DE 89, Tech or Senator for a New Guy?

[Clubman4Life]

I've been wet-shaving for a month and DE shaving for about two weeks.

Should I start a rotation or perfect one razor at a time?

I have an EJ DE89, two Techs and a Senator open comb.

They all give me good shaves, but I haven't perfected a three pass shave yet. I stick with WTG/XTG so far with all of them.

 

[Ducati Scotty]

I may be in the minority here, but I say rotate. Part of the fun when you start is trying everything out. Will you get better faster by sticking with one setup? Probably, but where's the fun in that? Go ahead and rotate, at least until your skill building plateaus or you start getting bad shaves. Then my advice is the same for you as it would be for someone with decades of experience: stick with one setup to eliminate variables. Change only one thing at a time until you find the problem.

Scott

 

[The Accountant]

IMHO you are ready to start your rotation if you really do get good shaves out of all of them. You will add / subtract razors over time if you are like the rest of us.

 

[Clubman4Life]

I've been using Personna Lab Blues in every razor since I started. Now I think I'm going to try some of the other blades I have. I've been using Arko on every test drive.

Now I'm starting to realize why guys have multiple razors because you really do get a different shave with each setup. At first I thought it was all hype.

Thanks for the feedback...

 

[TankCommander1554]

Having never tried the EJ or the Senator - I'd say start with the Tech and stick to that and one blade at a time. It'll make it a lot easier to work on technique and perfect it before moving on.

Also, the tech is a great shaver and relatively mild. I think you'll be very happy with it.

 

[santamariasteve]

Rotate once a week.

 

[DEGuy]

Another recommendation for your Gillette Techs. Try it Astra SP blades. You might want to use the Tech with a heavier handle.
I've been shaving for decades and have tried many razors; and nothing I've used measures up to the Tech. Thing is, you have
to use it exclusively to get your Tech-nique down to a shave science. I get a DFS with two-pass shaves: WTG/XTG; and a mix of XTG/ATG. Yes, in some areas the XTG is repeated on my second pass. Never any pickups. Good luck and enjoy the ride.

 

[Clubman4Life]

Thanks, bro! I'm ready to rock!

 

[Cumberland Sausage]

I'd say stick with one combination at least until you feel you have perfected a three-pass shave. I'm not sure it matters which razor you choose.

 

[D33K4Y]

While I think sticking with one would be a good idea in theory. In practice when I started if I had more than one I know I would have gone for a rotation.

 

[BSAGuy]

Rotate and enjoy. Variety is the spice of life.

 

[engblom]

Test them all a couple of times. The one you like best after a couple of uses you could use for honing your skills. I think it is more enjoyable to practice with a set that is as comfortable as possible.

 

[BriDroid]

Personally, I would start with the Tech and rotate blade brands weekly. I also wouldn't push my blades to the max either, I would change them every 2nd or 3rd shave (just to make sure they are nice and sharp). Perfect your technique then move to another razor and do the same. You'll get the hang of each one, and which blades work best with it/you.

I did the above, and learned that the Tech was perfect for me with a Shark Stainless blade. In fact, I just sold my R89 and picked up another Tech as a backup. I also think you're doing it right sticking with one soap initially. It keeps everything on a level playing field.

 

[mswofford]

You have excellent razors. I recommend using one at a time including at least one blade change to learn what it will do.

 

[countrydirt]

I decided to stick with 30 shaves on a razor and blade combo (after I had flitted around between razors every day for 4 or 5 months) and discovered that the Gillette New SC and Astra blades is outstanding. The next 30 days (well 15 anyways) showed me that my fat handled Tech and Feather blades were the best possible combo.
So now I am confused....is there really a "best"? It seems that if I just use something consistently for a long enough time, I find out how to use it well. But what's the fun in that? EXPLORE!

 

[Clubman4Life]

I stuck with a Tech and loaded it with an Israeli Red from Personna. Wow, it was way too mild and I ended up irritating my skin by being too aggressive with my strokes to compensate for the dullness.

I should've listened and loaded the Astras.

Very disappointing.

Are the Irsraeli Reds known too be a dull/mild blade?

 

[Jakebb]

They seem to be very average to me, last time I tried them. Astra's seem much sharper.