I last posted on shaving during the week of September 19, 2022 (start here). It has been a while. Since then I've received many emails asking for another shaving post. I've routinely put off doing so, since I know readers love JazzWax for the music. But since it's a holiday, one post can't hurt, right?
As my friends know, I go deep with everything I love, from music to clothes and virtually anything I collect. I love the history, the in-depth research and the hunt for perfection. Shaving is one of the most mundane daily tasks, so during the pandemic, I decided to make it interesting. That's when I began to research and collect razors by finding hidden gems and deals on eBay. Then I expanded to current models.
Many readers (and spouses of readers eager to give partners a gift) have asked about my favorite double-edge razors. I own quite a few of them, mostly vintage Gillette models, many in their first-year or first-quarter of production. With Gillette, you can determine this information from the letter and number under the shaving head. I favor the earliest technology of razors because I want the original thinking behind the model's production and design.
So here are my top-10 favorite razors. All are great, but I've ranked them in order, starting with the best:
1. Blackland Vector—Blackland Razors is based in the U.S. and one of several contemporary makers of carefully designed and engineered premium razors that position the blade at its most efficient angle. The Vector is a single-edge razor and uses Feather's Artist Club blades. Unlike standard double-edge blades, which stay sharp through three shaves, these have lasted me up to 10 shaves. The blades cost a bit more (about $16 for pack of 20), but with this razor, the shave is stunningly close, and the razor is highly efficient and great in the hand. I have a stainless steel model, and for me, this is the best wet-shave razor on the market. You get the quality of a straight-razor shave without the nicks and gore. If I had to sell off my collection of razors and keep just one, this would be it. Go here.
2. Tatara Masamune—Tatara Razors is based in Portugal, and the three co-owners make several precision double-edge models that they designed in-house. I have a black Masamune (short handle) and find it exceptional in terms of handling and glide. The company recommends you use Japanese Feather blades, and they're right. The blade is sharp, and the razor operates superbly. Some wish the handle had more detail for a better grip, but I like the sleek Japanese design and have no trouble with it, wet hands and all. Go here.
3. Blackland Blackbird and Osprey—These two double-edge razors are tied for third place. By now, you've probably noticed Blackland's aerospace theme, since each razor is named for a military plane that served as a design model. The Blackbird has a terrific handle and sleek look. The Osprey is an adjustable model, offering a mild shave by dialing the lower numbers or a sharper shave by turning the dial to 7, 8 or 9. The Osprey is delightfully heavy to give you maximum control. Blackland also makes lighter and more expensive titanium models, but I prefer the weight. Both models handle with ease and get the job done without fuss and with minimal prep, thanks to the efficient design. I have a Blackbird Lite, closed-comb and short handle (v. long) in titanium. My Osprey is stainless steel. [Photos above of the Blackbird, top, and the Osprey, bottom] Go here.
4. Gillette Aristocrat/Rhodium (England)—This one was made by Gillette in Britain in the late 1940s, when social status still mattered. It has a rhodium coating and is, hands down, the finest double-edge razor Gillette has ever made. Its performance, accuracy and forgiveness are unbeatable on a legacy model. A mint one sparkles and looks fantastic. You turn the bottom to open the head's butterfly doors. Go here.
5. Gillette Fatboy—Easily Gillette's best looking razor. It's perfectly proportioned (think of the Arc de Triomphe in Paris) and feels gloriously heavy in the hand. It was Gillette's second adjustable razor, if you count the gold toggle red-dot razor, the Fatboy's prototype. Officially known as the Gillette 195 Adjustable Safety Razor, the Fatboy was produced between 1958 and 1962. It's known as the Fatboy for its portly dimensions. Because it's adjustable, you can use the dial to choose how much blade you want exposed. Go here.
6. Gillette Red Tip—Officially known as the Gillette Red Tip Super Speed DE Razor, it was produced between 1955 and 1959. Before Gillette's adjustable Fatboy was introduced in 1958, the Super Speed razor line came in mild (blue tip), medium (silver tip) and aggressive (red tip). The Fatboy made them redundant by uniting all three in one model via the dial. Like the Aristocrat, this one delivers a superb, precise shave. If you buy, be sure to look carefully at photos of the top of the head for minimal wear and at the red turn-to-open knob at the bottom. You want one without wear or worn or chipped Burgundy paint at the bottom. Go here.
7. Gillette Red-Dot Adjustable—This razor, also known as "the toggle," was produced between 1955 and 1960 and came in a bunch of models. The one in the photo was produced in the first quarter of 1958. I know this because the "D" stamped under my razor head signifies the adjustable line and the 1 means first quarter. So it's the first one produced with 9 numbers on the dial just prior to the Fatboy's introduction. Earlier models featured only five numbers. This adjustable razor delivers the same shave as the Fatboy, but it's more fun to use, since the toggle mechanism at the bottom is way cool. You bend the tip to open the butterfly doors of the head. It's a huge collector's item. I got lucky at an eBay auction. The Fatboy arrived in the third quarter of 1958 (D-3) and was less expensive and marketed to the masses with the same technology, but no toggle mechanism. You turn the bottom of the Fatboy handle to open the doors. Go here.
8. Gillette Gold 3-Piece Open-Comb Tech (1938)—I bought this Tech from an eBay seller. "Open comb" means the razor has a comb that's exposed (see photo above) vs. closed comb. They are ideal for mowing down a heavy morning beard but they also work well with a light beard. When I asked the seller for the story behind the razor (which I always do, since I love the history), he told me the following in an email:
My dad and uncle were orphaned during World War II after their father became a lieutenant in the Polish army and found himself on horseback fighting the Nazi tanks. My grandfather survived the war but was imprisoned by the Soviets and that's all we know other than a letter he sent in 1950.
My dad and uncle as children were on a train for orphans but their car somehow separated from the others. They escaped. My uncle stayed in Poland with relatives while my dad made his way to the U.S., where I was born after he married.
If the war never happened, my dad would have received his own factory and my uncle his own farmland. It's tragic how war affects people in different ways. My father had his father's Gillette razor from the late 1930s. He took care of what he had. Before he died several years ago, he gave it to me. I've never shaved with it.
When I asked the seller why in heaven's name he was parting with the razor, he said it was time. The razor shaves like a dream. Each time I shave with it, I think of the seller's father and grandfather and the misery they went through. Given that the seller survived and made it to the U.S., I feel it's a lucky razor. Go here.
9. MÜHLE Rocca Birch Bark razor—MÜHLE is a contemporary German maker of razors and other shaving gear. This three-piece razor is top of the line for this company and is considered aggressive. While it provides a smooth shave, you have to handle with care. It's for the experienced shaver, since the razor is not as forgiving as the first few listed above. I love the birch handle. You need to be careful not to apply too much pressure, especially coming around the curves. Go here.
10. 1906 Gillette Old Style—In 1906, the New York City subway system was two years old and expanding in all directions. The double-edge razor invented by Gillette in 1904 also turned 2. World War I for America was 11 years away. I bought the 1906 razor virtually in mint condition on Etsy. No frills here, and you have to prep your face generously and move with care. But you're shaving with history. I often wonder who was first to use my razor—probably some guy with a handlebar mustache—and how many hands it passed through before winding up with me. Despite its 118 years, the no-frills razor still delivers a great, precise shave. Even in the beginning of the double-edge razor's evolution, this early model was first rate. Go here and here.
Note: If you want a post on my top-10 brushes and shaving creams (yeah, I went deep with both of those, too), email me and I'll consider writing one down the road.
