By Bryan Ergle
In brief: A safety razor can be a satisfying grooming preference, but it is not automatically cheaper, closer or less irritating for every face. Technique, blade condition and skin needs matter.
Choose for your own routine
Bryan Ergle’s original essay favored a double-edge safety razor and described enjoying the traditional ritual. That is a personal preference rather than a controlled comparison with cartridge or electric shaving. Different tools may suit different people, and changing equipment involves a learning curve.
Begin with basic skin care
The American Academy of Dermatology’s shaving guidance recommends wetting the skin and hair, using a suitable shaving cream or gel and shaving in the direction hair grows. Rinse the blade and avoid continuing with a dull one. Persistent irritation, painful bumps or other skin concerns deserve a dermatologist’s advice rather than repeated experimentation with an aggressive shave.
Calculate cost from current supplies
Compare the handle, replacement blades or cartridges, other products and how often you actually replace them. Old quoted prices and a universal number of shaves per blade cannot predict your cost. A higher initial purchase may or may not be recovered over time.
Use care while learning
Follow the tool’s instructions, keep blades away from children and do not share razors. More passes are not automatically better. Stop if the process is injuring your skin. Enjoying a slower routine is a valid reason to choose a tool; a promise of pain-free shaving is not necessary to justify it.
Sources and further reading
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