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How are you supposed to tell razors apart? Where are the tier lists?

There are at least a dozen "main" luxury brands ($200+ razor) thrown around here, each with often a couple different offerings. Plus a few dozen medium/entry brands. I've been reading for hours, but how are they differentiated from each other?

In most other hobbies there are various stats or at least marketing jumbo you can point to. A tier list is usually opinion based but leads to discussion comparing items head to head.

As a newcomer to razors, but not collection hobbies, the information available isn't overwhelming so much as incomplete. Everything seems to talk about individual razors in a vacuum. Few comparisons to other razors. Subjective terms and opinions being given with not even abstract ratings, much less concrete data. Even the marketing materials don't seem to give much more than a few sentences that offer little specific to the model.

Short of buying everything, how do you choose what to go for?
You don't . You spend thousands of dollars buying each and every one to find
out in the end there is not a whole lot of difference in many of them.
 
Short of buying everything, how do you choose what to go for?

It's a process.
The performance of one razor for me,
will undoubtedly be different for you.

But you can read, read, read forum posts,
and start to identify other experienced Members,
who seem like they have similar preferences to yours,
and base your purchases on razors they tout.

Or... you can geek-out with a more technical approach,
and study razor head geometries, and measurable design criteria,
and select razors to purchase that exhibit your target qualities:
exposure, gap, clamping, effective angles, etc.
 

Phoenixkh

I shaved a fortune
Welcome to the B&B community. Where to start? That is often the question when you first join. I know it was for me.

I did what you are doing... read a lot of posts. You might take a look at a few journals. Several people here have taken the time to map out their own journey. I found them immensely educational. That could give you a starting place. Things do start to make sense after a few weeks, but initially, it came be a bit daunting.

I don't know if you still have your beard or not. If you haven't shaved it off completely, your needs will be different or could be different than someone who shaves their entire face... and/or head. Our youngest son still sports a beard and mustache and he continues to love his Merkur 38C...a longer handle model, but he shaves dry... no soap at all.
 

never-stop-learning

Demoted To Moderator
Staff member
Short of buying everything, how do you choose what to go for?

1. Map your beard and identify your face, skin and beard characteristics.

2. Review what other folks are using in the Safety Razors forums.

3. When folks are offering suggestions, ask questions about their face, skin and beard characteristics. If you have a thick, coarse beard, a razor suggestion from someone who has a sparse, fine beard may not work as well.

So, how would you characterize your face, skin and beard?

How often do you plan on shaving?
 

thombrogan

Lounging On The Isle Of Tugsley.
Welcome to Badger and Blade, @cribbit !

So much good information already listed. To me, the top tier is the nickel-plated Fatip Grande. No two are exactly alike.

if only because of the mirror finish and the better handles.

After seeing the Edwin Jagger “Kelvin” handle in some glamour pics from @Alum Ladd , I no longer grave the intrinsic power of the rose gold Mühle handle.

So far, I've resisted the temptation of collecting.

Repression. It will burst through fully formed like Athena from Zeus’ brow. But you already have the RazoRock Game Changer with the 0.68P and 0.84P plates, so you’ll have nothing much to collect that isn’t similar or not as good.

though I don't shave in those places.

You’ve just created a shave challenge braver than any seen so far!

Regardless of how much money you can spend on a razor (or razors) , the most important thing is to use the same razor everyday for a number of weeks.

Could not agree more.
 
There are both tiers and categories. There are branching characteristics of both subjective and objective use and and varying importance to any individual. There can be synergy of aesthetic which functional engineering in artistic ways.
Bottom tier is cheap plastic or metal razor. Easily available.
Next tier is chrome or other plated cast metal. Next tier is machined metal.
How precise or artistic or durable or complicated is really up to some manufacturer to make and you to buy.
The sky is the limit and we haven't even scratched the surface of what's possible.
A tunable DE should be also multi purpose and a good Durabke EDC Survival tool in at least some iteration.
Maybe have a torrid just to look at. Fun stuff.
 
While it is easy and fun to come here and start spending money on shaving stuff it’s also not totally necessary, especially if your are only starting out.

A simple Lord, Fatip, vintage Tech or even a Super Blue would be a good start. The rest of the kit doesn’t have to be expensive either.

For the last 2 years we did a month of frugal shaves and result wise nobody thought it lacking. Have a look what people were choosing:


With shaving as a hobby you will accumulate nice stuff in a short time anyway but you don’t need a 200+ razor for starting out.
 
