Traditional wet shaving is definitely a bit of a commitment – you have to make sure that you get the best safety razor for the job, since the state of your equipment is what separates the clean-shaven men from the nicked-up boys. Weber safety razors are one of the most popular and well-known classes of razors in the wetshaving world, but you might be on the fence about them. What separates a Weber from a Merkur or some other brand of safety razor? Aren’t they all just silver rods with little guards on them to carry the same old razor blade you might put on any other razor? You just might be surprised at what you find; we chose to review some Weber safety razors, and they’ve got a lot of things in common that help them set themselves apart from the rest in small, but important, ways.

How to Shave with a Safety Razor:

We will tell you all about Weber Safety Razors in just a few minutes. First, we want to provide those that may be new to using safety razors with a guide for how to use them effectively and safely. The cost of razors and blades is really starting to climb and resulting in the interest in more refined ways of shaving. Some of you may already know what to do, but for those that are new to safety razors, this will help you.

Razor Assembly:

Each safety razor comes in three parts – the head, the comb and the handle. The head covers the actual razor blade and the comb fits in between the head and the handle. The handle’s function is pretty obvious and meant to hold onto as you shave.

You will want to hold onto the head and comb while you unscrew the handle, which will unlock all three parts of your razor. Now you can place a razor blade between the head and the comb, but pay close attention here. You will need to line up all three holes in the head, razor blade and comb.

Your razor blade should be nicely lined up now and you are ready to replace the screws bringing all three pieces back together. Try to make sure that your screws are nice and tight here. We don’t want it falling apart on you when you go to use it.

Develop a Pre-Shave Routine:

Getting a routine down that will help you achieve the shave you want is an important step that is often over looked. We like to suggest that you shower before you shave because it will open your pores, moisturize your skin and most importantly, it softens the hairs on your face. If you aren’t doing this yet, we bet you will keep it up after you notice the decrease in nicks and cuts you get when shaving.

Washing your face with warm water and a good quality face soap or scrub is an important part of a pre-shave routine too. This will help to remove the dead skin that’s hanging out on your face and will result in a better shave in the end. If you’d like to apply a pre-shave oil or cream after you wash, totally go for it. Pre-shave oil or cream will nourish the skin while it softens it and your facial hairs

Investing in a good quality shaving cream or soap is going to be something that you will want to think about as well. To get the best shave possible, you can even apply your lather with a shaving brush that will raise the hairs and coat them.

Mastering the Shave with a Safety Razor:

Now you are ready to use your safety razor! Go ahead and run it under some warm water first to get it primed for its job. On your first pass with the razor, always make sure to shave with the grain, not against it. It’s a good idea to dip your razor into a warm water bath and give it a swirl frequently. You’d be surprised by how much hair, shaving lather and skin gunk can get caught in there. Keeping it clean is an integral part of getting a good shave out of the razor.

We like to use small strokes of the razor and letting the weight of it do most of the work. Be very careful not to press down with your safety razor though…unless you want to sport little bits of toilet paper on your face later. You can also hold your skin taught to make it easier to shave and to get closer while avoiding nicks.

Pros & Cons of Weber Safety Razors:

First of all, the best thing I can say about Weber safety razors is that they work, and they work well. If you’re at all proficient in wetshaving, and you’ve got the right brush and soap, having a Weber on hand will be a breeze when it comes to actually getting into the shaving process itself. The handle itself is well-designed in its simplicity, with a stippled texture on the heavy metal grip to help you hold onto it.

The butterfly head of the Weber razor is also very nice – it’s sleek, effective, and it’ll make sure nothing but the blade hits your skin, and even then only when you’re aiming for it. It glides very smoothly on the cheek and chin, so movements are pretty swift and fluid. In this respect, Weber razors absolutely nail the only really important thing about safety razors: the razor part.

One of the few things the Weber does to set itself apart is the black finish on their butterfly heads; most safety razors just stick with chrome all the way through, but the black serves a few useful purposes. First, on an aesthetic level, it’s just nice to look at – the contrast between black and chrome is nice, if you’re into that sort of thing. On top of that, though, it’s nice and practical; you know exactly where the blade is, since you can more easily see the sliver of silver peeking through the layers of black. If you’re nervous about scraping something off, this is definitely the razor to get.

If I could say anything about the Weber that might not be ideal, it’s that it doesn’t bring anything particularly new to the table. The overall design has been unchanged for years, and it’s not completely dissimilar from a lot of other safety razors out there. Its barebones design and focus on functionality is admirable, but if you’re looking for something else to completely blow your mind, you simply won’t find it here.

At the same time, this same lack of innovation is the tradeoff for reliability – the old adage “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” most certainly applies here. If you’re looking for something to get the job done without a lot of bells and whistles, Weber safety razors are most certainly the best way to go – they just do what they’re asked to and nothing more. No surprises may seem unexciting, but it’s also refreshing when it’s your face at stake.

Who Should Buy This?

The audience for Weber safety razors is pretty widespread – it’s not really restrained by any particular price point, since it’s got a nice average price point. In most places, you can just buy the handle, which is good enough if you want to do some innovation on your own (some people mix and match their razors, sometimes using three-piece razors to throw in a little something new). In that respect, it’s good for people who want to take a little more control over their shaving experience.

The Weber razor is also good, as previously mentioned, for people who want as few frills in their overall razor design as possible. The Weber handle disposes with any of the fancy design elements you might run into in other safety razors, while also not compromising on performance. The handle is pretty basic, but it’s sturdy, heavy and fits extremely well in your hand; you’d be hard pressed to screw up a shave when using a Weber, and that kind of reliability merits mention. Whatever razor head you want can be fitted on it, so that level of customization is nice to see.

Final Thoughts:

All in all, if you’re into wet shaving at all, I think the Weber safety razor is a good option for you. It’s nice and simple, it’s got an elegance to its simple design, and it’s not too crazy expensive (about $40 for the handle, $55 for the whole razor). Also, keep in mind that you’ll be spending pennies at a time for a razor – compare that with just sticking to incredibly expensive exchangeable multi-blade razor heads, and you’ll more than get your money’s worth in a couple months. And the Weber will last you for years after that.

The Weber’s pretty easy to care for once you get it, too; all you have to do is rinse it off after you’re done shaving with some hot water, don’t use a towel to dry it, and you’re set to go. This thing is mighty durable, and versatile to boot – it will fit just about any type of razor blade, and the solid steel construction (made from solid rod 316 marine grade steel) makes it nearly impossible to muck up. Go ahead and mate your handle with whatever shave head you like – the Weber will fit it, and you’ll be able to use it in seconds.

The Weber is just a great razor, pure and simple – sure, you can get some other kind of razor that might do the job better, but why would you want to risk it when you know the Weber will work?

Want a second opinion? Check out this other fantastic reviews!