Guys with Course Beards- Need help with 3rd DE selection

[LightRays]

Hi there everyone!

New guy to these forums (although I have certainly popped on in over the years) and thought I would finally post here (I guess I am making up for that time with a huge post...sorry about that).

Well today I spent an exorbitant amount of time online with my bro in trying to decide what to do with a replacement razor for myself.

I am not new to DE safety razors, so time for a little history that might make you chuckle a bit... I hope you have a good read

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I made the switch probably back in about 2004.

See, from the very beginning, I had struggled with my VERY course beard. I tried everything I knew about- Electric shavers were like torture devices- forever yanking out the hairs. I actually put up with that for quite few years before deciding to move to wet shaving - however that was limited to common supermarket flog which I had no end of struggles with.

This was about the time that things like multi-bladed Gillette Mach 3's were new and fast becoming all the rage and the push to more and more blades had started to become the common formfactor in all the big supermarket brands.

This was not good for a guy with a beard like mine. Clogs for me happened all too quickly. I could seldom do much of a short stroke down my face at all, before the cartridge would get so jammed up that no end of rinsing would help. Really the only viable way I found was to use a sewing pin, that I would wiggle to unjam the heads in effort to try to get through a single shave. It was so time consuming and annoying to say the least.

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This was all I knew of for shaving options, if you had asked me then. We had no dedicated shaving shops like we do now in Australia (however, even now the brands push cartridge style or electric in those stores - more often you do not see anything else). The only type of razor I vaguely knew of other than those I mentioned, was with the image I associated in my head with the 'Old West' and the barber's straight razor (Really, it goes to show how quickly big brands can create a mass-market for their preferred product in a single generation).

Anyhow in disgust and in hopelessness, I remember going online to eBay and by accident coming across Howie Woda's old eBay store. I was so surprised to see the Double-Edged razor. I had never seen one like that before. I had no idea about them at all and if it were not for Howie's his kind advice back then, I never would have moved to a DE safety razor (Though he must have thought me mad when I asked him about them lol). To be honest I thought they were some unknown seldom used archaic razor- more of an archaeological rarity or something from an antique store!

So my first razor was a Parker 90 R and I found it a breath of fresh air. I loved using the Parker 90 R and then my Dad came along one day and nicked it from me! Lol.

That was around 2011.

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For my replacement DE I decided, I wanted something more up-market and with perhaps a feature I thought would be even better for my beard coarseness - and adjustable style DE.

Seemed like such a good idea at the time- having seen an ad for it when making my first Googles for the replacement. Having the ability to adjust the blade so there was more aperture gap at the beginning when I had lots of growth to remove (Forget 5 ' o clock shadow - I am a midday shadow kind of guy!) and then narrower as I wanted the second or third pass on finishing sounded neat.

That was a really big mistake in the end... because for my Second razor I chose a Merkur Vision(though I am not sure if it was the first or second version). I ended up buying it though right before it was discontinued so I assume it was the 2000 variant.

That razor gave me nothing but headaches. No wonder they discontinued it! It would forever seize up, no matter how much I cleaned it, and there was no way to disassemble it fully to get to where the problem lay (well, there was..read on).

I stuck with that monstrosity of a razor, but it did over the intervening time, invariably get pushed aside more often then not.

So very often. the mechanism would seize again (and again and again...and again, again, again again ...ok like 95% of the time). I would be forced to either pull out the old electric shaver (shudders) or grab a single blade disposable Bic shaver, which in about 2013 I decided was a good idea to keep a pack in reserve for when the Merkur would be uncooperative and unexpectedly seize- and I didn't have the hour it normally took to get it working half-heartedly again.

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Jump forward to last week.

In a final act of sheer frustration (which says a lot, I am a very calm Vulcan like guy lol) I finally had my last straw with the Merkur Vision and grabbed pliers and goodness knows what else, in effort to get the mechanism working again- It had finally seized up so badly that regular maintenance or anything else I could think of didn't work, so I basically forcibly disassembled it.

I knew going it that it would never shave again, but I wanted to see why the F*** (excuse me) this thing was so unreliable. Found out why and if anyone is interested I can post pics. The mechanism -to quote my engineer designer bro- is 'the stupidest bit of design he has seen in years'. I can't say I disagree.

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Anyhow now I find myself stuck at what to decide to buy as a replacement and needing some advice.

I am not wanting to look at Merkur again (understandably) after the horrid experience with the razor and the woeful customer service I had (which was even worse given in Australia they have zero real presence).

I don't trust myself with a straight razor at all. I was toying with the idea of a slant blade DE, but, but from what I've been reading, may or may not be the best for my style beard hair. I would almost always knick myself very easily with a new blade on the Merkur Vision, not something I ever did with the Parker 90 R or the Bic disposables. This was regardless of how much prep I did to my beard beforehand, or time taken to use the Vision, or what setting it was on, though invariably it seemed to do it more at an average or wider setting (though I also wonder if it was damned from the start, the blade alignment to me always looked kind of off kilter too- not as bad as http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/17020-Merkur-Vision-Quality-Issues )

Looking around there has certainly been a renaissance in the sheer mass and variety of DE razors and far more on the market selling new ones, but it also is a case of 'too many options and too many views.'

