One of the questions I get asked a lot is and I quote: "are there any DE safety razors that can get a BBS each time you use it?" My answer now is yes you can get as close if not closer than a cartridge razor with a double edge safety razor only without the irritation that you get from a cartridge. In terms of getting that close of a shave each and every time you use it, I've narrowed it down to 3 DE safety razors. I've personally have shaved with 2 out of the 3 razors and I still own one of them. So lets get started. First I'll start with the one I have left and just used today:
#1: Phoenix Double Open Comb Standard version:
Out of all 3 of these razors, this one is the most comfortable you will ever use even with a Feather or Bolzano Super Inox DE blade which are the sharpest DE blades that are on the market which makes it a bit of a "sleeper" type of razor. It looks aggressive and has an incredible audio feedback, yet it's mild enough for beginners especially those who are just switching to DE razors from cartridges. There's more than one version of this razor now, but in my opinion the original was the best:
#2: Merkur 37C Slant:
Up until it broke and the doc was released that I mentioned earlier, this was my go to DE razor. It was a 2 pass BBS just about every time I used it except for when I needed to put a new blade in which is how my razor broke. The lock ring got jammed down inside the handle and I couldn't get it out to put it back where it needed to be. But in terms of close shaves, this beast was unmatched especially with curved surfaces such as the neck area which gives me the most grief. There are now several companies out there that offer a quality slant razor at a much affordable price and there's just too many to list here. So in terms of a slant head razor, you have more choices available now. This one was more aggressive than the doc is now:
#3: Muhle R41 :
I have NOT shaved with this razor, but I've done a ton of research on it and have since ruled it out due to my sensitive skin. You mention a 5 minute BBS or a one pass shave then this razor will indeed get mentioned. I've seen this very razor take off a month old beard in just 2 passes which is not normal. It's also too aggressive for beginners and/or daily use which is also why I ruled it out. But to me, this razor is pretty much a harsh BBS each time you would use it. It's also very expensive. The R41 will set you back around $75 dollars but I had to mention this one:
Now please keep in mind that this is just my humble opinion and your individual results will vary. Plus there's tons of alternative choices out there now that wasn't available when I tried some of these fine razors that are more budget and user friendly.
