Looking for my first DE razor

[KenK]

Hi all! I'm looking to purchase my first DE razor for daily use and I would like some recommendations.

I've been using BIC single blade sensitive razors lately (instead of the Gillette Fusion I had been using) and while they do a decent job of cutting my coarse beard growth with minimal irritation the closeness of the shave leaves a LOT to be desired. I have already upgraded from the canned junk shaving cream to a VDH mug, brush, and soap set. I know it's not exactly a premium quality set but the results so far have been very good. Now it's time to junk the disposable razors for a DE.

To summarize my needs I'm looking a razor that will:

- Be suitable for a beard with an average thickness but coarse whiskers
- Work well for someone with sensitive skin
- Work well for daily use
- Be around $30 or so

Thanks in advance!

 

[joost]

Any of the Gillette's New's would suit your demands I think. They are a bit more aggressive than Gillette Tech's or Schick Krona's for example but still manageable for a beginner.

 

[Teppanyaki]

I'd vote for a Gillette Tech or New short comb.

 

[alex2363]

I'd vote for a Gillette Tech or New short comb.

Great first starter razors and affordable too.

 

[alex2363]

Hi all! I'm looking to purchase my first DE razor for daily use and I would like some recommendations.

I've been using BIC single blade sensitive razors lately (instead of the Gillette Fusion I had been using) and while they do a decent job of cutting my coarse beard growth with minimal irritation the closeness of the shave leaves a LOT to be desired. I have already upgraded from the canned junk shaving cream to a VDH mug, brush, and soap set. I know it's not exactly a premium quality set but the results so far have been very good. Now it's time to junk the disposable razors for a DE.

To summarize my needs I'm looking a razor that will:

- Be suitable for a beard with an average thickness but coarse whiskers
- Work well for someone with sensitive skin
- Work well for daily use
- Be around $30 or so

Thanks in advance!

Welcome to B&B, i would suggest a affordable package that includes a razor, brush, blades and few other shave items for under 30 bucks, and the best part it is from one of very own and trusted members


http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showth...s-Floid-Black-amp-Suave-Creed-Aventus-amp-GIT

NEW GUYS - Check This Out!

Vintage Test Drive Razor Starter Kits:
​

$33.00 Shipped CONUS - please PM for International Shipping Quote.

Contents of the Starter Kit:

Razor - 1 User Grade (or better) Vintage Gillette Safety Razor. The razor will be cleaned, sanitized and ready to shave when you get it. User grade razors may not be collectors items in the looks department but are guaranteed to be shave ready with no issues.

Blades - 10 DE Blades (brands will vary). The blades will be well known brands so you can easily buy more if you like them.

Brush - 1 Brand New Omega Boar Brush (model will vary but it will be Omega brand). These are brand new brushes from one of the top boar brush makers.

Shave Soap - 1 Arko Shaving Soap Stick or 1oz of Cella Shaving Soap (your choice). If you don't indicate your choice, I will gladly pick for you. Arko may just be one of the easiest shaving soaps to lather on the market today. It's low priced and soft enough to mold into the mug or container of your choice if you don't want to use it as a soap stick. Cella Shaving soap is the classic Italian soap to which you can compare any other soap on the market and it holds it's own. Cella is highly recommended for anyone who doesn't think they will like the industrial citronella scent of the Arko soap.

Aftershave - 1/2oz Aftershave Splash (brands will vary). I will select 2 splashes 1/4oz each based on current available stock. There are some negative associations with alcohol based splashes but I would like to ask you to not believe the hype...yet. An alcohol based splash may be just what you need to revive and heal your sensitive or oily skin and you won't know until you try.

Extra Benefit - I wanted to give every new guy a little extra reason to come back and do business with me again so I will also include 1 Trade Certificate entitling you to return the razor at any time in the same usable condition and in return I will send you a different model Vintage Gillette razor or $10.00 worth of samples (your choice). We would each pay our own shipping and the original certificate must be returned with the razor. All I ask is that you email or PM me before mailing your razor so I can keep track of everything.

 

[Cagliostro]

They got some REALLY nice deals over at shaveabuck.com I just grabbed up a Cadet Three Piece Razor $15 and about $2 some thing shipping and I hear they are great razors and mines an open comb, they give you the choice between an open and closed comb too. Really great site, I also bought a 5 pack of Voskhod blades and a Arko shave stick for about $5. GL on your search, hope this helps

 

[imatabor]

You can't go wrong with a tech for starters. Cheap, easy to find and so mild.

 

[Panama]

Tech or Schick Krona if you want twist to open. Start mild, many stay there. No reason to take a chance and abuse you face with your first razor.

