Here are some things I've learned along the way on the economics of shaving:
- A DE safety razor is, indeed, cheaper than cartridge shaving: $40 will get you a good Merkur 34c and a 100 pack of Astra blades. A Gillette Mach 3 and 100 blads is about $140.
- Some people who shave with a DE tend to spend the money they saved on other shave gear: a nice brush, some fancy shave soaps and aftershaves. If you make it into a hobby you can spend a LOT of money on gear.
- If you've been shaving with a cartridge your whole life, learning to shave with a DE can take time to learn. It legitimately took me 5 years to get really good and I still sometimes cut myself and fall back on a cartridge for certain tough spots under my jawline where the pivoting head comes in handy.
- Dollar Shave Club and Harry's really are a great way to save money on shaving. Ideally that will continue even with both being owned by big corporations now.
- It's sometimes pointed out that (in the past, at least, cannot confirm this is still true) Dollar Shave Co. is just reselling handles and blades made by a company called Dorco. While true, it turns out that buying the DSC-branded gear is actually cheaper in most cases than buying it straight from Dorco, unless you buy a lot at a time.
That doesn't seem like a proper comparison. Nobody replaces their Mach 3 cartridge after every other shave but that's a common recommendation for DE blades.
> It legitimately took me 5 years to get really good and I still sometimes cut myself
Wow, if that isn't a strong indictment of saving pennies, I don't know what is.
This is a benefit of standardization: DE blades all have a common form factor, so any handle can use any blade. That means every DE blade maker is competing with all the others, which drives prices down. Cartridges on the other hand are all proprietary to the vendor that made the handle they fit with, so there's much less downward pressure on the pricing.
> if that isn't a strong indictment of saving pennies, I don't know what is.
The thing about a DE blade versus a cartridge is that with a DE the range of possible outcomes is much wider than it is with a cartridge. A DE blade can produce shaves ranging from "ow, I cut myself!" to "smooth as a baby's bottom", depending on the technique you apply to it. A cartridge won't ever cut you, but it'll also never give you as close a shave as you can get with a well-wielded DE blade; it provides a consistently mediocre shave every time.
To put this in terms HN readers will appreciate, arguments about DE versus cartridge tend to be kind of like arguments about vim/emacs versus IDEs. Vim and emacs users love to talk about all the crazy things they can do with their editor that no IDE can match, but they rarely talk about the learning curve they had to climb to reach that level of technique. Whereas IDEs tend to be less elegant, but by hewing more closely to modern desktop interface standards they let their users reach an acceptable level of productivity faster. Those IDE users will never reach the heights of wizardry that are possible with vim or emacs, but since very few programmers are true wizards anyway that doesn't really matter much to everyone else. Like the cartridge razor, the IDE is "good enough."
I have shaved with a straight razor for maybe three years now, and before that I used a DE for maybe five.
I don't for a minute believe that cartridge razors are incapable of giving me equally good shaves.
99% of the benefits of DE and straights is the incredible care you have to take with your technique, the awareness you need of your face's contours, and the grain of your beard over in multiple passes.
People who stick with wet-shaving care a lot about getting all of that right, and do a lot of work to get there. Similar attention to those things while using a cartridge will get you similar results. At least in my experience.
I wet-shave because it is more environmentally friendly, and I love the ritual. Also, it is cheaper.
I think it depends a lot on your beard. I actually have a very fine beard. Cartridges do not do a good job for me. They always miss spots and the stubble the next day is always uneven. A DE works dramatically better for me. I also didn't find it difficult to learn to use either. I've nicked myself a few times, but the kind of nick where after you finish shaving you see, "Oh there's some blood there" and you wipe it off never to come back again. And to top it all off, I use my blades for about a month. I use a Feather "Popular" holder (less than $10) and Feather blades. After I shave, I brush the blade in the holder with a toothbrush, open the holder, turn the blade over, close the holder and brush with the toothbrush. Then I put it away to dry. This seems to keep the blade in good shape.
I've been surprised in this thread about people talking about taking incredible care. It came very naturally to me. I was put off using DEs for decades because I thought they were hard to use and dreaded cutting myself. Now I'm sad I never used them before.
I can confidently say I cannot get the same shave, with less razor burn, with cartridge razors versus straight razors/DE safety razor. They just don't seem to get through thick longer facial hair without trouble. With a straight razor, doesn't matter how long the hair is, I'll get through it quickly whether it's 24 hours old or six months old hair.
Digging a magnificent trench using spoons and a chisel is also possible. The precision of using that method would be unmatched even using shovels, and definitely beat the precision of the trench dug using a Caterpillar equipment.
> It legitimately took me 5 years to get really good and I still sometimes cut myself
I feel like that some people (myself included at times) just like to develop skills with a steep learning curve regardless of how much benefit it actually incurs.
