About

I shaved for the first time when I was 15. I was sick and tired of that sparse band of hair above my lips. My dad tried to warn me that shaving sucks, but I was a frustrated 15 year old. I marched into the bathroom, dumped some shaving cream on my face and hacked my mustache away with a Mach 3. Shaving didn’t seem nearly as bad as my dad claimed. But by the time I was 18, my facial hair had become significantly thicker. There was irritation. There was razor burn. There was that pain and discomfort that my dad warned me about. I started to dread shaving.

But when I was 20 years old, everything changed. I realized that shaving could actually be a pleasurable experience – something that I looked forward to every morning. Shaving isn’t just a destination (a smooth face), but a journey. I love letting my face soak in the warm water. I love the smell of avocado oil from my luxuriously thick lather. I love the way the blade glides across my face. The secret was abandoning my Mach 3 and switching to the kind of razor by grandfather used – a safety razor. Safety razors gave me a much closer and more comfortable shave than I ever thought possible and it’s not nearly as dangerous as some people think (unlike straight razors are actually kinda dangerous). Even when I was just starting out, I rarely got any nicks or cuts.

Safety razors not only give me great shaves, but they saved me a ton of money too. The price-per-shave with a safety razor is almost 1/10th the price-per-shave of a Fusion! To get started, I recommended a Merkur Classic #33C Safety Razor ($31.50). It’s a hunk of raw steel that’ll probably last you your whole life — you’ll only need to buy razor blade replacements. When I need a quick shave, I usually go for my trusty Derby razor blades. They’re a great value at $0.19 per blade and give me two good shaves. If you’re not in a rush, I also highly recommend the Feather razor blades. They’re the sharpest razor blades around and give me extremely close and comfortable shaves (as long as I take my time). They run about $0.46 per blade and last for 3 shaves each. For comparison, each Gillette Fusion cartridge refill costs around $2.75 and lasts me 3 shaves. The price per shave with a Fusion is almost 10 times as expensive as shaving with a Derby!

Once you start shaving with a safety razor, you’ll probably get pretty addicted. You’ll want to try different types of blades, brushes, shaving creams, razors, and aftershaves. In no time, you’ll be like me and will try to convince all your friends to jump on the safety razor bandwagon.

Tell me your shaving story!  Email me at gugelm@gmail.com.