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I've used a straight razor for almost 20 years. Vindicating to read that the price of a Dovo pays for itself. I think my bar of shaving soap is probably the bet

I've used a straight razor for almost 20 years. Vindicating to read that the price of a Dovo pays for itself. I think my bar of shaving soap is probably the better part of decade old as well. In the interim, a whole peculiar subculture around shaving has developed, but you don't have to be a part of it to just use a razor. Makes you unreachable by corporate marketing as well, which is itself its own reward.

CoastalCoder 5y ago
Aside from differences in cost, do you find anything about a straight razor compellingly better than e.g. a Gillette Mach 3? I go through Mach 3 cartridges pretty slowly, so price isn't a big concern. And I don't notice anything deficient about the quality of my shaves. But one thing I really like about safety razors is that there's zero risk of serious injury.
- ascar 5y ago
  Safety razors are much better at making a neckline, if you only shave clean partially and trim the remaining beard. Personally I also get less skin irritation from the safety razor compared to the Mach3 I used before. Given I use it correctly. If you move "against" the hair instead of "with" the hair it caused a lot of irritation for me. But that was essentially user error. In total I would never go back to a Mach3. The safety razor is just the all around superior product at a fraction of the price once you use it correctly.
  - 2-718-281-828 5y ago
    > I also get less skin irritation from the safety razor compared to the Mach3 Isnt't Mach3 a safety razor?
    - throw0101a 5y ago
      To help differential the styles, (double-edge) safety razors and cartridge (safety) razors are named slightly differently to help reduce confusion in general conversation: * https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Safety_razor https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Safety_razor Of course if you want to go old school: * https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Straight_razor https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Straight_razor Slightly more convenient, but uses a similar technique: * https://bespokeunit.com/shaving/shavette-vs-straight-razor/ https://bespokeunit.com/shaving/shavette-vs-straight-razor/
      - deleted 5y ago
        [deleted]
    - OJFord 5y ago
      Assuming that's something by Gillette/Wilkinson Sword etc., no, while safer, it's ironically not 'a safety razor'. Safety razors (single/double edge) are safe by comparison to 'cut throat' straight edges, not to cartridge razors. (Because they came first. It's like 'New' College Oxford being something like the second oldest one.)
  - yojo 5y ago
    The “once you use it correctly” is worth highlighting though. I tried the double edge safety razor. Got the brush, shaving cream, big pack of Astra blades. Watched a bunch of YouTube videos on technique. Spent way more time shaving. Nicked myself an ungodly number of times. Somehow got a worse shave out of it. Ended up going back to the cartridge razor. I really want to be a double edge razor guy, but I was not able to make it up the learning curve.
    - mr_mitm 5y ago
      That's my experience as well. And if I don't go against the grain, I may not nick myself, but it doesn't result in a close shave at all. It feels like one day after I shave with a Mach3 which I can use against the grain. I really want it to work, but it's literally a blood bath.
    - unethical_ban 5y ago
      It took mea little while too, but I've been using safety razors for almost ten years. Yeah, it took just doing all the right things by intuition. Dialing in the angle of the razor as i held it, getting good blades, getting the face clean and hot. Also, don't shave every day. I get a much better and more comfortable shave if i have two or three days of stubble.
    - pmoriarty 5y ago
      "I tried the double edge safety razor. Got the brush, shaving cream, big pack of Astra blades. Watched a bunch of YouTube videos on technique. Spent way more time shaving. Nicked myself an ungodly number of times." Maybe it's the blades? I started with Derby Extra blades[1], and without using any special technique I've nicked myself only maybe once a year with them. The weight of the razor might also figure in to it -- I got a Parker 66R razor[2], which has a nice heft to it, which means I don't have to press in to my face with the razor -- the weight of the razor itself is enough. If you had a plastic and/or light-weight razor maybe you had to press in to your face, which could account for the nicks. [1] - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0032Q41LS/ https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0032Q41LS/ [2] - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0141BGDLI/ https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0141BGDLI/
  - asdff 5y ago
    the skinguard they have is great now. its basically a modernized mach3. super smooth and you can get away using it when its old and dull without being cut as much as the old mach3s, and it has a single blade on the back for edging.
