I'm new to this whole thing. I remember watching my dad shave with a safety razor years ago. I want to start using a safety razor and I have no idea where to start. I do have a full beard, however my cheeks and neck require shaving to keep it neat. So I don't do a lot of shaving daily. How do I know which razor to get? I'm not up to paying a fortune for a razor, but I don't want to get a piece of junk either. Do I go new or vintage? What are the best blades? See, I'm full of questions and don't know who to ask. Someone point a dumb newbie in the right direction please.
I had so much fun with wet shaving that I got rid of the beard in my avatar. There are a lot of options. I started with a razor, one type of blades, soap and a brush. It kind of went crazy from there.
I have a tendency to go overboard when I do something. Years ago I saw an old Singer Sewing machine. I can't sew but I liked the way it looked. By the time I came to my senses, I had 27 old sewing machines dating as far back as 1897. I hope I can restrain myself with razors.
Nope. Don't see it hap'nin' not with razors, brushes, blades, soaps, creams, aftershaves, colognes...
That link is great, but if you want a shortcut... 1. Go to italianbarber.com and order the Plissoft Synthetic Shaving brush, the Razorock Soap that sounds best to you, and 20 Astra SP blades (enough for 30 days plus shipping time while you wait for the follow up blade sampler later). 2. Go to ebay and pick up a Gillette superspeed or flare tip. You should be able to find one in decent condition for under $25 shipped. 3. While you wait for those to arrive, go check out the YouTube videos from Mantic and Geofatboy. 4. When your superspeed shows up, give it a thorough cleaning using some hot water, dish soap, and scrubbing bubbles. 5. When you soap and brush arrive, practice loading the brush and face lathering 5 - 10 times before actually shaving. 6. Shave. You should pick up the DE technique fairly quickly, though it may take a little more time to master building a proper lather (at least it did for me).
You are going to fit in here fine. Let me introduce you to some of our acronyms: AD- Acquisition Disorder RAD- Razor Acquisition Disorder SAD- Soap Acquisition Disorder SRAD- Straight Razor Acquisition Disorder BAD- Brush Acquisition Disorder ASAD- Aftershave Acquisition Disorder Joking. (Kind of.) My best piece of advice is to get a simple set up to start, and learn how to use it. Chasing the next piece of equipment thinking it will get you a great shave is a pretty deep rabbit hole most of us go down. There is a 30 day focus group that can really help you get started on technique. Welcome aboard.
I wouldn't go vintage for my first razor but that's just me. I think the two most recommended new razors for people starting out are the Edwin Jagger DE89 or the Merkur 34c. I personally have the DE89 and love the razor although I wish I wouldn't have got the handle I did, I hate having to stop to dry my hand to be able to grip the razor. As far as blades go I would order a sample pack so you can try several out and see which you prefer. They're all pretty cheap so you can pick up a nice variety. Everything is so subjective you'll really just have to test things out and see what you're preferences are. By the sounds of it you'll have a nice den in no time.
Being new myself I think I got everything a beginner could ask for in the merkur 34c it is reasonably priced well made and very forgiving I did quite a lot of research before purchasing and the general opinion is it's a great razor to start with mine was £30 which I believe translates to 50 dollars give or take with 1 free blade the astra sp blades combined with advice from TSD have worked out well for me I also got proraso shave cream which is nice and cheap
I KNEW this message was coming! Lol Note his story about old sewing machines. My shiny new beginner's razor shaves great. But it makes me sad. It has no soul.
How much do you enjoy your beard? Do you wear it because you hated shaving? You could get a nice vintage Gillette Super Speed for $20-25, pick up a blade sample pack, an Omega or Semogue brush, and shop HERE for soap and aftershave and blades.
You're going to find the variety of razors, both new and vintage to be overwhelming and you're going to want them all. That's okay, it's probably happened to all of us here. You're also going to get plenty of advise here. Know that you're in good company.
I've had my beard for 35 years. I guess I enjoy it, of course I liked it more before it went white. Besides it hides the double chin! I did get a Super Speed for $13.00 on ebay. Now I'm looking for a blade sample pack, brush, soap, yadda, yadda, yadda.........
