the only place m3 might win for me is speed. i am the guy that can shave my whole face in one pass with it. there can be a learning curve with de for some. if you really want a good shave learn a straight. the cost of m3 is so steep you can even justify artist club/feather. 3/5 blades cannot be a good thing for your face. as others said forget derby. you can really realize the cost benefit with $1.50 blades from walmart. which are better anyways. a forgiving razor that is not cheap is my beloved as-d1. again, that is only like six months of m3 cartridges. some one good at math please figure out what a man could spend on m3 in his life lol. my straight has been in my family for like maybe 300 years or so. cost to me,free. you can find de and straight in antique,goodwill shops for like $10. it is funny that we here are a minority. if i could just say one thing it would be, gilette is the "man"! i am so against that.