I have total DE Razor analysis paralysis

[jmudrick]

Hey, @ElonsMusk , more than three dozen really good and comprehensive answers here, and you know why? The responders have all done the field work you are currently overwhelmed by, and even though we will all happily share our findings with you, ours will probably not match yours - not now, and maybe not ever.
Some vendor (sorry, I can't remember who, right now) states their razors are "tools, not jewels." Hold that thought - the razor is the tool - you are the craftsman of your own shave. Other tools for consideration are:
blades (critical)
lather (almost as critical)
water (often underestimated or ignored)
and all of those can change given each's relation to the others.
Now - back to the jewels; I have a few razors with which I do not shave. They sit on shelves. They are fun for me to look at, but they are not the right tools for what I want a razor to do (and I think there is a continuum from jewel to tool along which you must pinpoint your real desire).
And I always recommend looking past initial investment as "sunk costs" and more as tuition in the graduate school of DE shaving.
Best of luck.
You can do this.
Tom

Or Man Up and pick something in shorthand. Your life will go on.

Sent from my LG-US998 using Tapatalk

 

[JimmyCB]

After trying maybe 10 different razors (vintage and modern), 20 different blades and maybe 6 shave creams, I agree that technique is the most important factor in getting a smooth, nick free shave. It also helps to have, as I do, not very sensitive skin and a coarse beard. That said, my favorite razors are vintage Gillette open combs of several different eras and my favorite shave cream is Proraso Red. I'm currently using Personna Comfort Coated and Shark blades and like them both. My most recent technique improvement was to use only a few small dollops of shave cream, wet it thoroughly and rub it in really well.

 

[TacticalPanda]

Do yourself a favor and get the Paradigm Ti 1, the BBS1, and a bottom dial Fatboy. Then there will be nowhere else to go and you can forget about it.

 

[Lord NSIC]

My son (much to my amazement) shaved his beard of several years and expressed an interest in a DE razor instead of a cartridge. I gave him a Vikings Blade Chieftan that someone PIF'd to me, my first DE (65 Gillette Tech), samples of several different blades, and had him try those out with the canned gels he was used to before buying him a synthetic brush (ease of care) and Proraso Red Pre-shave and shave soap and sent him on his way. Since then I've swapped out the Tech for a Slim Adjustable and a Old Type Open Comb if he was feeling adventurous. I agree with the advice that others have stated: master your technique more than anything first. Shaving is kind of like driving a car: knowing how to drive one properly gives you a better understanding of whether you're doing it right and what type of car you prefer or what one will best fit the job at hand (i.e. open combs to mow down a few days growth...)

 

[guitarslinger]

My first razor was my grandpa’s Gillette knack. Looking back, it was better than any of the zamac merkurs or jaggers that replaced it. (I still have the knack, of course. Haven’t used it in a while though, since I’ve bought about a hundred razors since then. )

 

[Timeclo]

I think I can shave with any DE razor out there if I can get some decent blades. Although I'd had some rough shaves with couple, practice can lead to a better shave, just like what I'm doing with my CJB shavette.

 

[ElonsMusk]

An update to everyone who was kind enough to reply to my original post. It has now been a couple months since I posted this thread and I have accepted some realities of the shaving community and my shaving journey. First, everything is totally subjective and while there are occasionally some razors or blades or soaps that people agree on, it is really incredible just how different peoples experiences and opinions are even with the same exact items. So I have (thankfully) managed to squash my "perfectionist" thinking which was hunting for the perfect razor just based on reading reviews. I see now that it is impossible to know how most razors will perform for me until I try them and also a lot of razors can be the perfect razor and it is impossible to skip the trial and error phase. Also, I have learned to enjoy the process of trying different items and to slow it down to enjoy it more. I am looking forward to getting new equipment in the future and appreciating the differences in manufacturing, quality, shaving style, material, etc.

Also as someone here mentioned, money spent is not always sunk cost. I have seen that some items (though maybe not all) can be sold or traded to acquire other items worth trying. And even the items which are sunk costs, are not really sunk costs because they most likely served a valuable lesson in figuring out preferences and what to get or not get in the future. I have shifted my focus to trying to find products that will reveal a lot about my preferences, basically smarter and more efficient purchases. And in the end, a few hundred dollars here or there or even a few thousand in the long run is really not much to spend if it means achieving great quality skin, enjoyable relaxing shaves, and the added confidence that comes from looking good.

Anyways thank you all for the replies and you all can rest assured that my analysis paralysis has been resolved!

 

[Ivo4u2]

I absolutely agree with this 100%. I see so many people arguing the toss about which razor is best and what blade goes best and all the arguments about 'I can't get good results with this blade/razor' etc.

It really is technique that comes first. Once that is attained its just a personal preference as to what razor a person uses. I chance my choice of razor regularly because I have a few but they all do the same thing.

