The Bambaw double-edge safety razor is a plain metal razor that takes one standard replaceable blade. This page covers what it actually is, how it shaves if you are coming from a cartridge razor, who it suits, and where it falls short.
It suits you if you want one durable razor instead of a stream of plastic cartridges, and you are willing to spend a few shaves learning a slower, single-blade technique. Skip it if you want a pivoting head that sets the angle for you, or if your shave happens in ninety seconds at the sink and you would rather not think about it. A double-edge razor asks for a little more attention, and it does not hide that.
The short answer
- For one plastic-free metal razor with a stand: the Bambaw double-edge safety razor with stand, which takes standard blades – the product this review covers.
- For a milder first double-edge razor: the King C. Gillette safety razor, which arrives with five blades.
- For a lighter razor with a chrome finish: the Edwin Jagger DE89, about 68 g against the Bambaw’s 90 g, with a lined chrome handle.
What the Bambaw razor actually is
Bambaw sells it as a double-edge safety razor: a zinc-alloy head on a stainless-steel handle, closed comb, around 90 g. It takes standard double-edge blades and comes with five of them, plus a short digital guide to loading a blade and shaving with it. The packaging is plastic-free, and Bambaw lists a five-year warranty on the razor. Bambaw sells the same razor in several finishes and with or without the stand; the listing shown here is the rose-gold finish with the stand, which Amazon titles as a women’s razor.
The “set” in the name is the stand. The version here includes a matching aluminum stand that holds the razor upright so it drains and dries between shaves; if you already have somewhere to hang a razor, the same razor is sold without one. The head is a closed comb, which is the more forgiving layout: the guard in front of the blade gives you a little protection while you learn, rather than leaving the edge fully open the way an aggressive open-comb razor does.
How a double-edge razor shaves differently
A cartridge razor decides the angle for you. The head pivots, the blades sit at a fixed tilt, and a light press is enough to let it follow your jaw. A double-edge razor does not pivot, and you set the angle yourself – about 30 degrees to the skin – then let the razor’s own weight carry it down. That one change is why the first couple of shaves feel clumsy even when the razor is fine.
The usual argument for a single blade is that it cuts each hair once at the surface, rather than pulling it up and cutting below the skin the way a multi-blade cartridge is often described as doing. That is the principle behind the design, and it is why people who get a rash from cartridges try one. Keep the expectations honest, though: a razor does not promise calmer skin. The angle you hold, how much pressure you use, and the blade you load matter at least as much, and some irritation is technique rather than hardware. If that is your problem rather than razor choice, start with how to prevent razor burn and irritation and treat a single razor as one part of it.
Loading it and holding it
- Undo the head, drop a double-edge blade in and close it – the blade sits still once the head is tight, so there is nothing to adjust mid-shave.
- Hold the razor at roughly 30 degrees to the skin and let the weight of the head do the cutting.
- Use short, light strokes and no pressure at all. Pressing is the most common beginner mistake and the quickest way to a nick.
- Give the skin one pass rather than scrubbing over the same patch; a second light pass in another direction is gentler than extra pressure in the first.
The blade matters more than the razor
The Bambaw takes any standard double-edge blade, so the blade is a choice you get to make, and it is the only part you throw away. A mild blade and a sharp blade feel very different in the same razor, which is why wet shavers talk about blades more than handles. A mid-range blade is the usual starting point, then adjust once you know whether you want something keener or something softer. Our guide to how double-edge blades differ walks through the common options and what changes.
What it does well, and what it does not
Good at
- Replacing disposable plastic with one metal razor and recyclable blades.
- A closed-comb head that is reasonably forgiving while you learn the angle.
- Coming with a stand, so the razor dries upright and stays off the shelf edge.
- Standard blades, so you are not tied to one brand or one cartridge shape.
Not the tool for
- A pivoting head. You set the angle, every time, on every part of the face.
- Very fast shaves. A single blade rewards a slower, shorter pass.
- Promising no cuts and no irritation. That is technique and blade choice, not the razor.
- Heavy beards that want an aggressive razor. A closed comb is mild by design.
Who should skip it
If you like the head to pivot and follow the curve of your jaw for you, this is the wrong tool – no double-edge razor pivots. If you shave in a hurry and dry, or you have a heavy beard that you cut down with a first pass, a razor with more blade exposure will suit you better. And if you are prone to ingrown hairs, changing the razor alone will not settle it; the prep and the direction of the pass matter as much as the blade.
If the Bambaw razor is not for you
The usual reasons to look elsewhere are weight, the finish, or wanting a different head. The King C. Gillette safety razor is a mild closed-comb razor that arrives with five blades, so nothing else has to be bought to start; if you want to try the one-blade technique on a razor that is gentle out of the box, it is the simpler route in.
The Edwin Jagger DE89 is the other long-standing first razor, and it is the lighter of the two: about 68 g against the Bambaw’s 90 g, with a lined chrome handle and a mild closed-comb head. Pick it if you would rather have a lighter razor in the hand and a chrome finish; the extra weight is the reason to choose the Bambaw instead.
If you would rather see the field before deciding, our guide to safety razors compared weighs up five razors by weight, aggressiveness and price.
Looking after it
A double-edge razor needs almost nothing: rinse and shake the head after each shave, stand it upright so it dries, and change the blade when it starts to tug rather than on a fixed schedule. That is the whole routine. The blade is the consumable, not the razor, which is what makes the format cheap to run: you replace a blade, not a whole cartridge head. For what comes after the shave itself, see what to use after shaving – a plain aftershave or balm settles the skin, and the razor does not change that part of the routine.
The bottom line
The Bambaw double-edge safety razor is a sensible buy if you want one metal razor that replaces plastic cartridges, you like the idea of choosing your own blades, and you are happy to spend a few shaves learning a fixed-angle technique. It is a mild, forgiving closed-comb razor rather than an aggressive one, and the included stand is a small but genuine convenience. It will not shave like a pivoting cartridge and it makes no promises about your skin, so buy it for the format and the materials rather than for a transformation.
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