DE Razor found at a shop that sells junk and stuff - More info?

[Lamar]

Hi ya'll. I just started DE shaving this past week (Merkur 180) and remembered seeing this at one of these
"antique" stores down the street and went back and bought it. She threw in what looks like a cheap travel brush and a stand (which does not hold my Parker Best Badger brush). Anyway. All I know is it is a travel razor and the only identifying stamp marks is BEFA-GERMANY on the comb (which looks newer than the rest). The lining inside the tiny travel case is felt like but no markings on or in the case itself. Any ideas what I picked up for 10 bucks? (oh. it weighs 1.35 ounces)

 

[amishmotorboat]

German old type clone travel razor. They aren't bad little razors.

 

[Lamar]

That was a fast response. Any idea on age and could the comb be a reproduction as it looks newer?

 

[amishmotorboat]

I have no clue on how to date them, but there were a lot of razor makers in germany copying the gillette design. It's possible that the comb could have come from another set. Most of these are nearly identical. Handles and heads interchangeable with each other and gillettes and many others with the same threads.

 

[Lamar]

Well. I hadn't shaved in a few days and I'm still learning so I decided to shave with this sucker (only my 4th DE shave). I only have Wilkinson Sword blades at the moment so I can compare this with my Merkur 180. I used some CO Bigelow that I bought yesterday instead of my Van der hagen soap. What I found is this razor can be very forgiving. If I took another pass I could have had a completely BBS shave. It succeeded in certain areas but again it's only my 4th shave this way. I really need to get a sampler pack.

 

[CGW409]

Well. I hadn't shaved in a few days and I'm still learning so I decided to shave with this sucker (only my 4th DE shave). I only have Wilkinson Sword blades at the moment so I can compare this with my Merkur 180. I used some CO Bigelow that I bought yesterday instead of my Van der hagen soap. What I found is this razor can be very forgiving. If I took another pass I could have had a completely BBS shave. It succeeded in certain areas but again it's only my 4th shave this way. I really need to get a sampler pack.

Well geeze Louise!
I've heard they raise you Georgia boys to be on the tough side but not even a full week in and you're already moving up to open combs, by the full week you'll have ditched DE's all together and be pulling out the straight razor.
All kidding aside that is a great find, enjoy.

 

[ERVARGASNY]

Those are great little travel razors, Congrats )

 

[Lamar]

Ya know CGW409, if my neck continues to improve I might make the plunge but much further down the road. I really gotta tell ya though, this travel razor is not aggressive at all and not enough weight to use properly. I'm basically using it just like a cartridge razor and this morning I threw caution to the wind and my first pass I decided to go ATG above the cheek and XTG on the neck. Then ATG on neck and touch ups where needed. The shave I got yesterday was so close that this A.M. was a breeze. I almost decided not to shave but I had enjoyed it so much yesterday. I'm tempted to go shave again just for the hell of it (I missed a couple of spots). For lather I'm doining something different and my face feels pretty damn good. I picked up this no bump gel in a tube thing at Wal-Mart. It has aloe and tea tree extract. I'll put a dab in my mug and whip that up into a frothy lather (rather wet) and then I'll add a dab of Bigelow and whip that up into a nice normal lather. I suspect it is the first that is leaving my face feeling so good. Before I had some hair conditioner (from when I still had hair) that had tea tree extract and I would use that to shave with using a Schick Hydro 3 blade and I noticed a lot less neck irritation on my neck compare to when I was using gel in a can. I think my face likes tea extract. Tomorrow I'll just use Bigelow and see what happens.

Any soaps out there that have tea tree extract? I'll want to try some when my current combo runs out.

 

[CGW409]

Ya know CGW409, if my neck continues to improve I might make the plunge but much further down the road. I really gotta tell ya though, this travel razor is not aggressive at all and not enough weight to use properly. I'm basically using it just like a cartridge razor and this morning I threw caution to the wind and my first pass I decided to go ATG above the cheek and XTG on the neck. Then ATG on neck and touch ups where needed. The shave I got yesterday was so close that this A.M. was a breeze. I almost decided not to shave but I had enjoyed it so much yesterday. I'm tempted to go shave again just for the hell of it (I missed a couple of spots). For lather I'm doining something different and my face feels pretty damn good. I picked up this no bump gel in a tube thing at Wal-Mart. It has aloe and tea tree extract. I'll put a dab in my mug and whip that up into a frothy lather (rather wet) and then I'll add a dab of Bigelow and whip that up into a nice normal lather. I suspect it is the first that is leaving my face feeling so good. Before I had some hair conditioner (from when I still had hair) that had tea tree extract and I would use that to shave with using a Schick Hydro 3 blade and I noticed a lot less neck irritation on my neck compare to when I was using gel in a can. I think my face likes tea extract. Tomorrow I'll just use Bigelow and see what happens.

Any soaps out there that have tea tree extract? I'll want to try some when my current combo runs out.

I know that Trader Joe's carries a Tea Tree Tingle body wash and Whole(paycheck)Foods has various tea tree extract products.
I do the hair conditioner bit on the face during the shower to further pre soften the beard and I swear by it and I've got the Wally World gel stuff for touch ups and it never crossed my mind to use it in supplement to my standard lather.
Keep an eye out for some of the vintage Gillette open comb razors like the Old Type and NEW for the OC's with a bit more heft but also make sure to get your technique down if as you say you're going at it with that travel razor as you go at shaving like you do with a cart you could be into a world of hurt with a more aggressive OC.

 

[Lamar]

Keep an eye out for some of the vintage Gillette open comb razors like the Old Type and NEW for the OC's with a bit more heft but also make sure to get your technique down if as you say you're going at it with that travel razor as you go at shaving like you do with a cart you could be into a world of hurt with a more aggressive OC.

Aye. I really got to work on it which means using the Merkur as I can barely feel the blade on this travel one. That stuff I found at Wal-Mart was called BUMP Stopper Shaving gel. It's a mostly black 5.3 oz. tube. It seems to combine nicely with the Bigelow in my book (which is Chapter one, page one)

 

[Lamar]

On a side note. I just discovered that the Merkur 180 is awesome for shaving your head. Was easier shaving my head than it was my face. Go figure.

 

[TheVez2]

I have a couple of those German travel razors. There isn't much aside from that fact that can be learned about them. Just FYI, the 2 handle pieces will fit into each other, so they will both fit nicely into the 1 handle space of the case.