Von Sander - The Beardmen 
After releasing my TOP-5 of the best safety razors, I thought: let me write a blog article about many questions asked in Google about Safety razor blades, particularly those in the UK market. As a beginner slash teenager or someone who has used a razor or trimmer all their life, there is a lot of confusion about safety razors and understandably so.
In this blog article, read up on safety razors, what exactly they are and why you should use one.
I will also tell you more about how to use them and how often you should replace the blades (likewise not entirely unimportant).
What Is A Safety Razor?
A safety razor, also known as a scraper or a safety razor, is a razor where the cutting edge is straight on the handle. This is the explanation from Wikipedia and I couldn’t put it better myself. The cutting edge is surrounded by one or two metal elements to protect the skin – which is called a butterfly or closed comb.
To use a safety razor, you need to buy metal razor blades. These blades are universal, so you can buy these from different brands.
A safety razor is actually the “safe” successor to the old-fashioned razor, which is also called an open razor or the classic razor. This is a razor that has been used since the end of the 17th century. The blade consists of a handle that you unfold for each shave. You sharpen the razor with a string belt, but nowadays you have many classic razors where you can simply replace the blade – just like with a safety razor.
Why Use A Safety Razor?
There are several reasons for using a safety razor.
- It’s more masculine! Just saying.
- Cheaper: you pay 10 to 60 pounds for a safety razor handle and you can use it for years. You do need to buy the blades, which cost an average of 10 to 50 pennies each.
- More durable: a safety razor does not use electricity and – unlike with e.g. Gillette razor blades – you only replace the metal blades.
- Smoother result: thanks to the sharp metal blades, hair is cut short.
- Less frequent shaving: the smooth shaving result means less frequent shaving
- More hygienic: the replaceable blades are so cheap that you throw them away after 1-2 shaves. So you use a clean blade every time you shave, which is not always the case with a shaver (we sometimes forget to clean the shaver head) and with razor blades from Gillette, for example.
How to use a safety razor made in the UK
Using a safety razor requires a bit of dexterity. You will get this automatically by practising often enough. You get the best shave by placing the angle of the blade at 30 degrees to the skin. Pull the skin taut with your free hand or use your facial muscles and move the safety user in one movement in the direction of hair growth. Before you start shaving, you should wet your skin with lukewarm water and use a little shaving foam.
A few things to bear in mind:
- As a beginner, it is better not to shave against your beard hair. This can cause irritated skin.
- Let the blade do the work. Do not press too hard on the skin.
- Do not hold the handle too firmly, but “with feeling”.
How do you replace the safety razor blade?
- Step 1: Remove the old blade. Grasp the butterfly clasp (= the top piece) on the side, so you don’t cut yourself in your fingers. Turn the butterfly clasp around and remove the top piece.Take the parts apart and remove the old blade.
- Step 2: Insert the “screw” of the butterfly clasp into the opening of the new blade.
- Step 3: Close the bottom of the top piece on the blade by screwing it on.
- Step 4: Screw the butterfly clasp back onto the handle.
What types of blades to use for a safety razor?
When you buy a safety razor for new, you often get a number of blades included. Once these run out, you can buy blades from the same brand or buy blades from another brand in Britain. The blades are universal. What you should mainly look at is the sharpness.
The sharper the blades the longer they will last, and sharp blades also make your skin less prone to irritation. With a safety razor, always choose double-edged blades. These blades cut from two sides.
How often do I replace the blades of a safety razor?
This varies per brand. If you buy very sharp blades, you can do 3-4 shaves with these. Often, these blades are slightly more expensive.
However, I do want to tell you that it is important to replace the blades on time. Blunt blades increase the risk of wounds and irritation and are unhygienic to use for too long. I often throw them away after only two shaves!
Safety razor experiences
Most men have good experience using safety razors. These blades are cheap, hygienic and give the smoothest shave. It does take some practice, but if your dad can do it, so can you!
Conclusion: To buy or not to buy a safety razor?
If you have decided you want to try a safety razor, I suggest the cheapest one. But always be mindful of the quality. Your goal, at this point, is to determine which is suitable for you.
If you like convenience, then a shaver might suit you best. The problem is that this will set you back several hundred pounds for a good razor. Another option are razor blades, but these are expensive to use and also less durable, as the blades are partly made of plastic.