... Now I need some help. So, as a noob to this wonderful world of wet shaving, I had been doing my homework and I thought I had figured it out, but the more I read, the less sure I am. So far I've been enjoying my VDH soap and badger brush with a cartridge razor, but have not been enjoying the razor burn that goes with it. Time to change all that. I had decided on the Merkur HD, But then I started reading about the ER DE89lbl and then I also note that Parker has been improving the quality of their products. Now I am unsure as to what I want. I kind of like the idea of a TTO, but can't afford the Futur, nor do I even know if it's appropriate for the novice shaver. The Parkers have a few interesting offerings and at a very reasonable price (22r/92r). So basically I am asking for opinions on the razors I have mentioned and pros and cons on what I should be considering for the choosing of my first DE razor. Criteria: price under $50, TTO is nice but not a deal-breaker, and something I can learn on and grow with. . I just want most bang for the buck.
The razors you've mentioned are new and I started with a new Parker myself but your final sentence ("I just want the most bang for the buck") caught my eye. I've gotten the most bang for my buck with razors I've found at flea markets and antique stores. For example: Gillette Slim Adjustable $20 Gillette Super Speed Flare $1 Gillette Ball End Tech (mint condition) $8 Gillette New SC $4 Have I paid too much for some or ended up with a dud a couple of times. Yep. But in the last year I've built a really nice little collection of usable vintage razors and learned what works good for me and what doesn't and my average cost per razor has been extremely low. That being said I would also mention the Maggard razor for a new 3 piece that's good quality at a very reasonable price.
Some good suggestions made here that will get you headed in the right direction. The DE89 & Merkur HD 34 are both two highly-regarded modern razors, and fit into your price range. John's list of vintage razors has merit as well. With so many excellent choices, it's hard to make a bad decision. Good luck! The Futur is a great adjustable, non-TTO, but may be a bit much for someone new to DE shaving.
The HD was what was recommended when I first got into the DE world. The 34C was my first of three. Great razor for the newbie and experienced alike. Seems like no matter what blade I put in it, I get darn near BBS, if not BBS, shaves every time.
Dahwg, I have the Merkur 34 HD and really like it. I bought it off a B/S/T thread for quite a bit less than new retail. I also have a Gillette Super Adjustable that I paid quite a bit more than the original retail price but much less than your $50 threshold. I also have a ball end tech from ebay that came in several $ lower than the $50, but it is a birth year razor so I likely overpaid because I WANTED IT! Of all three, I think I like the Merkur the most, but if I could only have one of the others, I would be happy with any of them as well. I see quite a few razors in local antique shops, but have not purchased any of them...yet.
My thoughts, remember "YMMV": Most modern 3 piece and TTO razors are more or less simply clones of Gillette and all will give a decent shave depending on your prep,skin type and technique.. I own and like the Merkur 34C good shave head(comparable to an EJ89) and great knurling giving you a solid grip with wet soapy hands..The only real downside to the 34C, for me, was being a 2 piece, the handle was unchangable...I like the handle changing options of the 3 piece razors.. I also have an EJ89..As a 3 piece razor, it was my razor of choice for a long time, the shave head is stellar being both smooth and close shaving, but the smooth handle sucked for me, so I wound up trying a few other handles with the 89 head, with the Sabi T2 and the Weber BullDog being the winners.. If you'd like to go vintage TTO then of course a Gillette SuperSpeed is always a winner(every collection should have one I.M.O.), but let me suggest if you go the vintage TTO route you consider spending a little more money and checking out the Gillette 48 to early 50's Aristocrat's...I really like my Aristocrat TTO's...They are heavier, better handling and I.M.O. better shaving than the SuperSpeeds, they are kind of like a BullDog handled SuperSpeed..Feather out of Japan also makes a very nice and inexpensive TTO(the Popular) well made but a little light for my tastes... Another suggestion for vintage, the Gillette "Fat Handled Tech", is certainly one of if not the best, 3 piece razors ever made mild, effiecient and still very affordable.. Rounding out some other affordable choices Sabi,Cadet,Maggard,Parker,Lord,Weshie all have +'s and -'s but are able to give a decent shave at an affordable price... Then if you want to step up in quality and price you can consider Stainless Steel...I.M.O. the best deal in SS razors is the Weber Polished head razor(made in America with great craftsmanship) they are offered with either a BullDog(short) or a Classic(long) handle..Both handles weigh the same, but are different diameters and offer superb knurling..The shave of the Weber head for me is similar to the EJ89 which was my favorite daily use razor till the Weber replaced it..At $77 for stainless steel the price is hard to beat also... While this is "my opinion" bear in mind that to a more or less degree the craftsmanship, relative to cost of course, on most of these razors is close.. The main difference between vintage,lower end and upper end razors is in materials used example: Most lower end razors from Weshie to Edwin Jagger are made of similar materials zamac or "pot metal"...The difference between them is quality of material used,quality of manufacture and customer service.. Most vintage razors "Gillette" are as well or better manufactured and made of much better material(brass/copper).... Then of course the "the top of the line" stainless steel razors are well made,offer better customer service and better material... "You pays your money,you takes your chances" I hope this helps you some and doesn't confuse you more...Any questions just ask...
From someone who has gone through a fair share of medium to medium aggressive razors id recommend the DE89. For someone starting it out it is quite easy to keep the perfect angle of the razor while shaving. I am able to use a variety of blades in this razor unlike my other razors, the DE89 just seems more accepting of blades that you have had bad relationships with. I picked my Edwin Jagger DE89lbl from royalshave on sale cor $23 and just grabbed my dad and youngest brother one also for $27 with 20random blades. So you can find a deal on this model.
