Edwin Jagger DE89L

I recently purchased my 11th DE Razor - the EJ DE89L - and I'm willing to proclaim it as my all time favourite razor after only 5 days of use.

I don't know why but I get a BBS smooth every time after a 3 pass shave. And let's face it, this is probably the most beautiful looking razor on the market right now.

The Merkur HD is also a great razor, but the EJDE89 feels better and looks better in my hand. The head seems a bit heavier as well. The one place the Merkur HD is superior is the blade replacement mechanism, although the EJ isn't a problem - just not as easy.

Highly recommended!

+ price, very smooth performance, quality
- no grippy section of handle

I usually use a shavette during the week days and the Feather on weekends. I fancied trying a DE so reading the reviews I opted for the DE89L due to all round ratings.

First impressions - I'm very impressed, so much so that I will be using this as my every day shaver.

The razor has a good solid weight to it which actually helps with its balance and ease during use. There is no irritation, no burn, (even if I try), I can't see how anyone can cut themselves with razor. There is no tugging or pulling of the hair, just a wonderfully smooth, effortless, problem free glide, delivering a quality 1st pass with the grain.

For further closer shaving, simply perform another pass across the grain and lastly against the grain.

Dare I say, this is fool proof to use, exceptional value considering other products on the market, performance and quality of product and shaving results!

I have very sensitive skin, and fast thick asian hair growth. This is the best shave with absolute no fuss, exceptional results and very quick to use.

Whilst I got used to the solid chrome handle, I would simply advise, that individuals ensure their fingers are dry when taking hold of it if in doubt of your grip.

To give others an idea of my shaving set-up and how to compare my views, my shaving set is shown below;

This is my first review. I felt the need to review the Jagger DE89L due to being so impressed with the product. It has the eye appeal, feel, and performance that you look for in a razor. This razor with a Gillette Black in it is a rock star of the shaving world to me. Even though it is a 3 piece I gave it a 10 for blade replacement since it is what it is. For me, this razor with some of the sharper blades on the market, are meant for each other.

This shaver may be ideal for those who are interested in learning about wet shaving. The good news is that, after the learning curve, you're still left with a shaver that will outstanding for a lifetime of shaving.

Installing the blade could be easier. Unscrew the handle, and you can access the blade assembly; screw the handle back on, and you're ready to go. It's surprising how little time it takes to do - well under a minute.

It comes with a pack of Derby blades - a brand that's noted for its smoothness. This shaver excels with top quality blades, and doesn't do very well with cheaper blades. So. you'll be in shaving heaven with a Gillette Silver Blue or Polsilver blade.

And with a great blade, you'll look forward to shaving, as opposed to tolerating it.

Superbly balanced, beautiful chrome finish and solid performer.

I started my wet shaving journey about 27 years ago with a cheap butterfly razor, which made it a breeze to change blades. The EJ89 is a 3-piece razor, which obviously takes a bit longer to take apart, clean and replace the blade. However, I find the 3-piece mechanism to stabilize and slightly bend the blade downward for an excellent shave.

I'd consider my purchase of the EJ89 one of the best value investments since I started wet shaving and a beautiful work of engineering. Highly recommended for anyone just starting or the very experienced wet shaver.

A first review, in order of topics above:

Price: Not overly expensive. It is very much worth the price I paid, between 35-40 (from bullgoose shaving)

Quality: You get what you pay for, in a good sense. This razor feels and looks like a quality product. (It also handles like one)

User Friendly(ness): Very user friendly, I find that the handle is just long enough to fit in my whole hand, not a bit shorter, and not to much longer. The handle feels "just right." Changing blades is a bit tedious, but that will be covered in a bit.

Grip: The grip on this handle is nice, its lined, but the lines are rounded off. I find that I have to really dry my hands off to avoid this slipping in my fingers. It's not a bad thing, but different from what I am used to. I feel that if I had to buy this product agian, I may go for the 'barley' versioned handle.

Ease of blade replacement: Blade replacement is easy, twist the handle until all three sections separate. A bit tedious, but extremely secure.

Aggressiveness: very, very mild. which is exactly what I was looking for.

Adjustability: Not adjustable

Balance: Balance is good, I find that mine balances just on/ right below the bottom ring if the razor is standing upright.

The only gripe about this razor is it is extremely shiny. Not a bad thing, I enjoy it. BUT it holds finger prints like a champ. I have very hard water where I live and I am sure this will come into play within the next week or so.

