Another Close Shave

Recently I started noticing that drug stores were no longer carrying my trusted Schick razor, and some of them stopped carrying replacement blade cartridges. I was in need of a new razor handle anyway, so I thought it might be time to revisit the razor question.

I still don't want to use Gillette products, because in my past experience they have gotten dull much too quickly, and I just can't get past the notion that they might be doing that on purpose. (I even keep my razor in a solution called RazorGuard that purports to prolong the life of blades, but with Gillette blades it makes no difference.)

I came across a reference to a Waltham, MA-based company called Preserve that is manufacturing razor handles and toothbrushes out of materials like recycled yogurt containers. I decided to try out the razor, and picked one up at Whole Foods. I wanted to like it, but I could barely get two mediocre shaves out of one blade cartridge. I'm hoping they'll keep trying and will find a way to improve their blades.

My next thought was to go back to Schick and try the Quattro, the four-blade razor that is gradually edging my three-blade out of existence. It was better than the Preserve, but I still wasn't wild about it. I found the solution at BJ's. They're still carrying my preferred razor; in fact, they had so many that I wondered if maybe that's why I can't find it anywhere else. Each package contains a handle and twelve cartridges. Since I only shave a couple of times a week, that will last me a year or so, for $13. Maybe I should buy two, just in case...