I’ve come across one or two walls full of blades doing basement renos.
Why were the walls doing renos?
What else will they do with all those blades?
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come feed me used blades
A small blade safe can hold hundreds of blades and it’s like 4"x3"x3". Makes sense they thought the inside of drywall 5’x3’x1’ would be fine. It can probably hold tens of thousands. Even with a new blade daily that’s decades. And when you tear down the wall you’re dealing with Sheetrock, nails and screws already. All that time would have dulled the incredibly thin blades.
This is all to say: it seems wild but was a decent idea.
https://sh.itjust.works/comment/7775973
Hundreds of thousands
yeah I have one that’s a few inches cubed for 6 years now and it’s nowhere near full.
Fuckin razor blades. Where do they go?
Wall filled razor blade FAQ
I am living in your walls. You may be concerned about this. In case you are, please read the below: FAQ: Why are you living in my walls? I’m not going to tell you. Are you only in my walls? You could say I am living in everybody’s walls, but in the case I am telling you that I am living in your walls, I am living in your walls. How are you surviving in my walls? In my non-physical form, I am crawling around listening for you. That is all I need to survive in that form. In my physical form, I survive by eating rat corpses that I cook using the wall behind your oven, and I drink the vapour in the extraction fan duct above your shower. What are you planning to do in my walls? Live in them, listening to you. What do I do about you living in my walls? Listen for the scraping. Dont touch the walls. Protect yourself. Avoid lighting candles. When are you going to stop living in my walls? You cannot escape me. Do I call the police? The authorities will not help you. What are the consequences of you living in my walls? Be aware. What if I am ok with you living in my walls? I will make sure you’re not. Are you imaginary? I AM LIVING IN YOUR WALLS I AM LIVING IN YOUR WALLS I AM LIVING IN YOUR WALLS I AM LIVING IN YOUR WALLS I AM LIVING IN YOUR WALLS I AM LIVING IN YOUR WALLS I AM LIVING IN YOUR WALLS I AM LIVING IN YOUR WALLS If there are any more questions then please consult your walls by directly speaking to them. Summary: I am living in your walls.
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…
They shaved more often in the old days I presume…
People were hairier thousands of years ago.
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.
Hygiene has you replacing blades? I replaced mine when they’re blunt. I can’t see any contamination on my blades after a week of use
I wash the razor after usage lol
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’s highly polished smooth steel, it’s not the sort of surface that holds contamination
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
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
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.
As someone who shaves daily, this is the way to go, its so much better, not just on the wallet.
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.
Literally no reason not to.
You and me both. Last year, I bought enough Feather brand razor blades to last me the next couple of decades. I recall it cost less than $100.
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.
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).
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.
I have been using at minimum a 3 bladed safety razor since I was 14. I have a feeling I would obliterate my face if I tried using straight blade.
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.
No the 3 blades get stuck so I went with one and got much better results.
I am back at electric razor but shaved with the 1 blades for years.
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.
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 ;)
not only cheaper, but better
You don’t shave every day?
Beards are pretty popular these days, as is the ‘stubbley’ look.
Yep I’ve been rocking the stubble/light beard look for about 15 years now and it has been great.
You do?
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
I’m the opposite. If break into an itchy rash if I shave. I need to leave some stumble to enjoy life.
Of course. I would look like a fucking monkey if I didn’t
Where do they go? To the Oubliette.
What’s an Oubliette?
Ask Hoggle. Labyrinth’s full of ‘em.
French, oublier: “to forget” or “to loose”. Also a medieval torture device. Look it up at your own risk.
Its like a solitary confinement torture dungeon, but worse. Its a narrow pit below the dungeon where they toss people who are condemned to death. Too narrow to sit or lie down, even if your legs got broken when or before you were thrown in. All sorts of shit piss gore and blood get tossed in too. Probably other harmful junk like live rats and broken glass. There is no return, and they dont clear out the previous tenant or remnants thereof before the next one is moved in.
That explains a number of things. I thought it was fancy landlord talk for French Style Studio Apartment.
No wonder my rent was so below market rate.
Don’t stick your dick in it
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 was one, I’ve also found and antique ice pick and ball peen hammer in there. One of those ‘those are a problem for future gens’ type solutions.
A hole in a steamy bathrooms wall where you dispose wet things full of human skin cells sounds like a mold-hotel.
And if there are kids around, they put everything small enough inside.Bathroom medicine cabinets are generally out of reach of children
Multiple homes I’ve lived in have had these slots in the medicine cabinets lol.
Did they anticipate people not living long enough to care? Or that some biome would form to use the blades as food?
Interesting decisions all around.
They are very slim. You would really need to shave a lot to see it being full.
But when that happens, who’s going to want to remove a wall full of used razor blades?
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 😅
Prevents them from being mixes in with general garbage and people cutting themselves when handling such.
Makes sense!
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.
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It just dumps out to the empty space in the wall all the way to the floor, it would take a very very long time to fill that up to where it’s “full”, you’d have to fill the wall to that height in a wide area near the hole
Who cares, it takes hundreds of years of daily razors to fill the gap and by that time your line will probably have sold the home or ended
Exactly. By the time it’s full it won’t be your problem!
