- There are cheaper alternatives to both the razors the author is showing.
- You don't need to shave every day, especially with 2024 social norms, you choose to.
- Nobody forces you to use a disposable razor. You can use a straight razor. You can use an electric shaver. I use both. But it turns out disposable razors saves your from cuts and learning technics and people want that.
- So you really pay £40/year (which is not huge) for the convenience of a disposable razor, and not even the cheap ones. And the fact you want to shave every day.
That reads like an Ad, except I don't know what OP is selling.
It turns out, properly engineered and precision machined safety razors saves you nicks and cuts and is a better shave than disposable or electric shavers. These razors angle the cutting edge at a certain angle, and has very little jiggle. You can still nick yourself applying too much pressure or slicing sideways.
You pay for it, of course, in the initial investment.
The author went on to list other examples, such as Kureig pods. Maybe he is trying to unsell some things.
> It turns out, properly engineered and precision machined safety razors saves you nicks and cuts and is a better shave than disposable or electric shavers.
Best in class (and should be multiples more expensive IMO): hensonshaving.com
That was what I got but I didn’t want to turn it into an ad or cult, even though their product makes it easy to do so.
The way I think of it is that, unless I lose mine’s, it is easily something that can be passed down as an heirloom or legacy for my kids (though I would probably outfit them with their own when they need it). There are not many things made like that anymore.
Got one, but I find Merkur handles (a more established make) to be better. That's not to say that Merkur will be better than Henson for everyone, but it's not reasonable to say that Henson is best in class.
Can you explain? I assume the blades become blunt over time, how does it work?
Also, the ones I use have some sort of green line on it which releases something that makes the shaving more pleasant. When that runs out, the shaving is less pleasant.
And since we are there, I'm in the market for an aftershave that smells great to my wife (mild, not strong) and that is not painful to put on/ok for sensitive skin.
Really hard to shop for these things online and even in shop, one has to smell them.
Henson is a safety razor, so the razor are disposable after about 4 - 5 uses (sometimes shorter). These razor blades do not come in a cartridge, they don't make their own blades, and encourage you to try different blades from different manufacturers. They are much cheaper because there is no cartridge, and all safety razors come in the same dimensions and cutout, making them interchangeable. You are not locked-in to a specific vendor.
The Henson handle itself is engineered so that the razor is bent to a precise angle that the designers determined to be the easiest to use by beginners. There are protrusions so that when you seat the razor, it does not jiggle (which is the opposite of what many disposable razors are advertising now). The handle is screwed in so that when you tighten it all the way, it produces that angle. This is all possible because the manufacturer is a custom, high-precision manufacturer of aluminum and titanium aerospace parts, and I guess some of the engineers got tired of the shavers they were using. They used a medical imagining device to measure how much of a difference this design makes (by detecting inflammation on the cheeks after using their device and other designs). The handle is what you pay into, and the inexpensive razor blades is how you recoup your initial investment relative to disposable razors.
Henson has a bunch of public youtube videos out there to explain (and market) this. Like anything, not everyone will like what they use. This works well for me. They are also unisex, so my wife also uses it. Whether they work well for you is another thing.
I use feather double edge safety razor blades and swear I get cut by looking at them. Always on my hands though so I try not to touch them using a wash cloth and toss them after 3 shaves.
Get a sampler pack of blades and see what suits your face best. No point in paying a premium for Feathers if they don't work for you. For me, Feather and Derby work well, while makes like Astra scrape a bit.
Since I have switched to Feather DE blades, I do not even bother anymore to use shaving cream or foam. The blades are so sharp that even dry shaving works fine.
When I used disposable razors, the frequency of cuts was orders of magnitude higher than with Feather DE blades.
However I use a relatively expensive adjustable razor handle, and it must be set to certain gradations, to ensure that the blades do not happen to cut the skin.
You can make "disposable" razors last a very long time by rubbing them on a piece of old denim in between shaves. Most of the wear on razors comes from oxidation from air and water vs. cutting hair. I believe doing this helps remove the oxidated spots. This means I can make a pack of them last 12-18 months, and I only need a new razor when the plastic/silicone housing and pads break.
Reading the other comments I should still probably invest in a more permanent razor though.
> - You don't need to shave every day, especially with 2024 social norms, you choose to.
Regarding 2024 social norms: the world is a big place and not everyone lives in the US or Western Europe.
Also, people have extremely different beard growth rates. I'm in my 30s and believe I personally still haven't met a man whose facial hair grows quicker than mine does. I can shave in the morning and by 6PM it no longer looks clean whatsoever. Yet there's many men who can't grow one even if they'd like to.
> But it turns out disposable razors saves your from cuts and learning technics and people want that.
They're also useful for those with disabilities or other issues that make it difficult to use a straight razor. I'd love to use one but have tremors if I hold my hands/arms in certain positions, rendering it unfeasable. We're definitely a small minority though, for most I'd recommend the straight razor.
>You don't need to shave every day, especially with 2024 social norms, you choose to.
different people have vastly different shaving needs, you can't put everybody in the same box like that. learn to be curious about other people's experiences, and their reasons, you can choose to too!
Many takes in this thread are people not realizing this and having a really narrow view of what people are shaving, and why, and what might or might not work for them--inappropriately generalizing their own constraints and desires to others.
>I am curious what the needs would be with regards to shaving?
thickness of individual hairs. density of follicles per unit area. hair growth rate. color of hair. do you get a 5-o'clock shadow? how about a noon shadow? how about just a 3 day dusting if you look close enough? do the people hiring you already consider you swarthy? does your neck break out in razor burn if you shave too close, putting you a day behind from the get go?
