My father, a wise man, once said:

"Whoever is running Gillette should be dragged into the street and shot"*

*not an actual threat

@strangeffect: Too late. Your IP address is being logged right about.... now.

@silencedotcom: well shit.

165.84.102.41

Homeland Security has been notified.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: Change to a double edge safety razor. Can't beat less than 15 cents a blade.

What's Gillette's response Meg?

@R3PUBLIC0N: Bah. Go to a straight razor. A good one and a leather strop, and you've got a lifetime of use!

@catskyfire: Why stop there? I shave each morning with an ax before heading out to catch the day's food.

@catskyfire - I like my throat intact, thanks.

Gilette has a monopoly on razors. That's what allows them to charge these rediculous prices. Switch to a straight razor and save yourself the hassle.

Tips to getting at least 2 X the life out of your razor:
1. Wipe the blade clean and dry when you are done.
2. Do not store blades in a humid environment.
3. Store blades in oil when not in use (I use olive oil and wipe the blade with isopropyl alcohol before and after putting it in the oil to kill any bacteria that might be present.)

I only started this recently and don't know if #3 is necessary. My methods are relatively unscientific, but I typically shave until long after the 'indicator strip' has completely worn down.

@catskyfire Rest assured, the moment I stop seeing Mach 3 turbo on the shelves. I'll be using a traditional barber's razor..

To be fair, that fifth razor cartridge is hand-crafted from solid expensivium by Swiss engineers in space. I'd say five bucks is a good price.

You might consider buying your razor blades online, say, at Amazon. Theirs are still $7.99 for a 4-pack.

@JackHandey: Do you baby your baby as much as you baby your razor blades?

I still buy the 20 pack of Schick 2 blad Excel razors since I can't get over the feeling like they are simply trying to change an existing good thing just enough to make you think you need the new version.

Damnit, now their just tryin to get us to buy into their "new" octablade, vibrating, self lubricating razor which costs 49.99.

I stick it to the man by using the same razor one year minimum at a time, I need to shave about every other to every day, but the blades don't seem to dull.

This isn't really a fair comparison. Health & Beauty goods are some of the highest margin items in a grocery store. That stuff always costs more in a supermarket than it does in a big-box retailer or a warehouse club. The poster should go back to Target and see what the cost of a 5 pack of blades is there. I'm sure it will be more than the old 4 pack, but I doubt it will be $5 more.

I guess I'll stick to using tweezers to pluck the stubble out.

@Odwalla: Good call--you're right. Somehow I overlooked that this is 2 different retailers. Only trust-funders buy their razors at Kroger. Trustafarians don't buy razors at all. I confess about 18 months ago I bought a Fusion. It is a very smooth and easy shave, but it is also overkill.

MisterE...
Oh.my.sweet.jeebus.
I'm a girl, I shave, I wax, I pluck,... and watching this made me promise to my boyfriend that I would NEVER threaten to pluck his eyebrows again. I... ouch

this is why i stopped shaving and grew a beard. i do plan on shaving it off this summer and for that i will be using a 1950's safety razor. the blades are cheap and you can find used razors on ebay as low as $10.

Actually I've been wondering: is it a better deal in the long run to switch from disposable razors to one with cartridges?

@JackHandey:

I only started this recently and don't know if #3 is necessary.

It's not. I started the "clean razors last longer" program about four months ago with a cheap disposable triple blade razor (10 bucks for a pack of 10 on sale in Target) , and I'm still using the first one.

I don't even wipe it off - the key is to keep it DRY. So after I use it I put it in front of the blow dryer for about 30 seconds.

Switch to BIC

Too bad Schick razors suck! I tried their quattro thing and I must say that the Mach 3 turbo is much much better. Razors are ungodly expensive, but its either use a cheap razor and tear the hell out of your face or pony up the dough and get some good ones.

I myself only shave around 3 times a week. Five o'clock shadow ftw.

nows a good time for you guys to try the Schick Xtreme 3. I switched 3 years ago, never looked back. $11 for 8 disposables with decent handles, $5-8 for a pack of 8 refills if you like the refills

@tvh2k: Thanks, I nearly spit all over my monitor after reading that. Well done, sir.

I stopped buying razors a long long time ago. I use a barbershop grade clipper and just sport the tight stubble look. But then again I own my company so it's not really fair. I do know that humidity is your razor's worst enemy. Here is a fantastic tip that works like a charm. After you are done shaving and washing your razor (foreign matter and moisture accelerate oxidation at the microscopic level) just blowdry it then put it outside the bathroom. Bathrooms with showers are the worst place for your razor. Put the little clip stand they come with on the wall of the linnen closet or somwhere else and they will last you 10 times longer.

@tvh2k: A manly man!

...Just make sure you sharpen that axe before you shave.

related item from The Onion

"[Screw] Everything, We're Doing Five Blades"

link:

[www.theonion.com]

Seriously, I get a million times better shave w/ my 1959 Gillette safety razor than with any of the other razor systems out there. Just think about this. The first blade cuts hair, and also scrapes off the shaving foam. What lubricates the next blades? The lube strip AFTER the blades pretty much just soothes the burn that's going to come. With a safety, there is only one blade. And for ~.15 a blade, which lasts about 4 shaves, you can't beat it. True, it takes longer, but it's so much better in the end. I can get a smooth face, and w/ no burn or irritation. Sometimes we were better off with the antique tech. Remember Cast Iron? The non-chemical laced cookware that is really non-stick? I do. I replaced all of my t-fal(except the big pot for boiling pasta) w/cast iron, and I would never go back. I have a 2007 brother and a 1950 singer sewing machine. Guess which one does a better job?

