I just read a marketing study about gillette.Without giving away the sales numbers, basically they want the razors to last for a short time becuase they want you to keep buying more. Its basically customer retention.
I'm not sure if it helps but I always use a toothbrush to clean the blades, sometimes with antibacterial hand soap.
The term for this is "functional obsolescence."
can i get a second on that one?!
Thanks for the info Medic! I think your new pic is sweet!