>really does seem more like a personal choice, social norm dependent topic
social norms are not personal choices, and what you call curious is what I call obtuse, but that's personal preference (based on norms I've observed). Two words for you to carry away from this, son: pseudofolliculitis barbae https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pseudofolliculitis_barbae
Going against social norms often comes at a cost. Many people have enough other things going against them that they need to get whatever small advantages they can.
I'm not sure that anyone is suggesting that it isn't their own responsibility. No one is saying that someone else should have to shave them or something.
>You don't need to shave every day, especially with 2024 social norms, you choose to.
Only if you're a software engineer at a company with no dress code. Many professions you simply MUST shave every day (ex. military, firefighter). Even the first company I worked as a software engineer for in 2005 required men to be clean shaven for work. In 2024 the New York Yankees STILL require their players to be clean shaven on the field.[1]
Beyond that, facial hair growth rate is highly variable.
Indeed. You could buy https://www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/products/251618381, for instance, which is a perfectly good razor and costs 70p per unit. Assuming one lasts you a week, that's £36 per year. Many people could make one last at least a fortnight, which brings the cost down to £18 per year.
Is it worth £8 per year to save the hassle of dealing with a classic double-edged razor? Yes, of course it is. This is a very strange thing to get upset about.
I have a Dorco that I've used for years along with a double edge. The Dorco cartridges are pretty cheap and the double edge was used.
Also, yes, you probably do not have to shave everyday these days. I can get by with 2-3 a week if that and still not look messy. Even if I did I feel the Dorco with the double edge is not that expensive.
I think that it's also important to consider that it's much easier to cut oneself when using a double edge razor. The multiple blades locked to a specific angle that makes a modern razor safer likely also contributes to its greater cost and plastic waste.
I suspect that it's more also difficult to travel with exposed blades than with modern cartridges; both due to the ease of packing and due to security hassles.
Personally I started shaving using an electric razor, switched to a double edged razor, and then eventually switched to a modern razor.
A Double Edged razor - also called *Safety Razor* - is a tool that is pretty safe, and requires a few minutes (few shaves) to get the hang of it and virtually almost never cut yourself again.
You do not need to travel with exposed blades, you can remove the blades, and probably buy new blades for a few cents at the destination.
Making things superficially safer at the cost of wasting resources the future generations will need greatly to save 5 minutes of training and practice is the typical problem of our age. As the author pointed out, this trend applies to many parts of our lives with slight differences.
I've never been anywhere inside the US where I could disembark a plane and buy razor blades for my DE razors.
The biggest safety benefit for cartridge razors is that they prevent you from cutting yourself when side-slipping, whereas a DE razor will gash your face open if you side-slip. But it is a tradeoff.
This is bizarre - I flew into Alberta from BC with just a carryon, meaning I couldn't carry razor blades. The TSA gave me weird looks for the bladeless shavette, but I could walk into Pharmasave (and I've seen them at Save-On, Shoppers, and more) and buy both double-edge razor, and the blades, in minutes
I'm actually incredulous you can't buy blades anywhere in the states
Yeah this was my experience going to Victoria BC. I was surprised that I could buy double-edged blades for my razor in the pharmacy there. Little stuff like that makes me think I belong in Canada more than the US.
> I've never been anywhere inside the US where I could disembark a plane and buy razor blades for my DE razors
This is odd. I've purchased razor blades from Walgreens and CVS locations across the US. Pharmacies in New York, San Francisco, and Denver as well as local pharmacies in small towns. I've also purchased them traveling abroad in Europe and the UK.
I just checked Walgreens' stock around me and every store within 5 miles (I think there's 7 of them) claims to have the Walgreens brand DE razor blades in stock.
Been using DE razors for probably 15 years and never had anything more than a nick.
It's pretty safe but accidents still happen. Just the other day I sliced my finger while grabbing my king gillette from the filled sink. It happened because I wasn't looking and the blade was exposed. I basically unscrewed it to clean out the hairs and didn't tighten in back up before dropping in the sink. And this happens to me sometimes that I don't fully tighten it. Even though I've been using this type of razor for a couple of years already I still manage to nick myself occasionally if I'm not careful.
I really rarely nick myself. I usually use a towel to grab the head of the razor when tightening/loosening it for cleaning or changing blades. Luckily for me I have not cut myself yet in the process.
I have a scar on my pointer finger from a deep cut from playing with the head of a HDD as a kid. It is similar to a deep razorblade cut. It still aches sometimes 20+ years after the accident. Be careful!
Which, funny enough, was one of the complaints about Gillette's disposable safety razor blades long before we had totally disposable razors which are much more wasteful.
Same. I love the Henson. Had it for a few weeks now but it feels no less safe than the Harry's disposable cartridges I was using before. Ignoring the tiny amount of extra plastic I save each year and the 10s of dollars on cartridges, I really just enjoy throwing away less stuff and the feel of a well made object that is intended to last for a long time.
+1 for the Henson, it's an engineering marvel. It's precision machined to stabilise the whole length of the blade edge to prevent it from wobbling and bending, which makes shaving much easier and the blade last longer. It makes the blade seem sharper. It also makes it harder to cut yourself since the blade can not sink into your skin.
This is the kind of engineering we need more of. No more proprietary, vendor lock in recurring costs. They designed a razor to work as perfectly as possible with an existing standard (the double edge safety razor blade).
I don’t have the Henson razor so I can’t directly compare, but I do have a Rockwell, and also a stubby Mekur. Someone gave me the Rockwell as a gift thinking safety razors somehow wear out, so I have two.
So I took a close look at the Henson website with the product photos, and today before shaving I took a close look at both the Rockwell and Mekur, and also used the Mekur for the first time in years just because of this.
As far as I can tell, every thing about all these safety razors is very similar. There’s no huge innovation going on in this area, and while I don’t know if other safety razors are built super crappy, at least the two I have are still good: Mekur still works the same after 20 years and Rockwell close to 10.
