New to saftey razors, vintage or new?

[951socal]

Hey guys, i've been meaning to get into this for awhile, problem was when this style of shaving got real popular with the "art of shaving" brand coming into the mainstream the closest store was in vegas, so i mostly ignored it.

I took note that someone locally opened up a startup company thats sold through his own barbershop here locally, called "barbershop brand". where you can get a saftey razor, and associated starter kit products all for less than $100.

however i also noted that a vintage store opened up locally and had a number of straight, and safety razors each for about $17-35 for the razor alone.

which is a better option?

will a saftey razor hack up my face? how easy is it to nick your face with them?
i fear this becuase there was a youtube video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qSIP6uQ3EI) of a user "teaching" his viewers how to do a wetshave but his face was covered in nicks, yet all the guides i've looked at say his guide is great?


also i've heard some chatter about the van der hagen brand stuff at walmart being decent so for $10 i bought the starter set. included a bowl, badger hair brush and soap.

is wilkenson sword brand razors any good? there was a pack of 10 for $1.76 at walmart next to the starter set.

so this for a low cost entry level setup:

Razor: Barbershopbrand new or vintage???
Blades: wilkenson sword DE (made in germany ones)
Brush: van der hagen Boar, plastic handle
Soap: Van der hagen (there is an $0.86 soap at a food store i might try as well says all natural)

decent?

 

[Niles]

Welcome to B&B. There are very good vintage razors, such as the Gillette Super Speed, and many more. Some currently made razors such as the Edwin Jagger DE89 are fantastic, too. Many of us own both vintage and new DEs. As with any new skill, there is a learning curve. But we're here to provide any help we can through the tutorials, or questions you may choose to ask on the forum. VdH and Wilkinson Sword are decent brands to start with. But you will probably upgrade at some point.

 

[Mike H]

Nothing I can add to James's excellent response, so I will just say... Welcome to B&B!

 

[Purplemonkey]

Welcome to B&B! I second the Edwin Jagger DE89 as a great starting place. For vintage, I recommend the BST here, because the pricing is hard to beat and you know what you are getting.

 

[one cut]

Oh you are going to love double edge shaving once you learn how to do it.
here is a link to our very own mantic who has taught quite a few of us how to shave properly.
http://www.youtube.com/user/mantic59

you will not hack up your face, just don't put any pressure on the razor this is NOT a cartridge razor.

 

[BRITD]

Its your choice if to go with Vintage or New. I wanted to go Vintage because I was interested in learning with something old. A good friend who started DE shaving the same time as me, wanted new because he wanted a razor that only he had used and was modern and in gunmetal colour. What I would recommend is newbies starting with vintage start with a mild, simple razor like a TTO super speed or tech instead of any adjustables. Adjustables is like learning to drive in a standard stick shift verses a automatic. The learning curve will always be longer and more mistakes made along the way. Welcome to the forum and know that anyone on here is only too happy to help.

 

[CGW409]

Hey guys, i've been meaning to get into this for awhile, problem was when this style of shaving got real popular with the "art of shaving" brand coming into the mainstream the closest store was in vegas, so i mostly ignored it.

I took note that someone locally opened up a startup company thats sold through his own barbershop here locally, called "barbershop brand". where you can get a saftey razor, and associated starter kit products all for less than $100.

however i also noted that a vintage store opened up locally and had a number of straight, and safety razors each for about $17-35 for the razor alone.

which is a better option?

will a saftey razor hack up my face? how easy is it to nick your face with them?
i fear this becuase there was a youtube video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qSIP6uQ3EI) of a user "teaching" his viewers how to do a wetshave but his face was covered in nicks, yet all the guides i've looked at say his guide is great?


also i've heard some chatter about the van der hagen brand stuff at walmart being decent so for $10 i bought the starter set. included a bowl, badger hair brush and soap.

is wilkenson sword brand razors any good? there was a pack of 10 for $1.76 at walmart next to the starter set.

so this for a low cost entry level setup:

Razor: Barbershopbrand new or vintage???
Blades: wilkenson sword DE (made in germany ones)
Brush: van der hagen Boar, plastic handle
Soap: Van der hagen (there is an $0.86 soap at a food store i might try as well says all natural)

decent?

