I am where I want to be with my vintage collection of DE's even though a few elude me. So I am wondering which Modern DE is the best and why ?
IMO, EJ98L. It has a perfect weight and beautiful finish. Its one of the smoothest razors Ive used(in my short time of wetshaving-5 months)
The fit and finish on the EJ's are nice, but there really is no "Best" razor, to many personal preferences and opinions.
I love my EJ DE87. I like my Merkur slant a lot. I like my Feather Popular. The best one is the one that works best for you.
Wow.. that is one of those questions where if you ask 10 of us, you will get 20 different answers. So, why don't I oblige and give you a bunch So here is my list: Best modern razors: EJ 89 good fit and finish - good shave for most. Lord L6 (cheapest on the list) - not expensive, decent fit, good shaves, handle is too light Merkur HD - Merkur sometimes don't have a clean mold release. The bits of metal left over do not affect the shave, but they don't look the best either. Merkur slant - same problems as the other Merkur best aggressive razor? Well, it looks like the group is yelling the new Muhle Pinsel R41. out of my price range so will probably never try but they may be the best: Feather Stainless PILS iKon OSS
The best modern DE is the Merkur Futur because it improves every blade that I've used with it. It's an adjustable, thus it go from mild to wild. On the highest setting it's more aggressive than a Slant and on the lowest setting it's smoother than the EJDE89 or 1940's super speed.
Best modern razor Merkur Vision 1) It's not particular when it comes to blades. Any blade seems to work well. 2) It's not particular when it comes to shaving angle. It's almost newb proof. 3) It's adjustable Simple, any blade, almost any angle, and any level of aggression. The only new d/e IMHO that's even close is the Futur.
As far as best modern razor, I think most above have saidit...YMMV factor just too high to get an answer...Most popular, well that changes from time to time...I think there is no doubt at the current time the EJ89l is leading the herd in popularity. And it is certainly a fabulous instrument at a great price... You couldn't go wrong with any of the modern razors you see your Den-Mates using on the SoS forum...Last year the Merkur HD was the Razor du Jour...And there are many high end razor that don't become as popular because of price, but if you have the bread, enough said... I say pick the one that looks best to you and get it and keep doing that until you have found that elusive razor soul-mate... You can always Sell, Trade. of Pif it here at the Den without any problem, I believe...When I check out the BST forum here things seem to always move pretty quickly, sometimes too quickly...:happy102 Good Luck...
This one. No, no. That one. Wait! Wait! Wait. THAT ONE OVER THERE! As has been said, the best one is the one you like. Pick one. If you don't like it, sell it or trade it here at the Den. If you do like it, keep it, then buy another one to try.
Everybody already covered the YMMV bit and the razors I would say are my favorites from my limited experience have already been mentioned too. However, I am really appreciating the 89L. For the money, it is amazing. Second would be the slant. For me, YMMV, and all other applicable disclaimers apply.
No argument with all that has been said, but I have to mention the Merkur 38c Barber Pole-it's my favorite modern razor. I don't have a Sledgehammer yet-I'm pretty sure I'm gonna love that one too. The 38c is long and heavy-I like Heft.
I LOVE my Muhle R106 (+1 for all those EJ's that use the Muhle head). I use it very often...but the shaves sure don't last as long as my old Autostrop.
Justin said it right. Such a question will get a multitude of answers. Hopefully you've gotten some ideas, but it might also help to know what characteristics in your vintage ones you like most. Less aggressive? More aggressive? Fit and finish? As long as you pick a quality maker, you'll find one that you like.
The Edwin Jagger DE89 series and Merkur 34C receive widespread acclaim on the forums, and there must be a reason for that. Would that qualify them as the best? Perhaps pretty darned good is good enough. Both work quite well for me, as well as a Gillette "slim" adjustable overall. The Merkur has a more grippy handle, but the DE89 has a better fit and finish.
:sihns011 As has been said many times above the EJ's would be a great choice, and if it doesn't work for you, I'm sure you wouldn't have any trouble selling it.
I reflect Jeff's curiosity...I mean for me the Gillette Adjustable is the epitome of modern razor design... Or maybe one of the Schick Repeaters...Their design is so ultra modern its almost like science fiction...:happy102