Hard to blame Gillette for the massive increase in costs from the economy.

But easy to blame them for the massive margins they already had on the razors.

Keep the razor in mineral oil when you're not using it. The oil helps give you a better shave and will extend the life of the razor 2 to 3 times. You can find mineral oil near the laxatives and stomach medication.

Incidentally, never buy baby oil. It is just mineral oil with fragrance for considerably more money. The ingredients will even say: mineral oil, fragrance.

I still like my Sensor razors. I usually buy the generic CVS version that fits the Sensor handles. Works well for me.

I just use the disposable Target brand three blade razor.

I used to use the Mach 3, but then started to not be able to afford them. That is when I switched.

The Target ones work just as well as the Mach 3, but they are unfortunately not as easy to clean.

I was told that you could use peppermint oil to extend the life of your razors, but I haven't tried.

Check Target for the price. Don't go from one store to a SUPERMARKET then be surprised when a non-food item is jacked up in price.

Not to mention Gillette should be rung up for the 'give away the razor, then screw them on the blades' business model they've invented. I curse the Gillette name everytime I buy a cartridge for my 50$ printer/scanner/copier/espresso maker and a head for my electric toothbrush.

Although there was a nice article that said you can extend the life of razors merely by drying them out every time as well.

I still use my Gillette Sensor. eBay has the blades cheap. I only buy at the store when I have to. I buy in big quantities, so I forget to buy them sometimes when I run out. Half price or better on eBay.

makes it all the easier to make the jump to a self cleaning electric!...bye bye gillette your products suck anyways who needs a quintuple bladed razor

I'm reminded of this classic Onion article:

[www.theonion.com]

Warning! As with many Onion articles, it's pretty potty mouthed, but hilarious.

@JackHandey: That's an indicator strip? I thought it was extra lubricant of some sort. I just keep mine dry, shave every other day, and they seem to last a while.

Is it just me, or has there not been ONE comment about electric razors as an alternative in this thread. That says alot.

One of my favorite ways of saving on blades is to buy the disposable packages of the same brand, and just use the blades. I can buy a 5 pack of Mach3 Turbo disposable razors for $3.97 at Walmart, and the ONLY difference, besides $5 is that they have a cheap plastic handle attached.

There is a small plastic tab on the handle, when you bend this down (it takes 2 seconds, I use a toothbrush handle) you are left with a worthless handle, and a regular Mach3 Turbo blade that fits perfectly on your razor.

For some reason the markup on disposables is not as much. I am assuming it's because people won't pay more for them.

Like several of the users who posted before, I switched to a straight razor.

I think that straight razors have gotten a bad rap (Sweeny Todd doesn't help). I knicked myself the first time, but have not since. Once I payed attention to how I was doing it, and stopped trying to apply pressure to the blade (as you have to with modern razors), I found it to be a very comfortable, very close shave.

I have two razors, one that requires stropping, and one that uses disposable blades. The one that uses disposable blades requires a change every couple of week (of use), and the replacement blades are around $0.20 USD. The other one you just strop it before/after the shave and it is always good to go. (I bought the one with disposable blades first, then later bought the a very nice German made one.)

Not only is the shave cheaper, but I also have fewer skin irritations ("shaving" bumps, ingrown hairs, etc). I highly recommend the switch.

If you want to see the correct procedure for shaving with a straight razor, just search youtube for "straight razor", and you will find a number of videos. A google search turns up a number of interesting websites as well.

Happy Shaving.

@tvh2k: A CLEAN-SHAVEN MOUNTAIN-MAN, YOU SAY? I challenge you to a spittin' contest.

@loueloui: wow really thats awesome, im going to have to look into this, thanks!

You know, I noticed the same thing. The packs were on clearance at my local Target too. Now, typically, I buy the blades in bulk at Sams Club because they're cheaper (YES, I know I'm going to burn in hell for this, but it saves me a few bucks). BUT, when I saw the blades on clearance at Target, I bought every one they had. I bought a year's worth of blades at half price (now, the 4 packs that I bought were kinda pricy befroe the discount, but at Target's half off clearance price, I came away saving a decent chunk of change... and it's not like I won't use the things).

SO... they can charge more, because Target puts the old ones on clearance :) and I save money for a while.

i have never been happier since switching to the Target brand triple blade razor. plus, they seem to last longer than the name brands. long live Target!!!

Lately everywhere I go I keep hearing people extolling the virtues of straight razors and urging guys to switch. Are they any good for women? What are we to do if we don't want to spend a fortune on blades?

This is the reason drug stores keep razor cartridges under lock and key. Not because they're afraid some dumb teenager will buy them to try and kill themselves, but because they don't want frugal people stealing them. They're so incredibly overpriced, no one wants to pay that much for a shave. Have you ever noticed the cartridge boxes have security strips inside them?

I buy the disposable venus razors for myself AND my boyfriend - 5 bucks for a 4 (sometimes a 6!) pack of razors with handles that are exactly the same as the replace-the-blade version. At a supermarket. Each razor... well, if I'm the only one using one of these things, it lasts a month. My boyfriend using them cuts the useful time to about a week and a half. He doesn't clean them off and the leftover scum of soap and dead skin cells seems to cause the blades to dull quickly. Ew.