Of course, you are already familiar with the standard disposable razors that are widely advertised. What you may not know is that there are other, better and cheaper alternatives to cartridge razors. In this article we will explain to you in detail what the best razor is.
Of course, it remains quite personal which razor is best for you. It depends on what type of beard hair and skin you have. To make the choice a little easier for you, we listed the best razors for you. Even if you're still happy with a simple razor with a disposable cartridge, just because you've been used to it for years, it can't hurt to learn more.
Razor blade sharpness
Most men think that the sharpest razors are automatically the best razors. This is true in most cases. The sharper the blade the smoother the result will be. However, you have to learn to deal with that. Because you also run the risk of cutting yourself earlier. But: with a sharper razor a better result can be achieved. If you master the technique well, the sharpest blade is ideal for sensitive skin and somewhat thicker beard hairs. The skin gets less stressed because the blade only has to glide over the skin and hairs once. If you have less thick beard hair, you can go with a less sharp blade. Although we prefer the sharper versions.
What kind of razors are there?
Razors can be divided into a number of types.
- The well-known disposable razor(Cartridge Razor)
- The classic scraper (Safety Razor)
- The open barber knife(Shavette)
The disposable cartridge razors are, of course, very well known. Both Gillette and Wilkinson have been successfully selling these convenient products for decades. The razors with disposable cartridge are in themselves fine for a good shave. But in our opinion, they do not fall under the best razor blades. It certainly does not mean that a disposable cassette with more blades is also more comfortable and better shaving than with a single blade. The design and encapsulated blades do make them reasonably forgiving.
If you really want to take a step up and take wet shaving to a (much) higher level, we recommend going with a safety razor. With this razor, equipped with double edge blades, you can shave the skin very smoothly. You will just have to take a little more time because shaving with a safety razor requires a little more technique than the standard disposable variety. Our article"Using a safety razor" will give you a perfect idea of how to handle such a shaving instrument!
With a shavette or straight razor blade, you enter a completely different league. These razors, mainly used by barbers, are very professional instruments that you really need to learn how to shave with. A shavette has an interchangeable single edge blade while the straight razor is made of a single piece of metal. These need to be sharpened regularly with a whetstone.
When you have mastered the art you can achieve a super smooth result but you really have to be careful. With this kind of razors you have zero safety margin. So if you put the blade on the skin without concentrating, chances are you will injure yourself. So much so that you can't stop the bleeding yourself with the best alum. Neither can a band-aid. Utmost concentration is required!
The best double edge blade blades
As we mentioned above, shaving with a double edge blade is a great way to shave your stubble and leave your skin perfectly smooth. Yes, it requires a bit more technique and patience than with a disposable cartridge as you know it from Gillette but the results are unparalleled. Aside from the fact that handling a weighty full metal safety razor is still an experience. You have a serious tool in your hands. Let's name a few advantages over the disposable versions:
- Very precise results and a finer experience
- Less frequent shaving because the end result is smoother
- Less chance of irritated skin
- There is a lot of variety in double edge blades
- The double edge blades are much cheaper
Many men who now shave with a safety razor with double edge blade come from the Gillette cartridge scene. They too thought this was "the standard" in shaving. And you don't take that step very easily. But once you switch to a safety razor you never go back to the disposable circuit. So what is the best double edge blade? That depends entirely on what sharpness you are comfortable with. Of course, we have the best safety razor blades on our virtual shelves.
Our tip: If you have never shaved with a safety razor before, we recommend starting with the least aggressive blades available. Good safety razor blades to start with are those from DERBY. These double edge blades come in a sharpness of 1 on a scale of 5. Great to start with. Also, Blue Bird's superior double edge blades are perfect for loading up your razor blade. Read our article"How to Avoid the Most Common Shaving Mistakes" to get well versed.
The best single edge blades
Single edge blades are actually double edge blades but in half. Single edge blades are used in single edge razors such as the Razorock but mostly mostly used in shavettes. Like for example in the Proraso Barber Razor Shavette. In terms of sharpness (scale 1-5) and quality exactly the same incidentally as the double edge blades. Compared to the cartridge razors such as a Fusion Proglide or Mach 3 from Gillette, with a single edge blade only 1 blade passes over the skin as opposed to the 3 or even 5 blades of the single edge or double edge blade blades.
Of course, we have the best single edge razor blades in stock. Here is a wide choice and in different sharpnesses. Kai Captain Mild Protouch single edge razor blades are the ultimate. But of course they are also available at lower prices. By the way, you can find the best razor blades here.
The best safety razors
There is a lot of choice in safety razors. You can make it as crazy as you want. There are great entry-level razors starting at only 2 Euros but you can also go for very high-quality instruments that cost well over 1000 Euros. To make it easy for you, we have listed the 10 best safety razors for you. If you haven't used a safety razor before, we recommend that you choose just one.
Do yourself a favor and throw away the standard bottles of shaving cream or gel and choose from the best shaving soaps. You don't know what you're getting into when you're using a safety razor and a traditional shaving soap to shave your beard. Of course, a good shaving brush is indispensable. Of course we have the best shaving brush for you. If you want to make it easy for yourself, check out one of our shaving & starter sets. Besides the safety razor there is also a variant on this. The Slant safety razor. You can read all about it in our blog'What is a slant safety razor'.
Tip: with a good safety razor you will save a lot of money on your razor blades. The double blade razors are much cheaper than the disposable cartridges from Gillette, for example. They also last just as long, if not longer.