I had been shaving with my Gillette Super Speed since returning to DE shaving about 6 months ago, so this is the 3rd razor in my stable. (The other one is a Gillette Slim adjustable) The razor itself is beautiful to look at. The heavy chrome finish lets you know you have a very well made shaving tool in hand. That said, at 2.7 oz.it is a full ounce heavier than the Gillette SS, so it felt way different in my hand as I began to shave. I used the fresh Derby blade that came with the razor and some Frazer shaving cream on a day-old beard. The razor lets you know it's shaving you, which is NOT to say it's uncomfortable. It was quite comfortable. But it's kind of like holding the steering wheel of a BMW vs. an old Cadillac while on the freeway. The Beemer allows you to feel the road. The Caddy isolates you from it. I got a supremely close shave with this razor and not a nick on my face, which is remarkable with a brand new razor. Inasmuch as it's a 3-piece tool, putting in a fresh blade and post-shave cleaning is a bit more of a chore, but so what? If I wanted a quick shave, I'd go back to a aerosol can of Edge goop and my old Fusion. All in all, a very pleasant experience and no "buyer's regret" at all.

I love this razor and I feel that it's an awesome choice for a person that's new to DE shaving. I would totally get it again and If I'm looking for a gift for someone this might be my go too.

Full Disclaimer, this is my first DE: I would recommend this product as a starter razor. It is very forgiving, to the point where you have to try and cut yourself. It disassembles quite nicely, and when assembled it certainly feels sturdy. However on the flipside, for some it may quite well be not aggressive enough. Also, I have noted my lather tends to build up quite a bit under the blade, resulting in the requirement to disassemble it to fully clean it. However my lather tends to be more like rubbing cream on my face :O. The handle is quite a nice length, as so those of us with big hands can actually hold it, yet short enough you aren't constantly tempted to apply tons of pressure. However I will say that it would have been better had they used horizontal bars instead of vertical stripes on the handle, as the vertical stripes do NOT prevent your hand from slipping. Overall a good starter razor, not too much I can make substantial complaints about.

Great weight, feel, medium-low aggressiveness.This is truly a work of art.I fully recommend it to anyone looking.

If I were asked by a friend what should be their first DE, this would be it. Very forgiving, and just absolutely a beautiful piece. Despite the mild blade stance on this razor, it provides a good 3 pass BBS every time I use it. I thought the smooth handle may present some grip problems but not so. The balance is perfect and it never moves from my fingers. The size of the head allows me to get a good shave under the nose and in other tight areas. Fantastic piece to use, and to look at. Even after adding others to my den, I still use this one regularly, and because of the fine craftsmanship I get a little thrill when I remove it from the stand. If you are going to just buy 1 DE, this would be a fine choice.

Purchased from Gifts and Care.

My second 3 piece razor, first being a goodfella which I didn't enjoy after one shave.

I was very surprised at the efficiency of this razor even though it is not very aggressive.

I have only tried this razor with an Israeli personna nd so far excellent results.

The blade is kept very tight hence allowing against the grain under the chin without rashes.

The grip is very good and balance is near perfect but if it was just a little longer say 1/2inch it would be better suited to those used to super adjustables.

A great choice for a newbie with a mild blade and perfect I assume for an experienced/heavy bearded shaver with a feather or Kai blade.

I purchased this razor to add another tech style to my armamentarium. It was $33.50 from bestgroomingtools.com. It arrived in a very nice, blue box. Comparing it to the HD, the handle is longer and the head is about the same size. Looking at it next to the tech, everything is bigger, head and handle. This is a three piece razor, like the tech. See this link for some pictures:

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?t=84669

First of all, this razor is shiny, shiny, shiny. If you don't like polished chrome, don't get it. I'm not wild about this aspect, but it's not a major point. As to weight, I don't have a scale, but it is probably about the same as the HD. However, the handle is a little longer, and I think it is better balanced. I checked the gap, and it is about .030 inches, similar to the HD, and slightly more than a tech. I've heard others rave about the "fit and finish" of this razor. It's fine; no better than the HD.

Let's load it up and shave. Blade loading is similar to the tech. Balance is outstanding; this feels great in my hand, and the longer handle makes it less dense feeling than the HD, which is a little stubby for its heft (some like this feature.) The aggressiveness feels like the tech, which I like. Using a crystal blade I got a very nice shave. No issues, no complaints.

In summary, I got this razor to have a brand new tech, in essence. Well I have it. If you are looking for a tech supplement, I think I'd choose this over the HD. The only reason you might hesitate is that blade loading on an HD is easier. This doesn't bother me, but for some it might be an issue.

Yes, it is shiny. If you prefer other handle options they have ebony and ivory and Muhle makes a textured plated version with the identical head.

Yes, the gap is similar to the HD, but I feel the fit and finish is much better than the recent HD's, and you won't find any variation in the gap.