> Nobody replaces their Mach 3 cartridge after every other shave but that's a common recommendation for DE blades
No, it's not. If anything there is a belief that DE blades actually stay sharp and last longer than cartridge blades. I don't know if there's any evidence to that, but the effect is that many DE shavers keep their blades for a number of shaves. I suspect that some are more inclined to swap blades frequently because the blades are so (comparatively) cheap.
If you use hot water to shave, Gillette blades dull very quickly. If you use cold water, they last longer than DE blades. It mostly has to do with the plastic coating on the cartridge blades. However, if you're skilled at shaving with a DE, technique actually prolongs your blades life into many shaves with the same razor.
For me, the most noticeable difference is my daughter would never use my DE safety razor on her legs. The cartridge style.. well.. they dulled out way faster than they should have from my usage.
This approach has served me well the past decade. I can also go longer between “shaves” as compared with trying to stay clean shaven. One less thing to do in the morning is fine by me.
Not if you want to look good, which is what shaving is about. I can grow a goatee and mustache, so what now I gotta shave everywhere else AND trim that stuff too? I don't think that it saves me time.
Okay, I think we just have different ideas of "looking good" (which is of course subjective!). I don't really see a problem with thinner areas in one's beard.
Not all jobs allow you to have a beard, and some allow you to have a beard only if it's nearly trimmed. Keeping a beard neatly trimmed is just as time consuming as shaving it all off.
Not all of them unfortunately. I've owned two of these [1], and both had the on/off switch fail within a year of use. I now have a corded Wahl trimmer that has a more old-fashioned switch that I expect will last quite a lot longer.
You're probably drying out your skin with hot water and soap. Not cleaning it well enough can do that too. I used to get that problem until I realized two important things.
1. Regular hot water on your hair and beard dries out your skin terribly. Especially during winter. You need to use luke warm showers and probably avoid washing your head every time you shower. Use cold water on your face afterwards and gently dry it off. Which leads into the other point.
2. Stop touching your face so much. Routinely or obsessively touching your face or beard irritates it a lot. That can inflame the skin, causing it to over produce skin, oil, etc.
Also using too much beard oil as well can cause irritation. Your skin doesn't need too much oil. Only what it produces naturally (when you don't wash it away with soap or hot water).
Re "It legitimately took me 5 years to get really good and I still sometimes cut myself" I was a disaster at shaving until 3 blade cartridge razors were introduced. Before then I used an electric shaver and was unsatisfied with the results. I doubt I want to try try a DE blade. Walmart house brand 3 blade cartridges are under $1 per cartridge, and a cartridge lasts me a week.
Hmm, interesting. Personally, I can get at least 5x shaves out of a decent DE blade than I can from a fancy multiblade cartridge. They literally start dragging and nicking on the second or third shave, while a DE is still going strong after 10...
Yet more cost-effective is a straight razor. A new one you'd actually want to use runs around $100, and antiques in shave-ready condition can often be had for much less. A straight razor will typically outlast its owner.
Like DE, it takes some practice, and in addition, requires maintenance. I use a leather strop on a rigid surface with 0.5 micron diamond paste, but the traditional method is a hanging strop and occasional honing on stones.
It's not a hobby for me, but it is a considerably more comfortable shave than cartridges. On the rare occasions I've used cartridges after getting used to the straight, I've noticed irritation, which I hadn't when I was used to cartridges.
Being maintainable is a positive from my point of view. Rather than having to replace blades, I can just sharpen it using very little in the way of consumables (a 50g jar of paste costs $10 and will last years).
Of course, it has a cost in time, but the straight razor itself can be faster than other razors because the blade is longer and it doesn't clog. I'm not sure if it's a net win, but I'm sure it's close.
You only need to sharpen straight razors once every 3 to 6 months. You don't necessarily need your own stone. I pay a friend to do it for a few bucks. Takes him 5-10mins. The money he invest on his wetstones has been paid back at this point.
To me straight razors represent community, whereas cartridge/disposables represent isolation, loneliness and obviously disposability. The people who are too afraid to use a straight razor, have to go to a barber to experience it. That's fantastic as it creates more social elements to this routine aspect of life.
Totally don’t understand the downvotes? Anyway, how did you learn to use one? I understand they’re supposed to be kept sharp, I’m absent-minded, and I’m afraid I’d damage the blade while trying to sharpen it.
A bit of reading online. A bit of trial and error. Only one error leading to a deep cut, and I think there was wine and jet lag involved.
With a hollow-ground razor, the most popular style, the blade is held flat against the strop or hone and the width of the spine holds the edge at the proper angle. This makes serious mis-sharpening less likely. It probably does help to have some knife sharpening experience though.
My method using a bench strop and diamond compound is not traditional, but I've found that as long as there's no actual damage to the edge, it always restores proper sharpness while more traditional methods with a hanging strop require sharpening on a stone every few months.
I tend to just keep my facial hair trimmed. I try not to use a blade because it irritates my neck. I do Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, so I'm sure the grappling contributes to the irritation, which is partially why I've all but given up on shaving with any form of blade.
