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Advice/suggestions required for a razor to buy..

Hi All,

Looking for some advice.. I've been using a double edged razor for years now.. initially a cheap one I bought on Amazon - which I understand is a rebranded "RiMei A2001". I owned two of these, they weren't very durable (or I didn't look after them properly) and the metal went very rough looking/coating came off after a year or so of daily use.

However for me they cut very well. But I thought I'd try a more upmarket razor, so I went with the Edwin Jagger DE86 however I have found that does not cut close enough at all..

I shave every single day and have very sparse hair to begin with. I'm wondering what type of razor I should go for that cuts well like the RiMei A2001 did for me but is made of better materials and a bit more upmarket..

I'd like to stick to a budget of around £40GPB / $55USD..

Thanks!
 

Tirvine

ancient grey sweatophile
I used to use a DE89, which I understand has the same head as the DE86. I found that with a steeper angle I got nice close shaves with it. Tinker with your angle while you shop!
 

EclipseRedRing

I smell like a Christmas pudding
The RiMei appears to be a clone of a Gillette Tech. I would look for a good condition vintage Gillette Tech either on the bay, or in the BST forum here at Badger And Blade. You should get a very nice example, possibly cased, within your budget. Good luck.
 
The RiMei appears to be a clone of a Gillette Tech. I would look for a good condition vintage Gillette Tech either on the bay, or in the BST forum here at Badger And Blade. You should get a very nice example, possibly cased, within your budget. Good luck.

+1! Tough to beat a Tech! I especially like them when paired with a sharp blade. :thumbup1: :thumbup1:
 
#5! Look for a Gillette Tech.
I too am somewhat “baby faced” and the Tech is an excellent choice.
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If you want something better than a de89 i suggust getting the razorock mission and mentor heads. i think now they sell them as a combo. i wouldnt pay too much money getting a game changer or winning razor until you know where you sweet spot is and what you like. Yaqi also has some nice smooth razors.
 
Rather than us guessing at exactly how much aggression you want, you could just get a good adjustable razor and dial in what you want. Merkur Progress or Parker Variant are great options.

Lots of people recommended the Tech, which is a great razor but for me gives about the same shave as a DE89. So if you're not happy with the DE89, I'm not sure the Tech is the next thing to try.
 
I am going with the Winning Razor and would you look at this fancy place, there is a link about it below ;)
+1
For a daily shaver the Winning razor is an awesome razor. It is US made, machined stainless steel so it is very durable . The price is $50 US (I got mine on sale for $40) and it gives me the best shaves of all nine of my razors which include a Wolfman and a Timeless razor. Here is a link to the thread here @ B&B.
Winning Razor Thread.
 
There's plenty razors I could recommend

Razorock lupo SS 72
Razorock GC 0.84-P
Rockwell 6S/6C
Merkur progress
Muhle rocca R94
ATT windsor pro SB90
Karve CB SB C or D
Gillette slim

All are smooth but much more efficient then a DE89
 
The Edwin Jagger DE86/DE89 is generally regarded as a mild to medium razor that is still quite efficient. It should be able to give you comfortable, smooth and close shaves.

As @Tirvine suggested, I wouldn’t give up on the EJ quite yet (you can keep looking for other razors too!) and play with the shaving angle to see if you can get better results. I use as steep an angle as I can get away with (the handle as parallel to your skin as you can).

I you are really set on trying a new razor and would like to experiment with a slightly more efficient, yet very smooth one, I’d recommend that you take a close look at the Fatip Gentile family of razors (SB, Piccolo, Grande, etc. Same head, the handle is the only thing that changes). Well within your budget and widely available.

@Peterv1 has some very solid recommendations too! Good luck!
 
Rather than us guessing at exactly how much aggression you want, you could just get a good adjustable razor and dial in what you want. Merkur Progress or Parker Variant are great options.

Lots of people recommended the Tech, which is a great razor but for me gives about the same shave as a DE89. So if you're not happy with the DE89, I'm not sure the Tech is the next thing to try.
There's a problem --

. . . You want something "better", but you haven't defined exactly what that means, to you.

If you want something that lets you adjust the "aggressiveness" (essentially, the blade gap), I think the Merkur Progress is a good choice. I've been going back and forth between a Progress, and a DE89, for several years. IMHO, a Progress with a Feather blade, on setting 1.5 (scale of 0.5 - 5) roughly matches a DE89 in aggressiveness, and quality of shave.

I recently got a RazoRock Lupo aluminum. It's a different experience -- very light, not quite as aggressive as the DE89, but it gives a very nice shave.

I used an old Tech when I started DE shaving, and found it to be too rough for my taste. But I tried it recently, and it was fine -- it's amazing what 10 years of experience does to your perceptions.

If you get a DE89, remember that its head is made of chrome-plated Zamak:

. . . Don't drop it, because Zamak is weak.

. . . Keep the threads of the top plate lubricated with a bit of Vaseline (or other grease), to slow down or stop corrosion.

Have fun, don't spend too much money<g>.
 
I would say the italian barber GC or Lupo and spend a touch more and get both gaps of whatever so GC the 68 and the 84 as example and see what works for you sell off the other plate or just go for the 84 as many say and see what it does for ya :)

for me having some nicer razors now like timeless titanium the italian barber series in stainless are insane nice for the money so so so much nicer than any merkur etc... but everyone has what they love :)
 
IMO mild razors work best with sharp blades. What blades are you using? I used an R89 all time with Nacets, Astra SS & the occasional Feather & get grave shaves. But another razor to consider in your budget which I have acquired recently & have become my favorites are the Merkur 34C & 33C. Also you could seek out a real Tech not a clone.

But I would try different blades first & see if the result change.
 

never-stop-learning

Demoted To Moderator
Staff member
With a budget of USD $55:
Fatip Grande (OC)
Fatip Lo Storto Originale (OC Slant)
RazoRock GC84-P (SB)
Merkur Progress
Gillette Pre-War Fat Handle Tech
Gillette Slim

This should get you started. :)
 
If you like EJ then look at the 3one6. It is definitely a step up over the DE89 in efficiency and closeness. It's a great razor but may exceed your budget by $20 or so.
 
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