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New member says hello, and asks for new razor recommendation

It appears that our blade choices overlap. Astra SP and GSB are favorites here. I also rank the following in my ’top tier’ (in no particular order):
Personna red
Personna lab
Nacet
Polsilver SI (or Wizamet)
I keep seeing Persona and Nacet recommended. I'll have to give them a shot.
Before climbing into the ‘new razor’ rabbit hole, I suggest trying a few more blades, including those above, and working a bit on your technique. Just my $0.02!
I know that's what I should do, but, you know...! When the stars align just right, and I'm paying good attention, especially ATG, I get a really good shave with the 34C. I'm not sure where it ranks in efficiency, but after thinking about it more, I think I'm just looking for better efficiency. I just don't know what's really efficient while still comfortable. And I probably just need an open comb for heavier days.
 
So last night I tried a few things with my 4 day growth, too many variables for one shave, I know, but I feel confident enough with my experience to narrow things down efficiently.

I had heard that slants can help less good blades perform better, and Parker blades didn't work well for me, so I did a few WTG strokes with a new Parker blade in the Parker slant. Didn't like it at all. Tried a few more with that blade in the 34C. Still didn't like it, and that's several strikes now against that blade, so its leaving the rotation!

I did the rest of the WTG pass with a once used Derby Premium in the slant. It was effective, but uncomfortable, as I've come to expect when I use this razor.

I put the Derby blade in the 34C for XTG and ATG, and I paid a little more attention to the angle when ATG, and everything went great. This is also what I've come to expect from the 34C on 3-4 days growth.

With a LOT of buffing in my problem spots under my jawline, I have a BBS on my cheeks (cheeks are rarely a problem) and a DFS everywhere else except above my lip, where I usually don't do ATG because of irritation.

I probably just need to get a Merkur 15C for 4+ days of growth (and maybe just get rid of the slant), and keep working on technique as has been suggested, especially ATG.

At least I've only bought 3 razors so far in my 4 years of DE shaving!
 
Welcome to the forum, I agree with Invicta try using pre-shave (my go to is Proraso) and technique (light glide) no pressure while the Razor glide on your face.

for the Blades I found my skin agrees with Platinum coated ones like Astra, PAA Stranglet, Gillette Platinum.. etc.

I would say the Parker and the Merkur coupled with a good blade that matches your skin, a Pre-Shave and a good technique would result in a BBS with no to minor irritation if you want to really go BBS.

Just keep trying and give your face a couple days off if you can.

Good luck.
 
Welcome to the forum, I agree with Invicta try using pre-shave (my go to is Proraso) and technique (light glide) no pressure while the Razor glide on your face
I've gone through 2 jars of Proraso. Although I definitely like the smell and feel of it, it doesn't seem to do much for the overall shave for me.
 

Rosseforp

I think this fits, Gents
You may consider to but a Merkur 15C (an open comb). It is a timeless classic and very user friendly. It is not an expensive razor.
View attachment 1412076

As a slant lover I may say Merkur 37C is another one slant that I can suggest. It is a very mild slant and user friendly. But I advice to not ATG pass with any slant. Slant geometry allows you to remove hairs even on your first WTG pass due to its slanted geometry. If you need you can make a XTG second pass which will be sufficient.

View attachment 1412077

GC .84's balde exposure is not scary at all but you may consider to buy GC .68 which is a bit milder.

But I will repeate my suggestion of Merkur 15C which is a very good razor. And the existance reason of open combs is their ability to deal with long growth hairs thanks to their comb structure.

As a last a suggestion please make sure that your lather is well and enough hydrated. A dry lather (not well hydrated) may cause burns. Bright lather is sign of a well/enogh hydrated lather.
I'm gonna mirror what @Timor1322 says about the Merkur 15C the Game Changers, but for you're sometimes shaves you might consider a Fatip OC or a GC84OC.

What kind of soap and brush are you using?

doug
 
I'm gonna mirror what @Timor1322 says about the Merkur 15C the Game Changers, but for you're sometimes shaves you might consider a Fatip OC or a GC84OC.

What kind of soap and brush are you using?
I've used Stirling, Proraso and Henry Cavendish soaps, all of which work well for me, and a handful of tube creams I've forgotten the names of and don't plan to use again.

The brush is a synthetic, The Body Shop, which I think my wife got for me from the one local shave supply shop here.

I almost bought a 15C this past weekend, but I didn't realize just how small and light it would be. I'm holding off on that for now. I've still got my sights set on a GC OC.
 