DE shaving is great because it's nicer to use, an objectively better shave, better for the environment, and cheaper (or at least, can be cheaper). A pack of 100 Astra blades is <$8 on Amazon and they've all been great in my experience.
Just want to point out that the prosthelytizers of DE shaving tend to be a self selecting group of those who happend to have great success with their particular beards and that razor. There are many, many, different beards though.
I tried DE and it simply did not shave as well as gilette, no matter what the blade. I had a permanent 5'oclock shadow because of how thick and dark my beard is where as gilette was a clean shave with zero effort.
Point is, whatever razor works for you, works for you. End of story.
It can also depend on the razor you get. Some DEs are specifically designed to give you a less close shave, in order to limit ingrown hair. The same models are often recommended to first-time buyers, too, because it's not so easy to nick yourself with them.
I used to be a dedicated DE shaver; once I grew a beard, I started shaving only to clean my neck and cheeks, and decided to try cartridges again. So I tried Harry's. And man, I wanted to like them, but a Mach 3 blade is just so much better it's kind of dismaying. The Mach 3 (i.e., three-blade head) is smaller and more maneuverable; the blades seem sharper, or at least certainly glide more smoothly with less irritation; and there's actually a bit of an ecosystem around them -- I'm using a Parker handle with mine, about $30 but better than (the admittedly good) Harry's handles.
I'm glad Harry's found a nice exit, I guess, although on general principle I wish they'd been more invested in staying independent than they evidently were.
I should also mention I have a challenging face with a few moles. The gilette 5-blade head is the best. The three-blade is a definite step down. The Harry's is a good price/capability compromise.
That said, I thin the price has gone up since they came out. Saw 12 refills for $25.99 at Target and I could swear they were lots cheaper when I first tried them.
I was forever cutting a mole on my jaw line while shaving. Finally I had a dermatologist remove it. It was painless and took only a few minutes. Totally worth it.
I used to use the Gillette Mach and Fusion. But they are expensive and tend to clog. I switch to Dorco available at Amazon. They function about the same but are about 1/3 cheaper. Recently I switched to the Costco Kirkland brand. They are half the price as Dorco, last as long and no clogging. The only thing the Costco ones don't have the the edge blade for cleaning under your nose but I keep a few Dorco around for that.
>While true, it turns out that buying the DSC-branded gear is actually cheaper in most cases than buying it straight from Dorco, unless you buy a lot at a time.
Or you buy during a sale. I got so many Dorco razors I bought for not much, I think less than $1/each... Put an alert on Slickdeals.
Astra blades are known for being the sharpest which makes it really easy to cut yourself. I went through a sample pack awhile ago and just logged how each shave was and then picked a blade that worked best for me
The good thing about (traditional) safety razors is there are plenty of razor options for sharpness and quality, and they are all pretty inexpensive. It's easy to experiment with different ones until you find the one you like.
I initially bought a “mixed” pack containing ~5 blades of different varieties. Tried them out and chose the one that felt best. The difference between the most and least comfortable was significant, so I’d recommend taking the time to figure it out.
Help me! I find the safety razor handles to be way too small. To me they feel like they were made for children. I would like them to be about 40% longer than they are. Can you point me to any safety razors with handles at least as big as the Gillette Mach 3’s, preferably even bigger?
I purchased a Merkur because it had awesome reviews, then got their “large” size but they’re both laughably small IMHO.
P.S. I claim I’m older and boringer, but I wasn’t smart enough to snag that username ;)
Thanks. That’s the second one I purchased. It seems like I’m an outlier. They’re all incredibly short by my standards, yet modern cartridge razors often have handles that work well for me.
Find your local makerspace, or community college with a machinist program, and ask if anyone would be interested in making you a custom handle.
I turned a simple aluminum handle when I switched to a DE safety razor, because I had the same reaction to what was available. Matched the thread of the one I purchased, turned the handle a bit longer and fatter, and then knurled the lower 3/4ths of it.
It's a very easy and fun lathe project with very few critical dimensions.
I didn't mean to communicate that, but your point is fair nonetheless. In my defense I think I was inclined to use the acronym "DE" because I had already read through the existing comments and had seen other discussions already taking place about double-edged safety razors and referring to them as "DE" so I kinda switched to that "in the club" mindset without thinking. My apologies if you'll have them :)
> - Dollar Shave Club and Harry's really are a great way to save money on shaving. Ideally that will continue even with both being owned by big corporations now.
Dorco razors are the best option. They make the razors for Dollar Shave Club, but are cheaper. They've been in business a long time and make a great product.
If you read the rest of my post you'll notice I did mention Dorco with context:
> It's sometimes pointed out that (in the past, at least, cannot confirm this is still true) Dollar Shave Co. is just reselling handles and blades made by a company called Dorco. While true, it turns out that buying the DSC-branded gear is actually cheaper in most cases than buying it straight from Dorco, unless you buy a lot at a time.
I have a beard and only shave a portion of hair below my jawline. Would it be difficult to use a straight razor? Even with cartridges I can cut my Adam’s apple.
