First cartridge shave

Unlike many others here, I have never used a cartridge before I switched to proper wetshaving, I shaved with an electric razor for 30 years.
Now that I have discovered the delights of traditional wetshaving, I wanted to see for myself what all the hate was about and bought a cheap Balea cartridge razor (Balea is the in-house brand of the German drugstore chain DM). I used it with my usual prep (hot towel) and Haslinger soap. When I started to shave, I half expected sulfurous fumes to rise from my sink and and to hear the ghosts of wetshavers past to condemn me to eternal suffering...Well, at least I was waiting for some dragging, pulling, razor burn or instant ingrowns...But nothing of that sort happened.
What I got was an uneventful, comfortable and very close shave, BBS actually.
BUT: As good as the shave was, it was utterly boring. It was just a shave, no experience like a good DE shave is (but also not a terrible experience like a bad DE shave).
If I were just after the result, this would have been it. But since I like the experience and the challenge of DE shaving as well as the pleasure I get from it, let alone the endless tinkering with soaps, blades, brushes and razors: I won't become a shaving apostate. But I'll probably keep that cart razor for travelling or the days when I just can't be bothered.
Relevance? None whatsoever, I just felt like sharing.

Another thing you may want to try as an experiment is compare the cart razor to DE buy using it for two weeks striaght. Maybe your face won't react at all. I can only speak for myself, my cart shave was good also but if I go at it more than a few days, my face really starts to hate me. Give it a shot and post your findings.

I used to use the "beast with 5 heads" more commonly known as the fusion.
The shave was good, but very expensive and yes, boring.
Add goo from a can to that mix and you've got a real snoozer of a shave.

Cartridge razor blades are the "evil" things they are made out to be. A simple twin razor will give you a fine shave. As you are now likely aware, the entire process contributes to the quality of the shave, which is why you received good results. Likely, you didn't use too much pressure. Again, good habits learned from DE shaving. It's when you get lazy that the problems start to appear.

In addition, more blades mean more chance of irritation. One or two blades scraping across your skin isn't too bad, as there is enough lather and/or lubrication to act as a buffer. However, once you get to the third, fourth or fifth blade, there will be little or no lubrication left and that's when you can see the irritation "demons" can appear from shaving.

Sledgehammer39 said:

Another thing you may want to try as an experiment is compare the cart razor to DE buy using it for two weeks striaght. Maybe your face won't react at all. I can only speak for myself, my cart shave was good also but if I go at it more than a few days, my face really starts to hate me. Give it a shot and post your findings.

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+1 Above. Also, your prep probably helped reduce any irritaion that you might have had with goo. Larry

blasphemer! to the pyre!

DE Shaver said:

Cartridge razor blades are the "evil" things they are made out to be. A simple twin razor will give you a fine shave. Likely, you didn't use too much pressure. Again, good habits learned from DE shaving. It's when you get lazy that the problems start to appear.

In addition, more blades mean more chance of irritation. One or two blades scraping across your skin isn't too bad, as there is enough lather and/or lubrication to act as a buffer.

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Not in my 30 years of twin and cart shaving. Although that's not everyone's experience. As per the OP, I get brilliant results from a M3. The fusion is crap, but only because it's too big. And it clogs.

But I can slash away with pressure and lazy abandon, and still get a great result. It's just dull.

You can't say all those things as if they are true of everyone. We jump onto DE shaving for different reasons, and not all are related to bad experiences with carts.

I commonly see simple disposable and cartridge razors recommended as travel options 'round here. The single-blade Gillette cheapos, and even the Atra/Trac II/Sensor. They're passable, but by no means do they offer the experience a DE does!

Nils said:

days when I just can't be bothered.

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