The Safety Razor - Everything You Need To Know
Safety razors are a relatively unknown quantity to many Americans. In our opinion, they are unknown for exactly the reasons why you should know about them. Because they give you a superior shave at a lower cost than the cartridge razors you have been using. Lower cost means lower profits for razor companies. Which is why, for decades we have been propagandized by “Big Razor” into believing that the more blades your razor has, the more effective it will be.
We do not believe that to be the case. If it were the case, this website would not exist. However it does exist. And it exists because we tried a safety razor, and we found that it gave us a superior shave. Not only did we find it to give us a superior shave, but we found it to be much more cost effective. Even shave clubs promising you a shave for $1 cannot compete. Partly because they don’t actually charge $1 per month.
Below you will find links to our many articles answering common questions about the safety razor. We suggest you educate yourself on the differences between a safety razor and a cartridge razor. And when you are ready, we would love you to buy a safety razor from us1
What Can The Wet Shaving Club Teach You About Safety Razors?
If you have been shaving with a multi-bladed cartridge razor, then you are in luck. You have reached the definitive page on the safety razor.
The following articles will help you understand how and why we all got duped into using those multi-bladed razors, and more importantly, why you should make the switch to a safety razor immediately.
Using this tool takes a little practice. But once you get started, you will never look back. In fact, if you pair your new instrument with the other fine accoutrements used for a proper wet shave (i.e. shave soap, shave oil, aftershave, and a shave brush) we believe that you will both enjoy and be saddened by your morning shave. You will enjoy the process of the shave, you will enjoy the result of the shave, and you will enjoy how you look after the shave. However, you will be saddened (at least temporarily) that you spent all those years beforehand using a dang cartridge razor!
When you are done reading our articles and have been properly educated on what you have been missing, we would ask that you spread the news. Tell your friends! They will thank you for it.
The “Cliffs Notes” Version Below
Don’t want to read all those articles. Below you will find a “Cliffs Notes” version of some of the information they provide.
The chart above shows the cost difference between shaving with The Wet Shaving Club, and shaving with The Dollar Shave Club (DSC) and Harry’s.
So which is the most cost effective?
Year 1
The Wet Shaving Club = $18
The Dollar Shave Club = $48
Harry’s = $95.48
Year 2
The Wet Shaving Club = $10
The Dollar Shave Club = $48
Harry’s = $86.48
Total After 5 Years Of Shaving
The Wet Shaving Club = $58
The Dollar Shave Club = $240
Harry’s = $441.40
Get the details on how we determined these costs by visiting our full cost comparison breakdown here. Is A Safety Razor Cheaper To Use?
The More Blades = Better Shave Myth
Simply put – no. If we look at our definition of a better shave, the first criterion is closeness. You can absolutely get a close shave with a cartridge razor, but you’re going to pay a hefty price for it, and not just financially.
Firstly, you’re going to have more irritated skin. Not matter how you shave, you’re going to be scrapping a blade across your face, which leads to irritation. With a cartridge razor, you have to multiply that irritation by the number of blades. More blades, more irritation. And those blades aren’t even all designed to cut hair. The first blade pulls the hair up, then cut by the next. This process continues for as many blades as the cartridge has, invariably ending with a blade that pulls hair.
This pulling/cutting mechanism leads to another problem – ingrown hairs. Because the hairs aren’t cut evenly, it leads to the edges of the hairs being sharper. This sharp hair increases the chance of it growing back into the skin, causing ingrown hairs. Ingrown hairs are a major cause of razor bumps. Razor bumps are just more irritation. This means that multiple blade cartridges fail the low-irritation requirement of a better shave – twice.
As we mentioned earlier, cartridge razors with multiple blades tug and pull, which leads to uneven cutting and ingrown hairs. With a safety razor, the hairs are cut at one angle, meaning they’re cut more evenly. Even cut – less chance of an ingrown hair. How’s that for a better shave?
How Did We Get Here? A Brief History Of The Razor
The first safety razors were introduced in the United States in 1880. These earlier models were one-sided and resembled a tiny hoe, and they had a steel guard along one edge to help protect from cuts. Then, in 1895, King C. Gillette introduced his own version, with the main difference being the introduction of a disposable, double-edged razor blade. Gillette blades were cheap, so cheap in fact that it was often more expensive to try to maintain the blades than it was to buy new Gillette blades.
