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Back to the Beginning

I have come full circle and returned to my beginnings in DE shaving.
My journey began in 2014 when I began with a Merkur 34C short handle razor. I loved the razor but of course got a case of RAD and started experimenting with other razors. I'd buy a razor, try it, kept some for quite a while, but turned others over quickly. I'd re-sell them for others to enjoy or appreciate more than I did. One of my earliest ventures was into adjustables with my acquisition of a Merkur Progress short handle. I loved that razor as well. However, my RAD caused me to sell it too as I tried all sorts of new and vintage razors.
My adjustables went from the short to a long handle Progress, then the Parker Variant, and finally the Vikings Blade Emperor. I also enjoyed the Gillette Super Adjustable (Black Beauty) both in its short (84) and Long (109) handled versions.
I switched my Merkur fixed razors trying the Barber Pole, Slant, and Sledgehammer. I went through birth year Gillettes trying the Tech Ball Tip, Tech Bakelite, Tech Travel, Super Speed (Black Tip), Milord, and Aristocrat razors. I also tried Merkur and Parker Travel razors.
Now Seven plus years down the road, my DE collection is back pretty close to where it started. I have my original Merkur 34C and recently re-purchased a Merkur Progress short handle adjustable which I love and use almost exclusively at home. I've modified it in the Black Beauty tradition. You can see how I do that in this old post:
Merkur Progress BB Imitation
I also have the two Merkur travel razors but that's it. All the others are gone.
Most of the Gillettes worked well for me. I found all Parkers a bit aggressive for my taste. I loathed the balance of the Emperor. So in the end the size and balance of the Merkurs work well for me. Best of all, my RAD is totally cured because what I have works wonderfully. Of course, YMMV...
 
Good for you ! I'm glad you found your final razor happiness. Enjoy !
My first razor was also the Merkur 34C, but that is now stored away in my dopp bag for travel.
For me, now at home, it's a six razor rotation, which gives me great pleasure. Timeless Bronze,
Rockwell 6C, RazoRock Lupo .72, RazoRock Hawk, Maggard's MR5 with a Rockwell plate 5 head,
and Timeless Aluminum. I love the variety and each evening's shave's change of pace.
 

tankerjohn

A little poofier than I prefer
Great story! I had a similar experience, even similar timeline. I also started with a Merkur 34C in 2014, however I traded mine off in a fit of trying all the things. I kind of want to give it another go, but truthfully I'm pretty happy with the small rotation I finally settled on - Gillette Red Tip, Ranger Tech, New Improved.
 
I would be remiss if I didn't also acknowledge the help and advice I got in the beginning and along the way from Mark at Sharpologist.com as well as from many members of this forum.
 
I have come full circle and returned to my beginnings in DE shaving.
My journey began in 2014 when I began with a Merkur 34C short handle razor. I loved the razor but of course got a case of RAD and started experimenting with other razors. I'd buy a razor, try it, kept some for quite a while, but turned others over quickly. I'd re-sell them for others to enjoy or appreciate more than I did. One of my earliest ventures was into adjustables with my acquisition of a Merkur Progress short handle. I loved that razor as well. However, my RAD caused me to sell it too as I tried all sorts of new and vintage razors.
My adjustables went from the short to a long handle Progress, then the Parker Variant, and finally the Vikings Blade Emperor. I also enjoyed the Gillette Super Adjustable (Black Beauty) both in its short (84) and Long (109) handled versions.
I switched my Merkur fixed razors trying the Barber Pole, Slant, and Sledgehammer. I went through birth year Gillettes trying the Tech Ball Tip, Tech Bakelite, Tech Travel, Super Speed (Black Tip), Milord, and Aristocrat razors. I also tried Merkur and Parker Travel razors.
Now Seven plus years down the road, my DE collection is back pretty close to where it started. I have my original Merkur 34C and recently re-purchased a Merkur Progress short handle adjustable which I love and use almost exclusively at home. I've modified it in the Black Beauty tradition. You can see how I do that in this old post:
Merkur Progress BB Imitation
I also have the two Merkur travel razors but that's it. All the others are gone.
Most of the Gillettes worked well for me. I found all Parkers a bit aggressive for my taste. I loathed the balance of the Emperor. So in the end the size and balance of the Merkurs work well for me. Best of all, my RAD is totally cured because what I have works wonderfully. Of course, YMMV...
Good to hear about your wet shaving journey. Mine has taken various roads and detours. I started off with modern DE razors, moved on to vintage Gillettes (the oldest from 1910), then got into vintage Schick and PAL injectors and, lastly, GEM SE razors. Currently, I alternate between the injectors and the SE razors. I use a DE razor once in a while, but the injectors and DE razors are my favorites. I doubt if I ever will take the really wild fork at the road and try straight razors. Too much sharpening and stropping.
 
