Recycling – in praise of safety razors

I don’t know why this particularly got to me, but I found it deeply offensive that each week I was throwing away a non biodegradable razor. tiny, tiny metal blades which will rust away in no time, bloody great big plastic handle which will still be in the landfill at the start of the next ice age.

So, I tracked down my trusty, old safety razor, bought a pack of blades and off I went. For comparison: Each blade lasts at least twice as long as a disposable (safety razors are double edged) and I can see no benefit in any of the gimmicks the marketers use – multiple blades, lubrication etc, etc. I cut myself no more or less with the safety razor than any other and good quality, ordinary soap and a brush is at least as good as any of the proprietary shaving foams.

At the end of the blade’s life it is inserted into a small, safe plastic case, which takes ten blades and that is it.

Now I am wondering what other marketing con we can dispense with.

Edit 2024: I added the picture of my razor. This was my father’s, I inherited it and use it because it is better than the one I used before. Reuse in the extreme, I would say, this is a 1950s Gillette, which I guess my father bought when he was demobbed from the Royal Navy. Still a great razor, still in use.