 

[mswofford]

Did anybody recommend the Gillette NEW? They did? Okay.....

 

[12345Michael54321]

Well, there's always the Edwin Jagger DE89. I mean, if you prefer not to go vintage (and I'm not knocking vintage - just noting that some folks prefer buying new stuff), the DE89 gets a lot of love here, and at various other wetshaving forums. It's not particularly aggressive or unforgiving (although so much of this depends on your technique, and to a lesser extent on your choice of blade), so it's a reasonable choice for someone new to DE shaving. Yet it's by no means limited to being a "beginner's razor," as it enjoys considerable popularity even amongst those very experienced in DE shaving.

You can buy one for $33.75, at soap.com - http://www.soap.com/p/edwin-jagger-de89bl-double-edge-safety-razor-plated-chrome-203200. If it's your first order, you can use a discount code like TRYSOAPNOW or 20TRYSOAP, for an additional 20% off that price. Brings the cost of the razor down to $27.

And if you wind up hating the razor, you could sell it and easily get back most/all of what it cost you.

 

[N1CK]

No advise that hasn't already been given.....just wanted to say that starter kit alex2363 posted a link to is a hell of a deal. I would of jumped all over that when I first started.

 

[RABIDMONKEY]

Ej 89 if you go new .....

 

[engblom]

Shortly:
Pick blade according to beard
Pick razor according to skin.

A coarse beard requires extra sharp blades. Most brands I have tried are not sharp enough as I have coarse beard. A good starting point are Astra SP, as they are quite forgiving but still sharp enough to not be terrible. Once you have learned the DE shaving technique you need to begin experimenting with different blades.

The razor dictates how close the shave will be. An aggressive razor will give a bit more blade pressure against the skin and give a smoother result if you use the same amount of passes.

If you have sensitive skin, I suggest you give up having each time a baby butt smooth face after the shave. Pick something like Gillette Tech (vintage) or Merkur open comb (modern). Merkur open comb razors are even more mild than Tech.

If you think you could handle a baby butt smooth shave, a Gillette NEW (vintage) could be a mild option.

The biggest mistake you could do is to force a BBS shave with a mild razor. Each pass will irritate and by having more passes for BBS, you get even more irritation than if you took a bit more aggressive from the beginning. Shaving to a BBS with 15C (one of the Merkur open comb razors) would be a mistake.

 

[seattleshaver]

You can probably get a used Gillette Super Speed for $15 shipped on ebay if you look around.

 

[KenK]

Thanks for all the advice everyone! I just picked up a Super Speed TV Special from an antique shop a couple miles from my house. Picked up some CVS blades for now. I cleaned and disinfected it, put in a new blade, and got in my first DE razor shave. Only ended up with a very minor nick on my upper lip (no blood) and an awesome shave (to me anyway lol).

 

[Viseguy]

Congrats. Do yourself a favor and get a blade sampler. Finding the right blade(s) can make all the difference.

 

[KenK]

Congrats. Do yourself a favor and get a blade sampler. Finding the right blade(s) can make all the difference.

That's what I was thinking about doing.

 

[Westaway]

You said you had a course beard. A very mild open comb razor is fairly inexpensive and will be short and light enough to double as a travel razor. The Merkur 1904. (41C) It looks old fashioned but delivers a comfortable and close shave. Just apply little or no pressure and you should have skin that is BBS and damage free. Muhle used the same head on their R41 (2009 Model) supplied by Merkur. Nothing wrong with the brush and soap you already have. The soap is very good and protective.

 

[KenK]

You said you had a course beard. A very mild open comb razor is fairly inexpensive and will be short and light enough to double as a travel razor. The Merkur 1904. (41C) It looks old fashioned but delivers a comfortable and close shave. Just apply little or no pressure and you should have skin that is BBS and damage free. Muhle used the same head on their R41 (2009 Model) supplied by Merkur. Nothing wrong with the brush and soap you already have. The soap is very good and protective.

The 41C will be my next razor for sure. Thank you for the input

I polished up the Super Speed last light. The original plating is completely intact and the doors open and close smoothly.

 

[Spang]

You did well, as the 50s Super Speed is a great choice. I use one often, and it always provides a reliable, comfortable shave. If you are thinking about a new razor, one that hasn't been mentioned here yet but that I would definitely recommend considering is the Maggard. It is imported and sold by one of our members, and the service and support from the Maggards is outstanding. The razor has a DE89-clone head, and is available with several different choices of handles. I find it just slightly more aggressive than the DE89, but it is still a very user friendly razor. You can get one for around $20 shipped, and I consider it a best buy in a new DE razor. Check it out.