Achieving a good shave under the nose can be a tricky endeavor for many men, including me (and my Mediterranean nose)! The best safety razors I’ve found for getting under the nose include (in alphabetical order) the Blackland Vector, the Henson AL-13, the Leaf Twig/Thorn razors, the Parker Adjustable Injector, the Parker SoloEdge, the RazoRock Hawk, the RazoRock Lupo, and the Rex Supply Ambassador adjustable razor.
Shaving Under The Nose
This small, delicate area often requires more precision and care than other parts of the face, which can make the choice of razor important. In this post, I’ll explore the best razor designs I’ve found to navigate the contours and tight spaces under my nose, ensuring a comfortable and close shave without a lot of hassle.
These suggestions are based on my own experiences, those of Sharpologist contributors and commenters, and research on various shave forums.
[Note: Blackland, Henson, and Leaf links are affiliate. Geni.us links may be affiliate.]
Blackland Vector
The Blackland Vector razor head is extraordinarily skinny and shallow. The head is roughly as wide as its “Artist Club” style blade, and only slightly thicker. This, combined with a light and thin top cap, makes for a very maneuverable head.
Related Post: A Review of the Blackland Vector AC SE Razor
Henson Razor
The Henson AL-13 safety razor is a smooth, comfortable razor for me, particularly the “Medium” version: I was particularly impressed with shaving against the grain with the AL13. The design of the top cap is well-suited to getting into tight areas like under the nose.
Related Post: Henson AL13 Aluminum Razor
Leaf Twig/Thorn
The Leaf Twig and Leaf Thorn share the same overall head design, differing only in aggressiveness: the Twig is relatively mild where the Thorn is more aggressive. The razor blade head is so small that it makes getting into tight areas like under the nose a non issue.
Loading a Twig/Thorn may not be quite “stupid simple” but it’s very easy: get the blade close to the correct position and the magnetic head base holds the blade so you can just use the tip of your finger against a back corner of the blade (opposite the blade edge) to move it into position (popping into a post on each side of the head base)
The shape of the razor makes it quite “bottom heavy” with a center-of-gravity near the bottom of the handle.
Related Post: The Leaf Twig (and Thorn) Razor Review
Parker Adjustable Injector
The Parker Adjustable Injector razor takes design inspiration from vintage Schick/PAL Injector razors. These razors featured a head design that is well-suited for detail work like getting in under the nose. Injector blades by their nature are thicker and stiffer than a double edge (DE) blade so the shave “feels” a bit different. But I get excellent shaves and it’s much easier for me to get into tight areas like under the nose with an Injector razor than it is with a typical DE razor.
This is an adjustable razor: the low end of the adjustment range is very low (to the point of being almost unusable, even for a guy like me who prefers mild razors). I would consider the high end of the adjustment range to be roughly equivalent to a “moderately aggressive” DE razor–not crazy aggressive but still able to “bite you” if you aren’t careful.
Related Post: Parker Adjustable Injector Razor
Parker SoloEdge
The design angle of the head of the Parker SoloEdge razor makes for a natural and comfortable hand-hold for me. The razor head is thin enough so that getting into tight spots (like under the nose) is not a problem for me.
I prefer “mild” razors: maybe a three on a one-to-ten scale. I think the SoloEdge runs more middle-of-the-road–say a four or five out of ten–and should be suitable for most shavers.
Related Post: Parker SoloEdge Razor Review
RazoRock Hawk (& ECO)
The RazoRock Hawk series of razors (there are a number of color, material, and aggressiveness variants) in another that uses “Artist Club” type single edge razor blades. Its razor head design is well-suited to detail work like under the nose. The RazoRock ECO razor is similar in design but uses half-DE blades.
RazoRock Lupo
The RazoRock Lupo series of razors is also available in a number of variants, though it is a double edge (vs. single edge) razor. Its thin razor head has a reputation of being quite suitable for detail shaving like the area under the nose.
Rex Supply Ambassador
The Rex Supply Ambassador adjustable razor’s thinner head makes getting into tight spots like under the nose much easier for me to deal with. I found the razor angle “sweet spot” quickly and the shave effort is, well, effortless.
The “adjustability” range is quite wide, going from very mild to very aggressive, unlike some other adjustable razor’s whose range may start higher at the low end. The adjustment mechanics are smooth and reliable.
Related Post: Rex Ambassador Adjustable Razor
Summing Up
Whether you’re dealing with a mustache or aiming for a clean-shaven look, the right tool can make all the difference.
Do you know of a razor that is particularly good at shaving under the nose? Leave a comment below!
I find that the Tatara Masamune (closed comb) is good for this, thanks to its thin head. Instead, I consider it a rare weakness of the Rockwell 6C, due to its thick head.
I have both the Henson AL13 (mild) and the Rex Ambassador. I don’t try to completely shave under my nose with them. For that I use a Schick Injector razor. It’s thin enough to go slightly into my nose where my whiskers start.
Can’t complain about my Rockwell S6 shaving under the nose.
After clumsily banging under my nose with my R41 and bleeding quite alot this is definitely something worth taking your time over!