Thanks for your response slapo. The one I'm used to (which I think would be considered aggressive) doesn't have a comb, and the bar angle drops off quite sharply from the blade. Are there modern designs similar to this? I find with the Spanish razor that the weight does the work (although it's lighter than the 34c). All I need to do is guide it, with a little pressure. In comparison the 34c requires multiple stroking over the same area and I can't feel the blade. And yes, when it came to removing my tache I couldn't angle the 34c to remove the hairs directly under my nose. I gave up and used my Spanish razor. Perhaps I'm used to an aggressive shave and so the R41 would be okay for me.There are a few things that come to mind.
- The Merkur 34c is a relatively mild razor, and has a relatively narrow range of angles at which it can cut. You might want to be aware of it.
- I find that when tackling longer growth with a safety bar razor (especially a mild one), it's better to not lift the head off the skin unless necessary, than peforming "raking" moves, you might want to try "ploughing" moves.
- While a Muhle R41 can be tamed with some practice, it is fairly aggressive, so grokking it usually takes a bit of time.
- You would probably be better off with a head featureing an open comb design, as the comb doesn't flatten longer hair against the skin like a safety bar.
What is your budget?
Thank you very much for your advice and recommendations. I have researched the models you've proposed, but not found anything to my liking. I'd prefer a short gnurled handle. I agree with your advice on choice of materials, i.e. steel. Although the brass one I have has lasted about 50 years so far.There are quite a few decent razors under £60, but a lot of them are made from zinc alloy that's chrome coated, and once that coating wears off on the thread, that thread is unlikely to last long after that.
I suspect you might rather enjoy the Fatip Piccolo Special Edition. However, I don't find their build quality to be great. They'd probably last a good while if you'd be gentle with them, though. They are, however, reasonably priced.
Then there's Green Cult 1.1. It is a different design, but it's all-steel and should last very well.
Though I'm not quite sure how well it would cope with a week or more, as I haven't tried it on such. I could try it out on my arm and chest hair and report back, if you'd like.
There are TRC razor (https://www.therazorcompany.com/collections/trc-razors) which I have both and they are really well made, though the steel one would be a bit over your budget (plus postage). Having said that, I've tried the aluminium one on some longer growth and it went quite well.
RazoRock makes very good razors, but their prices in the UK have gone up significantly since Brexit, so they're above your budget.
There are also Yaqi (Harlequin, Vostok 70 OC, Sentinel 1.50 OC) and dscosmetic (e.g. X2) razors from China which mostly make clones of razors other manufacturers, such as RazoRock, make and they are less expensive than the originals. You can find them on AliExpress. I can share links if you'd like.
I do have a Weidi adjustable twist to open razor that might fit the bill as it worked fine for me on over a week's worth of growth and since I have currently too many razors and hardly use it, I could sanitise it and send it to you for free, if you'd like.
It looks like this:
View attachment 112723
If you'd like to have the freebie, do let me know.
Thanks for your advice. I have just purchased a Fatip Piccolo, so I'll see how I get on with it. If I'm not happy then I'll explore your suggestions. (My old Spanish army issue one looks similar to the #6 in your photo).Are you set on buying a brand new razor?
There is a world of great vintage razors, many of which can be found in really excellent condition. The British Gillette 'New' with an open-comb might suit you very well indeed and hails from an era when men shaved less frequently. The 'New' type gave rise to the Gillette Tech, for which the British versions were essentially 'New' types with a solid bar rather than an open-comb and suited a newer type of fellow who shaved more frequently.
I made a thread about how (certainly in the British market) the 'New' morphed into the 'Tech' - see: https://www.theshavingroom.co.uk/co...s-journey-of-the-british-gillette-tech.58219/
The ones marked as 5 and 6 would be my recommendations, but the American pre-WW2 Tech (letter A - notice the triangular drain holes) is considered every bit as capable as the 'New' type that it replaced (number 1).
Back to brand new ...
Maybe consider a Merkur 15C/23C which is their copy of the Gillette 'Old' type, arguably the original and (still) best. I shyed away from recommending one above as they're often in tatty condition and the tubular handles are prone to cracking and falling apart. With that knowledge, you could keep your eyes open.
While something like the Merkur Progress (or any adjustable) might seem like a great idea, in actual fact it's a large head to accomodate all the settings that are NOT suitable to you and you'll never use. Better to just find a capable razor that will swipe away days of growth without issue - yes, the 'New' and the Tech are wholly capable of this.
For what's it worth, the Fatip Special Edition is basically the same as the Piccollo, it just has an additional base plate and a different colour scheme, which, unfortunately, is reported to not be very durable, unlike on the nickel plated Fatips.After reading many reviews I have decided to try a Fatip Piccolo Nickle plated brass model. It is surprisingly cheap, and I found a UK website that has them far cheaper than anywhere else: https://connaughtshaving.com/index.html
I'll let you know how I get on. Thanks for your time and input.
yea, get a Tech. great razor, i have 9 razors and the one i use most is a Tech. it just works whatever blade you put in it . so just get a Tech, they are cheap and plenty are for sale a tainted brass one will shave as good as a mint never used one. ps did i say just gat a Tech.
is it a Tech?Chaps, he's already ordered a razor.
This is really interesting!! I have been slacking off recently, sometimes shaving weekly, and it hadn't occurred to me that an injector would be good!!!You need an injector razor for a multiday beard. No DE can compete for longer hair. None.
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