Not just hotels but houses too. There would be a slot inside the medicine cabinet for disposing razors into the wall. Dude who came up with the idea was probably like, “we’ll all be dead from nuclear bombs before any of these fill up or needs to be renovated”.
Dude who came up with the blades in the wall thing was also clairvoyant. He was just mostly wrong in his clairvoyance, a few details would prove to be true.
In fairness, I’ve never heard of one of those filling up, and it doesn’t seem to cause any additional danger at demolition time since walls are full of rusty nails already.
It likely doesn’t go in the whole wall, more like in a small container friction fit between tiles. That way you can empty it once it’s full (not too soon, admittedly)
Edit: there was a comment here about two feet of blades, so I was wrong, it does go into the wall and it is a ‘fuck the future me’ kind of thing 😅
I use these blades to shave almost daily. I use approximately 40 each year. I would never be able to fill up a wall with these, not even during 10 lifetimes
It’s not so much about filling it up, but when someone goes to eventually renovate the place lol. Open the drywall and just have a bunch of blades to clean up… Or if you get a leak and have to now deal with a puddle of rusty blades.
I want to say that possibly one of the medicine cabinets had a smaller container that collected them at some point, but again, it was still fixed behind the wall lol.
How bad could it be? They’d all be piled up at the bottom of one stud cavity and you know they’re there. If you’re demoing the wall you’re gonna have gloves and a shop vac and a bigass broom and shovel anyway.
Still I got a little blade bank (about the size of those mini soda cans) on Amazon for $7 for my double-edge blades. Last year. And it still has plenty of room in it. Supposedly it holds 300 blades. That’s two blades a week for nearly 3 years. An absurd frequency…I replace my blade every week and I shave my head and they could totally go longer, they’re just so damn cheap.
I think these plastic boxes the blades come in often have a slot for used blades on the bottom. They take up so little space without the paper around them that an entire pack fits into a 1mm slot maybe.
Yeah we had a 1920s house with a metal medicine cabinet above the sink. It had the razor blade slot and yeah they literally fell into the wall between the studs.
I got a can of chicken broth, knocked a slot into the top with a flathead screwdriver and a hammer, poured out the stock and rinsed and dried the can. It lives in the cabinet beneath my sink and I drop my blades in it when I’m done with them. That was about 10 years ago. The thing is maybe a third full.
Once saw a video of someone who forged a knife from old razor blades he found in a wall. There were hundreds. They shaved more often in the old days I presume…
I would be too lazy to shave every day (and sometimes I am) but I get skin irritation if I don’t shave. Could use some strong ointments as a temporary fix but those are not good to be used too often. My dermatologist said that as long as shaving helps I’m better off shaving
They probably shaved about the same but mostly used double-edged (100% steel) blades that could easily fit in a slot, rather than the plastic-clad, quadruple-blade nonsense sold for $8/cartridge.
You can still buy double edged razors for about 10-15 cents apiece, by the way.
There’s a bit of a learning curve, but just be cautious at first and you’ll figure it out. It’s not rocket science. Also don’t use dull blades as that’s an easy way to cut yourself. Fortunately they’re dirt cheap.
Nah. It takes a little more awareness while you’re shaving for sure, but you’re rarely if ever going to cut yourself once you get your gear and technique dialed in. For me, I had to find the right blade. I found Feather brand blades, which a lot of people recommend, didn’t work well with my skin, but Astra blades are great for me. Everyone’s a little different.
I also like the Astra blades. Even more important ive found is a quality razor holder. I had a few, but when I got a Henson for Christmas it was the best shave I’ve ever had. Their marketing isn’t a gimmick. A well supported blade held rigid doesn’t flex and pull at hairs.
My Merkur 23C has served me well for 13 years. Recently the threaded screw broke off and I had to get a replacement head. But it was very reasonable. I have been curious about the Hensons, but have tended to stick with the “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” philosophy. People really seem to like them though. Do you have the light, medium, or aggressive?
I have the standard AL13. I didn’t know they had different levels. My beard isn’t super thick, but not sparse either. I can shave a full weeks growth (4-6mm length) without issue. My previous razors would clog a fair bit if I did the same and I’d have to take less per stroke and rinse more frequently.
