Join Early Retirement Today
Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Trying Dorco shaving cartridges
Old 09-06-2014, 08:16 AM   #1
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Tailgate's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Texas
Posts: 1,065
Trying Dorco shaving cartridges

I'm out of the pricey Gillette Mach 3 men's cartridges (about $2.54 each).. my shaving has not been an everyday event since ER first of year, so it took months to exhaust my supply. Plus, I've alternated with the electric Braun when I did shave.

Searched a shaving thread here a week or so ago and someone mentioned Dorco shavers and cartridges being great replacements. Reviews say they are as good/better than Gillette. And at $1.53 per I could save 40%. Made in South Korea.

During working years, I replaced the Gillette blades every Sunday (yeah, I know I could have used them for several weeks, but I just got into the 'each week' habit of a new cartridge)...so, I was spending $132 a year on cartridges. Not a budget buster, but you just know that Gillette's profit margins on these are huge. Plus, DW did the same, so we were spending $250 plus a year.

I ordered and just received a 'Joe and Jane' sample pack from Dorco for $27.52, free shipping for 12 cartridges plus 2 handles and an additional 3 disposables for each of us..

Thanks to whomever supplied the original info and link ... I'll report back my review after using a couple of days...
Tailgate is offline   Reply With Quote
Join the #1 Early Retirement and Financial Independence Forum Today - It's Totally Free!

Are you planning to be financially independent as early as possible so you can live life on your own terms? Discuss successful investing strategies, asset allocation models, tax strategies and other related topics in our online forum community. Our members range from young folks just starting their journey to financial independence, military retirees and even multimillionaires. No matter where you fit in you'll find that Early-Retirement.org is a great community to join. Best of all it's totally FREE!

You are currently viewing our boards as a guest so you have limited access to our community. Please take the time to register and you will gain a lot of great new features including; the ability to participate in discussions, network with our members, see fewer ads, upload photographs, create a retirement blog, send private messages and so much, much more!

Old 09-06-2014, 08:25 AM   #2
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Tailgate's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Texas
Posts: 1,065
here's a pic of the package of Dorco products
Tailgate is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-06-2014, 09:17 AM   #3
Recycles dryer sheets
bltkmt's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Fairfield County, CT
Posts: 477
I have been using their 5 blade model for a year now. Great shave and value.


Sent from my iPad using Early Retirement Forum
bltkmt is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-06-2014, 11:38 AM   #4
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Cobra9777's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Texas
Posts: 3,024
I don't shave much anymore since ER. Maybe twice a week. But if I did, I'd buy from these guys, just because of the video:
Dollar Shave Club - Shave Time. Shave Money.
__________________
Retired at 52 in July 2013. On to better things...
AA: 85/15 WR: 2.7% SI: 2 pensions, SS later
Cobra9777 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-06-2014, 11:39 AM   #5
Recycles dryer sheets
bltkmt's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Fairfield County, CT
Posts: 477
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cobra9777 View Post
I don't shave much anymore since ER. Maybe twice a week. But if I did, I'd buy from these guys, just because of the video:

Dollar Shave Club - Shave Time. Shave Money.

They use the Dorco blades I have heard.


Sent from my iPad using Early Retirement Forum
bltkmt is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-06-2014, 01:39 PM   #6
Full time employment: Posting here.
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Posts: 807
I was a Dorco customer for several years and for cartridge razors they're just about the best value out there, but you can get a much better shave and save money if you're willing to branch out a bit. I spent way too much time on Badger & Blade and other online shaving fanatic forums to learn what I'm about to share, and I'll try to keep it brief.

If you're into minimalism and ultimate frugality just go on Amazon and buy the Bic Twin Select disposable razors and some Cremo shave cream. The Bics run 30 cents each and give a better-than-Dorco shave with NO "slime strip," meaning you can get a week or more out of each one. I strongly recommend shaving with COLD water, which odd as it may sound gives a much, much closer shave with less irritation than hot water:

Cold Water Shaving: The Benefits and Pleasures of a Splash of Cold Water | The Art of Manliness

At a razor a week your total shaving costs with this system are going to be under $2.50 a month. If like me you hate the environmental consequences of throwing away 52 razors a year (there's still probably less material in these Bics than a Dorco cartridge) you can invest $75 in a great double edged razor (I love this one from Standard Razors):

Standard Razors

With some Astra or Feather blades and a bit of work on technique you'll get a much closer shave than any cartridge razor and will be discarding only recyclable steel blades. It took me a couple of weeks to re-learn Double Edge blade shaving, but there are a ton of videos on it on YouTube and it comes back quickly. Now I use the DE razor when at home and the Bics for travel and spend next to nothing on shaving.
kevink is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-06-2014, 01:44 PM   #7
Gone but not forgotten
imoldernu's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Peru
Posts: 6,335
This review of razors and long term cost is interesting.

