by Beth Terry
Do I look like an antique to you? I must have been twelve or thirteen years old the first time I shaved my legs. I used my dad’s safety razor, just like the one in the picture. But times have changed, and you can’t buy these at the drugstore anymore. I got this one for ten dollars at a local antique store, a great way to find out how they did things in the good old pre-plastic days.
I’ve been using this razor for nearly one month. In fact, I’ve been using the same blade the whole time too. At this rate, the box of 100 safety razor blades that I bought from eBay could last me 8 years! Of course, I don’t shave every day, so your mileage may vary. But just think of all the plastic cartridges and packaging that I am not throwing away.
I waited a month before reporting on this razor because I wanted to make sure I could really use it without hurting myself. It does take a bit of getting used to if you’ve been shaving with light-weight plastic razors. It’s kinda heavy. But now that I’ve been using it for a while, I actually prefer the way it works to my Venus razor. I think it’s not the number of blades that are important but the closeness, and this baby shaves close and smooth. I’m talking legs, armpits, the works.
Well, maybe not exactly the works. I am female, after all, and don’t have facial hair to worry about. (Well, not much!) If you happen to be of the male pursuasion and would like to know how these razors work for men, point your browser to http://plasticless.com/2007/06/28/my-new-old-razor/, a blog written by a guy dealing with similar plastic issues as Fake Plastic Fish. He might be able to give you more relevant information.
If you can’t find a safety razor at a local store, antique or otherwise, you can still buy them online at Classicshaving.com. And while you can still find double-edged blades in drugstores, they generally come in plastic blister packs of 10. I found my box of 100 safety razor blades on eBay, and they come individually wrapped in paper in a small cardboard box. I am in no way associated with this guy; I just happened to buy his blades and they are working out great for me.
So,l why am I not using the Preserve razor, since I think so highly of the Preserve toothbrush? Honestly, I think the Preserve razor is a bit misguided. Only the handle is made from recycled plastic and is recyclable. How often do you get rid of a razor handle? The plastic cartridges still have to be thrown away.
As for my old Venus razor, I’m keeping it and a few of the cartridges (I gave away most of the cartridges on Freecycle) for the little bit of traveling I do. I don’t imagine I’d get very far trying to bring double-edged razor blades on a plane.
This has been Part 1 of Plastic-free Shaving. I’ll post Part 2 when I figure out the best shave soap to use. I still have half a can of shave gel left. After that’s gone, I’ll be experimenting with various plastic-free options, and I’ll let you know which works best for me.
