Should I upgrade my DE safety razor?

[peecee]

Hi,

I got introduced to wet shaving when I bought my first Merkur DE SR (long handle) in 2014.
I didn't want to commit, then, to expensive razors so I went with a "standard" razor.
Every once in a while, I discover newer DE SRs (through ads or mentions in B&B posts), that are much more expensive.
I have gone through various posts on B&B and it seems like the "return value" (in terms of quality of shave) plateaus after a certain cost range. (I am excluding vintage razors)

My questions are the following:
(1) Am I missing out on a certain "quality" experience by not upgrading to more a expensive razor?
(2) If so, I am willing to spend some money, $80 to $150. Which product would you recommend? Rockwell? Henson? Others?
(3) What's the deal with adjustable razors? It doesn't make sense to me because once I find my setting, why would I change it again? (sorry for my ignorance)


Thank you for taking the time to read and I'd appreciate any advice.

P.S I recently bought a straight razor as well. I alternative between the two (as I try to get better with the straight razor).

 

[ButterfaceX]

My questions are the following:
(1) Am I missing out on a certain "quality" experience by not upgrading to more a expensive razor?
Since you may have some good skills hopefully under your belt. You certain sound interested in trying something.
Depends or what you are looking for is the question.
Quality razors a out there and I can be a bit daunting.
I think the key is just finding the best razor and blade combo that works best for you
I have a Parker 94R, 28 buck zamak razor, quality is ok, but gives my face a great shave.
Again, what are you looking for. Smoother shave, a more efficient shave, what is lacking in your current set up.
Is it really the razor, it is the blade, it is your skills, can anything be improved currently.
(2) If so, I am willing to spend some money, $80 to $150. Which product would you recommend? Rockwell? Henson? Others?
Lots of great options, it really a buy and try.
Check out and watch the FS listing, you might save a few and if it does not work - list it...
Some thoughts on nice quality for the buck :
RR Game Change 68/76/84
K Outlander
Yes, Henson or Rockwell
K CB daily shaver bundle
Others will charm in for more...
(3) What's the deal with adjustable razors? It doesn't make sense to me because once I find my setting, why would I change it again? (sorry for my ignorance)
Adjustable R are subjective. Personally I have had a few, they can work for me. Just dont like them....yet... nor see the advantage.
I suggest just going for a quality 3 piece first.
Later, once settled in and grooving along with the new one and your want to try an adjustable has a rotation razor, give one a shot.
(4) SR is a whole new ball game. If you are going to use it, I would go all in first. If you jump back a forth ...you most likely will never get there.
I started with SR 50 years ago, about a decade later I transitioned to DEs- Slants then OC's and SBs ...
I am grateful for my dad for this, I gave me a solid foundations and better understanding of the mindset, focus, patience, face, technique, stubble, skin - pulling, growth, density , face mapping and the whole shaving best practices process - prep throu - skin recovery...
So good Luck on your quest,
BFX

Always remember with shaving, it not just about one thing.
It the sum of them all plus you...

 

[AshleyC]

The sober answer is if you are getting close, agreeable shaves, then there isn't much reason to buy another razor.

Now that we've got that nonsense out of the way, take a look at what the postman dropped off in my mailbox literally the second I finished that first sentence!

A Soviet-era copy of a Gillette Super Adjustable. Just arrived from Ukraine.

Everyone else seems to be having fun, and you want to have some of that fun too. And it is fun.

But don't get carried away. I disagree with what you say about adjustables. If you find your ideal setting, then you have succeeded. That's the point. An adjustable is exactly what I'd recommend.

Merkur Progress (or the Mergress?)
Fatboy or Slim
Super Adjustable
Pearl Flexi

Or one I'm seriously looking at, the Yaqi Utima. There is an Aliexpress sale coming up November 1, which will shave a few bucks off the price.

 

[peecee]

If you don't mind, I'll respond to both your responses in this message. Thank you both your response.

