Buy it for Life

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A place to share practical, durable and quality made products that are made to last, with an emphasis on upcycled and sustainable products!

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Things that are well-made and durable (even if they won't last a lifetime) are A-Okay!

Unlike that other BIFL place, Home-made and DIY items are encouraged here, as long as some form of instruction is included in the body of the post.

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The item must be made with sustainable or recycled materials.
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ProdigalFrog

SolarMonkey

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The Henson Safety Razor, a nearly 1-to-1 replacement for disposable razors, with all the environmental benefits of a regular safety razor, and certifiably BIFL (slrpnk.net)

submitted 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) by ProdigalFrog to c/buyitforlife

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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.

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[–] ProdigalFrog 6 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

The AL13-M Henson, which is more aggressive than the one I have, may work out for that. (even my ultra mild henson works for head shaving if I do it regularly, it just doesn't work well if you wait too long between shaves).

I think most 'normal' safety razors would handle head shaving just fine. I use a cheap entry level Maggard razor from their starter kit, but something like a Rockwell 2C, or King C. Gillette would probably work just as well. I've also read good things about vintage Gillette Tech's from ebay, which can be snapped up pretty cheap.

EDIT: Also just discovered the Lord L6, which only $6.69, but seems to be highly regarded as a solid razor! :o