Headshaving With The OneBlade Razor

The OneBlade has been on the market for around six years now. There have been dozens of reviews regarding how it shaves, blade hacks and other forms of customizations, but not much on head shaving.  

Introduction

Ed. Note: OneBlade links are Sharpologist affiliate.

One morning I found myself looking at my razors and I picked up my OneBlade and the idea popped into my mind: “Why not head shave with this?”  I went to the internet to see if anyone else had a video or article regarding this subject and after a few minutes I came up empty handed. I decided to try it for myself.  

As a head shaver, I’m always looking for a razor that will get the job done, comfortably and efficiently. I have found many double-edged, and single-edged razors perform well on the face,and only a handful that can perform can shave my head (at least by my standards but YMMV).  

About OneBlade

Before I get into my review, I wanted to share some history about the OneBlade. It’s the product of an experience that financial publisher Porter Stansberry had while at a barber shop in Italy. He had a barber shave him while visiting and enjoyed the experience so much he wanted to recreate the feeling back home. Although not originally intended to become a business, Porter hired a CEO and staff to get this new project going. Many hours were invested in the development process, going through hundreds of designs mostly trying to recreate their own disposable blade.   

After several attempts the team at OneBlade decided they would build the razor around a pre-existing blade but wanted the best . They tried many blades, and decided to go with the Feather FHS-10, a blade that vintage Auto strop razor collectors know very well. The team eventually created the One Blade we know today and the rest is history.  (You can read more about the OneBlade here).  

A Note About Head Shaving

Head shaving may not be something that most wet shavers will do or attempt during their daily routine.  There are a few notes to mention before taking the plunge. I like to call these “The Four Mores”

1. More Hair (that grows differently) 
2. More blades (by a lot) 
3. More Soap/Cream. 
4. More time. 

Let’s start with number one. There is more  hair on your head that grows differently than on your face.  It’s a different type of hair, usually not as curly and thicker and requires a different technique with shaving. Personally, I find that a “two pass shave” works best for me.  I go against the grain (or upward stroke) from the top of my neck to the top of my head and with the grain (front to back) from the front of my head to the back. I repeat the process twice with the second pass just being a touch up in order to prevent irritation.  

Now onto number two: you will use more blades. That seems obvious enough. You’re now shaving approximately 3 times the area and as we all know; blades dull with use. If you usually get three shaves out of a blade with face shaving, expect to get only one when you add head shaving to the mix.  

Using more soap/cream is number three and another obvious note. Lather is extremely important when head shaving. The hair on your head is much thicker/coarser than your face, and poor prep can lead to an uncomfortable head (especially if it’s hot out and you sweat) with lots of irritation. Expect to use 4-5 times more lather than with that of a face shave alone. 

Finally number four, you’ll need more time to shave.  Plan to add a few minutes to shave and as always, never rush.  Set aside some extra time especially when just starting out. If you know how bad irritation and cuts feel on your face, amplify that by 10 on your head.   

OneBlade For Head Shaving Review

I won’t indulge you with the face shaving details (there are plenty of those reviews), so let’s get right into it. There are several models of One Blade razors, for this review I will focus on the two razors that I own, the Genesis and the Core.  

First off, there have been several videos/articles that use different blades, blade hacks etc. OneBlade recommends using the Feather FHS-10, which is the blade that the razor was built around. I tried using several blade variations and I can honestly say that no blade comes close to  

*Image of Feather FHS-10 courtesy of One Blade 

performance of the FHS-10. So, for this review I will be only using the FHS-10 blade by Feather and cannot recommend using any other blade at the time of this publication.  

There are several variations of the OneBlade Genesis, different metals, and finishes. For this review I will be discussing the basic silver finish. Composed of stainless steel the One Blade is solid and well balanced.  It’s easy to hold even though there are no grip indicators on the handle. The moving parts of the One Blade seem to work well and having used it over a hundred times over the past five years, have given me no issues whatsoever. Each razor is individually serial numbered for quality assurance and etched with One Blade in the hollow handle. The One Blade Genesis is made overseas.  

The Core is composed of a high-end polymer and has similar specs as that of the Genesis, but does shave differently.  It’s the more affordable option to try One Blade technology and is made in North America.  

I begin each head shave the same as a face shave, right after a hot shower.  As previously mentioned, I cannot emphasize enough on how important prep is when it comes to wet shaving.  During the shower I wash the stubble on my head with anti-dandruff shampoo, as it keeps my bald head from drying out especially in the humid south Florida weather.  

I Usually shave both my head and face in the same session, so I lather them up at the same time but always shave my face first as I like to give my head a little more contact with the cream/soap.  When preparing the lather, I tend to bowl lather more often when head shaving, as I feel it gives me more lather and it opens it up a little to have less air and more soap if that makes any sense.  

During the first pass I noticed the razor required a little pressure to get going, something that took some getting used to as that’s a big “no, no” when using a DE (Double-Edged) razor.  (Too much pressure with a DE will lead to some mild bloodshed) The spring-loaded blade made it easier to maneuver and helped regularize the blade so it was consistently at the right blade angle. This led to a cleaner pass which means less irritation. First pass easily removed 90% of stubble.  

The second pass was just as nice, a little pressure and the razor glided over my head smoothly and with no snags.  After rinsing, my head felt smooth and clean.  Applying some aftershave led to no burn and I felt comfortable throughout the day.  

Conclusion

I found the OneBlade to be an awesome head shaving razor, even though I know this wasn’t the intention when designing it. The spring-loaded head makes it easy to maneuver and delivers consistent results which is something head shavers are always striving to get.  It requires a little pressure so if transitioning from a cartridge style razor, you’ll feel right at home. Coming from a traditional shaving background (with double-edge razors) it felt strange at first but right at home after the first few passes. 

 I do have to mention that while you YMMV when it comes to blades, I found that I was only able to get one shave (head and face) out of an FHS-10. Although these blades cost more than your common double-edge, it’s still a bargain when compared to cartridges.  

The One Blade Genesis priced at $299 is on the higher spectrum when it comes to traditional wet shaving but delivers great results and in my opinion might be one of the best head shaving. razors out there.  The Core priced at $19.99 provides similar technology but to me it lacked the feel of the Genesis in precision and efficiency.  

I highly recommend the OneBlade for head shavers looking for a way to get an efficient shave, without the concern of getting cut and saving some time while doing it. The results are consistent enough that I often use the one blade for just my head while using some of my other razors for my face so not to let them feel left out.