So a straight razor is the old fashioned, flip out single blade, need to sharpen kind. Not sure if you're intending to refer to that or not. Whereas safety razors are the two-sided head cheap disposable blade kind.
I can't talk too much about straight razors, I think they're a bit dangerous without a good amount of practice.
Safety razors are fine for below jawline shaving, though you will probably nick yourself a bit until used to it. I use a Merkur 25C and have a beard and I think it's excellent. Rarely nick myself. Could never use electrics or modern disposables effectively, they tended to load up and clog badly.
For what it’s worth I did this for years, without issue. It’s perhaps a little slower, but not much when you are just cleaning up. It takes a little practice to get good at maintaining the line, and you do need to care for the blade (not a lot of time, but required).
At first you will be slow, as worried about cutting yourself. You probably won’t actually cut yourself until you relax about it after while...
You won't cut yourself if you keep your razor sharp and use good technique. Short, confident strokes with your other hand adding tension to your skin. Really I rarely cut myself with a straight razor now. And it's usually because the blade starts getting dull, which happens after like 6 months.
Reading the discussions here at first made me happy that I don't have to deal with any of this anymore since wearing a beards for more than 5 years now, but life on the other side is not perfect as well: Every few days it's time to trim the beard, and I feel that that often actually takes longer than a full shave. A big factor to that is that trimming just feels so imprecise. I have to go over and over and over again, and at the end there's still at least some stray hairs here and there.
Am I doing it wrong? Do I have the wrong trimmer? I have a sturdy trimmer from Wahl that certainly seems to be the best I had so far, but maybe that's only relatively better?
I've started going to a barber for a full trim/shape once a month or so. Then any trimming I do is kind of as-needed. I think this kind of depends on how your beard grows in and how particular you are about stray hairs. I find that with beard oil/balm, my fly-aways are manageable enough between trims.
Beard oil is fantastic for making your beard feel softer and more manageable. For controlling shape, beard balm is generally even better, but I'm still learning to work with it; the one I have is basically a pomade.
Precisely why I wear one - it's my natural state. I've finally broken down and just get a beard trim at the barber, it makes for a nice experience, I look far better than taking matters into my own hands, and I don't have to deal with this stuff (the mess, time spent in the bathroom, etc.)
Every time I let a barber trim my beard I was very happy with the result, and I got the same impression that I would not be able to replicate that on my own anyway, so maybe that's just the answer.
Overall, I still feel that a beard is much less hassle. Unlike a clean shave, I have to go a pretty long time without a trim for my beard to really become "unsightly".
> Precisely why I wear one - it's my natural state
This. I guess I can understand some people prefer how they look shaven, but I can't understand spending so much time and money to avoid looking how you really look.
Maybe you just care too much. I trim my beard whenever my wife complains (once a month maybe). Takes about 10 minutes and that includes scissors to get the stray hairs and moustache.
are you oiling the razor after every shave? if you dont, or if you used to not, the razor is damaged and likely cutting poorly. You can buy replacement blades for 20$
Somewhat related: I simply buy a small pack of quality multi-blade razors, and keep them sharp using a silicone rubber strop (the Blade Buddy, easily found online). Each razor lasts at least a month, often more, and that’s up against my very coarse and thick whiskers. My shaving budget is this pretty close to zero.
Same. A 20 pack of Gillette Mach 3 disposable razors (not the replacement cartridges, but the full disposable razor) from Costco, lasting 5 years and counting...
Along these lines, a good shave soap + brush, and shaving after I shower means each blade lasts me forever. I still use Mach3's cause I change them maybe 3-4 times a year.
I also do a quick rough shave, then re-lather up my face to get it more carefully, so there's not a lot of pressure on the blade to be super sharp.
Go old school with wet shaving and DE razor and blade. Your face will thank you.
edit:
Get a cheap "Omega boar professional brush", about $15. Gets better after break in, but works well for day 1. I like it better than my badger brush.
Arko shave soap stick is super cheap. Costs about a buck in bulk, but get 1 for $2-$4.
Blades are a little tricky. There are cheap, but good blades. For me the best is polsilver super iridium, which is a little pricey compared to other (but much much cheaper than Gillettes) and I have to buy via eBay.
For real old school experience, use Clubman after shave.
Razor: I used to use my dad's 40+ year old Gillette. But just got a Merkur slant which is gentler, almost no cuts, and just amazing.
I tried this and cut the hell out of my face and never went back. It feels like too much effort when I can just use a modern razor and daydream while I'm shaving. I still have the old school razor but it sits on a shelf in my bathroom collecting dust now. Perhaps I'm just doing it wrong?
Shaving after a shower, shaving every other day, I can get a lot of usage out of a modern safety razor, i.e. weeks with the same cartridge without much irritation. My yearly razor costs are already low at this point, and the effort of learning how to use a straight edge just doesn't seem worth it.
