Tangentially related: I moved to old fashioned razor blades a few months ago and have actually hurt myself less since then.
Bonus: It cost like a fraction of the price and you don't look like a teenager when shaving :-P
Bonus: It cost like a fraction of the price and you don't look like a teenager when shaving :-P
Safety razors are indeniably cheaper long term (although expect to pay $100 ish to get a good handle, brush, bowl, blades, and soap). You'll likely break even after ten years (assuming $1.50 cartridges Vs. 10c blades). You'll also likely receive a closer shave with a safety razor.
That being said... I did the whole safety razor thing. It was fun. But then I switched back to cartridges. Why? In order to get a good close shave with a safety razor while also minimizing the chance of nicks, cuts, and razor burn you need a good quality thick lather.
Unfortunately creating a good thick lather can easily take ten minutes. You cannot really use off the shelf shaving foam or gel because it doesn't provide enough protection for a safety razor.
So ultimately I decided I wanted shaving to be a 10 minute activity in the mornings, and not a 20 minute activity. Also creating lather isn't the most fun thing to do first thing after you wake up, in particular if you're working it hard (as you should).
Cartridges are quick and easy. They're the ultimate lazy man's solution. And you can use off the shelf non-foaming gels (e.g. "King of Shaves Alphagel", "Gillette Fusion ProGlide Clear Shave Gel") in the shower (and, yes, wet-shaves are a must either way, buy an inexpensive non-electrical anti-condensation travel mirror (i.e. you tip hot water into a compartment behind the mirror)).
That said, I always have some disposable ones handy for quick work, misses, or for shaving in the shower.
They're the penultimate solution.
Not shaving is the ultimate in laziness.
Which I adopted, both to saves time, and because it makes me look closer to my age.
But if your natural state is a scraggly, uneven mess, just shaving it off regularly is by far the easiest option.
I was simply pointing out the ultimate in laziness is to not shave at all.
I prefer the shave I get with a brush and shaving soap to the shave I get with lotion and shaving gel, but I prefer the lotion and shaving gel with a safety razor to any shave I can get with a cartridge razor. The lotion and shaving gel doesn't take me any more time than just using gel, either, because I can shave more efficiently.
Is it possible that you have hard water?
It isn't only possible, it is a certainty.
But I am talking about lathering at the start (5 ish minutes) and then several times as you shave to keep the lather in good order (1 minute here, 1 minute there, etc). Otherwise the lather goes flat half way through your face.
Out of curiosity, did you ever try using distilled water? Alternatively, did you by chance give any of the traditional brushless products out there, like Musgo, a try? I use it while traveling and have had good luck with it.
For those interested, there is a service for this very thing now: http://www.tryablade.com/blade
You don't need to make it into a big production. Check out Bevel's instructional video, where you lather directly on your face: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AhPbaNAHhA8
Half the time I don't use any kind of cream at all; I just shave right after I jump out of the shower, heating the blade up and moving in short, tight movements. It's not baby smooth but the stubble is gone and i'm out of there in the same amount of time as with cartidges.
The protection you get from a safety razor is by technique, not what lubrication you use. A 30-degree angle and taught skin will trump improper form with the best lather any day.
$100 isn't at all unusual for many starter sets.
As with most things, it's easy to get sucked in and blow $100s on your setup, but you don't have to. I spent <$50 to get started.
I use a $20 safety razor from Amazon. It works better than any cheap disposable with off the shelf gel or foam. I don't use a brush and I don't lather any differently than I did with a disposable.
The safety razor does not shave quite as close but that turns out to be a positive for me (especially in area's other than your face).
Never really understood the purpose of shaving cream - hot water has always been plenty effective enough, and any type of soap or lather or cream makes a mess and leaves my skin oily.
I have a suspicion that, like women's cosmetics, hair shampoo, and neckties, shaving customs solely exist to vacuum money out of people's wallets and be inconvenient.
I just started laser hair removal on my face, and at $100/session for 2-6 sessions, it'll pay for itself in 1-3 years (I use a fresh blade every week). Plus no shadow/stubble.