Kristin emailed in and said:
I recently bought my husband a safety razor. It’s becoming a new “fad” amongst men. He was using a Schick Hydro and when I was not able to get a deal on the cartridges we were spending $12-15 for four cartridges! And on top of that, I was using them also.
Add on shaving cream and we were easily spending $30/month just to shave. After a lot of research, I bought him a safety razor. The blades are just pennies each.
He has gotten into wet shaving…took to it like a pro. He gets as many shaves from a 10 cent blade as he got from a $3 cartridge.
On top of that, his can of shaving cream would only last him a month. He has been using a $2 puck of shave soap from Walmart for two months and it looks new and untouched. I’m expecting it will last him a year and he shaves everyday.
By the way, he LOVES shaving now. He said he’s never had as close of a shave in his life, all of the irritation once caused by shaving is gone.
I bought myself a women’s safety razor and I love it too! It’s the closest shave I’ve ever had and I get 7-8 shaves out of one 10 cent blade also. -Kristin
I bought my husband a Braun electric shaver 7 years ago. It was pricey, but we don’t have to buy shaving cream. The cleaning cartridges are replaced every month or so ($10 for two-pack), and I think he’s only had to replace the foil and blade two or three times so far (at about $20 each). I also bought an electric shaver for myself. I don’t like it quite as much as using a razor, but it’s safer and I don’t have to buy shaving gel or razors all the time. I also like that I don’t have as much stuff to throw away.
When my husband became interested in safety razors due to the high cost of the modern razors (cupons are nearly unheard of in Norway, where we live), I remembered seeing a box with old shaving equipment in the family mountain cabin. In it we found three safety razors which just needed a cleening and new blades, and now he is using the same razor as his grandfather or great-grandfather used. The razor itself never wears out – so it might be worth checking with older relatives if they have kept old safety razors which ar no longer in use.
My husband has sensitive skin and was always cutting himself and bleeding when he shaved.
Then he got an electric shaver and loves it. It is a Norelco for about 50.00. He would never go back to another razor again.
My husband has been using a safety razor for the last few months and loves it. Not only does it cost less and he gets a better shave, it also means a lot less waste going into landfills. I am using the last of my disposable razor stash and then I will go to the safety razor as well to shave my legs. Better shave, less cost and less waste. What’s not to like? My husband bought his safety razor and supplies from Amazon. Also he viewed videos on YouTube that show you how to get the best shave.
My husband uses safety razors too. He loves shaving with them. I was skeptical, but you have convinced me to try them for myself now. 🙂
We use Gilette Fusions from Costco. We wait for the sales and a replacement blade pack lasts both of us a year and a half (neither of us have coarse hair!). We shave in the shower (softens hair) and only need a new cartridge once a month or so.
We used to use cheaper razors, but I had such underarm itch it was awful. Though it was deodorant, but found out it was due to bad razors. Such a difference.
I’m nervous about safety razors… too many painful stories from family members!
Wow this sounds great! We try to get good disposables with coupons but all the hoarders/ selfish people snag the deals. They don’t even leave one for someone else. May try this safety razor and see how it goes!
Have any of you used or know about the http://www.dollarshaveclub.com.
My husbands thinking about trying it and I thought I would share.
I’ve been using Dollar Shave Club since they opened. Been very happy with the customer service and the blades.
Had a problem with the first razor handle (it was a little “floppy”, if that makes any sense) and they sent a new one for free no questions asked.
Bear in mind the name is a bit of a misnomer; I pay a total of $6 per month for the 4x razor.
A new set of blades come like clockwork once a month and I never have to think about it. Highly recommended!
Thank you so much for sharing your experience with the Dollar Shave Club. I’ve shared the information that you posted re: the club with my husband and I think it has convinced him to sign up! Thank you!
My husband HATES shaving because of the razor burn. He is currently watching YouTube videos to see if this is something he would be interested in. We are intrigued. Thanks for the idea!
You can order razors from Amazon or Ebay, for anywhere from $4 (usually directly from China) to about $60. There’s a huge range. Surprisingly, you can get the soap, brushes, and blades in a grocery store or drug store. There are a ton of different blades. I ordered 100 Derby blades from Amazon for about $10. My husband loves his safety razor, so I bought him a straight razor for Christmas, which shaves even closer, but has more of a learning curve. I’d suggest starting with inexpensive equipment, and upgrading if your guy gets hooked.
I was also interested to know what SAFETY RAZOR was…..when I clicked on one of the links provided by some readers I see the same razors used by my dad and uncles back in INDIA and I instantly knew the 10 cents blades they are talking about.
My dad has been using it forever while I was in India…..I am not really sure where you get them here for cheap. But good to know the info
We are still working through our stash of free razors! Skip the shave cream and use lathered soap. I cannot imagine spending $20 a month on razors!
