Summary
Butterfly safety razors are known for their ease of use. In this review we look at the top 8, many of which are great for beginners or those with sensitive skin.
Are you looking for the best butterfly safety razor? Don’t worry, you are in good hands.
If you are like a lot of guys recently, you might be tired of paying a lot of money for the multi-blade cartridge razors and other grooming equipment.
Or maybe you have been using an electric razor and want to get a closer shave.
Many guys are going old school and switching to wet shaving, where a butterfly razor would be a good choice for beginners.
In this review, we are going to try and help you find the best one for you!
The term butterfly refers to the head on the safety razor and how you change the blades.
You might also hear the term TTO or twist to open as well. Basically, at the bottom of the handle is a knob that you loosen or tighten to open and close the head.
The head has two “wings” that open like a butterfly which gives its name.
This makes changing the blades easy and fast. You can literally change the blade in about 15 seconds without rushing of course because you don’t want to cut yourself!
Besides the mechanism that opens the head it will function like any other 3-piece safety razor.
Different manufacturers or models will have different levels of aggressiveness or angles on the blade.
From there it is a matter of person preference of what you like in a double-edged safety razor.
Some things you will want to consider are:
The thing about choosing a good razor blade for your butterfly safety razor is everyone’s beard and skin type is different.
There are many kinds of blades out there, everything from super sharp to super smooth.
If you have a tough beard you may want to get a sharper blade. However, if you have sensitive skin you will probably want to get a smooth blade.
The aggressiveness of your razor also comes into play. For example, if you have a super aggressive razor like the R41, you may opt for a less sharp blade to offset the aggressiveness.
The good thing is that the razor blades are cheap. You can usually find a 100 pack or about 2 years’ worth of shaves for $10-20.
There are also several nice variety packs that allow you to sample many different types so you can find the one you like that works with your beard and razor.
However, this is really just a matter of personal opinion. One is not necessarily better than the other.
All though you will have guys tell you that!
Some argue that with the butterfly heads the blade has room to come out of alignment.
Another argument is that the knob on the bottom can lose its strength and become loose during shaving.
However, if you take care of your razor and choose one of quality like from this list you should not experience these issues.
Some of these butterfly razors are just as popular as any of the others out there.
The reason men love them is the ease of use when changing the blades.
It comes highly regarded by its users.
The Chieftain is a high quality, Swedish-made safety razor that comes with a suede travel case, 5 double edge razor blades and an international lifetime warranty!
It is no wonder it has a 4.8-star rating with over 2,500 reviews.
Many guys feel this gives a closer and smoother shave then many high-quality Merkur razors out there.
This will be one of the best shaves you ever had if you take the time to prepare your face with a hot shower, pre-shave oil and a nice shave cream.
The main complaint is that this was not an aggressive razor. So, if you have a thick beard you may want to grab some sharp razors like Feather’s to help get the job done.
The blades that come with the razor are not very sharp but will give a smooth shave.
This razor is so good even the ladies love it!
Another popular butterfly razor is the Weishi long handled version. It comes with a few YingJiLi Blades to get you started.
The Weishi comes in a nice gun metal finish that is a little different than the usual chrome you find on most safety razors.
It is not as heavy as some other long handled razors so it will be more forgiving if you accidentally apply too much pressure.
This makes the Weishi safety razor a great starter razor if you are new to wet shaving. It is mild and forgiving.
If you are used to smashing and dragging the multi-blade cartridge razors you will find the transition to traditional shaving easier with this razor.
The blade gap is smaller than even the highly recommended Merkurs.
Again though, this means it may not be a great razor for those with a tough beard but should be great for those of you with sensitive skin.
There may have been a bad production run at some point with this one. A few guys mention that the blade has too much wiggle room and can stick out of one side more than the other without playing with it.
Overall though this seems to be a fantastic razor.
The Parker 99R is a little more expensive than the last two but every bit as popular.
It has a 4-inch-long chrome plated handle with a total weight of 3.4 ounces giving it a sturdy feel in your grip.
This might be better for slightly experienced wet shavers as you will know that the razor does all of the work.
With the added weight, you can simply direct the head down your beard and let it do its job.
Parker has been in the safety razor game for over 40 years and it shows with the quality in their workmanship.
They have come a long way in the last decade and are now considered on the same level as many of the “big boys” like Merkur or Muhle.
The handle also has a nice, deep texture that gives you a sure grip even if your hands are covered with shaving soap.
