Thomas Hargrove
Traditional Wet Shaver — 23 Years of Craft
My grandfather handed me a double-edge safety razor when I was seventeen and told me that anything worth doing was worth doing properly. I didn’t fully appreciate that lesson until I was in my late twenties, shaving badly with a five-blade cartridge razor, and finally got fed up enough to dig out that old DE. I’m Thomas Hargrove, and that frustrated moment twenty-three years ago started a practice that has genuinely improved my life in ways I didn’t expect.
Over two decades, I’ve worked through more than 300 safety razors and 50 straight razors — vintage Gillettes sourced from estate sales and eBay, modern precision-machined heads, Sheffield straights, and Japanese kamisori. I can identify most vintage Gillette models on sight and confirm them by date code; there’s a satisfaction in knowing exactly what era a razor came from and how Gillette’s engineering choices shifted decade by decade. I’ve also tested north of 150 soaps and creams, from drugstore standbys to small-batch artisan tallow. I keep notes on everything.
The wet shaving community is a big part of why I’ve stayed so engaged. I’ve been active on r/wicked_edge for over ten years, and I currently moderate a wet shaving Discord server with more than 2,000 members. Those conversations — newcomers asking what razor to start with, experienced shavers debating blade gap tolerances — keep me honest about what actually matters versus what’s just gear obsession.
How I Review
Every razor I write about gets a structured evaluation. I log blade gap and weight, balance point and handle geometry, aggressiveness on a consistent test patch, finish durability over months of use, and value relative to what else is available at that price. For soaps I track lather volume, slickness, cushion, residual glycerin feel, and scent longevity. I use the same Astra Superior Platinum blade as a constant across safety razor reviews so the variable is always the razor, not the blade.
I buy or borrow every product I review. I have no brand relationships, no affiliate arrangements that influence my ratings, and no sponsored content on this site. If a razor is overpriced for what it delivers, I say so. If a $12 vintage Gillette outperforms a $200 modern machined head — and it often does — that’s the conclusion you’ll read here.
ClassicBlade exists for one reason: to help men escape the cartridge razor tax and find a shave they actually enjoy. The upfront learning curve is real, but so is the payoff — a better shave, a ritual worth five minutes of your morning, and gear that lasts decades instead of two weeks. Whether you’re picking up your first safety razor or trying to dial in a straight, I’ll give you the honest, practical guidance that gets you there without wasting money on the wrong things.