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Which of your DE razors is the worst? Why do you keep it?

When I started traditional shaving I bought a Merkur 34C, the razor everybody recommended. But Merkur had been recently bought out back then and had outsourced production to Turkey. The chrome plating was pitted and started peeling off. The blade exposure was different on each side. And the new Merkur owners discontinued famous Merkur lifetime warranty. I almost went back to cartridges. But I decided to double down instead. I bought a new razor that had just come out and was getting rave reviews, the Edwin Jagger DE89. It was perfection!

Why do I keep the 34C? Because I'd be ashamed to give such a crock to my worst enemy.

Note that I'm not saying all 34Cs are terrible. I'm just saying I stumbled into a crappy one when the company was in transition.
 
I get that a lot with plastic -- and aluminum -- razors. I'm not a real fanatic for mass, but I seem to need a little mass to make it work better.

O.H.
Since I have lot more razors to shave with, it is lying in the drawer. Someday in the future it will be listed in the BST .
 
1918 Bulldog. I love the looks and feel of this classic but just have not been able to tame this one. I've tried many different blades, soaps etc. I still use on Veterans and Memorial Day. I keep because it's in a Military Set and a favorite set in my collection.
 
I have a 2011 Muhle R41 that I loathe. I used it twice and just hate it.
I just haven’t gotten around to getting rid of it yet.
 

Rosseforp

I think this fits, Gents
When I first decided to start wet shaving I did most of my research on Google and Amazon and figured that the Amazon's Choice would be a good razor to start with. That was my Vikings Blade Chieftain. It looks real nice, comes in a nice box with a mirror and a $40 price tag. It is really only worth about $8 and is not a razor I would recommend to anyone. I keep it around as a reminder to do better research............
 
Fatip Gentile.

The worst finish of any razor I own (sharp spikes of chrome coating all over the handle, and the head has a mottled finish), and multiple degrees of wobbliness on alignment... the cap shifts against the baseplate to an extreme degree, the blade then shifts against the cap, so precise alignment of all three is frustratingly hit and miss (even using the “upside down” loading trick that works reliably on my Piccolo).

It doesn’t shave terribly once aligned, but it’s no gentler than my Piccolo and much less efficient. And I rate the Piccolo as a middle-tier member in my razor collection anyway.

I just keep it around so that when people rave about it on forums, I can pull it out and give it another try, then be certain that it’s as underwhelming as I remember.
 

Ad Astra

The Instigator
Got a German-made OLD clone off the bay.

Looks great, but. So mild, you need a shave right after you finish shaving.


AA
 
Fatip Gentile.

The worst finish of any razor I own (sharp spikes of chrome coating all over the handle, and the head has a mottled finish), and multiple degrees of wobbliness on alignment... the cap shifts against the baseplate to an extreme degree, the blade then shifts against the cap, so precise alignment of all three is frustratingly hit and miss (even using the “upside down” loading trick that works reliably on my Piccolo).

It doesn’t shave terribly once aligned, but it’s no gentler than my Piccolo and much less efficient. And I rate the Piccolo as a middle-tier member in my razor collection anyway.

I just keep it around so that when people rave about it on forums, I can pull it out and give it another try, then be certain that it’s as underwhelming as I remember.
+1 on this razor being a disappointment. And, if anything, I found it MORE aggressive than the regular Fatip, not less so.
 
I keep all my razors for display. Unless I have multiple and then I PIF them to people looking to get started in wetshaving.

I really don't have a least favorite. But my brass long comb razors are probably some of the meanest. Honestly they are designed for thicker different shaped blades. While they can be used with modern DE blades I rarely see them as a daily driver and I'm not going to give them to newbies for their first shave.
 
I keep all my razors for display. Unless I have multiple and then I PIF them to people looking to get started in wetshaving.

That's another reason I keep mine. I kind of just like having them. Some, I may never use again. I just think they're cool. I have a 1932 Gillette Tech that gets no action. It's finish has worn off and I really don't have a use for it. But, I'm going to get it replated. Maybe I'll use it then.
 