Good to hear about your wet shaving journey. Mine has taken various roads and detours. I started off with modern DE razors, moved on to vintage Gillettes (the oldest from 1910), then got into vintage Schick and PAL injectors and, lastly, GEM SE razors. Currently, I alternate between the injectors and the SE razors. I use a DE razor once in a while, but the injectors and DE razors are my favorites. I doubt if I ever will take the really wild fork at the road and try straight razors. Too much sharpening and stropping.
I tried straights and built enough skill that I got BBS shaves without nicks (mostly). However, the time and care it took me to get clean shaves made it less enjoyable. I do enjoy shaving with my "Straight on a Stick" Rolls and J.A. Henckels razors though as I find them much easier to handle safely.
 
My first DE was a '52 SS. My second was a 34G. I've tried many other DEs over the years, but the 34G is the only DE I ever used for 5 years straight. I'm retired, and with a move from house to apartment late last year, shaving less frequently. My primary DE this year has been a Gillette Heritage. A good DE, but I had to experiment to find a sharper blade for my 5 days growth. It's performed ok, but I think it's time to try my new favorite blade in my old 34G. I'll let you know how it goes.
 

Rhody

I'm a Lumberjack.
I started with the 34c. Like @Adam18 its in deep storage. I moved on to Rockwell and blackland and timeless and karve and razor rock (recently the lupo) and charcoal goods and …
You get the idea.
 

Old Hippie

Somewhere between 61 and dead
Like a couple other guys here I started with the 38C because the shop where we bought our razors didn't carry the 34 for some odd reason. I found it kinda mild, kinda "needed some salt" but it was a good learner razor that my son is now using as he pursues his journey in wetshaving.

I have two Merkurs with the same short handle. One is a 37, the other is "The Razor Merkur Forgot They Made" -- the collector-named "Super Slant." Mine is the "long-screw" version which we generally call a "two piece" razor, with a smooth bar.

That Super Slant has become my favourite razor.

O.H.
 
I somehow ended up with a 33C instead of the 34C but it just didn’t take at the time. I kept it stashed away and found it earlier this year. That prompted me to try this again and now, nearly half a year later, I find myself deep in RAD. It’s a lot of fun trying new things and is a good hobby for me right now. It’s not going to last forever and I fully expect to have a similar experience, paring down my collection and keeping just what I use. Incidentally, that 33C still gives a darn fine shave.
 
Yep, been there, accomplished that. Finally down to 5 razors which I love. I do however, want one more. But that's it. It was my plan to get down to 6...but Henson has sold out the Ti22's which is what I'm waiting on.
 
I keep coming back, again and again, to my 12 yo 34G. As I posted on Friday, I'm shaving less frequently since covid, and the 34 wasn't "cutting it" with my old favorite blades (IP Red and AstraSP). Instead of trying new blades, I bought new razors. Yesterday, I used my current favorite blade in the 34 and had a great shave. I always loved the short. thicker 34 handle. It's like an old friend. I don't know why I keep chasing that dang rabbit down the hole.
 
We're both opposite and the same. I don't really get rid of them and am maintaining a decent collection, but come back to my favorites often... the BB being one of them.
I recently traded into a progress, and slightly less recently acquired my very first new (modern) razor. I'd been using the same flare tip rocket since I was a kid, and stumbled into collecting vintage Gillette for 10 years ish. Never thought I'd bother with a modern razor.
Anywho, the progress is a wonderful shaver. I checked out your plastidip thread, and must say it's the best application for the stiff I've seen. How's it holding up?
 
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