How they look, it's all about what you like. Some people express concerns that some smooth ones may be slippery, I think those concerns may be exaggerated.
I've tried both shaving soaps and creams. I tend to prefer creams because they seem to be easier to work into a lather. Is there an advantage over one or the other?
I just wanted to take a minute and thank everyone for all the well wishes and advice. Y'all have really made me fell at home.
When it comes to the shave itself, no. A puck of soap will generally last longer than a tube of cream; that's about the only difference I notice.
Ok, here's a question. I kind of asked this earlier but I'll try to clarify. Is the a definitive year of super speed for every day shaving?
to TSD Flarng.... NO.. There is no definitive or best year for a "daily shaving razor" as they are all "VERY" much a "YMMV" kind of thing for each individual...For instance I like and use a 3 piece(Weber DLC) and don't particularly care for either the late 40's SS or the Flair tip SS's, but I do love the late 40's-early/mid 50's Aristocrat TTO's... The only way to know if you like a particular razor is to try it out for a while...Which if your getting into collecting isn't a problem, in fact it's a great excuse(the one I used) to begin your collection...
I feel that the Merkur cross knurl is a great razor for starters. The long pole makes it comfortable for those coming from cartridges. At least that's what worked for me. I have tried a lot of razors and for me I still love Merkur the best.
The colored tips SS's were Gillette's way of signifying aggressiveness for a short time. The blue tip was the mildest, the red tip was the most aggressive, with a black tip being made that was in middle. Have a look at the Safety Razors master sticky for several Super Speed guides: http://theshaveden.com/forums/threads/safety-razor-master-sticky.22273/
Welcome to the den. I just started about 6months ago and i cam here asking the same questions. you will find all your answers here there are a lot of helpful people here. As far as the razor I got a Merkur 34C for my first and i love it. I hated it a first then came here and found i had the wrong blades and i got a sample pack from the shave den shop. All I can say is WOW what a difference. I also got some guys at work using these now and everyone ask me what razor to buy. I always tell the to get a good quality razor because if your here asking about them you will figure it out and fall in love with it. Trust me you probably by about 5 things of soap 5 things of after shave and maybe another razor and a mess of blades it fun. I hope this helps enjoy.
Welcome. I have say I concur with others who suggested the EJ DE89. I also started recently - but have collected a handful of Gillette vintages too. And so far the EJ is hands downs the easiest IMO to get started with, especially if you need to learn to "let the razor do the work". It's substantial and weighty which will let you focus on angle instead of pressure, which I'm finding is key. And take GDCarringtons advice - find a good selection of samples 2 each - (http://www.tryablade.com/ has I good selection - just ordered a bunch myself from here) - find something that works - order enough for a month (10 - 20 depending upon how frequently you are going through them) and stick with it for a month. After that only change one thing at a time to tune. It works! And again welcome! This is a great bunch of guys and gals that are very helpful.
Hi, I have not logged on here for about 6 months. When I started I had a gillette red tip and a tech. I loved the tech even though it didn't shave close under my chin (lack of skill probably). I sold the red tip but regret it as I think it would now be the perfect razor for me. It really does get easier all the time, after 3 months I was pretty good, and using a slim. 6 months on I still use the slim and barely have to think about it. It has become second nature. My tip would be, start with a mild razor like a tech and don't use sensitive skin creams unless you need to as they may not work as well for you. These days I can shave with anything but early on I needed good cream.
