Shaving is too expensive

Double-edge vs. cartridge razors

• Many find modern multi-blade cartridges easier, faster, and more comfortable, with fewer cuts and less skill required.
• Others strongly prefer double-edge (DE) “safety” razors for lower cost, less waste, better control, and often a closer shave once mastered.
• Some report never getting comfortable with DE (persistent nicks/razor burn) despite trying good soaps, brushes, and multiple blades.
• A middle-ground desire appears repeatedly: DE blades in modern-style, pivoting or otherwise “forgiving” heads (e.g., Leaf, Henson, OneBlade, Proof, Bevel travel DEs).

Safety, irritation, and technique

• Disagreement over which is “safer”: cartridges protect against side-slips; DE users say once technique and grain-mapping are learned, cuts are rare.
• Razor aggressiveness (razor design, blade choice, angle, number of passes) matters a lot, especially for sensitive skin or conditions like pseudofolliculitis barbae.
• Some argue “skin gets used to it”; others say even weeks or months with DE never got less bloody.

Cost, availability, and waste

• Long‑term DE users report extremely low ongoing costs (bulk packs lasting many years).
• Some keep cartridges for months or years, far beyond “3–5 shaves,” by good cleaning or tricks (denim stropping, oil storage), so they see cartridge costs as modest.
• Environmental arguments: steel blades are easily recycled; plastic cartridges and pods are seen as wasteful.

Electric and other alternatives

• Several settled on electric razors (especially higher-end models) as the best comfort/convenience compromise; not as close, but minimal irritation and low yearly cost.
• Straight razors and shavettes give very close shaves but are maintenance- and skill-heavy.
• Depilatory creams (e.g., Nair) exist, mainly used on body hair, with caveats about cost and convenience.

Travel, regulation, and access

• DE blades generally can’t be carried on planes; experiences differ on how easy it is to buy blades locally after landing.
• Some report DE blades widely available at pharmacies; others say they never see them.

Broader consumer-product and social themes

• Many agree razors exemplify a wider pattern: products shifting toward higher-margin, more “convenient” options (pods, subscriptions, smart TVs, HelloFresh) that often cost more and generate more waste.
• Debate over whether this is simply consumer preference for convenience or a structural market failure driven by margins and shelf-space economics.
• Shaving frequency and necessity are contested, tied to job requirements, respirator seals, culture, and appearance norms.