Repression. It will burst through fully formed like Athena from Zeus’ brow. But you already have the RazoRock Game Changer with the 0.68P and 0.84P plates, so you’ll have nothing much to collect that isn’t similar or not as good.
I think you're right. I can't say I haven't looked around, I have.

I'm too much of a wimp to go with anything more "aggressive" than the GC 84-P. I have an emotional aversion to OC razors. Any razor with a blade gap below the GC 68-P probably will not be very "efficient".

In the final analysis, the most important metric, to me, is performance and value. Do I get a better shave from a razor costing 8 times as much? Or, have I reached the point of diminishing returns.

So, your analysis is correct.

Once again, I've stumbled my way into "the sweet spot". LOL!

b/r

ON_1
 
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The most important thing is to have a an idea of what you really want. As you read the comments here, everyone has his own preference and desire about the different razors. Some are collectors, others just want to have one or a few razors and that's it. Others might only care about vintage, modern, rare and expensive or the most common and basic razors.

The other very important thing is to know what to look at a razor. Do you like open comb razors more than closed comb razors for instance? Blade feel preference and smoothness. What's your angle preference (steep, neutral or shallow)? Do you have material (brass, aluminium, stainless steel, titanium etc.) preference? Overall weight preference of the razor, type of handle, budget and all kinds of other things, which you learn during your shaves with the different razors you acquire along the way.
 
I feel like an adjustable is a good first razor and possibly last. You can see if you like a more aggressive or mild razor. Or both at the same time. I like a bit more aggression on my face but as mild as can be on my neck and mild to moderate on top of my head.
 

Ron R

I survived a lathey foreman
To find a good razor that would suit your needs I would just buy Merkur progress or a Gillette slim or Fatboy and use them for a while to figure what aggression you like (Mild, Mid or aggressive range) and just buy a good stainless steel 3 pc brand that looks like you would fancy and go with it.
The 3 pc razor is simple to use and other plates are available if needed usually and very easy to clean and store in a simple case or stand.
I have used lots of razors and I can use any of them because of experience or matured technique to keep things simple. I get some of my best shaves with a $10US head with a $10 polished handle in a 3pc razor.
I also have some more expensive razors that perform excellent and would recommend them also. Good luck in the search!
 
open comb vs closed comb

large blade gap vs small blade gap

slant head vs straight head

long handle vs short handle

head heavy balance vs light head balance

steep angle razor vs shallow angle razor

three piece vs butterfly

agressive vs mild

etc…

etc…

etc…

These are just some of the questions you can only figure out for yourself by trial and error. Only once you have an idea of your preference should you splurge on anything fancy…that’s my view anyways.

There are plenty of inexpensive razors you can try to dial in your preference.
 
[Old school, daily shaver.]

Started with a Merkur 34c (used for 1 year), then a Merkur Progress (used for 6 years), and finally settled in with a Muhle R89.

...and one or two others in between. ;)

(BTW All Muhle products are very high quality, second-to-none.)
 
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My S-tier is the Timeless Slim OC, and it will kill many people trying it.
That's why it is so hard to make S-lists.

My selection of razors is based on buying and trying them all. Unlike many I don't sell excess razors, I keep them. That's unfortunately also true for flashlights, knives, trailrunning shoes and mountaineering boots.
I imagine you also collect houses with big walk-in closets
 
1. Map your beard and identify your face, skin and beard characteristics.

2. Review what other folks are using in the Safety Razors forums.

3. When folks are offering suggestions, ask questions about their face, skin and beard characteristics. If you have a thick, coarse beard, a razor suggestion from someone who has a sparse, fine beard may not work as well.

So, how would you characterize your face, skin and beard?

How often do you plan on shaving?
IMHO, @never-stop-learning has it right. This is where you start (step 1).

After that it becomes a matter of starting with one good razor and refining your technique (step 2). Once you know yourself (step 1) and your technique is competent (step 2), you can evaluate whether a razor will suit your needs.
The most important thing is to have a an idea of what you really want. As you read the comments here, everyone has his own preference and desire about the different razors. Some are collectors, others just want to have one or a few razors and that's it. Others might only care about vintage, modern, rare and expensive or the most common and basic razors.

The other very important thing is to know what to look at a razor. Do you like open comb razors more than closed comb razors for instance? Blade feel preference and smoothness. What's your angle preference (steep, neutral or shallow)? Do you have material (brass, aluminium, stainless steel, titanium etc.) preference? Overall weight preference of the razor, type of handle, budget and all kinds of other things, which you learn during your shaves with the different razors you acquire along the way.
 
They aren't that complicated. Build quality and metal/material quality is objective but everything else about how they work is subjective. Similar to knives I guess or tools or other fabricated components.
 
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