When I started shaving my face about a year ago, I decided to treat myself and get a safety razor, blades, soap and brush setup.
Just yesterday I used one of those disposable three blade jobbies for the first time since I was 12, and… It was faster, easier, more comfortable, and a way better shave.
Anyone have experience with this? Was I taken in by GQ style nostalgia bait, or will I really get better results from a safety razor with practice?
Some blades just suck shit. Derby, for example.
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.
I’m not sure I know what it’s supposed to look like but when I get home I’ll stare at it a bit and see if anything looks off
The center flaps that come down on top should line up nicely instead of closing at an awkward angle with one noticeably sticking up above the other (several of the defective ones I tried did this), and the blade itself should be bent so the edges are close to parallel with the slanted metal below them, I think? Maybe more importantly there shouldn’t be a big gap between the blade and the metal, like your fingernail shouldn’t fit between them (do not test this with the fleshy finger bit on the side with the sharp blade).
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.
Feather was the go-to recommendation I saw when I started using safety razors and found the same thing vs astra. Sharp af but just not as comfortable as astra.
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, 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.
What is your goal with shaving
Smooth face when I go out on the weekend, I don’t shave every day but it’s so easy with the disposable that I just might. I had a foot long beard before this so I’m no expert
Edit: not so concerned about body hair, I could never shave my legs regularly and my partner appreciates the “texture” iykwim
I use a foil shaver every day because itʻs so easy and gentle on my skin, and it leaves my face very smooth. The one I use only works on stubble, but it contains all the hair so I can use it anywhere, and itʻs super convenient to carry with me.
Do those work better than the ones with the circular pads that you mash against your face?
I’ve never used those, but I have been using this thing daily for like 2 years. If any of my hair grows past stubble, I just clean that up with a philips oneblade. You have to clean it out every so often. The hair gets trapped on the inside by design, so you have to empty it. I use alcohol wipes to clean the metal parts. Don’t use alcohol on the plastic. A single C battery keeps it going for a long time, I might need to buy a new one soon or something, but it still works pretty well.
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.
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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.
