When you shave the odds are you’re going to have wet hands. And sometimes razors slip out of wet hands. What if you would like to decrease the likelihood of an accident? Here are some safety razors of different types that will be less likely to slip through your fingers.
The Keys To A Better Grip
Hopefully razor manufacturers know that their products will be used in wet conditions so a sure grip should be a given. But there are an awful lot of razors out there with smooth handles! Not the best for gripping. And many “classic” razors are only about three inches long, which can be a challenge for those with big, meaty hands. So to make slippage less likely I think handles should be longer than average, well textured (or “knurled”) or have some kind of slip-resistant coating on them, and they should be longer and have a larger diameter than the standard size. With that in mind I’ve researched and tried a number of razors over the years. I’ll concentrate on razors currently in production from established sources. I’ve divided the razors by head type so you can skip to the section that interests you most.
Twist To Open Razors
Parker
All the Parker Twist To Open (TTO) razors share the same head design with a “middle of the road” blade gap. The Parker 92R* features a slip-resistant coating on a four inch handle. I actually like this razor quite a bit.
The Parker 99R* features a knurled handle and is also a very popular razor.
Open Comb Razors
Above The Tie
The excellent Above The Tie “Colossus” handle can be purchased with a number of different heads. For open comb designs they have the “mild” M2*, the “regular” R2*, and the “heavy” (aggressive) H2*.
Parker
The Parker 24C* and 26C* razors share the same Parker open comb head that has a reputation as one of the more “gentle” open comb designs (not a bad thing in my book). Both razors are actually fairly popular with open comb aficionados in their own right and their slip resistant handle designs are a bonus. Like the Parker razors mentioned earlier, the 24C features a textured metal handle and the 26C features a slip resistant coating.
2 Or 3 Piece Safety Bar Razors
Above The Tie
The excellent Above The Tie “Colossus” handle can be purchased with a number of different heads. For three piece safety bar designs they have the “mild” M1, the “regular” R1, and the “heavy” (aggressive) H1*.
Merkur
The Merkur 20C* is a three piece razor with an extra long handle (for a Merkur razor anyway) and a slip-resistant coating. Personally I prefer Merkur’s two piece head design but the three piece is certainly adequate and many people like it a lot (the Amazon reviews are overwhelmingly positive though should not be taken as “gospel”).
The Merkur 38C razor, sometimes nicknamed the “barberpole razor,” is a long handled version of the legendary Merkur 34C razor, sharing the same two piece head design. Although I have read that the blade gap between the 34C and the 38C differ slightly, the 38C seems to shave about the same–very well.
Parker
The Parker 65R* is a three piece razor that features an unusual (unique?) “sandstone textured handle” with an interesting paint scheme. I think the Parker three piece razors are on the “high” (aggressive) side of average for blade gap…definitely more aggressive than their TTO’s and just a bit more than the Merkur razors above. But this razor certainly works well in wet, soapy fingers. The handle has kind of a “gritty” feel to it but it’s not unpleasant at all.
Slant Bar Razors
Above The Tie
As mentioned earlier, Above The Tie offers their “Colossus” handle with a number of different heads, including slant versions: the S1* (Safety Bar) and the S2* (Open). The open comb S2 slant is unique as far as I know and an excellent performer, milder compared to other open comb razors but still efficient like other slant razors. More on this razor coming soon.
![20160802_143604[1]](https://sharpologist.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/201608021436041.jpg)
Merkur
The Merkur 39C* is the long-handled version of the ubiquitous Merkur 37C* “Slant” razor.
Handles Only?
If you have a favorite three piece razor with the (relatively) standard screw threads you may be able to use just the head connected to a larger handle “a la carte.” The Above The Tie “Colossus” handle and the iKon OSS handle are two excellent products to look at.
* Denotes an affiliate link where Sharpologist may get a small fee for items purchased through the link. Alternate sources may be available, use the model number in your favorite search engine to find other vendors.
Do you have a suggestion for the “butterfingered shaver?” Leave a comment below!
My oneblade Genesis gave me some challenge using it in the steam room. A paracord 8 loop wrap made it grippy and fat and of course butt uggly… but it worked as a charm.
However using some alum on your fingers works too and somehow your razor gets more grippy in time
Missed one and its one of the best handles, the maggard MR5! Its very design is for maxamin grip and also for those with arthritis or just worried that in the bathroom with all that slick soap things are going to go wrong and Ive never dropped the MR5 (also sold as a scotch and stowe elsewhere)
I once had a Merkur Progress that I modified to look like a “Black Beauty”. I simply dipped the handle (after some disassembly) in black Plasti-Grip. I also did that to the adjustment handle. It is easy to do and works like a charm. Very ‘grippy’ and looks nice. For a 2-3 piece non-adjustable, you’d just need to take the knob off, plug and dip the handle (2-3 coats depending on how thick you want it) and reassemble when dry. Great DIY non-slip grip for your favorite razor!
Apologies in advance for not having links to pictures of all the razors in this comment, I’m totally blind, so shaving with wet hands has lots of fun challenges associated with it since I do it all by feel. I shaved with my EJ DE89 the other day and had to be extra careful not to drop it with the smooth handle. It was almost worth the challenge of not dropping it though as I got a damn good shave out of it. But I do love my Maggard steel handle if I need extra grip. And the Murker handle on the slant razor is great, and heavy, think it’s the 39C, the sledgehammer! Nothing beats a vintage gillette, a WWII contract tech or the old-style 1916-1929 models. For TTO, the 1951 w4 superspeed I have is small but the handle is very ergonomic and easy to grip. And if you’re going with a single bladed razor, the Gem pushbutton has an amazing grip handle to it, I think it’s coated in some sort of rubber? Lastly, the EverReady fliptop I have has a great grooved grip (try saying that 3 times fast) with a handle similar to the Murker 41C OC, accept the EverReady of course is vintage and single edged. , the fat-handled Pre-WWII also has great grooves in the grip handle and fantastic DE blade placement. I hated that thing for the first 3 or 4 shaves but shaved with it for a week straight and ended up loving it because of that handle.
No Edwin Jagger on the list?!
I have found their lined and knurled handles to be excellent and very grippy.
The best, though, is the Edwin Jagger DE86RC14, The handle has a lined, rubber sleeve over the handle, which offers fantastic grip!
Just for fun, I’m going to wrap some small rubber bands around my razor handle, tomorrow morning.
The vintage Gillette’s I own have fairly deep, sharp-edged knurled handles, with much more “grip” than either an EJ DE89 “Barley” or a Merkur Progress. I wonder why the modern makers didn’t keep that deep, sharp-edged knurled pattern.
. Charles
I purchased a Maggard’s handle and have been very happy. They are good quality and are very reasonable. Nice “knurling” or “stipling” for hanging on to.
An alum block over the fingers works well
I shave in the shower, so a non-slip razor is particularly important to me. I have had great luck with Cadet and RazoRock razors. They look to be very similar to the Parker models you have listed, and perhaps are made by the same manufacturer in India. I only mention Cadet and RazoRock as they usually can be had for a few dollars less than the same razor (I think) from Parker. Unfortunately I don’t have time to look for links, at the moment.
As to mixing razor parts (Frankenrazor), my two favorite shavers are combinations of two different razors. My favorite, very non-slip, razor is a combination of the RazoRock Jaws open-combed head on a very heavy black Cadet handle.
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