Rosseforp

I think this fits, Gents
I almost bought a 15C this past weekend, but I didn't realize just how small and light it would be. I'm holding off on that for now. I've still got my sights set on a GC OC.
I like my 15C because it is so nimble and mild I can use it everyday, but if I skip a few days the open combs keep it in the groove. But if I had to choose between my 15C and one of my Game Changers, my GC84OC wins every time.

doug
 

Whisky

ATF. I use all three.
Staff member
Much like you describe in your 1st post I have a RR Wunderbar that I use if I have more than 3 days of growth. The Wunderbar paired with a Nacet blade slices through up to a weeks stubble like the proverbial hot knife through butter. My daily driver is a RR GC .84 that I pair with a feather blade. It has some blade exposure, yes, but I have not found it to be overly aggressive even with the feather.

I went down the rabbit hole of OC razors and didn’t find they did much for me. I did the the same with slants and found the Wunderbar. It has been, hands down, the best and most effortless razor I’ve used to date. The problem with the Wunderbar is that if you aren’t paying attention to your shave it will easily draw blood. I have small kids and since it seemed like I was always in a hurry I was always bleeding. Now it gets used when I haven’t been shaving daily and for 1 pass WTG only. They the GC comes out to finish the job.

Anyways, welcome to B&B. When you get a chance head over to the Hall of Fame and tell us a little about yourself.
 
So much good advice above that I don't have much to add to. Keep trying to find what works for you and keep coming back with questions. Lots of good folks willing to offer good advice.
 
I’m going to recommend the razorock SLOC. Wish I had found it years ago
Welcome to B&B! I agree with you and on the handful of razors I've accumulated since the first of this year the SLOC is my favorite due to the efficiency and comfort for me. I'm trying to figure out what to try next for a more upscale razor. I have the PAA DOC and Henson AL-13 mild but I prefer the SLOC. I see there is a SLOC 2.0 that's currently out of stock. The Razorock SLOC falls dead center on their mild-to-aggressive chart so that helps. I don't seem to find overwhelming love on B&B for the SLOC. Maybe too low-end of a razor or maybe there are WAY more comfortable/efficient razors out there?
 
Welcome to B&B! I agree with you and on the handful of razors I've accumulated since the first of this year the SLOC is my favorite due to the efficiency and comfort for me. I'm trying to figure out what to try next for a more upscale razor. I have the PAA DOC and Henson AL-13 mild but I prefer the SLOC. I see there is a SLOC 2.0 that's currently out of stock. The Razorock SLOC falls dead center on their mild-to-aggressive chart so that helps. I don't seem to find overwhelming love on B&B for the SLOC. Maybe too low-end of a razor or maybe there are WAY more comfortable/efficient razors out there?
Might just be the best kept secret!
 

Phoenixkh

I shaved a fortune
I'm new here too. I hesitate to give "advice" since I'm hardly qualified. That being said, I just started wet shaving a few weeks ago after a 5 decade absence, other than a short venture with some cheap drug store soap and a pretty nice Vulfix Super Badger brush years ago now.

I was gifted a Lupo DE Aluminum razor from our youngest son. I did one shave with it and wasn't all that thrilled. I immediately started researching wet shaving, mostly via YouTube. I hadn't found the various forums and Face Book sites yet. I thought I'd made a decision to buy an Executive Shaving Co. Mild Outlaw and started conversing with the owner of ESC, Brian Mulreany. After a couple emails and a semi long live chat on their website, Brian suggested I try their Claymore Evolution that had been recently released. Brian said he'd been using it exclusively since it came out.

I ended up buying it and I have to say.... it's made shaving a joy. It didn't take long to adapt to it. I like the fact there are only a few blade choices so I don't' have to wade through dozens of blades to find the one that works perfectly with a double edge razor. The Artist Club blades are wider and much thicker so I didn't have to worry about blade chatter with my tough, old grey whiskers.

In the end, I don't have to continue a journey to find the best razor for me. I'm set. I do love sites like this. I learn so much and I can enjoy the collections from others vicariously. Truth be told, I wish I had the guts to try a straight razor.... they are so beautiful. But alas, I'll happily shave with my Claymore Evo and enjoy seeing the choices other people make and the pleasure they are getting from their new razors.
 

