving products and hopefully convince you that it’s time to make the switch!

IT’S A BETTER SHAVE

As we mentioned, double edge razors do away with many of the common complaints that men have with shaving. Skin irritation and in-grown hairs are either greatly reduced or eliminated when switching to double edge safety razors. This is because of the efficient cutting action of the blade and weighty razor head that make light work of even coarse beard growth.

And that’s not all! Due to the higher percentage of premium, natural ingredients, shaving creams from brands such as Proraso and Taylor of Old Bond Street not only produce a thicker, more protective lather than supermarket shaving gels, they won’t leave behind that sticky residue that needs washing away with soap. In fact, they’ll leave your skin feeling moisturised and nourished, and are available in a huge range of scents.

For bearded men, double edge razors are great at tidying up the neckline and cheeks with a much more precise edge than is possible with cartridge razors.

IT WILL SAVE YOU MONEY

Multi-blade cartridge razors typically last anywhere from 5 to 10 shaves before needing replacement, while double edge razor blades generally begin to dull after 3-5 shaves. Electric razor heads, meanwhile, are recommended to be changed every 12 months. With the vast differences in the cost of replacement blades, it’s clear that blade life alone is not enough to work out the best value option. We need a chart!

As you’ll see, double edge razors are more cost effective than cartridge razors after only three months, beyond which the cost savings continue to grow. After a year, you can expect to save around $118, and over $280 after two years! Electric razors are in a cost class of their own and aren't worth further comparison.

If you'd like to know how we calculated these figures, you can find the assumptions we used at the bottom of this article.

LESS PLASTIC WASTE

Traditional safety razors are increasingly popular for reducing plastic waste – and for good reason. The durable, all-metal designs will last for many years and with the replacement blades also being made of metal, they can be recycled much more easily than their cartridge-based counterparts.

THEY LOOK AWESOME

The last (but certainly not least) reason for making the switch to double edge safety razors is that they are hands-down more visually impressive than anything from your local supermarket aisles. Striking metal designs will add a touch of class to any bathroom counter and your morning shaves will make you look like an old-school movie star!

The entire process, from lathering your shaving cream with a brush to the effortless glide of the blade across the skin is a luxurious experience unique to traditional razors. Isn’t it time you tried it for yourself?

GET YOURS TODAY

Our hand-picked double edge shaving kits include everything you need to get started and are suited for every budget. Check them out below or view our full range here.

If you'd like to learn more about choosing the right double edge razor for you, read our blog for all the answers.

Appendix

Assumptions used for calculating the lifetime cost comparison chart:

• The double edge razor itself costs $50, and blades are $13 for 100 (changed every 4 shaves)
• The cartridge razor itself costs $7 and blades are $40 for 12 (changed every 7 shaves)
• The electric razor costs $300 and cutting heads are $60 each (changed every 12 months)