I forgot. In my opinion, you shouldn't limit your choices to only twist-to-open (TTO) razors. While most vintage TTOs were solid and reliable, modern TTOs have often quality issues, even the more pricey ones. Today, the best buys are most often 3 piece razors.
If I would have known what I do now about razors. The Merkur Vision would have been my first and possibly my only d/e ever. It's hard to recommend this razor to a newb because of the high cost. But IMHO this razor would be a perfect fit to someone just starting out. It is not choosy on the blade angle, in fact it's not even choosy about what blades you use. It's very forgiving on the lower settings if you apply pressure . I've read over and over it's too big to shave under your nose. That statement makes me wonder if they actually have tried a Vision. The Vision blade and head angle make it very easy to do North to South under the nose. IMHO this is truly an innovative razor, that requires minimal skills to use. I of coarse would never give up my s/e's, But I could easily give up the d/e's in favor of the Vision. Razors are a YMMV thing, I find the EJ 89, and Merkur HD to be absolutely horrid shavers and I cringe every time I see one recommended to a Newb. Take recommendations for the opinions that they are. And buy what you think you would like to use.
A big +1 on the LORD - experts are satisfied with the quality of the shave, and it is VERY friendly to beginners. The new Lord LP1822L is a very affordable (10$), very forgiving razor. It's not well known yet and often mistaken with the older LP1822. The new model has a Merkur type head, while the previous model had a Gillette Tech type head. The finish of the razor is awful, but the performance is often described as superior to the vintage Gillettes and the contemporary Merkurs/Edwin Jaggers. It's the exact opposite of the 39C Slant.
