Double Edge Safety Razor or just safety razor has become more popular in the last few years so early 2020 I started testing them to see what it’s all about. Turns out I had the chance to try a lot of different razors and blades so here’s what I learned along the way.

Pricing: That’s the most important point, it’s extremely cheap. The razor itself is on average 25$ CAD (can go as low as 8$) and last a lifetime. The blades are about 15 cents each (can go as low as 10 cents). I shave every 5 days and I use the same blade 6 times so I use about 12 blades per year for a cost of 1.80$. In 10 years, it would only cost 18$ of blades!

Shaving: Most websites out there are saying a shave with a safety razor is closer, smoother, with less irritation and less chance of ingrown hair than regular cartridge razor. The truth is that it all depends on your hair. In my case, I agree, cartridge razor is rougher to shave but still gives a smooth finish. In my case, also, to have a close shave with a safety razor, you need to pass multiple times which might irritate your skin (also depends on the blade and how you handle the razor). Both are great products in reality.

One thing to note, it is virtually impossible to cut yourself with a cartridge razor. On the other hand with a safety razor, I cut myself from time to time, it’s really nothing, extremely shallow, always at the same place. Nothing to fear or worry about really.

Time: Takes about the same time to shave compared to a cartridge razor. You go slower but don’t need to do the same places as often. A safety razor does cut better than a cartridge.

Longevity of blades: Most websites says a blade should last between 6 and 8 uses. I totally agree with this. I tested a blade as long as possible as I can and at the 9th uses, it started to not be pleasant to shave with it. I went up to 10 uses and while it still did a good job at the end, the experience was nothing like using a new blade.

Type of blades: They come in different versions, mainly Stainless, Chrome, Titanium, Platinum with an adjective like Super, Superior, Hi, Extra, Classic and sometimes with a combinations like Platinum Chrome or even Chromium Ceramic Platinum Tungsten! Don’t pay attention to any of this. Blades are made in different countries with different regulations and there isn’t much laws to regulate how they are made with what materials exactly. It’s really just marketing hype.

Type: Safety razors can be a butterfly type which is one-piece. It’s a bit easier and faster to change blades and clean it. They can also come in 3-pieces, they work very well but I prefer the butterfly type. After a shave, I just open it up, take the blade out, rinse everything to remove hair and soap residue, put the blade back on and I just let it dry while it’s open.

Razors also have different lengths from about 9cm to 13cm. They all work well but depending on how you handle things with your hand, you might prefer a shorter or longer handle. They also have different weights from 35g to 142g, this really doesn’t do much, if a razor has less weight, you will instinctively put more pressure when shaving without even thinking about it. Whatever you buy, you will get use to it.

Soap, Cream, Oil: I only shave with a regular soap bar, it’s all I need. If too much of soap/cream/oil then the blade will just glide over it and not shave anything. Turns out that it works extremely well with just a soap bar. So I never tested pre-shave/after-shave lotion nor shaving cream with the cup and the brush. A soap bar is inexpensive and very fast to use.

Discarding: In the past, people used to discard their razor blades behind the bathroom cabinet, problem solved! Things have changed now, unless you make a hole in your wall! Another option, you can buy a blade bank which looks very nice but they don’t accommodate for a lot of blades, they are too small. Instead, I just use a regular empty can, make a hole in the top and glue the top, extremely safe if children find the can. Doesn’t look all that bad and in my case, it will probably take 15 years before it’s completely full! Since the can is metal and the blades are metal too, I would guess you can just put the can in a recycle bin when it’s full so it can be properly recycle (don’t quote me on that).

Cleaning: With time, if you use a soap bar, your razor will get soap residue on it. Even with rinsing it with hot water after each use, there will still be residue on it. Just boil some water with vinegar and let it in for a few minutes. The less, the better because some razors will actually have their metal finish dissolve. Be careful! Goes without saying that if you razor is not in metal, then don’t use boiling water.

Razors Reviews

Overview

Here’s a table of all the razors I tested from my favorite to the one I dislike the most. The price is just a reference as to how much it was when it was bought (2020-2021).

Detailed

Anself Stainless Steel: My perfect type of razor: long handle, butterfly, metal, small head for the hair under the nose.

Shaving Revolution Long Handle: Another that is perfect.

Parker 22R: Another one that is perfect.

