Today I reached that point. That same point I'm sure all of you reached some time ago. The point of no return. That point when you can no longer deal with the dull, rusty, over-priced, skin-irritating and face scraping-razors. Today, I swore off disposable blades. While the decision was quite liberating, the next decision I must make to choose a suitable replacement has become overwhelming. And since the grizzly, bearded lumber-jack look is not exactly office appropriate, this difficult decision is now time sensitive. I've been looking around online for the best blade to transition to, but the results were conflicting to say the least. This is why I've come to you guys! What kinds of razors do you guys recommend? What were your first razors? How hard is it to clean and sharpen these blades? How much should I be prepared to spend? What are the best ways to keep the razors clean? For someone just starting out, I'm also very concerned with learning about honing and stropping. Is this only for straight razors? How often do you recommend doing it? Will I mess up my razor if I make a mistake? Thank you in advance to anyone who can help me out!
I recommend an Edwin Jagger razor for a new one. They are mild enough for a beginner but aggressive enough not to need anything else. As for blades I recommend getting a sampler pack. Blades are highly variable among different people and even different razors. in my EJ the Lord Platinum was pretty crappy but good in a Lord L5 razor. A Dorco ST-301 blade was unusable in my L5 but pretty decent in my EJ. And a DE blade is disposable... They're just 10 cents a blade but they are all metal- no plastic. A straight razor is reusable but they have much higher up front costs and require honing/stropping, bigger learning curve, consume more time and you can mess up your face doing it. I recommend this article if you want to learn more: http://www.artofmanliness.com/2008/01/04/how-to-shave-like-your-grandpa/
First off forget about honing and stropping thats for straight razor users...With DE or SE blades your going to use them till they are dull and then change them out just like a cart... All my safety razors were purchased either online or in antique shops...The EJ89 3 piece DE razor or Lord is a good choice at an affordable price I.M.O...For immediate use you can get some decent blades locally in drug or grocery stores..I'd stick with either Wilkinson Sword or storebranded Personna(ASR)..I'd get a blade sample pack as soon as possible however..Shave soap(puck) or cream can also be obtained locally (Van der Hagan soap or C.O. Bigalow cream)..Preshave you can get Proraso,Jack Black or what I use Corn Huskers Lotion locally, Nivea Post shave balm.....I use traditional favorites for my AfterShave..Aqua Velva,Mennin,Clubman,Florida Water and Old spice..
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Remember, if you switch to DE, you need to dispose of blades safely. Just tossing them in the trash could cause injury to you, a member of your family or a sanitation worker. Find a container to put them in and then seal it, once full.
I used an Altoid tin for disposal until I pulled the blade bank out of the Travel Box. I started my DE journey with a Merkur 38C then got into the vintage Gillette TTOs until I discovered the Merkur Slant. The slant is fantastic for me YMMV.
I second the sampler pack idea. I'd also recommend going through all the blades in each before moving on to the next (to let your face get used to them). I've settled on Crystals (Israeli Personnas) but YMMV.
Since you are new to the Traditional Shaving world, here is the advice I received when I started with a DE razor and so I freely give it to new users. The most important things in shaving are, your skin and technique. All other things fall in line behind those two things and to support them. Since the skin is a given fixed item, the next major item is technique. It is called THE 30 DAY RULE. THE 30 DAY RULE is as follows: Find a razor, then a blade that will not cause issues with your skin (that may take a few different blades in a sampler pack to find a suitable choice or it maybe the first out of the gate) and select a soap or cream that is easy to generate good lather. Once you find those, and it may take a couple of weeks to find this combination, order a quantity of that blade enough for 30 days, and then spend 30 days using nothing else until you build up your technique. (Note that only one brand blade is used for 30 days after each blade in the sampler pack is tested to make the decision on the blade brand to use for 30 days.) The 30 day clock starts when you have the right blade for you. After 30 days, change one and only one variable and work for another week then change another after another week. At that point you should be able to make better decisions because your technique is now in place. This will help you to avoid buying too much gear and stuff too soon without having the technique down to enjoy it all. This really does work. Now as to a good starter kit (ENTRY LEVEL COST), here are some products to look at: Razor: New: Edwin Jagger EJ89 Muhle R89 Cadet TTO Vintage: Gillette Super Speed Schick Krona Brush (3 major groups): Badger: Simpsons BERKELEY Simpsons SPECIAL (Choose Best Badger) Boar: Omega #10065 Boar Omega #10049 "Colors" Boar aka The PRO 49 Synthetic: Kent Infinity Silvertex Mühle K Series from Connaught Shaving (best pricing on Mühle items) Blades: Blade Sampler Here are some good vendors to look for items at: http://www.connaughtshaving.com/ http://www.shoeboxshaveshop.com/index.html http://www.bullgooseshaving.com/ Oh and one more thing ... Welcome to the Den. We know you'll fit right in. So grab yourself a comfy chair, and give our threads a spin! Burma Shave