Shaving For Life: A Face Off Between Razor Costs - Sharpologist
imoldernu is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-06-2014, 05:58 PM   #8
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
Sarah in SC's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Charleston, SC
Posts: 13,566
Kevin that is really interesting stuff! Our roommate uses one just like the one in your link, that belonged to his grandfather. He orders blades maybe twice a year and it does give him a good shave!

DH is out of the shaving business for a while, lol, but uses the beard trimmer when the hobo look starts to be too much! Ah, retirement and the return of the long haired hippie look!
ImageUploadedByEarly Retirement Forum1410047849.934662.jpg

But as he says, think of the savings on razors!
__________________
“One day your life will flash before your eyes. Make sure it's worth watching.”
Gerard Arthur Way

Sarah in SC is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-06-2014, 07:57 PM   #9
Full time employment: Posting here.
CaliforniaMan's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: San Diego
Posts: 880
I didn't shave for over 30 years, had a full beard, just got tired of shaving and so I stopped. Now I am back shaving again for a little over a year now (wife says I look younger). So what razor to use? I used Schick Quattro for a while, now using Giletter Fusion because they have them at Costco. I have a pretty normal beard, shave about every other day, and use a new razor after about 4 to 6 weeks. How long should a razor last really. I don't see much of a difference in the shave when I switch to the new razor. I think I might just keep using the same one until it stops working and see how many shaves I get. I started changing every two weeks, now I am up to six. Do we really need to change blades as often as we do?

Another thing I do now is quit buying those stupid cans of shaving cream. I got back to what I used to do, use a shaving mug and natural bristle brush. I find it far superior to the shaving cream. Much smoother, and I now I have a use for all those small pieces of bar soap scrap. Just toss them into the shaving mug.

So I guess two questions I have (I was actually thinking about asking it in a thread) how often do you really need to change blades, and anybody tried the shaving mug/brush and like/dislike it. I will probably eventually get around to the old double-edged blades. (Or I wonder if my wife would notice if I just went back to having a beard?)
__________________
Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily,
Life is but a dream.
CaliforniaMan is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-07-2014, 06:31 AM   #10
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: dubuque
Posts: 1,169
I think that the wilkinson disposable razors you can buy for $1 a 4 pack are pretty reasonably priced. I can use one razor for a couple of weeks, but I only shave probably every 2nd or 3rd day. good close shave. I really don't worry too much about cost at this rate.
frank is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-07-2014, 09:30 AM   #11
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
ls99's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2008
Posts: 6,499
Reading the thread, looked at prices for double edge razors. Wow, $67 + for some of them. Recalled seeing them in my misc stuff collection in the basement. Lo and behold I have three, all adjustable angles.


I have a regular gold mine in them there collection. I'll have to try them out, did find a package of Gillete blades to fit. Between thm and the straight razor (Dovo) I think will set up a rotating schedule for Atra, double edge, straight. Nah, seems like work. Maybe do ad hoc.

I shave maybe three times a week. At the mancave the scruffy look is in.
__________________
There must be moderation in everything, including moderation.
ls99 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-07-2014, 10:05 AM   #12
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
 
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Northern IL
Posts: 26,819
Quote:
Originally Posted by kevink View Post
.... Now I use the DE razor when at home ...
I've been using DE for over 4 years and I would never go back - so simple, so cheap. All that 5-blade stuff is just marketing hoopla.

$37 razor, $0.11 blades


Amazon.com: Merkur Long Handled Safety Razor: Health & Personal Care

Amazon.com : 100 Astra Superior Premium Platinum Double Edge Safety Razor Blades : Beauty

I don't change blades often, so that 100 pack will last a couple years I think.


Quote:
and the Bics for travel and spend next to nothing on shaving.
I took some disposables when I traveled to save a little weight, and I would never do it again. They felt terrible to me!.

-ERD50
ERD50 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-07-2014, 10:59 AM   #13
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Tailgate's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Texas
Posts: 1,065
OP here... review after 2 shaves with the Dorco Pace 6 from the starter pack.. heavier and bigger than the Mach 3, with is fine with me. Shaves were smooth and very close. So far so good.... would say that they are 'as good as' gillette mach 3... actually think the shave is a little closer/better. DW has not use here ladies disposable yet.

BTW, I did the DE for years many years ago... great razor.. just not ready for the DE commitment again. Since ER, my only goal is fast, easy, smooth and reasonable price.
Tailgate is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-07-2014, 11:07 AM   #14
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Senator's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: Williston, FL
Posts: 3,925
My .02 on shaving...

I would NEVER use a straight edge razor, even if it was free. I hated my military barbers that used a straight edge razor. I always waited for my ear to be cut off.

The double edge razors are better, but are still cut prone.

I shave in the shower, with a fog-free mirror, and have not used shaving cream for years. Just soap or creme rinse.