Comparing photos to the Rockwell, it looks almost the exact same: it screws down the same, holds the blade with the two side holes plus centre screw, curves the blade the same way, open channels on the back to flush hair out easily, etc. Rockwell even has a bonus compared to Henson: the plate you can flip over to go from 3 (30% angle?) to 1 (10% angle?) while the Henson is fixed.
Comparing the Mekur to the Rockwell (and at this point I’m assuming Henson), you can feel more of what the blade is doing with the Mekur, I think it has to do with the lighter weight. The Rockwell shaves a bit smoother over the skin, but this gives slightly more irritation after the shave - but not much. I can tell the angle of the Rockwell on 3 is more aggressive and shaves closer, but I’m fine with it and have never bothered to try on 1 and as said haven’t used the Mekur in a while either.
Anyway I have a gut feeling that Henson has advertised more, or more recently, based on other comments saying they saw it on YouTube, so I think that whatever high quality safety razor of the day/year/decade will be what most get, and what you will most likely hear about, even though there is nothing really new or better for a while now.
Interesting thought: the Mekur may be the better “safety” razor design just because you open and close it from the end of the handle, vs having to hold the head with your fingers near the blade to screw it down when changing blades on Henson and Rockwell.
Also, it’s interesting that both Henson and Rockwell are both Canadian.
I went from cheap disposables, to a safety razor, back to electric. Prefer the new electric razors, but nothing will beat the safety razor for a clean shave.
I went from a cheap electric ages ago, to cartridge razors, to a DE safety razor, stuck with that for a decade, and finally landed back on electric.
Modern electric razors give me the best shave I've ever gotten. The shave is as close as it needs to be for all practical purposes, but it's much gentler with essentially no risk of cuts, bumps, or irritation. I use a Braun Series 9 on my head and face (Panasonic Arc is supposedly great too) and a Philips OneBlade on my neck (the less close shave avoids causing bumps), in a hot shower with whatever oil I have on hand for pre-shave (MCT) and either Cremo, eos UltraProtect, or Amazon Basics shaving cream (these three all do about the same job, but I had to experiment with a bunch of others that were awful).
The Braun 9 is a bit of an up front investment, but beyond that the ongoing costs are fairly low as long as you maintain it properly. Factoring in cleaning/lubrication supplies, replacement heads, and shaving cream, I'd ballpark it at around $10/mo.
> I think that it's also important to consider that it's much easier to cut oneself when using a double edge razor.
I've actually found it to be the opposite in my case, after having used a double-edge safety razor for almost 7 years. When I use the DE razor, I know exactly where the blade is and it gives me greater control if I need to go over a spot again that I missed. With the disposable razor, I've always found it difficult to tell where the blades are on my skin, which makes me prone to errors. The multiple blades in sequence also make it much more nick-prone when going against the grain for a closer shave, or as in the missed-spot scenario I just mentioned.
But yes, you're right - it's basically impossible to travel with a DE razor without a checked bag. Even just carrying the handle without the blade in your carry-on is a risk. I have an acquaintance who lost his DE handle to a TSA agent that wasn't interested in understanding that the handle by itself poses no more risk than a toothbrush. So, if I'm flying, I'll suffer with the disposable razor and never shave against the grain.
Bevel makes disposable safety razors for travel. Yes disposable double edged safety razors. They are quite nice nice. It's a plastic handle with standard double edged blade in there but it's non removable.
I stand corrected! I do suppose I could also get a travel safety razor that comes apart into 3 parts (as opposed to a single piece with a butterfly opening) and pack them separately. Of course that could mean some blade wastage: I'm rarely in one location long enough to use up all 5 in a pack.
Not to shill, but the reason modern razors make it harder to cut yourself is that the head pivots. This isn't intrinsically tied to being a disposable cartridge. I know that at least OneBlade and Leaf make razors with pivoting heads which accept either single-edge or halves of double-edged blades respectively. You get the benefits of lower waste/spend and fewer cuts/less careful shaving.
Ironic that the razor you call double-edge was originally known as a safety razor - one of its main advantages over the previous technology (straight razors - of Sweeney Todd fame)
The pivoting head on these is a game changer after using the traditional double edge razor. I do cut myself on occasion (Feathers are SHARP) but usually when I'm trying to rush things, and not as much as with the traditional razor.
>The multiple blades locked to a specific angle that makes a modern razor safer
So are the blades in double edged razors, which is why they're also called ... safety razors. The cap at the top and the bottom basically fix the blade at a particular angle, when you angle it wrong it just won't really cut. They were literally designed so people could shave at home instead of going to the barber.
While it's true it is a little easier, I also don't find I ever do it. Admittedly, this no doubt depends on skin and use case, and I only shave around my beard, not all over.
For my use case, I find the multiple blades get clogged more easily and make it way harder to get a clean line, so a simple safety razor works best by a big margin.
I switched from cartridges to DE razors a couple of years ago for many of the reasons listed in the article. The article unfairly doesn't list many of the advantages of cartridges, which drove adoption of them over the dominant DE razors of yesteryear.
Cartridge shaving is just easier, faster, and more convenient. Multiple blades and pivoting heads let you absentmindedly drag the razor over your face and get a very good shave.
It takes me probably 25 - 50% longer to shave with a DE blade because I need to make more passes and shave more carefully to avoid cuts. Even so, I cut myself more often than I do with a cartridge. I do it anyway, though, because it's just more mindful and engaging than a cartridge razor, and cheaper. The spent blades can even be recycled in the right container.
Plus, shaving with hot water causes the metal body of the razor head to heat up, so you can get a hot shave, too. Try that with your plastic handle!
