New to DE safety razors

[butterfly]

Hello everyone,

I've been reading about safety razors, and I am thinking of trading in the disposable razors for a DE razor. I have seen lots of names thrown around for which is the best razor for a newbie, but I want a general consensus for what I should look into. I am currently using Giklette Fusion Proglide razor heads, switching to them from a Gillette 3 blade disposable razor last year. I traded up thinking it would be closer, and my razor irritation would go down. I've noticed the shave isn't that much closer(I don't go against the grain anymore), and my irritation is still prevalent.

So, basically, I have a super sensitive face and thought a safety razor would be much more beneficial. I know a razor that isn't a rough/hard shave, but I want something I can get close with, as well as, build my way to shave against the grain without worrying about getting razor burn all over. I have also read that for blades, I should buy a variety pack to figure out what works best for me.

All help is greatly appreciated

 

[Chadao]

There are lots of choices. One would be an Edwin Jagger 89 and Astra SP blades. I am not a big fan of sample packs. They all seem to have some only-okay blades. Get tucks of Astras, Gillette Yellows, and Voskhods. Just a suggestion. The US Personnas are great, but they're not sold in tucks. There are more good blades around than bad, but the sample packs seem to have a higher percentage of undesirable blades.

 

[bharvey60]

A Vintage Gillette Superspeed may be a better first razor . Good quality, mild shaver, inexpensive, easily found on ebay. Once you become familiar, move to a vintage adjustable so you can try different blade gaps. Try a blade sampler pack so you can get a feel for how different blades shave. Lots of good advice can be found here on the forum.

 

[Teppanyaki]

I'd vote for a Tech (? prewar being slightly more aggressive than postwar), but that's purely based on my experience that a Tech felt nice and smooth while the EJ head didn't work for my face.

By far the biggest rule in wet shaving - Your Mileage May Vary. No 2 people are alike, so take any advice with a grain of salt. There are some things most people would probably agree with - don't get a Muhle R41 2011 edition with Feather blades as your first razor, don't use canned shaving cream, and prep your whiskers well.

 

[warhawk]

Hi Butterfly: Welcome to B&B. I say go with a EJ89L for modern day razor. If you go vintage. . . I would go with a Gillette Super Speed. As you know. . . there are so many choices. Good luck and keep us posted.

WARHAWK

REAL MEN WEAR PINK: Proud Sponsor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month

 

[wagstaff]

I always think a flare-tip SuperSpeed is the ideal intro DE.... and for many people the ideal forever DE.
That said.... I gave one to friend, a DE newb, who loved it until it was stolen. Then I gave him a Jagger DE89L I bought from a forum brother. He loved it a lot more... "This must be the Excalibur of razors!" is the quote.

I preferred the SuperSpeed... dif'rent strokes.

 

[engblom]

I am advicing against EJ DE89. I know many will recommend it, but it is not good if you have sensitive skin. I have R89, which has the same head as DE89 (but better quality), that disappointed me really. Okay, I do not have more than about 5 shaves with it, but I had enough and I will sell it as soon as I get a chance. It is probably an OK razor if you do not have sensitive skin.

If you have sensitive skin, but still want to shave daily, I can fully recommend Sodial (http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/370328-Review-of-SODIAL-razor) and Merkur 15C as first razors . At this moment, my favorite combination is Merkur 15C + Sodial. 15C can handle quite a bit of growth (at least for me), and Sodial is nice for a quick daily shave. Sodial will give about the same close shave as Fusion, but without irritation. It might be that my opinion will change once I get my Merkur 37C slant razor, but so far this is the best combination I have found.

Sodial is super cheap, and Merkur 15C is not expensive either.

 

[hawgsquatch]

Hi Butterfly,

All of the suggestions so far have been very accurate and you really cannot go wrong with any of them. What you might start doing for now is incorporating DE technique with the cartridge razors that you are currently using. Go on YouTube and look at Mantic and geofatboy's videos and start training yourself to hold and apply the razor the way they show you. By the time you get your DE you will have some muscle memory built up and you will be ahead of the game and have a bit of confidence in yourself. Good luck, you will find many resources on this site.

 

[MartialArtist]

I have very sensitive skin and have the opposite advice of Engblom. The Edwin Jagger was wonderful and the Merkur was irritating. You'll probably find neither are good for you and a completely different make of razor is great. We'll all three be right!

