Experienced shavers using "beginner" razors

[ClemsonTigerz]

I think there is nothing “beginner” about the EJDL-89 or Merkur 34C. The EJ was my 1st safety razor, followed by the 34C just to see what everyone was screaming about. As ya go, ya learn a few more new words like “blade-biter”, open-comb, slant, adjustable, SuperSpeed, etc etc etc.

Each of these razors have characteristics of their own. There must be the mastery of the lather, angle, pressure, etc. Once you’ve mastered the learning curve of wet shaving- which implies razors with a single blade which work like a fountain pen retaining water- once it’s mastered- it’s mastered, barring any personality quirks individual razors may have ie; a gem micro bullet tip.

I will grant the EJ and 34C are milder razors, but how much of ones face needs to be sliced off to present a mug worthy of SWMBO’s kisses? Is there really a “maaaaanly” safety razor? I mean if you can make a Gem Micro work like clockwork, you’d be a personal hero of mine

No. I don’t think there’s anything “beginner” about the EJ’s or 34C’s. I think they’re mainstays, I think they’re staples, I think they’re bedrocks of a den. I’m not a collector. Just a shaver. I shave just as fast with a SuperSpeed as I do with a gem junior- same as I would a DL89. When you enter the realm of straights, THEN you’ll understand what “beginner” REALLY means......because to the dark side, if it’s not a straight, it’s a beginner
I say this moooostly in jest.
Shifting to a straight made me appreciate the skill I’d eventually learn and reminded me when I shifted from cartridges on a mach 3 to a DL89 with derby blades. There was bloodshed until there wasn’t. Then I learned on a 5/8 hollow straight- which many believe to be a good blade to learn on-

now: which one of you that’s never shaved with a straight thinks a 5/8 hollow is a “beginner” blade? You wouldn’t know. But: you’d know where to start. And once you get over the learning curve you realize some blades can be milder than others- BUT it would depend on skill on a strop. What’s a good beginner strop? One ya don’t care about naturally- but is it good enough for an experienced dark sider? Should be- How about honing? Oh Lordy, the difference between mild and surgical precision smoothness. What’s a good beginner honing stone? So do experienced people still hone on ceramics? Who out there still has that trusty 1000 grit lovely and trusty 400 grit plate? Is it REALLY “beginner stuff”? People learn to shoot on .22 rifles and yet still go out shooting and even small game hunting even though they own an AR or some fancy rifle.

No. There’s nothing “beginner” about EJ’s & 34C’s. I have been using them as mainstay workhorses over the past decade. I’ve tried others and always come back to them. Much like I’ve tried carbon steel straights but then there’s just something about a soviet straight- which is what I learned with. Is a Soviet straight a beginner straight? I think I’ve beaten this dead horse enough- but I think the answer to the question is “YES, they’re beginner razors, but that’s only based on how much blood is drawn. When there’s no longer bloodshed, it’s no longer a beginner’s razor.”

 

[engblom]

I have had an AS-D2 for a number of years, go back to it occasionally, but never can get a really close shave, I think I cannot hold the precise angle needed for maximum efficiency. I can get BBS from my DE89 and other mild razors but the AS-D2 requires more skill than I have. Beautiful instrument however and I will periodically try it to see if I can nail it.

I bet that if you stick faithfully to just AS-D2 for a month (without cheating with other razors) your shaves will become close. If you rotate between several razors you never get the same "sensitive" hand and the angle will not work itself into your muscle memory. When I realized I like really mild razors I had the same problem and it solved itself by completely focusing on one razor.

 

[mata_66]

Walking down memory lane, on a summer day in 1980 my grand-father approached me and told me he was going to teach a little man how to shave. I was 14 and he was 65 years old but his health was seriously compromised both from diabetes and the deprivations he suffered for being confined in a nazi concentration camp during World War II. I remember he grabbed his shaving kit composed of a mirror, a shaving bowl, a boar brush (I guess it was an Omega 48 or 49) and his razor. He then sat at the kitchen table and started lathering what I remember as a huge amount of lather. I don't have a clue what soap it was but I remember it was a tube of shaving cream. What I clearly remember is the razor, a white/ivorish Gillette Slim Twist with the "toothbrush" handle. I am happy to affirm that my first razor was my grand-father Slim Twist even if it was only for a one-shave experience. I don't know whats happened to that razor, probably it was thrown away by my grand-mother together with his possession after his death happened some years later while I was serving, far away from home, in the Italian army.