Grinn never forget that I was going from a gillette Mach to a oneblade genesis. Which worked small wonders
But upon advise of an other shaver also bought a de... to learn proper technique. Got a qshave futul which might’ve been not the smartest choice (a tech might be better).
But it learned me proper technique the hard and sometimes bloody way.
Bought and tried more learned not to give up after one shave but to give it some time, learn and decide.
And in due time you grow and learn what you expect, need and can or can not do.
That oneblade genesis is still there but the qshave gets more miles as do other razors.
So let the dao of shaving continue

 

[bigbrucefan]

An update to everyone who was kind enough to reply to my original post. It has now been a couple months since I posted this thread and I have accepted some realities of the shaving community and my shaving journey. First, everything is totally subjective and while there are occasionally some razors or blades or soaps that people agree on, it is really incredible just how different peoples experiences and opinions are even with the same exact items. So I have (thankfully) managed to squash my "perfectionist" thinking which was hunting for the perfect razor just based on reading reviews. I see now that it is impossible to know how most razors will perform for me until I try them and also a lot of razors can be the perfect razor and it is impossible to skip the trial and error phase. Also, I have learned to enjoy the process of trying different items and to slow it down to enjoy it more. I am looking forward to getting new equipment in the future and appreciating the differences in manufacturing, quality, shaving style, material, etc.

Also as someone here mentioned, money spent is not always sunk cost. I have seen that some items (though maybe not all) can be sold or traded to acquire other items worth trying. And even the items which are sunk costs, are not really sunk costs because they most likely served a valuable lesson in figuring out preferences and what to get or not get in the future. I have shifted my focus to trying to find products that will reveal a lot about my preferences, basically smarter and more efficient purchases. And in the end, a few hundred dollars here or there or even a few thousand in the long run is really not much to spend if it means achieving great quality skin, enjoyable relaxing shaves, and the added confidence that comes from looking good.

Anyways thank you all for the replies and you all can rest assured that my analysis paralysis has been resolved!

What did you get?!

 

[ElonsMusk]

What did you get?!

You'll laugh, but I haven't purchased any new razors yet. I have been focusing instead on trying all sorts of soaps and creams and blades and getting my technique improved. Still using my Baili BR179 and I've learned to use it quite well so that I don't get any weepers, nicks, or cuts or even irritation on most shaves. I do, however, have a list of razors that I would like to try now, including Muhle Rocca, Game changer 84, New Long comb, Fatip Testina, Slim or Fatboy, and possibly a few others over time. I'm in no rush though. Taking things slow and doing it the right way!

 

[Mountain Grown]

An update to everyone who was kind enough to reply to my original post. It has now been a couple months since I posted this thread and I have accepted some realities of the shaving community and my shaving journey. First, everything is totally subjective and while there are occasionally some razors or blades or soaps that people agree on, it is really incredible just how different peoples experiences and opinions are even with the same exact items. So I have (thankfully) managed to squash my "perfectionist" thinking which was hunting for the perfect razor just based on reading reviews. I see now that it is impossible to know how most razors will perform for me until I try them and also a lot of razors can be the perfect razor and it is impossible to skip the trial and error phase. Also, I have learned to enjoy the process of trying different items and to slow it down to enjoy it more. I am looking forward to getting new equipment in the future and appreciating the differences in manufacturing, quality, shaving style, material, etc.

Also as someone here mentioned, money spent is not always sunk cost. I have seen that some items (though maybe not all) can be sold or traded to acquire other items worth trying. And even the items which are sunk costs, are not really sunk costs because they most likely served a valuable lesson in figuring out preferences and what to get or not get in the future. I have shifted my focus to trying to find products that will reveal a lot about my preferences, basically smarter and more efficient purchases. And in the end, a few hundred dollars here or there or even a few thousand in the long run is really not much to spend if it means achieving great quality skin, enjoyable relaxing shaves, and the added confidence that comes from looking good.

Anyways thank you all for the replies and you all can rest assured that my analysis paralysis has been resolved!

You got it!

 

[Atlantic59]

You'll laugh, but I haven't purchased any new razors yet....I would like to try now, including Muhle Rocca, Game changer 84, New Long comb, Fatip Testina, Slim or Fatboy, and possibly a few others over time...

Glad to see your perfectionist tendencies are under control now. You were driving yourself crazy and me, as well!


You want to try the New LC but not a Fatip OC? Non sequitur. The Fatip OC is a better shaver than the SB Testina Gentile. Plus, if you have a Rocca you will not need a Testina Gentile. (Insert standard YMMV disclaimer here)

 

[ElonsMusk]

Glad to see your perfectionist tendencies are under control now. You were driving yourself crazy and me, as well!