- tempest_ 5y ago
  Aha you can totally cut yourself with a safety razor (unless you mean the Mach 3 and not what this article is calling a double edged razor which has historically been called a "Safety razor" )
  - CydeWeys 5y ago
    You can cut yourself with a multi-blade razor too. The point is, little of the blade is actually exposed, so it won't be a serious injury. A straight edged razor, by contrast, is just a knife, that you actually can kill yourself with by slicing deep enough into your neck to take out a major artery. You can't do that with a safety/multi-edge razor.
    - metadat 5y ago
      With a "safety razor" you can really cut yourself. Surely it's my fault, but I don't want another visit to the E.R. I went back to Mach3, $30 per year is worth it to me compared to risking expensive emergency room visits.
      - moeris 5y ago
        I think you're confusing terms. A safety razor exposed no more of the blade than a cartridge razor. I think you're probably referring to a straight razor.
        metadat 5y ago
        Ah, you're right, thanks for the correction! The straight razor incidents were pretty traumatizing, so much blood.. Stay safe <3 Edit: I double checked, it actually was with a safety razor. They don't have any buffer to avoid slicing you up compared to a mach3 or modern disposable razor. Please do be careful folks, they are super sharp and a single swipe can cut you up real good.
- spacexsucks 5y ago
  Less plastic waste. All the waste is just some steel. The bar soap lasts me forever. I get closer shaves too.
  - OJFord 5y ago
    Which is surely recyclable 'waste' at that. (Edit: to be clear I mean the spent metal blades? Not the plastic ones...)
    - namibj 5y ago
      If you're using carbon steel (not stainless), they will turn back into dirt within a couple years/decades of weathering (aka turning into a heap of rust). If feasible, re-smelting them would be superior, as it'd skip the ore-to-iron high temperature chemistry process.
- _fat_santa 5y ago
  For me I found that I get much less razor burn with a safety razor. Whenever I shaved with a Mach 3 or another 3 blade cartridge razor, I would always get razor burn on my neck from the two additional blades. Never had that issue with a safety razor.
- methodin 5y ago
  There's a ritual to straight razor and traditional single-blade safety razor (what I use now) that is compelling in modern times when everything tells you to shave off minutes from every single thing in your life so you can free up your time. Seemingly this means just more time for internet browsing and things that have no impact on your life but I digress. The daily or semi-weekly ritual that takes time, attention and care is relaxing. I stopped using a straight razor since I couldn't get the edge as sharp as I'd like to but I may pick it up again once kids are older. I moved onto purchasing a $20 classic single-blade safety razor about 4 years back and now buy the razors in bulk. Can be very cheap depending on where you buy them. For the ones I buy it's probably $10 a year if that since I only shave every 3 days or so and a carton of 100 blades lasts a year. Does require 2 passes though but doing it right with shaving cream and brush is something I've come to enjoy.
  - subhro 5y ago
    > I stopped using a straight razor since I couldn't get the edge as sharp as I'd like to Don’t get mad at me, but what you need is a 5000, 8000 and maybe 12000 grit Naniwa (or comparable) superstone. Also, a good strop. Leather would be sufficient. Send your razor off for establishing a good edge to Portland Razor Co. Once you get it back, you should be able to maintain that edge with minimal fuss. Carbon steels can get sharper but you need to be really on top of it on maintenance. Stainless steel is more durable and tolerates some abuse but does not retain edge as well. Lastly, don’t hurry while shaving, and don’t drop the damn razor please. Source: Guilty as charged.
    - emptysongglass 5y ago
      I couldn't manage it. I'd send mine off to get that edge, it would come back, I'd put it on the Nanis, ruin it, boom one shave. And those Naniwas were expensive. Went back to the safeties. I might try out shavettes one day.
    - yvdriess 5y ago
      For honing I swear by the Coticule stone[1], you only need the one stone as you can vary the grit. Tip: the non-rectangular stones are just as good and a fraction of the price. Also guilty: I did start growing a beard after dropping my favorite razor :/ [1] https://www.ardennes-coticule.be https://www.ardennes-coticule.be
- subhro 5y ago
  > Aside from differences in cost, do you find anything about a straight razor compellingly better than e.g. a Gillette Mach 3? Quality of shave. If you maintain your straight razor, and mind it, it does require some maintenance, the quality of shave is of no comparison. My wife can instantly make out the difference when I shave in a hurry with Mach 3.
  - throw0101a 5y ago
    > If you maintain your straight razor, and mindit it does require some maintenance […] Shavettes have lower maintenance and are very similar to straights: * https://bespokeunit.com/shaving/shavette-vs-straight-razor/ https://bespokeunit.com/shaving/shavette-vs-straight-razor/
