Bought a Merkur 33C, a synthetic Parker brush, and a mühle soap bar thar I received today.
Not as close a shave as I’m used to, but my skin feels a lot less irritated than it used to after a shave. Cut myself twice, on my upper lip and on the underside of my chin.
I’ve used great-grandpa’s WWI Army issue razor. No different than new ones, but the edge has teeth rather than being straight. Was just getting used to it when a friend gave me one of his. Never looked back.
mercur 33c is a tight shave. Take it easy with that one.
Don’t press hard. Watch your angles. I was going to say consider a badger brush, but it looks like synthetics have come a long way in the last 15 years or so. At any rate, lather is key - it doesn’t have to be huge, but it has to be well-worked into your whiskers. You want your skin and the entire length of each whisker well-coated, so work it in.
edit: Also, don’t take anyone else’s blade recommendations as gospel. The blade you need depends on your razor, your technique, your beard, your prep, your comfort, your skin, and some amount of random magic. Try a bunch. Maybe get a sampler.
Yeah, I barely used any pressure, I think the reason I cut myself was because of the angles as it was against the grain in tricky areas for me.
Not as close a shave as I’m used to
How many passes did you do? I’ve found that once you develop your technique and become more comfortable with using a safety razor, the cuts will be fewer and the shave will be closer. I also learned that you do one pass with the grain, a second pass against the grain, and a third across the grain. When I do this not even babies’ bottoms can compare.
Congrats on saving money and the environment (in a small way). You’ll have to figure out responsible disposal of the blades. I took a condensed milk can, carefully pushed a big knife into the top of it, drained it fully, and labeled it “sharps.” I keep this under my sink with a piece of tape over the slot. Each time I retire a blade it goes in the container. Someday my descendants will tape it securely and it will go in the trash (because I’ve been shaving this way for well over a decade and have yet to fill it, but also I really stretch the life of my blades for no good reason).
Next time (in like 30 years when you finally fill up yiu current can, use the church key method (one medium sized, triangle hole on one side, a smaller on the opposite side) and then after draining/rinsing, use a Dremel to cut a thin slot towards the top.
When you fill that can after 30 years, you just hammer the top down and seal the hole that way.
I find it so funny that they used to just put a hole in the wall and you would shove old razors in it. A hazard for renovators 60 years later.
Yep, found this in my old house during a renovation
What razor blades do you use? I started off years ago with Astra ones. They gave a good shave, and I like that I could get 2-3 shaved out of each side (so 4-6 in total per blade) before they became too dull. But they are made in Russia, and for moral reasons I switched to Feather (which are made in Japan). The Feather ones give a great shave, but they are really only useable once per side.
I use these:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07Q1JNPRH
I have neither thick not tough hair, so they last me two weeks easily. I also strop them on the underside of my arm in the shower to stretch their life.
I’d always wanted a vintage Gillette or a Merkur but have always been too cheap. I think my original handle was a drugstore special and then I upgraded to an Edwin Jagger. With that handle, my particular hair, and extraordinary lack of skill, I found Astras to be very good (I thought they were made in Türkiye but just checked the box and you’re right - they’re Russian. But my box is probably close to two decades old.) I got some Persona Blues and also found them to be similar to the Astras under the same conditions. I’ve picked up a variety of blades over the years, including Wilkinson Sword (crap, but from a store going out of business sale) and some that I’ve traded with people who also use DE razors.
I never tried Feathers with those handles because I had always read they were mostly for bloodletting and yes, didn’t last very long. Since I changed my handle to a Henson, I’ve found that I can shave with anything because it’s SO forgiving. I could probably cut myself if I tried, but this thing lets me use even Feathers with confidence, and I don’t get ingrown hairs anymore. I can even do my dangly bits safely (yes, even with the Feathers). I’ve posted once or twice about the Henson so I want to be clear that I don’t have a horse in this race, but for me it was a game changer. I think finding a handle that works for my hair type and breathtaking lack of skill, then matching blades to that, was the key.
I’ve also found that DE shaving aficionados just love talking gear, so if you meet anyone IRL see if they would be down to swap blades. I’m sure the shaving companies will also sell you a blade sampler pack.
tl;dr: Persona Blues are probably my favorite, Astra is also great but has some baggage, and give Wilkinson a miss. If you’re using Feather pay attention and don’t let anything startle you.
Thanks for the recommends. Yeah, you definitely have to be careful with Feather blades. Although I only found them a bit more ‘cutty’ than Astra’s.
