Edwin Jagger Chatsworth, mens stuff part seventeen

"Wet shaving is suited for the man who wants to elevate his everyday life above the pedestrian. It adds pleasure to the day’s routine, provides a pensive time for the thinking man, and results in a much closer shave." 

The quote above is from my first blog post on the benefits of wet shaving in September of 2006: “On Wet Shaving, men's stuff part two.”

About 12 years ago, I received an Edwin Jagger Chatsworth shaving set from my wife as a birthday gift. The set had a shaving brush (best badger), an ivory handle for Gillette Sensor razor blades, and a silver wire stand that held the brush and handle. Earlier this year, as a self-gift for my birthday, I decided to update my home shaving gear.

Unfortunately over those 12 years, my old shaving brush had grown worn, and Gillette Sensor cartridge blades had grown unreasonable in price. I then decided to order not only a new shaving brush, but a new shaving handle that used safety razors.  I was already familiar with safety blades because I originally learned how to shave using my father's (now vintage) Gillette Super Speed Razor Handle. - By the way, I still have the vintage handle and use it even today to shave occasionally.-

I ordered both replacement items in the Edwin Jagger Chatsworth style, that way I could continue using the same wire stand.

After using my new safety razor for a few months, I can say that I’m very pleased. The Chatsworth safety razor has good balance. By safety razor standards, it would be categorized as medium aggressive. That means it has an average blade gap and angle, for blade contact with my face. It didn't take me long to master a "feel" for it.  The benefits are that I also get a closer shave, and save money by buying safety blades (which are cheaper per unit and last longer) as opposed to overpriced cartridge blades.


My new razor came with some Derby blades, however in the past few months I’ve also sampled BIC, Wilkinson Sword, Sharp and Merkur. Out of the lot, my personal preference is the Merkur blade made in Germany. In choosing a blade, it’s important to remember that the best blade for you may not necessarily be the sharpest. For well written piece on choosing a blade see "Choosing the Right Blade" at Shaving 101.

If like me, you've reached the end of your tolerance for silly prices on cartridges, I would highly encourage you to go "retro" and use a safety blade. However I do offer a warning. If you are a cartridge razor user and are thinking of switching to a safety razor, you should know that the transition could be difficult. It's very likely that you will cut up your face at the start. The reason for this is that you’re used to the inherent ease of a pivot head, and are probably prone to using too much pressure. Safety razors are very sharp and demand respect. If you want to learn how to shave with a safety razor, I suggest you start on a Saturday or any other morning when you can take your time and carefully develop a "feel" for your new razor.  As I stated earlier, it didn't take me long to get a "feel" for my new razor handle, but remember that a) I initially learned how to shave using a safety razor, and b) prior to this purchase I was already using my father's 1960's Gillette Super Speed Razor occasionally.

So am I saying "Au Revoir Mr. Gopher," to cartridges entirely? 

In a word, no. Unlike some wet-shaving-purist, I DO think that cartridge pivot razors have their place. The one obvious example is that TSA will not allow safety razors blades in the aircraft cabin. That means that if you don't want to check your bag, you have to pack cartridges. So we can't quite do a requiem mass for the cartridge just yet.  In my Trumper travel wet pack, I have a cartridge handle.

However my complaint against cartridge blades remains- their price is silly. I don't mind buying nice things and paying for their worth, but I do object to being robbed for small block of plastic with two miniscule strips of metal in it.  I also think the latest growth fad of adding more and more blades to the cartridge is silly.

Lastly, I will return to my warning of treating a safety razor with respect. If you switch you will probably not only nick yourself, but also probably cut your thumb over the next 12 month. I think every safety razor user has a story of deep hand cut because of careless handling of the blade. If you don’t believe me, Google it for some amusing stories.  My last cut occurred because, in a reflex action, I tried to catch a safety razor in mid-air after accidentally dropping it.

For shopping, here are some useful URLs:

The Gentleman's Shop - "Established in 1988 by Robert & Charlotte Johnston and trading online since 1999."  I have found them to be reliable stockist over the years with a good selection of shaving gear and related product.

Geo F. Trumper - Considered by many to be the apex of the shaving world.  Established in 1875 Curzon Street in London, and holder of many royal warrants over the years.  (I'm an Extract of Limes man myself.) Their web site has improved considerably over the past ten years.

D.R. Harris - D.R. Harris proudly boasts to having supplied the needs of customers ranging from "Ambassadors and Statesmen, Field Marshals and Admirals, to rakes and dandies - all those who appreciate quality and distinction."  I like their Arlington scent range.  Like Trumper, they also hold a number of royal warrants, and like Trumper their website has also improved dramatically over the past ten years.

For my personal story on how I discovered wet shaving and why I'm an advocate, please read my September 2006 post, On Wet Shaving.  "If by writing this I have saved one poor soul from the boorish practice of extracting foam from a can, or worse, electric shaving, then my work here is done."

-JP

Here you can see the crater like wear on the old brush (rear) versus the full head on the new one (front).

The Chatsworth Handle for a Gillette Sensor Cartridge is on the left, the safety razor handle is on the right.

The Chatsworth Safety Razor Handle Disassembled.

Top view of the Chatsworth Double Wire Stand, with my new safety razor. 

After sampling Derby, BIC, Wilkinson Sword, Sharp and Merkur, I decided the German made Merkur blade was my favorite.