I couldn’t resist. I went ahead and bought that AL13 aggressive after reading and watching a bunch of reviews. It’s great. It holds the blade more firmly than the Merkur and shaves really smoothly without pulling. I would like it if it were a bit heavier, but it still feels good in my hand. Thank you for the recommendation.
I’m talking about double-edge blades that fit into a handheld razor that looks a lot like a Gilette or Bic, except it’s all metal, and about 2% of the price per blade, not a straight “safety” razor that you might see a professional barber use.
First couple of times I had to unlearn some old habits. Was a bit of a mess. But that was mostly in my scalp. My face was largely fine (to be fair, I have a beard, so it’s just cheeks and neck that gets the blade).
After my technique improved, though, I get nicked about as often as I would with a cartridge.
The hardest part was finding a blade that worked well for me. There’s a ton of variation in the blades. Once you find a brand you like though you tend to lock in. I bought a bunch of sample 5-10 blades from the most popular brands (feather, astra, gilette, tiger, etc). I ended up settling on Gilette Silver Blues. Ymmv.
Mhm, that’s what I use. Not sure why other people around my age don’t, to be honest. Super cheap and you don’t exactly have loads of cash to spend at 20
Dude I’m 38 and I’m surprised everybody doesn’t at any age.
I shave my head. I’ll admit I had to unlearn some habits from cartridge shaving. First couple of times my head was a bloody (literally) mess. But once I got technique down, it’s easier and faster than cartridge shaving.
What slows me down over “the modern way” is that I whip my soap with a brush and bowl. That’s a little less convenient than shaving cream/gel, but it’s optional. No reason you can’t use canned foam/gel. Holy shit is it cheaper though. I ordered a 3 pack of cheap shaving soap (3.5oz bars, $10 total) last January and I’m not even halfway into the second bar.
Best part is, less waste. No plastic. Every handle I’ve seen is all metal and even the cheap ones feel better in the hand. Stainless Steel Blades are wrapped in wax paper and packed in a little cardboard box. Soap gets shipped in cardboard boxes.
I just dry shave (safety razor) and it seems to work well for me. Less hassle + blades don’t rust so they last longer
I also heard that the blades can be sharpened by running it against trousers or something like that, so it is possible to reuse them / extend their lifespan
It’s called honing and you can hone a blade on a piece of leather, like an old belt. It’s not sharpening per se, but it keeps the little burs on the blace’s edge lined up nicely so it stays sharp and if kept up, prevents the need to sharpen with something more aggressive like a sharpening stone (or the bottom of a coffee mug in a pinch).
I tried it. For months and months. But I always ended up with either a bad shave, or a bloodied face. Apparently my skin is to weak for this stuff. So I am back to expensive cartridges.
Yeah used DE since my grandpa gave me one of his when I was like 13, his father was a barber by trade and I also have his straight razor collection (which I don’t use).
Actually use a mix of DE, disposable, and electric, depending on the purpose. The Philips oneblade and classic Andis foil for face and jawline with finishing DE touch on flat areas sometimes. I know electric on face… used to have acne too but I find they keep my skin barrier more intact by barely not getting to the skin.
I legit use the double edge on d+bs more than anything… sounds like a bad idea I know but for me it’s the easiest, quickest, far superior result, and way less injury than any other method. You maybe wouldn’t think this but going on every 3-5 days for like 10 years at this point so I’m completely confident in it. An electric with shortest attachment for pubes and around the edges, then the DE on genitals, nothing better.
15¢ per double edge blade is high unless you’re only buying 10 or 20 blades at a time. Get the 100 count pack and you’re paying under 7¢ per blade… Each blade should easily last 3-7 shaves depending on your hair, more if you have tough skin ;)
Depending on how often I shave, I use 2-6 blades per month. If I stay in a hotel, I bring a fresh pack of blades, and would probably toss the blade rather than trying to wrap it back up before leaving if there was a convenient way of doing so. It’s not hygienic to keep using the same blade more than a few times anyway.
