Modern Day Safety Razors

Disposable Razors

The Bic disposable razor was the next innovation in the safety razor industry when the company introduced a razor which was entirely disposable, unlike its predecessors with disposable blades.

I have used the bic single blade disposable razors and think they're brilliant value for money. I bought a pack of 10 when I lost my Merkur Futur safety razor and was pleasantly surprised at what a good shave they gave.

I intended to use them until I could afford a new double edge, but was so impressed at the value (around 12p per razor, £1.20 for 10 from any local pharmacy) that I thought I would stick with disposable razors and give some others a go.


I tried the multi-bladed Bics aswell as the Gillette Blue II (another brilliant disposable razor), but just preferred the Bic one blade for value and performance, aswell as for the irritation-free shave I acheived when using it.



The thing I really liked about these disposable razors most of all was the blade angle. As I had only been using my Merkur Futur for a couple of months before losing it, I hadn't conquered the correct blade angle and wasn't getting the best shave possible.

The head of the Gillette Blue II and the Bic was fixed at the perfect angle and I was able to get a very close shave given the difference in price of a £40 Futur and a 12p disposable.

If you are shaving using multi-blade razors such as the Gillette Mach 3 of Fusion, I would recommend giving these disposable razors with a fixed head a go - you might be suprised.

The Rise of the Multi-blade

Gillette have produced safety razors capable of taking cartridges with multi-blades since the early 70s'. The claim which has aided the rise of the multi-blade is that the first blade simply pulls the hair allowing the following blades to cut the hair.

Since the first double bladed cartridge razor was launched, gillette has produced razors capable of following the contours of the face due to pivoting heads, and rival brands have followed such designs. The Wilkinson Sword Quattro was a four blade innovation launched to trump the popular Gillette Mach 3, and Gillete responded with the five bladed Fusion.

There is much controversy surrounding the rise of multi-blade safety razors, with the companies arguing the razors give the closest possible shave in the shortest amount of time, and the pivoting head and electric vibrations further aid the shave. Others are drawn to the profitability of these razors and the blades (Gillette saw a 50% rise in blade sales with the introduction of the more expensive Mach 3), and many feel that the razors have only enjoyed such success due to their widespread availabilty and heavy promotion.

Traditional wet shavers argue that the extra blades irritate the skin, and the razor weight is not heavy enough to acheive a close shave without applying pressure which causes irritation.

I personally prefer the traditional double edge due to pricing, aesthetics, less irritation and razor weight. However, I won't deny the success of multi-bladed razors such as the Gillette Mach 3, a legend in the history of wet shaving.

I like the look of the rarer, heavier razors capable of taking gillette mach 3 blades which are increasingly seen in barbershops. These combine the weight of a traditional safety razor with the benefits of multi blade shaving.