I moved to a safety razor a few years back and love it. Took some getting used to when using it on my head shave, but once you get the hang of keeping it at that 30 degree angle, it takes no pressure at all and I (almost never) nick myself.

I used to buy Harry’s kits from Costco but I felt like I was wasting so much money and plastic. I just wanted new blade cartridges, but the stupid box always came with a new handle. Looking now, it seems like Costco only offers an updated “chrome” set which is even more expensive 🙄

Eventually I found Henson and I really love mine. This is the exact color I got:

I’ve had it for maybe 4-5 years now and besides some scratches from an accidental drop it’s still in great condition. I love that I went from buying ~$25 cartridge boxes every couple months to buying 100 blades for $10 every few years. I only just recently bought my first blade refill box and I expect it to last until probably 2029.

Maybe TMI but safety razors are fine for whatever downstairs mix-up you’ve got IMO, the wife and I have no issues. We both use one everywhere.

Just grab the hairs and rip them out yourself. I use this method personally

I gave up on close shaves years ago. My hair is dark and thick enough that I always had a 5 o’clock shadow anyway, plus I look better with a bit of scruff. I use a Wahl Peanut corded trimmer and let me tell you, that little guy is a BEAST. Best trimmer I have ever had, uses replaceable heads and has lasted me for years at this point. If you don’t mind a cord I think you’d be hard pressed to find a better one.

YES!!! SAFETY RAZORS.

We should seriously consider starting a propaganda campaign for safety razor adoption over the multi blade money plucking machine.

They’re:

• waaaaay more environmentally friendly
• no plastic
• will probably outlast YOU
• will save a crazy crazy amount of money over your lifetime
• give you a better shave? This is what I’ve heard, but have never tried the scam razors myself, so no personal experience

People shit on disposable razors all the time but… Several years ago, a brand called Dorco made a 6 bladed disposable razor that was absolutely fucking incredible. My face would feel like a baby’s ass after I shaved and had zero irritation. Then they suddenly switched factories and their razors became shitty. Really shitty. For a while you could buy surplus of the old stock on eBay and I bought a fuck ton of them. I’ve been slowly going through said stock and probably have another decade or so worth.

I have no idea what I’m going to do once I run out. Nothing else I’ve tried even comes remotely close to how well these razors work.

A cheap, but we’ll made, safety razor and some classic blades

Merkur and Feather blades, exactly what I have been using for 25 years.

Cartridge razors for head, safety for face and neck, rotory shaver for travel, beardscape for… Beard

I served in the US military for 20 years, which has a strict clean-shaven policy. No facial hair allowed unless you’re on a temporary medical exemption. You can’t even have stubble; you have to be clean shaven if you’re wearing the military uniform.

Some branches of our military (Army specifically) require you to be clean-shaven 24/7, regardless of whether you’re in uniform or not. I served in the US Air Force, so that was thankfully not a requirement for me.

However, I have another dilemma. I have soft, sensitive skin, but thick, rough facial hair. So shaving is always tough on my face. I would shave 5 days of the week so I could be presentable in uniform, then let it grow out on the weekends so my face can heal. Otherwise, I’d start damaging my skin from daily shaving.

Even worse, my hair grows exceptionally fast. I had to start shaving twice a day to stay within regs; first thing in the morning before I went to work, then again around lunchtime to keep the stubble at bay. I still had a permanent 5-O’clock shadow and would regularly be accused of not shaving.

In those 2 decades, I tried a variety of razors, from electric, manual, safety, disposable, etc. In the end, the only one that truly worked well for me was the Gillette Mach 3. Not the Mach 3 Turbo, which was more expensive but with no visible improvement.

Below is my current razor. I’ve had the handle for about a decade now, so it’s getting worn down.

I used to swap razors weekly when I shaved daily. Now that I’m retired, I shave once every few weeks and swap razors maybe once a month or two. I save a ton of money on razors now.

My wife once bought me a fancy expensive “electric” razor set from The Art of Shaving in New York. Their “Lexington Collection,” specifically. It’s basically a vibrating razor handle that takes Gillette disposable razor heads. I forget what Gillette calls them, but it’s the one with 5 blades. It came with a metal stand that holds the razor and a shaving brush. 5 blades was too much; it didn’t shave as well as the Mach 3 and its three blades. And I didn’t notice a difference whether it was vibrating or not. So I stopped using it.

I also bought a Van Der Hagen shaving brush and soap cup. I used to use it with a Van Der Hagen safety razor, but despite the name, I kept cutting myself every time I used it. So safety razors are out for me.

I used to get skin irritation all the time, or occasionally break out in face acne when shaving, until I learned that “dry shaving” worked best for me. I was spending a fortune on shaving cream, but that seemed to be the problem. Now I just wet my face with hot water, run my razor under hot water and shave with it, then rinse my face with cold water afterwards. No more skin irritation, no more acne, no more problems. Shaving cream is just a waste of money; it’s not necessary.

Here’s an example of how fast my facial hair grows. This is me right now, after 4 days without shaving:

I just use a straight edge razor but I also don’t shave very often. Much faster at removing thick facial hair than disposables.

My fav was a cheapie 30 dollar braun that lasted 10 plus years. Before that I used cheapie generic 10 to a pack disposables. But I don’t mind a bit of stubble and the electric shaver still gets my face admirably smooth. If anything, I hate the odd razor cut more than anything, so electric forever.

I second this! I’ve saved so much money on shaving since buying a double edged safety razor like that back in, like, 2012?

i’ve had to buy only two packs of 100 razors in the twelve years since and I’m still on that second pack.

that same 100 pack (Derby Extra) currently goes for $9 on amazon

I also have a straight razor that I enjoyed using a long time ago, but all the effort in keeping it sharp was just soo much hassle. Never touched it again after getting my safety razor, though I do very occasionally miss using the straight razor, it was just such a cool vibe using it!

I use a straight razor! I think I spent ~100 USD on it… forgot the brand/make, but with a decent water stone + leather strop most half-decent straight razors can be honed to be quite good

I only use it for face shaving. Because I wanted something that is both 1) highly effective (want to go for a 100% clean look) and 2) environmentally friendly… I started off with a safety razor too, later upgraded to the straight razor since it is as eco-friendly as it gets, no need for shaving cream/cartilages/etc. The razor was pretty cheap all things considered and the plastic handle has already fallen off, but the blade itself still works like new

Downside is 1) a bit more annoying to use as it has to be honed every time, and 2) much higher risks of accidental injury especially for beginners

I am considering getting an electric something for shaving other parts of the body though