Ease into straight razor shaving by starting with a shavette. You need a tallow based soap to get the best lather. Open up the doors on your adjustable razor before you change the setting.
I agree completely, this is myth and in my experience was wrong. It delayed my entry in straights by more than year. Product 'X' is the greatest ever and will end your AD. More times that not when I followed the hype I was so disappointed.
I try for bbs every time. I'm not discontent if I end with just an ok shave, there is always tomorrow. but I strive for the best every time.
For me it depends on what I'm doing that day. Am I having a slow leisurely Sunday shave, working on the car all day, or sitting in a cubicle for 10 hours?
Shaving with a hair shaper blade is non sensical. (Which is lies. The best shave I could possibly get comes from a hair shaper razor)
I would certainly debate you that an EJ 89 is not a good beginners razor. I started with an EJ8911, and it was a great razor to begin with, and a great razor to continue with. You may be correct that it is a YMMV issue, but I have in the past recommended it, along with others, as a beginner razor, and will continue to do so. Why do you think that is wrong? And you most certainly can save money with DE shaving, but you might not if you let it devolve into a hobby, which most do to some degree. I know 3 individuals who do it strictly to save money, and are quite successful with it. They bought a $20 razor, an inexpensive brush, and buy inexpensive soaps, and refuse to spend over a certain amount. So it can be done. You just have to have discipline up front not to get into trying every blade and soap/cream out there, and succumbing to RAD.
"Arko smells like a urinal cake" Still wondering who get close enough to a urinal cake to know what it smells like.
As I said, this is a YMMV thing. I am sure DE89 is for many a good first razor, but I think there is a big group for who it is not fitting. I did not begin with DE89 myself, and after 6 months of only R41 I decided to get the much hyped DE89. It was the worst shaver I have ever tried, and even to this date it holds true. I have lost count of how many razors I have tried, but DE89 remains as the worst of worst. Having red hair, I am probably above average when it comes to coarseness of beard. People with red hair are also feeling more pain than other, so the combination of sensitive skin and coarse beard is maybe the worst combination for DE89. Somehow I suspect Parker 24C or even a Tech(-clone) would have better success rate as first razor. Parker 24C is not more aggressive than DE89, but gives the benefits of mild open combs, such as tiny gap but still decent shaver. Even thou I have not spent much time in this forum until recently, I have spent some years on Internet discussing DE shaving and I have seen several sharing my experience of DE89. Anyway, this is nothing I will debate further in the thread as it is in the questionable category. I am just going to leave a last thought for thinking: How many of you that begun with DE89 are still thinking it is the best razor ever made?
