Razor suggestions needed please

S

Sandalwoody

Joined
Tuesday April 30, 2024
Hi,

I’m 53 years old and new to wet shaving and everything that goes with it.

So far I have bought a bought a Simpson’s Duke 3 best badger brush and 4 soaps. To be honest, it’s going to take me ages to use all the soaps, etc I bought so far, but I enjoy trying different kit.

Having introduced myself on the Welcome forum, I was asked if I have given thought to what DE razor I will be using.

I am currently a Gillette fusion man
Having never used a DE razor, I want something that is safe, easy to use and gives me a nice clean shave. I must admit, I am a little fearful of tearing my face apart.

Suggestions would be welcomed along with accompanying blade combinations.

I would rather keep it to below £40 at this stage if possible. That said, I could stretch a little if the investment is worth it.
 
Personally I would recommend a Rockwell 2C. Of course I am biased as I like the Rockwell a lot. But then again so will everyone recommending a razor as it's based on THEIR experience.
The 2C is within your budget and it offers a choice of two levels of aggression. Start with side 1 if you are concerned about nicks. The shave won't be close but you'll get to understand how a DE works driving it around your face. Then flip the baseplate and you'll be amazed :)
That's my two pence worth of advice.
 
Usual starter razors suggested are the Muhle r89 (or clone of the r89 Edwin jagger de89, king c Gillette) or Merkur 34c.

I started with a king c Gillette and moved to a Rockwell 6c which is just above your budget but gives the opportunity to try varying levels of aggression.

Often a Henson medium is suggested which is above your budget when new but can be picked up for ~£50 on the bst.
 
@Sandalwoody Easy to use is somewhat subjective, and all razors that cut close can also cut the skin. It's like you're switching from a car with an automatic transmission to a car with a manual one.

The Henson Al13 medium (also labeled "++") is more expensive than your budget, but it's a solid choice and my top recommendation - built-in shaving angle, quite reasonably efficient.
I'd choose it over the usual recommendation of Muhle R89/Edwin Jagger DE89/Merkur 34C - better materials, a little easier to grok, more comfortable to use (for me).
Roughly around the top end of your budget, there are also the Pearl Blaze (coated brass), RazoRock MJ-90a (aluminium), RazoRock Baby Smooth (aluminium) and RazoRock Lupo (aluminium) that might be worth your attention. The Pearl Blaze is a bit heavy, but along with the MJ-90a is a similar shave to the Muhle R89 and Edwin Jagger DE89 and likely to last longer.
Lupo and Baby Smooth are different designs, and of the two, the Baby Smooth has less blade feel and can be a bit gentler, while the Lupo lets you know where the blade is more noticeably, but can feel a little rough, especially if your angle is off.

If you shave infrequently, however, you might want to consider an open comb design, such as a Merkur 33C or a Fatip Piccolo (both of which have quality control issues, but are within your budget).

There are also vintage razors (Gillette Tech, Gillette old type...), but you'd likely have to clean and sanitise them yourself before using them. It's fairly easy to do, but not everyone is up for it.

Regardless of which razor you end up going for, you'll want to make sure that your facial hair is well hydrated as well as your lather. The latter because a well hydrated soap provides better glide, doesn't gunk up the razor and is easy to rinse off both your skin and the razor. You can test the lather just using your fingers - if there's no resistance and plenty of glide, it's likely good to go.
You also want to only exert enough force to keep the razor on the skin and moving, but not so much that it would dig into the skin. If your angle is good and the blade sharp, then that should be all you'll need.
 
I endorse what @slapo says… and all the others really. I’d hold off on the Rockwell and get the 6S or 6C later… then you can experiment with different blade gaps. I’d also recommend the G&F Timor… which is what I bought. Dave from Executive Shaving has a YouTube video where he goes into the D89s and Timor. Personally, I’d also consider a vintage Tech… you’ll end up keeping it forever (except I sold mine… oops!)

My personal view is: get the pre-shave, the lathering and the post-shave right and you’re more than halfway there.
 
As well as all of the above, if you can't be bothered with a razor that comes in several pieces there are also razors like the Wilkinson Sword Classic TTO (turn/twist to open or butterfly) one piece razor, available from their website for less than £20 or some supermarkets and eBay/amazon for about £10. Just saying!
 
Asking what Razor Members prefer on a Shaving Foum is like asking a bloke what kind of Woman he prefers. You'll get a thousand different answers.
Whichever one you get you'll have to learn to use. There are folk on here with more knowledge than I'll ever have so I'd say listen to those Guys. They will not put you wrong. Good luck.
 