    - subhro 5y ago
      I have tried the Shavette thing, but in my opinion they stand somewhere between the Gillette and a cutthroat straight.
      - throw0101a 5y ago
        More between DE and cut throat, leaning very heavily towards CT. Experimenting with one now: not a lot of margin of error with regards to technique as there is with DE.
- saidmasoud 5y ago
  If you clean shave your face, then a safety razor is probably better as it's easier to glide along a large distance across your face. For me, a straight edge razor allows me to shape my beard better. I do cut myself pretty much every time (since the hairs on my neck go in a million different directions), but that's easily addressed by showering right after a shave + after shave cream. The cost benefits over a safety can't be overstated: the razor is a cheap one-time cost ($13 off Amazon at the time, you don't really need a "high quality" razor IMO), blades are single use but super cheap ($15 ish for 100 blades), and since I shave at most weekly I only have to buy blades once every few _years_. As always YMMV depending on your facial hair style.
- lobocinza 5y ago
  It shaves deeper so you can have a better shave or shave less frequently. It's also a lot quicker than using a Mach3.
- stjohnswarts 5y ago
  No plastic waste is the biggest one for me when it comes to safety/straight razors.
dghughes 5y ago
I have a straight razor it's almost a lost art using one. I tried one but I figured I'd end up killing myself by accident. Plus I don't have to patience to sharpen and strop the blade. A safety razor is also a great investment and cheap. I bought a Wilkinson Sword handle $20 and a pack of five blades $5. It's an old name-brand sold practically everywhere. I can get more than a month out of one double-sided blade. Plus it shaves very close much better than multi-blade razors. It's better than the two, three, four, five blade monstrosities that always get clogged in days. They also cost far too much literally 5x more than safety razor blades.
- raffraffraff 5y ago
  +1 on the safety razor. I bought an Edwin Jagger model, a box of 100 Astra superior platinum blades, a nice brush and a tub of Arko soap. That was honestly over 5 years ago and I haven't spent a cent of shaving since then. I think I have 35 blades left. It's amazing how long they last. I'm really close to the end of the soap.
  - wsc981 5y ago
    I've got an Edin Jagger model as well, used for many years now. Double-edged safety razor. I also use it to shave my head. Knifes I can generally use a couple of weeks before replacing and it's cheap to buy a box of like 100 knifes. That will probably last me multiple decades.
- christophilus 5y ago
  I use a safety razor, too. I shave really infrequently, as I’m now bearded, but I do use it regularly to keep the edges trim. I think I’m still on my original pack of razor blades which I bought for a few bucks 5 years ago. Really old bar soap, too. It’s inexpensive, simple, and not really any less convenient than the expensive new razors.
- bayindirh 5y ago
  I'm also shaving with a safety razor for 6+ years straight. The only problem is that you can't take the blades to the plane (when you're not checking the baggage in), so I have to use my old, unused cartridges on short trips, and use them until they dull when I return. This is good for using the old stock, too! I've invested to a couple of stainless steel safety razors. An Edwin Jagger 3one6, and a Mühle R94. They're easy to maintain, have infinite life, and shave much better than top of the line cartridge razors from any manufacturer. I also use a good but not expensive boar brush and shaving soap. As a result, I either buy a new stick of shaving soap every six months, or a can of foam every year (for emergency morning shaves), and buying 100 blades every 2 years or so, for a much cleaner, comfortable and enjoyable shave for negligible money. Both razors have paid themselves as savings too. Just want to warn that both razors are in the "efficient" category, which means they need some experience to use without any nicks, but they're not as wild as the open-combed, aggressive razors. If you want a milder, but equally long-living razor, go Mühle R89, Edwin Jagger EJ89, Merkur 34HD or Timor Gentle Butterfly.
agentultra 5y ago
Straight razor here too. Primarily because I wanted to get off the cost and waste wheel. It’s great. I sharpen my own knife and woodworking tools. So learning to sharpen my razor is no big deal. Now my only expense is occasionally buying some soap or aftershave once a year or so. And my time I suppose maintaining the razor which isn’t much at all.
- Frost1x 5y ago