If a guy wanted a Henson… where would he get one?
Just from their website, but I did a Black Friday special from Grown Man Shave in the US a few years ago - it was $66 for two handles. It was a buy one, get one, and I gave the other one to a friend. In exchange he gave me a Bevel handle that he liked but didn’t love. The Bevel is super heavy, which some people like, because the handle should be doing the work. I haven’t tried it.
Interesting, thank you!
I use… some random double edged safety razor I found on Amazon a few years ago. It’s fine, but I have been thinking about an upgrade.
I did two passes, the same as I did with my plastic Gilette. It’s a skill issue for sure, I have shaved with the same razor for about 16 years, and this shave isn’t that far off from my previous shaves.
Another tip that helped me early on is to not skimp on the lather. I would soak then wring out a washcloth in the hottest water I could get from my tap, or microwave the towel for like 30 seconds (YMMV on timing). Once it is just cool enough to touch I wrap it on my lower face and neck. Do this again between each pass, before lathering. And when lathering, really use that brush. The point is to soften and lift the hair and to open your pores, and I noticed a big difference in how irritated my skin gets if I’m in a rush and don’t do these things. And yeah, git gud lol
I shaved right after a hot shower where I had thoroughly washed my face and beard with s face wash and a scrub. I kept reapplying the lather, but probably got the angle wrong when I cut myself.
After switching to safety razors many years ago I still haven’t used a single pack of double sided razors for it. I honestly don’t understand why people buy the plastic razors when it is neither more convenient or cheaper. Think I have the same brand head on mine, you gotta watch near the edges because they’re more likely to cut you.
I honestly don’t understand why people buy the plastic razors when it is neither more convenient or cheaper.
Exposure is definitely a big part of it. The only reason I’m using one is because some podcasts / YouTubers I liked were extolling them and I looked into it. I can’t recall ever seeing a safety razor for sale at any big grocery or drug store. I guess I could have just missed them. But they stock what gets advertised most, and by an immense margin: The dodeca-bladed monstrosities in either pussycat pink or blackout tacticool gunmetal. AFAIK, that’s what everyone I know uses. I get asked every now and then if I can recommend my barber for a shave, then I mention the safety razor, and most guys have no idea what I’m describing to them.
Also, no matter the design, safety razors have an air of “old fashioned” that I think most people just cannot appreciate now. The notion that they’d ever have to do anything besides use the product and send it to the landfill is enough to make most people nope out immediately, and here you’ve got disassembling, reassembling, replacing parts, proper disposal… All that takes time and attention that most people can’t reconcile.
I’m about halfway through my second box. It took me about
107 years to get through the first box.I agree about not knowing why people keep using the plastic disposable ones. Best I can see is a reluctance to change a habit and/or a fear of safety razors. But it’s well worth the switch.
Genuinely might just be unawareness. I have been using safety razors for a long time, but I was only introduced to it by a forum post somewhere long ago. Nobody I know personally (especially in the family) uses them. Stores in my area don’t stock razors or handles. It was just by chance that someone posted about them and that I saw that post that got me to switch.
Yeah, I had looked into safety razors years ago, but as the price gap was bigger back then I dismissed them.
Now I paid the same price for this handle, and the blades cost next to nothing. Only a bit of a learning curve.
I bought a cheap metal safety razor for like $10 and a pack of 100 blades for under $10 like a decade ago and am finally getting down to the last dozen or so blades. So less than $20 for a decade for the hardware and I think I spent more on shaving gel during that time.
You can soend more, but really don’t need to.
I got a Henson safety razor, and love it.
Most of the time I don’t even use soap or other products, I just shave fresh out of the shower when the stubble is softened.
Clean and dry the blades after every shave, and they’ll last longer too.
Sir, I believe your story has been posted in the wrong sub. This here is dull men’s club.
I haven’t used a razor in over 10 years. It’s really bad for the skin, at least my skin.
So you just don’t shave then?
I do, but I use a trimmer and use the lowest it has. So, I always have that little 5 I’clock shade. You could also use those “dry razors” if you want zero. They’re those with circles in them I don’t know the right English name for them. lol
I don’t know the right English name for them
We just call them an “electric shaver” where I live, probably just “electric razor” in others.
This channel convinced me to make the jump, years ago. https://youtu.be/-qSIP6uQ3EI
I still have an electric for a quick touch up, but proper shaves are with a Merkur Futur, Feather blade, Mühle badger brush and Taylor’s of Old Bond St. Sandlewood soap.
