Which should I choose, newbie.

I say get a Tech first. I got a nice one on ebay for £12 and apart from a burning desire to try adjustable vintage Gillettes I would almost say its the only razor anyone 'needs'.
It's a classic razor, and shaves brilliantly. For the likely cost you won't go wrong. It is quite mild so easy to learn with but despite that, gets the job done. Everyone should try a Tech at some point.
It'll possibly be your first DE but probably not your last if you stay round here, so I say start with a Tech and if you still have £100+ burning a hole in your pocket after buying loads of soaps and splash, there are loads of nice modern stainless razors to splurge on, or indeed adjustables.
 
Getting your first DE razor will likely not be your last. The R89 is a starting point as are Merkur 34c and the Tech, also consider adjustable razors - Merkur Progress, Pearl Flexi are two well priced starting point razors and also have a look on the BST.
There are plenty of great razors to choose from, I have had all the above and can vouch for them. Good luck on your quest
 
Many thanks for all the great replys.
Looks like the tech or r89 would both be good as a first razor for me, nice to see plenty of positive comments about them.

Of course there's always another suggestion that kind of throws you off a bit, in this case the Rockwell, lots of praise for it and having watched a few YouTube vids lt does appear to be a good bit of kit. Would it be worth me looking at the 6c, cheaper chrome version or is that one not going to be durable?

Another quick question, I've purchased a set of the mixed Gillette blades off the bay, perma sharp, nacet, silver blue, platinum, astra and 7 o'clock. Will these be fine to use in any of the above razors as well as being ok for a newbie like myself.
 
rockhopper353 said:
Many thanks for all the great replys.
Looks like the tech or r89 would both be good as a first razor for me, nice to see plenty of positive comments about them.

Of course there's always another suggestion that kind of throws you off a bit, in this case the Rockwell, lots of praise for it and having watched a few YouTube vids lt does appear to be a good bit of kit. Would it be worth me looking at the 6c, cheaper chrome version or is that one not going to be durable?

Another quick question, I've purchased a set of the mixed Gillette blades off the bay, perma sharp, nacet, silver blue, platinum, astra and 7 o'clock. Will these be fine to use in any of the above razors as well as being ok for a newbie like myself.
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That's an excellent selection of blades and you'll find some that work for you among those.

The 6C is a good razor but has a high failure rate on the thread. Personally I think you're better off waiting to see if DE shaving works for you then save for the 6S if you want to go that route.
 
rockhopper353 said:
Many thanks for all the great replys.
Looks like the tech or r89 would both be good as a first razor for me, nice to see plenty of positive comments about them.

Of course there's always another suggestion that kind of throws you off a bit, in this case the Rockwell, lots of praise for it and having watched a few YouTube vids lt does appear to be a good bit of kit. Would it be worth me looking at the 6c, cheaper chrome version or is that one not going to be durable?

Another quick question, I've purchased a set of the mixed Gillette blades off the bay, perma sharp, nacet, silver blue, platinum, astra and 7 o'clock. Will these be fine to use in any of the above razors as well as being ok for a newbie like myself.
Click to expand...
The 6c is a fantastic razor and will outlast you if you look after it.
Me being a snob i prefer the stainless :ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO:
But i guess it’s down to your budget.
put it this way the stainless won’t shave you any better.
All the blades you mentioned are decent with my preference being the Nacet but we’re all different.
Take Care & Enjoy
 
Welcome aboard!

While the R89 is undoubtedly a classic, it's a razor that I think you'd tire of quickly. Most folks seem to, yet out of curiosity bring it into service every blue moon and really enjoy it. But it then goes back on the shelf.

The Gillette Tech is more than that ... it's an absolute classic!

With a production run that spanned 50 years, or more, it is the very design that is so clearly copied by so many modern "artisianal" razors. All the foibles have already been worked out by an R&D budget larger than most modern producers will make in their entirety.

There are broadly four main epochs of the Gillette Tech:

pre-WW2 ... look out for triangular drain holes by the guard.
1940s ... British are flat based with two long slots. We call these the "flat bottom" or "twin slot".
1950s ... Diamond shape on the baseplate and ball-ended handles, generally all brass but handles and plates replaced with aluminium later in production.
1960s ... Again, diamond shape baseplate, but lighter. Aluminium handles. You linked to one above.

All have their merits. My preference is for the 1940s with an almost equal enjoyment of the lighter 1960s on. The next fellow will laud the 1950s @Bogeyman, while the next will insist that pre-WW2 (particularly in brass @TobyC) is the only way to go.

Given the trajectory that Gillette took, especially when considering the changes in blade manufacture from carbon to stainless/coated, the later ones are not to be skipped over.

Oh, and given that these razors are dated by year and quarter, you can seek out a "birth year/quarter" razor.
 
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pjgh said:
Welcome aboard!

While the R89 is undoubtedly a classic, it's a razor that I think you'd tire of quickly. Most folks seem to, yet out of curiosity bring it into service every blue moon and really enjoy it. But it then goes back on the shelf.

The Gillette Tech is more than that ... it's an absolute classic!

With a production run that spanned 50 years, or more, it is the very design that is so clearly copied by so many modern "artisianal" razors. All the foibles have already been worked out by an R&D budget larger than most modern producers will make in their entirety.

There are broadly four main epochs of the Gillette Tech:

pre-WW2 ... look out for triangular drain holes by the guard.
1940s ... British are flat based with two long slots. We call these the "flat bottom" or "twin slot".
1950s ... Diamond shape on the baseplate and ball-ended handles, generally all brass but handles and plates replaced with aluminium later in production.
1960s ... Again, diamond shape baseplate, but lighter. Aluminium handles. You linked to one above.

All have their merits. My preference is for the 1940s with an almost equal enjoyment of the lighter 1960s on. The next fellow will laud the 1950s @Bogeyman, while the next will insist that pre-WW2 (particularly in brass @TobyC) is the only way to go.

Given the trajectory that Gillette took, especially when considering the changes in blade manufacture from carbon to stainless/coated, the later ones are not to be skipped over.

Oh, and given that these razors are dated by year and quarter, you can seek out a "birth year/quarter" razor.
Click to expand...
Brilliant information, thanks for taking the time to go into the history of the razor and their different merits, I can see how people end up down the rabbit hole now with large collections.
 
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