I like the 2-5 blade razors because they are less likely to give myself a cut. I may look at the Dorco to save money. I know the name brands have a lot of marketing costs built in the name.
__________________
FIRE no later than 7/5/2016 at 56 (done), securing '16 401K match (done), getting '15 401K match (done), LTI Bonus (done), Perf bonus (done), maxing out 401K (done), picking up 1,000 hours to get another year of pension (done), July 1st benefits (vacation day, healthcare) (done), July 4th holiday. 0 days left. (done) OFFICIALLY RETIRED 7/5/2016!!
Senator is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-07-2014, 11:47 AM   #15
Moderator Emeritus
 
Join Date: May 2007
Posts: 12,894
Quote:
Originally Posted by CaliforniaMan View Post

So I guess two questions I have (I was actually thinking about asking it in a thread) how often do you really need to change blades, and anybody tried the shaving mug/brush and like/dislike it. I will probably eventually get around to the old double-edged blades. (Or I wonder if my wife would notice if I just went back to having a beard?)

I use a shaving mug/brush as well as a DE razor or straight edge razor. I have a very coarse beard and I get too much tugging when using razor cartridges. Even with a straight edge razor, I have to use a large 7/8 blade for a comfortable shave.
FIREd is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-07-2014, 08:08 PM   #16
gone traveling
 
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 1,135
I am a Schick fan. They have a 3 blade razor that works great. It's called the xtreme-3. That and some good old barbasol in the can works well for me.
papadad111 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-07-2014, 10:23 PM   #17
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
ExFlyBoy5's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2013
Location: ATL --> Flyover Country
Posts: 6,649
I use the Mach 3 and being in the military, shave 5 days a week. A few months back I heard Clark Howard mention a trick on making your razor last longer...it was so simple...just dry it off when you're done. To prove the point, he used the same razor for a YEAR and on the blades anniversary, he dry shaved with it! It sounds so crazy but guess what? I've been using the same blade for about 3 months and it works as great as when it was brand new. I have 42 work days left so I'm going to see if I can get that out of my 3 month old razor.

Sent from my mobile device so please excuse grammatical errors.
__________________
FIRE'd in 2014 @ 40 Years Old
Professional Retiree
ExFlyBoy5 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-07-2014, 11:06 PM   #18
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 1,046
I have to use a tripple or a quad blade cartridge, anything less and it pulls and cuts due to my thick shave. However, I'd love to try a cheaper option than Mach; sounds like I should look into Dorco or Schick?
dvalley is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-08-2014, 08:47 AM   #19
Full time employment: Posting here.
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Posts: 807
I totally understand the desire to stick with cartridge razors for convenience, shaving the the shower, less chance of nicks, etc. In my testing the Dorco 3 blade cartridges offered the best combination of price and performance.

You can (and I have) still apply a lot of things from the Double Edge or straight razor worlds in order to save money and get a closer yet less irritating shave. As with a DE razor, if you do at least a couple of passes ("think beard reduction, not removal" is the motto) with a cartridge razor AND use a super-slick shave cream like Cremo plus switch to using cold water it makes a world of difference.

That said, there really is no comparison between the shave from any cartridge razor and a double edge. The Astra blades mentioned by ERD 50 are indeed 11 cents each from Amazon and are excellent, Feathers, which are the sharpest blades on the market, are about 27 cents and can easily remove a week's worth of beard in one pass.

If I were going to stick with cartrides I'd order the Dorco 3's in quanitity (make sure to have a backup razor as the blad attachment mechanism is a bit delicate) and just spend some time perfecting technique. Oh, and to California Man's comments: without a doubt a brush and good shaving soap are far better than canned gels and foams but they're also an added expense and hassle and the Cremo product really is outstanding (available onlline and at Walgreen's and probably other pharmacies).
kevink is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-08-2014, 02:42 PM   #20
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
zinger1457's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 3,222
I use the Gillette Fusion and like it. One way to extend the life of the Fusion blade (or any cartridge type blade) is to occasionally swipe it across a pair of old jeans. It seems to have the same affect as when a barber sharpens their straight edge blade across a leather strap. I would suggest not waiting until the blade is really dull to do this, in my experience it works best at keeping an already sharp blade sharper longer. Only takes about 10 swipes, make sure the blade edge is pointed away from the direction you're rubbing so you don't shave your jeans. My Fusion blade last several months although I don't shave everyday and sometimes use an electric.
zinger1457 is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Canon says refilled ink cartridges don't work in PIXMA MX882 TrvlBug Other topics 24 03-03-2012 12:39 PM
Question about cheap printer cartridges kaneohe Other topics 19 07-20-2011 09:33 AM
Best men's skin care and shaving products bank5 Other topics 32 12-19-2009 01:45 PM
Do you refill your printer cartridges? mickeyd Other topics 18 03-16-2006 01:00 PM

» Quick Links

 
All times are GMT -6. The time now is 05:01 AM.
 
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.