Random face moisturiser afterwards (still a good quality one, but I don’t have a preferred brand.)
I was skeptical about badger hair brushes VS my previous boar bristle, but it’s a noticeable improvement in the texture of the lather generated. Much finer bubbles.
I’m confused; aren’t most modern razors a safety razor? Did you originally start with a straight razor?
Safety razors are the ones with a removable two-sided blade. They’re quite the style these days, since everyone is getting sick of overpaying for gilette blades.
Meh, you can get a 24pk of plastic razors at Wally World for like $8. That’s a two year supply for me. I never considered anything other than disposable because they’re so damn cheap.
I get 100 Japanese steel blades from Amazon for $10. They last me extra long because I strop them on the underside of my arm after use in the shower. You can do that with your razors as well!
EDIT: Now that link is for 50 blades. They doubled the price since I last bought. 😡 Tariffs probably.
Yeah I do the arm thing too. Learned it from a viral video in the early YouTube days when everyone watched the same things.
How does that work?
Blades make a huge difference. I buy Feather blades 50-100 at a time and have yet to find a closer shave with anything else. Try those.
Good pick on handle btw. I picked up a merkur 32c (I think) about fifteen years ago and it’s still as good as new.
I’ll look into the replacement blades, as of now I’m using the blades that came with the handle.
Welcome to the club. Was your razor tight when you cut yourself? From my experience I have only cut myself when the mechaism was not completely tight. I can’t get quite as close a shave but its good enough for most days and when not I do a once over with a disposable against the grain after the safety to get the extra closeness. I change my safety blade and disposable after a year or so. It could likely go a lot longer especially since I let my beard grow in the winter most winters (have not for job seeking at times but im done with doing that I think)
It was tight, I cut myself during my second pass when I went against the grain. The shave is definitely close enough, just not as close as I’m used to, but my beard growth is really slow so I only need to shave once or twice a week.
yeah I regularly go against the grain. Always finish up that way. Im worried there is something wrong with your shaver. Ive cut myself several times early on but every time the shaver had slightly loosened.
I’ll keep an eye on the shaver, but I’m fairly certain that I held it at too steep an angle when I cut myself.
Anyone have experience shaving their head with one of these? Thinking about moving to one but it seems a bit risky.
I mentioned a brand of handle above and don’t want to come off as a shill, but my personal experience with the Henson is that I can shave anything with minimal irritation. I thought they used to have models that are more or less aggressive (how wide the gap is that the reveals the blade, and probably the angle of the blade), but I can only find the standard model on their site now.
I have the cheapest Gilette, and am using it for a number of years now. Have used about 7 or 8 replacement blades.
My experience is that you only cut yourself when the blade starts to become blunt. So I try to replace the blade just before that :)
I only use some shaving cream (cheapest at the supermarket), and shave before I hit the shower, where the shaving cream is flushed away. No after shave or other stuff from the cosmetic industry.
This was my first shave, so I can’t really blame the cuts on a dull razor 😅
I’ve got really thick, coarse stuble and had trouble with finding a good shave. Changed to safety razors and never looked back.
For anyone new to this… You don’t have to get into the rabbit hole of trying to pick the best products and badger hair brushes and hand whipped soaps and stuff… You can keep it simple. Buy any safety razor and blades. Use the same old canned shaving cream and after shave you’re used to. And you’ll still have a much better experience than the shit plastic multi razor cartridges or electric shavers. Highly recommended. Watch a couple of videos first on how to do it if you’ve never done it before though.
Fell into that rabbit hole about fifteen to twenty years ago. For me it became a proper hobby and I honestly looked forward to shaving for a long time. But since having kids I have shortened the routine a lot. Over the years I have tested out a bunch of straight edge and safety razors. Stopped with the straight edges after cutting off a little chunk of my upper lip before the first date with my now wife due to nerves. Still have the scar.
I am on my second high end badger brush after wearing the last one out a few years ago. That said, I had to borrow my brothers cheaper synthetic brush a couple of weeks ago and it honestly lathers up quicker. So the fancy stuff isn’t necessarily always better.
I agree that it is better to just jump into it and start with just a safety razor and canned stuff. You don’t need to research/buy all the parephenalia. If you get more into it you can look up what you want to add on to your routine/gear later if you feel like it, but what I think is the most worth it out of the bells and whistles is pre shave gels or pre shave oils. And getting a good moisturiser to put on after shaving. After that it is switching out the canned stuff and getting a brush and soap.
