· Ewan Hartley
Safety razor or cartridge razor?
The two are aimed at different things. Worth knowing which before you switch.
Running cost
A cartridge sits somewhere between two and four dollars. A double-edge blade is about five cents. Over a year that is the difference between a few hundred dollars and a few.
What it does to your skin
Several edges in one stroke means the later blades cut skin as well as hair. That is where most razor burn originates. One blade, passed twice with no pressure, avoids it.
What you give up
About a minute, and a fortnight of learning the angle. The pivoting head of a cartridge does the thinking for you; a safety razor asks you to hold it properly.
What you gain
A handle that outlives you, blades that fit any razor you ever buy, and on ours, a dial that lets you set the closeness rather than accept somebody else's choice.
The arithmetic over five years
| Adjustable double-edge | Cartridge razor | |
|---|---|---|
| Handle | $69.95, kept | Replaced with the range |
| Blade or cartridge | About $0.05 | $2 to $4 |
| Roughly per year, shaving daily | About $9 | $150 to $300 |
| After five years | Under $120 all in | Several hundred, handle excluded |
Figure from our own verified buyer reviews, 38 ratings, 2026.
What a single blade does better
On the neck, mostly. Several edges in one stroke means the later blades are cutting skin as well as hair, and the neck is where that shows. One blade, passed twice with no pressure, is what people mean when they say their skin settled down after switching.
And on cost, obviously, but the cost is not really the reason people stay.
What switching actually involves
A fortnight of learning the angle, and one purchase. The razor arrives, you put a blade in, set the dial to one, and shave slightly worse than usual for three days. Then it gets better and stays better.
What we would tell you not to do
Do not start on a high setting to see what it can do. Do not go against the grain in the first month. Both are how people conclude that safety razors are not for them, when the actual problem was going too fast.
More on this: the adjustable razor itself, our guide to safety razor blades, and how to choose a safety razor.
Questions people ask before switching
Will I get as close a shave?
After a fortnight, yes, using two passes instead of one. In the first week, slightly less close, because you are learning the angle rather than pressing through it.
Is it more dangerous?
It is less forgiving of haste and more forgiving of your skin. The guard is what makes it a safety razor, and at a low setting there is very little edge exposed at all.
Can I switch back?
Obviously, and it costs nothing to try. Most people who go back do so in the first fortnight, before the technique settles.
What about sensitive skin?
It is the most common reason people switch. One blade passing twice does less to your skin than several edges passing once, and an adjustable head lets you keep the exposure low while you find out.
Is the shave slower every day, forever?
About a minute, and only until the habit forms. After that most people are as fast as they were, because a fixed head goes where you put it.
Do I need to change my whole routine?
No. Use the cream you already have, shave when you already shave. The only thing that changes is what is in your hand and how you hold it.
What to do with the cartridge razor you already own
Keep it, at least for the first month. There will be a morning when you are late and you want the three-minute version, and having the option removes any pressure to rush the new one. Most people find they stop reaching for it somewhere in the third or fourth week, without deciding to.
It is also a useful reference point. Shave one week with each and pay attention to your neck the following morning rather than to how close the shave felt at the time. That is where the difference between one blade and several actually shows up, and it is not visible in the mirror straight afterwards.
Ewan Hartley · Editor, Kelvedge
Writes the guides on this site and reads every verified rating the razor receives. Shaves with a double-edge daily, at setting two.