Rosseforp

I think this fits, Gents
Welcome to B&B! I agree with you and on the handful of razors I've accumulated since the first of this year the SLOC is my favorite due to the efficiency and comfort for me. I'm trying to figure out what to try next for a more upscale razor. I have the PAA DOC and Henson AL-13 mild but I prefer the SLOC. I see there is a SLOC 2.0 that's currently out of stock. The Razorock SLOC falls dead center on their mild-to-aggressive chart so that helps. I don't seem to find overwhelming love on B&B for the SLOC. Maybe too low-end of a razor or maybe there are WAY more comfortable/efficient razors out there?
The RR SLOC is an excellent mild razor, if you are looking for a step up in an inexpensive OC razor like the SLOC, go with a Fatip, they can be had for under $20. The GC 68-P is also a very smooth razor, and a step above the SLOC.

doug
 
Hi all! I'm new here, though I've browsed the forums in the past. I'm in my 50s, but only started DE shaving 4 or 5 years ago, and sometimes still feel like a newbie. I have coarse stubble and sensitive skin (especially the neck). I usually do WTGx2, XTG, ATG, then lots of buffing in problem areas just under my jawline and chin.

I have:
Parker 71R
Merkur 34C
Parker Semi Slant

I've tried these blades:
Astra (green package)
Treet
Gillette 7 O'clock
Gillette Silver Blue
Shark
Feather
Derby Premium
Derby Extra
Parker

I use the Merkur 34C most often. Unfortunately I'm terribly inconsistent with blade testing, not really keeping up with them well, but I think the ones that work best for me are Astra, Treet and Silver Blue. I didn't like Parker blades at all. I liked Feather, but could only really use them well with specific days' growth.

I just got the Semi Slant this past Christmas. At first, I was blown away at how it plowed through about 5 days' growth (the reason I wanted it), but the more I've used it, the harder I've found it has been on my sensitive skin, especially ATG. I recently noticed the blade doesn't seem consistent on each side. There's about the same amount of exposure, but one side usually lays almost flat against the guard, and the other sticks up a little higher, especially at one end. I don't know if that's a defect, but it makes me wonder if that's why I'm having trouble with it. I'm also now wondering if I should have bought an open comb for long growth instead of a slant. Thoughts?

My last shave was after a lazy 5 or 6 days, and I used the Semi Slant WTGx1, then everything else with the 34C. This worked pretty well, but was a bit annoying to have to switch.

Although I also suspect I still just need to improve my technique, and do more consistent blade testing, I'd still kinda like to buy a new razor (blame RAD). I'd like to be able to shave every other day comfortably, but also want to be able to plow through up to 5 days of growth occasionally. With the Merkur I can get a DFS pretty often with 4 days growth, but less than that will often burn my neck, and more growth is usually very uncomfortable with all the tugging.

I've been reading and watching reviews of the Razorock Game Changer and it looks promising, but I'm a little intimidated by the positive blade exposure due to my experience with the slant, and it's hard to tell which plate would suit me better. I'd love to find something that can help with my sensitive neck, and to reduce the amount of buffing needed in my problem areas.

I'd love to hear your recommendations!
If you’re not sure what works best for you try an adjustable. I can heartily recommend a Slim which, IMHO, is the best adjustable ever made
 
I read that the extreme curve of the RR BBS makes it a challenge to get under the nose when hair grows really close there - an issue I also have, so I kind of ruled that one out.


I guess it's a possibility, but seems unlikely to be an allergy for me. The razor burn is pretty consistent in the same areas no matter what soap I use. It's almost always the neck, where it's not only sensitive, but also has several different grain directions, and under my nose and between my bottom lip and chin when I go against the grain. If I skip ATG in those areas, I can usually get by with no burn... which I guess says more about my ATG technique! I usually shave after a shower, and use hot water before first lather, then warm water during, and cold rinse after.


I've pretty much never been able to shave daily without neck burn, especially during my cartridge days. I used to shave every 2-3 days before starting to work from home (I'm high risk for Covid), and usually had some neck burn when only 2 days.


Thanks for your reply!
Lee - Shaving under the nose doesn't have to be down, or even up. Try sideways: middle to left, middle to right. Or the other way - towards the middle. This suggestion works as long as your razor covers the blade ends.

Regarding Treet blades, I tried most of them. There are many different blades under that banner. The one I like best is Treet Platinum.

Regarding rashes or itches, it's worth avoiding any product that contains MCI and MI. They are usually found together, and are responsible for a world-wide epidemic of contact dermatitis. They appear towards the end of the ingredients list.
Full names: Methylchloroisothiazolinone and Methylisothiazolinone. Their purpose is to inhibit mould and thereby increase shelf life.
They are found in some shampoos, conditioners, soaps, shaving soaps, shaving gels, bubble bath - anything topical. Never in food or anything ingested. In the UK their use in makeup is banned because the effect is heightened by being left on.
The family of isothiazolinone should be avoided regardless of the prefix.
 
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