I'm a big fan of the vintage Gillettes. I have several friends who bought new Merkurs and Parkers and struggled with them. When they were close to quitting and going back to cartridges, they tried a vintage Gillette and there was no going back. I've had modern razors and for me, there is NO comparison to an old Gillette. A Ball End Tech is easy to find on Ebay (and cheap) and is the perfect beginner razor. If you've got your heart set on a TTO, the same can be said for a Super Speed. I'd be willing to bet you could get one of these cheaper than what a new razor would set you back. Just be sure to buy it from a seller who knows about razors and not somebody just unloading something they found at an estate sale.
I did a lot of reading and started with an EJ, an EJ87, the white handled version. It's a great razor to start with. I tried a couple tto's but kept going back to the EJ. Some of the SE's I've tried since can match it but nothing has beaten it yet. Be sure to get a variety of blades to find what works for you. If you really want a tto, I suggest waiting till you have some more experience and getting one of the Gem micromatics.
The DE86 has a nice mild head but I would suggest getting one with a textured handle if you go that route. My personal favorites are the Gillette Super Speed and Schick Krona. When I first got into DE shaving about 10 years ago, prices were really good on eBay so you could add to your collection pretty cheaply. Once you get bitten by the bug you might find yourself justifying the expense of other razors like I have. I have quite a few razors but I'm still searching for that one magical one. In all reality though after the up front cost of the razor, using it is considerably cheaper than cartridges nowadays so they end up paying for themselves pretty quickly. I only have one Merkur at the moment and it is of nice quality so I might start with them and then add other brands later. I don't own any Parker's and am kind of apprehensive after consistently mixed reviews on almost all of their razors. It does however seem that most new 2 and 3 piece razors use the same style head regardless of brand so I would suggest getting a 2 or 3 piece razor from a brand of your choice and then scour eBay and thrift stores for a nice TTO.
I'm still glad I started with the Lord L6. Its been great and very nice to my face. Plus, $10-12 from Amazon makes it very affordable.
So glad I posted on here. Keep the suggestions coming I plan on making a decision within the next week- I honestly don't know how much longer I can keep up shaving daily with these awful cartridges. I may have to go back to shaving every three days and well... Yuck. I've seen a couple of ads on eBay and Amazon, but I cannot tell what is good and what is garbage.
Stay away from the Bay until you've got some DE experience under your belt so you know what your doing and looking at.
A very warm thank you to Troy M who sent me a Gillette Flair Tip and an assortment of blades. From the bottom of my burning face, I thank all of you on this forum for your assistance, I am so glad I found you. If Troy is any indication of the quality of people here, then I know I'm in good company.
I've found there are nothing but quality people here. You're in good hands. I think you will enjoy the Gillette Flair Tip. I use nothing but vintage razors, always have. I did buy a Merkur about a year ago but only used it about three times. Well done Troy!
Well I am 11 days into using my Flair-Tip, and thought I'd report what I have so far. BLADE QUEST: I had a couple of different blades already and there were 5 that TroyM sent with the razor. I spent a week trying different blades and eliminated the Personnas and no-name DE blades that I had- Very grabby and irritating. So far the Astra SP and the Gillete Silver and Blue have been the most forgiving, I just found some Derbys at Sally's that I will try today, I'm still on the hunt for a good blade- more on that later. PRE-SHAVE: I am using some Dove face-wash for men followed by 10-15 minutes of hot towels on my face. I have not yet tried a shaving oil or any other type of pre-shave. TECHNIQUE: After my initial share of nicks and cuts (and I always wondered what weepers were, but when I got my first ones it was very obvious), I settled into a really good routine. I think the most difficult thing for me was letting the razor do the work. Coming from the cartridge shaving world, this has been a bit of a learning curve- along with one additional issue- I've discovered that my beard is particularly tough. So initially my answer was to compromise my techinque- but even still it is taking 4 passes to get a somewhat (not even BBS) decent shave on certain parts of my face. I've looked at my technique over and over tried everything, but I believe it is just a problem of tough hair. Some blades actually work better- but not much. POST-SHAVE: Hot water rinse followed by cold water rinse, and topped of with some Bay Rum I got from my dad- the barber. Works really well, not a ton of alcohol- mostly witch hazel, glycerine and Bay Oil. When I have a particularly tough shave I may add some Dove after shave balm over the top of that (though I don't particularly like to use it every day since I have somewhat oily skin) PRELIMINARY CONCLUSION: Why don't father's teach their sons how to shave? Wow! what a difference, even with the small annoyances with my beard being too tough, I am enjoying a much nicer shave- I can shave every day now instead of waiting a day or two for my face to recover from the trauma!!! FEEDBACK NEEDED: With my beard being as tough as it is (particularly in the fleshy area beneath my chin- basically the bottom of my mandibular process, where the neck comes up and meets the chin) Do I need to continue to try different blades? I had heard Feathers are much sharper, but not for the newbie shaver. Or do I perhaps go for a different type of razor? Something more aggressive? If so, what would that be? Thanks in advance for the input.
Since you already have the razor, I'd get a blade sampler and try as many blades as you can. While you're trying out all those blades, you're also working on your technique. I'm not going be the one to tell you you don't need a new razor, but blades and technique are quite a bit cheaper than a new razor at this point. I have 30 plus DEs that all get used in my rotation; some are mild, some are aggressive. Bottom line is that I've found blades that work for me and I've mastered my technique to the point that I never get a bad shave no matter what razor/blade combo I'm using, just some shaves better than others. A bad golfer will always be a bad golfer no matter how expensive his clubs are if he doesn't take the time to master his technique.