I can’t see anything wrong either. I wash them after. It’s just what I’ve read. Don’t remember if from some shaving guide or the blade manufacturer. You can’t see bacteria.
Yeah you need to wash your razor after shaving to remove the hair and soap, but I’m reading the above as something more than that, like removing the blade from the razor to clean it
Perhaps I’m spoilt by a modern razor, back when I used a 1960s Gillette I did have to open the blade holder to rinse it
Besides not knowing exactly how contaminated the blade got, it’s better to replace it a bit in advance before it gets blunt. But if you use the same brand you would know when that moment approaches, sure enough
It seems like a presentable person was supposed to shave twice a day, in the morning and after work. Considering that you need to make three passes to shave well it would make 6 passes a day.
I tend to replace blades after about 5–10 shaves, so 15–30 passes, but I heard of people replacing after each pass. Some brands may also stay sharp for longer, giving even more spread to numbers.
All-in-all, it seems like one can expect to produce from 70 to more than 2000 disposed blades per year. At a thickness of about 0.1 mm it would be something between 7mm/year and more than 0.2 meters/year
Now I really think that even the most sensitive skin doesn’t require you to change a blade after each pass. I also find it hard to imagine producing a pile of blades a meter high in 4.5 years
Haven’t seen it mentioned, maybe I didn’t look hard enough. Wouldn’t this be a huge problem for water damage and mold between the walls? All I can think about is all that shower water + steam getting in there
Our house had one of these slots. When we remodeled the bathroom there was just a huge pile of razor blades. No water damage or mold, just a pain in the ass removing those walls since it was those small slats with nails and cement (I think it was cement?). Just lucky the only asbestos was on the pipes in the basement.
My dad’s workplace had something similar in the 1960s-70s. It was a plane hangar that was used by the baggage handlers.
The walls were cinder block so hollow from top to bottom, they would open up the boxes of the mini alcohol bottles that would go on the planes and take handfuls of them out, once the bottles were empty they would dump them down the same hole until they actually filled one up then started on a new one.
That would have been a surprise when that hangar got demolished and that wall opened up.
If they aren’t going to recycle which rarely happens even today that is probably just as good of a solution as landfilling them, those little bottles are littered all over the earth. When they demolish a building they would trash all that debris anyway, but yeah a hilarious find, hundreds of them lol.
Probably more like thousands. The building was high enough to fit a passenger plane. So the space in one cinder block hole would 6 in x 6 in by 60 ft high. That is a lot of mini bottles.
But how would you get the bottles into the top without a cherry picker? Imagine drinking a bunch of those small bottles, then hiding the evidence by carefully maneuvering a lift?? This whole story smells fishy…
Remember that cargo was loaded onto planes with platform lifts and maintenance work would use scissor lifts. I don’t doubt that if wouldn’t be wise to empty the bottles into the wall while drunk but I’m sure they were sober eventually.
I had an old house with one of those. I renovated the bathroom so I can confirm they all go into the wall. God what a mess. 2ft of rusty used razor blades wedged in there.
Older medicine cabinets have a slot in them for this very purpose. A lot of people living in old homes probably have a razor blade slot or two and don’t even realize it.
I’ve been using DEs for the last 6 years. I use a Feather blade in the shower with no mirror to fully shave and don’t cut myself. Not saying when I started I was that good. Feather blades are extremely sharp. I walked out pretty bloody once or twice when I started using them. Just get really good on some 7o’clocks or Gillette blades first.
I’d say it’s more of a learning curve question. With a swiwel you get good results most of the time but if it doesn’t work as you need there’s nothing to do. With a solid construction you need to learn to manipulate it efficiently but then it’s that you can use it for any shape of skull. TL;DR convenient ≠ better
But yes, it’s better I elaborate: it’s not the razor that may or may not work. It’s the user that may not be suitable for swiwel head and such a user will be equally bad suited for all of them. It’s good if it works for you but not guaranteed to work for others
They’re much less irritating to your skin. Disposable razor commercials sold the world on the idea that more blades=closer and smoother shave; when in reality they can really tear up your face and leave razor bumps and ingrown hairs.
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