A lifetime razor may seem mystical but there are several options for shaving tools that really will last longer than you are likely to.
Razors are one of the most shameful markets we face from a sustainability perspective. Most are made to fail – cheap plastic branded up and used to keep you buying replacement blades. This is an expensive and usustainable approach to something as ancient and lasting as shaving.
Thankfully there are a few great lifetime razor options that cut this endless cycle. While single blade safety razors are growing in popularity as a cheaper and more sustainable alternative, many of these are unlikely to last as long as the manufacturers say.
Most are made from an nickel alloy called Zamak and so the chrome electroplating often wears off after a few years and the central screw is prone to breakage. Zamak is popular because is can be cast accurately and cheaply.
Stainless steel safety razors tend to be more complex, often requiring much more expensive manufacturing processes. However, their longevity is unparalleled.
What’s more is that there are a few stainless steel razors that don’t fit the safety razor model. Safety razors are great but many modern users struggle to adapt to them. But some lifetime razors offer an experience closer to a modern cartridge razor – but without the plastic and the multiple blades that ultimately cause more irritation.
Which Lifetime Razor is Right For You?
OneBlade Genesis
The OneBlade Genesis (review) took two years and more than 12,000 man-hours to develop as an attempt at recreating a barber’s straight razor shave at home. It uses Feather FHS-10 blades, which are a fairly standard design for a variety of products, which are enclosed in a pivoting head.
The assembly is all stainless steel and OneBlade take great pride in their “forever warranty”. Unless you really damage your razor, normal use should see this design last many decades.
Supply
Featured on Shark Tank, the Supply razor (review) is a little less boastful than OneBlade with only a mere 100-year warranty.
But that doesn’t diminish its grandeur in the slightest. Available in nickel alloy or stainless steel, the Supply razor is manufactured using metal injection moulding – used in medical and aerospace technology – which has resulted in a razor built like a tank.
But unlike a tank, the Single Edge 2.0 is smooth and sleek with a broad and comfortable handle. Supply uses injector razor blades, which are even more widely-available than Feather FHS-10s.
Rockwell 6S
Rockwell have pioneered a design of a safety razor with multiple base plates with different levels of aggression. Each comb is slightly different and so with three base plates you have six levels of aggression to choose from.
From a lifetime razor perspective, that’s a great way to have an adjustable razor for different situations without moving parts that could provide a weakness. The Rockwell 6S (review) is all stainless steel and so represents one of the few traditional safety razors available in stainless steel.
Feather AS-D2
Probably the most traditional safety razor on this list, the Feather AS-D2 (review) literally means it is the second version of Feather’s All Stainless-steel razor. Feather is based in Seki, Japan, and is easily one of the best razor manufacturers in the world.
The AS-D2 is a beautiful razor to use. It is fairly mild but can be upgraded with a Feather razor blade for a more regular aggression. The chief complaint among fans is while it is a great razor it is expensive because of its marine grade surgical stainless steel.
But this is exactly what makes it a lifetime razor. This classically-styled razor is sure to weather decades of use without issue.
