I've been using a safety razor for years. I don't have experience with many brands, but they're so simple that if they're made from decent materials and are cared for, they should last forever. Aluminum may oxidize over time but generally shouldn't affect functionality, I'd think. Personally, if I were buying a new safety razor, I'd probably go for brass or bronze but that's mostly an aesthetic choice.

I haven't used this brand, but it looks similar to an aluminum one I use. I've had that one for ten years and a got a vintage brass Gillette from eBay a while back that is easily from the 70's. The simple design (ie not a butterfly) should make sure it will last a while.

West Coast shaving has a blade sample pack so your son can figure out which double edge blades he likes. I'm partial to Gillette Silver blue myself.

Merkur Futur MK 23C eight years and counting for me, says unavailable for the exact model but they have lots of different styles.

Edwin Jagger, Merkur, Mühle. These are the common quality brands. Brass, stainless steel are the most popular materials. Chrome plated usually. Never heard of Hensen. Don't buy razors from there. Buy a sample pack as stated before. See what works best. Good razor should outlive it's owner.

I just receiced the medium sized one last week. It shaves almost like a Mach 3, very easy to clean, amazing shave. Im gonna save a lot in the coming years !

That handle looks like it would be slick. I like the knurling on merkur razors.
https://merkurshave.com/merkur-safety-razor-37c-hd-slant-guard-german-9037001/

Try Razorock. Made in Canada, beautifully machined from stainless steel or titanium. Many options. Bullet proof.

Henson is really popular in the wet shaving community. It is a great product that I have used myself. I would think that the aluminum that Henson uses will last longer than the Zamak that is used in most Edwin jagger, Merkur and muhle products.

I would advise looking into safety razors more deeply. I jumped the gun and the first one I got was a very aggressive shave and gave me a lot of skin irritation. I switched to a mild shave and I love it. It was a weishi brand(cheap on Amazon too) I bought that and a pack of 100 feather blades about a year ago and I’m not even a third of the way through them. There are better razors for sure but the weishi has treated me well!

It's probably bifl, but it I wouldn't say it is the cheapest bifl razor. IMO any razor that cost more than $20 is probably bifl. There are adjustable razors which let you adjust the blade gap. You start small and work your way up until you are happy, then stay there forever. That to me seems better than spending $70 on something that might be too aggressive and you are stuck with.

I'm skeptical of companies who advertise titanium this and "Aircraft Grade Aluminum" that. Just say it is neat because exotic material, don't try to justify the high prices with it is "30% lighter and 30% stronger".

Merkur and box of feather blades. Done

Any safety razor will last for a lifetime.

The Henson is excellent, and get the mild to be most safe yet effective.

On the other hand… the true buy once for life would be the Stainless steel Tatara Muramasa which is adjustable ( so no need to go chasing different razors for trying different blade exposures etc) and built to be easily maintained (no spring) and last several lifetimes. It is not cheap.

Honestly this. Coming from a female perfective fyi so I've covered a lot of surface area lol over the last three years. I bought one from the brand Zomchi on amazon in brass with embedded wood handle and it has held perfectly over the last 3 years (even with leaving it in the shower on accident half the time to let in steam in our unventilated bathroom lol) and looks the same as the day I bought it. All the pieces are easy to get apart so everything can be cleaned independently. Safety razors are innately simple in design as many have noted here so I don't think you have to get a something super expensive to get a long lasting item. Maybe just look into whatever metal is your preference.

13 yrs on my Edwin Jagger and still looks new. And I prefer the added weight. I saw a review and the user had to put more pressure in the razor to get he same usual shave. So discounting the added weight is a huge mistake. That's why custom heads are sold for safety razors . for more weight.

There’s nothing wrong with it, but there is nothing particularly right with it either. Aluminum is a bit of a flag for me because it does corrode where stainless doesn’t.

West coast shaving has a kit with a handle, a head, and three different combs (piece between the handle and the head) with different angles/“aggressiveness.” You can pick the handle you like, then try the different combs until you land on one that works, then the other two will likely live in a drawer forever.

People recommend the Merkur 34c, there is honestly nothing special about that razor. It’s a stand-in for “a razor that isn’t aliexpress trash.”

I've used my Merkur 38c HD barber pole, a heavy razor with a long handle (good grip if big hands) for many years and love it. High quality machined. Any of the Merkur razors would be excellent gifts, 34c, 37c, 38c etc.

But Henson has quite the following as well. BTW for the OP, there's a subreddit r/shaving that will give you a hundred answers to this, I stick by my Merkur.

I have a merkur futura, and a vintage Gillette fat boy adjustable. Both are bifl. I use the futura at home, gillette on the road. Bought a case of astra blades ten years ago and still haven’t used them up. Btw, suave cream conditioner is the pro tip for shaving ‘cream’ way better than anything else

If your trying to buy for life you might as well get one of the best: Feather AS-D2 https://store.mensroombarbershop.com/feather-as-d2s-all-stainless-steel-double-edge-safety-razor-with-stand/

I love my Rockwell 6s. It comes with different heads so your son can try them to see what aggressiveness level he likes and it’s stainless steel. I’ve tried many a safety razor over the years and nothings worse than getting one that is too aggressive leaving razor burn. On the flip side one that isn’t aggressive enough doesn’t give the best shave. Everyone’s different so it requires a bit of experimentation to figure out what works for you.