At the time, Gillette couldn’t have known that his name would go on to essentially be synonymous with shaving. In fact, it took him almost six years to even figure out how to make blades cheap enough to bring his idea to life, and even then, he only sold 51 razors in the first year. However, it didn’t take long before King lived up to his name, selling hundreds of thousands of razors and blades in a single year. Interestingly, even though his safety razor handles were considered expensive, he sold them at a loss; it was the blades that made him his fortune.
Americans loved the disposable blades, so much so that medicine cabinets in bathrooms often came equipped with a slot to throw away the razor blades. The blades would fall through the slot and in between the wall studs, which seems to me like a disaster waiting to happen, but it was convenient.
Gillette faced fairly minimal competition in the wet shave department for nearly a century, and any competition that did arise was squashed immediately. His main competition came from Schick, another household shaving name. Jacob Schick, an army officer who hated having to heat water for a wet shave, developed the electric razor in 1928. It was safe and it was fast, and while it likely ate into Gillette’s bottom line at least a little bit, the king was still, well, King. Traditional wet shaving was just the more popular option, probably owing to the closer, cleaner look it provided.
The world looked for new innovations that could dethrone Gillette at the top of the shaving world, but the next big break came from Gillette once again, introducing stainless steel blades in 1960. There were drawbacks, but the fact that these blades didn’t rust on first use more than made up for any short comings, and Gillette only became more popular because of it.
The introduction of stainless-steel blades would also prove to be a problem, at least briefly, for Gillette, as they likely led to the development of completely disposable razors. There is some contention to exactly who created the first disposable razors, but at the very least, Bic, a French company famous at the time (and still to this day) for its disposable pens and lighters, seems to have been key to their popularity.
These plastic razors were lighter than Gilette’s safety razor, and more importantly, the initial investment was less substantial. So, while in the long run, safety razors offer a cheaper shave (check out our article “Is a Safety Razor Cheaper to Use” for more details on that), the price of a Bic disposable razor looked a lot more attractive up front. Still, Gillette quickly entered the disposable razor game and introduced their own cartridge models with two blades. Since then, the number of blades on cartridge razors has only increased, but the question is, did these “innovations” really improve the shaving experience? Check out our Safety Razor vs Cartridge RazorArticle
Frequently Asked Questions:
Where can I learn about wet shaving?
If you are new to wet shaving you probably have lots of questions. We can answer some of them, but not all. So below is a list of great wet shaving resources for you.
- The Wet Shaving Club – How To Shave With A Safety Razor
- The Sharpologist – A Great resource for all things Wet Shave
- Wet The Face Blog – He makes his own soap, but also knows the Wet Shave Scene
- Badger And Blade – Great site for info and forum talk.
Is a safety razor better than a cartridge razor?
In short, we have no doubt you will enjoy a wet shave with a safety razor infinitely more than your shave with a cartridge razor.
However, we have many more details for you here. CLICK HERE
Why is a safety razor called a safety razor?
the first step towards a safer-to-use razor was the guard razor – also called a straight safety razor – which added a protective guard to a regular straight razor. The invention was inspired by the joiner’s plane and was essentially a straight razor with its blade surrounded by a wooden sleeve
Source: https://en.m.wikipedia.org › wiki › Safety_razor
What is the best safety razor for a beginner?
There are plenty of great choices when it comes to your first safety razor. That being said, we recommend you start with our One Year Safety Razor Package. You get a premium razor handle and a one year supply of blades!
How often do you have to change your safety razor blades?
The number of times you have to change your blade varies by the coarseness of your stubble and the number of times you shave per week. Check out our comprehensive article right here. CLICK HERE
You have found our One Year Of Shaving Safety Razor Deals.
We hope you will take the time to check out our great deals!
Start with our One Year Safety Razor Packages
What makes The Wet Shaving Club™ Different?
- Free Domestic Shipping On All Products
- One Year Of Shaving Safety Razor Deals
- One Year of Shaving Cheaper Than The $1 Shave Place
- No Monthly Fees
- No Subscriptions
- You get a premium safety razor and a 1 year supply of blades
- A 30 Day Satisfaction Guarantee
So if you are shopping safety razors, then you have found the right place!
