I used to use the twin blade cartridges, thinking that I knew more than my dad did about shaving because I was using the "new" system, then switched to the triple, and finally got sucked into the five-blade system. Yikes! The cost of replacement cartridges for a multipack at Costco is more than a tank of gas in my sports car! I went back to the double-EDGE blade in a safety razor, like dad used. He did teach me that one good investment in a quality razor can last a lifetime. The Feather blades I use now are "the sharpest" of their kind, very inexpensive, and give a beautiful shave when used with high quality shaving cream.

Skin preparation is paramount to a good shave. I don't have time for the full routine every day, but when I do pamper myself, then my process is face wash with a glycerin cleanser, facial scrub to exfoliate with fingers, then with a facial brush, steaming hot towels, pre-shave cream (Poraso Green), and lather up with Taylor of Old Bond Street shaving cream with my Muhle Silvertip badger brush. I'm using a Muhle double-edge razor with Feather blades. When I have the time, I will do a double pass or even a triple pass, repeating the lathering and shaving in a different direction than the first pass. At the end, splash cold water (I'm going to try ice water one of these days, from a barber's tip in an article I read), and apply a creamy after-shave to sooth the skin. That whole routine can take 45 minutes to an hour.

I don't think it can get any better than that, except maybe if I don't do it myself and go to a traditional barber. I'm using some of the finest products from around the world, including the USA, Italy, Germany, England, Pakistan, and Japan, and after my initial equipment investment, is very affordable to maintain. I'm using a mini towel warmer that's small enough to sit on the bathroom counter, and I clean the hardware in an ultrasonic bath cleaner every week or so. That keeps the stainless steel looking shiny and new.

For traveling, I have a travel shave brush in a light-weight aluminum self-containing handle/holder, a traveling safety razor that unscrews components and packs very small in a leather case, with a single blade, and a small plastic travel-size tub of shaving soap. It's not hard to travel well, and doesn't take up much space in my toiletry kit.

Weekday shaves are about every other day for me, with a shortened routine, and with noticeable differences in how long the shave lasts.

I have not seen the ad on TV that dlq04 mentions. I don't watch TV very often any more.

 

I think a lot of it depends on your beard type.
I think my eldest can have a damn thick beard in a week, two at the outside.
Me hardly. mine still looks pretty sketchy after 3 months.