  >And my time I suppose maintaining the razor which isn’t much at all. Definitely not the case for me. As someone whose been recently exploring properly sharpening some high quality kitchen knives at home, there's a cost in time for sure to do things correclty both learning and executing. Once you learn, it's not too bad but there's a learning curve and time factor that's difficult to ignore. I need to set aside a good hour or 1.5 hours on a given weekend to sharpen my knives (find and soak my soap stone, gather my knives, get back my angles and motions down pat). I'm still a novice for sure and an expert may be able to sharpen quickly but that's a big difference from just grabbing a new disposable product ready to use. With a straight razor a certain amount of care also needs to be taken when shaving to reduce cuts -- safety razors aren't a bad invention overall. I suspect if you do a lot of regular shaving (e.g. body hair that's not just your face), it might become time consuming. I'm not saying reuse and repair are bad investments, I'm a huge fan of these ideals, but the time involved can't be entirely ignored for some consumer products. In many (perhaps most) cases, I agree with the thesis of the article that modern business practices are becoming increasingly misaligned from consumers and societies interests and becoming nothing but wealth extraction optimization factories in various forms. But, I think not all products are so clear cut and some legitimate progresses are not reasonable tradeoffs for everyone, like a safety razor (maybe not cartridge based but similar to the one described in this article). Now a safety razor for a cartridge is a pretty close set of advantages/disadvantages with clear cost savings.
  - agentultra 5y ago
    Sure, learning how to sharpen is non-negligible. Like most skills it takes time to gain proficiency at first and pays off later. I only have to sharpen my straight razor maybe twice a year at most. Kitchen knives depends on use but a typical sharpening is 15 minutes maybe? I might do this 3 - 4 times a year. I do woodworking with hand tools which need to be sharpened far more often and that is fairly time consuming... but so is making wood projects from hand tools. I consider it part of the process. If we get to fully economic decision making the case can be made to prefer convenience over all else because of paperclip maximization. Instead of buying organic clothes made by hand and spending the time to maintain and repair them we prefer fast-fashion. It's cheaper in time and money to simply buy a brand new shirt. Along with the many other benefits it entails. But that has a cost too, doesn't it? Landfills chock full of disposed-of clothes, beaches covered in cables of clothes that have washed up on shore, and they're mostly made of oil-based products and will take centuries to degrade. People with families and children literally starving and wrecking their bodies in sweat shops to produce these throw-away, convenient, cheap clothes. Some times taking time to do things the slow, inconvenient way has a lot of benefits too that are not immediately obvious until we take a step back and stop trying to be in such a rush.
diogenescynic 5y ago
I use safety razors because it is must sharper than a regular disposable razor. As a result, you don't need to do multiple passes over the same area which leads to less razor burn and skin irritation. I buy a couple hundred new blades every few years for $25-$30 and never have to throw money away on a $10 Mach XXX or whatever... I am actually surprised more dermatologists and skin experts haven't recommended safety/straight razors.
- asdff 5y ago
  ymmv. its interesting reading everyones different techniques and experiences here. I've never felt I had to do two passes with a 3 blade. I let them get dull too before they are swapped out, although these 3 blades are for sensitive skin so they are nicer than your standard mach3. I'm probably paying less than you for blades a year though. I can't remember when I bought the huge $35 pack I have.
brandonmenc 5y ago
Safety razor user chiming in. The only bad thing about it is that it makes flying with just a carry-on impossible. I still spend a not insignificant ~$250/yr on blades and shaving cream to shave face and head daily.
- conjecTech 5y ago
  That number seems incredibly high to me. The most I've seen blades go for in any kind of volume is around $0.20/blade. Even if you were discarding them every day, that would only account for $70/year. You can admittedly buy some rather nice shave soap, but $180/year still seems aggressive. I admittedly don't shave every day, but I've been using a safety razor since 2013. I went back and tallied up all of the purchases for materials, including my razor, and I believe I've spent a little over $200 for that entire period, so maybe $25/year.
  - brandonmenc 5y ago
    I buy Feather blades at around 44 cents a blade, and I use a new blade every day. I have coarse hair, so that dulls the blade faster. And shaving a whole head probably counts as like three face shaves (in terms of both blades and shaving soap.) For soap I use Proraso (which is cheap) or Taylor of Old Bond Street (unscented - they call it "organic" - which is not cheap.) In the past I stretched blades and spent far less, but the experience was not as enjoyable.
- pmoriarty 5y ago
  I spend $0 on shaving cream, because I just use regular bar soap to shave. I spent $15 on 200 double-edged safety razor blades a couple of years ago, and have used maybe 50 of them from shaving every-other-day. At this rate that $15 in blades should last me 4 years.

