- Hone Type 15 Safety Razor (£65/£115)
You can continue throwing away money on overpriced disposable razors at your local drugstore or even sign up to a Dollar Shave Club or Harry’s-like monthly shave membership, but your razor will never look or feel as good as the Hone Type 15. Yes gentleman, there are razors, and then there are razors, and this gorgeous piece of hardware is certainly the latter.
Winner of a 2015 iF Golf Award, the super premium and super sleek Hone Type 15 is CNC machined from either raw brass (the standard Type 15) or anodized aluminum (the Type 15a), making for a stunning piece of hardware that offers supreme control over tolerances and a solid handle grip even when wet.
As for the actual shape and geometry of the razor, the Type 15 was created completely from scratch with a focus on building a great quality shave and feel while also producing a modern, clean interpretation of the classic double edge safety razor. The overall body is built on the traditional 3 piece razor construction, providing a tried and true method without complex components that wear out or fail over time, while the balance point of the razor lies below the head and utilizes its weight to offer just the right amount of shave assistance without being overly aggressive or unwieldy, allowing you to easily pivot around its center of gravity while gently maneuvering around the contours of your face.
And when it comes to design, well, just look at it! Gorgeous is truly an understatement when admiring the Hone, and this gorgeous comes in several different colors and finishes that each offer their own unique look and feel with their own host of benefits.
The standard Type 15 is made from solid brass, which offers greater thermal conductivity, a substantial weight and feel, and a uniquely ever-changing finish. Indeed, as their website points out, thanks to its well-known ability to withstand whatever was thrown at it, brass was the go-to material in the nautical world for quite some time, and should you opt for the beautiful brass version, you’ll easily be taken back to a pre-digital era where you’ll discover a certain nostalgic comfort and feel sweeping over you as you sweep over you face, not to mention a unique patina that will develop over time along the razor’s surface, ensuring a one-of-a-kind razor that truly reflects you and the way you use it, deepening with age in some areas while burnishing and shining in others.
And then there’s the sleek aluminum in the Type 15a, providing a subtlety and different perspective than the Type 15 brass version. Where the brass offers more of a heavy, weighted feel, the 15a offers greater agility and surgeon-like precision. Small tweaks were made to the head of the 15a to account for the difference in weight, resulting in a razor that carries certain traits of the brass Type 15, but with a unique character and approach that feels very much its own.
The Type 15a also has two handle length options: the standard 85mm and a recently added 100mm for those who require a longer option. As for colors, the Type 15a is available in silver or a robust black anodized finish, with the hard-wearing coating on both colors providing greater protection against corrosion and everyday wear and tear. In other words, your razor will look great even after years of daily abuse.
There’s even an optional hand stitched leather case to store your razor in once you purchase it. Or just do what we do and keep it out by the sink counter for all to marvel at.