A safety razor shouldn't be any more likely to cut your face than a cartridge one. If anything, I find them much less likely to cause razor burn and skin irritation since they don't get clogged with hair as easily, and are easier to clean when they do.
If you're talking a REAL old school razor, like the cut-throat type then yeah. They take a lot of practice to get decent with.
> A safety razor shouldn't be any more likely to cut your face than a cartridge one.
That is inaccurate. Safety razors will absolutely cut the heck out of you if you get the angle wrong (and everyone's face is different). I have this one spot that my DE cut half a dozen times before I figured out the correct direction and angle, a cartridge blade never cut it. It takes years to master a DE.
You also need much better lather due to the sharpness of DE blades, otherwise the razor burn will be significantly worse. If you just grab some cheap generic shaving foam from a retailer you're going to have a bad time.
I ultimately gave up my DE after using it for a year. Super close shave. Cheap. But it turned a 10 minute mindless chore into a 20+ minute careful one. Each to their own but pass.
>Safety razors will absolutely cut the heck out of you if you get the angle wrong
The angle is literally to just not go side-to-side, which is true of cartridge razors too. I've honestly never had a problem and picked it up with no effort on my first try. It takes many many uses before the blade dulls to the point where it's a problem.
The most time-consuming part is cleaning the soap out of the brush and waving it dry, but if you use a foam that's a moot point. And it's not as if I have a light beard or anything. My face has a full beard within 2 weeks.
Would also like to recommend a double edged safety razor--you don't need to go through the whole rigmarole of a "badger hair brush" and fancy shave cream, it'll still be a far superior shaving experience
I shaved with a DE razor for years and never got even remotely close to a Gillette cartridge razor in terms of irritation. No matter what blades, cream/soap, or technique I tried DE razors always left me feeling raw for an full day after shaving. I only shave once a week or so anyway, so cartridges don't break the bank for me. I stick with a Fusion these days and my face thanks me for it.
BiC bewilders me. Apparently they are a company with €2B in revenue, that's been around since 1945, but all I know of them firsthand is they somehow survive making the worst disposable pens and razors in the world. The pens leak catastrophically long before the ink runs out, and the razors cut your face up.
Barbasol started their own cheap razor delivery. Theirs stay clean compared to how clogged Harry's and Gilette's get.
For most days where stubble is fine I recommend the Phillips One Blade - it's the only electric razor shaped like a regular disposable razor and has a nice flat surface that functions similarly.
Slightly unrelated but I had this experience with "Dollar Shave Club" razors as well. They've marketed themselves out the wazoo and after finally caving and trying the trial I never used them again. I've never had very good experiences with safety razors, but this was by far the worst.
Yep, I wanted to like them and Harry’s but unfortunately G has the best, and G’s commercials indicate they aren’t too anxious to keep me as a customer.
The shaving subculture prevalent in 'higher' circles tends to favor manual/artisan shaving. For this cadre, shaving is a ritual, not a necessary evil.
For me its a necessary evil, so I use a 5 year old electric razor with which I have never installed replacement blades. I still get a smooth shave, no cream, no oils, no water, 1 minute max, and then I'm out the door for the day.
It probably depends on individuals and their specific facial hair, but I've always found electric razors (even ~$200 ones) to be absolute trash in terms of shave quality. They are universally incapable of giving me a close shave on all parts of my face.
Braun, Remington, Norelco. I used them as a teenager. They're awful. The shave isn't close. Ingrown hairs. I suppose maybe if I had to shave every day. But they weren't for me.
I used Norelco for 30+ years and when the quality of replacement blades went to crap I switched to a Panasonic Arc5 and, wow, that thing is so much better than the Norelco. I used to shave ever other day. Now every 3rd day. I shave my head with it, too, and the total time is about 10-15m, which I do while watching sports or some other thing that doesn't require my hearing.
I absolutely hated shaving with razors, but that might just be me.
I use both, I have a Braun 8 that I use for a quick shave followed by clean up in the shower with a Mach 5. It takes forever to get a really close shave with the electric and the multi blade razor is really quick and gives a close shave if I’ve nuked the bulk of it with the electric.
Personally I have never used a real razor, cartridge or otherwise. I just use a standard trimmer/clipper unit to trim up, and remove the guide to clear out the areas I want to actually shave. It works pretty well.
I think you would be surprised how close the Panasonic Arc5 is. I was blown away by it compared to any Norelco I've used (and I have 30+ years on them).
Another vote for Arc 5, or Lamdash ES-LV9C in Asian Market.
I really wish I had know this earlier. I tried Phillips Norelco ( Not the new 9000 yet, which I have heard was completely different to all previous model ) and the circular head just didn't work for me. And because of all the marketing I thought Braun was the brand to look at for Electric Shavers. I knew there was Arc 4 ( Arc 5 wasn't out yet ) but Panasonic? Not a brand name you would look at for shaving. So I bought the Braun Series 7 10+ years go, it was good, and years later the new Series 9 ( awfully expensive ), it was good but wasn't really any improvement compared to S7.