CoastalCoder 5y ago

Aside from differences in cost, do you find anything about a straight razor compellingly better than e.g. a Gillette Mach 3? I go through Mach 3 cartridges pretty slowly, so price isn't a big concern. And I don't notice anything deficient about the quality of my shaves. But one thing I really like about safety razors is that there's zero risk of serious injury.

ascar 5y ago
Safety razors are much better at making a neckline, if you only shave clean partially and trim the remaining beard. Personally I also get less skin irritation from the safety razor compared to the Mach3 I used before. Given I use it correctly. If you move "against" the hair instead of "with" the hair it caused a lot of irritation for me. But that was essentially user error. In total I would never go back to a Mach3. The safety razor is just the all around superior product at a fraction of the price once you use it correctly.
- 2-718-281-828 5y ago
  > I also get less skin irritation from the safety razor compared to the Mach3 Isnt't Mach3 a safety razor?
  - throw0101a 5y ago
    To help differential the styles, (double-edge) safety razors and cartridge (safety) razors are named slightly differently to help reduce confusion in general conversation: * https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Safety_razor https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Safety_razor Of course if you want to go old school: * https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Straight_razor https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Straight_razor Slightly more convenient, but uses a similar technique: * https://bespokeunit.com/shaving/shavette-vs-straight-razor/ https://bespokeunit.com/shaving/shavette-vs-straight-razor/
    - deleted 5y ago
      [deleted]
  - OJFord 5y ago
    Assuming that's something by Gillette/Wilkinson Sword etc., no, while safer, it's ironically not 'a safety razor'. Safety razors (single/double edge) are safe by comparison to 'cut throat' straight edges, not to cartridge razors. (Because they came first. It's like 'New' College Oxford being something like the second oldest one.)
- yojo 5y ago
  The “once you use it correctly” is worth highlighting though. I tried the double edge safety razor. Got the brush, shaving cream, big pack of Astra blades. Watched a bunch of YouTube videos on technique. Spent way more time shaving. Nicked myself an ungodly number of times. Somehow got a worse shave out of it. Ended up going back to the cartridge razor. I really want to be a double edge razor guy, but I was not able to make it up the learning curve.
  - mr_mitm 5y ago
    That's my experience as well. And if I don't go against the grain, I may not nick myself, but it doesn't result in a close shave at all. It feels like one day after I shave with a Mach3 which I can use against the grain. I really want it to work, but it's literally a blood bath.
  - unethical_ban 5y ago
    It took mea little while too, but I've been using safety razors for almost ten years. Yeah, it took just doing all the right things by intuition. Dialing in the angle of the razor as i held it, getting good blades, getting the face clean and hot. Also, don't shave every day. I get a much better and more comfortable shave if i have two or three days of stubble.
  - pmoriarty 5y ago
    "I tried the double edge safety razor. Got the brush, shaving cream, big pack of Astra blades. Watched a bunch of YouTube videos on technique. Spent way more time shaving. Nicked myself an ungodly number of times." Maybe it's the blades? I started with Derby Extra blades[1], and without using any special technique I've nicked myself only maybe once a year with them. The weight of the razor might also figure in to it -- I got a Parker 66R razor[2], which has a nice heft to it, which means I don't have to press in to my face with the razor -- the weight of the razor itself is enough. If you had a plastic and/or light-weight razor maybe you had to press in to your face, which could account for the nicks. [1] - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0032Q41LS/ https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0032Q41LS/ [2] - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0141BGDLI/ https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0141BGDLI/
- asdff 5y ago
  the skinguard they have is great now. its basically a modernized mach3. super smooth and you can get away using it when its old and dull without being cut as much as the old mach3s, and it has a single blade on the back for edging.
tempest_ 5y ago
Aha you can totally cut yourself with a safety razor (unless you mean the Mach 3 and not what this article is calling a double edged razor which has historically been called a "Safety razor" )
- CydeWeys 5y ago
  You can cut yourself with a multi-blade razor too. The point is, little of the blade is actually exposed, so it won't be a serious injury. A straight edged razor, by contrast, is just a knife, that you actually can kill yourself with by slicing deep enough into your neck to take out a major artery. You can't do that with a safety/multi-edge razor.
  - metadat 5y ago
    With a "safety razor" you can really cut yourself. Surely it's my fault, but I don't want another visit to the E.R. I went back to Mach3, $30 per year is worth it to me compared to risking expensive emergency room visits.
    - moeris 5y ago
      I think you're confusing terms. A safety razor exposed no more of the blade than a cartridge razor. I think you're probably referring to a straight razor.
