Leaf Thorn Razor by Leaf Shave, All-Metal Single Blade Razor for Men and Women, Fixed Head with Magnetic Load Assist, Includes 5 Stainless Steel Blades - Face Shaving and Coarser Hair - Black

I'm a relatively seasoned traditional shaver, having transitioned about a year ago from cartridges to DE safety razors. I have a dozen of them and literally hundreds of blades, and lots of soaps, brushes, etc. I actually enjoy shaving for the first time in my life. I have a cornucopia of scents to choose from as well as vintage Gillette razors from the 1950's as well as modern safety razors. But I didn't have the Leaf Twig and the reviews on it intrigued me. Something really different: essentially half a double edge blade held in a very unique mechanism, a shape that reminds me of a praying mantis. It's gotten great reviews and when it went on sale at Amazon, I figured I'd give it a try. And I'm glad I did. Granted, it doesn't solve any problems that I had with any of my other razors. I can't say it shaves better than any of them but it's different .. and I mean that in a good way. It's fun to twist the base and watch the top open up and revolve out of the way to grant greater access to the bay where the single edge blade is placed, aided by a magnet. Twist it the other way to close it, lather up and start shaving. Unlike some single edge razors, it does not require a proprietary blade. You can buy single edge blades at shaving supply stores (and, yes, at Amazon) or simply snap a double-edged blade in two, being careful that it remains in the paper it's wrapped in. It's a mild but still efficient razor. I've really come to like it and definitely can recommend it. EDIT: The more I use the Twig, the more I appreciate it. It's frankly a brilliant design, just off-the-charts clever and it just plain works. I suspect it's aimed at people who are using cartridge razors but, believe me, it's just a great razor for anyone. It's well built, solid, the mechanism is very smooth (I did have to lubricate it once) the magnet on the blade deck is a clever touch, it's easy to load and unload and blades are inexpensive. Frankly, I can't imagine anyone who wouldn't benefit from trying this razor. It's that good.

First impression and TLDR headline: Get the Thorn Razor Set (different listing here on Amazon) with the base, 55 blades and used blade tin for $20 or more. These razors actually live up to the hype and are fantastic for anyone looking for a mild to medium shave. Longer version: I have tested dozens of single and double edge razors, from the Gillette Fat Boy, Slim Adjustable and Merkur 34c (all outstanding) to the modern Supply (WAY overrated) and Parker Solo-Edge (cut myself every single shave). I also spent years in the disposable world, using everything from Gillette Mach 3 to Fusion 5, Harry's and the Dorco blades that are sold as Dollar Shave Club. None of them compare to the Leaf razors. None! After trying the Thorn, Twig and Leaf Leaf (so confusing), I find the Thorn to be a clear winner. LEAF: It's really not for face shaving because the head is going to be too big to fit under the nose of most people. Bummer, because the choice of using 1, 2, or 3 blades is pretty cool ... and actually works. TWIG: It really is a mild shaver, and perfect for anyone just beginning to dabble in the world of safety razors. I have a rather thick, fast-growing beard, and the Twig shaved casual close. Great for weekends when you want to look shaved but don't mind a little stubble after a few hours. For anyone from the Gillette adjustable world, this would be about a 1 or 2 setting. THORN: Best of all worlds. The extra .2mm or blade exposure from the Twig makes a big difference. The name Thorn suggests a level of sharpness that's a big exaggerated. You're basically jumping from a mild shave to a medium shave, which equates to about a 4 on a Gillette Fat Boy or Slim Adjustable. If you demand an extremely close shave and max out your adjustable razors and can only live with Feather blades, the Thorn, Twig and Leaf are not for you. PRO TIPS: Buy quality double-edge blades and break them in half (while still in the protective paper). They're cheaper and last forever. Also, if you end up flying with any safety razor, it must be placed in checked luggage or have no blade in your carryon. For anyone just starting out in the safety razor world, you might want to consider the Twig but will probably want to graduate to the Thorn. You MUST keep in mind that as mild as these razors are, they demand a different technique. You've probably read this before, but you need to let the razor do the work, applying virtually no pressure and letting the blade glide across your skin. Go strictly with the grain at first until you get the hang of it and after a few shaves, start working against the grain until you get the technique down. Ending on the tip that I started with: Get the Thorn Razor Set (or the Twig Razor Set, if you prefer). For just $20 more, you get a matching stand, 55 blades (the standalone razor comes with just 5) and a tin container to store your used blades for recycling.