Brrnoo: It’s a very good razor, however it’s a 3-pieces so not my type. The handle is one of the best the way it is made. I don’t like the fact that the blade is sticking out on each side though, they should have made the head a bit more wide. This one came on special and was bought for only 8$ CAD!

LORD TECH: Don’t be fool by the cheap packaging, it’s an extremely good razor, not butterfly unfortunately but really nothing wrong with it and very cheap price. The head is smaller than other razors so it’s easier to shave off the hair under the nose.

Utopia Care: Good razor, just not butterfly.

Wilkinson Sword Classic: Good razor, it is not butterfly but not a 3-pieces either, this one is unique as it is a 2-pieces probably due to the fact that it’s made in plastic because you clip the head on the handle. It’s a good design and even though it’s not made in metal, it’s so cheap you can buy a new one every 5 years if there’s a problem with it.

Wilkinson Sword Vintage: Everything should be good about this one, it is butterfly, however, I found this one to give an aggresive shave. It’s still a good razor but you have to be more careful with it.

Zomchi: Good razor, it’s a 3-pieces type. If you like wood, it’s a good choice. Turns out I don’t like wood and I would be concern long term if you use it in the shower. But even then, if it last 5 years, it’s still cheap.

Dedge Classic 3-piece: Another 3-pieces type, it has a wooden handle but it doesn’t slip. I prefer metal and doesn’t like how this one look but it’s still a good razor.

Parker 65R: Another 3-pieces type, this one, the head is a bit too big so hard to do the hair under the nose.

Shaving Revolution: Butterfly type, has a small head for the hair under the nose and it’s a good razor, however, the bottom part of the handle is kind of polished so it’s very slippery when used in the shower. Also, it’s a unique razor, the whole bottom part twist to open the head, I don’t like it since you can open the head when using it, not very practical.

Baili: It has everything to be a perfect razor in my opinion! But the handle is so short, it doesn’t feel right in my hand when I use it which is why I don’t like it.

Grace & Stella: Just like the Baili, it’s almost perfect except the short handle.

Kanzy Safety Razor: This one looks amazing! But short handle and not butterfly unfortunately.

Merkur Classic 3-Piece: This one is not cheap, comes from a reputable company and has a ton of reviews. It’s also special because it’s an Open Comb type. Maybe it’s better to use this type if you have a long beard when you shave. But it’s not my case and I didn’t see much difference using it.

Cimenn Colourful: It is a good razor but handle too short for me and I find it a bit too aggressive. Also, the blade comes out of each side of the head which I don’t like. It looks quite good however.

Cimenn Wooden: A record of 13.2cm of length! Not butterfly, big head, too smooth has a shave, not aggressive enough, don’t like the look of it and not metal. Not much I like about this one.

EASACE: This one is unique, it has different options, each side of your blade will give you a different shave. One side for me was perfect but the other side was too aggressive. I find this to be useless because a blade has 2 sides to be used. But in this case, I can only use one side.

GBS Slant Bar: A very special, unique and bad razor! It’s a record of weight with 142.7g which is way too heavy. The head is extremely big and not practical. It has a slant bar that gives you a different shave depending on where you use it on the same blade side, so more smooth or aggressive. You might think you have more options so it’s better but not in this case, you need to test at what point it’s a good shave, so lot’s of testing. On one side of the head, it’s doesn’t shave and at the end of the other side, it’s too aggressive. Better to buy and use a razor that fits you well with no option.

QShave: Another one that is unique, it’s has a rotating dial to adjust the blade. At a setting of 0, it’s doesn’t shave much and at 6 it’s very aggressive. It’s a good idea but again, completely useless because if the setting your prefer is 3 then you will not use the other settings.

Manual Safety Razor: That one is quite something, it is extremely aggressive, I wasn’t able to finish one shave with it because I was bleeding from all places. I had to finish with another razor!

Blades Reviews

Here’s a list of all the blades I have. This is an ongoing project so not all of them has been tested yet. Truth be told, every blade that has a Good rating, I don’t see any differences. They all cut well and does a great job! And the blades with a Bad rating, they still cut, you can use them to shave, they do work, however, they are not pleasant to use, probably because they aren’t sharp enough.

There is an infinite number of posts on forums where everyone gives their opinions on the best blade. I wouldn’t give too much importance on it, most blades are good.

Note that in my blades testing, I always shave once per 5 days, always in the shower, always with the same razor, always 6 uses of a blade, always with just a regular soap bar. I try to remove as much variables as I can so that only the blade variable is left.