This is a benefit of standardization: DE blades all have a common form factor, so any handle can use any blade. That means every DE blade maker is competing with all the others, which drives prices down. Cartridges on the other hand are all proprietary to the vendor that made the handle they fit with, so there's much less downward pressure on the pricing.
> if that isn't a strong indictment of saving pennies, I don't know what is.
The thing about a DE blade versus a cartridge is that with a DE the range of possible outcomes is much wider than it is with a cartridge. A DE blade can produce shaves ranging from "ow, I cut myself!" to "smooth as a baby's bottom", depending on the technique you apply to it. A cartridge won't ever cut you, but it'll also never give you as close a shave as you can get with a well-wielded DE blade; it provides a consistently mediocre shave every time.
To put this in terms HN readers will appreciate, arguments about DE versus cartridge tend to be kind of like arguments about vim/emacs versus IDEs. Vim and emacs users love to talk about all the crazy things they can do with their editor that no IDE can match, but they rarely talk about the learning curve they had to climb to reach that level of technique. Whereas IDEs tend to be less elegant, but by hewing more closely to modern desktop interface standards they let their users reach an acceptable level of productivity faster. Those IDE users will never reach the heights of wizardry that are possible with vim or emacs, but since very few programmers are true wizards anyway that doesn't really matter much to everyone else. Like the cartridge razor, the IDE is "good enough."
I have shaved with a straight razor for maybe three years now, and before that I used a DE for maybe five.
I don't for a minute believe that cartridge razors are incapable of giving me equally good shaves.
99% of the benefits of DE and straights is the incredible care you have to take with your technique, the awareness you need of your face's contours, and the grain of your beard over in multiple passes.
People who stick with wet-shaving care a lot about getting all of that right, and do a lot of work to get there. Similar attention to those things while using a cartridge will get you similar results. At least in my experience.
I wet-shave because it is more environmentally friendly, and I love the ritual. Also, it is cheaper.
I think it depends a lot on your beard. I actually have a very fine beard. Cartridges do not do a good job for me. They always miss spots and the stubble the next day is always uneven. A DE works dramatically better for me. I also didn't find it difficult to learn to use either. I've nicked myself a few times, but the kind of nick where after you finish shaving you see, "Oh there's some blood there" and you wipe it off never to come back again. And to top it all off, I use my blades for about a month. I use a Feather "Popular" holder (less than $10) and Feather blades. After I shave, I brush the blade in the holder with a toothbrush, open the holder, turn the blade over, close the holder and brush with the toothbrush. Then I put it away to dry. This seems to keep the blade in good shape.
I've been surprised in this thread about people talking about taking incredible care. It came very naturally to me. I was put off using DEs for decades because I thought they were hard to use and dreaded cutting myself. Now I'm sad I never used them before.
I can confidently say I cannot get the same shave, with less razor burn, with cartridge razors versus straight razors/DE safety razor. They just don't seem to get through thick longer facial hair without trouble. With a straight razor, doesn't matter how long the hair is, I'll get through it quickly whether it's 24 hours old or six months old hair.
Digging a magnificent trench using spoons and a chisel is also possible. The precision of using that method would be unmatched even using shovels, and definitely beat the precision of the trench dug using a Caterpillar equipment.
Yeah, but you can buy a box of 100 DE blades for, like, $15. (Seriously: see https://www.westcoastshaving.com/collections/bulk-de-safety-...) So even if you change the blade every other shave, it still comes out cheaper.
This is a benefit of standardization: DE blades all have a common form factor, so any handle can use any blade. That means every DE blade maker is competing with all the others, which drives prices down. Cartridges on the other hand are all proprietary to the vendor that made the handle they fit with, so there's much less downward pressure on the pricing.
> if that isn't a strong indictment of saving pennies, I don't know what is.
The thing about a DE blade versus a cartridge is that with a DE the range of possible outcomes is much wider than it is with a cartridge. A DE blade can produce shaves ranging from "ow, I cut myself!" to "smooth as a baby's bottom", depending on the technique you apply to it. A cartridge won't ever cut you, but it'll also never give you as close a shave as you can get with a well-wielded DE blade; it provides a consistently mediocre shave every time.
To put this in terms HN readers will appreciate, arguments about DE versus cartridge tend to be kind of like arguments about vim/emacs versus IDEs. Vim and emacs users love to talk about all the crazy things they can do with their editor that no IDE can match, but they rarely talk about the learning curve they had to climb to reach that level of technique. Whereas IDEs tend to be less elegant, but by hewing more closely to modern desktop interface standards they let their users reach an acceptable level of productivity faster. Those IDE users will never reach the heights of wizardry that are possible with vim or emacs, but since very few programmers are true wizards anyway that doesn't really matter much to everyone else. Like the cartridge razor, the IDE is "good enough."