Henson Shaving Aluminum AL13 Medium DE Safety Razor

This razor gives the smoothest shave I’ve ever had. Well made and rugged. Will probably outlast me.

I have been shaving with a safety razor for 15 years & the Henson (medium) is the best DE razor I have ever used. The razor is light and easy to control, the shave is very comfortable & close. This is truly a remarkable razor.

I will be 75 in two weeks. I have struggled my whole life with finding a razor that can shave a highly sensitive face with a wire-like beard. The journey has been a long one; from injectors, to butterfly DEs, to swivel heads, to foil heads, to multi-blade extravaganzas. Suffice it to say that I do believe that journey has come to an end with the Henson Aluminum A13 Medium DE Safety Razor. The design is not only unique, but it works and works well. You can read all the tech data on the website. Is it light weight, yes! I've never ever liked the weight of regular DE razors. For my tender face, they have always been much too heavy. Is the Henson too light? NO...it is far beyond and above the throw-away brands...it is solid, and for me not too light, not too heavy. For me, at least, a very pleasant medium. The best shave I've had in years, literally! The bonus? It's made in Canada! Double bonus: I've lived and worked (albeit YEARS ago) in the same city in which they are headquartered: Kitchener, Ontario. I've had friends who have lived next to Kitchener in Cambridge where the actual manufacture takes place. I love this razor. Well done, Henson and well done West Coast for carrying the line!

Great razor, one of the best. 4 stars because I don't like the handle (too light and slippery). I would give 5 stars for a stainless steel version (who needs titanium?). I usually require a 2 razor solution to shave my tough beard. I use the Feather razor followed by an Icon open comb, The Muhle R89 followed by the R41, or the Rockwell 6s 3 plate followed by the 5 plate. The Henson gives me a great shave all by itself with no nicks or cuts, whereas, I need to be careful with the Icon and the R41. The Rockwell, is great but it feels like a little sledgehammer in my hand. I use the Henson with the Feather handle and that is a great combination.

I have a bunch of different DE razors. After trying this razor, I stopped using any of my others and don't plan on using anything else.

Sure not the most aggressive razor but very efficient

I was curious about the claims I read for this razor on social media and decided to give it a try. It turned out the hype is legit. The Henson Razor does in fact give a smoother, cleaner shave. I used Atra blades in it and the from the first stroke down my cheek I could tell it was different. It feels reliable and steady, clean and smooth, and comparatively showed how much my old razor handle had noticeable chatter dragging the same blade down my face that was likely to cause nicks and pulls. It is very light and fits well in the hand. Whether the machining and fabrication justifies the cost is a hard to know, but subjectively, getting a closer, more reliable shave, definitely is worth the money.

This was my first DE razor, I wasn't a fan of the Astra blades it comes with, but found this razor pairs well with Feather and Gillette 7 O'clock blades. Both gave a good shave with no razor burn

This is the best razor I have ever had in my or on my face! For me I get a nice smooth irritation free shave regardless of blade’ but my preference is a Feather. WCS thanks for the good price and quick shipping!!!

I didn't give it five stars because I feel the razor is a little over price (no fault of West Coast Shaving) but the way it holds the razor blade rigid can't be compared to any other safety razor I have tried. I would purchase the razor again in spite of the price because no other mild razor compares for a nick free comfortable razor. It's hard for me to rate the razor's value for the money, but if one want's a razor in this category then one doesn't have a choice

Have been using various kinds of DE safety razors for long years and this is the most comfortable one for everyday use. Although this is a DE safety razor, feeling is similar to the multi-blade cartridge razors.

I've heard a lot of hype about this razor thanks to FB ads and the like--but I'm here to say this razor lives up to that hype. I've been using a Merkur 39C and have used an old 1978 Gillette Black Beauty adjustable handle, both with a large assortment of razors, and the AL13 with the included Astra blades is the best shave I've gotten since I started wet shaving 7 years ago. You hear people praise wet shaving and specific razors as "no irritation" but the AL13 truly achieves that. The first time I used it it was like I was sliding the hair off my face, no jumping or catching, just hair coming off like I had used Nair or something! It was that smooth. It looks great and the cream/soap and hair from each pass washes right out from the head with ease thanks to those channels. This is a great handle. I will note that the head on mine gets stuck tight--and I mean TIGHT, almost like it's fused together! but a few light raps on the counter top and it loosens right up. Highly reccommended to new and veteran wet shavers alike!

My go to razor has been Merkur 34C HD. Compared to the 34C, I feel the AL13 has a more aggressive shave. I can feel the steeper angle of the blade almost giving it the feel of shaving with a straight edge razor. I wish the price point was closer to the 34C, but I have been very pleased with the close comfortable shave even on several day old stubble. The fit and finish is very well done.

I love this razor. I have yet to get one nick. I can safely shave against the grain.

Surprisingly smooth shave. Almost impossible to cut yourself. Precision made. The blade has no wiggle room at all and the cut is the same on both sides of the double edge blade.

I really enjoy this Henson Aluminum razor. This razor very easy to use and fast because it’s light and has a high tech design. I especially like the fact that the design makes almost nick proof. If you’re new to shaving with double edge razor blades this is the razor for you.

I have a been shave with a DE razor for three years, first with a Feather popular, then a Merkur 34. This razor is so far beyond those it isn't even funny. 1. Easy to load the blade. I haven't shaved with another machined razor, but there is no messing around to get it aligned. The Merkur was fussy, and the scallops on the safety bar make it hard to see when the blade is straight. Even the butterfly popular required some alignment tweaking. 2. No nicks and cuts. It is harder to cut yourself with this than with a cartridge razor. 3. Easy to get close shaves. If you are shaving with a couple days growth you will have to do a couple passes. The trapezoidal shape is a guide to the right angle. Even if you get it wrong, no blood. 4. Lots of blades work well. I tried this with Astra, Feather, Red Personna, and Wilkinson Sword blades. The difference between them was not noticeable with this razor. If you are new to double edge shaving, this is the razor you want. All the advice you may have read about face prep, good soap or cream, post shave is still valid, so do not ignore that. (It's valid for cartridge razors too.) I don't use anything fancy: Gillette Pure cream applied directly to a basic brush, then brushed on face, and Nivea post shave balm.

Very comfortable shave, blade alignment perfect, no blade chatter, exceptional razor, highly recommend

This is simply a fantastic razor! I feel it's very mild but extremely efficient. I think mild razors function best with sharp blades, to me this means feather blades. I get a smooth, close shave with 2 passes. I've yet to have a cut or Nick as long as I'm not careless. The price is also right for an entry razor, and new shavers should seriously consider this as their first razor. I hope they offer different color plates so you could make a 2 tone razor, would be very pleasing to the eye. I would encourage anyone on the fence to do your research, but buy one because you won't be disappointed. Once again, fantastic razor!