Need help finding the perfect Stainless Steel upgrade

[i.am.zed]

All,

I have been in the DE razor business for about 8 months now. I'm a long ways from being a master, but I would say I've been at it long enough to know that it's something I'm going to stick with for a while. As such, I'm looking to upgrade my razor to something a little nicer...something in all stainless...and am having trouble in deciding which make and model to go with. I have read countless reviews and posts regarding the usual suspects (i.e. Tradere, Ikon, Feather, etc.) and am frankly, more confused than ever. I suppose it's the downside of the whole YMMV thing...there is just very little consistency amongst the user community when the differences are relatively minute.

So, that being said, I've decided not to ask for straight-up recommendations but rather describe what I'm after and see what folks think is the closest match. Here goes:

-budget: up to $225

-all stainless steel

-top notch, near flawless design and construction

-a nice beefy handle with some length (I'm a big guy with big hands)

-ideal is 3 piece but not opposed to two piece if everything else is a good fit

-aggressiveness...this is what has really given me trouble. My starter razor (and only DE razor I've ever tried) is a EJ DE89 Barley. I'm willing to go a little more aggressive, but not too far. Even the DE89 will occassionally give me some irritation on my neck and I'm afraid going too far up the aggressiveness scale will only make this worse. This also seems to be the number one item for inconsistency amongst the user reviews. Take the Tradere OC, for example. There are plenty of folks who say it's at least as aggressive as a R41 (I realize that the second gens have been toned down a little). Then there are just as many people who say it's as mild as my DE89. And of course, there's everything in between. I'm having a heck of time getting a fix on this. This really my biggest stumbling block to picking one out.

-OC vs Safety bar - I'd be interested in going with an OC, if it wasn't too aggressive. It may actually help with some of the issues with my neck as I've read OC razors make the hairs stand better and could result in few passes.

-just a note about my personality here too...I'm not really a "try it out and sell it if you don't like it" kind of guy. I really do aim to get things done right the first time.

So there you have it. What say ye, good gentlemen?

 

[Agravic]

For the criteria listed in your OP, I would suggest:

Tradere OC or SB.

$169.
all stainless steel.
impeccable detail and construction - a working piece of art.
solid handle (I have size 8 hands and the Tradere handle is sized nicely)
3-piece construction.

OC vs SB boils down to how gutsy you are feeling. The SB is slightly more aggressive than the DE89 and Weber razors. The OC will be a tad more aggressive than the SB. My guess is that you will be happy with either choice, depending on your needs and desires.

P.S. as a bonus in my opinion - the Tradere is made in USA.

 

[jesperw]

Ikon S3S or Weber is my recommendation. I think I like the Weber the most.

 

[sfactor23]

All,

I have been in the DE razor business for about 8 months now. I'm a long ways from being a master, but I would say I've been at it long enough to know that it's something I'm going to stick with for a while. As such, I'm looking to upgrade my razor to something a little nicer...something in all stainless...and am having trouble in deciding which make and model to go with. I have read countless reviews and posts regarding the usual suspects (i.e. Tradere, Ikon, Feather, etc.) and am frankly, more confused than ever. I suppose it's the downside of the whole YMMV thing...there is just very little consistency amongst the user community when the differences are relatively minute.

So, that being said, I've decided not to ask for straight-up recommendations but rather describe what I'm after and see what folks think is the closest match. Here goes:

-budget: up to $225

-all stainless steel

-top notch, near flawless design and construction

-a nice beefy handle with some length (I'm a big guy with big hands)

-ideal is 3 piece but not opposed to two piece if everything else is a good fit

-aggressiveness...this is what has really given me trouble. My starter razor (and only DE razor I've ever tried) is a EJ DE89 Barley. I'm willing to go a little more aggressive, but not too far. Even the DE89 will occassionally give me some irritation on my neck and I'm afraid going too far up the aggressiveness scale will only make this worse. This also seems to be the number one item for inconsistency amongst the user reviews. Take the Tradere OC, for example. There are plenty of folks who say it's at least as aggressive as a R41 (I realize that the second gens have been toned down a little). Then there are just as many people who say it's as mild as my DE89. And of course, there's everything in between. I'm having a heck of time getting a fix on this. This really my biggest stumbling block to picking one out.

-OC vs Safety bar - I'd be interested in going with an OC, if it wasn't too aggressive. It may actually help with some of the issues with my neck as I've read OC razors make the hairs stand better and could result in few passes.

-just a note about my personality here too...I'm not really a "try it out and sell it if you don't like it" kind of guy. I really do aim to get things done right the first time.

