Since I started shaving, way back in the 1900s, I have always used a safety razor, pretty much always a Gillette. I never got the hang of or liked the feel of electric razors. It started with a single-blade disposable the name of which escapes me (and it may well have been Shick, Bic, or Gillette razors, or even all of the above). I then graduated to the much better Gillette Good News two-bladed disposable, after which I upgraded to the Mach 3. The Mach 3’s three-bladed system (with disposable cartridge on a permanent handle) was a shocking improvement. The improvement from one blade to two was significant, but the improvement from two to three blades was astounding. After that came the Gillette Fusion with five - count ‘em, FIVE - blades. This was another quantum leap in closeness and smoothness of the shave.

The problem with the Fusion was the cost. In 2014, a four-pack of Fusion cartridges was about $15. Having to replace the cartridge after just a few shaves was expensive, even when considering I have a beard and mustache, therefore much less acreage to shear. Then in early 2014 I stumbled upon a money-saving idea. It turns out that disposable razor blades can be sharpened without any equipment!

At a website called Penny Pincher Journal, I discovered the technique for sharpening a disposable razor. The only equipment needed (besides the razor, of course) is the palm aspect of your forearm. You simply place the razor against your forearm near the elbow and then push it forward towards the palm of your hand. Repeat 15-20 times. That’s it. It is now sharp like new.

This technique makes sense. The blades are steel. The steel may get blunted, but it doesn’t rot or melt or get moldy or soft…it’s steel. You can use your forearm just like old-fashioned barbers use a strop to sharpen their straight edge razors.

I used this technique for several months on the same cartridge and it kept its sharp edge. But I began to wonder: How long can one use the same cartridge? So I devised an experiment. On June 1, 2014, I ditched the months-old-but-still-sharp cartridge and started using a new one. That was an easy date to remember so I could calculate the cartridge’s length of service. Much like the Eveready Bunny, it kept going and going. Eventually, after a long, long time, much longer than I had guessed, it stopped holding a sharp edge.

On November 7, 2021, I had to replace the test cartridge. 7 years, 5 months, 6 days. 2,716 days. I mourned the loss of my old friend, but my lamentations were brief. I calculated that I had saved over $800 in that period. Eight hundred dollars.

The replacement cartridge was on the same trajectory for longevity. I was using it until about a week ago (3 years, 8 months, 14 days or 1,352 days). The cartridge was going strong but the handle was starting to give up the ghost. The silicone grips on the handle were beginning to come loose. Losing your grip on sharpened steel sliding across your throat is, by most definitions, a bad thing. But I cannot complain. The Fusion system (according to the Gillette Wikipedia entry) was introduced in 2006, so I got mine around 2008…a solid 17-year run for the handle. So after another approximate $400 in savings and $1,200 savings overall I purchased a new razor from a different company. It has been giving me a good, close shave but I haven’t used it enough to see how well it sharpens up (I’m retired now so daily shaving is a thing of the past). That will determine if I continue to use it or go out and buy another Gillette.

But in the meantime, I gave my old reliable razor a proper send off…

I will post updates on how well or poorly things are going with the new system, but I wouldn’t hold my breath if I were you.

2W:LYK