Anyone have recommendations for Reusable or NON-disposable, NON-plastic razors for shaving that work well and last?
I currently use the Venus with 5 Razors and built in lubricant and they work great, but i’d rather not continue throwing away the plastic and filling up landfills.
You can always pick up a straight razor… Ive use a smaller straight razor …but a huge pain in the butt. You can easily cut yourself…plus is a ginormous pain to shave the back area.
Alternative you can get a single or double blade safety razor. That what i used after the straight razor. Mine is a vintage GEM RAZOR G BAR handle (40s’s to 50s production). I use GEM blades, BUT long ago you could get surgical grade razors (more expensive, but PFTF coated so they last longer and are dangerously sharp) Blades (100 blades will probably last years depending on how many times you shave on a week).
Its better but also a pain in the butt. It take too long to shave since you have to do many passes. But if you are patient…it worth it… super cheap and as long as you keep it out of the shower it should last longer than anything else. And as added bonus you can use this to also shave your face. I have been shaving my face with mine for over 7 years now. Its great!
Im now using Harris razors. They are like half of Gillette. I like them. Make shaving easier! I do one with the grain…and one pass against it… fewer bumps and mostly no irritation!
Next step will be getting Nair or something similar.
I really like double edge safety razors. Way less waste, way sharper, and way cheaper. Plus they are classy as hell.
My wife got me started on the Dollar Shave Club and I like it a lot. Used the razors and shave butter for facial hair for a couple of years now. I just started shaving my legs a few months ago as I’ve fallen deeper and deeper into Adult Onset Cyling and I use them for that too. Pretty good value for your money and I would certainly say give them a shot.
I have been using an Edwin Jagger DE89 DE with Feather blades for years, just dont rush and there is a bit of a learning curve, there is a website sharpologist.com that is very well laid out and informative if you wish to venture into that world.
I second using a safety razor. I have a Merkur DE safety razor and Derby blades.
Old school double edge safety razor shaving fits your request perfectly. Used blades are 100% steel so are recyclable and top quality blades will run you around $20 a year (and you get a wealth of choices as they are universal). The razor itself is a one time purchase. A decent one is around $40 but it it will out live you and several generations of your descendants. Shave geeks hunt garage sales and eBay for 1950’s vintage Gillettes and use them.
Only downside to double edge is it takes learning a bit of technique (eg the head does not pivot) and a great face shave takes 2-3 passes so morning shaves take a bit longer - but the shave is way better than a disposable blade gives. Disposable blades were invented for convenience and higher profit margins not shave quality.
I use ** Safety razor**, have multiple for different body parts and really cheap.
I like straight razors and have a couple; shaving with them is very satisfying. I used one on my legs once, and I don’t have any horror stories to share, but it was an incredibly long process. It’s exhausting to be that focused & mindful for that long, and since my habit is to usually do a fresh shave the night before a triathlon, it just didn’t line up. (I guess some people talk about shaving legs the night before the night before a big race, but I usually don’t have the time.)
Also, very few straight razors are stainless steel. One of the few things that can really shorten the life of a carbon steel blade is bringing it into the shower, so you’re looking at a fairly radical shift in approach if you wanted to use one. A safety razor works quite well (and is definitely easier to use on the back of the knee), doesn’t require as much focus, and since the blades are just a piece of steel, they’re more suitable for recycling (if dealt with safely using e.g. a blade bank).
I have 3 SR!
2 vintage and one new old stock.
The oldest one i have is from 1890 or something.
Yep, me too. My 19th century one is a Wade & Butcher.
this one is my pride and joy. I haven’t use it in years tho.
scales were restored back in 2009. But the blade was in perfect shape!
ELLIOT, JOSEPH
Sheffield
Trademark: C reversed and C, with cross between
1821-1854 (“More Old Razors” by Lummus. Antiques, May 1927 p.372-374)
I also have a Filarmonica #13. Not sure the vintage. But my guess is from the 80s.
Have another, griffon or something. Its from the 1920s.
Gorgeous.
My “modern” 2 are Le Grelots which, are actually antique blanks themselves. But my old W&B just feels different.
I totally get it. It was so good to shave with this blade. It was a bit time consuming because its a process. And there is always the chance of nasty cuts (which i did multiple times). But nothing like the feeling of the face after a shave with an old, recently honed blade.
I stop using them because i dont want to damage the blades by learning how to hone using water stones. Seems like a process, and unless you do it yourself it can get expensive.
This is obviously going the same way as the Coffee Setup thread and even the Pain Cave (Pain Palace 
thread…
I think there are fewer people who own straight razors than coffee machines here!
but who knows!
“Show us your shaving setup” might become a thing!
I’m in! Bikes and old school shave gear… this place really is the best!
DE razor is a much better face shave, plus considerably cheaper. I just don’t know if I could do my legs without cutting to ribbons!
I do also think about my waste with disposable razors so tempted to get an epilator/electric razor as a long term solution.
Or brave up and try my DE!
DE on the face is easy to master. Legs on the other hand with their 8 million different angles and the fact you can’t see half of what you’re shaving really benefit from the idiot proof pivoting head on disposables. DE on the legs takes some skills - but your mom or grandma did it so its not impossible
For those starting out, one might think it a good idea to practice for a while on your legs before moving to your face but in fact its the opposite.
Agreed. I shaved my legs with Single blade blade safety razor for about year. It was tedious. Multiple passes. Lots of irritation. Hard to shave the knees and behind the knees. BUT it did the job.
I tried to convince my wife to use it, so we would stop buying expensive Gillette garbage. But she wouldn’t go for it. So I ended buying her a Harris (slightly less expensive than Gillette).
One day i try it, and OMG! So much faster. Less smooth tho. but ive be done in 5 minutes! so now i use it too!