Problem solved!
It’s a pretty big area back there and razors are very small. It would take decades or maybe evenover a hundred years of regular use before it is likely to fill up. The building could even be condemned or otherwise destroyed before it’s full.
But yes, if it did somehow fill up, you would need to remove the tiles and cut a section out of the wall to empty it. That’s not so big a deal if you only have to do it every 50+ years.
I’ve seen medicine cabinets in old houses with razor disposal slots in the back.
Not just hotels, but regular homes too.
Yep, my house is over 100 years old and has one in the medicine cabinet.
My old apartment had one int the bathroom medicine cabinet, and that building was built in 1974.
Yep, a hole in the medicine cabinet.
how is this a “meme”?
I’ve totally been throwing ancient screenshots at almost-matching communities lately, including here, because I am trying get Lemmy some momentum – Lemmentum if you will – and be the change I want to see.
But yeah no meme here.
Everything is a meme, to the technical meaning of the word. Democracy is a meme.
I use those blades in present day.
When I put in a new blade, I keep the wax paper wrapper, then rewrap the discarded blade in said wax paper before discarding it.
Give or take twelve years into this endeavor, I’ve had zero issues with this system.
Why not just use the new wrapper for the old blade? That way you don’t need to keep the wrapper until you throw the blade away
What are you going to wrap the last blade in if you forget to buy new ones?
Just keep it in the razor, you can’t change it anyway.
This is where that saying “one is none” comes in. Have enough blades. Buy more well before you run out
Why wrap it until you’ve bought new blades? Unless you’re planning to stop shaving for years, in which case the blade might rust.
Painter’s tape.
That’s what I do. I suppose I didn’t articulate that well.
I do it a little bit differently in keeping the very first wrapper so that when I get to the very last blade, there’s a wrapper to put it in.
Minute variations, same end results.
If you don’t replace a blade until you have a replacement blade, why not just presume you’ll shave forever and use the wrapper from the next?
I did stop shaving for years and when I went back to shaving and replaced the old blade, and wrapped it in the replacement blade’s wrapper
I just put mine in an empty tin. It’ll take forever to fill it up, and once you do, just tape it up and put it in metal recycling.
I thought thats what’s you’re supposed to do. Wrap the blade in the wax wrap it came in, then break it up by bending it in the wax before throwing it away in the trash (still in the wax).
Get yourself a blade bank and put your used blades in it. They are a cheap and safe way to dispose of your razor blades.
Does the bank give me interest? Otherwise I am not interested.
Yeah, but they do sometimes take a cut off the top.
I put all my used ones in a clear pill bottle. Plan is to burn them in the next campfire I have so that they never enter the waste stream.
You’re joking, right?
Why would I be joking? Razor blades will oxidize into nothing in a fire
That’s brilliant! We should burn all of our garbage so nothing enters the environment!
I’m not suggesting burning all trash, I’m suggesting burning a miniscule amount of steel to avoid the risk it poses to human and animal life. It turns into iron oxide (RUST). The fire pit ring itself will have about 100x as much of it.
Sharps disposal literally exists for this reason
Steel would also office without fire
Where do you think the rust goes in either case?
I literally don’t have sharps disposal available to me. The rust will mix with the ash and become dispersed harmlessly into the soil. Look at an iron ore mine and you will see millions of tons of iron oxide, because that’s how iron is usually found in nature.
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The little boxes they come in usually come with a little slot to dispose of the old razors. I just put the used and unwrapped razors into that.
I have not encountered such packaging. What brand do you use?
I usually buy Feather but I’ve seen it on plenty of other brands!
why not return it to a slot on pakaging? isn’t it there for that purpose?
front:
and back
That sort of packaging is only on the blades that are more expensive than the blades the price conscious commenters have been quoting the cost of
I have Dorco Prime blades that come in that kind of packaging. It was $11 for a pack of 100.
i just got these exact razors in the UK, but some blades such as Astras come in cardboard packaging
Ooh,
yea we’re few decades behind on environmental stuff here south.
I replied to another comment with the same question that I have never encountered this packaging. I get a cardboard box. Sometimes the blades inside are subdivided into little plastic capsules of five, sometimes they’re just stacked in the box. But that slot is entirely new to me.
Sorry missed that one,.
My contry is just on the beggining of environmental awakening so most stuff is plastic packaging.
Those are my favorite blades
Because the blades I get aren’t packaged this way. Is that a reusable outer package? I’ve never seen anything like that.
Hi,
Actually these are standard, run of the mill, cheapest ones.
Wilkinson is like budget alternative to glide in safety razor category, You can usually get this packaging with this cheap plastic handle:
The little plastic magazine my DE blades come in have a little slot in the back for used blades, just slide them in and then when the magazine is empty chuck the whole thing. Wrankles me a little bit that the steel is ending up in a landfill, but most things you put in the recycle bin does too because society doesn’t work, so.
On the other hand, it’s not 6 blades at a time, the handle, and the little slimy strip thing.