In my student days I at some point decided to go from a double sided razor to using a belt for sharpening a traditionam razor. Didn't last long because this actually is labour intensive in maintenance and shaving. For years I used to break a DE blade in half's and use it in a fake traditional razor. Now I am using the double blade again and actual find it really easy and fast. I am always annoyed from cartridges as longer hair (I wear a beard) gets stuck and the double sided razor is much easier to clean.
Using the old style of double-edged razors would be great. But, I have never managed to use them successfully - there's always a degree of nicks and razor burn.
Fans of this style of razor would claim that this will be poor technique and they may even be right, but not everyone can be good at it, apparently.
If someone were to invent a razor which can use cheap double-edged blades and not be unpleasant to use I'd certainly buy it.
BTW, the old Rolls Razor turns out to give a very good shave and a blade can last a lifetime. Its only disadvantage as far as I can tell is that it takes much longer to shave with (presumably not a problem for those who actually enjoy shaving).
DE razors have a level of aggressiveness. A Muhle R41 for example is a fantastic razor, but known to be hugely aggressive.
A R89 is much less agressieve and will be more comfortable to shave with if you have sensitive skin or are prone to nicks and cuts.
Lots of people talk about how to achieve the greatest smoothness, don’t go for that if you regularly have razor burn. Just go with the grain and that’s it, no across or against the grain.
THIS! My face doesn't like electric razors, but safety razors applied in in beard growth direction are fine, and give reasonably smooth shave.
Also make sure to clean that razor (Of course I did so for the electric one I had, a pretty advanced Phillips one with great reviews), and use sharp blades. Typically changing blades after 5 shaves is a good practice, though a bit of a luxury. Razors themselves and blades both have different level of agressiveness, you might not find the best fit for the first attempt.
I have good experience with Feather, some Lord and Voskhod Teflon blades. Some others didn't work well, but settled on these as soon as I found one readily available and of a good fit for my skin.
I also have a Müle R89 razor that is said to be not agressive, and indeed it did work out well for me! Had some others before, cheaper ones (actualy the Mühle one is not expensive, just not dirt cheap, it will easily serve you your whole life), some were hard on my skin, with the exception of some very basic Lord one was pretty ok. Cannot name the model, bought it while travelling and was sold for a few bucks in a bazaar.
Also shave after shower, or use other techniques to soften your facial hair. (though most are really cumbersome, like using steamed towels) Shaving soap of cream alone is barely adequate in my opinion.
Check out Rockwell razors. They come with a set of plates that let you choose the aggressiveness of the razor, which is very helpful, especially when you're first starting out.
Not all blades are the same - I bought a sample pack when I first started using double edged razors 12 years ago - 9/10 of the brands were horrible. Eventually I found the feather double platinum to be great, ordered a large amount from a Thai seller on Amazon because otherwise they were expensive.
Also I’d say the razor burn and nicks are all down to technique, and perhaps skin/hair type. For me, even from the get go, the old school safety razors did not cause razor burn while the 3 to 5 bladed monstrosities always did because they results in a far to close shave.
Blade type can make a big difference. I'm using Lord Platinum's right now and they've been a vast improvement. My skin is fairly sensitive though - I've only ever really managed to shave about twice to 3 times a week reliably. (I also have a pack of a 1000, so so I'll run out...possibly not within my lifetime).
Yeah seconding this. A lot of my razor rash went away when I went from Gilette Blue to Gillette Platinum. I've tried a lot of blades from different companies including Feather but the Gillette Platinum seem to work best for me.
You have to let your skin get used to it. When I first started I got tons of nicks and cuts and razor burn. Do it for a week or so and you'll get better and your skin will get used to it.
I tried for months and it was a bloodbath every single time. I guess if I were more persistent the skin would harden up or something but, shaved again with a cartridge blade and never looked back.
Lots of room for skin types to play here, I found that Astra blades were the least likely to nick and cause irritation. If I am in a rush I can even use them dry (with the grain only!).
Same for me. I tried different blades and everything. Sometimes I think it's all a huge conspiracy to trick me, almost like cast iron pan fanatics (always a mess for me).
Alternatively, you simply develop better technique without noticing. They are much closer so they are very sensitive to grain direction. I’ve found that I need to go with the grain, then sideways, and lastly against the grain in sensitive areas like the neck. And beard can grow in swirls, so grain is not always the direction you’d think. Secondly, warm clean skin and foam helps a lot to soften the hairs. Best would probably be in the shower but a hot towel before works too.
An electric razor is a good complement, and to be fair I use it more often. But that’s because I usually don’t care about the close shave. When I need make myself presentable I definitely prefer a proper razor, even when irregular.
> Nespresso machines, and other coffee pod brands, replace many styles of coffee brewing. Provide much worse coffee, at a higher price but are superficially convenient.
I dont think John quite realizes the quality of the coffee at the average office before such machines were a thing. It was much worse than capsule espresso, and I dislike Nestle as much as anyone else. The same for most people at home, really. And those who already made better coffee have kept doing so anyway. No, while capsule coffee is absurdly wasteful and there's plenty to criticize about it, the one positive thing is that it produces better coffee than what used to be the average.
There are office-grade coffee machines that make espresso-based drinks with a single button press and work with beans. They’re not as good as a real machines with non-pressurized baskets, but not worse than the pods.
And those might be the common in SV tech companies, but not as much in the other 99% of the world (and even less so at the time that capsule coffee became popular).
They do seem to be popular in places like coworking spaces and other shared facilities. But then they seem to buy the absolute cheapest bottom barrel beans, probably rarely clean the machines and so on, meaning it still just ends up worse than capsule coffee, or similar at best.
What he points out is true, but I could never get comfortable shaving with a double blade razor (constant razor burn) whereas the cartridge razors were much easier to use and get a comfortable shave. I wish there was a middle ground where you could have a durable multi-blade razor body and still replace individual blades instead of the whole head.