Hate disposable razors but hate the "learning curve" say no more ... i have used many razors, disposable, electric, straight, double edge, and while I can use most all on my face and even the double edge on my armpits there was only one thing I trusted for my sensitive area (we will call him bob) Bob has lots of curves, angles, soft skin, floppy skin, regular skin, thin skin, something I only trusted a disposable razor for .... NOT ANYMORE I took this razor out the box went to the shower and started with my face ... easy peasy felt like using my double edge but better, less clogging, a much more ergonomical handle. I said wow!!! Then looked down at Bob, said a couple hail Mary's to myself then said to Bob may the odds be ever in your favor ... IT ... WAS ... PERFECT!!! Just like using my trusty disposable, felt confident, no nicks, nothing, the soft floppy skin, the creases, the top, the bottom, bobs flag pole, done, and much faster with way less clogging. What I like most about this razor is the size is almost exact of a disposable but it shaves like a double edge with one AMAZING advantage On the double edge safety razor the corners of the blade are exposed so when going up against tight spots like folds of your leg and Bob the corners were of an issue and also the width of the head was problematic. With this razor the corners of the blade are tucked in and protected. 100% recommend this razor and if you are going from a double edge to the leaf you can just snap the double edge blades to make 2, they fit!! So if you like Astra or Feather, or other brands you can keep using them.

Saw some people in reviews that sliced their face while shaving. There's one important thing you need to know: this razor is using old-school razor blades, unlike cartridge razors, which come with their own blades already built into the cartridge. The thing is, the cheapest razor blade out there is roughly 10x sharper than those blades in cartridges. Because of that, you get a super smooth shave, less irritation, fewer razor bumps, and fewer ingrown hairs. But that sharpness comes with its con, it can cut you open. Therefore, you need to be careful. Thorn razor is easier to use than DE razors because of its angle, but that doesn’t make it safe, it just makes it safer. You can't just pick it up and start shaving recklessly. Few tips to make your shave much more safer and even enjoyable: - Never apply pressure. This is not a cartridge razor, you don't need to push the razor to your face. If you feel like it's not cutting, that means you're holding the razor incorrectly. Adjust your angle accordingly. - Don't use cheap shaving foams / gels. Invest in a good quality shaving soap or cream. If you have thick beard, buy some pre-shave. - Your razor blade of choice is 50% of the quality of your shave. Don't go cheap, buy a sample pack and experience with different blades. Now here are some stuff I didn't like. Thorn supposed to be medium compared to its little brother, Twig, but even with a Feather blade, it's mild. I had to use my safety razor at the end to clean up properly. Its angle makes it great for a head shave, but for my beard, I'll stick to my DE. Overall, I recommend this to people who are too scared to use safety razors or people who want something a bit easier to use for a head shave.

This razor may not be for everyone but for my needs it’s as close to perfect as it gets. For context, I’ve been shaving with a double edge (DE) razor for nearly 20 years. For most of that time I’ve been using Feather blades in a German razor. I also use a Japanese shavette to line up my beard. I decided to try this razor because 1. It’s nearly impossible to consistently get up close to a beard with a DE. The back side of the head blocks your view no matter what position you try using. 2. You constantly have to remain aware of and adjust your shaving angle to ensure a good shave while avoiding nicks and burns. 3. I don’t always have the time and patience that DEs require when it comes to shaving before work or bed. The Leaf Thorn addressed all of these issues for me. The shape of head provides a significantly better view of my beard. The angle of the head vastly reduces the amount of time and effort it takes to maintain the correct shaving position. In terms of aggressiveness, the Leaf Thorn is equivalent to a decent closed comb DE razor. If you’re used to using those 5 or 6 blade cartridge razors DO NOT assume that you can transition over to this razor without adjusting your technique. You definitely need to avoid long, fast strokes with a heavy hand. If you tend to be a slow learner or if you think you’ll revert back to your multiblade shaving technique then the Leaf Twig might be a better option for you. However, if you’re a fast learner or you’re used to using a DE razor then the Leaf Thorn will be a natural transition for you. You’ll still need to use a light hand and short strokes. But you’ll find that the shave itself will ultimately be faster and easier. That said, keep in mind that the weight of the razor sits in the handle rather than the head. Not a big issue for me but some people might not like that. I haven’t had it long enough to speak to its durability but it has a nice amount of heft and it feels sturdy and precise when opening and closing it. The magnet for the blade is also a nice touch. As always, a razor is only as good as the blades that you put in it. There are lots of decent brands out there but I recommend Feathers. Snap them in half and you’re good to go.

