Safety Razor

I bought my first (and hopefully only!) safety razor a few weeks ago and after using it for a while now, I'm happy with this zero waste switch. Unlike disposable razors, or even razors with replaceable heads, the entirety of a safety razor is 100% recyclable metal. You should only have to buy the body once and just replace the blades.

I chose this razor because of the name (gotta love the Vikings!). I got the smaller "Chieftain" version. While this razor isn't cheap - nearly $40 - the blades are: this set comes out to just under 12 cents a blade. The blade gets changed when it starts to feel dull - that could be anywhere from a few shaves to a few weeks depending on the blade, how corse your hair is, and how often you shave. Storing it in a dry place will help it last longer.

Is it dangerous? Not at all. The razor has a little guard that helps with the angle. It's different than a disposable razor: you hold it at 30 degrees, which at first feels awkward. Shorter strokes make keeping the angle easier.

I'll admit, I'm terrible at shaving. Even with a disposable razor, I usually nick myself a few times. The first time I used a safety razor, it wasn't any different than when I used a dull disposable. Not ideal, but not a bloody mess! The second time was significantly better, and the third time I only cut myself once. One thing that I noticed was that the nicks were not little cuts, but only bleeding from the hair follicle. Exfoliating regularly keeps the skin smooth and nicks nearly nonexistent! If you're a normal human being who can shave like an adult, you'll be fine.

Update 3/15/18: Cut myself pretty badly recently, but I think it was because I was using a dull blade and wasn't paying attention. I've learned my lesson!