In our effort to become less wasteful consumers, both my wife Jasmine and I have been looking for ways to decrease our use of disposable products. One way I have sought to do this is through my shaving methods. When I first started shaving, my brother-in-law Barry worked at a razor factory in Virginia, sending me bags and boxes of razors up until I was in college. Since then I have tried a variety of shaving implements, most with meagerly gratifying results.

While growing a beard is the most surefire way to cut down on razors, I have been down that path more than once. Living in Florida, a face of fur offers a bit more warmth than I need, and since I have a relatively thick beard, there is a length at which the itching from the dryness underneath becomes almost unbearable. Also considering that kissing my wife becomes far less enjoyable when there is a barrier of hair between us, I really wanted a viable alternative to keep my mug more kissable.

The majority of my shaving experiences have been with a myriad of disposable razors, as I suspect is the case with most American men. If we were to believe the popular media, it would seem that this is the only option we have by which to shave. Dozens upon dozens of commercials and magazine advertisements proclaim the praises of the various disposable razors, each one with more blades than the next, and each offering the best shave possible. However, though the plastic used in them is miniscule compared with many of our other products, it is still more than I care to use in my efforts to curb my plastic consumption.

For most of my disposable razors, I have done a fairly good job of getting the most use out of the blades by cleaning the whiskers of out of the heads after every shave. But most recently, I have been using the Schick Quattro, which has four blades separated into four different segments. This makes it much more difficult to clean out unless I take an old toothbrush to it. Even doing that, the blades grow dull rather quickly, making that much effort a bit of a time waster. Also considering the fact that buying four new heads (in a wasteful cartridge equipped to hold five) costs over ten dollars, I wanted a new razor.

My last attempt at escaping the disposable razor conundrum was going electric. I purchased an inexpensively priced Braun several months ago, thinking that it was a respected brand and would give me a shave in a short amount of time. Nevertheless, after about fifteen minutes of going over the same spot, my face still carried straggling whiskers which I had to finish off with the Schick and shaving cream. I can only assume that if you spend more than a hundred dollars on an electric razor, you will get a worthwhile shave, but I’m not willing to throw that much down.

So I researched other options and found the Preserve, (www.preserveproducts.com) disposable razors. The plastic handles and replaceable heads are made from recycled yogurt containers, and you can even print out postage from the website to send your used handles back for further recycling. Yet I still wanted something a bit more sturdy and a little less time consuming, so I continued my search (we did recently buy some toothbrushes from Preserve, and they don’t taste at all like the recycled yogurt cups from which they were made).

Though razors are thought to have been used since the Bronze Age, only recently have they become a disposable commodity. In 1901, the first razor with disposable blades was created, and in the 1950′s, when consumerism became a chief industry in America, the fully disposable razor was released, soon becoming the shaving standard that it is today. Although I don’t trust the steadiness of my hand to wield a straight razor, nor do I want to sharpen it on a strip of leather attached to the sink, I have found an intermediary.

Vintage Butterfly Razor

I have recently become the proud owner of a Vintage Butterfly Safety Razor with a gun metal finish for the price of $23.99 through Classic Shaving, (www.classicshaving.com). It arrived in the mail yesterday with a pack of ten double-edged blades costing $5.99. I lathered up with some Kiss My Face Lavender and Shea Butter Moisture Shave and went to work. With one half of my face finished, I had to run downstairs to show my wife. It is the smoothest shave I have ever had in my life!

Just one little blade and I got the closest shave ever. I didn’t need four blades. I didn’t need a pivot head. I didn’t need Titanium or Adamantium or Diamond blades. It does take a more deft hand, and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t draw a little blood the first time. But I managed to keep from fainting and have been rubbing my face ever since. Plus, my wife really loves kissing me now.

So if you’re looking to cut down on the plastic you’re throwing away and you want a great shave, go to www.classicshaving.com, www.vintagebladesllc.com, or www.theartofshaving.com and invest in an old school razor. I’m still debating on whether I stick with shaving lotion, which tends to stick to the blade, or go to a shaving soap, but I have found that there are much better options than the chemical filled aerosol cans. I’ve read that pure olive oil is great for your face in addition to increasing the life of your blades. Let me know if you’ve found something that works well for you. I’m just glad that I’ll never have to buy another razor again.

Steve McAllister  (360 Posts)

Steve McAllister, Modern Hippie Mag's resident Lifestyle Guru, describes himself as a Renaissance Man. An author, filmmaker, songwriter, and perpetual artistic experimenter, he has recently re-released his second book The Rucksack Letters into paperback to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the journey. His latest book, a comical foray into philosophical science fiction, is How to Survive an Estralarian Mind Meld. His latest artistic project is The Labyrinth of the Unbroken Path. .