That's where I really could do with some advice. I know the people here are Uber shave aficionados and might be able to at least help me narrow things down.

For guys with a very coarse beard with delicate skin, what do you find works well for you?

I am hesitant to overspend on a razor after the let down in the lack of value I saw in the Merkur Vision, and I would prefer to be looking at something in the $30 - $75 AUD range of the market. But all advice is welcome.

I am tempted to go back to Parker branded razors, but am open to other ideas- Just not Merkur. The IKon X3 has caught my eye given it seems to be almost as good as the more expensive ItalianBarber Wunderbar but yeah never used a slant so I have zero experience there.


I am even toying with bro perfecting a 3d printed one or trying one we saw today ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7qRIZnegRY ). We actually tried a quick and dirty prototype this afternoon after being inspired by GeofatBoy's review, but realized that will take a bit of time to get right and is more a long term thing. Prototype -A we made, was so safe a 5 year old could use it ROFL).

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers!

 

[doofus]

The rockwell adjustable is getting alto of love right now. It has no mechanisms to frustrate you but it may be out of your range at 100 us. For my money its the merkur progress which should put you nearer your price range but I can understand your frustration. Ok Im absolutely no help to you. The real reason Im posting is I would love to see the disassembled pics of the vision. Please post those! Thanks.

 

[Graybeard57]

An adjustable sounds like a good fit for you. There are vintage Gillette adjustables, which I prefer, and several contemporary ones as well. I am sure you'll find what you're looking for.

 

[Inari7]

Solid advice above, an "Old Type" and an "Adjustable". If you get an "Old Type" you'll never have to worry about the razor breaking. It's just a simple 3 piece razor. Since you had so much trouble in the past with that razor the did not work properly I would suggest an Old Type. Both would be good for you.

 

[JimL911]

As you are not new to a DE look at the Fatip or Ikon Tech. Aggressive but smooth.

 

[adamchur]

Hi
I'm all for using vintage adjustables, although mine are a bit on the unconventional side:
1980s Wizamet W-11 from Poland, 1980s Severodonetsk-1 from Ukraine and 1990s Ideal from Russia
The Ideal is the most aggressive (4,3,2 & 1 for buffing), the Wizamet is medium (5,4,3 & 2 for buffing) and the Severodonetsk-1 fits the descriptions I've read of a Fatboy (8,7,6 & 5 for buffing)
The Ideal and W-11 razors are often available on eBay for less than €25 each

I've also got an Acevivi Dual-Comb from China, it's fairly forgiving, but I get a close shave from it - €10 on eBay

My most aggressive razor is a Rapira Platinum Lux "Tech-clone"- it bites sometimes, but with some skill and attention to detail, I get very good shaves from it, the Russian sellers usually sell them for around €7 on eBay

 

[ciderguy]

I had a closely trimmed beard most of my life. I couldn't understand how people could stand shaving at all until I discovered B&B. I've never tried an adjustable, so I can't recommend one at this time. I can recommend what works for me.

Vintage Tech. They are very mild razors. So, pair them with a sharp blade like a Polsilver Super Iridium. Efficient at cutting hair. Low irritation for delicate skin. My delicate skin and less than perfect DE technique prefers the Polsilver Super Iridium to a Feather.

Have you ever tried an SE? The thicker SE blades don't bend, and tend to provide very good shaves. I think a Shovelhead (agressive and wonderful) or a G-Bar (less aggressive & still amazing) would be great. The normal blade suggestion for a new SE user is the PTFE coated stainless steel GEM blades. There aren't very many SE blades to choose from, and those ones are very good.

 

[coonskinner]

I have similar beard/skin issues.

Try a Fatip or a Gillette NEW long comb,and use premium blades like Gillette Silver Blues.

 

[ackvil]

First, welcome and glad you are posting.

Like you, I had a Vision razor and it was one of the worst razors I bought. I had to use another razor to shave my mustache area. After three months I sold that razor.

However, I do have a number of slant razors. I have the Merkur, Hoffrtiz, RR Stealth, RR Wunderbar, and ATT S1 and 2 slant razors. All give me great shaves: close and with no irritation. If you have a light touch, any of these razors should work.

I also some adjustable razors: a FB, Slim, two Mergress razors, and a Rockwell. All of these work great, too.

Either a slant or adjustable should work although I would lean more to an adjustable.

 

[CamberwellCarrot]

I'd recommend the Fatip Grande or Piccolo, or maybe look as Schicks or other SEs.

 

[santamariasteve]

I too have a coarse beard, but I have had outstanding success with the Merkur Vision 2000 (recently discontinued). And I have hard water. Please do post your pictures of your Vision razor. I'm very interested.

I would recommend these razors for your tough beard (random order):

Gillette New Improved from the 1920's. (Don't confuse it with the Gillette NEW from the 1930's.) I had a little trouble taming the beast until I slightly lowered the angle of the handle while shaving. Now the New Improved is a ***** cat.

Gillette Aristocrat from the 1930's. This too was a tad hostile to my face. Again lowering the angle of the handle slightly while shaving, fixed that issue.