Been ‘wet shaving’ since I started shaving a very long time ago and never stopped. When the blade slots went away in the back of the medicine cabinets in every bathroom, I made a blade bank from a steel can with a lid that I cut a slot in. I takes me years to fill it.
***For those too young to have seen it. The medicine cabinet in every bathroom used to have a slot in the back of it to drop used razor blades into when they got dull. The would simply fall in between the studs in the wall and pretty much just rust away since the blade back then were made of plain high carbon steel. I remember helping to do several bathroom remodels and when pulling the cabinet and the plaster and lath wall, we would find a small pile of rusted to nearly dust razor blades.
I try to remember to use the old paper, but usually I despose of them in a cardboard toilet paper roll with one end pinched shut.
That’s a good idea also!
I also use a can.
Safety razors are great! They’re way cheaper than “conventional” (3, 4, 5 blade) razor blades. They shave a lot closer, and you can get a variety of different grades of blades to fit your comfort level.
The only reason the expensive multi-blade disposable razor cartridge became popular was because Gillette enshitified their razors to maximize profit.
I have this (I am sure irrational) fear that if I use a safety razor, I will cut the shit out of myself. Which, I realize, goes against the word ‘safety’ in the name.
You have to shave lighter. Once you get used to it, they work incredibly well.
With a 3-5 mini razor Mach something, you can push pretty hard before you cut yourself.
Safety razors it’s much lighter touch but it still shaves very close. I bought one of these 10 years ago and it’s still going strong. Safety razors are cheap to buy and once you get used to it, works just as well if not better.
You do have to be a little more delicate because it is easier to cut yourself but it doesn’t take long to get a feel for it. I doubt I cut myself any more than I did with a 4 blade cartridge.
I’ll have to try to get over my fear and try it. How does it do when you haven’t shaved in a few days? Because I’m very lazy about that.
That’s one area where safety razors are the clear winner. Multi-blade cartridges tend to get “clogged” by long hair. Safety razors don’t.
I probably shave once a week unless I have someplace to be. I can make a full pass, flip it over and make another with no problem. The hair just rinses right out.
Nice. Thanks!
It takes a few weeks for your face to get used to being shaved by a safety razor but once it is, my god.
It’s like the MSPaint Erase Tool in real life. I used to do electric razor only going over and over and over
Now it’s like almost pornographic how easy it is to shave – one swipe down, two, three, four… half the face is hairless.
Four swipes left, left side is hairless.
Four swipes under the moustache and bam.
Highly recommended getting over the beginner’s curve, watch some YouTube videos but here’s a Linux primer on how to do it:
- Fill shaving cream bowl or basin with warm (not hot water).
- Allow horsehair brush to soak in basin for 1-5 minutes.
- Shake excess water off the brush
- Add about half a toothpaste brush amount of shaving cream to the basin, stir into a rich lather, consistency of yogurt. If it’s foaming up/running there’s too much water. I recommend PRORASO, Menthol (Refresh). One $10 tube lasts 3-6 months. Extremely cost effective.
- Run some warm/hot water on a very low pour from sink. This is used to wash hair off your razor between passes.
- Sterilize your safety razor with a 55-75% isopropyl alcohol spray. This is optional but prevents any kind of infections, because these razors basically slice open everything including pimples.
- Lather up your face. Sides, bottom, moustache, whatever.
- Don’t apply excess/heavy pressure, these razors are extremely sharp. Go down in a stripe, flip razor over, do another stripe. Down cuts hair, holding at a mild angle, across (left right) cuts your skin, so never try to slide the razor across your face.
- Go slow, practice, once your face is used to it, it becomes second nature and shaving is 10× more pleasurable and convenient than those disposable razors or whatever.
- It’s good enough that I recommend it to other people. I’m a man, few things make me actually feel like a man more than a good/proper shave.
If you use an electric beard trimmer to cut the long stubble down first it works better. Any razor does, but especially safety razors, since there’s only one cutting blade per side and when it’s clogged with longer hairs must be fully cleaned out for a perfect shave.
That generally is what I do, but there are still a lot of long hairs that the trimmer doesn’t catch.
Much better than a multi-blade cartridge in that regard. It doesn’t get clogged with hair.
You’ll cut yourself in the beginning, but once you get the angle and pressure right it’s quick and easy.
I have really enjoyed the experience and cannot imagine going back to disposables that get guarded more securely than fort Knox and require a credit application to purchase.
I do not, however, generally go about the general population proselytizing about it. Those people annoy me.
It’s simply a solid shave for an affordable price.
As someone whose grandfather was a carpenter for Gillette in Massachusetts from after WWII until a few years before his death, I’ve got to say that while i use safety razors because of the price, I do get a far superior shave in less time with the “fuck everything it, we’re doing five blades” (basically the 3+ blades modern razors). I just don’t like having to take out a second mortgage for refills.
Could it be that the blade + razor aggressiveness combo you were using is not equivalent to a cartridge razor? Personally with a nice blade and 1960s Gillette Slim Adjustable on the higher settings it gets insanely close even going with the grain, much closer than I’ve gotten with plastic cartridge options.
