Either a rockwell 6c (cheaper than 6s) or merkur progress/parker variant
- Fayiz D.
- Fayiz D.
If you WEREN'T a hobbyist, what would you choose or recommend?
- Thread starter Tirvine
- Start date
I'm a newbie to the world of 'fine shaving' and agree; I bought a Merkur Progress about a month ago because
-60 year old design
-German made (quality...)
-adjustable, as I am not sure about all these blades/aggressive or not aggressive combinations.
I was looking for a tool with a little flair (rather than the start of a collection) and not too high pricing and found it in the Progress.
I'm the type of person who wants to buy something once and not think about it again, even when buying a replacement or additional unit. Once travel resumes I will probably buy another one or two for my Dopp kits (I like to keep at least two set up for immediate use: one for 1-3 day overnight trips, and another for 2 weeks).
-60 year old design
-German made (quality...)
-adjustable, as I am not sure about all these blades/aggressive or not aggressive combinations.
I was looking for a tool with a little flair (rather than the start of a collection) and not too high pricing and found it in the Progress.
I'm the type of person who wants to buy something once and not think about it again, even when buying a replacement or additional unit. Once travel resumes I will probably buy another one or two for my Dopp kits (I like to keep at least two set up for immediate use: one for 1-3 day overnight trips, and another for 2 weeks).
Timeless aluminum, on sale now for $50
A mild open-comb. Eg any of the Merkur open comb models (all use same head).
Easy to use. Low risk of nicks. Because it's mild, you'll need a full 3 passes for BBS but it is perfectly capable of BBS and ease of use more important here.
They are also very versatile. Longer growth? Head shaving? Body shaving? A mild open-comb can tackle anything with low risk.
Easy to use. Low risk of nicks. Because it's mild, you'll need a full 3 passes for BBS but it is perfectly capable of BBS and ease of use more important here.
They are also very versatile. Longer growth? Head shaving? Body shaving? A mild open-comb can tackle anything with low risk.
Before joining B&B I was a minimalist, meaning one razor, soap ext. Started with a Gillette Slim that served me for nearly 60 years an is still looking good and giving me great shaves, I'd recommend any one of the Gillette adjustables.
Also if its affordable a stainless steel like one from Above the Tie or for a lower budget a Edwin Jagger DE89 with a Knurled handle
Also if its affordable a stainless steel like one from Above the Tie or for a lower budget a Edwin Jagger DE89 with a Knurled handle
AimlessWanderer
Remember to forget me!
I see a lot of recommendations for Razorock Gamechanger, and quite frankly, that amuses me.
I don't consider myself a hobbyist, but have been DE shaving for around 30 years, and have been a member here for a few years now. With that said, the Gamechanger is double what I would be prepared to pay for a razor, even now. The thought of spending such money without even knowing whether DE shaving would be right for the person, is not something that I personally would entertain.
After three decades, the Edwin Jagger DE3D14 is my primary razor. I've tried others, but none matched the balance of efficiency and comfort. Yes, the thread on the top cap fizzled out after 7 years, and I had to replace it for the princely sum of £7.50 (and got a free pack of Feather blades thrown in). However, I could probably go the rest of my life, buying replacement top caps as needed, and still not reach the cost of a Gamechanger, while still getting my very best shaves.
For the record, my #2 razor, is also Zamak. The open combed Merkur razor head, either on the Merkur 985 handle, or on an IKon Bulldog II handle. I now keep spares for both the Jagger and Merkur in a drawer in case of mishap.
I don't consider myself a hobbyist, but have been DE shaving for around 30 years, and have been a member here for a few years now. With that said, the Gamechanger is double what I would be prepared to pay for a razor, even now. The thought of spending such money without even knowing whether DE shaving would be right for the person, is not something that I personally would entertain.
After three decades, the Edwin Jagger DE3D14 is my primary razor. I've tried others, but none matched the balance of efficiency and comfort. Yes, the thread on the top cap fizzled out after 7 years, and I had to replace it for the princely sum of £7.50 (and got a free pack of Feather blades thrown in). However, I could probably go the rest of my life, buying replacement top caps as needed, and still not reach the cost of a Gamechanger, while still getting my very best shaves.