Welcome
Just an FYI if that's the standard green box VDH soap,brush and bowl at Wally World then it most likely boar not badger, boar is a good starter and I used one for years with the triple blade monstrosities but have found I personally prefer badger.
The Wally World Wilkes are a fine blade about midway up my pantheon of "go to" blades but at some point pick up a sampler pack to find your best blade.
Take your time to learn the techniques with a DE and you'll be fine, the one or two nicks I've gotten heal quicker than some of the nicks I've had in my cart days and by far the worst was from a triple blade due to the fact that by the time you've realized your digging in the other two blades do an additional two blades worth of damage.
BTW I did not see styptic pencil in your list,get one,always good to have just in case.
Vintage vs new
Vintage is my advice, the newer "affordable" DEs feel light and flimsy to me but the vintage Gillettes have a nice heft to them.
Either be here long enough to go BST or try local antique shops/malls and antique swap meets but be careful with Ebay there are some good deals but there are also a lot of sellers asking insane price for dirt common razors.
I'd suggest either a Gillette Tech,flair tip Super Speed(either silver color or black handle)or a 40's style Super Speed.

 

[treewhale]

There are some very good and very affordable new razors out. I have been using cadet/RazoRock branded razors for a few months and prefer them to my vintage super speed. And if $100 is your startup budget, you could set yourself up very nicely with everything you need to get started from many of the vendors who support B&B.

Many members are die hard vintage razor fans, which is great, but new razors are not necessarily inferior.

 

[f86sabjf]

never had a nick yet so far but the one thing I did do was a scrape because I didn't pay attention and started pressing down. Which is a big no-no. Just let the blade do the work and you should be fine. I'm a newbie too, only about 3wks and I can tell you I will never go back to any other style.

 

[Teppanyaki]

I've read as a starter kit - an Edwin Jagger de89 series razor/Muhle R89 which is more expensive but the same head, Astra blades, a good soap (RazoRock/Cella), a decent brush (B&B boar on westcoastshaving.com would be one of many), and most importantly watch Mantic's videos/read the stickies. Take it easy, and go for comfortable over close shaves when learning and then experience helps you to gradually get better and better shaves.

 

[Jeff_H]

Welcome, you have a lot of good questions and a lot of understandable fears. I can't give any better advice than what has already been given above. Take your time, go slow, know that you will cut and nick yourself and have a few bad shaves along the way. However, once you get it down and have a few great shaves under your belt, you will be hooked.

What I can offer is my opinion. I love vintage Gillette razor's, but I think if I'd tried to learn on a vintage I might not have stuck with it. Get yourself a very mild modern razor. An Edwin Jagger de89, any handle/color you like or the higher end Muhle R89. Both solid, well build razors that are mild and easy to drive, but sexy at the same time. Astra blades are great for a beginner and a lot of seasoned shavers still love them. At some point you'll want a sample pack. Finding "your" blade will likely be the single most important factor in your journey. You can have the best razor, brush, bowl....everything; but if you can't find a blade you love the experience will never really be what you are looking for. Oh, and you will find "your" blade several times in the first few years....I know I have.

There are so many choices and options available to you to make this a very enjoyable hobby for you. Be open minded and be patient. Pick your razor, modern or vintage, pick one blade and stick with just those 2 items for at least 6 months. Get your technique down. Learn to shave and get good shaves consistently. You can experiment with several different types of shave cream/soap, but don't go too crazy. The less change the better until you have it down. Aftershaves/balms are a great thing to experiment with in the beginning.

Have fun and don't be afraid to come back and ask questions...especially when you think you've screwed up. There will be plenty of people here to make fun of you....I mean help you understand you aren't alone and give you advice to correct any problems you may be having.

Cheers.

 

[rxonmymind]

Welcome to B&B. I think James response was excellent. I started with the VH kit myself and while decent is sub par. I would recommend getting an Edwin Jagger DE89 @ Amazon, Gillette Silver blue blades( razor direct.com) and a nice tub of Proraso available at West Coast shaving. This I still have even after having gone through $$$ soaps and many different razors. Keep your brush for now it'll shed a ton but when your ready then upgrade to a Simpson.

Take care & again welcome to B&B.

 

[951socal]

Awesome guys thank you for all the responses.
I've looked for a few days for a saftey razor and all i saw were GEM micromatic adjustables, but they were asking $20 each.

