Hot take: switching from straight razors to safety razors changed my shave in 2 weeks

I used a Mach 3 for years and always got razor burn on my neck. Switched to a Merkur safety razor 2 weeks ago and the difference is night and day. The single blade drags less and I haven't had a single ingrown hair since. Has anyone else noticed a huge change ditching multi-blade carts?

4 comments

4 Comments

the_harper1mo ago

My grandpa used a straight razor his whole life and when I tried it I sliced my ear open twice before giving up. Safety razors are way easier to not bleed from.

fiona_west211mo ago

Started with a straight razor too and yeah the learning curve is brutal. @the_harper I feel your pain on the ear thing, that's a rough spot to slice. What finally worked for me was switching to a safety razor but keeping the old school shaving soap and brush. Way less blood and I still get that close shave feel. The trick is light pressure and short strokes, let the weight of the razor do the work. Took me a few weeks to get the hang of it but now it's second nature.

ellis.faith1mo ago

Actually had the opposite experience here. Straight razor gave me way fewer cuts than safety razors ever did. Might be a hand size thing or just how I hold it, but I found the weight and angle of safety razors harder to control. Still use the straight one most mornings, just go super slow around the ears now.

hannah4001mo ago

Oh man, I feel you on the ear slicing thing. That's actually brutal, I tried my dad's old straight razor once and nicked the spot right behind my earlobe, bled for like an hour. I mean, I get why people love them but yeah, safety razors are just way more forgiving. The blood is less of a factor when you're just trying to get ready in the morning without a trip to urgent care.