Edit:
Some of the other examples given are less strong (tea is still pennies a serving when buying in bag form). However electronic bike shifting systems always seem absurd to me. You mean I have to charge my bicycle!?
> Well understood mechanical bike shifting transitions to electronic shifting which requires you to pay more and charge your pedal bike
This has been on my mind lately. I own a bike with mechanical cable shifters and derailleurs. I've talked to friends who had to maintain these parts over the years, and even seen one maintenance session personally. Namely, you have to change the steel cable every so often because water and dirt enter through the ends and contaminate the cable. And after every few cable changes, you need to change the housing as well. Ask anyone who has ridden over 10 000 km, and they will tell you that they've changed the cable and/or housing during that operational period. Also, cables stretch and shift over time, and even without changing the cable or housing, you have to constantly re-tune the cable tension to ensure crisp shifting and not get stuck between gears - you probably have to do this every 1000 km.
Electronic (wireless) shifters/derailleurs don't have this particular failure mode because there is no mechanical cable. Sure, the derailleur needs lubrication and occasional maintenance, and you need to charge/change the batteries, and of course you need to make sure you don't destroy any electrical cables. But I believe the maintenance of as electronic shifting system requires far less labor. Electronic shifting isn't just a cash-cow gimmick; it offers real advantages. Another point is that some cargo bikes with a long distance between the rider and the derailleur(s) use electronic shifting instead of running a long cable, which again reduces maintenance and failure modes.
On road I don't see the point, any decent derailleur works well in all conditions you regularly experience. Generally rides (consciously or not) let up on the torque to improve shifting, not a big deal.
However on a MTB it's more challenging, more forces (sideways, skidding, jumps, rock gardens, etc), larger temperature changes, more variable torque (large gear ranges and suspension travel induced torque), and more need for shifting under full torque. For example when climbing a steep technical climb strewn with rocks and roots.
All cassettes in the last few decades have on/off ramps to help shifting, however it's pretty much the luck of the draw when you shift, doubly so when shifting multiple gears at once.
SRAM has managed quite the evolution and got the bike industry on board. First they replaced the weakest part of the frame (I've personally lost a frame to this), the derailleur hanger. Now the derailleur is effectively attacked to the rear hub and is perfectly aligned, there's all kinds of silly demos showing them being hit by hammers or standing on them when the bike is on it's side. I saw a study showing that on 5 year old bikes something approximately 50% of bikes has a misaligned hanger, enough to make shifting worse.
Now with that crazy big improvement in strength, durability, alignment, and best of all the bike industry now doesn't require a custom hanger for every bike with variable derailleur positioning, it can now just design in the bike axle.
Now they have a electronic shifter that gets rid of temp variability, cable issues, and can tuck in to avoid hits. It also knows where the ramps are, so it can shift exactly when needed, which allows full torque shifting seemlessly. In fact people complain it doesn't work particularly well when on a bike stand, but does extremely well when actually ridden on the trail.
Is it worth the cost, complexity, and charging once a month? That's up to the end user, but it is a pretty noticeable improvement. Some ebikes can supply the derailleur from the main battery.
I'm pretty late to the game with most bike developments, but I'm considering this one, perfect shifting under load is pretty attractive. My current bike is pretty finicky shifting wise. I replace the cable, casing, and clean/lubricate my derailleur and it gets better, not great though or at least not for long.
I tried the whole "old school" stack: double edge razor, Wilkinson shaving soap, hog hair brush. Still got a more comfortable result with a cartridge + any kind of soap (even hand soap). It's probably a question of getting more skilled/practiced with it, but now I keep a beard so I shave quite rarely.
After I decided to start shaving, I tried a few different razors. The benefit of the cartridge razor is that it requires less skill than the safety razor. The pivoting head puts it at the right angle every time. The downside, however, is the increased cost and packaging. There's also the problem that all the razor cartridges are proprietary and you need a new handle for each different blade set. I didn't like that,so I tried using the older safety razor that I had been using for trimming my neck when I had a beard. I ended up cutting myself a lot, especially around the chin. If that was what safety was, I'd shudder to see what I'd look like with a straight razor! I was still looking for something better, so after I had been brainwashed by YouTube sponsor segments for a few months, I finally caved and bought the Henson Razor in the hope its capabilities matched the advertisement. It's a finely machined safety razor, but the craftsmanship and tolerances aren't what separates it from the regular ones: it's the fact that they've designed it in a way that removes the skill requirements. The cutting angle is built in so you don't have to precisely control the pressure and angle of your cutting strokes. I was half expecting it to be a gimmick but I ended up falling in love with the design. I ended up buying a big sampler of razor blades and I've been enjoying trying all of them. Anyways, actually improving products are out there, you just have to look.
“The double edged razor has become a product that you can only buy on the internet, and which you will only buy if you know that it exists.”
The first seems like a non-problem - I already buy everything but groceries on the Internet.
The second is a publicity issue, if safety razor companies really wanted to, they could advertise the shit out of their products and “cheaper and generates less waste” is going to be a huge selling point tbh.
I only use a disposable razor when travelling (hard to get razor blades through airports security!) and at home I alternate between safety razor and electric razor depending on how much time I have. My first electric razor lasted 20 years, so that’s also a much better investment than tons of stupid expensive Gillette razors/cartridges.
I just reuse the same razor for months on end, sometimes six months. It gets dull, which is actually great. I get far more face cuts from a sharp razor. The dull ones I find are highly effective. I always use premium razors.
I dont use shaving cream either, just some bar soap when I am in the shower. The hot shower seems to make my skin easier to shave.
Shaving with dry skin (with shaving cream) in front of a mirror is a nightmare, and has resulted in far more cuts for me
I'm similar. Shave in the shower with a 2 blade cartridge for 2-4 months. Thumb off the blade after use to clean and put it away until next time. No soap, no cream, no oil; just water, skin, and blade. I don't get cuts or bumps and have been using this arrangement for 10+ years.