Then my friend went to Japan and brought a Lamdash / Arc 5, he is liking it a lot and he has a lot stiffer facial hair then I do. I was curious and since buying it in Japan is quite a bit cheaper, I decide to get one.
And after using the Arc 5 the first time the only thought I had was I have wasted 10+ years of my life on Braun. Braun felt like an electric shaver, good but it is still an electric shaver. Arc 5 felt more like manual shaving. It still isn't as close as manual, but for the time it took, results, and not cutting myself from time to time, I was extremely happy. And you could do wet shave to get ever better results, which the Braun didn't get.
I would like to move to a plastic-free shave experience. Price is no object. Any foam/aftershave needs to be unscented. Any recommendations from this group?
3. It's possible to find metal or wooden brush handles with a synthetic brush knot.
4. Purchase a 'puck' of shaving soap from anywhere you'd like. eg. DR Harris in a wooden bowl will last you ages and is much better than Art of Shaving or whatever, and that's on the pricy end. I'd recommend mitchells wool fat in a ceramic bowl. (comes prepacked in ceramic bowls, refills purchaseable separately).
There are several companies that sell all-metal safety razors with replaceable metal blades (no plastic handles, no plastic cartridges). If you buy one from Amazon, make sure to check out the fakespot score as manipulation and cheap knockoffs are rampant in this product type.
Get a double edge razor handle (made of metal) and razor blades. Treet and Astra are my favorite razor brands. You can buy 100 Astra blades for ~$7 on Amazon.
I use Proraso shaving cream, I think some of theirs is unscented. Make sure you get an after shave that does not contain alcohol.
I am a Harrys customer and really happy with their razors, shave gel and soap. I struggle with finding shave products so I hope this doesn’t change.
I also own a straight razor, HN help me learn to use it better! I have a brush and a strop and paste and it’s sharp and ready to go. I’ve tried to use it in the past but I have a hard time keeping the angle at leas than 30 degrees and still looking in the mirror.
I usually full shave just once per week and use an electric to tidy up quick 1-2 mornings. If I need to do something important I might full shave on demand.
I really want to love my shave experience and make it part of a relaxing routine.
I remember they used to advertise heavily to Steve Gibson's podcast - Security Now! (no, not Laporte's). I have been listening to the podcast for a few years, and I remember they would be advertising in almost every episode.
Apparently it was because Steve personally used them and wouldn't stop raving about them, even when they weren't yet a sponsor.
It felt like a massive betrayal about a year ago when SN started advertising Dollar Shave Club instead. You guys can't pretend like you actually like the product you're plugging and then switch to its competitor overnight and not expect us to notice!
I used Harry's subscription service for awhile, but I found that they simply sent me way too much stuff, even at the lowest refill frequency. I cancelled my subscription shortly before I moved out of my last apartment about two years ago; I still have razors and foaming gel left from those orders.
If you want a bargain and have no qualms buying from Aliexpress, then search for QSHAVE there. First result will be their "copy" of Merkur Futur, as I understand it. Haven't used the real one or many other traditional safety razors, but I have not complaints about theirs.
Wow, I'd be curious what the founders still retain equity wise. I was lucky enough to meet them when they spoke at my University about three to four years ago - at the time they'd just acquired a razor production facility somewhere in Germany I believe.
I came to the comments expecting more about the founders, their equity, and their plans for the future. I'd imagine this makes them (even more) wealthy individuals, and they probably have agreements to stay in their new leadership roles for a certain period. I'm not sure if I'm sounding cynical - I really have no idea how excited these two founders are for the new arrangement. It could be really interesting for them. Or they could've hit the magic dollar amount that was needed for them to sell. Or maybe margins were actually shrinking against larger competitors, and this made good business sense.
Knowing none of the answers to the above, I hope the more diligent investigators among you find them!
Part of the draw of a safety razor is the weight. You aren't supposed to push it against your face, just let it glide across your skin with its own weight pushing down. By going to a plastic body you lose that weight, and have to replace it with applied pressure. Requires more dexterity than just letting the razor glide.
(Anecdote warning: this might be entertaining at the very best but probably you should just skip reading.)
It's interesting to read these threads. It once again reveals how I've somehow managed to entirely skip something that's an essential part of man's daily life for most guys.
I tried razors when I was a young teenager but didn't like the all-or-nothing notion of shaving. You had to get everything clean for the skin to look good because uneven spots stand out, or not shave at all. Same with electric razors, basically. So once I didn't have anything else and I grabbed a hair trimmer and cut all my facial hair down to stubbles. I settled with that very soon after and been using the method for 25 years now.
