People choose double edge safety razors as their grooming tool of choice for many reasons. From reduced cost and waste to a simply better shaving experience, double edge razors deliver where it counts—your skin.
Whether you’re a life-long double edge user, switching from dry shaving with an electric razor or upgrading from an off-the-shelf cartridge razor, you’ll find your new double edge safety razor delivers a smoother, more precise, and consistent shave.
What’s the secret to getting this incredible experience? It’s all in choosing the razor blade that’s right for your skin. Subscription and store-bought cartridges lock you into one type of blade, and dry electric razors can cause skin irritation without proper maintenance.
Double edge safety razors like our Henson AL13 are designed to work with hundreds of different blades from manufacturers, including Feather, Astra, Gillette, Wilkinson, and more.
But with so many choices, there’s one big question—which is the right razor blade for your skin?
In this post, we’re going to answer that and other pressing shaving questions like: How often should you change safety razor blades? Why do safety razors have two blades? Are double edge safety razors better?
Choosing the right razor blade
As we mentioned before, there are many different razor blades and blade manufacturers to choose from. Experimenting to find the right one for you can be part of the fun of wet shaving with a double edge razor. We’ve tried blades from Turkey, England, India, Germany, and Japan.
Each offers something unique for your specific combination of skin and hair type. When choosing a razor blade for your double edge razor, here are three things to consider.
Price
Using a double edge razor can be inexpensive as $2 to $4 a year, depending on the blades you choose. The cost will vary on how often you change your razor blade (hint: change it often). The price of blades doesn’t always reflect the quality either. A pack of 100 blades should last you 2-3 years and can run anywhere from $10 to $30, depending on where you purchase your shaving gear.
Sharpness
Sharp doesn’t always mean a smooth shave. If you have sensitive or acne-prone skin, a sharp blade can cause skin irritation. If you’re new to shaving with a double edge razor, using a less aggressive blade can help you master moving the blade edge against your skin as you learn.
Hair type can also play a deciding factor in your razor blade choice. A sharper blade will probably work better if you have thicker hair or go longer between shaves than a day or two.
Coatings
Similar to lubricating strips on some cartridge blades, some razor blades are available with an added platinum or tungsten coating to the blade that helps it glide against your skin with less irritation.
How often should you change safety razor blades?
The life of a razor blade will vary based on its quality, coatings, and hair type. A blade is typically designed for five to ten shaves before it needs to be replaced. If you have thicker or coarser hair, you might need to change your blade more often.
Blades with coatings can last longer, but we still recommend sticking to five to ten shaves. Nothing ruins your morning like a dull blade.
Why do safety razors have two blades?
It’s a question we get asked all the time—especially when someone has only seen single edge razor shaving in movies like The Godfather. Double edge safety razors give you two advantages. First, you have two blade edges to use as you’re shaving, which saves you from having to rinse off the blade often. Second, the head of the razor slightly bends the blade, which creates the right angle to smoothly and precisely cut the hairs as you shave.
What do you do with used razor blades?
Safely disposing of used razor blades is easy. Many blade packages come with built-in receptacles for used blades. We suggest wrapping the used blade in the wrapper from a new blade before throwing it in the trash if yours doesn’t.
What razor blade should you get?
One of the things we love most about double edge razors is having so many choices for blades. But it was when we designed our Henson AL13 that we noticed how much impact razor blade choice has on the shaving experience.
The razor is only part of bringing you a precise shave, and that’s why we partnered with RK International to create the RK Stainless double edge blades. RK has produced their stainless steel blades to match Henson’s specific razor dimensions, including matching the tabs in our razor’s head to the blade—it’s the perfect razor blade for the best shave of your life.