DE89BA Barley Chrome

This is, as the smooth brother, an unbelievable quality reazor. For experienced and starting wet shavers either.

The fit and finish is stunning, thick plating.
Well balanced for my uses, I love it.
It's my go to shaving tool and since it's a three piece razor it's easy to toss in my bag for traver.

The grip is not that much improved with this pattern on the handle, from his smooth borther.

Yet it's overall well balanced and comfortable.
Not too thick, not too thin.

It's made in zama, but at this price tag I doubt to find anything better.

Very mild for me. The handle had a poor grip with soapy hands, but that's easily fixed by running water on the handle. This is a good starter razor. Hard to cut yourself if you're new to shaving.

My 2nd razor purchased and my favorite.
I have 9 razors in my arsenal and this is my go to razor.
Have used 9 brands of blades, 10 brands of soaps, creams, gels and foams in different combinations in this razor.
And only one blade I threw out and never used again.
This razor is forgiving and gives a good shave every time.
The weight of the 89 is balanced and helps you
gain a good technique.
It was easy to use from day one, I chose the barley handle because it slips less during shaving.
Remember you still have to be careful when shaving, to much pressure can hurt, go slow when changing blades .
If you want to buy just one razor for life this would be it.
I recommend this razor as a starter and a long life every day razor.

Great razor. I love the grip of the handle. Of course the head is classic EJ. Well made, well designed. Much better build quality than comparable Merkur models.

I got this razor wanting to see if the Merkur 34c could be beaten as an introductory razor. I also wanted a razor that was smooth and easy on the face. My Futur tends to give me one or two nicks along the jawline no matter how carefully I treat her.

It's a wonderful shaver. The 34c is perhaps a tad more aggressive, but what really strikes me is how beautiful it is. The finish is beyond perfect. It feels as if the grip is always there, while at the same time it looks elegant, compared to the industrial roughness of the Merkur 34c.

This will definitely be a staple in my rotation.

Wonderful Razor. Easily my new favorite. Yeah, the handle still gets a little slippery, but better than the previous EJ89s.

If my tech and my slim are a Ford and a nice convertible Chevy respectively then this EJ Barley is an S500 Mercedes. By that I mean that even though the Gillettes are classics that are workmanlike (tech) or a little sportier and classic (slim) then this EJ is the best of German engineering built for comfort and ride. The Barley arrived in the standard EJ black box, wrapped in tissue and with a sampler of Derby blades. First impression? Gorgeous hard chrome finish, exquisite balance focused in the head and the fine barley finish ensures a safe grip. Ok, the 3-piece design requires a duty of care when blade changing but the upside is the blade is held much more "stiffly" than my other razors. So what does she shave like? Comfortably. In terms of aggression it "feels" like the slim on a 5-6 setting but different, dare I say, BETTER. I don't get BBS in one pass but I don't get irritation either. Go figure but the EJ just don't shave me the same as the others. It's not as close as the slim opened right up but it's aggressive enough for me. These days I chase comfort over closeness and if I can get BOTH but without the burn then I'm a happy chappy. So can I recommend this? Sure. It's cured my RAD and the slim and tech just get the odd "Sunday" drive these days. The build quality and feel in the hand put the old Gillettes in the shade and for the first time make me question the degree of "fanboy" love these razors get (and yes, I was guilty too!).Get one.