In early 2022 I backed a Kickstarter campaign for a brass safety razor. I wasn’t a so-called “wet shaving” safety razor afficionado but I was hooked by the concept that you can buy cheap, steel (therefore recyclable), double-sided razor blades instead of expensive disposable plastic alternatives.

The economics continue to boggle my mind. In April 2022 I bought a pack of 100 Bic blades from Amazon for AUD$16. This pack is still going strong, with each shave costing me 16 cents (I shave at most weekly, so I don’t reuse the safety blades). Meanwhile, my previous supply of disposable razors via the Dollar Shave Club is currently running at AUD$6 for five blades. Let’s call it an even 10x more expensive, and they’re all made of plastic (except the cutting part of the blade itself, naturally) so contribute to landfill.

So the razors are cheaper going with a safety razor. How about the shaving soap? Well, there’s nothing which says you can’t use bog standard Nivea shaving gel with a safety razor. But the done thing is to buy a little cup thing and a bristle brush and lather up your own soap from a solid bar/cake of shaving soap. The cup and the brush can be expensive, but just like the safety razor itself they are one-time purchases.

For shaving soap, I splurged a bit and bought Tabac, which comes in a reusable ceramic bowl. In over 18 months it feels like I’ve barely scratched the surface, so the $25 refill seems like it will be similarly good value to the razors themselves. I really like the way this soap lathers up and can be generously brushed on – despite being frugal with it I always seem to have more than I need per shave.

Learning to shave with a safety razor wasn’t too much of a learning curve. I typically shave in three main passes. Apply the lather, and shave “with the grain” (downwards, basically). The safety razer is best with small, gentle, strokes – basically allowing gravity to pull the razor down and simply steering with the fingers. The second pass repeats the first, finishing up any thicker patches of hair which the first pass couldn’t get through (this wouldn’t be an issue if I shaved more frequently). The third pass shaves across the grain, and this pass catches most of the leftover bristles. If I get to this point with some patience left and no nicks, I will sometimes have the courage to run a fourth pass against the grain (upwards). I need to be careful here – my skin nicks easily and I’ve found from experience that any improvement in the closeness of the shave is often not worth it.

I’m not too extreme about trying to minimise waste but I do feel like it’s good to promote a more sustainable lifestyle. The safety razer approach fits my philosophy of a higher up front cost for good quality and long lasting equipment. It’s the opposite of the “Gillette” model and over time it is clearly cheaper and more efficient and sustainable.

The only problem… can’t take safety razor blades in a carry-on bag for air travel!