What safety razor should i get? im a beginner

[francospa]

Hi everyone, I'm a newbie who is approaching the world of safety razors. I was considering a few of these to start with: King c gillette, muhle r89, merkur r41, rockwell 6c, edwin jagger de89. my need is to have an excellent bbs, considering however that I have somewhat sensitive skin and I shave about every day or every 2. I also wanted to know which brand of razor blades I should use, I had seen the green Astra ones which are considered good. thank you for your help

 

[airfraa]

If you got budget, Rockwell 6s/6c are great as they’re adjustable. If you want to spend less, King C Gillette was my first DE and it worked very well despite not being very aggressive.
The blades are very subjective, i use Bic Chrome Platinums and Astra Superior Stainless. I also like Feathers but they’re more expensive .

 

[flash75]

Your ideas all don't seem wrong.
You can use any of them. But remind that your desired bbs will not come immediately. It requires a lot of learning, mapping your beards grow, good preparation etc. It takes time to get a perfect bbs. So don't be disappointed in the beginning.

I have two other suggestions for you

Rockwell 6s.
A bit more expensive than the Rockwell 6c but IMHO the far better choice and delivers, at least for me, a much better shaving quality.

Mühle R41
Omg, why that? Ok, let me tell you my thoughts. It's a very direct shaver, but not uncomfortable if used the right way, carefully and without applying pressure. It FORCES you to develop a very steep learning curve. The first shaves may be very difficult but once you tamed and learned how to control it, it it delivers an easy BBS shave. Easier than any other razor with fewer passes. It's a challenge. Maybe buy a R89 and a separate R41 head. Additionally I recommend the grande versions with the bigher handle.


All your other Ideas are also good. So don't worry.

 

[Tomo]

What’s your budget? What’s your location?

 

[Jim in NZ]

This is a very YMMV topic, so this advice is what has worked for me in the early part of my DE journey. I'll cast another vote for the King C. Gillette. The Gillette 7 O'clock yellows pair well for a smooth, satisfying and uneventful shave. At the price, you can then decide where to go once you have a bit of experience. I'd also suggest a Yaqi synthetic brush (their 'defect' brushes are a steal), some good shaving cream, and a block of alum for when the shave doesn't quite go according to plan!

 

[GaryTha]

There are many types of razors, but only one ARKO.

 

[WhiskerLess]

First & foremost, welcome to B&B.

You came to the right place, very friendly and informative community.

You will get a lots of sound advise but in the end you decide what’s best for you. No matter what you end up with shifting to DE razor is already a step ahead towards the best hobby and personal hygiene you can do to yourself.

Having said that, I want to give my 10 cents.

For a beginner you should get Tedalus Velocity 1. No, no, no erase that, Im just kidding.

Jokes aside, you will enjoy Rockwell 6C. It will give you great shaves and room to grow.

Its hard to beat getting 6 different plates of aggressiveness to choose from. Best for beginners to learn and discover what you really prefer. Mild, Medium or Aggressive kind.

I’m sure you have done some research hence why you listed it here. It has excellent reviews for a reason.

If budget is not an issue, I would suggest 6S instead, it’s hefty and will last you a lifetime.

For blades you should get sampler, try each then decide which blade works best for you. Start with a forgiving blade (Astra green is one of many) and move to the sharper spectrum.

Welcome again and I’m pretty sure you will have a blast just like all of us here.

 

[DE Steve]

From 8 years DE shaving experience, two perfect starter (and forever) razors are a Muhle R89 or a Merkur 34C (my daily is an R89).

For blades I highly recommend Astra SP (Astra Superior Platinum).

I highly recommend all Muhle shaving products (razor & brush stand, synthetic shaving brushes and soap bowls etc.)

(I suggest the R89 over a DE89 because the R89 has a brass cap screw.)

 

[Iridian]

The Mühle R89/Edwin Jagger DE89 (same razor, basically) and Merkur 34C have already been mentioned.
I dislike Astra blades. Not sure why people love them, any Gillette seems better to me, but before I derail too much...
Rockwell 6C and 6S are also not bad.

MY RECOMMENDATION:
Razorock Game Changer .84P
or its Chinese copies, DSCosmetic S9 / V92 / V95

There are milder and more effective razors than this one. But it is relatively easy and still not that expensive to get and fits almost everyone. In fact one could begin and end the razor journey there already.

But that would not be fun. But I think it is a great place to start the journey.

 

[Dave himself]

Hi and welcome and welcome to B&B. I have a 6c, I find it gives me a nice shave, although I rarely use it above plate #3 because when I'm using DE razors I've been enjoying the milder ones. But the rest of the ones you've mentioned are good to start out with.

As for blades I think the best way forward is to get a sample pack as others have already said.