@ButterfaceX: I find myself nicking myself more with a DE than the straight razor. For some reason, I have to "press harder" with a DE to ensure that I don't repeat my passes. Maybe it's the blade sharpness. I just use a random blade from a collection of blades I ordered from Amazon. I sometimes shave once a week, sometimes once in 3 weeks (during that time it grows into a full beard). Looks like my stroke works well with extremely sharp blades. Any recommendations? My DE needs to be "cleared" after every stroke.
So maybe, to answer your question, I am looking for something more efficient and/or smoother. Apart from that, I am browsing for something "new". Something I might be missing out with my current razor.

@AshleyC: The pictures look wonderful! Congratulations. Yes, it sure looks fun!

Will look at your both your suggestions. Thank you.

 

[DesertIguana]

Do you just WANT New Razor, or NEED. If you in position to buy something new not going into debit. Or your kids are not growing tomiss a few meals.

Then you can do as you wish.

 

[Billhanna]

Get a secondhand Blackbird and live a good life.

 

[peecee]

Thanks for your input. I can't help but answer with an analogy.
Let's say I have a phone from 3-4 years ago. I have to charge it every 4 hours. I don't see any issue with it. I'm fine.
Then I meet my friend who tells me that I'm charging it way too frequently, and that these newer phones can last longer.

Technically, I wouldn't "need" a new phone. I can continue doing what I do and I'll be fine. But, without knowing what is out there, I don't know if I "want" it or "need" it. I don't understand what makes a phone great or priced the way it is. Could be the speakers, memory, camera, there's so much.

Similarly, I don't know what makes a particular brand or type of DE razor great. They all look good to me. They all look the same to me.
I am hoping that someone can shed light on some aspect of a razor type or brand, that might offer something different that I didn't know I need.

Hope that makes sense.

 

[psfred]

Gillette more or less hit the magic spot with the original Old Type, everything since then is just variations on a theme. Lots if different ways to hold that thin sharp blade, some better than others, and different it just different, not better.

If you feel you have to apply too much pressure, you either have a razor too mild for the blade you are using or you are using the wrong angle. I suspect a mild blade, as blades vary in width enough to change the effective edge exposure. Nicks are a result of excess pressure, a blade too dull to shave properly is still more than sharp enough to slice skin, especially if you have a tendency to more it sideways while shaving.

For that reason I'd recommend an adjustable, either new or Gillette Slim or Fatboy. Ideal setting will depend on the blade you use, currently I'm shaving with a Gillette Wilkinson Sword made in India, and had to set the Slim down to 1. Blade must be pretty wide compared to the Polsilver I had in it a while back where anything less than 7 on the dial was terrible.

On the Slim lowering the guard give more exposure AND more gap. Easy to adjust the razor to fit the blade rather than try to match a razor individually. Either works, and if you are happy using one blade brand you can find a razor that fits it. I prefer fitting the razor to the blade, although I still have a shelf full of razors.

 

[Goblin]

I sometimes shave once a week, sometimes once in 3 weeks (during that time it grows into a full beard).

I am very surprised you find it comfortable to take down a week of growth with a regular Merkur, let alone 3 weeks of growth.

Given how often you are shaving, you really should be looking at something with an open comb. I would maybe look at the OC Gamechanger from Italian Barber. It's in your price range.

 

[SamplingNature]

If you're using the same razor almost 10 years later, you're either getting really good shaves with it or you enjoy pain. Either way, why would you change?

My opinion is that it's the overall design/geometry of the razor/blade combination that determines the quality of the shave. And there's bunch of different combinations that will give you a good shave. The material that the razor is made of...and the cost...make very little difference.

I changed from my original razor (EJ DE89) that gave me great shaves only because I'm a picker at heart and found a great vintage as part of an awesome deal...that happened to be my birth year.

That vintage happened to be a Gillette Super Adjustable, so I'll chime in on your question about adjustables, as well. I've found that I like a more aggressive razor for some parts of my shave, and dependant on my amount of growth (I don't usually shave on the daily). If, while I'm shaving, I feel that I need a little bit more or less aggressive, I can open the doors a bit, turn the dial a few clicks, close the doors back down and go back to shaving. It allows me to have what I need, when I need it, without having a second razor on standby.