I have learned by experience and reading this site that you just have to try them and see. We can tell you what works for us and many others, but there is no one right answer. The good news is that someone here will probably buy / trade with you for the ones you decide you no longer want.

 

[David01965x]

^
The Edwin Jagger DE89BA11 is my favorite.

I also have a Merkur 210 closed bar travel razor, that I put an iKON Bulldog handle on, that shaves wonderfully.

 

[Copierguy]

Welcome to B&B. Consensus may be hard with so many choices.

The safest suggestion is a vintage Gillette like a 3 piece Tech or a (blue or silver) flair tip Super Speed paired with a sharp blade (Feathers). The blue tip is extra mild and silver is normal or just mild.

Shave after a shower and choosing a thicker protective shave cream like Proraso or better will help.

Enjoy the journey.

 

[mkiraly]

I used a vintage Gillette Tech (mild shaver) with Shark Super Chrome (sharp but smooth and forgiving) blades exclusively for the first couple of months, so I could develop my technique/muscle memory.
Once I developed consistency, I then started experimenting with more aggressive razors and sharper blades.
It's worked out very well for me.
Welcome aboard!

 

[Kerrplunk]

Welcome. I'd go with the EJDE89. A great shaver to start with. Forgiving and very well made. For the blade, a sampler pack would be a very good starting point.

 

[dymaxion]

Any of the razors suggested will be great. The real key will be practicing with the same set up every time you shave. Equipment will not take the place of developing good consistent technique.

 

[Shutterbug57]

I would go with either:

1940s SuperSpeed
Flair Tip SuperSpeed
Tech

I just sold a nice 1940s SS on the bay for $15 + $3 shipping. If you are willing to do the clean up, they can be had for much less. I paid $7.00 delivered for it from the bay. It needed some cleaning and polishing, but it cleaned up really nicely. Flairs should be available in the same price range and techs may go for a few bucks less depending on vintage and handle. If you go for a Tech, I prefer the fat handled tech. I picked one up on the bay in good, but unplated condition for just under $8. I decided to replate it for $28, but it shaved well without the replate and could have gone on for years without it.

You may note that all of these suggestions are vintage. There is a reason for that. First, they can be had far more cost effectively than a new razor, but more importantly, many of the newer razors are made of pot metal and cannot be replated when they wear. True you should get a few decades out of them before that happens, but they will not be heirlooms as when they wear, they are done. The vintage razors can be reworked and will last for generations.

 

[takeshi]

I want a general consensus for what I should look into.

Consensus isn't really going to help except for the broad generalization that you need to find the DE and blade that work best together for you. There's no single DE that is best for everyone -- even if you qualify that with "for newbies" or even "for a newbie coming from a Fusion Proglide". I haven't really seen anything that would make a given DE stand out as better for a given person based on their cartridge preference. Carts and DE's are just completely different animals.

If you start off with one of the commonly suggested DE's such as the DE89 or Merkur 34C then we can guide your future purchases if you feel that those don't suit you as everyone is very familiar with those DE's.

The problem with asking for recommendations is that most are just going to recommend what they happen to prefer. Beards, skin, water, etc all vary so what one prefers may not be in line with what you prefer. Don't obsess over finding the perfect DE with your first purchase. I think I'm on my 5th now.

 

[ByMyBeard]

A large part of any "consensus" will depend on how much money you want to spend to get started. I know that sounds a bit cheap, but it's also true. Many people seem to enjoy the Lord L6, and it's cheap cheap. I ordered a kit from maggardrazors.com. It hasn't come in yet, but I got everything I'll need for about $50. Brush, razor, several blades (I added a "build your own blade sampler"), cream, alum block, and I even added a brush stand. My items will not last forever, but should be good enough to determine if I want to invest in better supplies later.

On the other hand, you can buy higher quality stuff, and then potentially sell it if you decide it's not for you. So more up front $$, but better return later. So, this probably didn't really help, but something to consider anyway.

 

[butterfly]

I guess a consensus wasn't what I should have asked lol. I appreciate all the recommendations, and will looking into them to decide if they are what I want. Also, hawgsquatch for the hint to start practicing the techniques for shaving with a DE. I'll update when I decide/get the razor. Thank you all