The best straight razors
For the die hard shaving fanatic we also have a very large collection of straight razors. These razors are there for those who love the pure traditional shave. They come in one piece, often very high quality metal that you have to sharpen regularly and shavettes that you provide with a single edge razor. As mentioned earlier, you can shave insanely smooth with these types of razors. But: it takes technique. And calmness. The best straight razors can be found in our wide range of quality razors.
If you opt for the shavette, we also have a large selection of sublime shaving instruments. You have the so-called Bluebeards Revenge, the Shibumi razor and, for example, the Abysso from The Good Fellas Smile. Each brand with its own characteristics. Anyway, you can find the best shavette razors in our digital shaving boutique.
Tip: Ask your barber if he can explain to you exactly how to shave with a straight razor or open knife. After all, learning the right technique is very important.
The best cartridge razor
The real shaving fanatic will leave a cartridge razor for what it is. It may come in handy for a weekend trip, but you prefer to take a really heavy instrument in your hands. Like the vaunted safety razor. OK, you can shave fine with a cartridge razor but men with sensitive skin are more likely to have problems because the multitude of blades (3 to 5) have more impact on the skin than one blade. You can read all about it here in the article"How to avoid the most common shaving mistakes".
Do you want to go chic check out one of our best gillette cartridge bundled into a MÜHLE holder. The Fusion Sophist executed in high-quality porcelain. Pretty F1 ain't it? You can go as Monaco as you want. Just delve into the special combination and Meissen porcelain Gillette Mach3 Set Edition. After all, it's almost St. Nicholas. And Christmas. Of course, we also have the lower entry level stuff if you look in our Muhle Shaving Set collection.
How do you make the choice between razors?
Choosing between different razors is not always easy. Through sheer testing and variation, you can determine which blade best suits your type of skin and hair. Razor smoothness, also known as smoothness, indicates how forgiving the razor is. Smoothness is determined by the cutting angle of the razor blade. A very sharp razor blade has an unfriendly cutting angle that makes you more likely to cut yourself if you have a somewhat poor shaving technique.
With a smoother (less sharp) blade, you will generally cut yourself a little less. So if you suffer from rough skin or acne, you should choose a less aggressive razor. If you have sensitive skin and thicker beard hairs, a sharp razor is the better option. Because with a less sharp blade you will have to go over sensitive skin and hairs more often. This increases the risk of irritation and razor burn.
Tip: Before ordering double or single edge blades always check the sharpness of the blades. There is a scale from 1 to 5. Try for example 2 or 3 types in different sharpnesses. Then you will soon find out which type of blade you like best. No worries.Because we have the best razor blades for you.
Which razor is best for the balls?
Shaving the balls. Manscaping. Obviously, you want to keep the crown jewels smooth, fresh & shiny. Of course, caution is advised because if you don't want to cut yourself anywhere it's in that very thin ball skin. Also if you ever want to instruct your (soon-to-be) in-laws to look after your offspring... The best way to shave your balls without damage? Simple: a good sharp and fresh blade. So a brand new gillette cartridge or preferably, a new blade in the best safety razor. Sharpness 3 to 5.
If you haven't shaved the balls with a safety razor before, you can also choose a slightly lower sharpness. For example 2-3 on a scale of 5. By the way, you can read all about shaving your balls safely in our blog"How to shave your balls? And how to take care of your scrotum?
Tip: After shaving, use the Happy Nuts Comfort Cream. Against sweat, chafing and unwanted odors at your balls.
Which razor is best for women?
The Alpha Men's collections are naturally geared toward men. However, we happen to know that the women around us now like to shave with a safety razor. Of course the Gillette cartridge blades work too but we get a lot of positive feedback from the ladies when it comes to shaving with a safety razor with a double blade blade blade. For example, the high-tech Henson AL13 Safety Razor is not only a beauty but a very comfortable razor for the ladies' legs and armpits. Also, the Mühle safety razor R41 in the color Rose Gold is very popular with the ladies. It is excellent for navigating the skin too!
Equipped for example with one of the best Mühle double edge blades with a sharpness of 3 on a scale of 5, a perfect combination. And then for the next 2 to 3 years, madam will have enough blades on hand! Almost St. Nicholas and Christmas... Not only you but also mom in glory.
Tip: read our blog,"Why is a safety razor the best razor for women. Then you'll know enough.
Which razors are best for sensitive skin?
As described above, for sensitive skin it is best to choose the sharpest razor possible. The disadvantages of disposable cartridges, for example, can be that the multiple blades hit the skin more often. So not by 1 but 3 up to 5 blades. In those cases, you scrape over the skin 3 to 5 times in one stroke. Therefore, we recommend using a safety razor with 1 double-blade blade. This is simply the best razor. Equipped with a Double blade razor with a strength of 4 or 5 on the scale of 1 to 5.
Of course, it can vary from person to person. It is more or less a journey to shaving perfection. In which you will naturally arrive at the best results with the best safety razor blades or the best razors in a shavette.
What are the sharpest razor blades?
Let's list a few for you:
Feather 81S Double Edge Blades
ASTRA Superior Stainless Double Edge Blades
Perma-Sharp Super Double Edge Blades
With this comprehensive overview, we hope to get you a long way in choosing the best razor, safety razor blades or possibly open barber knife. Like most of us, it is a journey of discovery towards perfection. With trying as much as possible, you eventually put together your best razors. With an emphasis on razors because more and more men are keeping a collection. And that's not surprising when you see how much choice and insane qualities in shaving tools and safety razor blades are out there.
If you have any questions or comments we would love to hear from you! We're always here to help you out!
Good luck & regards!
Your friends,
The Alpha Men.