Thinking about switching from a cartridge to a DE

Can somebody recommend a good DE for somebody that doesn't know anything about them and is starting out?

Also, what is the learning curve coming from a cartridge multi-blade razor? I tried and failed to learn straight razor shaving, will this be a good stepping stone?

What are the advantages over a cartridge razor? Does it give a closer shave?

 

I sent you a PM

 

Merkur 34c or Edwin Jagger DE89 are modern razors that are often recommended for newcomers to DE shaving. well made, reasonably priced, sufficiently mild...

Biggest change going from cart to DE is technique. Unlike carts, VERY little pressure is required to get a good shave from a DE razor. Going from Cart to DE to Straight razor is a more natural progression than going directly from cart to SR.

Most find DE razors achieve as close a shave as the best carts. Carts can and do deliver a very close, smooth shave. The downside for many is the amount of skin irritation, red bumps, soreness, etc that result from cart shaving. COST is often a reason given for switching for the pricey carts to the more 'reasonable' DE shavers—but inevitably, it seems, the cost-savings are eaten up by the insatiable desire of wet-shavers to accumulate MORE stuff (razors, brushes ,soap, etc).

Good luck! Once on the journey, theres no turning back!

 

What Kevin said.

 

What does the 34C mean? Is it the handle length or something?

 

Model number

 

The twist to open razors at Walmart are really quite good as are soap and brush. The trick is finding the right blade. They can easily be found in Assortments on line.
Learning curve is a month or two. It's a good stepping stone.

It does give a close shave for pennies on the dollar.
As you know the head does not pivot so finding and keeping angle on a curved surface and using almost zero pressure will be the big trick once you find a good sharp but not too sharp blade.

 

Honestly I recommend going straight for a Gillette adjustable. Black beauty or Slim.

 

Yep. Van der Hagen sells a complete kit at walmart for about $25 IIRC. That and a blade sampler from the likes of Maggard razors or even Amazon.com. Will get you started on the right track with minimal expense.

 

How do I know what blade to get?

 

You don't. That's why you buy a sample pack.

I gotta run, so could someone point this fine gent in the direction of sample packs?

Welcome to the Den.

 

Wait what?!!!

 

The hardest thing for me to figure out was that every blade was different, for every razor, and every person. I blade that works awsome for me in one razor, may not work in another razor. A blade that works well for someone else may be painful for me. My favorite part of wet shaving is the trial and experimentation part of it.

I started out with a starter kit with razor, brush, soap, blade sampler from Maggards. I then bought a vintage TTO, and kind of went from there.

 

I would agree that if you are just starting and don't know what you want this is a good option. I started with the VanderHagen and got my technique down then moved on to different razors. As for blades I would go online and get a sampler packet.

 

If you are looking for new, I like to recommend the Razorock Mission from ItalianBarber.com. $20 and includes 20 blades from 3 different makers. I used and never had any issues. I do like the vintage Gillette razors better, but I didn't want to worry about finding a good vintage when I was new to DE. I currently also have a Edwin Jagger razor with the same head as the DE89, and this is a great razor, just a bit more money.

 

Welcome to TSD, BTW!

 

Whatever you do, don't jump right to a 1924 model Ever Ready single edge. Just trust me on this.

 

If you are thinking about getting a vintage razor instead, there are starter kits from Gary's Sample Shop ($40 USD incl shipping)

 

Welcome and yes you should.

 

to TSD "7055"

Either the EJ89 or Merkur 34C are good razors(I own both). I'd recommend the EJ over the Merkur only because the EJ is a 3 piece razor and the handle can be changed in the future(making it more versatile) should you desire a different length, width, weight. I'd also advise going with a solid bar at first, as many shavers find them milder. I've definitely found "traditional" DE and SE shaving to be both closer and more comfortable than cart shaving as well as more inexpensive. Get a large blade sampler pack. Blade choice is very individual and only your face can tell you if a blade is right for you.

DE shaving and Straight shaving are not stepping stones for each other. DE is much easier to learn than Straight, although most SR shavers will tell you it's worth the extra effort involved.

I think you will discover that "traditional" shaving has many advantages over cart shaving. Welcome to our obsession!