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 love my safety razor. Go with one that has a longer handle. I have a vintage Lady Gillette Starburst razor that I picked up on eBay. It's a super close shave. I stay smoother a couple of days longer than I did with cartridge razors. It completely got rid of shave bumps and my skin irritation that was driving me crazy. West Coast shaving sells blade sample packs so you can try a bunch and pick the one you like most.
Fwiw safety razor shaving is a deep deep rabbit hole. You will drop a bunch of money up front but the benefits are great. Some people get into it to save money (it is cheaper than cartridge shaving) but then they turn into collectors with bunches of razors and a huge array of shaving soaps, creams, and after shaves. You don't HAVE to go that deep.
Haha it's funny that you mention the rabbit hole, because this post definitely sent me down one. I was researching using safety razors for body shaving, and people seemed to keep mentioning the lady Gillette! I may have to pick one up. Do you recommend any particular year, or are they all about the same?
They are all about the same. Most I have seen are from the 60s but they were manufactured 1961-1975. From my excursion down the rabbit hole, pink and blue are easily found but the champagne color was difficult to find.