When I became more environmentally conscious many years ago, I decided to switch to a safety razor to reduce plastic waste. I landed on a reputable safety razor with a ‘mild’ angle, something that would be good for sensitive skin. Even with a good shaving soap, I found that I would regularly still get some discomfort from razor burn, despite learning a solid technique.
Enter: the Henson. This was touted as a ‘new’ design of safety razor that fully supported the blade, making it particularly well suited for sensitive skin, and much harder to nick yourself.
Well, I’ve been using this thing for a few months now, and I can honestly say the marketing isn’t an exaggeration, it’s been a game-changer for me.
It really is MUCH harder to nick myself with this, to the point where I can press it against my skin firmly like a disposable, and I still don’t get irritation. It’s one of the most pleasant shaving experiences I’ve had, and I can heartily recommend one for anyone who wants a truly mild safety razor.
Its made of machined aluminum, and built to tight tolerances. I anticipate I’ll be using this sucker quite literally for the rest of my life.
Though do bear in mind, If you have a thick beard or non-sensitive skin, the mild henson might not be ideal for you. As an example I still use my old razor with it’s more exposed blade to shave my head, as this henson gets clogged up far too quickly for that application (unless the hair is already really short). But for the face with light facial hair? Perfection.
I got one too, been a little under a year.
Just wanted to comment and vouch 100% for what OP is saying. The razor is actually surreal at times due to how little you feel it. It’s like rubbing the side of a pencil against your skin or something lol, except the hair is gone afterwards.
I did manage to nick myself under the knee once. You see, the razor feels so safe that it actually baits you into a state of over-confidence. So I ended up just absolutely FLYING with it to see how fast I could get the job done. I would advise staying cautious in sensitive areas, it is still a razor after all.
But yeah absolute game changer. Already paid for itself several times over. Plus I just like it, it’s nice having a piece of metal instead of another piece of plastic
+1 to safety razors in general. The disposables always used to make my neck and chin look like a horror film, not for lack of research on using. Switching to safety razors, I only shave around my beard so I use the same blades for a long while and shave infrequently, and I’ve been using the same pack of blades that I bought 5+ years ago. A little cardboard and metal, way less waste, I have a huge supply of razors so I haven’t thought about buying in ages, and I get a way better shave after just a little practice.
And the waste reduction can’t be understated.
Same. I bought a sample pack thinking I’d remember which one I liked. 7 years later and I’m halfway through the pack. Spouse made me a “piggy bank” from a can of beans to dispose of used razors. They hot glued the top back on after cutting a slot. I will probably die before I need a new one.
Cartridge razors are the most prevelant scam in modern society, they’re more prone to ingrowns, gunk up far before the blades are actually dull (making consumers go through them MUCH faster than blades), AND costs literally 100x per unit what razor blades do. Subjectively, I also get a much closer, infinitely less irritating shave.
I have a life pro tip for people using cartridge razors and having them gunk up: canned air. Like the kind you’re supposed to use on your keyboard or computer. Blow your razor out to dry and clear debris. It will last a shitload longer.
Just… Water coming from behind? My cartridges last like 6 months of shaving my beard and head once a week…
Be warned, safety razor shaving can become a rabbit hole if you’re not careful. I’ve spent a fair bit of coin on various razors, brushes, soaps, blades, and numerous other accessories. I was pretty settled on my setup for the last 2 years, but really wanted to try a lighter weight razor (aluminum or titanium). These have historically been very expensive. I stumbled upon this Henson AL13 razor and decided to try it out. Still expensive for me at roughly $80, but much cheaper than options I was looking at a few years back.
It’s been a couple of months now, and I am extremely happy with it. Compared with my previous razor (Karve Christopher Bradly, which I was very happy with) I barely even feel this razor on my skin, but it gets just as clean of a shave. I have very sensitive skin, so this is a blessing for me. 100% recommend.
Outside of this, pricing wise chances are high you will spend less money on a safety razor and it’s replacement blades than most others.
Someone did the math, it’s almost exponential.
That’s a great point. I can use a brand new blade every shave and still spend far less than it would cost to buy Mach-3 heads (or similar). Even using those disposable heads for multiple shaves (I would normally go 5 shaves per head), it’s still much much much cheaper with the safety razor blades I now use.
I’ve used a safety razor for a little under 20 years. I’ve also spent maybe $30 in blades in that time. Love my merkur futur.