Pet Peeve: Disposable Razors and Refill Cartridges

Am I the only person who has problems with the lasting ability of multi-blade razors? It started with the double blade razors about 30 years ago – yep, I'm old enough to remember the Trac 2. Then we got the Mach 3. Now with the Fusion, we're up to 5 blades on one stinking razor. Is it possible to make just ONE decent blade on a razor? I know, I know....there's supposed to be a benefit to having more than one blade, as the first blade apparently does an initial strafing run and then one behind it comes along and cuts the hair even closer. Or something like that.

But why do they wear out so quickly? Gillette Mach 3 refill cartridges are around $18.00 for a pack of 8. The Schick Extreme 3 disposables are about $7.00 for a pack of 4. Now, there's the Fusion which has 5 blades at a whopping $28.99 for 8 refill cartridges. No matter which brand of multi-blade razors I use, women's or men's, with or without an aloe strip, I get maybe 2 good shaves out of it before it begins to dull. It's frustrating and expensive.

I became so disenchanted I decided to give the old Bic single blades a shot. You can get a 12 pack for around $2.00 to $4.00 at the local grocery store. Even if they only last 2 shaves, I'm still ahead.

Turns out they're not bad. Not bad at all. They're good enough that I'm not planning on going back to multi-blade razors any time soon. I'm getting about the same number of shaves, if not one or two more out of them. They're also extremely sharp. So sharp that I cut the heck out of my leg before I started going a bit slower, and with a lighter hand.

I also found the quality of the shave is about the same as the multi-blade. Maybe I'm just tougher on blades than other people, or maybe my stubble is made of steel wool.

Either way, I'm sticking with the Bic.

My Latest Excuse

Did you know there's punishment for going on vacation for 2 weeks? This punishment is officially called “your office hates you”, and “you will have no personal life until you get caught up”. However, there is no such thing as “caught up” when working in IT. It simply means that instead of working 14 hour days, you're quitting at 10, otherwise your brain would turn to tapioca.