After buying the Leaf Thorn razor, I must admit I’m very pleased with its performance. For the sake of context let me say a few things first. 1) I chose the Thorn version over the Twig since my normally coarse facial hair has evolved into an even more stubborn “gray bristle” variety. 2) I prefer razors with some heft to them. 3) Past experience leads me to never use the blades included with new razors regardless of price. That being said, the Thorn works wonderfully! I get an effortless shaving experience with a design that rinses easily and allows precise control in every area. Although it was lighter than expected and obviously biased towards the handle, it feels great in the hand and requires no extra effort (pressure against your face) to get the job done. My usual two passes produces a clean, close shave with no irritation. The included blades were added to my growing “zombie apocalypse use only” pile since folding my usual brand blades in half is quite simple and cost effective. If you’re in the market for a new razor you should seriously consider this one!

The head on this razor is the… Okay, let’s just back up here and talk about how women shave. If I had the skills to do a video this would be the most popular review on Amazon! We almost never shave standing up straight in front of a brightly lit sink like a stiff Masonic ritual. We do it in the tub or the shower. Everything is wet and steamy, and there is soap or shaving foam everywhere. We stand and twist, we sit, we lay down. We use our fingers to feel where the hair is, and what direction it’s going because we can’t always see all the little places in our armpits, behind our knees, and between our legs… There are convex and concave parts. The hair varies between newborn baby soft to stiff and bristly over one inch of skin. We have hair in the little soft dip between our bikini area and leg… behind our bikini area threatening to climb onto our bum (absolutely not!)… wire-like hair between our lips… We shave over sweat glands, delicate damp areas, taught tendons, and little callouses on our toes. We shave over hard muscled ridges and over soft velvety hillsides… The hair changes direction in serpentine patterns. Navigation is tight… we can barely reach. We shave under water and behind our back. Strokes are 1/2” long before the handle bumps our thigh. We can’t use ANY pressure on the ankle tendons unless we want to scalp a ribbon of skin away. We go fast! This is the least important part of our day, and someone is waiting on us already. We flip and twirl the razor like a marching band baton. Most of us don’t even know we are doing that, and we certainly don’t brag about it. We don’t analyze any of this or talk about it in detail together online. We don’t form support groups about ingrown hair or sensitive skin, or the impact of the job with our razor had on our sex life. We will get it done with almost any razor, and don’t expect anyone to compliment us on it while shaking our hand. We are all business. We get it done with the efficiency of a gymnast with a tiny sword. We get it off. If we bleed, lose a patch of skin, or get an ingrown hair we don’t whine about it or blame the razor. We do it differently next time. That is all. So this razor: I have, and can shave with about anything. The head: This has the best head on it ever. It’s so narrow and you can get into those little pockets and navigate the landscape of your lady parts like you are on a well-trained 14-hand cow pony separating a calf from its momma. The hair cannot hide! It’s better than the overpriced cartridge razors, the safety razors. It doesn’t loosen up like a butterfly razor. The head on this razor is 10 of 10, but I do need to get good at snapping the razors in half. That’s a new skill. The handle: A) It’s dang pretty. I like that a lot, but it’s the least important thing. B) It slurps and sloshes big scoops of bathwater. Annoying but forgivable given that slosher design is for the Masonic ritual stand you can buy for it. C) It doesn’t have good positioning/register in the hand. The cylinder and slope is the same along the shaft and you wind up too far up or down the shaft over and over. D) it’s slippery as all f-ing hell, and there is no grip whatsoever in the middle where you hold it while flipping and turning. This is a fine disservice to the self-respecting ladies who would rather be groomed than injured after using a razor. E) the handle has no balance, with all the weight on the bottom. Again, difficult to maneuver and flip, especially with the grip-less center on the shaft, and most especially when wet. It’s very easy to drop, and that is NOT acceptable for a sharp razor. What to do: I am really torn on this thing. I figure I have four options: 1) Choke up on the handle and hold right behind the head (this is what you find yourself doing automatically with this clunker). 2) Wrap grip tape or vet wrap around the handle. It will be ugly, but it might half fix this thing. 3) Saw the head off and glue it onto something designed for the job, 4) return it. I don’t know yet. I hate returning things because it will wind up in a landfill, but for $60 I am a little insulted to keep it. Undecided… Frankly I think this is an innovative razor and the company seems really cool. They have just spent way too much time listening to fussy boys. Listen the 99%: we don’t live to shave. We shave and then go live. I can tell you have good designers. Fix that pretty-but-useless handle!!!

Thorn vs twig I have used both I have a medium thick beard I noticed that the 0.2mm gap between the thorn and the twig makes a difference in how fast the twig clogs I really love both due to it’s natural ergonomic design but I must say the thorn can remove more hair growth in fewer strokes and clogs less often during use but the choice is yours but please note that safety razor blades are sharper then disposable razors and it’s easier to nick your skin if shaving in a hurry theses are amazing razors and cheeper to use so you really can’t go wrong but take your time and enjoy your shave have a great shave.