For the record, my #2 razor, is also Zamak. The open combed Merkur razor head, either on the Merkur 985 handle, or on an IKon Bulldog II handle. I now keep spares for both the Jagger and Merkur in a drawer in case of mishap.
It's worth noting my experience mainly lies with vintage razors
If I am recommending to myself:
Schick E type of I had found this as my first razor & could easily have gotten blades I don't think I would of fallen down the rabbit hole.
Other strong contenders for myself:
Gillette Rocket HD,
Gillette aristocrat JR or Brit Aristocrat gen 3/#16,
Strong contenders if I was as skilled shaving as I am now:
Fattip open comb slant,
Gillette aristocrat 1st or 2nd gen.
Recommended for newbies:
1) Schick type M
2) slim/Fatboy/black beauty
If they won't do second hand
Parker variant
If I am recommending to myself:
Schick E type of I had found this as my first razor & could easily have gotten blades I don't think I would of fallen down the rabbit hole.
Other strong contenders for myself:
Gillette Rocket HD,
Gillette aristocrat JR or Brit Aristocrat gen 3/#16,
Strong contenders if I was as skilled shaving as I am now:
Fattip open comb slant,
Gillette aristocrat 1st or 2nd gen.
Recommended for newbies:
1) Schick type M
2) slim/Fatboy/black beauty
If they won't do second hand
Parker variant
I would go with the Rockwell 6C excellent versatile shaver with a more then reasonable price tag another option is the Merkur Progress
Rockwell 6C would be my first choice & my 2nd choice would be any one of these, Merkur 34C/23C or any DE89/R89 razor. If you can't get a minimum DFS shave with one of these razors the razor is not the problem. 6 months ago I would of said a RazoRock stainless razor. But the top cap of my GC is a major disappointment compared to the cheap razors I own which have been used more & look brand new. But YYMV.
Gillette Rocket or slim. Good for any razor. Hard to mess up a shave with one of these and none of them will break the bank. They are both very sought after for a reason. Gillette knew what they were doing back in the day.
Here is a real-world answer in support of the Slim. Last month I convinced my brother to give DE razors a try, and he borrowed my Henson AL13 mild and a Slim. He did not like the Henson. He LOVES the Slim. He is showing no signs of falling down a rabbit hole. So, for one non-hobbyist, the Slim wins.
Let’s assume a starter de
a Gillette kcg de razoe
Gillette kcg blades or Gillette silver blue
A Yaqi brush synthetic
soap
No money nor smell then arko
A little bit more then speick or maybe tabac
Even more a nice sample pack of stirling soaps
a Gillette kcg de razoe
Gillette kcg blades or Gillette silver blue
A Yaqi brush synthetic
soap
No money nor smell then arko
A little bit more then speick or maybe tabac
Even more a nice sample pack of stirling soaps
Gillette slim.
Henson AL13, mild or medium. There is no other DE that has the machining tolerances (.005 inches), zero blade chatter, ease of use, 3-5 shave learning curve and is a DE razor that is nearly impossible to cut oneself. I have gifted 3 of these to cartridge users and they have all quit cartridges and become full fledged traditional wet shavers.
I would recommend the Gillette Fat Handle Tech if someone wanted a budget vintage, and an Edwin Jagger 3one6 if they wanted to spend a bit, but wanted a new razor that would last a lifetime.
I'm amused that several pages after the OP stated that the question had been resolved, the suggestions keep coming...
The thread does however, continue to serve as an interesting sort of shaving Rorschach test, where we can all project our shaving values on an imagined noob, forming them in our own image.
The thread does however, continue to serve as an interesting sort of shaving Rorschach test, where we can all project our shaving values on an imagined noob, forming them in our own image.
If your on tight budget and not into shaving like we are here on the board, you could probally buy a decade of shaving gear. I saw a 100 pack of Wilkinson sword DE blades on Amazon for $ 4.99. $60.00 can go a long way in terms of double edge blades, soaps, and you have a big selection of decent razors as well..You can even get a decent adjustable futur clone for 7.99..
Chan Eil Whiskers
Fumbling about.
There are many good choices. Here's one...
Schick.
Mild feeling, easy to use, shaves great. (Also, boring to me, with a too long and too skinny handle, but all that stuff is subjective.)
Mine, in excellent shape, was $10 including shipping on eBay.
Happy shaves,
Jim
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