This razor also comes with 5 Shark Super Chrome blades to get you started but you may want to order some more as they won’t last you but a couple weeks.
The negative reviews are mixed. Some say it is too aggressive some say it is too mild and others must have received a defective product.
That just goes to show you how ever beard is different and every many will have his own opinion.
The Van Der Hagen safety razor is probably the mildest butterfly razor on this list.
It comes from Solingen German like Merkur with a quality chrome plated brass frame.
The Van Der Hagen has a shorter handle which gives you more control but in some hard to reach places like your neck it would be nice to have a little more handle length.
It comes with 5 ice tempered blades that are sharp enough to give you a close shave but also very smooth.
If you are new to this type of shaving you will have no fear of cutting yourself with this razor the blade gap is very small. It is also light weight making it user friendly.
Most of the negative reviews seem to be from newbies who might not have had the patience for wet shaving.
Remember, if you are switching from an electric shaver or a multi-blade cartridge razor you will need to plan for a longer shave in the morning.
Especially in the beginning you need to go slow and use short strokes in front of a mirror so you can get used to the angle needed to cut your hair.
The GoBetter safety razor is a chrome plated copper allow when you normally see brass as the base metal.
However, they say it gives it considerable weight to give you a close, clean shave without using too much pressure.
It comes with 5 Shark Stainless blades so it is ready to go out of the box.
This is not as popular as other razors on this list but it still comes highly rated by its users.
There are many first time DE razor owners who purchased this one and love it.
They loved how easy it was to change the blades with the knob and the fact that this was a mild razor which made the conversion easier.
Since it is mild you may have some stubble left after a pass or two with the grain. So, if you don’t have irritation issues you can try a pass against the grain.
Or if you are worried about razor bumps you could try going across the grain in a test spot to see how your skin holds up.
You may also try buying a sharper blade to offset the mildness and hopefully get a better shave.
If you are looking for a cheap razor to see if you like wet shaving than this long-handled butterfly razor by Utopia Care is by far your most inexpensive option.
There is nothing fancy about this razor, it should work just like the rest however you may notice a definite drop in quality.
It is a chrome plated brass frame that comes with 10 Derby Extra blades which are considered to be some of the most mild but smooth blades.
This would make it a great first time razor.
Well, just like the saying goes, you get what you pay for. Most of the negative reviews talk about the quality to other brands.
However, there are also several guys who are pleasantly surprised by the quality of the razor at this price point.
You never know how something is really going to work for you until you try it out so if you are not looking to spend a lot of money this could be a great starter razor.
The Oldcastle safety razor is another awesome potential starter razor. It has a nice microcomb like the Van Der Hagen to help prevent cuts.
This makes it a good razor if you have sensitive skin.
They also offer a lifetime warranty like the Vikings Blade razor and will issue a full refund if you are not happy with the product.
This razor comes with 5 starter blades as well as a cool travel case that has a mirror in it if you travel a lot.
The razor only weighs 2.3 ounces which is on the lighter side but another reason it is a good beginner razor. The manufacturer says it is all stainless steel but that seems a little hard to believe with it being so light.
Although it is said to be well made by experienced shavers but on the mild side. Even with sharper blades like Astra or Feather it may still take multiple passes.
The harder you have to press the more you risk getting razor burn.
If you really want to dive into wet shaving this butterfly safety razor kit from Parker would be a great choice.
It comes with their pure badger hair brush and a really nice chrome stand that holds both the brush and the 96R razor it comes with.
This could also make a nice gift for a loved one. The only other items you might consider purchasing are some blades and a nice shaving soap to go with the brush!
The 96R weighs in at 3 ounces giving it a moderate weight and the handle is about 4 inches long with plenty of length.
With the quality, you get from Parker this razor will give you barbershop close shaves for years to come, especially because the stand will help keep the brush and razor dry which is essential to keeping them healthy.
There are only a handful of negative reviews, overall most people who buy this kit seem to enjoy it.
You would have seen one a Merkur butterfly safety razor on this list a few years ago, with their Vision model. However, it has been discontinued.
The Vision was a work of art! It was not only a butterfly razor but also adjustable so you could adjust the angle of the blade.
It was a little pricey though.
However, with these 8 butterfly safety razors, you are sure to find one that suits your wants and needs.
Since every beard is different you will want to try a few different blades if you are new to get a feel for the level of sharpness or smoothness you like.
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