DE as a gift: help a lady in distress?

[dickinson]

Hi all! I am new here AND a girl, so apologies if I'm intruding at all on the community here. But I have two burning Christmas-related razor questions, and was wondering if I could lean on everyone's good-nature a little and pose them here.

I'm thinking of getting my (30-yr-old) husband a safety razor set for Christmas. He's not a super high-maintenance guy-- not a lot of products, doesn't take much time with his routine-- but he does like optimizing things and knowing "tricks of the trade", so I think it might appeal to him. He's currently a Gillette Fusion user, so I'm guessing the money savings from blades would be a plus, as well. Also, we have a baby daughter whose face is always getting scratched by his beard, so it's the right time for him to get better shaves.

My two questions:
1. Given that he has expressed no interest one way or the other in classic/DE shaving (indeed, I'm not sure he knows it exists), would this be too intrusive or personal to receive as a gift from his wife? It's hard to tell from the other side of the gender divide whether the "feel" of receiving a shaving product is more like a woman receiving jewelry/hosiery (yay, luxurious!) or receiving random makeup (eew, too personal, none of your business).

And 2. If I do go for the razor, which would you gentlemen recommend as a starter model: the Merkur 23C (long handle classic) or the Merkur HD? I'm leaning towards the 23c-- he's 6'2 and has large hands, plus it's supposedly less aggressive for a beginner(?), plus $10 cheaper on Amazon--but the HD seems to be the one everyone talks about, so I wasn't sure.

Thank you all so much for helping out a clueless outsider!

 

[michiganlover]

First off, welcome aboard. We have a growing base of female members, are they are always very welcome here.

I prefer the long handled razors as well, having larger hands. It makes the razor a little easier to handle.

In addition to the models you have listed, you could also consider the Merkur 38C, which is the Merkur HD with a longer handle. It comes in three different finishes: chrome, red, and blue. I had the red handled one, and it was a beauty, and a wonderful shaver. See here:

Buy Merkur 38C at West Coast Shaving

If you are buying from West Coast, you will also want to order a blade sampler, as not all blades perform the same for every user, or even in every razor.

Is there any possibility that you would use the DE razor yourself if your husband ends up not liking it? If there is, you would find the longer handle much easier to use. We have an active group of female users happily shaving their legs with DE razors. There is even an all female social group.

 

[tm3]

i think it would be a great gift.

would recommend a merkur progress as i believe it the best beginner razor because you can dial the aggressiveness way down. add to this a sampler pack of DE blades, one or two pucks of shaving soap, an omega boar brush, and an aftershave in a fragrance that you like. then he is set to go without having to get anything else. if he does not go for it you can resell stuff here without much loss.

don't forget to direct him to the mantic shave videos otherwise he may crash and burn. a DE does not behave like a fusion.

for convenience and to avoid multiple shipping charges consider buying from west coast shaving.

 

[Blue-EyedSon]

Welcome to the boards!

I don't think a razor would be too personal a gift for you to give him. The only way I could imagine it being poorly received is if it was given with an attitude of "Your too scruffy and need to start cleaning up that ugly mug of yours!" If the razor was given in that spirit, it might not be received well. But otherwise, I don't think it would be too personal.

Unfortunately, I don't have any experience with those razors, so I can't make any good recommendations based on the ones you specifically ask about.

Are you also planning to get him a shaving brush with soap or cream? I would highly recommend doing that. The canned goo stuff that he is probably currently using to shave with just doesn't perform as well. If you are able to only get him either a razor or a shaving brush with soap or cream, then I would highly recommend only going with the latter. Shaving with a DE razor can take longer, especially for people just learning. And while the smoother shaves with less irritation definitely make it worth it, shaving this way does take more time. On the other hand, learning to use a a shaving brush with soap or cream is much easier and would probably drastically improve even his current shaves with the Fusion. Thus, if you can only do one, I'd say start him with the brush and soap or cream.

Best of luck on your search and feel free to ask lots of questions. People here like to help each other out!

 

[chran]

Welcome aboard.

