I’m confused—based on that photo I’m guessing that “blade buddy” is some kind of smartphone app, but I can’t find it anywhere in the Google Play store.
… or you can just use your forearm
21st century, meet the razor strop
At least you can’t beat your kids with the Blade Buddy.
…or you can just us the back of your silicone smartphone case.
Anybody else used one of these? I switched from cartridges to disposables a few years back, and get a lot of use out of them… but extending their life two or three times seems worth $20.
Sadly, I don’t have a straight-razor. An elderly relative in Iowa had an auction for a bunch of family stuff, and my uncle bid on my great-grandfather’s straight-razor for me, but dropped out at $35. It sold for $55. I probably would have paid twice that. :::sigh:::
On a related note, for my birthday I treated myself to the fog-free mirror that Cool Tools covered in 2013 (was it reposted on Teh Boing?), and it’s worked great. (As I get older, my treats get smaller and more practical.)
Just buy a safety razor and then get a 100 blades for less than two packs of the cartridges new-fangled razors use. You’ll save money and your face in the long-run.
Totally agree, safety DE razors are a great balance between cost and ease of use, and you can replace the blades often enough that allows for a perfect shave every time. But I def haven’t saved much money, what with the fancy brushes and shaving creams I’ve enjoyed. Well worth it though to actually enjoy shaving again.
That was my reaction! I use an old-fashioned safety razor, and yes I have a razor strop. If the blade starts to feel dull, you can take out the blade, strop it a few times on each side, and it’s a miracle. I’ve never had a problem shaving. This is a cheesy solution that, if the user is very precise, will take off half the curl.
Actually, I have two razor strops; the second one is an old-school Russian model of very heavy leather backed by canvas, which I keep for recreational purposes.
I love my DE safety razor, but never felt the need to buy into all those soaps and brushes and pots and stuff. They seem far too fetishy – my razor is simply a tool to shave my face.
The cost is great, though. Each blade costs about 10¢, I use them 5-6 times, and they are much sharper than cartridges or disposables.
Yup. It’s not often that 1904 technology is cheaper and better than the latest and greatest, but here’s a nice exception.
TMI 
Meh - I got a brush - a bowl to put the soap in - and a chunk of soap for 10 bucks - the brush is a plastic handle and is boars hair (gasp) - it’s worked for 3 years now and a replacement costs… about 10 bucks. Soap refills are about 5 bucks - it’s not really expensive or fetishy (unless you want it to be) - I find shaving soap cleans off and doesn’t gunk up like that gel crap that comes in a can does. I also find that applying with a brush not only feels good on your face - but it keeps your fingers from being slippery when you go to shave - win win.
As an added bonus the DE blades are sharper to begin with. Given that honing a cartridge seems doubly pointless. And given the blades aren’t mounted/contacting the face at the angle they’re sharpened I doubt any honing or sharpening gadget is going to have the desired effect. If you absolutely must have cartridges and want to save dollar shave club is a better idea.
But then I stopped shaving almost entirely due the pernicious effects of the cartridge razor.
I agree on the brush and soap. Certain brands of normal bar soap work almost as well as the “shaving specific” types, and are cheaper. I’ve never used a strop, as safety razor blades are plenty cheap.
You can also achieve this same result with used strip of denim cut out of some old jeans. However, once I switched to using either a straight razor (home) or a safety razor (travel) I will never go back to cartridge or disposables again.
Rapiras. Russian, cheap as you like, and sharp, so very sharp. A pack of 100 is a tenner or so on Ebay. I use 'em snapped in half in a cheap shavette-style straight razor. A pack has lasted me over a year so far, and there’s still more than half of them left.
I’m enjoying the comparison of finding the best brush and soap as a fetish. When I first started wet shaving a year or so ago, the first site I found was Badger and Blade. That site is the shaving equivalent of a leather mask and ball gag. After finding some favorites, I’ve slowed down a bit, but I still do enjoy a good shave.
I hate shaving, so naturally I use a safety razor, shaving soap, and a brush. I spent like maybe 35 bucks on everything, and since making the switch a few years back, I have spent a whopping 14 dollars for a pack of 100 razors which easily translates into around 400 shaves, give or take.
When you buy expensive razor carts, you are support (economic) terrorism.
SEXY recreational purposes? >: )
