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"Safety Razor First"

Posted: 08 January, 2024

Back in Xmas, 2020, I switched from shaving gel to old-man brush and soap, just like my Granddad used to have. This turned out to be a massive success because, a month ago and with much ceremony, I opened my third bar of soap. Not only has it saved me a chunk of cash, but we’ve removed an entire class of plastic from the bathroom. (There’s only shampoo left on that front, we’ll get there eventually...)

For Xmas ‘23 I did a bit of research and switched to a single-blade safety razor. Just like my Granddad used to have.

Why is this exciting?

• 100 blades cost ~8 quid. One blade’s good for two shaves (probably more, but you know).
• The wankiest bar of soap is usually less than 10 quid. Say 9 for argument’s sake (although you can get a four pack off Amazon for that…)

This puts a year of shaving – if you’re a scruffy, self-employed game developer – at ~13 earth pounds, or “less than a single packet of Gillette Pro Blades”. It turns out that shaving’s been a solved problem for a very, very, very long time. We’re just unlucky that we grew up through the enshittification of it.

If you’re interested, then there’re loads of handles to choose from, although shaving brushes fall into some weird hair-science, so be careful because that’s an entire rabbit hole of its own… Stick to the basics, and you’re home-free and onto the savings straight away.

And you know what, I actually enjoy shaving (a bit) now. It’s like a little ceremony! Yeah, there’s a slightly different skill needed for a single blade, and if you watch YouTube then people will make out like it’s some lost, dark-art, but it’s not, it’s just shaving in slightly slower motion. I’ve not cut myself. I’ve not had shaving rash, or irritation of any sort. And the shaves are close. Even my fiancée was impressed.

It’s only taken me 37 years to discover this. Granddad’s tutting into his tea.