Since I returned to wet-shaving I've used every kind of razor, some mild then, when I felt confident enough, some more "aggressive". To cut a long story short, a couple of month ago I've found on the auction site a rarebird, a white Slim Twist without the cracked handle. I think I overpaid for it but it was well worth it. It was love at the first shave.

It's a mild razor, it has the same head of the late British Rocket Super Speed with the flare tip, those marked with an "S" under the baseplate.

Maybe it's the nostalgic effect, maybe it's because is a great shaver, but it is the only DE razor I'm using right know

 

[Medivh]

Instead of calling them ''beginners razors'', I call them ''great razors for beginners''. While it's true that a beginner can start using an aggressive razors such as R41 as his first razor, that doesn't mean that he's going to like it or get great shaves from it and the same can be said for people who start with razors that range from super mild to mid aggressive. The razors which I concider to be '' great beginners razors'' are models which have stood the tests of time and many people love them and they are also inexpensive. I woudn't recommend razors such as Timeless, Wolfman or the other fancy-schmancy razors a good option as a first DE razor. I would recommend vintage razors like Tech, Super Speed, Slim and Super Adjustable and for modern - Rockwell 6C, Maggards V3 head (which is cheaper version of the standard EJ/Muhle head), Fatip Testina or maybe Fatip OC and FOCS.

Also, if the main goal is to get a somewhat close shave, then I think pretty much any razor with a proper blade is capable of delivering that. But if a person is looking for an effortless, fast, and BBS every time, then I don't think ANY razor can do that for most of the people. Isn't the whole point why most of us are here? I mean, if we didn't care that much and we just wanted to get ''some'' close shave, I doubt that most of us would be here.

 

[mata_66]

I mean, if we didn't care that much and we just wanted to get ''some'' close shave, I doubt that most of us would be here.

Correct. I also thing we are here because we feel we are treated like lunatics who incomprehensibly still shave like gran-pa and we have nobody to talk about our hobby without some rolling eyes. So we come here to meet other lunatics who know and understand what we are talking about

 

[Medivh]

Correct. I also thing we are here because we feel we are treated like lunatics who incomprehensibly still shave like gran-pa and we have nobody to talk about our hobby without some rolling eyes. So we come here to meet other lunatics who know and understand what we are talking about

That's very true. When I try to talk to pretty much all of my friends about DE and SR shaving they look at me like i'm trying to teach them how to wipe their butts or how to take a shower a bit better and I sound like a complete nut to them so I gave up after a few attempts.

 

[Joncr]

I bet that if you stick faithfully to just AS-D2 for a month (without cheating with other razors) your shaves will become close. If you rotate between several razors you never get the same "sensitive" hand and the angle will not work itself into your muscle memory. When I realized I like really mild razors I had the same problem and it solved itself by completely focusing on one razor.

I have not doubt you are correct. Actually did that with my DE89 a while ago and can now get shaves as close as I want. Well that is an exaggeration, my R41 with a feather blade and a thin cream like Trader Joes or Cremo still gIves me the longest lasting BBS. But frankly I just enjoy the variety, will choose the same razor for a day or two or three and than really want to use something else, so I will. But believe you are right for sure, and if it becomes that important to me , I will do what you suggest.

 

[ukobke]

As many wrote before, these are not beginners razors.

These are the razors to compare with others. They are the benchmark.

 

[hairless wonder]

That's very true. When I try to talk to pretty much all of my friends about DE and SR shaving they look at me like i'm trying to teach them how to wipe their butts or how to take a shower a bit better and I sound like a complete nut to them so I gave up after a few attempts.

My best friend thinks I'm obsessed with DE shaving just because I point out good shave gear deals to him every now and again. He doesn't even realize how often I'm looking at shave gear and not telling him about it. Nor does he realize there are many more members here who are looking even more often than I and who have vast collections of gear (something to which I don't personally aspire but can appreciate in others).

 

[mozartman]

Seems like only male dominated things have "beginner" labels. This is to make some men feel inadequate for not being "man" enough. I have found this to be true with razors, guns, and motorcycles. For each you have to progress up to something bigger/more powerful, when in reality all will be more than sufficient. I mean there is a reason you don't hear of a car maker, marketing their car as a a beginner car.

