I’m no stranger to the old school safety razors, I switched over a decade ago to quit paying for high priced blades. I am my barber’s worst nightmare when I go for a shave, because I have really coarse and thick facial hair and relatively thin skin, meaning nicks and cuts are a normal part of my life. I’ve been shaving my face regularly for over 35 years and have the process down after trying every gimmick available. After visiting a he Henson website, I was unsure if I should order the AL13 or the AL13M, I opted for the 13 because the M wasn’t available through Amazon and I wanted the fast shipping. I was way past due for a shave and the Henson did an excellent job, the cut was easy, it didn’t clog up, it rinsed really well, and most importantly NO NICKS OR CUTS! The razor is lighter than I expected and the handle was shorter than I’m used to, but that worked out to be an advantage as it was easier to position the razor at the proper angle while shaving. Excellent razor and I highly recommend it. Read more
Recently purchased this razor. I expected it to be fairly good, based on all the excellent reviews, though I didn't quite buy into all the claims made in the advertisements. I should also note that I did not use the RK blades that come with the AL13, instead using Feather brand blades. I have only ever used a safety razor a handful of times in my life, giving up on them because of the nicks, irritation, and cuts. Instead, I've used Dollar Shave Club's "Executive" for the last 10 years and Gillette Fusion before that. I currently use a badger hair shave brush and Clubman Pinaud Classic Barber Shave Cream. After the first shave, I can tell you this: All of the hype is real! There was NO irritation, no drag, just a perfect shave that required little to no pressure. The expected learning curve was non-existent. The AL13 produced the smoothest and most comfortable shave I've ever experienced in my life. I cannot recommend this razor enough! After one shave, I cancelled my Dollar Shave Club subscription, it is that good. Read more
Coming from using DSC and Harry's cartridge razors for the last decade. I never really had any crazy complaints. Until I started paying attention to razor burn on my neck, that I believed was acne. I saw an AD on these and the algorithm kept me in the loop until I finally lost the battle. I will admit father of 3, blue collar job and an old school land cruiser addiction. Make 80$ hard to have laying around. But believe me when I tell you, if you haven't wet shaved with a "quality" safety razor. You have no idea what you're missing. What was once routine every two days, and was just Meh. Now I look forward to shaving every morning with a level of detail and is super satisfying. The shaver is super primitive, functional, robust but genius. No parts to break. No gimmicks to screw up. Just unscrew, place the blade in and cinch it down. I'm careless when I shave generally with its on the face, neck or the unmentionables. I've yet to have a scare, razor burn or a cut. And I've tried to be as dumb as I can to know this razors limits. It clears out quickly and easily with a rinse. No thumbing the channel or blade. It's seriously sharp (compared to the plastic second cousins down the road with every other store bought razor) this also comes down to the blades you buy. A lot of lads mentioned the blades Henson supplies are super mild. I went with the tip option in Amazon the platinum Astra blades, and they are fantastic. Buy yourself a sampler kit of blades to know what works best for you. The best part is this razor will pay for itself very quickly. 100 Blades for my shaving amount will last me roughly 18 months for 10$. Before I was spending about 30$ a month on blades and a few bucks on shaving cream. Get yourself a wet shave soap, brush and some healing balm and you're off to a fantastic shave. Since getting mine I've told literally everyone and bought 4 more as gifts. I mean it when I say, it's the best self care purchase anyone (man or woman) can make to save some money in the long run and actually enjoy shaving moving forward. Read more
The hype around this razor legitimate. The razor is very mild, combined with an aggressive blade it provides a fantastic shave with little to no irritation. The Henson with a Feather blade is the most comfortable shave Ive ever had. Before purchasing this my go to was a vintage Fatboy; the Hensons light weight encourages one to push….resist the urge and shave like its typical safety razor or you will be wearing tiny pieces tissue paper and that Alum bar will really wake you up. The Henson for me likes more aggressive blades (your milage may vary), I cant do Feather in the Fatboy the aggressive combination results in a plasma donation for me, If a friend hadn’t suggested both the Henson and Feather I never would have tried. With the Henson the sharper more aggressive Feather gives less drag, fewer passes, less irritation and no razor burn, I’ve always understood the concept but this is the first time I’ve experienced it. The razor burn that has been almost permeant on the sides of neck has almost entirely cleared for first time in almost 30 years. My hats off to Henson on design and execution of a fantastic razor. The RK blades that come with it are not impressive. Bic CP works well with both the Henson and fatboy for me…..but only get 7ish shaves out of a blade, Feather 8-10. Read more
This razor has fundamentally changed how I shave. Razor blades are infinitely cheaper than cartridges, and I generally can get a shave without razor burn, which never used to be possible before. It’s certainly a bit of a longer process though, and it takes more practice than a normal razor, but it’s worth it. However, the price feels very steep. What you’re getting is 5 razor blades (like $0.50 to $1 in value), and the three aluminum pieces of metal that make up this razor. I get it probably is well machined or whatever but it just doesn’t feel worth it. Read more