Same here. I haven’t paid one single cent out of pocket for a razor in at least 3-4 years thanks to the drugstore deals w/coupons & reward $$. Can’t always get shaving cream for free, but I can get shampoo/conditioner for free and we’ve found cheap brands of conditioner work as well as shaving cream.
i too use conditioner to shave with. I get the bic dispoable for around $1 at Walmart adn use them many many times before I get rid of them. I probably use about 10 a year.
Sounds like a great idea if you are not finding the deals for razors OR you have facial hair that doesn’t work well with the newer razors.
I continually get good deals on Gillete Fusion, Shick, etc… for my hubby and we pay $1 or less for them. I hardly ever buy the refills, as they cost too much. Just keep buying the razor with 2 blades. Works fine. Haven’t paid more than $1 for a mans razor in about 3 years.
My husband loves his safety razor. He orders everything online at amazon. He uses the Derby shaving cream, Astra blades and am unsure of the razor (brand). He says he gets such a close shave with it. He has bought some stuff from Classicshaving.com
30 on shaving products every month? That’s incredible!
I use the Venus razors. One cartridge lasts at least three months, and there’s no need for shaving cream if you have a nice bar of handmade soap near the bathtub. The bar of soap lasts at least three months too.
I buy a bag of these (disposible) at Walmart for like 10 for a dollar. You can use them a number of times before throwing them away. I think they’re the same thing; I didn’t know they were called safety razors. I just use soap in the shower. My husband uses an electric razor.
No they are not the same. These are razors where you insert the blade. They may look similar to the cheap disposables but apparently work way differently (which would be good for us because my husband can’t use the cheap ones because of his thick/coarse/curly hair combined with sensitive skin). 🙂
Def not the same
Oh, ok. Then I had never heard of safety razors either.
If you learn how to use a razor properly (we didn’t know for years) you can make a disposable last for ever.
My husband is 1/2 cherokee and could only get one use out of each cartridge. But, when we learned the proper way to take care of them (never letting them get wet, not hitting them on the sink, etc) he got months out of each one.
As a side note, I’ve never met anyone with hair as thick as his, so that is saying something. Plus, we got like 2 years worth of gilette and shick for like $10 with coupons and sales. Since 2 years worth now converts to like a lifetime.
It is interesting to hear this. My husband is part native and has very little facial hair and it doesn’t grow quickly. I always thought that less hair was the tendency, not more!
Perhaps he isn’t as much as my husband? I know everyone off of his dads side (the full indians) are just as hairy as him. And, no, it’s not just on his face. His back, chest, and everything else is LOADED down. I often joke that he’s a wolf man.
He isn’t even half, so maybe that’s why. Though most natives to Canada seem to be pretty smooth, so maybe that is a variance by background. Interesting!
Sounds interesting! I used to find good deals on the expensive ones couponing, but I really haven’t been able to find good deals recently. I’ve never heard of this type of razor. My biggest concern is cuts and nicks. My husband does cut himself fairly often, if with the expensive razors! It sounds like cuts would be even worse with that type of razor, right?
Regarding razors/blades. There is a website Instructables.com that can show you how to keep your blades sharp and in good condition to get even more wear out of them. Even works on disposables. I haven’t bought cartridges since I discovered this.
I cut myself so bad with one of these when I was a teenager that I am afraid of them now. When I was a teen it was all we had and yes I am that old!
My husband switched to a safety razor about two years ago and loves it too! He loves the close shave. My husband got a razor, badger brush, stand and cup for about a hundred dollars. There are sets that are more expensive and also less expensive sets too. He was using a fusion pro glide before that and the refills were about 26.00 for four refill blades, so it did not take long to recoup the costs of the set he got. When we bought his I just googled safety razor and there are several sites that sell them including amazon and eBay.
You can get them at Sally Beauty Supply.
Where did you buy the saftey razors?
For those who don’t know, the safety razor has actually been around longer than you’ve been alive. They’re the types of razors our fathers and grandfathers used. It consists of a handle, at the end of which is a straight razor blade (which may or may not be double-edged). There’s also usually a comb or bar around the razor blade as a protective guard, making it “safer” than the old straight razors you’ll often see in old western movies. After a time, the blade becomes dull and has to be replaced. Since they’re single blades that aren’t manufactured in clusters like modern disposables, they’re often cheaper.
The catch is, you have to use very hot water to soften the hairs and you must use a shaving cream, soap, or lotion to minimize your risk of cutting your skin or drying it out. Even then, the most skilled razor users nick themselves from time to time.
As to where you’ll get them, it might be difficult to find them in local stores, so online would be your best bet. Or, if you have an old-school barber shop around (like the one my hubby goes to) you might be able to buy them there, since old-style barbers often use straight and safety razors to trim beards and side-burns, as well as shaving stray hairs on the back of the neck.
Where did you purchase the razors & where do you purchase the replacement blades? Did it take a while to get the hang of using a different style of razor (ie. did you have many cuts & nicks when you first started)? Thanks for sharing.
Another way to save on this is don’t shave. I have never seen my husband without facial hair. He started out with just a mustache when we were married, went to full beard when we lived in Alaska. Now he just trims it all short once a week with a hair trimmer.
