I use those blades in present day.
When I put in a new blade, I keep the wax paper wrapper, then rewrap the discarded blade in said wax paper before discarding it.
Give or take twelve years into this endeavor, I’ve had zero issues with this system.
Safety razors are great! They’re way cheaper than “conventional” (3, 4, 5 blade) razor blades. They shave a lot closer, and you can get a variety of different grades of blades to fit your comfort level.
The only reason the expensive multi-blade disposable razor cartridge became popular was because Gillette enshitified their razors to maximize profit.
I have this (I am sure irrational) fear that if I use a safety razor, I will cut the shit out of myself. Which, I realize, goes against the word ‘safety’ in the name.
You do have to be a little more delicate because it is easier to cut yourself but it doesn’t take long to get a feel for it. I doubt I cut myself any more than I did with a 4 blade cartridge.
I’ll have to try to get over my fear and try it. How does it do when you haven’t shaved in a few days? Because I’m very lazy about that.
It takes a few weeks for your face to get used to being shaved by a safety razor but once it is, my god.
It’s like the MSPaint Erase Tool in real life. I used to do electric razor only going over and over and over
Now it’s like almost pornographic how easy it is to shave – one swipe down, two, three, four… half the face is hairless.
Four swipes left, left side is hairless.
Four swipes under the moustache and bam.
Highly recommended getting over the beginner’s curve, watch some YouTube videos but here’s a Linux primer on how to do it:
- Fill shaving cream bowl or basin with warm (not hot water).
- Allow horsehair brush to soak in basin for 1-5 minutes.
- Shake excess water off the brush
- Add about half a toothpaste brush amount of shaving cream to the basin, stir into a rich lather, consistency of yogurt. If it’s foaming up/running there’s too much water. I recommend PRORASO, Menthol (Refresh). One $10 tube lasts 3-6 months. Extremely cost effective.
- Run some warm/hot water on a very low pour from sink. This is used to wash hair off your razor between passes.
- Sterilize your safety razor with a 55-75% isopropyl alcohol spray. This is optional but prevents any kind of infections, because these razors basically slice open everything including pimples.
- Lather up your face. Sides, bottom, moustache, whatever.
- Don’t apply excess/heavy pressure, these razors are extremely sharp. Go down in a stripe, flip razor over, do another stripe. Down cuts hair, holding at a mild angle, across (left right) cuts your skin, so never try to slide the razor across your face.
- Go slow, practice, once your face is used to it, it becomes second nature and shaving is 10× more pleasurable and convenient than those disposable razors or whatever.
- It’s good enough that I recommend it to other people. I’m a man, few things make me actually feel like a man more than a good/proper shave.