 

[huck1680]

If you're interested in expanding your razor count, look in to the Karve OverLander and the R41. Both are priced nicely and give very good shaves. There's others I really like that fall into that category as well...The Razorine FlatBoy, Pearl Flexi OC (which is a very good adjustable) and the GreenCult 2.0 with either the II or III base.
Cheers!

 

[Merchant Seaman Z]

What I did was, started looking at antique store for DE razors. I like my old type and super speed. Classic, from the “good ol’e Days” and shave good. Now I use a FaTip OC. All are not much cash either.

 

[SeaDiving]

Hello,

In the range of prices you’d like I would recommend the karve overlander. To me this razor is efficient and smooth.

 

[Invicta]

For some reason, I have to "press harder" with a DE to ensure that I don't repeat my passes. Maybe it's the blade sharpness. I just use a random blade from a collection of blades I ordered from Amazon. I sometimes shave once a week, sometimes once in 3 weeks (during that time it grows into a full beard). Looks like my stroke works well with extremely sharp blades. Any recommendations? My DE needs to be "cleared" after every stroke.

Pressing harder is not the razor problem but requires an improvement in technique; blade angle probably. You don't need to press hard to get a good shave. You don't shave daily so a adjustable razor allows you adust the blade gap for different stubble length. You should consider an adustable razor for your shaving habits. Blades are very subjective and finding a good blade for you will pay dividends. Gillette Silver Blue or Platinum are very good blades for sharpness and smoothness.

 

[Manye]

Once you get a Blackland Blackbird, you will not really want for any other razors. Well, I didn’t anyway. Exxie? Yes. Worth it? Yes, in my view.

 

[musicman1951]

If you're shaving off a three week beard frequently you might want to consider a battery powered trimmer to get the hair to a manageable length before shaving.

In any case, frequent nicks represents a technique problem. I would guess yours comes from using the wrong equipment for the job, although it might be just fine for daily shaves. Pressure is not the answer. A sharper blade, more aggressive razor or a trimmer might be.

If you were shaving with something approaching a level of frequency I'd suggest getting serious about finding a suitable blade for your razor and technique, but I don't know how invested you want to get when you're shaving a couple of times a month. Maybe just a good trimmer and forget shaving all together?

 

[gdawg55]

How are your shaves with your current razor? If you like the results then you may not need an upgrade. If you’re like most of us here, you always need an upgrade…lol.

My take here is get something new if you want. I always prefer to get razors that are stainless, brass, bronze, or titanium as they will last several lifetimes. I plan to leave all my razors to my sons so longevity is a important for me….they are still quite young.

Decide if you like blade forward or neutral as that will determine what razors to research. I’ve gone back and forth here but landed on blade forward designs for the most part.

There are so many good options out there but not all will agree with your skin, whisker type etc. It took me lots of tries to get it right….but the journey is the fun part.

Good luck.

 

[BigJ]

Great advice above!!

The reason to upgrade a functional razor, tool, car, etc. is that you wish something new or ‘higher quality.’ If you will enjoy the ‘upgrade’ and can afford it, then that’s perfectly fine! Just my $0.02.

 

[DesertIguana]

Great advice above!!

The reason to upgrade a functional razor, tool, car, etc. is that you wish something new or ‘higher quality.’ If you will enjoy the ‘upgrade’ and can afford it, then that’s perfectly fine! Just my $0.02.

Well one observation about Razor I will make is Vintage Gillettes still work, put in blade, and get good results if the Vintage Gillette is right for you.

Tools from say Harbor Freight are OK for occasional use, show we a New Car that is build like some of the stuff from USA Cica 1930-1970's that will be around in 40 years. Driving a 2021 German Car, it has had so much warranty work, and problems.

A Razor don't have much to go wrong with it if made by quality company, like say a Three Piece Razor, unless you Abuse, or Drop.

 

[LeroyR]

You're not missing out on anything. Some razors are just awesome, regardless of price. I will say, however, that most of my favorite and best shaving razors were well over $100, and a couple more than I actually care to admit. I don't think that's because I paid that much for them necessarily, but maybe because more resources went into creating them either via materials or design or both.

But if you want a new razor, don't let us stop you.