Appreciate the helpful and informative responses.

A couple of (basic) follow on questions if I may.

1) What is the difference between open comb and closed comb razors - both technically and impact in terms of use/usability and results?

2) other than ease of changing/inserting blades, would preference be for 2 or 3 piece razors

3) do specific razor/blade parings work better than others?
 
1- Dunno. I always thought that open combs might be more aggressive, but never tried one
2- When your hands shake as much as mine, you have to employ a boy to change blades for you… or grow a beard
3- Yes. That means there are about three gazillion combinations to try out… that’s why we have so many razors and blades.

Don’t take theses answers too seriously…
 
wayne_m said:
Asking what Razor Members prefer on a Shaving Foum is like asking a bloke what kind of Woman he prefers. You'll get a thousand different answers.
Whichever one you get you'll have to learn to use. There are folk on here with more knowledge than I'll ever have so I'd say listen to those Guys. They will not put you wrong. Good luck.
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Made me laugh and very true.
I found my Muhle R89 a brilliant razor to learn with but you can't go wrong with a Gillette Tech either, so many choices good luck and enjoy the journey of discovering what works best for YOU.
 
Sandalwoody said:
Appreciate the helpful and informative responses.

A couple of (basic) follow on questions if I may.

1) What is the difference between open comb and closed comb razors - both technically and impact in terms of use/usability and results?

2) other than ease of changing/inserting blades, would preference be for 2 or 3 piece razors

3) do specific razor/blade parings work better than others?
Click to expand...

1: I find open Comb razors give me a slightly better shave due to the fact it leaves behind more soap etc, it also allows for a little more blade exposure, the closed Comb can completely remove the soap etc in a single pass making you shave on dry skin.
But others will find this is not the case for them.
2: Nothing at all it's purely down to you and perhaps needs if you find it difficult to load blades due to a health issue.
3: This is a million dollar question and one we could only recommend from our own experience but there's no answer set in stone, you will just get our personal thoughts it will be whatever you find you really enjoy matching together as blades can make a big difference to a shave and an individual.
Sorry that I can't really be more helpful but it's @wayne_m answer about women that's really the takeaway.
 
Johnny Bravo said:
1: I find open Comb razors give me a slightly better shave due to the fact it leaves behind more soap etc, it also allows for a little more blade exposure, the closed Comb can completely remove the soap etc in a single pass making you shave on dry skin.
But others will find this is not the case for them.
2: Nothing at all it's purely down to you and perhaps needs if you find it difficult to load blades due to a health issue.
3: This is a million dollar question and one we could only recommend from our own experience but there's no answer set in stone, you will just get our personal thoughts it will be whatever you find you really enjoy matching together as blades can make a big difference to a shave and an individual.
Sorry that I can't really be more helpful but it's @wayne_m answer about women that's really the takeaway.
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Everyone is different, but I get exactly the same shave from an OLD type, which is open comb, as I do from a Tech, which is solid bar.
Folks used to just buy a razor to shave with and that was their razor for the next ten years. It's hard to find a razor that doesn't shave well.
 
wayne_m said:
Asking what Razor Members prefer on a Shaving Foum is like asking a bloke what kind of Woman he prefers. You'll get a thousand different answers.
Whichever one you get you'll have to learn to use. There are folk on here with more knowledge than I'll ever have so I'd say listen to those Guys. They will not put you wrong. Good luck.
Click to expand...

Just hope it dosn’t cost me as much to find the right one!
 
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TobyC said:
All razors work just fine and all blades will shave, just get something from a well known vendor, not some off brand cheapo thing and you will be OK. And stay with that one razor for a while and learn it before getting something else. Remember, they're safety razors, they won't kill you, I think you will be pleasantly surprised.
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I agree with this (and pretty much everything else that's written on the thread). The el cheapo will probably give a perfectly good shave, but if you drop it it will probably have stopped being sold under that name and you'll never find it. My own first and favourite, the Wilkinson Sword Classic (plastic two piece) is sadly no longer available in the mainstream, but an R89/DE89 or Gillette Tech will be available for a long time (and yes, they still make the Tech https://www.aliexpress.com/item/100...nufEfU1K&utparam-url=scene:search|query_from:).
 
TobyC said:
All razors work just fine and all blades will shave, just get something from a well known vendor, not some off brand cheapo thing and you will be OK. And stay with that one razor for a while and learn it before getting something else. Remember, they're safety razors, they won't kill you, I think you will be pleasantly surprised.
Click to expand...

You won’t get better advice than this.
 
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