But why would one ever shave with dry skin in front of a mirror? Walking barefoot on burning hot asphalt is also a nightmare and coincidentally also not how it’s meant to be done.
I shave with only water and a philips oneblade (because I also trim). I used to just use whatever schick quattro or Gillette equivalent was cheapest when I kept a clean shave. And I can use the same blade for at least a year, maybe even 2.
Brush Plus from Gillette was an incredible product (it's shaving cream in a tube dispenser with a application brush, all-in-one): perfect combination of clings to your face, softens hair, and smooth slick glide. I once met the former product manager for it at a cocktail party and said I loved it, he said "you were the only one." https://www.youtube.com/embed/ByAAI0umHHo
also, on the subject, you all owe it to yourselves to get a few styptic pencils, they are dirt cheap, and stop bleeding from nicks (or pimples) really fast, at the cost of some sting, but even that is bracing. that which does not kill you makes you stronger
1. Modern disposable multi-blade razors are actually really good. They are very efficient.
2. Safety razors take more time and attention, which could be a pro.
3. I settled on https://proofrazor.com/products/proof-single-blade which is decent and very easy to adapt to if you are used to a regular razor, but definitely less efficient than the Gillette I was using prior. Less plastic was my goal, and my hair grows slow enough that I am not too bothered.
Thanks for the recommendation, I like how they're adapting the pivoting head from the cartridge razors to the ecosystem of the safety razor. I've been using the Henson Razor, which tackles the safety razor skill issue by fixing the angle of the blade when it cuts. I've been pretty happy with it, but now you're making me want to try the one you've shared.
>Modern disposable multi-blade razors are actually really good...
...multi is really good across your cheek, but getting into the "corner" between upper lip and nose? duals were ok, but better have a standby single blade at the ready.
> Subscription services like Hello Fresh, where you can pay well over the odds to have some vegetables delivered to you.
Isn’t this just paying extra to save the time of having to go to the shop? Whether that is worth it or not is going to vary by individual, but I don’t think people are stupid or being taken advantage of if they want to pay someone to save themselves time and effort… that is the foundation of a society.
I agree with most of the examples at the end of the post, except HelloFresh.
I'm a huge fan of HelloFresh, and I think it solves an important problem which is one of waste. Before this service, I would buy odd quantities of ingredients (especially vegetables) that would invariable go bad and get chucked in the bin. The amount of lettuce, mushrooms, avocados, etc I threw away were obscene.
With these kind of services I get a tailored amount of perishable ingredients to a specific recipe on a specific day and great deal of mental energy is saved by outsourcing meal planning to them. I don't think I've ever threw away a single food item since using them. IMO this well worth the extra money.
On the other hand, food itself is renewable. The energy embodied within it (expended in its supply chain) may not be, but neither is the energy consumed during deliveries.
It may be that throwing away a few pieces of food obtained from a highly-optimized supply chain (such as a supermarket) is still better from an environment point of view than not throwing anything away but getting your food delivered.
Not sure how we can talk about cost efficiency without including electric razors.
The shave isn't quite as close (so depending on your personal preference maybe they're not an option) but they beat everything else on convenience, safety, and waste.
Long-term cost is more like $15-20 per year versus $10 per year for old-skool safety razors. But that's close enough to be irrelevant for most people I'd think.
Yup - I've done double-ended safety razors, I've tried the Gillette and Harry's disposable ones, but in 30+ years of shaving what I keep coming back to is Braun electric razors. So far, they're the only option I've found that doesn't leave me with razor burn.
Currently using a ten-year-old Braun Series 7. I can get away with infrequent shaves (~3x a week) since my beard doesn't grow very quickly, so I replace the foil and cutter heads every 2-3 years. It's not as cheap as a double-ended, but for me, it's a better shave, worth the cost, and cheaper/less waste than disposables.
If I upgrade anytime soon, it will probably be to something that's designed to be used in the shower - I do miss a nice shaving cream sometimes, and unless I have a bottle of 'Lectric Shave handy, I don't usually like to shave right after showering.
Electric Razors do not give a close shave at all, they're better than Electric trimmers, but definitely closer to trimmers than disposable or safety razors. That's also why they're more convenient and safer - because they don't really cut to the base of the hairs.
I paid ~$30 for an electric razor two decades ago. I have to recharge it every 2 weeks. I'm guessing that makes the total cost heading to something like $1/year asymptotically.
Astounding how many people here refute the premise of the article. For many of these products it seems uncontroversially true, you are indeed paying more and producing more waste (and sometimes receiving a crappier product) for a small convenience. The real point at hand is not the quality or necessity of the product, but the convenience.
Fascinating how people will claim to have logical takes on finance and sustainability and the like, but then the moment you take away convenience, they're like "uhh uhm actually no please I really really need this product because... XYZ". People need to admit that they just like the convenience. You aren't a genius for trying to find some technicality why tea bags are more sustainable than tea leaves. Heck, you don't even need to drink tea in the first place. You just like the convenience and personal enjoyment.
>Well understood mechanical bike shifting transitions to electronic shifting which requires you to pay more and charge your pedal bike (Not sure about this example, as in theory a bike derailleur needs not be a repeated purchased)
Electronic shifters just work tremendously better. I still don't use them.
Edit: No, you usually don't need to change the derailleur. Just chain and sprockets
If you’re supposed to replace modern cartridges every 3-5 shaves, I’ve been doing it wrong. The steel blades in a cartridge easily stay sharp through dozens of shaves. The reason people replace cartridges is because they get clogged with soap and hair. If you rinse them every time, they last significantly longer than single blades.