      - metadat 5y ago
        Ah, you're right, thanks for the correction! The straight razor incidents were pretty traumatizing, so much blood.. Stay safe <3 Edit: I double checked, it actually was with a safety razor. They don't have any buffer to avoid slicing you up compared to a mach3 or modern disposable razor. Please do be careful folks, they are super sharp and a single swipe can cut you up real good.
spacexsucks 5y ago
Less plastic waste. All the waste is just some steel. The bar soap lasts me forever. I get closer shaves too.
- OJFord 5y ago
  Which is surely recyclable 'waste' at that. (Edit: to be clear I mean the spent metal blades? Not the plastic ones...)
  - namibj 5y ago
    If you're using carbon steel (not stainless), they will turn back into dirt within a couple years/decades of weathering (aka turning into a heap of rust). If feasible, re-smelting them would be superior, as it'd skip the ore-to-iron high temperature chemistry process.
_fat_santa 5y ago
For me I found that I get much less razor burn with a safety razor. Whenever I shaved with a Mach 3 or another 3 blade cartridge razor, I would always get razor burn on my neck from the two additional blades. Never had that issue with a safety razor.
methodin 5y ago
There's a ritual to straight razor and traditional single-blade safety razor (what I use now) that is compelling in modern times when everything tells you to shave off minutes from every single thing in your life so you can free up your time. Seemingly this means just more time for internet browsing and things that have no impact on your life but I digress. The daily or semi-weekly ritual that takes time, attention and care is relaxing. I stopped using a straight razor since I couldn't get the edge as sharp as I'd like to but I may pick it up again once kids are older. I moved onto purchasing a $20 classic single-blade safety razor about 4 years back and now buy the razors in bulk. Can be very cheap depending on where you buy them. For the ones I buy it's probably $10 a year if that since I only shave every 3 days or so and a carton of 100 blades lasts a year. Does require 2 passes though but doing it right with shaving cream and brush is something I've come to enjoy.
- subhro 5y ago
  > I stopped using a straight razor since I couldn't get the edge as sharp as I'd like to Don’t get mad at me, but what you need is a 5000, 8000 and maybe 12000 grit Naniwa (or comparable) superstone. Also, a good strop. Leather would be sufficient. Send your razor off for establishing a good edge to Portland Razor Co. Once you get it back, you should be able to maintain that edge with minimal fuss. Carbon steels can get sharper but you need to be really on top of it on maintenance. Stainless steel is more durable and tolerates some abuse but does not retain edge as well. Lastly, don’t hurry while shaving, and don’t drop the damn razor please. Source: Guilty as charged.
  - emptysongglass 5y ago
    I couldn't manage it. I'd send mine off to get that edge, it would come back, I'd put it on the Nanis, ruin it, boom one shave. And those Naniwas were expensive. Went back to the safeties. I might try out shavettes one day.
  - yvdriess 5y ago
    For honing I swear by the Coticule stone[1], you only need the one stone as you can vary the grit. Tip: the non-rectangular stones are just as good and a fraction of the price. Also guilty: I did start growing a beard after dropping my favorite razor :/ [1] https://www.ardennes-coticule.be https://www.ardennes-coticule.be
subhro 5y ago
> Aside from differences in cost, do you find anything about a straight razor compellingly better than e.g. a Gillette Mach 3? Quality of shave. If you maintain your straight razor, and mind it, it does require some maintenance, the quality of shave is of no comparison. My wife can instantly make out the difference when I shave in a hurry with Mach 3.
- throw0101a 5y ago
  > If you maintain your straight razor, and mindit it does require some maintenance […] Shavettes have lower maintenance and are very similar to straights: * https://bespokeunit.com/shaving/shavette-vs-straight-razor/ https://bespokeunit.com/shaving/shavette-vs-straight-razor/
  - subhro 5y ago
    I have tried the Shavette thing, but in my opinion they stand somewhere between the Gillette and a cutthroat straight.
    - throw0101a 5y ago
      More between DE and cut throat, leaning very heavily towards CT. Experimenting with one now: not a lot of margin of error with regards to technique as there is with DE.
saidmasoud 5y ago
If you clean shave your face, then a safety razor is probably better as it's easier to glide along a large distance across your face. For me, a straight edge razor allows me to shape my beard better. I do cut myself pretty much every time (since the hairs on my neck go in a million different directions), but that's easily addressed by showering right after a shave + after shave cream. The cost benefits over a safety can't be overstated: the razor is a cheap one-time cost ($13 off Amazon at the time, you don't really need a "high quality" razor IMO), blades are single use but super cheap ($15 ish for 100 blades), and since I shave at most weekly I only have to buy blades once every few _years_. As always YMMV depending on your facial hair style.
lobocinza 5y ago
It shaves deeper so you can have a better shave or shave less frequently. It's also a lot quicker than using a Mach3.
stjohnswarts 5y ago
No plastic waste is the biggest one for me when it comes to safety/straight razors.