Gillett Fat Boy adjustable. All the Gillette adjustables are outstanding, but for a super coarse beard I recommend the Fat Boy because of the heavier and more formidable handle. I use a setting of 5, but you might try starting out at say a setting of 7. (The scale goes from 1 to 9.)

I realize you specified DE razors, but there are 3 SE razors I would recommend for guys with "piano wire whiskers":

The Schick Injector Type E from the 1930's. Many available on ebay, inexpensive, and the Schick Injector blades made in China and available on ebay are quite good.

The Ever-Ready 1924. Caution: don't use hardware store blades used for paint scraping. Instead use SE shaving blades.

The Gem Micromatic Open Comb from the 1930's. Same comment as to blade source applies.

Thanks for checking in, and let us know what you decide and how it goes. And please remember to post pictures and maybe further comments of your Merkur Vision experience. I'm very interested.

 

[Cal]

[MENTION=112365]LightRays[/MENTION]
Like you, I have a coarse beard. My third razor (since joining B&B) is a pure delight. The Fatip Piccolo!

The main reason I got it was because I liked the look of it. It was my first three piece.

This little baby felt right and gave me a great shave from the get go. Not only that but I can happily shave with it every 12 hours, or FOUR days! It loves demolishing forests!

Here are a couple of links:
Fatip Piccolo. I'm in love. The thread I started because I HAD to tell EVERYONE.
(Fatip) Piccolo Lovers' Club: PLC This one's in the Clubs and Brotherhoods forum (so you probably won't be able to view it till you have posted 50 times, and been a member for 45 days).

Disclaimer:
Obviously I am biased. One man's meat is another man's poison. YMMV

 

[pbrmhl]

Some very good suggestions here. The FaTip is a great choice, but I'm with [MENTION=46486]santamariasteve[/MENTION]. The Schick E injector, Gem-bladed 1924 Shovelhead (as well as the 1912 and 1914) and the MicroMatic open comb are tremendous razors.

 

[stovepipe699]

A vintage open comb Gillette. They mow down heavy stubble without clogging.

 

[jarofsonicmen]

I picked up a GEM Micromatic Clog Pruf off eBay for under $10, bought the SE blade sampler when I bought my DE samples. While I'm still a n00b and my DE technique stinks, the Micromatic seems like it would work well for you. The SE seems simpler to use, and I cut myself less than with the DE. The more rigid blade seems more predictable.

 

[gwsmallwood]

Fatip, adjustable, or R41.

 

[1Vader]

Try an English Flat Bottomed Tech. Those are good and quite inexpensive.

However, my best razor until now is the Rockwell 6s.

 

[LightRays]

My goodness.

17 replies in less than 24 hours!

I am overwhelmed and humbled by the advice and kind words. Thanks for such a response!

I am going to have to have a really good look at all the suggestions and make a list I think

I noticed a wide variety of suggestions included some other adjustables. I do know that whatever i get, if is has a complicated mechanism, unlike the Merkur Vision, it would have to be possible for it to be taken apart for proper cleaning. The issue with the Merkur Vision turns out to be one that was never should have been implemented for use in something like a razor my bro said. Will go into that more later with the pics.

Anyhow, back to making a selection for my 3rd- At this point, my mind instantly says that I can't say I actually was thinking of vintage type razors or necessarily another adjustable. I guess I do worry about another failed mechanism.

Also, going vintage was not a thought I had considered: New Old Stock - maybe, but I am not really keen about something second hand or used (if that is what the suggestions are referring to? Please, forgive my ignorance)

In the past, I have never looked at older products, and when I went looking with the Merkur Vision in 2011 for example, only looked at what was current in manufacture. So far online everything I had looked at prior to making my initial post was new stuff in general shaving places like Shave Nation and a few local Aussie stores that stock only new stuff.

Anyhow will put those pics up shortly of the Merkur Vision. Cheers!

 

[Razorcan]

Merkur 34c,simple,elegant and goes through my super coarse stubble every time with tremendous ease (I know you dislike the fancy Vision but the 34c is a real winner)

My other suggestion (and my backup razor) would be a 50s-60s Gillete Fatboy adjustable ,I still use the one that my dad gave me in 1980 (he had bought it sometime in the early 60s) and set on "9" is a dream come true for very coarse beards and ,of course,indesctructuble.

In fact if I hadn't bought the Merkur 34c (I bought it a few years ago because I forgot to bring the Fatboy with me when I moved for a few months in Germany and I needed a new DE razor and that was the only one available locally) I would still be using it as my daily shaver,still I prefer the 34C.

 

[Penknight]

There have been some great recommendations here. I hope that you find exactly what you are looking for and what you need.

I would definitely consider the FaTip that was previously mentioned, along with the Gillette Fatboy and the Gillette Slim. I also really enjoy my 7 o'clock open comb razor, which I I believe was made in England in the 1940's. They aren't usually incredibly expensive, and you should be able to find one at a reasonable price. You also might consider the v2 open comb head that Maggard Razors offers, along with one of their stainless steel handles. The MR5 and MR8 are my personal favorites.