Well put. I want the mildest, smoothest razor that will still give me a close shave. And I don't have the heaviest beard. It would be idiotic for me to use some ultra-aggressive razor just to prove I can. There would be nothing 'macho' about that. The 34C I used every day for 6 months when I returned to DE shaving was just fine. I've enjoyed experimenting with various kinds of razors, but I don't 'rotate'. I now use a 6S every day set on R3 or R4 which is similar to the 34C, but I don't have to worry as much about dropping it or banging it up as it is made of steel. If I were a little less clumsy, the 34C would be fine as my only razor.

 

[Toothpick]

I still use a Gillette Guard whenever I feel like shaving. Which hasn’t been for a long time now. I just use whatever razor I want. Never giving a second thought to “beginner” or “experienced” razor.

Gillette Guard, Barbasol, any AS...gives me some of the best shaves ever. I call it the 1 2 3 punch.

 

[Tirvine]

I am pleased to report that to my great relief I just got, used, and love my AS-D2. DFS after the first pass, BBS after the XTG. The ATG was a victory lap, finishing with superb comfort on the upper lip. I know it does not work for many, but for me it is perfection. It is so mild you can confiently wield it like a Mach III or a Fusion but extremely efficient thanks to the Feather blade.

 

[hopper_64]

I think you are wrong here. There are those of us who started many decades ago when there wasn't Muhle, EJ or the wonders of Internet shopping. Only what was available. So many of us started with Gillettes [or Schicks].

Yep. Gillette Slim Twist for me, almost 40 years ago.
Used one just like that one today.

 

[ClemsonTigerz]

When there’s no longer bloodshed, they cease to be beginner razors. True for any razor. I will perpetually be a gem micro beginner I shed blood as a teen learning to shave with a Gillette good news disposable. Is a Gillette Good News razor a beginner razor?

 

[Peterv1]

4 years since I bought my first DE the little Merkur 34C and still use it frequently

 

[never-stop-learning]

Since I'm old, my "beginner's razor" was a Gillette TTO (a Super Speed, IIRC) and Gillette blades.

A kit that would still provide a great shave today.

 

[balesofhay91]

I don't think there's any such thing as a beginner razor. Any razor can mess someone up if they aren't careful and don't respect how sharp the blade is. That's what happened to me when I first got into this. That being said, my first DE razor I bought in 2011 was an aluminum Tech, made in England. I still use it along with a Feather Popular, a Schick Krona, and a Gillette 40's Rocket. I also just bought a Tech with a bakelite handle that I plan on using. I guess those are good razors to start out on though. The key for me is having a sharper blade.

 

[Spang]

I want the mildest, smoothest razor that will still give me a close shave.

Hear, hear. Comfort is my maxim, and I'm willing to sacrifice a little closeness in its name. After 10 years of DE shaving, my current favorite is the Henson Shaving AL13, a razor specifically marketed as a "beginner" DE. The AL13 features very rigid blade clamping, tiny blade reveal and low exposure, coupled with a fairly large gap (.85). I have found this to be a winning geometry in some other razors, and the AL13 takes it to the Nth degree. Very mild (or I'd say comfortable), yet extremely efficient. If you stay within the admittedly narrow effective angle, which is easy to find, it shaves as close as any razor I've tried (don't ask how many). Still, it is supremely comfortable. A beginner's razor? Yes it would be great for that, but it's also just a great razor, period.

 

[blantyre]

My current rotation is 16 razors split 11/5 between two locations. A Schick Krona (actually the Eversharp version) gets regular use along with some much less forgiving options. Variety and an interesting selection are my main requirements. Achieving a 12 hour bbs is not very important to me although it has happened occasionally. If I have to go out and need a second shave in one day it’s a chance to try another set up.

 

[RB3812]

I have five razors, and it's probably too many. I have a Gillette Adjustable Fatboy, a Slim Adjustable, two SuperSpeeds (one 40's style, one 50's style), and on Edwin Jaegger DE89. All the Gillettes are my favorites, and I get very good shaves from all of them. I resumed wet shaving when I retired 15 years ago, after 'just getting by' with electrics for about 10 years! I got out my trusty
old Fatboy and started liking shaving again immediately. That led to buying the other Gillettes occasionally over the last few years.
The only razor I don't care for is the EJ DE89....the shaving angle just seems wrong for my face or skills, and it just seems harsh.
I should probably offer it for sale, as it's lightly used and looks like a brand new piece! I agree with the poster above who said
that these are "standard", not "beginners" razors....I use one or the other of the Gillettes for every shave and am always satisfied!