Do Safety Razors Give a Closer Shave?

Safety razors have soared in popularity once more. They used to be the go-to, the star of the shaving world in the 1930s and 40s through to probably the late 70s when disposable razors started taking over. 

Safety razors beat disposable razors in so many ways:

• WAY more eco-friendly as they’re plastic-free (at least, ours is), and reusable 
• Better for sensitive skin due to there being just one super-sharp blade and not 4 to 6 smaller blades like on most commercial razors (totally unnecessary) 
• Flexible for use across the face, legs and bikini line 

But, do safety razors actually give a closer shave? 

How Do Safety Razors Work?

Safety razors aren’t too mechanically different from standard disposable or cartridge razors. 

They feature one super-sharp standard disposable blade. These aren’t like razor blade cartridges, they’re literally just standard razor blades designed for shaving. You can grab a box of 100 for something like £6 to £8. 

Since standard razor blades are just single sheets of steel, they’re easy to recycle and can be reused a few times – they’re no slouch. 

The safety razor handle houses the blade – it’s a reusable handle. 

Over time, safety razors save hundreds, and they’re eco-friendly too. 

Do Safety Razors Give a Closer Shave?

Let’s consider why razor blades work in general. 

In the case of a standard disposable or cartridge razor, there are maybe 4 or 6 blades. Those blades have one job: to cut human hair. 

Why do you need 4 blades to cut one hair that is less than 0.1mm thick? The truth is, you don’t. 

Read our guide to plastic-free shaving for some solid background and history as to why shaving companies offer loads of blades and added extras like ‘moisturiser pads’ (there’s some good pub quiz info in there too). 

In a nutshell, though, it’s a marketing ploy. You only need one razor blade to cut human hair. More blades = more friction which leads to razor burn and in-grown hairs. 

Safety razors provide an awesome, authentic and effective wet-shaving experience. They’re the highest-performance shaving device next to a cutthroat razor. 

Many people start using a safety razor for the green factor, but stay because the shave is exceptionally good. 

This goes for both men and women. Men enjoy a proper dapper upmarket facial hair shave, as close to a cut-throat razor as it gets. Women; for legs and the bikini line, safety razors provide super-smooth shaves that last longer. Of course, the benefits apply for all genders, regardless of who you are, what body part you’re shaving and why. 

The short answer is yes, safety razors give a closer shave than most razors. They’re great for sensitive skin and result in fewer ingrown hairs than standard razors. 

Safety Razors: Best Practice 

One of the main criticisms of safety razors is that they’re hard to use. 

Read our extensive guide on how to use a safety razor for all you need to know about how to obtain to best shave possible. 

There are tons of useful articles and resources in the blog too. 

Happy shaving!