So i went down to the barber shop and bought a parker 48R, which was probably a mistake.
when i have a little more cash i'll most likely get that edwin jagger razor.
i will grab the pencil next time im at wal-mart thank you! i forgot all about it haha.

i was about to try the new stuff this morning, and chickened out again, grabbed the electric haha.

 

[CGW409]

Don't discount the GEM single edge razors as they deliver a darn fine shave(though I've never heard of an adjustable GEM) the only draw back they'd have is unless you've got a Bed Bath & Beyond with a Harmon's pharmacy in it your options for SE blades are way pricey at Walgreens (though they may have discontinued stocking them).

 

[Kilroy08]

I started with a new Merkur I bought from Amazon. Yes, it was a good razor. A vintage razor can be had for a much better price compared to the quality you get.

I picked up a couple of vintage Super Speeds for less than $6.00 a piece. They are nice razors and very forgiving. Even on eBay you can find a Tech or Super Speed at $20.00 or under and have a like new razor. If I were to do it over, find a vintage Tech or Super Speed. If you find an adjustable for a nice price, grab it. Leave it on 3 or lower until you get a feel for shaving with a double edge razor.

 

[Havok305]

If I could reset, this is what I would start with:

Gillette Red Tip - less than $20 Ebay
B&b Essential Boar - West Coast Shaving @20
Tabac and Proraso Green Soaps
Alum Block or Syptic Pencil
proraso Green and Clubman Pinnaud aftervshaves
Smallpack of Astra SP, 5 pack of Featers, 5 pack of Personna's
Face lathering

Then I would get sample packs of various soaps and aftersaves.

 

[ricardo9505]

welcome. new razor, old, whatever.
it's easier than it looks. shaved for 2 weeks until I got a small nick.
enjoy the brush and be ready to upgrade in a few months.
expiremnt with nice soaps/creams you can buy online. many reputable shops.
westcoastshaving, classicshaving, soapboxshaveshop.net, bullgooseshaving
learn the basics, visit the beginners forums and guide http://www.badgerandblade.com/ (see the upper right hand corner for a few beginner guides)
research and research and read. MANY great subjects and ALL your new questions have been answered in extensive details on some threads and I've learned more from reading old threads than asking- which NEVER hurts.
the razors? they're ok. order a sample pack from an online site and experement, THERE IS NO BEST RAZOR BLADE or razor for that matter. Much of this is as much art as it s science. Each man has his own taste and need. (you should see how people debate on best lathering- face lather or mug?) I'm a face man myself
and as always, enjoy.

 

[jestah93]

Welcome! This is a fun place to hang out if you haven't already noticed

For me, vintage all the way, I've never even used a modern DE and I really don't feel the need to, yet. I got started several months ago, and only have vintage Gillettes (aside from a cool old travel OC I received in a PIF from Lamar!) I've always been one to go to antique stores and flea markets, now I just have something specific to look for, so I've ended up with severe RAD with this mixture of hobbies.
If you still haven't got a razor and want to try something vintage, I have a few that I'm going to put on the BST when I get around to it, so if you're interested PM me and I'd throw one your way for a very decent price (I, among countless others, have been treated well here, and would like to help out in what little ways I can.) I'd of course include a few different blades for you to try.

Good luck in your new adventure!

 

[jestah93]

oh, I forgot to say that you should definitely hit up Garry's Sample Shop for some software. Thanks to him I was able to find out a few products that I definitely liked and those that I didn't like, and that way you don't get stuck with a whole bottle/tub/whatever of stuff you don't care for.

 

[Ducati Scotty]

You can probably nick yourself easier with a DE safety razor than with a cartridge but it's an easy skill to learn, a little more difficult to master Look for a mild razor, these are easier to learn with. The EJ89 is a great new razor. If you want vintage buy here on the BST forum. Gillette Techs and Superspeeds are both mild shavers. I say buy here because most members know what they are selling and will give you an accurate description. On EBay you may get something that's bent or damaged and the seller doesn't know. It's youth for a newbie to know so buy here from friends

The VDH starter kit isn't bad but I'd recommend something a little better. Any Omega boar brush for $10-15 is usually a good buy and much nicer than the VFH. Likewise, Proraso or many other soaps and creams are far better and in the same price range. A good brush and soap or cream will make leading to lather much easier.

Scott