It does help that I like a bit of beard instead of a plain skin, but not too much so as to have the beard start tickling me and prevent my face from cooling. So I always enjoyed the stubbly time after shaving but before the beard got too long. By trimming it down to stubble each time keeps me in the sweet spot. But it's not just personal preference per se as I've found a number of other benefits as well:
- It never hurts: leaving that 1.0 mm of hair or so means I can't remember the last time I've cut my skin;
- I don't use nor need to use aftershave or other lotions because my skin won't be irritated by shaving;
- These things last a long time, the current trimmer I have is my third in my entire life;
- Not that it matters at that rate of replacement but hair trimmers are much cheaper than stubble trimmers. I think I paid something on the order of 15€ for a simple Philips hair trimmer maybe five years ago. Looking for a replacement after mid 20's, probably;
- It doesn't matter much how carefully I trim because any small irregularities smooth out thanks to stubbly beard all over. So I can just whirr around for 30 seconds and I'll still look much the same as if I had worked on my beard for minutes;
- If you wear stubbly beard there's a long period of when it still look about the same. So I can actually skip doing my beard often, down to only few times a week or even less;
- Back in the 90's, after a few years of trimming my beard, I realized I can use the same thing to trim my hair as well. I've ever since trimmed my skull near bald (1 mm) because it's easy, not having hair keeps my head cool, and I don't really miss having wet, sweaty strings of hair glueing into my head whenever it's hot or I'm exercising, nor do I miss washing hair, or maintaining a particular hair cut across months;
- Now, if your beard is stubbly and your scalp is as close to bald, do you need shampoo? I think I last bought shampoo when I was 20 or something. As a by-product of this showering becomes very easy too...
Counting from the start of late teens / adult life, I've probably spent on the order of worth 50€ in both shaving and hair-cutting in my entire life. I'm not necessarily a thrift but while I mostly like the simplicity of my choices I sort of do enjoy the fact that I could've spent 100x that money or more by now - and that's just for my head alone!
Yet the best part is that I don't have to bother with nearly any of the mundane routines grooming myself and I still don't look like a homeless tramp. The bang-for-the-buck is astounding.
When I see this, I wonder if the shaving industry is fated to always have high margins, just due to the fact that brand power is very strong in the shaving industry.
People don't trust razors they've never heard of. Too dull. I really like my chinese Weishi brand double edge safety razor w/ standard barbasol, and have shaved for about $5 per year for the last 5 years (capex included), so I feel like an outsider looking in.
Honestly I'm not sure why safety razors aren't more common. They aren't that difficult to use after some practice, and they shave equally well. But the cost of razor blades is practically zero! It's such a huge win.
I would compare safety razors to mechanical watches. When quartz watches hit the market, everyone ditched the old technology.
Now mechanical watches are popular again -- but a cheap mechanical watch manufactured today keeps far better time than a cheap one you could buy in the 1970s. This leads people who have only experienced modern mechanical watches to wonder why they ever went out of style.
Similarly, the market for safety razors today is far different than it was when cartridge razors were introduced. Back in the 1960s consumers could get their hands on just a few kinds of razors and blades, and the blades were not generally as good as the blades available today. There are simply far more, and far better, safety razors and blades available today than there ever were before.
Similar observations can be made about the fountain pen market.
The marketing for high margin disposable cartridge systems is highly effective. I find people fear the that a safety razor will be too complicated or difficult to use.. without ever trying one. I bought into this too; before the first time I tried a safety razor, I was predicting disaster. But then the shave went off flawlessly and faster than it would have been with disposable. The supposed difficulty curve just isn't there.
The marketing for disposable systems also misleads people as to the price. Some of the people I've talked into trying safety razors were previously under the impression that safety razors were incredibly expensive, something like $200 or something nuts like that, and they had no interest in making that sort of investment. But in reality the first time you buy a safety razor and blades, you'll be spending less money than you'd spend for a new pack of cartridges. I got my razor for less than $10. It's stainless steel, I've had it for about 10 years without a spec of rust. Perfectly serviceable and cheaper than even a pack of totally disposable bic razors you find at gas stations (I used those once during a vacation; boy was that awful...)
I dunno, I did have a bit of a learning curve when I started with a safety razor. They don't flex like the cartridge razors do, so you have to pay a little more attention to how you hold it. After a bit of practice, though, it did become just as easy.
The way I was already holding disposable cartridge razors was at the neck of the razor relatively loosely with two fingers, with the rest of the handle loosely supported in my palm by my other fingers. I found this technique transfers to safety razors without modification. I guess I was never really relying on the flexible neck of disposable cartridge razors in the first place though.
Razors[1] must have been horrible if safety razors have the word “safety” in it, but needs practice and care to avoid cuts and nicks. Modern razors make it nigh impossible to hurt yourself, but point taken.
[1]I can picture old western movies, ala High Plains Drifter, with grizzled characters cleaning up before/after some event.
Sure, I was just pointing out the history of the name.
I do it every other day, sometimes in quite a hurry and with a slant-head. I occasionally nick myself but even that is infrequent. And as others have said, it’s dirt cheap. Since starting with a safety razor a few years ago, shaving is no longer a chore.