 

[Calyshaver]

How about a Gillette Tech!

It is a great shaver, trainer, and benchmark to compare to other razors. It pairs well with any blade and then once you get familiar with safety razors and determine what you want more or less that the Tech does not provide, you can decide where to go next or you may just stay with the Tech as many do. They can be bought reasonably cheap here or from popular internet shopping sites.

Enjoy the journey and welcome to the BnB.

 

[thombrogan]

Welcome to the forum, @francospa !

You came up with a bunch of great possibilities and many were reaffirmed.

Wishing you smooth results in keeping the stubble tamed

 

[Lockback]

Welcome to B&B!
My hearty recommendation for a beginner razor that will last for years and provide great service while also giving you great shaves and has a fantastic fit and finish for a great price is an Edwin Jagger DE89.

 

[Halfbeard]

DS Cosmetics AX-SE zamack trio for 23€ from AliE.

You get three different plates with different gaps. Impossible to beat that starter kit !

 

[MNSunny]

I like adjustable. I would recommend a Merkur Progress. Dial up or down as needed or as shaving skill changes.

 

[tejolot3]

I also wanted to know which brand of razor blades I should use, I had seen the green Astra ones which are considered good. thank you for your help

As others have suggested, you should get a variety of blades. Astra SP (green tuck) are reliably good so, if you do only get one brand, that's a good one to get.

But if you go the blade sampler route, let me offer a couple of suggestions:

1. You only need a few brands to sample early on, not twenty. Too many will just muddy the learning process. Along with Astra SP, you might want to try both more- and less-sharp brands. Gillette Nacet is my favorite sharp blade; Feather is also good, and I've heard a lot of good things about Gillette Silver Blue and Gillette Perma-Sharp (I recently received some of each but haven't tried them out yet). Along with Astra SP, another reliable medium-sharp blade is Gillette 7 o'Clock Super Stainless (Russian green tuck). Recommending less-sharp blades is trickier, but I personally like the ones from Mostochlegmash PJSC (Moscow) such as Voskhod, Ladas, and especially Rapira Swedish Supersteel. Basically, if it's made in Russia, then chances are it's a reliably good brand of blade, with St Petersburg ones being more reliable and sharper than Moscow ones; just bear in mind that Russian blades are getting harder to come by these days for obvious reasons. Production of some have moved to other countries, with reportedly varying results.

2. Don't switch blades each time you shave, at least not while you're still learning. Stick with one blade for a couple of shaves, then bin it and try another blade of the same brand for a couple more shaves. This will help you learn difference between a blade you don't like and poor lather or poor technique. In the beginning, it's really easy to have an awful shave and blame the blade, when it wasn't the blade's fault at all.

3. Don't buy a hundred-pack of blades until (a) you're decently confident in your ability to tell the difference between brands and (b) you've tried quite a few different brands.

 

[DesertIguana]

Edwin Jagger 89,or cone of it.

 

[SalS]

Hi everyone, I'm a newbie who is approaching the world of safety razors. I was considering a few of these to start with: King c gillette, muhle r89, merkur r41, rockwell 6c, edwin jagger de89. my need is to have an excellent bbs, considering however that I have somewhat sensitive skin and I shave about every day or every 2. I also wanted to know which brand of razor blades I should use, I had seen the green Astra ones which are considered good. thank you for your help

Buy a Henson Medium and the RK blades Henson sells are fine, but IMO Feathers can’t be beat. As far soaps go, avoid and get a slick modern cream. Jack Black or Kiehl’s should be easy for you to get.

The razors you mentioned aren’t bad but they aren’t anywhere as good as a Henson. I can say this after 45 years of shaving.

 

[Teejaywiththegoodhair]

I’d personally suggest the razorock game changer .84sb and get a blade sampler

 

[JL 52]

I started with the KCG, then moved on the the Rockwell 6C once I felt like I needed a more aggressive and closer shave, and then on to the RazoRock Game Changer .84SB because I wanted a stainless steel option that I didn't need to worry about breaking at any point.

Of the three my personal favorite is the Game Changer .84SB by a wide margin, but for a newbie I think I'd first recommend the Rockwell 6C.

Rockwell's multiple plate options should meet all of your needs from mild to aggressive, and you needs/preferences are likely to change as you get used to the razor. In my case I started with the 3-plate (which felt like a step up from the KCG, the KCG felt similar to Rockwell 2-plate in my opinion), but moved on the 4-plate after a month or so of using the razor.

The KCG is a solid first option that I would also recommend, but it's on the mild side and lacks the versatility of the Rockwell 6C.

The Game Changer is a better razor than the Rockwell 6C in my opinion, but zeroing on your ideal base plate (they offer .68, .76, .84 blade gaps and the option for straight bar or open comb) could end up being a more costly endeavor.