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Best cheap modern DE razor

As I've only looked at it, and not held it, I'd go for their identification. I HAVE a Weishi 9306CEL, but I haven't put it side by side with the VDH.
 
I bought a bunch of Rimei razors for peanuts on Fasttech and gifted one to a friend 2 years ago. He has still not upgraded and uses it every day. I think he's mad, because Edwin Jagger and Mercur both have vastly better razors, albeit for significantly more, and he's fairly wealthy.
In my view the 34c is the best newbie razor that i've come across, but not the cheapest.
 
I couldn't get along with the Feather Popular in spite of liking mild butterfly razors. That thing was just way too mild for me and it's plastic construction reminded me of cartridge razors. Having said that, there's a lot of love for it around here.
 
I bought a bunch of Rimei razors for peanuts on Fasttech and gifted one to a friend 2 years ago. He has still not upgraded and uses it every day. I think he's mad, because Edwin Jagger and Mercur both have vastly better razors, albeit for significantly more, and he's fairly wealthy.
In my view the 34c is the best newbie razor that i've come across, but not the cheapest.
Maybe that's why he's wealthy. He isn't succumbing to RAD.
 
For one thing, this is better posted in the DE section instead of the SE section.

Yeah, sorry about that.. I was very tired/and not paying enough attention when I posted .. and then (embarrassingly) when I noticed my mistake it was too late.

I don't know what you have access to in Australia, but do know that anything from USA probably going to hit you with postage
there doesn't appear to be a huge range of cheaper razors in Aus (although many are available from international suppliers). Most AUS based stores seem to be specialist shaving supplies stores selling Merkur, EJ and Muhle rather than the cheaper variants .... and those that do stock others (ie Lord L6 are selling them at much higher prices than are available internationally - $AU23-32 for Lord L6). Compared to these seemingly inflated local prices the costs of international shipping aren't too bad.

If you have access to eBay, I would look at a Weishi, Feather Popular, or Baili as they are all good quality and reasonably priced. Good luck in your search.
Cheers and thanks for your suggestions... they gave me a good starting point to looking at the different options available. Thos razors are available as direct import from the auction site as you have suggested. Thanks again.
 
I love The Lord L6 (lp1822l) which costs less than $10 US.
Cheers. I've heard good things about the L6 ..... and managed to find some for around $15 (including delivery to Australia). Definitely within budget. So I've ordered a couple (I might even try one for myself).
 
The Van der Hagen is okay when you factor in price. $16 USD and you get 5 of the VDH ice tempered steel blades (terrible, but okay for price).

RazoRock Teck II is a Baili, and orderable from China, so Ebay AU would probably have them, if not, AliExpress definitely does. Same with the RazoRock DE. That's also a Baili.

VDH is an American brand, don't know if it's available in AU. That's _also_ a baili, as I recall.

Thanks for your suggestions guys. Unfortunately the Van der Hagen and RazorRock razors seem to be quite expensive to get in Australia $Au28-45 for the razor + $25-30 postage.
 
Actually RiMei razor is quite good, also there is Gillette Sterling. I do not know if you guys consider these razors as modern because they're based on Tech.
Thanks Bookie - A 3 piece razor such as a tech style was definitely what I was after, my definition perhaps was as clear as it should've been .. by "modern" I actually meant new/unused and readily available. Cheers.
 
I would immediately suggest you bend your budget and get the Merkur. Merkur makes fine products well worth the extra $10.
I agree and was going to follow your suggestion but discovered that the price of Merkurs from Australian based suppliers seems to have gone up since I bought mine around 18 months ago. instead of $35, they're now retailing at around $45-50. I'm hoping the Lord L6 (with the Merkur style head) will offer a good introductory DE shaving experience at a lower price (not withstanding the lower quality) in case my friend decides not to use it.
 
