5 ms·

Consider a simple old-fashioned safety razor with double-edged razor blades. They're not quite as fast and effective as the 4 (+1) bladed razors, but for the $3

Consider a simple old-fashioned safety razor with double-edged razor blades. They're not quite as fast and effective as the 4 (+1) bladed razors, but for the $30 you'd pay for a four-pack of the Mach 5 blades you can also get ~100 Feather blades off Amazon (Prime) so even if you replace the blade every single time they'll last you four months or so. and if you do that, they will be sharp enough.

vinceguidry 11y ago
I used a safety razor for the last two years or so. The shave quality is nowhere even close to even a cheap three blade razor. Cheap, but you can get (almost as) cheap and a much better shave with just about any modern alternative.
- akandiah 11y ago
  The proper way to shave using a safety razor: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2IuA8HGacJw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2IuA8HGacJw It takes a tad longer than a three blade razor, but I've always had closer and better shaves. I've tried disposables, cartridges, electric and the safety razor and I'd rate safety razors better than all of them.
  - ghthor 11y ago
    Not a bad tutorial. Also check out mantic59 on youtube, aka the Shave Tutor.
- lee 11y ago
  Funny, I find the shave quality of a safety razor to be far superior to any of the cartridge blades (Like the Gilette Fusion). My shaves are super smooth and close. However, I still use a my Fusion daily, since it's so fast and efficient. With a safety razor it takes time to lather up and get a proper shave.
  - vinceguidry 11y ago
    I just used my brand new Harry's 4 blade razor, and I gotta say, it just blows away my safety razor, in every category, except it doesn't get the mustache hairs that are really close to my nose, so I used my safety razor to get those.
- emodendroket 11y ago
  I've had just the opposite experience, and the multi-blade razors really irritate my skin.
Someone1234 11y ago
They're undeniably cheap as chips. But shaving with safety razor takes longer and requires more skill not to cut yourself. With a cartridge system, it is damn near impossible to cut yourself even if you tried... With a safety razor if you hold it at the wrong angle you'll get cut (and the angle depends where on your face you're shaving, so it is very much a per-face learnt skill). The main reason why a safety razor takes so much longer is that you need a good lather from the shaving soap. This offers the most lubrication, which will protect your face from the sharp blade. The crappy supermarket shaving foam just won't cut it (minor pun intended). I use the non-foaming gels with a cartridge, which is fast and smooth. I gave a safety razor a real shot, but I don't want to spend 20-30 minutes before working shaving, I want to spend 5-10 minutes, and have almost no risk cutting myself no matter how reckless I am. But undeniably safety razors are sharp and cheap. They're just a lot of hassle.
- Moto7451 11y ago
  I've found the opposite to be true. My beard hair is so thick it gets stuck in the space between blades on multi-blade razors and I spend twice as long making the cartridge usable again. By the time I'm done shaving I'm irritated and the blades are not in great shape (if only my beard hair were my head hair, hah!). The thing with safety razors is you need to find the right blade/razor combo. The big reason why you get cut by a safety razor is a mismatch between blade gap and your technique. Adjustable safety razors are simply awesome for dialing that in.
  - biot 11y ago
    Which adjustable razor do you find works best for a thick beard?
    - Moto7451 11y ago
      I use a Merkur Futur with Astra Blades, set to somewhere between 2.75 and 3.25 (typically on the lower side). That plus any alcohol free aftershave leaves me with the best shave possible with low irritation (I have sensitive skin) and no blood loss. The shave lasts me about a day and a half before obvious stubble shows up. When I used a Mach III I had to shave every day. That said, you don't really need the adjust-ability to deal with beard thickness, you set the blade gap to match your skin, the angle you shave at, and your blade selection. The idea is more gap means the razor cuts deeper into the exposed hair, giving a closer longer lasting shave. If you get too greedy, you eventually cut your face. Sharper blades typically need less blade gap than less aggressive blades. Adjustable razors just make it easier to tune for the other two variables you can control (sadly it does nothing to make your skin more robust ;). Having a single disassemble-able razor is what helps with beard thickness. The hair just washes away rather than getting stuck in between the blades. Cut beard hair is fairly sharp and irritates the skin as it passes over your face. It also bends the blades and changes the angle the blades travel at. That can also increase irritation. For a large swath of the world that isn't a big deal, but it makes it darn near impossible for me to get a good shave. When I travel I use a non-adjustable 53 Gillette Super Speed[2] due to its light weight and size. It's not nearly as nice as the Futur but responds well to the Astra blades for a shave that is as good as I would get with a Mach III but without the cleaning needs and less irritation. I bought it for $20 off of ebay and it's not quite as pretty as the linked one. [1] http://www.amazon.com/Merkur-Futur-Safety-Razor-Finish/dp/B00T7GC1BY http://www.amazon.com/Merkur-Futur-Safety-Razor-Finish/dp/B0... [2] http://www.razoremporium.com/gillette-1953-notched-super-speed-safety-razor-y4-1/ http://www.razoremporium.com/gillette-1953-notched-super-spe... Brain dump: http://www.shaving101.com/index.php/education/double-edge-shaving/233-safety-razor-aggressiveness.html http://www.shaving101.com/index.php/education/double-edge-sh... http://www.shaving101.com/index.php/education/double-edge-shaving/48-choosing-the-right-blade.html http://www.shaving101.com/index.php/education/double-edge-sh... http://www.shaving101.com/index.php/shaving-faqs/253-do-i-need-a-more-aggressive-razor-or-sharper-blade.html http://www.shaving101.com/index.php/shaving-faqs/253-do-i-ne...