Not all men are blessed with thick hair.
No kidding! It would take my husband YEARS to grow even a mustache. He does not have to shave every day as it is, maybe every couple of days or so.
LOL!
My husband had been “growing” a “beard” for about 7 months. My Dad told him he had a “nice start” and my husband replied “this is 7 months worth”. We all agreed he should just shave! He gets pretty cool sideburns but everything else just looks like he hasn’t shaved and needs to!
Lea
Some men don’t have the luxury of not shaving. My husband’s work requires that he be clean shaven.
That’s what I do! Heheheheh….
Well, ok, sometimes I do shave, but rarely. Yay for ankle-length skirts! 😉
Wouldn’t work out for my military hubby…
My husband has facial hair in spots. Awkward! Also works in a job where he is required to shave. AND I don’t really like facial hair! So… I think he will keep shaving. 🙂
My dad has that problem too. Whenever he would go without shaving for awhile (usually when camping) he would grow his “summer beard”. You know, some ‘er here and some ‘er here. Ha ha ha.
Ba haha! 🙂
My husband’s awesome beard saves us a lot of money! I only wear pants so I don’t spend too much on shaving either 🙂
If you blow dry your razor (any kind) after you use it, it lasts practically forever. http://www.clarkhoward.com/news/clark-howard/shopping-retail/drying-your-razor-blades-extends-shelf-life/nCjf/
I’ll second that! My husband wasn’t sure about this, but he decided to try it – he is military and has to shave every day as well – he doesn’t even have to blow it dry but just thoroughly dry it with a towel when he is finished and right now he goes through one blade a month. He says he could probably go longer too. It doesn’t seem like it would work, but apparently it is corrosion and rust from being moist that causes a dulling blade – works like a charm! Glad to see a fellow Clark lover!
I admittedly did not even know what a safety razor was. I had to look it up on drugstore.com. I am intrigued though. My husband has thick, coarse, curly hair and sensitive skin (bad combo!) and is a Marine so he has to shave every day (twice on days that they have evening events). He can’t use an electric razor because with his hair type, they don’t get close enough and he can’t use the cheapo razors because of his sensitive skin. So we are stuck with buying Mach 3, Fusion or Schick Quattro (his least favorite because of the wire guards) type razors on the best sales/coupons we can find. I think I will have him try the safety razor. This one I found below has great reviews from people with sensitive skin and coarse hair. Now I just have to look up prices elsewhere on it. http://www.drugstore.com/merkur-heavy-duty-classic-safety-razor-model-34c/qxp370017?catid=183778
My husband has similar problems, thanks for the info!
I second that! Same skin and hair issues here and we buy the same expensive razors. Thanks for doing the homework. I’m definitely going to try this.
Umm, what is a safety razor and where do we get one? 🙂
Haha…same with my husband! He LOVES shaving now 🙂 He purchases his blades on Amazon and has had to try out a few different brands to find one he likes. I believe he purchased his razor at Crabtree & Evelyn or on Amazon. This site was very helpful for him in his “research”: http://artofmanliness.com/category/dress-grooming/
Hubby went the other way. He saved up and invested in an electric shaver (About $60). So far, we’ve only had to replace the blades once (He’s had it for a year). And he replaces the cleaning solution 2 or 3 times a year (The cleaning cartridges cost $17 for a 3-pack.)
He especially likes it because he can also use it to shave my legs while I’m on the couch reading or watching a movie. (This makes him happy for 2 reasons: 1. I don’t spend as much time in the shower, saving more hot water for him, and 2. He LOVES touching my legs, especially once they’re nice and smooth.)
So, I suppose it could go either way. I think he’d be ok with a safety razor, too, since that’s what his barber uses to shave his sideburns and neck when he gets his hair cut. But one thing is for sure: he’ll never go back to disposable razors again!
TMI
lol
lol I suppose it was. And it may be even more TMI for me to say I like it when he touches them, too. But what can I say? I love my man! 😉 Besides, if I can get my legs shaved while doing something else, I’m saving tons of time! It’s easy to get stubble free while clipping coupons or folding laundry! 😀
If there was a like button I’d click it 🙂
good for you–being honest. he is your husband after all!
Sounds like a win-win to me! 🙂
:)!
I want to know too where to buy them.
So where do you buy these razors? And how do they differ from “regular” razors?
I’ve always been terrified of these razors that I would cut myself. Do you guys cut yourselves much?
My husband has cut himself less sense he switched.
what is a safety razor?
Did she mention where she purchased the safety razor at? I am interested in buying one for my husband to try.
Can you share what kind of razors you got and where you bought them?
My husband just started using a safety razor. He likes it better. It is a closer shave and doesn’t bother his sensitive skin. We bought these at Amazon.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000NL0T1G/ref=oh_details_o01_s00_i00
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0017ZECA6/ref=oh_details_o01_s00_i01
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004L4EING/ref=oh_details_o01_s01_i00