I can’t decide whether it’s a difference in steel quality that causes disposables to dull quicker, or if it’s related to microbe buildup on the blade and avoidance of folliculitis (in which case, wouldn’t you want to dispose or sterilize both after each use?). Or maybe it’s just a marketing strategy to sell more disposables?
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Your question has been answered several times…. Look at the prices of these disposable razors, and of the cartridges. They are CRAZY expensive.
Yes, they often can be used more than once, although I know some guys with heavy beards (i.e., thick hair shafts) who can only get one effective use… after that the steel edge is just too uneven.
For my safety razor: I can get 100-count for about $8 – $10. Each blade lasts me two weeks without stroping; longer if I do. The balance and shape of the razor head are fantastic. Combine that with my beard prep of choice (*Taylor of Old Bond Street* — seems expensive to purchase, but a 5.3oz container can last 12-15 months for about $17) and my badger hair shaving brush… no stubble; no rash; no bumps; no folliculitis; just smooth skin!
I haven’t bought a disposable razor in over a decade.
Disposable razors are quite often difficult to clean, so they clog up with bristles. Have a look; sometimes there’s no “vents” behind the blade so they’re useless after one shave. Safety razors can be cleaned more easily and don’t clog.
the angle and thickness and quality all play a role.
disposable razors are consumer trash made as cheaply as possible to force consumption. the ads that say the shave is closer are almost always, “we got people familiar with disposable razors and gave them safety razors and they couldn’t get a close shave”
it’s all advertising.
You CAN re-use it. They tend to be cheaper and poorer quality and thus wear out faster, but it’s the handle that’s disposable, not the blade necessarily.
You can strop a cartridge razor, and then it’s good for many shaves. However, there’s a limit to how clean you can get it, and thus how many times you can re-use it.
ALWAYS wet the hairs you want to shave a few minutes before trying to shave – this softens the hairs and makes them much easier to cut!
Tap the disposable razor against the sink, run water through the disposable razor, tap again and repeat. This will remove hair that has blocked the channels through the razor allowing more shaving.
Shave
Repeat and the disposable razor will last for a for weeks or even longer!
“Disposable” doesn’t mean “one-time use”. It refers to the fact that when they go dull, they’re meant to be thrown out rather than swapping out a cartridge.
Also: if you don’t care about the little lubricating strip, you can buy medical grade disposable razors that are virtually identical to the Gillette blue basic ones on Amazon, 100 for like $14.00. They work just fine.
You ought to be getting more than 1 use out of a disposable razor, unless you’re shaving both legs.
Dry the razor after using it.
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