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New user looking for the Goldilocks combo

Hi guys! I got into safety razor shaving last month, after getting pissed off about the price of disposables and going down a Google rabbit hole. Been reading a few threads on here but this is my first time posting.

Anyway, I started off with an Assured for Men dollar-store razor. 3 piece with a plastic handle. I figured that would be something cheap to mess around with and see what safety razors are about. I've been shaving with nothing but a safety razor and Barbasol so far... haven't got fancy yet.

It took one shave with the included dollar-store blades to send me to Amazon, where I got some Gillette Platinums. The razor was actually usable once I got some real, non glass shards in there, but it is very aggressive. I'm brand new to this, I know I don't have good technique, but I would nick myself once or twice every time I tried to use it. I ran over a mole with it not knowing any better (cartridge habits!), and that sucker bled for 3 hours and soaked through 2 bandages.

I kinda got hooked on this whole wet shaving thing though, so I figured I'd put some money down for a "real" razor. I ordered a Gillette Heritage safety razor off Amazon. Honestly, they got me with the sweet leather case. It arrived Saturday, and I loaded it with some of those Gillette Platinums I had.

That razor is suuuper frickin mild. It's almost like a cartridge razor, and sometimes I can't even feel the blade. I doubt you could cut yourself with this if you tried. A couple of times now, I have ran over a patch of hair I knew was there and the Gillette wouldn't cut it. I ran over that same mole with this razor, using really light pressure, and it wasn't even irritated.

Honestly, I'm a little let down by the Gillette. I've ended up with 2 nice shaves from it, but it took me 2 or 3 passes and some cleanup to get stuff that the dollar store razor could get on the first try (if I didn't bleed out first.)

So I've got the super aggressive, $1.29 face slasher special, and the super mild $35 DE that's kind of feels like a souped up Mach 3. Is there any way, using different blades, technique, whatever, to Goldilocks this? Either mellowing the Dollar Tree razor out or stepping the Gillette razor up?
 
Hi and welcome to B&B @TxAggie2018 Good to have you!

Make a Shim.

Get a used blade. Grab some stout scissors. Cut both blade edges off completely so that the blade is now a rectangle. You want to keep the blade body. Take care. I hold the blade in a small pair of pliars when I cut it.

Load up your Gillette with this shim as you would a blade.

Then put a real blade on top, crank it all down and shave.

This will open the blade gap a bit, and make it more efficient. You can add 1, 2 shims to your taste.

For the Dollar Tree horror, just reverse the process. Blade first, then the shim(s) This will mellow it's blade gap or angle.

I started out with the Edwin Jagger DES89 Kelvin. I dunno if it's the same head, but I found when you get the angle right, and go steep, its plenty efficient. A Platinum is an excellent blade choice for a start.

Good luck!
 
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Since you're looking all over the range, have you considered an adjustable to experiment with and dial into the aggressiveness you desire?

The Razorock Adjust would be an inexpensive way to start. (Also sold under the Sterling soap name and likely made by Baili) It appears to be somewhat of a Gillette slim clone. Or you could go vintage and get a Gillette slim.
 
Welcome aboard!

Great advice above! IMO ‘traditional’ wet shaving is about technique first and foremost. That takes a bit of time and effort to develop. Once you figure out your optimal prep, how to make lather, proper razor angle and NO pressure, then you should be able to use most razors.

Once your technique is reasonably solid, then you can determine what razor and blade options work best.

If you have too many moving parts it is difficult to figure out what works and what doesn’t. Just my $0.02!
 
If you like vintage, you can pick up several Gillettes at pretty reasonable prices. There are vintage razors that go from mild to more aggressive, flair tip, blue tip, and red tip. The Gillette Old type is a great razor that can be picked up for cheap and is in the middle of the spectrum, in my opinion.

Of course, the previous advice is great too, shim, adjustable, or simply continue to work on your technique. The last is probably the best option, using the milder Gillette you already own. Once you get your technique down, you can get a good shave out of almost any razor.
 
My advice? Stick with the Gillette Heritage you have & learn to shave with that. Don't continue adding new products while needing to learn proper technique. I suggest the Gillette over the Dollar Tree razor because the quality & longevity of the Dollar Tree razor is suspect. Once you've shaved a month, or two at least with the Gillette, then consider a new razor. I suggest a vintage Gillette such as the Tech or NEW. For a new razor, one that many here like is the Rockwell 6C or 6S. Depending on your budget get the less expensive 6C or the more expensive 6S in Stainless Steel. The Rockwell is well regarded because of the ease of getting good, smooth shaves & the plates can be switched out with each other to provide milder or more efficient shaves.
 
