This is just kind of a random question that popped into my mind so I thought I'd ask...Generally speaking, why do you get more weepers and nicks with a DE than you do with a cartridge razor? Is it the blade exposure, the sharpness of the blade,or a combo of both? I guess in my mind if there are 5 blades vs 1, I'd feel like I'd cut myself with the multiblade razor more, but that wasn't the case. This may not have been the same for everyone when they made then switch, but it was for me.
Why more nicks/weepers with a DE?
- Thread starter timplu
- Start date
Blade angle.
Cartridge forces you to hold correct blade angle.
Cartridge forces you to hold correct blade angle.
Cartridge the Blade angle is fixed. The DE you need to set the angle, and the amount of pressure.
If you use to much pressure on the DE while trying to achieve the 30 degree or so angle (depending on the razor and the adjustment) you feel the blade bite your face. With the preset angle of a Cartridge you generally don't press, and just pull it down your face. If you put too much pressure on a cartridge, you can achieve the same nicks and weepers you get with the DE or if you do one, too many, passes with a cartridge you can do just as much damage. Trust me on that one.
If you use to much pressure on the DE while trying to achieve the 30 degree or so angle (depending on the razor and the adjustment) you feel the blade bite your face. With the preset angle of a Cartridge you generally don't press, and just pull it down your face. If you put too much pressure on a cartridge, you can achieve the same nicks and weepers you get with the DE or if you do one, too many, passes with a cartridge you can do just as much damage. Trust me on that one.
Also, Gillette's floating blade design really helps cut down on the nicks, at least for me. I find I get more nicks using a Trac II or Atra than with a Sensor or later model. That said, I get fewer nicks with any cartridge design than with a DE.
There can be several reasons. But one that is obvious to me, especially with beginners, is they tend to put the razor to their face to hard. in other words they 'chop' their face between strokes and rinses of the razor. If one slaps their face with a cartridge, the fixed blade angle protects them from the chopping motion.
However, with a DE, one can tend to come at the face in a 90 degree angle and do not tilt the razor until after the head comes into contact with the skin. In this instance, the weight of the head and angle of the blade edge, can make the blade give a chopping type weeper, however slight.
As you can see from many of the above, with a DE there is more blade exposed and hence the greater chance for more nicks/weepers. Using the DE does take a bit more practice to get down right.
I get more severe nicks from SE razors.
I'd say it's mostly about blade angle, pressure, and your lather. Besides, I believe DE razors are naturally more aggressive than carts.
I don't.
It's all about your technique if you get the hang of it you wont get any nicks. When I started to shave with an open comb I had a lot of nicks because I was used to a closed comb razor. After a while when I adjusted the pressure and technique I had 0 nicks/weepers.
