Head Shaving with a Safety Razor

Do you remember the razor grandpa used to shave his face? That solid steel handle with a razor blade sandwiched between two pieces of metal. The razor he used was called a safety razor, the name came about because it was created as a safer way to shave when compared to shaving with a straight razor. Some people also call them DE razors or Double Edge razors. This was due to the double edge razor blade that fit into these razors. Safety razors were invented back in 1901, but cartridge razors (probably what you use today) flooded the market and razor companies love them because they make a ton off the replacement blades or cartridges. Safety razors are making a comeback now and for good reasons. The high price of replacement blades for cartridge razors and the amount of plastic razors filling our landfills is causing people to stop using their current razor and making the switch to a safety razor.

The shave that safety razors provides is awesome, the cost for blades is pennies, and you can get a solid razor that will last for years for about 20 bucks, so what’s the catch? There really isn’t one except they do require a bit more care while shaving so you don’t knick yourself, but once you get your technique down it is truly a much better way to shave that will save you money and you are also saving the environment by not filling our landfills with plastic razors and cartridge blades.

Ok, so now you know all about safety razors and why they are so much better than their cheap plastic counterparts. Now how do you go about picking one out? Which safety razor is best for you? Can you shave your head with a safety razor? Can you use the same one for your head bald and for your face?

I’ll explain to you my journey about transitioning to a safety razor and which one I like the best. The first safety razor I bought was a long handle safety razor. The long handle was similar to the Fusion or Mach 3 razors that I used and made the switch easy. It was tough to get the hang of using a safety razor and I was really afraid to use it for head shaving, so I started by shaving my face. The first shave was not very good and I had blood to prove it, so I put my razor up and went back to the Mach3.

A month or so later I go the nerve to break out the safety razor again and took it nice and slow, no pressure, and rinsed the blade out with each pass. The end result was a minor cut, but overall a great shave. After a few face shaves under my belt I tried it out for  head shaving. The first time was in front of the mirror and it was a success, a nice smooth head shave. The only thing that I didn’t really like was the length of the handle while using it to shave my head, so I decided to go with a short fat handle safety razor and really liked it for my head shaving. It also works well on my face, so all around this is my preferred safety razor to shave both your head and face.

Shaving with a safety razor is different, but once you get the hang of it you will feel great knowing that you are saving money on blades, and keeping waste out of landfills. It is also a very nostalgic way to shave that somehow makes you feel like you have travelled back in time 50 years and shaving like grandpa did.

I use the  Safety Razor By Sir Hare, which is a good quality razor that provides some of the best face and head shaves I’ve ever had.

Don’t forget to pick up some blades. These Astra blades are $10 for 100 blades. Much cheaper than your cartridges huh? –