dghughes 5y ago

I have a straight razor it's almost a lost art using one. I tried one but I figured I'd end up killing myself by accident. Plus I don't have to patience to sharpen and strop the blade. A safety razor is also a great investment and cheap. I bought a Wilkinson Sword handle $20 and a pack of five blades $5. It's an old name-brand sold practically everywhere. I can get more than a month out of one double-sided blade. Plus it shaves very close much better than multi-blade razors. It's better than the two, three, four, five blade monstrosities that always get clogged in days. They also cost far too much literally 5x more than safety razor blades.

raffraffraff 5y ago
+1 on the safety razor. I bought an Edwin Jagger model, a box of 100 Astra superior platinum blades, a nice brush and a tub of Arko soap. That was honestly over 5 years ago and I haven't spent a cent of shaving since then. I think I have 35 blades left. It's amazing how long they last. I'm really close to the end of the soap.
- wsc981 5y ago
  I've got an Edin Jagger model as well, used for many years now. Double-edged safety razor. I also use it to shave my head. Knifes I can generally use a couple of weeks before replacing and it's cheap to buy a box of like 100 knifes. That will probably last me multiple decades.
christophilus 5y ago
I use a safety razor, too. I shave really infrequently, as I’m now bearded, but I do use it regularly to keep the edges trim. I think I’m still on my original pack of razor blades which I bought for a few bucks 5 years ago. Really old bar soap, too. It’s inexpensive, simple, and not really any less convenient than the expensive new razors.
bayindirh 5y ago
I'm also shaving with a safety razor for 6+ years straight. The only problem is that you can't take the blades to the plane (when you're not checking the baggage in), so I have to use my old, unused cartridges on short trips, and use them until they dull when I return. This is good for using the old stock, too! I've invested to a couple of stainless steel safety razors. An Edwin Jagger 3one6, and a Mühle R94. They're easy to maintain, have infinite life, and shave much better than top of the line cartridge razors from any manufacturer. I also use a good but not expensive boar brush and shaving soap. As a result, I either buy a new stick of shaving soap every six months, or a can of foam every year (for emergency morning shaves), and buying 100 blades every 2 years or so, for a much cleaner, comfortable and enjoyable shave for negligible money. Both razors have paid themselves as savings too. Just want to warn that both razors are in the "efficient" category, which means they need some experience to use without any nicks, but they're not as wild as the open-combed, aggressive razors. If you want a milder, but equally long-living razor, go Mühle R89, Edwin Jagger EJ89, Merkur 34HD or Timor Gentle Butterfly.

agentultra 5y ago

Straight razor here too. Primarily because I wanted to get off the cost and waste wheel. It’s great. I sharpen my own knife and woodworking tools. So learning to sharpen my razor is no big deal. Now my only expense is occasionally buying some soap or aftershave once a year or so. And my time I suppose maintaining the razor which isn’t much at all.