> Televisions moving from being screens which accept input, to self contained 'smart' devices that require software updates and thus have a shortened useful lifespan.
I just bought a 48" OLED smart TV and never connected it to the internet. It works fine as a monitor. I have another low budged smart TV in the bedroom that started life as a computer monitor and now is online as a TV. What's great about it is that it comes with IPTV - essentially cable TV that is free. Yeah there's commercials and a lot of the content is junk, but it augments YouTube and Emby nicely, (it's also Netflix capable).
All this to say, I have yet to see TVs cross the line into being actively user-hostile. Even my old kindle fire TV (whatever it's called) will grudgingly connect to jellyfin without Internet (does require several extra navigation clicks though)
I bought a Merkur safety razor off eBay and a bulk pack of Derby blades like 6 years ago for about $40 and haven’t spent a dollar since (I suppose I bought shaving cream too, on occasion; $3 for a tube at the supermarket btw).
This is the problem with the human brain. When there are not enough real problems, it invents fake ones!
“You didn’t shave!”
What a stupid problem society invented.
And the true cost isn’t the money, so much as collective man hours wasted.
Down with razors! I just get a buzzer and trim facial hair every now and again.
In the modern day women seem to have superiority socially. So I think men shave to subtly appear like women, and thus receive more social grace.
This behavior is shown in the cuttlefish. The lesser males act like females around the alpha. Then when he’s not looking jump in and mate with the females.
As someone who grew up around hippies, the grunge era, punks, etc ... I find the general public has become very demanding about someone's general appearance to the point the can become subtly hostile towards you.
Be clean shaven, have ironed clothes and clean shoes. If you carry a backpack it better look new and clean and you can't carry around a lot of stuff in it either.
It's almost an authoritarian style of behavior. Its very much a subtle thing too. Pass someone while walking in a downtown area and they will make it known if you look poor.
I’m guessing you don’t live on the west coast USA or in a university town? My experiences in Tucson, AZ and Seattle, WA are very different —- to me it seems society has become more accepting, not less, of a disheveled appearance.
PSA: Disposable razors are: bad for the environment, bad products, overpriced and very expensive over time. Additionally, pressurized foaming shaving cream, like Gillette, is garbage. I bought a $40 metal safety razor handle in 2014~ and then bought a box of 100 single blades for the handle for maybe $30 in 2019~. I am maybe around 1/3 of the way through those blades. At one point I did the math and those two options combined will save me thousands of dollars total. Bottles of real shaving cream work exponentially better than the pressurized foaming bottles and last much, much longer.
Been shaving my bald head for more than 10 years and went through disposable razors, cheap double edge razors, a shavette, an electric razor...
Disposable razors will clog with just one shave, and they're difficult to wash and clean and they left me with irritation. Not even getting started about reusing them. They're the most expensive solution.
A cheap double edge razor will give you cheap results. The ones I got here (for what would be about US$1.5) had slightly skewed corners, so you had to be really careful and moving your hands as straight as possible. And its grip is non existant when your hands are wet, so when you're shaving the back of your head it can be a bit dangerous as the shave handle can slip or spin and nick you. They corrode rather quickly and if yours falls to the ground, that's it.
With a shavette, or a straight razor, you have to be even more careful - the blade is more exposed. I used to grab it near to the blade so I could have more certainty about the angle of it. I find it gave me a bit more irritation that the DE Razor and it's really difficult to near impossible to use it around and behind my ears. Though nobody beats it when shaving long hair - it can't clog.
At last I could afford a Leaf razor - it's just absolutely great in almost every sense and though it's not cheap it was worth every penny - sans the clogging thing, but you can clean it almost as easily as a DE razor. Oh and maybe I wish the spring that moves its head to its original position was a bit more strong. Never have had a cut or nick with it and it gives the cleanest shave I've ever had. Got one for my father (he's going to be 88 - and he still has his head full of hair! I just didn't had luck with the genetic lottery) and he likes it too.
I don't use special soaps for shaving nor oils or anything, just regular soap or thick shampoo and water (mostly because third world issues). Blades here can cost around US$0.35 per box (that little box that has 5 blades) so they're relatively cheap. With the Leaf razor I use the three spots so it's a blade and a half and lasts me for ~8 shaves, head and beard. I prefer them to be really sharp as when they start to lose its sharpness you tend to do some pressure with the razor and that's when most of the nicks and cuts happen.
I found my leaf razor spring has started to become semi-slack, and failing to return as well to the original position. I suspect I will need to replace it soon (should be a waranty issue). Had it ~ 1 year.
I found the shave is also not that close, and the larger head flat region means it is more difficult to get to spaces like under directly the nose.
I like the design, but it is far from perfect
Shaving is not expensive if you simply clean the blade after using it. Cleaning the blades slows the oxidation process on the edge which is the primary contributor to poor blade performance.
I once friend-of-a-friend met somebody, a materials science grad student who had "invented/applied" a high tech alloy to the edge that allowed for blades to last at least 10x. But instead of for shaving, the big money was in blades sold to flooring carpet cutters, they use a new blade for every cut. His selling proposition was (conservative) 5x which would really increase productivity/save labor. Problem is, his market was too scared to try it, at the risk of messing up an expensive piece of carpet which had been ordered in fixed quantity, they'd rather just put in a new blade, the cost wasn't an issue.
I have the Twig and the triple blade. The twig is definitely my preferred. The triple blade is fine for shaving large areas, but any detail work and it's useless.
The twig does need to be cleaned very often, but it's not a big deal and it is better than any DE I have used in the past. Much less irritation and nicks than my DEs in the past.
"Shaving is too expensive and is a demonstrative example of how most consumer products are designed to extract more money from you rather than to improve your life, or the world, or to be in any way remotely good."
Would it be possible to stack multiple double-edge blades into a shaver head, slightly offset to each other, to perform like a traditional multi-blade disposable razor?
