A double edge (DE) safety razor looks intimidating for about five minutes. Then you realize it's the easiest close shave you've ever had — and blades cost pennies instead of dollars. Here's the whole routine.
1. Load the blade
On a butterfly razor like our rose gold Double Edge Safety Razor, twist the base of the handle and the head opens like doors. Drop a standard double edge blade onto the posts — hold it by the short edges, never the sharp sides — and twist closed until snug.
2. Prep is half the shave
Shave after a warm shower, or hold a hot wet towel on your face for a minute. Warm water softens whiskers dramatically, and soft whiskers mean less tugging and less irritation.
3. Build a real lather
Wet your brush, swirl it on a shaving soap like our Sandalwood Shaving Soap, and work it on your face in circles until you have a thick, cushiony layer. The lather lifts hairs and puts a slick cushion between blade and skin.
4. Shave with the grain, light pressure
Hold the razor at about a 30-degree angle and use short strokes with the direction your hair grows. Let the weight of the razor do the work — pressing down is how people nick themselves. Rinse the blade often.
5. Second pass, then finish cold
Re-lather and take a second pass across or against the grain if you want it closer. Finish with a cold-water rinse to close everything down, pat dry, and you're done.
Blade care
Most men get 3–5 good shaves per blade. When it starts to tug, swap it — wrap the used blade safely before it goes in the trash. Ready to try it? The razor ships with a blade and a mirrored travel case, so you can shave the day it arrives.
New to this? Get the whole setup in one box.
Everything in this guide — the rose gold safety razor, the sandalwood shaving soap and the aftershave — is bundled as The Safety Razor Starter Kit. The soap is free in the kit: $44.98 for the set (value $62.97), with the discount applied automatically in your cart.
Watch it done
Prefer to watch before you try? Two of the best shaving teachers on YouTube:
A complete safety-razor shave from start to finish, by geofatboy (Shave Nation) on YouTube. The razor in the video differs from ours — the technique is exactly the same.
How to build a proper lather with a brush and shaving soap, by mantic59 (Sharpologist) on YouTube — the same method our Sandalwood Shaving Soap is made for.
The brush-and-bowl setup he's using: our Shaving Brush & Bowl Set — $24.99 (brush, steel bowl and stand), made to pair with the Sandalwood Shaving Soap.
Buying the brush set and the soap together? They are bundled as The Lather Duo — the Sandalwood Shaving Soap is half price when both are in your cart.