Maybe my facial hair just be going in too many directions but I need the extra dex scaling that comes with a safety razor or else I cut myself every single time.

But also the price of blades and the plastic waste keep me firmly locked in to the safety razor life.

edit: I recommend astra or shark blades.

Yes, it's mostly nostalgia bait. There are two main benefits for using a safety razor though. If you have a substantial beard they clog less; not an issue if you shave every day but that's getting less common. And if you have sensitive skin they irritate less because you're dragging less blades across your skin. I use a safety razor with the nicest blades I can get because my skin is like a 15th century noble woman's.

I've gone the complete opposite way. I used disposable jobbies for ~10 years, but switched to a safety razor 2-3 years ago and it's been way better and faster for me. Not to mention like.. 20-100x cheaper and the environmental bonus.

As others have said, both disposables and safety razors vary significantly in quality, if you've only been shaving a year, I'd recommend doing more experimenting yet. Disposable razors have a lubrication strip on them which makes a big difference, so there may also be a shaving soap factor.

Yeah generally I prefer disposables. I use the ones with a changeable head for less plastic waste, they also tend to be nicer than just plain disposables. My girlfriend put me onto Amazon Basics razors (I use the men's razors) and they're cheap and give me a great shave.

The blades vary massively in quality. I use astra, which are fancy German blades that run me like... 10 Aussie bucks for a hundred iirc (they're way, way cheaper online than in stores) and they're great. Feather I find even sharper but "grabby" and uncomfortable to use. My first buy was actually a sampler with a bunch of different brands but that was about a decade ago now, so I couldn't give you much advice.

Try both adjusting the razor and different blades. That said, most people use cartridge razors just fine. I feel like safety razors, straight razors, and shavettes (my choice these days) are mostly about ritual, although if you're lazy about shaving like me straight razors and shavettes don't clog up BUT you run a higher risk of cutting yourself. Personally although I do a good job sharpening knives I wouldn't get a straight razor as they sound like a bugger to maintain and are expensive for a good one.

Some blades just suck shit. Derby, for example.

idk, ive been using a safety razor since I was 18 and I've always had way better results with it than cartridges. Even for shaving my legs now, I get closer and less irritated with a safety, and it's faster because I don't have to constantly unclog it

could just be that it's what I'm used to now, but I feel like in theory you should always be able to get a better shave with a single blade: you cant really control the angle that a cartridge meets the skin, but you can with a safety guard.

still, having to practice shaving sucks

Make sure the safety razor is actually closing and pressing the blade down into the correct angle. I had trouble trying to replace an old safety razor a couple of years ago because every single one I tried, including more of the same brand as the old one, just didn't fit together properly and wouldn't push the blade down, making them as bad as the shitty disposable ones that come already dull and get worse with use.

My experience is less that safety razors are particularly excellent, and more that when you have one that works it actually consistently works, whereas disposable razors barely work at the best of times and usually are much, much worse.

What is your goal with shaving