I think a set (brush, cream, razor & blade of your choice) is more giftey. The main selling point (should you need to convince him to make the move) is saving your daughter from scratches

As he's low maintenance, he'll appreciate that it could be cheaper & better than fusion (until the AD kicks in ;P).

 

[gaseousclay]

Hi all! I am new here AND a girl, so apologies if I'm intruding at all on the community here. But I have two burning Christmas-related razor questions, and was wondering if I could lean on everyone's good-nature a little and pose them here.

I'm thinking of getting my (30-yr-old) husband a safety razor set for Christmas. He's not a super high-maintenance guy-- not a lot of products, doesn't take much time with his routine-- but he does like optimizing things and knowing "tricks of the trade", so I think it might appeal to him. He's currently a Gillette Fusion user, so I'm guessing the money savings from blades would be a plus, as well. Also, we have a baby daughter whose face is always getting scratched by his beard, so it's the right time for him to get better shaves.

My two questions:
1. Given that he has expressed no interest one way or the other in classic/DE shaving (indeed, I'm not sure he knows it exists), would this be too intrusive or personal to receive as a gift from his wife? It's hard to tell from the other side of the gender divide whether the "feel" of receiving a shaving product is more like a woman receiving jewelry/hosiery (yay, luxurious!) or receiving random makeup (eew, too personal, none of your business).

And 2. If I do go for the razor, which would you gentlemen recommend as a starter model: the Merkur 23C (long handle classic) or the Merkur HD? I'm leaning towards the 23c-- he's 6'2 and has large hands, plus it's supposedly less aggressive for a beginner(?), plus $10 cheaper on Amazon--but the HD seems to be the one everyone talks about, so I wasn't sure.

Thank you all so much for helping out a clueless outsider!

I think it would make a thoughtful gift. perhaps you could preface your explanation to him by saying that DE shaving is incredibly popular and has converted many cartridge users .

as for starter razors, I only have 1 Merkur (the classic 33c) but the rest of my razors are vintage Gillettes, so if your husband has big hands then yes, a long-handled Merkur razor might be a good starter razor for him. without knowing his beard type I couldn't really give you an accurate recommendation though. does he have sensitive skin? do you think he would require a mild razor or a slightly more aggressive razor?

as others have mentioned, a brush kit along with cream and/or soap and blades would be a great addition to the razor. West Coast Shaving is a great resource for DE shaving products. I believe he'll also beat any competitor's prices if you happen to find it elsewhere for the same price or cheaper. he sells decent and cheap blade sampler packs as well as a large assortment of creams, soaps and brushes.

 

[Protocol]

Not to complicate things too much, but have you considered the Edwin Jagger gift set? The brush is certainly nice and the Muhle head on the razor is top notch. If your man doesn't appreciate that, he's a crass barbarian.

 

[SmoovD]

Welcome to the club.

I concur that anything wetshaving makes a thoughtful. If you are concerned about his level of interest perhaps you might only gift him a nice brush and some soap/cream. These additions should enhance his shave and give him a glimpse into traditional shaving. Once your husband is aware that shaving doesn't have to be a chore then he may be more willing to try a safety razor.

Just a thought.

 

[glassmtn99]

The Edwin Jagger DE89L is stunningly beautiful and provides an outstanding shave, especially for a beginner. It can be purchased from the UK for about $35 delivered to the US: http://www.theenglishshavingcompany.com/cgi-bin/psProdDet.cgi/DE89Ldb5||@cTraditional%20safety%20&%20double%20edge%20razors@b|0|user||18|

The English Shaving Company is a first class outfit and you have absolutely nothing to worry about purchasing internationally. It can also be ordered from US based bestgroomingtools.com for $35 plus shipping: http://bestgroomingtools.com/edwin-jagger-double-edge-safety-razor-lined-chrome-p-1254.html

Best Grooming Tools is also a first class outfit.

This razor is about 1/4 inch longer than the Merkur HD. I have small hands and have never had a problem with any razor I have used from smaller 3 inch razors up to the larger 4 1/2 inch ones. I can't speak for folks with larger hands. I can say that this razor is a very good shaver and its beauty will make an impact.

eric.

 

[82R100]

I'd suggest the 23C along with a brush and cream and/or soap, with the strong suggestion that he phase into the use of the brush built lather for a few weeks before changing razors.

