I just started wet shaving 6 months ago and really found some good info in the Den. Now that I'm retired I have the time for a quality shave and really enjoy using mug and brush. I still only use the DE for the first pass with the grain and now realize I need a better razor and better blades. I'm trying to buy an adj. DE so I can get more aggressive in stages. If anyone has info on what I should start with let me know. I'm thinking Gillette Fatboy but I'm certainly open to suggestions. Anyway Hello All.
Welcome to The Shave Den! A great community of guys and gals that enjoy wet shaving, I hope you enjoy your stay! Be sure to sign up for the October Newbie Give-Away for a chance to win some great shave gear! What kind of D/E ae you using now? What is you blade of choice? Have you sampled many blade brands?
Welcome to TSD! I believe you can get a good shave from almost any razor in good condition if pair with a blade that works well for you. If you want adjustable, I'd at least try one of the vintage Gillette ones first. The Merkur adjustable are just too expensive IMHO. I don't know that the differences in the varous Gillette models are enough to worry about which one to try first.
Back at ya Steve Mack from the Sunshine State! Welcome to TSD. My recommendation would be to try some SE razors. Specifically a Gem Jr. 1912, these are very aggressive razors but gentle as can be and consistently comfortable shaves.
+1 Once you learn the nuances of a razor any razor in good condition should give you a good shave. The key is finding out which blade works well for you in that razor. Now that you have been working on your technique for six months it is time to try as many blades as you can until you find your go-to blade. Welcome to The Shave Den. Jump on in, the water's fine!
First DE I came back to DE shaving after using the plastic Trac 2 type razors for 40 years....with subsequent lousy shaves. In early September, I found a Schick Krona on ebay and had the most satisfying shave I've experienced in a long time. The technique came back by the middle of the first shave and I feel it's like riding a bike in that you never lose the touch. I've gone from the Krona to a SS and from that, found a Fatboy which I use on #9....my old setting from the seventies. In the last week, I've found a Merkur Slant and today, bought a Gillette single ring for $5.00 and had a very close shave with that as well. I'll probably settle on the majority of my shaves using the Fatboy adjustable because it's what I grew up with and am most used to. I would suggest a decent adjustable which should be available for between 20 and 25 dollars and some De razors from Publix. The blades are made by American Razor and work just as well as the more expensive blades. Publix has about the best price and Walgreens the most expensive even though both are the same blade. Good luck in your search and keep experimenting if you can. It's a lot of fun and somewhat magical to shave with an instrument that was manufactured and designed 60-100 years ago....especially because the technology has not been improved in all those years.
