Razor for headshaving

[lehf]

Hi,
New member in need of some advice.

When I first started shaving my head I read quite a bit here, but eventually settled on using the Gillette Guard - mostly because I was reserved about the thought of using a DE on my head.
The Guard has served me well for several years, but at the same time it is actually a little boring... I get a satisfying shave, but I still really want to try a DE. It seems like the potential is so much higher both in terms of results, but also in terms of having a good time with shaving.
So I need some advice, and hope you will provide some.

With my facial hair I only use the Guard for tidying up my neckline. Shaving the rest is not an option. But I'm afraid of the learning curve if I only use the DE on my head. Do you think I run a high risk of cuts by going straight to headshaving without much practice first?

Then it is the question of which razor I should buy. I figured the smart solution is to try a relatively mild razor at first? To be honest it's more important to me in the beginning to enjoy shaving than to get perfect results.
The market is close to non-existent where I live, but I have a few options online. It's mostly Merkur, Mühle and Gillette thats available for me without having shipping and VAT driving the price up.
So far I am considering Merkur 34c and Mühle r89. Would either of them be a good place to start? I'm open for other suggestions too - also vintage if the price is okay.

Hope this made some sense, and that you can help me to decide what direction to go in.

 

[Windigo]

Welcome to the forum. Try the Merkur open comb. Personal opinion.

 

[ewk]

The Merkur 34C was my first DE, and it is a wonderful razor. The shaving angle is too narrow for me to effectively use it on the head. The Henson AL13 was the first razor to give me BBS on the back fringe. No need to worry about a learning curve. It is a great razor for shaving both head and face. Most opt for mild on the head; I prefer medium on the dome. I recommend this as you also need a razor for the neckline.

The Gillette Tech is a tremendously great DE razor. I just used it last night for wonderful head and face shave. Widely available and generally at reasonable pricing. I got two for about $14 US. It is a mild razor, but with a shim it wakes up and is still "safe" but much more efficient.

The best dome shaver is the Leaf. Would not be a good option for trimming the neckline though. They do have a "Twig" razor that would work, and head shavers seem to like, but I have no experience with it.

 

[scottcw]

Personally, the Rockwell 6S with #5 plate is the perfect razor for the head. With an Astra SP blade, I get close shaves using one WTG pass and two ATG passes on my neck.

 

[godlike]

I use several DE razors on my head, I would recommend the RazoRock Lupo Aluminum for both its smooth shaving, covered blade tabs so you don't knick your ear, the aluminum lightweight making it possible to press the Razor down more, and the audible feedback when Shaving the back of your head. I would recommend a sharp blade with it as it is very smooth but milder blades may not get the job done. My personal favourites to use with it are the Permasharp, Gillette Platinum and Wizamet Super Iridiums.

 

[Bondage007]

Hello,
A Fatip slant would be a great choice. I love the OC but the SB is probably milder. I swear this razor has autopilot. Most forgiving razor on my head and face.

Cheers
John

 

[Old Hippie]

I was thinking about this while shaving my head this morning with an ATT S2. To me that's a lovely OC for the job. Always a smooth shave. As I think of it, though, I've only had two razors that I just couldn't use. One was a Peroni and the other a Razorine. Aside from those two, I've shaved my head well with electrics, disposables, DEs, slants, SEs, and shavettes.

I tend to believe that if you simply spend some time with a razor that you rather like, you will indeed sharpen up your technique to get the most out of it.

But in the spirit, I lately bought a BBS-OC to play with and find it an excellent mild head razor.

O.H.

 

[MountainBear]

I never used a de on my face. I shave my head. Go with a long handle - min 90mm. 4 inches and 110 mm are nice. Easier to reach and more pleasant to use.

Muhle makes the companion - which has a long handle. I have one I picked up used. I have yet to shave with it. It is suppose to be a body and head shaver. Let me know if you want me to try it out and report back.

Leaf is a good head shaver - especially if you want to get it done quick and without thinking much. Leaf is a make your own cartridge not a traditional de. I like keeping the Leaf around as an option.

I like the razorock ti handle long and well made. I sometime use a mamba 70 head on it - mild.

R89 grande would be much better than the short handle version. 3 inches is not enough of a handle to dome shave. 34C would be too short of a handle. You can swap handles.

Long handle Muhle progress would also meet you criteria and is adjustable.

Feather popular is likely to be available - cheap in the world. I have never tried it.

Henson has a lot of fans.

I used Porasso pre-shave when starting out with shave soap on top. Not sure that was helpful; but I know it did not hurt. Take your time and it is ok to use the guard razor as a final pass or touch up.

 

[lehf]

Thank you all so much for the responses so far. I still haven't decided, and I understand that there is a lot of options I did not know about.
The Rockwell 6S is above my budget for first DE razor. The 6C on the other hand might be an option. How does it compare to the 6S?
I've read about a few of the other razors that's been mentioned, and I'm going to consider the ones that I can get at a reasonable price and without much hassle.

 

[Windigo]

In my opinion, you want a soft head razor with a long handle. MERKUR 25C is ideal for price and features.

 

[Chance0277]

really, go for the long handle. I've used a EJ 89 for years. I've tried a Gillette blue tip super speed and if you are worried about cuts I swear I couldn't cut myself with it if I tried, so might be a good first de choice. you can't go wrong with a Gillette tech. For the past year or so Ive been using a RR GameChanger 68SB with good results but I don't think I would start there. When you do go for it, go slow don't press and listen/feel the blade feedback. good luck

 

[Invicta]

Welcome to B&B.

I figured the smart solution is to try a relatively mild razor at first? To be honest it's more important to me in the beginning to enjoy shaving than to get perfect results.
The market is close to non-existent where I live, but I have a few options online. It's mostly Merkur, Mühle and Gillette thats available for me without having shipping and VAT driving the price up.

