I am new to DE shaving and i currently have a Merkur Heavy Duty #34C and I might be looking to get another razor. I was looking to an adjustable razor because I like the fact that i can adjust it but I'm not sure that its a good thing with being new to DE razors. I'm a trinket kind of guy i like that kind of stuff. Can anyone give me some advice on what one to get or should i not get one being a rookie with these. I'm going on about 3 months using my Merkur and I have had some razor burn problems but i think i have them worked out now. Any help would be nice.
Well, you have been doing this enough that you should have your technique down. For the adjustable razors, my favorite and my all time favorite is the Gillette Slim. They are available on e-Bay and that would be the one I would recommend over all the others. It was my second DE razor and is still my go to razor.
I have been using a Gillette Slim Adjustable for over thirty five years and love it. If you like razors with a thicker handle then I suggest the Fat Boy.
Some of the more experienced memebers here pointed me to the Gillette Super Adjustable and it was he best advice I could have gotten. Like GDCarrington, it is my go to razor. Unlike many other members, I set mine when I found the right setting and have not fiddled with it since. You will figure out your preferrences. Dave
It is interesting how the trend comes back to the Gillette adjustable razors. FatBoy Slim Super Adjustable (Long or Short) They are available and even after 40-50 years are very well thought of in the Traditional Shaving community.
Any of the Gillette adjustables are a good picks I.M.O. I've used all of them and it just depends on your likes and dislikes...Fat short handle,medium or long handle...The "Short handle Super Adjustable" is a favorite of mine...That said I now only use 3 piece razors, adjustables simply don't interest me any longer, with my current favorite being the Weber DLC coated stainless steel shave head mated to a Greistshaving "FAT" brass handle... If you like your Merkur 34C, but are looking at other razors, you may want to consider an EJ 89, a vintage Gillette Fat Handle tech or even something like a Lord or Weishi, all are really good razors, easy to find and not overly expensive... Since you like gadgets, I think you will appreciate the 3 piece ability of changing handles and therefore handling charateristics(length,weight,knurling) of a 3 piece shave head...
It may be a handful for a beginner DE shaver, but having owned a variety of adjustable razors, my favorite is the Merkur Futur.
Thanks for the fast response from all. I was doing a little looking and the only Gillette Slim i see is on Ebay. What is the average price and is there anything that i should look for buying a used razor. i have never got a used razor and I'm not going to lie getting a used razor kinda weirds me out but i can get past that. i just don't want to get one on Ebay and screwed over. If anyone has any other recommendations to get on I'm open for ideas. Can i get some thoughts on this razor
henry87349, everyone has given you great advice. I have several types of Gillette adjustables, but the Fat Boys are probably my favorites. (I asked Santa for a Merkur Futur)
I understand your concerns, but I would bet that most of the used razors for sale on the retail market were purchased by the seller from estate sales, auctions, etc. and probably have not been used for years (or decades). The vast majority of any harmful microorganisms from a previous owner are probably long gone. If you are concerned about health/safety dangers, I wouldn't; there are probably more harmful germs on your toothbrush than on most razors for sale on eBay. Besides, I clean & disinfect every razor I buy before use. (According to the can, Scrubbing Bubbles kills 99.9% of all common bacteria)
Correct! There are additional methods of both cleaning and disinfecting so that the razor is clean in more ways than one.
I've never used a new modern adjustable razor, but I have read good things about the Merkur Progress(manic59 seems to like his)...Most of my razors and "ALL" of my adjustables have come used off of ebay...I just clean them up with some dawn detergent and then some scubbing bubbles.. One caution about ebay..While I have gotten some less than perfect items, most of the people I've dealt with have been honest, decent people to deal with, better in alot of cases then a big company...That said ebay is still a gamble and many of the people on ebay who sell razors(DE,SE,Injectors,Straights) don't use them and don't neccesarily know that much about them..So its up to you to do your research, learn as much as you can about the razor you want and ask "ALOT" of questions to the sellers..
thanks for making me feel better about that. Do y'all know what a good price is for a Gillette slim? Sontag: I just showed santa the Merkur Futur
Generally in good condition any where from $25 - $75 depending upon if it has a case or not. E-Bay is an auction site so unless there is a BIN you are in with other bidders. The prices do go up around Christmas.
eBay can be a great place for bargains and a great place to get your credit card compromised. Prices on adjustables on eBay were running between $35 and $65+ this fall when I was shopping and bidding on them. I also visited every antique store/flea market etc. I happened past plus I spent a couple days at antique fairs and then finally found one for $25 about a mile from home at an antique store in town. If you find one at a store at least you can hold it in your hand for a careful inspection and the prices can often be lower than what you'll find on eBay. Of course it takes more time to go to antique stores but I enjoy it and I ended up with a couple of nice straight razors and several nice vintage safety razors plus other odds and ends. Don't worry about buying and using a razor that someone else has used. They're made of metal and a good cleaning with Scrubbing Bubbles and a toothbrush (not your wife's) will get all the old soap scum off and kill anything else at the same time. You can find several "how to" threads on cleaning and sanitizing old razors that give all the details on what you need to know without damaging your razor's finish. You might do a bit of research on how different adjustables fall on the mild to aggressive scale compared to your 34C. I've read that the older Gillettes (FatBoy) are more aggressive than the newer ones and I've also read that the Merkur Futur that Kevin suggested is more aggressive still. I ended up finding a FatBoy and I had it cranked wide open after only 3 or 4 shaves (and I think I'd like something even more aggressive) while other members are happy to keep their FatBoys on a much milder setting. There are also adjustable SE razors (Schick) so you might keep your eye out for one of those too. Good luck and have fun shopping and shaving!
They usually go for $30-$40 on eBay, but I found most of mine for less than half of that at antique stores/malls. I hope that Santa's German elves come through for both of us.
Don't forget to look in the B/S/T Classifieds here and elsewhere. You can usually finder better prices and quality if you are patient. FYI-I love my '66 Slim.
Slims do seem to be in greater abundance than the Gillette Fatboys; plus their prices haven't quite hit the stratospheric proportions the FB's reach sometimes on ebay—especially this time of year. I enjoyed both adjustables. Both provided comfortable shaving experiences at a number of settings. My overall preference was the 'heftiness' of the FatBoy, but either did the job quite nicely. Cranked to maximum, both were sufficiently aggressive to mow down pretty much any stubborn whisker, but not so much so as to draw rivers of blood if one slipped up a bit. The Futur, by the way, may not be as forgiving, wide-open. Set at maximum (6), the Futur exposes much of the blade edge and has sufficient gap to do damage should your mind wander. I tend to keep it in the cozy 4-5 range, where one can feel the blade edge, get extremely close, and not inadvertently shear off extra skin. At a lower setting (1-3.5), the Futur is 'mildly aggressive' in that it is very efficient in hair-reduction, but the risk for injury is reduced substantially.