Many people do manage to get close shaves with the Heritage or similar razors such as the Muhle R89 or Edwin Jagger DE89, so it is possible with some practice. You have to precisely control the angle at which the blade meets the skin. If you are off angle, it won't cut very close.

The Goldilocks razor is not the same for everyone, but I think @dmshaver gave you some pretty sound advice. Resist the urge to change everything at first, just focus on getting good results with what you have. You will get closer with practice. Experimenting with different equipment can wait a little while.
 

nemo

Lunatic Fringe
Staff member
My advice? Stick with the Gillette Heritage you have & learn to shave with that. Don't continue adding new products while needing to learn proper technique. I suggest the Gillette over the Dollar Tree razor because the quality & longevity of the Dollar Tree razor is suspect. Once you've shaved a month, or two at least with the Gillette, then consider a new razor.
Great advice! Exactly what I was about to write but David beat me to it.
Dump that Dollar Tree razor in the trash and make your next purchase a brush and some quality shaving cream or soap (stay away from the Dollar junk). I guarantee you'll be happier than with the Barbasol.
 
Thanks for the warm welcome, guys!

You've given me plenty to try here. I only shave once every 2-3 days, so I probably won't be bumping this thread, but I've read everything here and am taking it into consideration.

Your frequency is similar to mine, which might mean that we have similar beard types. I definitely prefer milder razors, but of course this does not mean that you necessarily will. I concur with the sentiment already expressed, that is, hard to tell about the razor until technique is honed and that is going to take some practice.

Since this is B&B, and we are all about enabling, I can't stop myself from putting out a recommendation. The Merkur Progress is adjustable, a classic, one of my favorites, and a favorite of Mantic59 (one of the gurus). You can dial in whatever aggression you like, and discover your preference for when you want to add more, and more, and more, to your razor collection!
 
Welcome to B&B.
That razor is suuuper frickin mild. It's almost like a cartridge razor, and sometimes I can't even feel the blade. I doubt you could cut yourself with this if you tried. A couple of times now, I have ran over a patch of hair I knew was there and the Gillette wouldn't cut it. I ran over that same mole with this razor, using really light pressure, and it wasn't even irritated.
From what you are saying, your blade angle is off so you need to work on your technique; I suspect you are shaving with too steep a blade angle. This may help you sort out the blade angle; Blade Angle | Badger & Blade
The Gillette inspired razor uses a Mulhe R89 head which works well with the Gillette Platinum blades. I would work on that combination till you have a good technique established.
The Merkur Progress may be worth considering for a second razor.
 
Keep in mind that shaving with a DE is often about beard reduction. You may need more than one or two passes to get the result you want, but that’s fine. Work on your technique for a while and be patient; Rome wasn’t built in a day.
Yep and yep.
 
Bumping this thread...

I have been playing around with razor packs for the Gillette Heritage, and went with Derby Extra for the sake of completeness. Way too mild, didn't shave any better than a cartridge.

I had an idea though, and popped a Derby Extra into that really aggressive dollar store razor, and it actually works great! I have been getting good one-pass shaves with zero bleeding and zero razor burn.

I am still working through blade combos for the Gillette. Between Platinums, Silver Blue, Derby, and Wilkinson, Platinum is the leader in the clubhouse right now. But none of those combos have worked as well for me as cheap-*** razor + Derbys. The Gillette might end up here on the trade board soon.
 
For razors with smaller blade gaps and less blade exposure, technique becomes more important. You have to keep the razor at a consistent angle to get the best out of it. If you leave that angle, it will either not cut at all or it will cut very little.
 
Welcome to B&B.
You had mentioned being unhappy if you needed more than one pass.
There are a lot of people here that plan on performing three passes ( myself included) each session. Not trying to remove all of your beard at once.
Use a good cream or soap, not can stuff, to lather up before each pass.
Take your time, and enjoy the experience.
Keep posting your results. You will get help.
 
I experiment with mild and sharp blades and get surprised by the Goldilocks combos.

Theres a few threads on this specific thing. They are usually easier to go through using mild or aggressive as a basis.

Vintage razors are easier to clean up than one would think too. Seems you have enough equipment to find out the basics between more aggressive blades and razors being your preference.

I do a single ATG pass with mid/milder razors and sharper blades. Seems to be the sweet spot for me.

If you find a cheap one for sale on eBay get a post war “etched logo” cap Gillette tech and try your Gillette platinums in there. I regularly see excellent shape ones listed for less than $15 shipped. Also something you’re likely to find in an antique store or Craigslist.
 
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