The humble safety razor has been a utilitarian piece of equipment for the clean-shaven man or woman since its invention sometime around 1900, typically credited to King Camp Gillette. In the years since, companies have sought to make more of the razor disposable and convince you that you need more and more blades. But the reality is that the simple double edge safety razor remains all you need for a proper shave.
Of course, much fuss has also been made of safety razors themselves. You’ll find razors with varying configurations of the handle, comb, materials and more. Most of these variations serve some kind of purpose, whether for function or cost efficiency.
At Porterhouse Clothing & Supply, we’ve tried to whittle down our selection to ensure you have all the options you need without being overwhelmed. Here’s what you need to know about safety razor variations and those that we carry.
Why a safety razor?
Quickly, why should you use a safety razor instead of plastic disposable cartridge razors?
- Less waste, even compared to cartridge razors with replaceable cartridges (think Harry's).
- Less plastic. Period.
- Blades are recyclable in most communities. Get a blade bank. If you live in an old house with a little slot in the back of your medicine cabinet, believe it or not, that's for disposing safety razor blades.
- Blades are mostly interchangeable, allowing for some experimentation. See below for adjustable razors.
- Over the life of the razor, you'll save money vs plastic disposable cartridge razors.
Head Material
Most safety razor heads, and perhaps most importantly, those found at Porterhouse, are made of one of two materials. And before we get into that, we’ll also note that handles are typically made of brass, often chrome-plated.
Your more affordable razors have heads made of Zamak, or “pot metal”. This is a zinc alloy. For most folks, this is perfectly adequate. If its coating fails, it could start to corrode with repeated water exposure, but most folks aren’t banging their safety razors around.
But if you’re worried about the longevity of your razor for one reason or another, you can upgrade to a razor with a stainless steel head. These razor heads are less liable to break after a drop and corrosion resistant through and through. Of course, that comes with some expense.
We currently carry just one razor with a stainless steel head—the Rockwell 6S. All other razors we carry at this time feature Zamak heads. Whether its stainless or Zamak, Rockwell or Merkur, if your head does become damaged, contact us for resources to replace the head instead of throwing out the whole razor.
Adjustable Shaves
Many safety razors offer a fixed shave. The head screws onto the handle (except for butterfly blades, which we won't get into here) with a blade pressed in between. The distance between the blade and the head, which determines how close and aggressive your shave is, is fixed.
But there are adjustable options out there! Those at Porterhouse come in two flavors.
First, the Rockwell adjustable razors, which are the 6C and 6S. When you purchase one of these, they come with 3 reversible heads that can be used to achieve one of 6 different settings. The R6 setting means more blade and a more aggressive shave, while the R1 setting provides a much more forgiving shave and potentially less irritation. Everyone's face is a bit different.
Other safety razor designs use a knob at their base to adjust how close your shave is. The Merkur Progress is our option for this configuration. This leaves you with a two-piece razor that can still be adjusted for five different levels of shave aggression.
Comb Styles
For the sake of this piece, we’ll talk about two different comb styles. An open comb is much like a comb you use for your hair. Teeth at the edge of the safety razor head guide hairs into the blade, which can be desirable for the less frequent shaver who might be contending with a fair amount of stubble. The Merkur 15C is in our collection for someone who wants an open comb style.
Compare that with the more standard flat edge on a safety razor head. Everything else we carry will have this typical edge, which affords a less aggressive shave and is perfectly suitable for the daily shaver.
Slant Bar
Finally, some safety razors now feature a slant bar design, which introduces some torsion into your blade and means you’re shaving at an angle rather than straight on. Some folks find this gives them a closer shave with less resistance and tugging. A worthy experiment for someone trying to find the best shave for them. The Merkur 37C checks this box in the Porterhouse lineup.
The Best Beginner Double-Edge Safety Razor
If you’re looking for an all-purpose, no-frills, affordable safety razor to replace your cartridge razor, you might just ignore all of the above and consider the following two journeymen models.
First, the Rockwell Rookie R1. At $30, it’s a low-risk way to start your safety razor journey. A Zamak head, manufactured in China, with a fixed head. It’s Rockwell’s least aggressive configuration, which means most people will find it awfully hard to cut themselves.
Then there’s the Merkur 34C. Similar to the R1, it features a fixed Zamak head. But, if it’s important to you, Merkur manufactures their razors in Solingen, Germany, and they’ve been doing so for over a century. The German government maintains ordinances that ensure the veracity of labels on cutlery and shaving accessories made in the Solingen region, a la Champagne, so you can trust a Merkur product to be manufactured by the experts in the industry.
Further questions about safety razors, blades, or other shave accessories in the shop? Drop us a line. We’re happy to help.
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