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With which razor did you learn to wet shave?

Lockback

Dull yet interesting
My first double edge razor was a Van Der Hagen TTO, purchased for $13.00 two years ago.

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About a week later, I picked up an Edwin Jagger DE89.

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Legion

OTF jewel hunter
Staff member
When I was a teen I found an old Gillette Tech in a bag of my fathers army stuff, and put that to use for the wispy beard I had at the time.

Many years later, after finding this forum and other internet info, I started buying vintage razors, soaps, bruches, etc. starting with a 40's SS.
 
If I recall correctly my first razor was a Gillette Sensor Excel. I've always been wet shaving, the few times I tried an electric razor were not very memorable shaves.

My first DE razor was a Mühle R89 followed soon by the Mühle Rocca. A little bit over a year into my DE shaving journey I'm now at a little bit less than twenty razors and seven brushes. There may be a few more razors and perhaps another synthetic brush on the horizon, but I really got to pace myself.

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I got started with a 23c around 10 years ago, as that seemed to be safe advice. My father thought it was funny, as he remembered my grandfather shaving with something similar back in the day. I don't think I'd change my starting razor as the head was comfortable. I might have liked the shorter/thicker handles though
 

Old Hippie

Somewhere between 61 and dead
First wet shaving razor: Merkur 38C because the store didn't carry the 34C. Also got a pack of Merkur blades, "sharp enough to cut a hair, dull enough not to scare the hell out of you."

Yeah, OK, tuition. :) Didn't use it or keep it long. But it got me started, which was the point.

O.H.
 
My Dad's old Tech, probably an early-50s model. My first new razor was a 1978 black handled Super Speed (not 100% sure, but, I got it for Christmas in 1978) which I used for at least a dozen years.
Same here though it was my dad's fatboy. Likely same Christmas too for my own black handle super speed. Went to electric for a good while then to disposables, then to a 30s Goodwill for about 15 years then finally to Game Changer .84p. I'm likely set for the duration with the GC.
 
I started with a Parker 91R that someone gave me. It was not a good first razor, it was heavy and had a pretty aggressive blade gap and I definitely gave myself a good amount of blade rash for a while.
I kindof wish I had kept it though, to go back to and try every now and then.
 
First DE I learned on, Merkur34c, bought with a AOS sandalwood starter kit. With Mekur blades in’10. At an AOS store no longer at the mall. Every once and awhile I still use the razor.

Almost my exact story, too. I'd been shaving with cartridge razors since the 1980s, but in 2012 I made the leap to "proper" wetshaving and was kitted out by the salesman at the AoS mall store with a Merkur 34C and a silvertip badger brush. I had no real idea what was "good" or "bad" in DE razors and blades when I started. The Merkur blades that came with the 34C were garbage, and I think doing research on blades was how I first ended up here.

I don't recommend an adjustable for a DE newcomer. There are already a ton of variables at play, and the newbie should be focusing on good prep and technique. Keep it simple before you start experimenting.
 
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I started with an EJ DE89 and hated it. Never could get an irritation free shave. I gave it 6 months and switched to a 34HD and that’s when the magic happened. Much better razor for me….i was hooked.

After 15 years I took out my EJ DE89 figuring I knew how to shave now so I’d give it another go….still sucks for me.
 
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