Yes, it feels great in your hand, and the overall balance will please many, many users, regardless of handle preferences. The balance and handle thickness were clearly well thought out, well weighed out.

Yes, blade loading is what it is on this style razor, but there is 0 blade movement; it's pinned in there with absolute precision. Perhaps a bit less aggressive than the HD.

Yes, it is an HD beater in my book, especially at the current exchange rate ($26US). The head redesign is more than simply a redressing of the old HD head, it is an actual improvement. The plating seems thicker and of better quality, and the availability of multiple handle options either through EJ or Muhle make this razor the winner regardless of price.

New standard.

I got one in about a week ago and I've only shaved with it once so far.I think it's a nice looking razor and not that aggressive.I'm using a Personna in it at the moment.Kind of afraid to put a feather in it...or in the others i have.This is the first razor that i have that is a three piece but it really isn't a problem,just gotta know how to hold the blade.I highly recommend this razor.

I agree with the other reviews; this is a great razor. The price is fair for a new razor. Very well made with a good hand feel. The handle is slightly longer than my vintage Gillettes and that feels good. It is a mild shave, but a close shave. The razor seems as harmless as a 48-50 Superspeed, but cuts closer in 3 passes. Of course it is not adjustable and the 3 piece blade change is much more difficult than a TTO. But the only thing to not like about this razor is that it is a 3 piece razor. This should have been my first razor, but contrary to some comments that this is a RAD killer, I may have to buy another one and find a custom upscale handle.
Larry

Last week my beloved Gillette Adjustable committed suicide by jumping from the shelf into the washbowl. Bang! The gap was twisted! In the web I stumbled over this really nice looking new piece, and the information, that the head is produced by Mühle made my optimistic. Namely my experience with Merkur's quality isn't the best. So I ordered it at The English Shaving Company for round about 32.00 Euro with P&P. It arrived within five days in a nicely packed Parcel with some samples.

Some Pics:









The finish and quality is really impressive. There are no imperfections. I had only one issue: when it arrived, it was nearly impossible to unscrew the head, and when I made it, I didn't got back! It seemed that the thread had some problems with the chrome and I nearly sent the razor back. But I am not giving up fast and decided to clean it up first with hot water and dish soap. Bingo! When I tried it five minutes later, the screwing functioned smoothly, no sign of the problem.

Shaving with this new EJ is smooth, really smooth. And I am always using Feathers. I used my Adjustable on tier 4, and needed many strokes. The EJ cleans an area in one or two strokes! And it is easy to control. The weight is perfect, the head needs no pressure. No irritations after the shave, and that after changeing the razor! I used my Adjustable for 1.5 years! And all hairs are gone, no standing rebels on throat or chin.

I recommend this EJ! It is top-of-the-line quality for a nice price.

I recently bought one of these as I wanted to replace my Merkur 23C which I gave to my father. In the past, I have owned various Merkur Razors (23C, 34C, 1904 Classic, short handle Classic, 38c) and a few vintage Gillette SuperSpeeds.

This razor is by far, the best of the ones I have owned. The quality of the fit and finish is much better than the merkurs I owned (which all had various degrees of chrome flaking, metal burrs and poor quality castings).

I like it so much, I bought another one to keep as a backup just in case they stop making them in the future.

I got this razor after winning MoreSaltThanPepper's story contest. He gave me a tub of Fraser's Mosswood and Scott threw in the razor...for free!


At first I was unsure how I would like a new razor; the only one I have used before this was a Merkur 1904. However, it's turned out to be the only razor I've used since I got it about a month ago.

I can't really comment on the price since I got mine for free, but I'm pretty sure I'd throw down the $39. It's a great looking razor and looks like it's built to last. I agree with previous reviews that it is similar to a Tech with its aggressiveness.

I haven't had any problems with the grip of any razor, and the DE89L is no exception. The blade replacement is the same as all three piece razors. The balance also seems perfect.


I just ordered my first straight today, so I have a feeling most of my DE's are going to be gone soon, but this one is here to stay.

A couple of notes:

- The razor is superbly balanced, which makes it very maneuverable.

- The quality is definitely better than Merkur and probably a bit better than Muhle. Basically, it is the highest-quality modern DE razor I have seen.

- The head is not really identical to Merkur 38, as someone has mentioned. The geometric profile is somewhere between Merkur 38 and Parker 91. Although I have a strong suspicion the heads for Merkur, Muhle, Parker, and Edwin Jagger are all made at the same factory, Edwin Jagger feels a bit different. It is aggressively smooth, especially when shaving against the grain.

A great razor!