Maybe get a vintage Gillette from his birth year. Lot's of good stuff available from 1930s to 1950s...
What do you think is the best safety razor for under $50?
- Thread starter Shattered dreams
- Start date
My i suggest a merkur progress full adjustable so you can move the settings till you get the level of aggressiveness you want and it can be found for around £50 pounds for the short handle version. Just my 2 pence worth.
Please describe your dad's skin type (sensitive or not?), face type (nooks and crannies?), beard type (thick vs. sparse, coarse vs. fine) and beard growth patterns (predictable vs. chaotic).
Which DE razors did he previously use?
Thank you.
For me the answer is easy. Since my favorite razors all cost less than $50 and I do have a razor that cost more than that. In no particular order my 3 Merkurs the 34C, 33C and lastly my recently acquired 30C. I'm an everyday shaver and can you use any of these razors everyday with almost any blade and be rewarded with a great shave. But with everything in this hobby YMMV
I haven't tried Merkurs, ATT, PAA, nor any of the other razors mwntioned above, so I can't speak to them. However, I love my Fatip open comb razors. The Piccolo and the Grande (in open comb) both provide excellent shaves. I like them so much that I have no need (nor desire) to try other razors. They are efficient and smooth; I get darn near perfect irritation-free BBS shaves with them. Of course, YMMV.
If vintage, then 1940s GilletteTech or SuperSpeed. Can be had for a song. Just clean and polish before you give it to him.
If new, then Wet Shave Club's Winning Razor ($55 with blades)
If new, then Wet Shave Club's Winning Razor ($55 with blades)
The Rockwell 6c is an amazing choice. With the options to change out the plate - you basically get multiple razors in one neat package.
It is also a very handsome razor with great build quality.
It is also a very handsome razor with great build quality.
+1 for the Rockwell 6C
It's good value for money.
It does two things in one: it will
(a) probably get you an acceptable blade gap and decent daily shave, or tell you that you are an outlier of the normal distribution, and need something with more horsepower, and
(b) it will let you know what blade gap to seek out in other razors.
I used mine for about a year, and liked R4 and R5 for a good and harmless daily shave. This led to buying a 6S (another story).
R5 is a 0.69mm gap, so I bought a RazoRock Game Changer safety bar 0.68, and now have a razor that I'm almost content with.
It feels a lot like the Rockwell with R4/R5, but
- has covered blade tabs
- is lighter and more agile (but please get a better handle!)
- looks more attractive to me
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My King C Gillette gives great shaves regardless of the blade(s) I have used. Suggest you give this one consideration.
My Parker 91R retails for about $29, a good brush(Omega), less than $20. Such a nice gift...good luck!
I'm going through this right now with my son-in-law. He already has a brush so I am cobbling together a Starter Kit from Stirling Soap. LOVE these guys and use a lot of their products now.
Starter Kits
Our natural products are great for your skin and easy on your wallet! Using the most quality ingredients to bring you the best for your daily skincare needs.
Rockwell 6C. It's right at $50 mark or cheaper during sales. It beats or equals my higher priced razors. I only use the Plate 6 but it works so well every time
I would recommend spending $15 more and buying gift certificate for a Razor Rock Mamba 70 from Italian Barber. They are not in stock at present, and you would be notified when they come in. You escape a shipping charge and under $50 razors you would likely have one. This is assuming you are buying online due to lack of access at a shaving supply store in your area.
Ebay and find a great Gillette Super Slim adjustable or plain old SuperSpeed! Pretty hard to beat! You could even splurge and by a rechromed one on some of the websites offering them.
Hands down, Rockwell 6C for $50. For me, its's been better than any razor at any price.
the 34C is a good pick. for under $10 you can get a Baili 171 which is similar to Gillette Tech sort of - good, mild one, milder than 34C
If he's been using carts, a Merkur 34C. If you want to spend a little more, a 34G. I've had many DEs, but after using carts for 30+ years, I keep coming back to my 34G. As a cart user, the size and balance of the 34 was the easiest to adjust to. Once you find a DE that's comfortable, finding a blade is easier and cheaper than trying new DEs.
EJ 89 have 2 the only one I use.
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