vinceguidry 11y ago

I used a safety razor for the last two years or so. The shave quality is nowhere even close to even a cheap three blade razor. Cheap, but you can get (almost as) cheap and a much better shave with just about any modern alternative.

akandiah 11y ago
The proper way to shave using a safety razor: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2IuA8HGacJw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2IuA8HGacJw It takes a tad longer than a three blade razor, but I've always had closer and better shaves. I've tried disposables, cartridges, electric and the safety razor and I'd rate safety razors better than all of them.
- ghthor 11y ago
  Not a bad tutorial. Also check out mantic59 on youtube, aka the Shave Tutor.
lee 11y ago
Funny, I find the shave quality of a safety razor to be far superior to any of the cartridge blades (Like the Gilette Fusion). My shaves are super smooth and close. However, I still use a my Fusion daily, since it's so fast and efficient. With a safety razor it takes time to lather up and get a proper shave.
- vinceguidry 11y ago
  I just used my brand new Harry's 4 blade razor, and I gotta say, it just blows away my safety razor, in every category, except it doesn't get the mustache hairs that are really close to my nose, so I used my safety razor to get those.
emodendroket 11y ago
I've had just the opposite experience, and the multi-blade razors really irritate my skin.

Someone1234 11y ago

They're undeniably cheap as chips. But shaving with safety razor takes longer and requires more skill not to cut yourself. With a cartridge system, it is damn near impossible to cut yourself even if you tried... With a safety razor if you hold it at the wrong angle you'll get cut (and the angle depends where on your face you're shaving, so it is very much a per-face learnt skill). The main reason why a safety razor takes so much longer is that you need a good lather from the shaving soap. This offers the most lubrication, which will protect your face from the sharp blade. The crappy supermarket shaving foam just won't cut it (minor pun intended). I use the non-foaming gels with a cartridge, which is fast and smooth. I gave a safety razor a real shot, but I don't want to spend 20-30 minutes before working shaving, I want to spend 5-10 minutes, and have almost no risk cutting myself no matter how reckless I am. But undeniably safety razors are sharp and cheap. They're just a lot of hassle.

Moto7451 11y ago
I've found the opposite to be true. My beard hair is so thick it gets stuck in the space between blades on multi-blade razors and I spend twice as long making the cartridge usable again. By the time I'm done shaving I'm irritated and the blades are not in great shape (if only my beard hair were my head hair, hah!). The thing with safety razors is you need to find the right blade/razor combo. The big reason why you get cut by a safety razor is a mismatch between blade gap and your technique. Adjustable safety razors are simply awesome for dialing that in.
- biot 11y ago
  Which adjustable razor do you find works best for a thick beard?
  - Moto7451 11y ago
    I use a Merkur Futur with Astra Blades, set to somewhere between 2.75 and 3.25 (typically on the lower side). That plus any alcohol free aftershave leaves me with the best shave possible with low irritation (I have sensitive skin) and no blood loss. The shave lasts me about a day and a half before obvious stubble shows up. When I used a Mach III I had to shave every day. That said, you don't really need the adjust-ability to deal with beard thickness, you set the blade gap to match your skin, the angle you shave at, and your blade selection. The idea is more gap means the razor cuts deeper into the exposed hair, giving a closer longer lasting shave. If you get too greedy, you eventually cut your face. Sharper blades typically need less blade gap than less aggressive blades. Adjustable razors just make it easier to tune for the other two variables you can control (sadly it does nothing to make your skin more robust ;). Having a single disassemble-able razor is what helps with beard thickness. The hair just washes away rather than getting stuck in between the blades. Cut beard hair is fairly sharp and irritates the skin as it passes over your face. It also bends the blades and changes the angle the blades travel at. That can also increase irritation. For a large swath of the world that isn't a big deal, but it makes it darn near impossible for me to get a good shave. When I travel I use a non-adjustable 53 Gillette Super Speed[2] due to its light weight and size. It's not nearly as nice as the Futur but responds well to the Astra blades for a shave that is as good as I would get with a Mach III but without the cleaning needs and less irritation. I bought it for $20 off of ebay and it's not quite as pretty as the linked one. [1] http://www.amazon.com/Merkur-Futur-Safety-Razor-Finish/dp/B00T7GC1BY http://www.amazon.com/Merkur-Futur-Safety-Razor-Finish/dp/B0... [2] http://www.razoremporium.com/gillette-1953-notched-super-speed-safety-razor-y4-1/ http://www.razoremporium.com/gillette-1953-notched-super-spe... Brain dump: http://www.shaving101.com/index.php/education/double-edge-shaving/233-safety-razor-aggressiveness.html http://www.shaving101.com/index.php/education/double-edge-sh... http://www.shaving101.com/index.php/education/double-edge-shaving/48-choosing-the-right-blade.html http://www.shaving101.com/index.php/education/double-edge-sh... http://www.shaving101.com/index.php/shaving-faqs/253-do-i-need-a-more-aggressive-razor-or-sharper-blade.html http://www.shaving101.com/index.php/shaving-faqs/253-do-i-ne...