The Merkur blades are a little pricier, but still win in comparison to the Schick. A Merkur three-pack (10 blades per pack = 30 blades) is $15, so for $30 (to stick in the same price range as the above, you’re going to get 60 blades. Not as good as the Wilkinson, but still far superior to the Quattro.

And, for what it’s worth, I went to the Quattro because the comparable Gillette Fusion is 25 dollars for an eight-pack.

I am very fond of The Art of Shavingproducts, and made sure to visit the store when I was last in NYC. However, there are some caveats.

First, the brushes seem good, but I’m only now learning the difference between badger hair brushes and cheapo brushes you can get at other places. The difference appears to be in brush longevity and texture. However, I can’t say for a fact that the brushes are worth the money.

The shaving products are definitely worth it to me. I use the sandalwood pre-shave oil, shaving soap (tube, not bar), and post shave cream. I’ve used the lavender for sensitive skin. I haven’t used the other skincare products and I’m not interested in trying, really.

While I don’t mind the priciness of the product–because I can feel the difference–I refuse to spend a lot of money on a razor at the Art of Shaving. Why? Because you’re only paying for the handle. And you’re paying a hell of a lot of money, for a handle that uses the Mach 3 razor.

I’ve become increasingly fed up with the trend in razors. I stuck with two-blade as long as I could, and then three-blade, and now I’ve moved to the Schick Quattro begrudgingly. I only move over when it appears ridiculously difficult to maintain my current razor. I fear that within a decade we’ll all be sporting 24-blade machetes on handles to groom ourselves.

I’ll have to try this razor out, given what you say.