Safety Razor vs Straight Razor

Safety Razor vs Straight Razor

Naked Armor

The straight razor is a popular choice for wet shaving for centuries.

Published by Naked Armor

King C. Gillette was once quoted to have said that a safety razor was the most popular of all razors.“There is no other article for individual use so universally known or widely distributed. In my travels, I have found [the safety razor] in the most northern town in Norway and in the heart of Sahara Desert.”, he said.

Of course, straight razor purists would disagree. Gillette, having invented the modern safety razor, could only have been spinning a quote to help market his invention. Between the two, a straight razor would have more likely been popular, having been around since the 18th century. Nothing beats the reliability of centuries; when it’s been around for long enough, it must really have something good to offer.

If you’re a newbie to wet shaving, however, this will understandably be a major concern for you. So here at Naked Armor, we’re going to break it down for you to help you decide which of the two would be the best pick for you- straight razor vs safety razor.

Playing it Safe

A safety razor is basically what its name says: a safe razor. That’s because it’s designed to have a safety grill to prevent the razor blade from coming too close to the skin when shaving.

As early as 1762, safety razors were already being produced but it took another century before the modern safety razor design was developed. In 1895, King Camp Gillette combined the original hoe-shaped design with the idea of disposable double-edged blades and thus an entire new industry was born.

Safety razors are generally easy to use and will last a long time if it’s properly maintained. It’s main edge over the straight razor is that it’s pretty much convenient. All you need to do is to insert the blade in the head of the razor, and you’re pretty much good to go.

You have less chances of being accidentally nicked by a safety razor because of its grill-type design that guards the blade but it’s also the same reason why you will get a slightly less closer shave than a straight razor. Because the blades are prevented from touching the skin, you won’t get a really close shave.

Its razor head may also present a slight difficulty when shaving from a particular angle. The hoe-shaped design and protective guards will hamper certain angles especially when one is sculpting a beard line. That being said, shaving with a safety razor doesn’t require lots of skill in order to achieve a clean and smooth shave. This makes it perfect for newbies who are still weaning from their usual disposable cartridge.

The blades should be kept in a place that has proper airflow and no moisture. The moisture and lack of air can cause damage to the blades. If these blades are used it could irritate the skin and cause infection.

— D'Rock, Naked Armor Founder

The Spartacus Safety Razor

Naked Armor’s top-of-the-line Brazilian sandalwood safety razors are elegantly designed to give newbies and pros alike, a luxurious shaving experience.

Its razor head is made from high quality stainless steel with a sandalwood body that’s tipped at both ends with chrome plating for proper weight distribution and balance. The handle itself has an expanded body to provide a natural and comfortable grip for your fingers.

Sandalwood handles are a big thing for this razor. It’s one of the world’s expensive wood, highly valued for its medicinal and aromatherapeutic benefits. When you shave with this razor, the warm heat and pressure from your hand will release essential oils locked inside the wood to give you a calming effect.

This makes your shaving experience even more therapeutic, especially when you do it at the start of the day.

But Once You Go Straight

The straight razor, however, is a tool that demands your respect. It’s been around since the beginning of time.

The earliest record of a straight razor dates back to the Egyptian civilization where it served an important function in the daily grooming of the Egyptians. In later centuries, Romans followed suit but it wasn’t until the 18th century, that an Englishman from Sheffield, England developed the first modern day straight razor design.

A straight razor is essentially a single blade that is designed to fold into a handle when not used. Straight razors carried a fearsome reputation for the sharpness of their blades that they were used to be known as cut-throat razors and would only be wielded by barbers.

These days, however, their ferocious reputation has long faded into history but the sharpness of their blades have not.

High quality straight razors let you have the benefit of using a very sharp blades; this is why it’s the top choice for anyone looking to get a baby bottom smoothness after a shave. Its long and wide blade allows you to shave off a wider portion of your beard in a minimum number of strokes. This reduces the incidence of skin irritation which usually results from prolonged skin friction from the blade.

It also allows you to use the blade at a variety of shaving angles. Sculpting a sharp beard line is easy using a straight razor because you can easily control the blade however way you want to trim it.

The downside of it is that it requires a longer learning curve to master the straight razor. Mastering the razor doesn’t only mean learning how to hold and shave with it properly but also learning to maintain it. This includes learning how to hone and strop it.

It’s also slightly expensive than a safety razor.

But it’s reputation! Dude, nothing beats the straight razor. Once you’ve mastered shaving with it, you never want to go back to using another type of razor. The shaving experience gives you a fulfillment akin to taming a lion. It’s a badass feeling that makes you feel like you’re the king of the world.

The Solomon Straight Razor

Here at Naked Armor, we’re extremely proud of our Solomon Straight Razor. It’s our best-seller and rightly so because it’s a luxurious blend of design and functionality.

Solomon’s blade is made from world-class Japanese stainless steel, using a manufacturing process that was discovered during the time of medieval Japan and was responsible for crafting those awesomely sharp samurai swords.

It has a hardness rating of 65 HRC; it’s so hard that you can even repurpose it as a weapon if need be. The blade is fairly wide which also makes it a perfect beginner blade because it makes for easy angling.

But the best part of the design is that we crafted it as a hybrid blade, a combination of the ½ hollow and full hollow, so that it can deliver all sorts of shaving results.

As exquisite as its blade is, the handle is not a slouch either. It’s made from a variety of sandalwood, believed to be the long-lost algum wood in Biblical legend. Algum was used to construct King Solomon’s temple and it’s very valuable both for its legendary and actual properties.

Now if that ain’t a come-on, we don’t know what is! Suffice to say, the Solomon Straight Razor is something you should consider having if you want to have the ultimate shaving experience.

Safety Razor VS Straight Razor

Choosing Your Own Shaving Adventure

Both safety razor and straight razors are essentially two sides of the same coin; they are both capable of giving a great shave, they just require different approaches.

A safety razor is much easier and safer to use when compared to a straight razor but will also give, more or less, the same shaving results as a straight razor would. It’s also less expensive than a straight razor but then you will have to regularly buy blades.

A straight razor, meanwhile, is a bit more expensive but you don’t need to buy anything else since the blade will last long if maintained properly through stropping and honing. It’s also more versatile because it can be used at different angles which will be handy if you decide to grow out a beard style and trim it regularly.

Ultimately, it all boils down to your preference. Whatever you choose, always remember to pick the high-quality ones so that your shaving experience will be a comfortable and easy experience. And on that note: have you checked out our inventory lately?

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