Or is the thinness of a disposable blade what makes it work well, assuming the blades can flex more to follow the skin profile?
I could see a product where you install 3-4 double edge blades into a the shaver head, and then "flip" the head or blades once the first side runs dull.
I recently switched to a double edged safety razor. It took a week to learn how to use it properly, but I now don’t cut myself anymore than I would with a cartridge razor. The shave is better and the cost is lower. I had wondered if all of the hype and YouTube ads were trying to trick me. But no, it’s great! Just don’t buy one of those overpriced handles people are trying to sell to you.
I love my double edged razor. My two teenage sons, who are just beginning their shaving journey each have their own, and don't seem to have issues with razor burn and nicks. Maybe the "safety" features of disposable razors just let you be a lazy shaver, akin to the way "safety" features in cars can let you be a more distracted or lazy driver?
I love mine as well. It’s a 1968 Gillette N1 which was my father’s. I’ve tried “fancier” DE razor bodies and I hate them. This article just me realize how much I depend on this specific razor. I’ve managed to find 3 for sale online and scooped up a backup to secure my future.
A while ago I watched the tv adaptation of "the underground railroad" and theres a scene where one of the main characters uses a kind of hair-removing or growth-inhibiting cream to "shave" without using a razor. Anyone know if that's a real thing?
I've used it (on my legs, I'm a lady). It's expensive if you use it regularly and shaving is easier cuz you have to let the Nair sit on your skin for several minutes IIRC (it was 25 yrs ago).
I haven’t shaved with razor for 20 years and haven’t been to the barbers in just as long. I bought a battery powered shaver for 15 bucks and use it once a month to shear off beard and hair in ten minutes. Saves time and money.
The plastic cartridges go out of alignment through blade nicks and that sort of thing before they get dull. Running them across old jeans in the opposite direction that they shave will fix it.
I don't shave everyday because I get better shaves if I do it like twice a week. I don't mind using a Gillette five blade razor and change out the blade like every other month
IMO I think that safety razors are superior to the modern cartridge razors in every single way. They are way cheaper and I found that once you learn how to use it properly, it will give you a closer shave than a cartridge razor.
The plastic part is a good point. Anyone have a recommendation for basically "the 52 pack of BIC single blade disposables with a quick pop in pop out handle"? Specifically I'd like one just as completely shitty in every way (i.e. plain, not contoured, single blade, no pivot, but a decent enough blade) minus I'm fine with the inconvenience of moving the handle to the next one (so as long as it's a quick pop).
I kind of blame consumers for some of this stuff? Good options are still out there. Now, admittedly, I do have a full beard, so I only shave my upper cheeks and lower neck, but I've been making do with a Merkur long-handle double-sided safety razor (the model 23C) for about a decade and a half now, and those blades feel like they last forever. Plus, I bought 100 of the blades for like $10 on Amazon a decade ago, and still have the vast majority of them left. I think this supply might outlive me!
So, yeah, good options are available out there for lots of things, it's just the consumers aren't picking them (or don't do research and thus aren't aware of their existence). And the manufacturers and retailers are understandably interested in pushing the products that make the highest profits for them, just like the consumer should have an interest in getting the best deal for themselves. But I don't know what the alternative would be.
Comeon, dude. People buy disposable cartridges because they are convenient and much easier to use than a straight razor or safety razor. It's not a fucking conspiracy. Same with tea bags (and I mostly drink loose leaf myself).
There is a reason they are writing a blogpost (affiliate links?) instead of creating a successful business that solves the supposed problem of shaving being too expensive.
I read this as a reflection on the fact that our current economic system incentivizes and promotes companies that refuse to make/sell low-margin goods.
It rewards companies that instead make high-margin goods, even when those high-margin goods are genuinely worse for consumers in general.
I read this as another poke at capitalism and how it utterly falls down in making efficient markets when there is information asymmetry. And it shows that information asymmetry is easy to artificially introduce, and it's beneficial to sellers (perhaps even required by sellers) to do so.
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Basically - successful safety razor companies exist, but you literally cannot buy their products in person. Stores don't want to sell them, and you won't see commercials for them either (low margin goods usually don't have the budget to spam you with marketing).
So the consumer is mislead into purchasing a much more expensive option by default, outside of extensive personal research into what should be an easy choice.
If you think Razors are the only place this is happening... I promise it's not.
The issue isn't that you can't create a company that sells safety razors. It's that market incentives drive those companies out of sight of consumers by default. The end result is bad for the average consumer.
Where is the evidence? Retail business earn minuscule profit margins (this is public info via SEC filings). Walmart famously demands its suppliers to sell to it at near breakeven price, and Walmart’s vendors complain that Walmart pushes them to the brink.
The much simpler and likelier explanation is that the demand for safety razors does not justify the shelf space. And it’s 2024, information is everywhere. If people wanted safety razors, they would get them.
> The much simpler and likelier explanation is that the demand for safety razors does not justify the shelf space.
I don't think we're disagreeing. I'm firmly stating that low margin goods are almost never worth the shelf space if companies can avoid them, and that this is a huge negative externality of a capitalistic system.
The low margin good is better for me as a consumer, and worse for the store.
This is also why grocery stores HATE carrying produce, and fucking love selling alcohol. Is that a good thing?
You're making an economic argument. I'm making a value argument.
- You don't need to shave every day, especially with 2024 social norms, you choose to.
- Nobody forces you to use a disposable razor. You can use a straight razor. You can use an electric shaver. I use both. But it turns out disposable razors saves your from cuts and learning technics and people want that.
- So you really pay £40/year (which is not huge) for the convenience of a disposable razor, and not even the cheap ones. And the fact you want to shave every day.
That reads like an Ad, except I don't know what OP is selling.