Hi all! I wanted to post this and introduce myself. I am very new to the world of DE's and brush style shaving. I just got intrested in this when a friend of mine told me that the skin irritation I get was from my multi blade throw away razor. Well, Long story short... I went to Wallgreens and bought a brush and soap and WOW! This is incredible... I look forward to getting to know you.
Welcome aboard! Warning, this can become a very addictive thing! As far as razors go, you have multiple options. Vintage Gillettes, which are excellent shavers, can be found at places like eBay, or even at your local antique stores. However, being new to it all, I'd keep my eye out in our Classifieds forum for people selling them - usually there are a lot up for sale. You are more likely to find a decent one that way, and less likely to get screwed. If you want a new one, like a Merkur, your best bet is online. There are several great vendors. Leesrazors.com, classicshaving.com, qedusa.com, vintagebladesllc.com, just to name a few. Additionally, you could call around to cutlery shops or general knife shops in your area - they sometimes carry Merkur razors. That is how I got my first one. Or see if there are any barber supply shops in the area. Deciding which one is best can also seem daunting, so don't hesitate to ask for opinions. If there is one thing you will find in over-abundance around here, it is opinions! Glad to have you aboard!
First, Welcome to TSD. Where the lather is slick and whiskers wither. My recommendation for a razor is to purchase a vintage Gillette Superspeed or Tech from one of the members here (or an antique store if you can find one with razors). My favorite of the three razors I own is the Superspeed that belonged to my Great Grandfater. You can also go with a new razor from Murker or Parker (I hear the 3-piece parke is much better than the Twist-to-open). Whatever you buy, be sure to watch the videos from Mantic59 on Youtube. Watching (and paying attention to) those videos will cut your learning curve in half.
Welcome aboard! Re: buying here. In my (admittedly limited) personal experience, members understate the quality of products, and you'll end up with a very nice, very usable razor, for a very good price. I'd buy here over ebay. Watch all of Mantic's videos, surf around here, and join in the fun!
welcome slick, I think I may have something you'd like in terms of a razor if you haven't already found one
Welcome to the Den. Keep us updated on what you decide to get and do get a DE, much better results than with the Mach 3
one of the two in the middle...60's - 70's superspeed, can't remember their exact year... this is a pre-cleanup pic, they both turned out really nice, though I'll try to post an updated pic this evening
Welcome to TSD. I think you'll be happy with your decision. Wet shaving is where it's at man. :happy088
here's some updated pics of the K2 1965 flair-tip superspeed (I don't currently have the other one in my possession, it's on "loan")