The only risk in general is that he gets impatient with the amount of time necessary for a multi-pass shave. That being said, it's possible that the results he sees will win him over (as it has many of us).

- Chris

 

[gone down south]

+1 on buying him a really nice brush and soap/cream. IMO, 75% of the battle of getting a better shave is prep and product, and he'll see an immediate improvement in his shaves and skin just by using those.

DE or SE razors have a steep learning curve, and you need to commit to working through the rough patches in order to eventually get better shaves - and that process can be months long. If he hasn't expressed interest in that, you might end up wasting your money as he gets frustrated and goes back to cartridges.

 

[karm]

Without a doubt, any Edwin Jagger or Merkur complete shaving kit would make a fantastic x-mas present.

You could put together quite a special gift set complete with soap, blades, razor, and stand for a reasonable amount of money. The sky is the limit on what you could do with that idea...

 

[mkevenson]

Hello, and Welcome. My views on this subject are a bit different from the other posters. I think that you should consider buying a vintage Gillette starter kit. The reasons being, even if your hubby decides that he would rather not use the blade, he would have a peace of history. Look in the BST forum for "starter kits" , they usually include a razor, brush, cream or soap, and blades. Here is a current example: maybe overkill but you get the idea. http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?t=119773 The overall cost will be = to or less than a new Merkur and have historical value.
If your husband is into collecting, you can also look at vintage cased razors and pick up a brush etc separately if you so desire. Let us know what you decide.
Mark

Send PM if you like more details.

 

[JPM]

First off, welcome to the group. Everyone is truly welcome.

If my wife got me a razor, cream, etc. I would think it was a really thoughtful gesture on her part.

I would go with the long handled Merkur HD based.

Good luck!

 

[Mink]

Don't forget that if our partner takes an interest in us - and our appearance - then that will definitely affect our own interest. If you were to stop by someplace like Sephora, where they have men's shaving toiletries, you could check out some of the products to see which ones you like. You could give a gift certificate to West Coast Shaving so he could pick out his own razor, but also give him a badger brush, soap/creme and bowl, and a sampler pack. You're introducing him to 2 things - wet shaving and DE shaving. My suggestion is to supply him with wet shaving things YOU like, and let him pick out the hardware. He may even get interested in straight razors, or stay with cartridge razors, but I'm guessing he'll stick with the wet shaving.

 

[Pike]

I think it is a great and thoughtful idea! +1 on getting a brush and cream/soap as well! +1 on the long handle razor as well. Oh, Welcome!!

cc

 

[Darjeeling Express]

We are delighted to have you aboard.

 

[Klopstick]

Welcome aboard! Perhaps we can convert you to a DE or SE shaver too...

Yes, I think your gift idea is wonderful. The Buy/Sell/Trade here is a great source and some of the sets are good too.

Do you have any personal preferences for scent? Get something you like, so he will know it's making you happy too. (of course, this means trying out all sorts of stuff eventually).

Of course, I will put in a plug for a vintage set consisting of a Gem 1912 razor (that's actually a single edge type), Ted Pella blades to go with it, a vintage restored Ever-ready brush from the B/S/T and a small ceramic bowl from Ikea. For soap... well, Tabac is a good start, or maybe Mama Bears "Aged Spice", or perhaps L'Occtaine Cade

A printout of "Kyle's Prep" and links to the lather making videos would be good stocking stuffers to go with.

 

[dickinson]

Wow, some excellent info here! Thank you all so much for the insights and suggestions; I like the kit ideas particularly, and West Coast Shaving is a great find. (Still somewhat on the fence as to whether to go with the whole package, or just start off with brush + cream and let him decide later about the razor; I'll have to look through everything proposed here and figure that out over the next few days. Honestly, though after reading so much about the benefits of DE shaving, I kind of want a safety razor for myself!)

I'll post back after Christmas with an update on how it went. Thanks again, all!

 

[Pike]

I hope you will look into a "Lady Gillette" for yourself! They are very nice razors and can usually be found for roughly $30 plus or minus a few bucks. You can read about them here: http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?ltr=G&t=50380