So there you have it. What say ye, good gentlemen?

you sound like me about six months after I started wetshaving -

long story short: I DO NOT OWN THIS YET, but you might want to check out the new/2nd run of open comb razors from Tradere

long story long: I own a few razors:
- started with the Merkur Slant (quickly learned that the point of shaving is to get a good shave and not to turn your face into swiss cheese)
- then switched to the DE89 - nice razor, it's now belongs to my wife
- then moved onto the Pils - was looking for a good hefty razor - the Pils feels great, but the shaves were good, at best, not great
- then moved onto the Feather - still love this razor - fit and finish are perfect - it's deceivingly effective, not too mild - feels nice in the hand, but nobody will ever say it's a manly man razor
- then went old school and got an Aristocrat (#22) - great great shaver, absolutely recommend that everyone owns one - but it's a little small, and you're looking for the complete package in a razor, right?
- then jumped on the Trader OC bandwagon - right now, this is my favorite razor, you've read what everyone is saying about it - my ONLY complaint is that its a bit too aggressive on my neck, leaves razor burn there - so I'm thinking I need a Tradere that is a touch less aggressive, right? that brings me to ...
- the new Tradere solid bar - just picked up, used this morning for the first time - I need to reserve judgment on it right now: while the build quality is top notch, as a shaver, though, I had possibly my worst shave ever; it felt like was shaving with an ice cream stick - it was so bad that I had to switch to the Feather half way to finish up. Was it my blade? did I do something wrong? I don't know - all I know is that I will give it a few more chances before making up my mind - but, right now, I can't recomend it -
- which brings me to the 2nd run of the Tradere open comb - to me, a slightly less aggressive version of the first run would make this razor the one to beat. AGAIN, I DON'T OWN IT, I'M ONLY GOING BY HOW RICHARD HAS DESCRIBED THIS RAZOR - however, if he's correct, this is the one for you to get -
- as for me and the new 2nd run, I'm waiting to see if maybe I should look into trading the solid bar for it, or I should I pick it up on my own -
just my 2 cents
sam

 

[novice]

Pils, iKon, Feather and Weber are superb double edge stainless steel razors, all well designed and crafted and I do not believe you can go wrong with any of these. However, the Tradere Solid Bar does not work for me, I tried it with the blade it came with - Persona blue, a garbage shave, then tried Astra, then Iridium, this morning a Feather - this razor doesn't work for me - it looks good, has a good weight and balance and gives me the worst shave, regardless of blade, since I gave up cartridges. I'll put this on BST or pass on to a friend who is taking up wet shaving and wants to try it out, for me a waste of $169.00.

 

[Attila]

I would consider the Tradere second generation OC. From what I have read (do not own it myself) it is a great compromise between aggresiveness and comfort with no compromise on build quality. Buying something made in North America (USA on this one!) is always a bonus these days.

 

[shave~extacy]

Weber

 

[i.am.zed]

Looks like I've got a couple votes for the 2nd gen Tradere OC. (To be honest...this was my lead candidate coming into this post...I still have just a little bit of reservation about it being too aggressive though)

sfactor23...our stories do sound very similar. It also sounds like you're still looking for "the one"

Anybody else?

 

[Mick]

OK... Here comes the obvious question....... ready?

Why stainless?

 

[edgerunner]

From what you said about the efficiency you're after, here's another alternative - replated (maybe even rhodium) Gillette New head with a stainless steel handle. At least, it won't hurt to buy a Gillette New short or long comb razor for about $20, and give it a try to see how you like it. If you decide to do it, I suggest the short comb New.

 

[Chaucer]

You can get good information here, but you won't know much about any razor until you use it a dozen times or so.

FWIW, I've tried the Feather, the Pils and the iKon OC (out of production) with a Bulldog handle.

The Feather and the Pils are both beautifully made, but neither was right for me. The Feather was comfortable to use, but it didn't want to cut close enough regardless of blade. The Pils was too heavy, and the head was too thick to fit easily into tight spaces like under my nose. (I don't like TTO razors either for the same reason, but that's just me.) It also kept slipping out of my hand.

I use the iKon regularly, and I recommend it. The configuration is conventional 3-piece. The head is slim and maneuverable. It's solid and well-finished but not too heavy. It cuts much closer than the Feather but seldom bites. The iKon OSS, which is available, has an OC side and a solid bar side. I'm assume that the OC side would shave the same way as my OC. I've been considering an OSS myself, just for the fun of it. (I'm also considering a Weber--unobtainium at the moment--and a Tradere.) You might prefer a handle longer than my Bulldog, but is one is available.

Please let us know what you decide and, more important, how it works out and what you like and don't like about your choice.