Which DE for a newbie?

artistpaul

artistpaul

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17
Hi guys

Im a newbie Irishman living in Turkey.

I hope to get some good advice here.

I want to buy a DE, I think

new, vintage, secondhand, doesnt matter, but easy to find blades to suit on Ebay.

Ive very very sensitive skin and experience razor burn/ rash almost everytime using modern razors like Mach 3 etc from the supermarket.

Max budget £30

What models would you recommend bearing in mind the above skin issue, ease of use and that Im new to all of this?

Cheers in advance

paul
 
If you're not ure whether DE shaving is for you, it might be best to go for something fairly inexpensive. I don't know whether there are any cheap DE razors available in Turkey - certainly in the UK I'd be directing someone in your position towards a Wikinson Sword Classic or Boots' own brand DE, but things will be very different where you are, I imagine.

Otherwise, there are three popular choices for the newbie, all of which are slightly more expensive (though they are under your budget limit) but which have the advantage of being heavy, all-metal designs of good build quality. Two of these (the Muhle R89 and the Edwin Jagger DE89) share a head design which tends towards being a mild shaver - this may well suit you as a newbie with sensitive skin. Alternatively, the Merkur 34c, sometimes called the HD, is a popular choice (it was my first all-metal razor), but tends to be more aggressive. In some ways this aggressiveness is a good thing as it punishes poor technique and will get you used to doing things correctly; the downsde is that it may be off-putting to you initially compared to a milder design. Another option might be a Parker razor - I know little of these except that they are TTO (turn to open) designs that are quite cheap.

Check out our Wiki (http://wiki.theshavingroom.co.uk/wiki/Main_Page and the Youtube videos of Mark Herro (mantic59).
 
If you do go for the Merkur, EJ89 or Mühle R89, although the are good beginner razors, its doesn't mean that wont be good once you have good technique. They will both last you and serve you well as a beginner and experienced shaver
 
Merkur 34C HD. My first razor, and after owning about 7 or 8 other razors, it's still my daily shave, it's that good.

tends to be more aggressive. In some ways this aggressiveness is a good thing as it punishes poor technique and will get you used to doing things correctly;
Click to expand...

Fully agree Chris, great training razor as it develops great technique, and also aggressive enough to give a smooth result in minimum passes. Which in turn is very good for sensitive skin.
 
artistpaul said:
Hi guys

Ive very very sensitive skin and experience razor burn/ rash almost everytime using modern razors like Mach 3 etc from the supermarket.

Max budget £30

What models would you recommend bearing in mind the above skin issue, ease of use and that Im new to all of this?

Cheers in advance

paul
Click to expand...

Hi there Paul,

I usually don't recommend this razor to many people, but that second 'very' describing how sensitive your face is did the trick. That would be the Feather 'Popular' DE razor........not to be confused with the 'Portable model.

It's extremely mild and forgiving, with a metal head and plastic handle. Build is actually pretty good, and the TTO works fine. Yeah, this is a one piece razor where the doors open and close by twisting something on the handle.

The razor costs about $15 or so and it's easy to find online sellers for this item. It comes with a Feather blade which you don't wanna start with, so plan on buying a few different blades as well.

I know the EJ is a lot more aggressive than the Popular... the EJ feels like about #4-5 Gillette setting on my Fatboy. Heh, the Popular is preset on right around #1-2. Yeah, it's very mild, but can still be pretty effective with the right blade (needs to be a sharp one).

I'm thinking that starting with this razor might not be a bad idea for you. It'll be easy to develop some technique without doing much damage to yourself, and after that you can try something with more of a bite.

Of course, you could also try an adjustable razor dialed way down, but you have to keep from screwing with the settings for a while if you decide on one. Poor antdad (a member we sorta think of as our 'Housemother') never fully recovered from switching settings too soon. Very sad story.

Here's a pic of that Popular:
 

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I started with a merkur 1904 which served me very well indeed, it taught me about different blades and allowed me to work out what i wanted from a razor. I then got a DE87 which was certainly better, smoother, more controlable and better looking.

but lately i've been singing praises about the Gillette Tech. I picked one up in a set for £6 off a member on here, and its one of the best razors I have ever used. Its extremely accessible, forgives poor technique and rewards good technique. I found i was able to be extremely fast and loose with my technique when in a hurry and still get a great shave.
 
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