Frost1x 5y ago
>And my time I suppose maintaining the razor which isn’t much at all. Definitely not the case for me. As someone whose been recently exploring properly sharpening some high quality kitchen knives at home, there's a cost in time for sure to do things correclty both learning and executing. Once you learn, it's not too bad but there's a learning curve and time factor that's difficult to ignore. I need to set aside a good hour or 1.5 hours on a given weekend to sharpen my knives (find and soak my soap stone, gather my knives, get back my angles and motions down pat). I'm still a novice for sure and an expert may be able to sharpen quickly but that's a big difference from just grabbing a new disposable product ready to use. With a straight razor a certain amount of care also needs to be taken when shaving to reduce cuts -- safety razors aren't a bad invention overall. I suspect if you do a lot of regular shaving (e.g. body hair that's not just your face), it might become time consuming. I'm not saying reuse and repair are bad investments, I'm a huge fan of these ideals, but the time involved can't be entirely ignored for some consumer products. In many (perhaps most) cases, I agree with the thesis of the article that modern business practices are becoming increasingly misaligned from consumers and societies interests and becoming nothing but wealth extraction optimization factories in various forms. But, I think not all products are so clear cut and some legitimate progresses are not reasonable tradeoffs for everyone, like a safety razor (maybe not cartridge based but similar to the one described in this article). Now a safety razor for a cartridge is a pretty close set of advantages/disadvantages with clear cost savings.
- agentultra 5y ago
  Sure, learning how to sharpen is non-negligible. Like most skills it takes time to gain proficiency at first and pays off later. I only have to sharpen my straight razor maybe twice a year at most. Kitchen knives depends on use but a typical sharpening is 15 minutes maybe? I might do this 3 - 4 times a year. I do woodworking with hand tools which need to be sharpened far more often and that is fairly time consuming... but so is making wood projects from hand tools. I consider it part of the process. If we get to fully economic decision making the case can be made to prefer convenience over all else because of paperclip maximization. Instead of buying organic clothes made by hand and spending the time to maintain and repair them we prefer fast-fashion. It's cheaper in time and money to simply buy a brand new shirt. Along with the many other benefits it entails. But that has a cost too, doesn't it? Landfills chock full of disposed-of clothes, beaches covered in cables of clothes that have washed up on shore, and they're mostly made of oil-based products and will take centuries to degrade. People with families and children literally starving and wrecking their bodies in sweat shops to produce these throw-away, convenient, cheap clothes. Some times taking time to do things the slow, inconvenient way has a lot of benefits too that are not immediately obvious until we take a step back and stop trying to be in such a rush.

diogenescynic 5y ago

I use safety razors because it is must sharper than a regular disposable razor. As a result, you don't need to do multiple passes over the same area which leads to less razor burn and skin irritation. I buy a couple hundred new blades every few years for $25-$30 and never have to throw money away on a $10 Mach XXX or whatever... I am actually surprised more dermatologists and skin experts haven't recommended safety/straight razors.

asdff 5y ago
ymmv. its interesting reading everyones different techniques and experiences here. I've never felt I had to do two passes with a 3 blade. I let them get dull too before they are swapped out, although these 3 blades are for sensitive skin so they are nicer than your standard mach3. I'm probably paying less than you for blades a year though. I can't remember when I bought the huge $35 pack I have.

brandonmenc 5y ago

Safety razor user chiming in. The only bad thing about it is that it makes flying with just a carry-on impossible. I still spend a not insignificant ~$250/yr on blades and shaving cream to shave face and head daily.

conjecTech 5y ago
That number seems incredibly high to me. The most I've seen blades go for in any kind of volume is around $0.20/blade. Even if you were discarding them every day, that would only account for $70/year. You can admittedly buy some rather nice shave soap, but $180/year still seems aggressive. I admittedly don't shave every day, but I've been using a safety razor since 2013. I went back and tallied up all of the purchases for materials, including my razor, and I believe I've spent a little over $200 for that entire period, so maybe $25/year.
- brandonmenc 5y ago
  I buy Feather blades at around 44 cents a blade, and I use a new blade every day. I have coarse hair, so that dulls the blade faster. And shaving a whole head probably counts as like three face shaves (in terms of both blades and shaving soap.) For soap I use Proraso (which is cheap) or Taylor of Old Bond Street (unscented - they call it "organic" - which is not cheap.) In the past I stretched blades and spent far less, but the experience was not as enjoyable.
pmoriarty 5y ago
I spend $0 on shaving cream, because I just use regular bar soap to shave. I spent $15 on 200 double-edged safety razor blades a couple of years ago, and have used maybe 50 of them from shaving every-other-day. At this rate that $15 in blades should last me 4 years.