REVIEWS

What Is a Safety Razor – DEFINITION

By Philip Yiga | December 2, 2014

DEFINITION:

A safety razor is a shaving instrument which features a protective guard which is stationed between the razor and the skin. The main purpose of this guard is to reduce direct interaction of razor blades with your skin; this functionality reduces on nicks and cuts that might have occurred if the blade had direct access to your skin. On this site, I have covered different types of safety razor and I also covered the benefits of using them. In this day of age, men prefer shaving with this type razor because it doesn’t have multiple blades, it’s affordable and easy to use / manage and lastly, it can be used on any type of beard.

COMMON FEATURES:

Safety razors are manufactured by different brands and they also vary in models and type. But let us see of the common features you will find in each brand / type:

Double Edge: – All safety razors are Double Edged, this is what characteristics them as safe razors, it’s a feature which makes them unique and user friendly.
Razor is manually fitted in the Comb: – Even though the process of inserting razor blades might differ, but the razor will go in the same place no matter the model / brand.
They use on single razor blade:- Safety razor are not like cartridge razors, they use only one single razor blade, you can shave with both ends and get the best close shave.
Durable: – Most safety razors I have covered on this site are durable, even cheap ones will have that feature. You can drop it by accident, but it will stay intact. Most of them are made out of metal and finished with chrome / silver. So, you can use a safety razor for at least 2- 10 years without buying a new one, all you have to do is to change blades, clean it and keep it in a safe place. Some of them come with protective cases, but if the one you have has no protective case, buy one and keep it safe.
Close shave:– All safety razors will give you a close shave, be it cheap / expensive. However, there is always a difference in design and weight and that is what makes some razors expensive and other cheap. For example, Merkur Long Handled & Merkur 34c HD have some great design and weight on them which gives them unique and popular among men.

BEST SAFETY RAZOR FOR SENSITIVE SKIN:

If you have a very sensitive skin, you need to use a safety razor which has weight on it, that is the only trick behind these tools. With that in mind, I will suggest to models but both of them are manufactured by the same company and these include:

Merkur Long Handled: This model will give you a close shave; it features a long handle which makes it ideal for men with large hands. When using this model, you don’t have to use too much force because the weight it has is just enough to cleat any thick / fine beard. All you need to to is to shave from a right angle, some experts advise you to start with a 30 degree angle, and they adjust shaving angles as you get used. Men with short hands, you might find it difficult to use this model, so opt for our second suggestion.

Merkur 34C Heavy Duty Razor: – Men with short hands will find this model friendly. It has a fine grip and the weight on it will leave no hair standing. Please, don’t use too much pressure when using this heavy duty razor. Sensitive skins are tender, so you have to deal with them gently, but when you use a light razor like Parker or any other brand, you might need to apply some extra pressure to get better results.

NOTE:- If you have a very sensitive skin and you want to use any of those two shaving tools, make sure you leather up with shaving cream or soap, we have many types of shaving creams you can use but the most recommended is TAYLOR OF OLD BOND STREET SANDALWOOD (SHAVING CREAM), it will make those beards / hair soft and easy to shave. But before applying it, wash your face with warm water so that all skin pores open up, dry the face with a clean face towel and then apply shaving cream. Always dip the razor in a mug of hot water to remove clogged hair & creams and then make another stroke on another area until everything is cleared. Apply after shave immediately after rinsing off shaving cream.

RELATED: How To Use a Safety Razor

HOW MUCH DO SAFETY RAZORS COST?

The price of safety razor varies from brand to brand, there is no general price for these shaving tools, but they range between $3 – $200. However, the most popular razors cost between $29 – $30. On the other hand, every store has its own pricing, but Amazon tends to play around with this pricing issue, they always offer discounts on their products, so you can shop your razor from Amazon and get the best discount.

ADVANTAGES OF USING SAFETY RAZORS:

Easy to use :- These are manual tools, there is gimmick behind them, you don’t need to be a geek to use a safety razor, everything is black and white, all you need to do is to insert a sharp new blade, leather up and start shaving. It’s that simple.
Cheap :- Most men think that disposable razors are cheaper than safety razors, that is a wrong concept, yes, you might buy a disposable razor at $9, but every time you need to shave, you have to buy a new disposable razor, and that makes them expensive. Yet a safety razor will work for more than 5 years, all you need to stock are packets of safety razor blades and one pack can contain over 100 razors. Disposable razors are emergency shaving tools, let’s say you have traveled and you forgot to carry that Merkur / Edwin Jagger with you, the only option you will have is to spend some $9 and get a quick clean shave.
Portable :- You can move with your safety razor and get that close shave from anywhere, most of them come with travel cases, but if the one you have has no travel case, order for one from Amazon.
Close Shave: – I’m sure you have tried all types of shaving tools, but you have been disappointed, but you always hear people saying they get close clean shave, though you have never experienced that in your life. I get your paradox, but that is about to end, give a try to some of the best safety razors like Merkur 34 Heavy Duty / Merkur Long Handled razor and the rest will be history. Please drop by Yosaki and tell us your experience.

DISADVANTAGES OF SAFETY RAZORS:

Messy shaving area:- By default you will get a clean shave, but the area you will be shaving from will be left messy, living you with too much clean-up work. If you don’t want to be bothered by this all mess, you can shave while in the shower / bath tab. When you finish shaving, you turn on the tap and let the water do the cleaning for you.
Not easy to use on ingrown hair:– If you have a sensitive skin, there is a possibility of getting ingrown hair. This is a very painful and sensitive moment of your life, because anything which touches that infected area will cause you pain. If you try to shave ingrown hair with a safety razor, you might end up hurting yourself, so you have to be extra careful

HOW TO CLEAN SAFETY RAZORS?

Use tap water to clean a safety razor. However, if you use baby power instead of shaving cream to shave your beards, you can use a brush to dust off the power and hair from the blade and head of the shaver. But the only way you can get good results is to disassemble the razor, remove the head and blade, if it’s a three piece safety razor, you will disassemble all the tree parts (head / comb and handle), clean each part, let it dry and assemble it back.

WHEN TO REPLACE RAZOR BLADES?

I can’t quote the exact time because our shaving routines differ, but once you stop getting a close clean shave, that will be a good indication that the blade is worn out, it has lost its sharpness. Regular users of these tools change blades at least twice a week.