RazoRock razors and Maggards (with the RR being a tad better deal). The Maggards V3 head is basically a good Edwin Jagger clone, and with that head their razors range from $18-22USD depending upon which handle you want. For RazoRock, the Mission head is their good Edwin Jagger clone, and depending upon the handle, they range from $15-20USD.

Razorock HD if it's available. $17.95USD

Thanks for your suggestions guys. Unfortunately the RazoRocks don't seem to be readily available in Aus and postage puts them over budget.
 
Thanks Bookie - A 3 piece razor such as a tech style was definitely what I was after, my definition perhaps was as clear as it should've been .. by "modern" I actually meant new/unused and readily available. Cheers.
I was thinking abour EJ or Muhle style. But RiMei has a problem uneven blade exposure so he will have to adjust it, it's 3 seconds job.
 
The Lord L6 is a good razor for about 10 bucks. But like all modern razors less than $100 it's Zamak metal so when the finish wears down the razor is likely to corrode and fail. That may not happen for several years.

That's why something like a vintage ball end tech is such a good deal. In US you can find one in good shape for 10 to 15 bucks. Solid brass so they don't wear out with reasonable care.
Cheers. I managed to pick up some L6's for around $15 delivered. As they will be part of a gift set I was looking for a new/unused razor more than secondhand. If they only last a few years that will give the user a good opportunity to work out if they like shaving with a DE and upgrade to a higher quality razor later.
 
Id go with a Weishi or a VDH. Both are good, cheap razors that will give you a good shave. If you wanted to step up to something a bit nicer, Id go with an EJ DE89.
Cheers Badger. Thanks for your suggestions... I was going to avoid TTO's in favour of 3 piece if possible (just personal preference). I agree with the EJ89 being a nice gift (I love mine, it's my daily shaver), they are quite expensive in Aus though (-around $50) so I was hoping to find something a bit cheaper in case my friend doesn't end up using it so much. I managed to find some Lord L6 for a good price which I have read good things about.
 
I was thinking abour EJ or Muhle style. But RiMei has a problem uneven blade exposure so he will have to adjust it, it's 3 seconds job.
Cheers, I managed to pick up some Lord L6's for a good price which I believe have a Merkur style head on them.
 
The Wilkinson Sword Classic is my favorite razor under $25. $10 for the razor and 5 blades. It's fool proof for beginners since it's got good grip, works well with most blades, has no alignment issues, is light weight (which will compensate for using pressure instinctively in the beginning), and is a two piece. It's just a touch more aggressive than a 34C.

Also, don't get the Treet Delrin. It's marketed as being the exact same razor as the Classic, but it isn't. I have multiples of each, and the Treet is pretty terrible. Unusually mild, the handle is brittle, the TTO isn't smooth, and the head doesn't close all the way.
Cheers. Thanks for your suggestion.
 
The Weishi TTO can be found on Ebay for anywhere from $5-$20 (US). Model 9306 was my first DE razor, and I find it to be quite usable and even though I've got others that are supposed to be "better" I find that I still get easy shaves from my Weishi. A Razorock Teck II retails for $10 here, don't know what the cost would be to get one to Australia, but that's another razor that I would strongly recommend.

Honestly, if you don't want to wade through vintage stuff, my guess is that anything from a real name brand company from $10-$40 will give you a satisfactory start. I'd personally not start with a slant or an open comb.

RazoRock Teck II is a Baili, and orderable from China, so Ebay AU would probably have them, if not, AliExpress definitely does. Same with the RazoRock DE. That's also a Baili.

VDH is an American brand, don't know if it's available in AU. That's _also_ a baili, as I recall.

Thanks guys. I was looking to avoid TTO's (just personal preference... and the VDH cost a huge amount to get to Aus). The Baili/RazoRock Tech II look like good options. The RazoRock doesn't seem to be available in Aus but I can get the Baili Tech style for around $20. The other options I found were the Lord L122/L5 as a tech style or L6 (Merkur style head)... I ended up buying a couple of the L6's which I can get delivered for around $15 each. Cheers.
 
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