I've got a few that are unusable due to bent bars or just being cheaply made. They go in my junk drawer, sometimes the top plate will be usable. I don't get upset because those razors generally are in the $0-$5 category. The one I'm angriest about is the QShave Parthenon. I picked that up when it was first released and paid a whopping $49.99 for it. I won't sell it because no one else should have to try to use this sorry excuse for an adjustable razor.
 
Hear me out. For the sake of discussion, let's say I have 17 razors, one of which is my "worst." What if I sold it? Well, then I'd have 16 razors, and, logically speaking, one of them would now be my worst. So I'd have to sell it, too. This process repeats over and over again until I am left with only a single razor.
I never thought about it that way. Now I’m stressed out.




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Hear me out. For the sake of discussion, let's say I have 17 razors, one of which is my "worst." What if I sold it? Well, then I'd have 16 razors, and, logically speaking, one of them would now be my worst. So I'd have to sell it, too. This process repeats over and over again until I am left with only a single razor.
But you’re leaving out the part where you buy another razor to replace the one you got rid of
 
DE89. It was my first razor. Purchased it because of all the positive feedback for a beginner (great all around) razor. Just never worked for my facial hair. Why do I keep it around? No idea. I've thought of PIF it but it may have plating loss on the threads (not sure). If it did, it probably would have deteriorated by now. But I don't want to risk giving someone something that won't last.
 
DE89. It was my first razor. Purchased it because of all the positive feedback for a beginner (great all around) razor. Just never worked for my facial hair.

The DE89 doesn’t that well for me either. It skips and jumps unless I spend excessive time on prep. It is, however, decent when shimmed, as that seems to improve rigidity.

But my DE89 does have a nice knurled handle. So I just pair that with a Merkur three-piece head (Merkur’s theee-piece handles aren’t anything to write home about) and it makes a good combo.
 
The DE89 doesn’t that well for me either. It skips and jumps unless I spend excessive time on prep. It is, however, decent when shimmed, as that seems to improve rigidity.

But my DE89 does have a nice knurled handle. So I just pair that with a Merkur three-piece head (Merkur’s theee-piece handles aren’t anything to write home about) and it makes a good combo.

Yep the only way I can shave with mine is shimmed. The rigidity path is what lead me to the Gem MMOC (single edge razor).

Mine also came with a knurled handle. But it's not nearly as deep or grippy as my Razorock knurled handle.
 
Wow, none of my razors are bad and I enjoy them all. If I had to lose one to bad airline package handling, it would be my new Baili TTO. $12.95 and easy to replace. I have vintage Gillettes and ATTs but the reason I keep the Baili TTO around is because it just shaves so darned well! Really, I'll never turn a snob nose up to these razors. Cheap, but the plating is flawless and they shave like a charm. In fact, Fatip could learn a thing or two from Baili's quality control process but that's another story...

-pol
 
Worst razors that I still have:
1. Weishi 9306 brass - came from the factory with misaligned doors and different blade gap on each side, producing a too mild yet bloody shave. I keep it because my conscience keeps me from giving it to someone else.
2. EJ DE89 - after 7 years of DE shaving, I still can't get a close shave with this one with any blade. Laziness keeps me from selling it.
3. Merkur open comb classic (15C?) - way too mild to give a close shave for me, but it is so forgiving that I use it when it is zero degrees outside, when my face is windburned.
 
Worst razors that I still have:
1. Weishi 9306 brass - came from the factory with misaligned doors and different blade gap on each side, producing a too mild yet bloody shave. I keep it because my conscience keeps me from giving it to someone else.
2. EJ DE89 - after 7 years of DE shaving, I still can't get a close shave with this one with any blade. Laziness keeps me from selling it.
3. Merkur open comb classic (15C?) - way too mild to give a close shave for me, but it is so forgiving that I use it when it is zero degrees outside, when my face is windburned.
The Weishi could be placed into the "circular file," or, better yet, recycled.

Somebody would definitely buy the EJ DE89. I don't care for it, either, but a lot of people love it.

I agree that the 15C is overly mild. I had one, but sold it after only a few shaves.
 
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