>Razors[1] must have been horrible if safety razors have the word “safety” in it, but needs practice and care to avoid cuts and nicks. Modern razors make it nigh impossible to hurt yourself, but point taken.
The safety razor was the advancement over the straight razor. It's an entirely different (and at the time, new) technology from what it was replacing.
I tried it once and my sink looked like I sacrificed a lamb afterwards, figured it wasn't worth it to relearn how to shave my face to save a couple bucks a year. I stick my cartrige blades in mineral oil and they stay sharp all month. Before I started doing that they wouldn't even last a week.
I split my time between a safety razor and Harry's. I usually shave before getting in the shower in the morning.
Nicks: I have uneven skin. I also damage myself with a cartridge razor. I get nicks with a safety razor. I get bad razor burn with a cartridge razor, depending on how much growth I have. The nicks go away after a shower. The razor burn does not. After my first safety razor shave, I've only gotten minor nicks. Pick up a styptic pencil if worried.
Time: I need two full passes to match a Harry's. Three passes exceeds a Harry's. I can do it in 10 minutes, but, if I'm in a hurry, I use a cartridge razor. Taking 15 minutes, relaxing, getting a great shave is awesome when I have the time. Sometimes I shave before bed so I can do this.
Choices: Several online companies have variety packs of blades. Get one of those, find the blade you like, order a bunch. Buy whatever razor fits your price range. Buy the most popular blade shaving cream (not soap) you think will smell OK. A cheap brush will get you going, though you don't "need" one for shaving cream. You don't need a bowl.
Hope that helps some if you decide you're interested. Watch a few videos on YouTube to get the basics. The critical rule: don't move the blade side-to-side.
It does take some practice to get the hang of it, and in that time, you are more likely to nick yourself. For me, it took about a month or so to be as good with the safety razor as a cartridge one.
Now it takes me about an equal amount of time as it did using a cartridge razor, and I rarely nick myself (about as frequently as I did with a cartridge).
There are some good lists for cheap "beginner" razors online - I'd suggest trying out one of those. You can just use your normal shaving cream, too.
The bottom line for me is the crazy cost of razor cartridges. My razor blades cost 25 cents apiece, and that's on the expensive end.
I can speak for me. I remember my father had been using one all his life. I think it is the risk/danger of handling the razors. Anyone with a small child at home would rather have a wilkinson/gilette that are safes (blade-wise). Also cinema has given those blades a bad name.
Now that you mentioned it though, and especially what temp1831 said ($5 for a year's shave), it just got my attention!
On the rare occasions I use shaving cream, it’s Barbasol, and I swear it feels like the most luxurious expensive concoction I could put on my face. Nothing feels better to me to matter how costly. I’ve literally spent about $30 on Barbasol in the last 25 years, and that’s largely because I have multiple houses.
Same here. It was a epiphany for me when I could scrape off a week of growth with 1-2 passes without clogging up and with a better shave. Washing with something astringent like Dr Bronners before the Barbasol helps a bunch too.
Shaving without shaving cream or gel feels like trying to rip my face off, and I end up cutting myself and getting nasty razor burn. I think it really depends on the composition of your facial hair.
If I reuse blades more than once I get warts on my face. My DE Merkur does in fact cut me, and I have a thick beard and olive skin. I’m “swarthy” as they used to say in the old Hardy Boys books.
I admit I don’t use shaving cream or gel either. An earlier post mentioned that DE razors turn a 10 minute job into a 20 minute job. I have to admit I spend maybe 3 minutes shaving with a DE razor, and about 1 minute with a Gillette.
I use Harry's and the blades start to hurt after about 7 shaves (so about 2 weeks). And then I switch to a new blade, and it works again very smoothly. And shaving cream is ideal, although when I'm traveling, I just use bar soap.
Tried the single razor stuff but got a couple of cuts and got scared. THAT's dainty! :-)
Aaaaaaaand there it is. If you start a business and get successful enough, pretty soon one of the big guys will come along and buy you out for big bucks.
- A DE safety razor is, indeed, cheaper than cartridge shaving: $40 will get you a good Merkur 34c and a 100 pack of Astra blades. A Gillette Mach 3 and 100 blads is about $140.
- Some people who shave with a DE tend to spend the money they saved on other shave gear: a nice brush, some fancy shave soaps and aftershaves. If you make it into a hobby you can spend a LOT of money on gear.
- If you've been shaving with a cartridge your whole life, learning to shave with a DE can take time to learn. It legitimately took me 5 years to get really good and I still sometimes cut myself and fall back on a cartridge for certain tough spots under my jawline where the pivoting head comes in handy.
- Dollar Shave Club and Harry's really are a great way to save money on shaving. Ideally that will continue even with both being owned by big corporations now.
- It's sometimes pointed out that (in the past, at least, cannot confirm this is still true) Dollar Shave Co. is just reselling handles and blades made by a company called Dorco. While true, it turns out that buying the DSC-branded gear is actually cheaper in most cases than buying it straight from Dorco, unless you buy a lot at a time.