You want to try the New LC but not a Fatip OC? Non sequitur. The Fatip OC is a better shaver than the SB Testina Gentile. Plus, if you have a Rocca you will not need a Testina Gentile. (Insert standard YMMV disclaimer here)

Yeah, well that's just like, your opinion, man. (Big Lebowski reference )

 

[Scrape&Splash]

If you've only tried one razor - and a Baili at that - which is a fine razor but mellow to a fault... perhaps an adjustable is the right move. Because, you're right. There isn't that much difference, and you can mitigate some of the difference by riding the cap of more aggressive razors (in other words, using a higher shaving angle) After a couple months with an adjustable, you'll be able to tell how aggressive your razor preference is and know where to go from there. Rockwell 6c is a great option. Fatboy or Slim or Black Beauty are great options if they're in good shape, Parker Variant is a good option, Merkur Progress is a good option. Any of these. Literally any of these. Oh, and get a few tucks of different blades to try. Vary only one thing at a time & you'll get a feel for your range reasonably quick. Razor Emporium has various mixed packs. There's also a guy on Amazon who has mixed packs - just search for "razor blade sampler". Keep the soap simple till you figure out your razor and blade setup. Cella or a Turkish stick (Arko or Derby). These are all good straight-down-the-center good/foolproof soaps -- or as close to that as exists.

Don't forget to have fun. The fun is not in the destination but the journey. Time to begin the journey ;-)

 

[ElonsMusk]

If you've only tried one razor - and a Baili at that - which is a fine razor but mellow to a fault... perhaps an adjustable is the right move. Because, you're right. There isn't that much difference, and you can mitigate some of the difference by riding the cap of more aggressive razors (in other words, using a higher shaving angle) After a couple months with an adjustable, you'll be able to tell how aggressive your razor preference is and know where to go from there. Rockwell 6c is a great option. Fatboy or Slim or Black Beauty are great options if they're in good shape, Parker Variant is a good option, Merkur Progress is a good option. Any of these. Literally any of these. Oh, and get a few tucks of different blades to try. Vary only one thing at a time & you'll get a feel for your range reasonably quick. Razor Emporium has various mixed packs. There's also a guy on Amazon who has mixed packs - just search for "razor blade sampler". Keep the soap simple till you figure out your razor and blade setup. Cella or a Turkish stick (Arko or Derby). These are all good straight-down-the-center good/foolproof soaps -- or as close to that as exists.

Don't forget to have fun. The fun is not in the destination but the journey. Time to begin the journey ;-)

Yep, not trying to diminish what you're saying but I've learned all of this already in past weeks and I agree with all of it. I totally see the value of an Adjustable, and I totally see the value of sample blade packs and keeping things consistent. 100% on the same page now

 

[Scrape&Splash]

Yep, not trying to diminish what you're saying but I've learned all of this already in past weeks and I agree with all of it. I totally see the value of an Adjustable, and I totally see the value of sample blade packs and keeping things consistent. 100% on the same page now

Lol. Yep. Learning is solving linear equations. Identify the variables and pivot around each until it stops returning a benefit that you find significant. I suspect in the long run you'll find a few setups of different aggressiveness levels & efficiency to suit various moods and situations.

 

[ElonsMusk]

Lol. Yep. Learning is solving linear equations. Identify the variables and pivot around each until it stops returning a benefit that you find significant. I suspect in the long run you'll find a few setups of different aggressiveness levels & efficiency to suit various moods and situations.

That's an interesting take for sure. I was never a great math student (sometimes I did well, but I lacked patience to be great) but your logic here makes perfect sense to me, and I like approaching things in a logical and almost mathematical way. I've actually been moving in this direction already, controlling for variables to properly test things. Let's call this the "scientific" approach.

 

[CheapShvr]

My first DE razor was a $6 combination open and closed comb. In a short time I decided I did not like it and bought something a little better. After more than a year I picked up that $6 combo razor again and found it really is surprisingly good. Better technique and more realistic expectations made the difference.

 

[Avi]

Lol. Yep. Learning is solving linear equations. Identify the variables and pivot around each until it stops returning a benefit that you find significant. I suspect in the long run you'll find a few setups of different aggressiveness levels & efficiency to suit various moods and situations.

For the rest of us learning is solving nonlinear equations, seemingly involving arcane approaches handed over from tribal elders but in truth the approach is almost always let a “computer” figure it out for us but when we asked “but how do you know you have the right answer?” everyone awkwardly changes the subject and decides to talk about razors instead ;(

 

[Scrape&Splash]

For the rest of us learning is solving nonlinear equations, seemingly involving arcane approaches handed over from tribal elders but in truth the approach is almost always let a “computer” figure it out for us but when we asked “but how do you know you have the right answer?” everyone awkwardly changes the subject and decides to talk about razors instead ;(

True true - even after all the analysis is done, the question is whether our model describes the situation or simply the small part of it that we see. What was that old parable of the three blind men describing an elephant... ;-)

Rock on gents. it has been a long day and I feel some gnarly stubble. Time to haul out the New Short Comb & stick of Palmolive. Yep, it feels like a Palmolive night.