Have a look at the King C Gillette available in many supermarkets and direct from Gillette at £20. Personally I think the handle is too long, heavy and ugly but some like it.
Also available is the Edwin Jagger DE89 Kelvin available on Amazon Uk a at fantastic price of £17, that would be the one I would choose as I like shorter handles. I am not a head shaver though I would still stay with that setup if I had to start head shaving.
Add 100 Astra SP blades and you would be set up for > 1 year of shaving; soap and brush excluded.
If you want a soap and brush, the Omega Pro boar brush and Cella would be a great combination.

 

[Jack Goossen]

I shave my head with every razor I own.
Obviously you need to give every razor you try some time to get used to.

It seems to me you are worried about cutting yourself, using a DE razor.
You will not be able to avoid getting some nicks once in a while and mild razors will not prevent this. Nicks and cuts are actualy a GOOD thing, because they will help you to learn and respect your razor and improve your technique, so stop worrying about some blood.

When I started using DE razors for head shaving, some veteran shavers here urged me to keep using the same razor and blade for a month. I followed their advice and my technique improved with every shave. I used the DLC Yaqi and the Gillette Platinum for a month. I could recommend this combination. Yhe Yaqi Mellon would be an even better choice.

As for the lenght of the handle: I probably have long arms, so I am able to hold my razor close to the razor head. This enables full control over my razor during the shave of the back of my head.

One last advise: dont be tempted to use a "mild" blade. Sharper blades do not drag and tend to give less irritation and cuts. So use a sharper blade. In the end they will give a much better shave.

 

[bubo_strix]

Welcome! I’ve been wet shaving the dome for a little over a month, so I’m still very much a beginner.

TLDR: The short answer is yes. Just go for it.

Milder razors are a great place to start and it won’t take you long to decide if you want to try something more efficient. Since you’ve been used to the Guard you might be inclined to add more pressure than is necessary as this tends to be the case with cartridge razors. Let the razor do the work. Do a search here on steep vs shallow angles. The King C Gillette has a head modeled after the r89. Both are affordable and smooth. I started with the Merkur 34C and have no qualms with it as a beginner’s razor but once I tried a vintage Gillette Tech the 34C hasn’t seen much use. My current favorite is the Fatip Open Comb Slant. I learned that a more efficient razor helps to mow down hair on the back of the head without going over it too many times, as the angles in certain spots can get weird on the dome. But getting that technique down is all part of the challenge that makes it fun. Adjusting angles will eventually become intuitive but some razors just make it easier. Alum stone will give you feedback on areas where you need to work on technique but rinse it off after a few minutes because it is a salt and it will dry out your skin if you leave it on. Get a sampler pack of blades so you can find what works for your skin and work on getting your lather nice and slick (check out the Marco Method on YouTube, water is your friend!). After my first couple of weeks I started to chase bbs. I can only achieve this if I use my non dominant hand to feel for stubble and follow closely with my razor in the other hand, particularly on the back of the head. Since you’ve already been shaving your head for a couple years I’m guessing you already have a good grip on having a mental map of the grain of your hair growth but that has been a big help for me. I’m a big dude with big hands and I personally haven’t found a problem with short handles. Short/long/heavy/light/narrow/fat, it won’t take long to find what works for you. Trying things is really part of the process as YMMV with each and every element. Have fun!

 

[emwolf]

I use whatever DE I'm using on my face on my head as well. The key is a gentle touch. I really don't think there'd be a big learning curve from the Guard into a heavier razor.

 

[lehf]

Thanks for great advice! I was close to deciding on either the DE89 or R89 when I stumbled over a great offer on a Rocca R95, so without really thinking I ordered that. But shipping could be a while, so I also ordered a King C Gillette as that is way cheaper than the others that are available to me within a week - and it seems to be getting good reviews.
I tend to be impatient and want to get started as quickly as possible. And I guess that if I like shaving with a DE I end up trying different razors anyway - so might as well jump in...

I'm very grateful that you have taken time to give me some advise. I've already read much in the forums, and I'll probably stick around in the future!

 

[MountainBear]

You are on your way! Congrats. Nice choices and you can swap handles - if you want to. Nice also to have a travel razor that you know may get lost or destroyed. Yes, always more razors; more blades; more soap or changes to the existing.

 

[MouseRat]

Interesting
I’ve been head shaving for a couple of years, and I’ve used DE, Schick Injectors, Gillette Sensor Cart, Schick Extreme 3, etc… and I believe I have just discovered the best of the best for head shaving this past week, which is…. the Gillette Guard!

It is just a great combo of sharp, smooth, no clog, no nick, and gives me a BBS on both my head and face with almost no effort. And it is fast.

Be careful with razors that don’t pivot, especially at the back of your head. They can fillet instead of shave.

I just found it humorous that we have found opposite paths.

Let us know what you determine with your quest.

 

[Doc Dan]

I don't shave my entire head. I shave the top and a bit behind the top where my hair no longer grows. I have around ten razors and the one I prefer for my head is a Henson. I can shave and not worry (really!) about getting cut. I just put the angle on my head and go. I have used both a medium and a mild and they both do a great job, but I give the nod to the mild for this.

 

[lehf]

So, I've been using the KCG razor and blades for a few shaves now. I must say, it's not been as much of a learning curve as I was afraid of - but the results could certainly be better! Especially the back of my head is a problem area. I realise that I probably have a long way to go to get the tecnique right all the time, but I think the mildness of the razor also is a factor. I will probably keep training with this, and then maybe try an OC in a while.

Unfortunately the offer for the Rocca R95 was a mistake from the store (as I was thinking could be the case), so of course I have to find a different razor instead of that