Thinking of adding a DE to the rotation.

Hello there everyone. I've been SR shaving for around two months and recently been getting really into it, thanks for finally getting an idea and finding products that aid in a good shave. Before I would shave once a week, I'd get pretty wooly but didn't care, once I first started SR shaving I was doing about every 3-4 days. Now I'm every day and getting pretty good shaves. Unfortunately I've run into a problem. I am too slow to do this on weekends, I work from 6am to 8 pm between two jobs, and some weekdays before school. So I've been pondering pulling out my great grandfather's old DE razor I inherited and trying it out. I don't plan on stopping straight shaving just doing DE on days I work or sleep later in the morning. What do y'all think? What are good blades for a beginner? Any tips, precautions, or apprehensions? Thanks for your help.

_____________

Devilpup

There are plenty of good blades ou there.
What I would suggest is ordering a sampler pack of DE blades.
That is a great, and cheap, way to find what blades suits you and your razor.

I know Bullgooseshaving have them, and probably a ton of other outlets as well.

After trying a lot of blades I settled on Feather, Gillette 7 O'clock yellows, Astra and Israeli Personna.

Devilpup,

+1 on Birnando's advice. Get a sampler pack of de razor blades. Any number of online vendors offer them--BullGoose Shaving, West Coast Shaving and DeRazor Blades to name just a few.

I too have de razors in my shaving rotation for days that I am in a hurry. My preference in blades are Wilkinson (Germany) Lord (Egypt), Gillette 7 O'clock Yellow (Russia), and Feather (Japan).

Well that's a + 2 on the sampler pack. My preference is for Treet, Astra and Feather. The DE is a learning curve too, but not all that steep a curve. You should get the hang of a DE very quickly.


Mick

My advice:
1. Scrubbing Bubbles and Never Dull to clean up great grandpa's razor
2. Get good blades, avoid the Merkur blades (I've heard) I buy the Wilkinsons at Walmart and they seem to work fine
3. Have fun!

I think in the situation you describe, lots of us would tend to pull out a DE. It will provide some flexibility and convenience for those days when you just don't have time for a decent straight razor shave. This way you not only get good shaves all the time but when you do have time for a hollywood 3 pass straight razor shave it will really feel like a luxury.

A DE is always an excellent addition. I have two straights and a DE (Merkur 1904 Classic) in my rotation and the DE is perfect on those days when time is an issue. I've been using Derby blades for a while now, but recently picked up a sampler pack from West Coast Shaving. As with a SR, you'll need to watch your angle and blade pressure, but don't have to worry quite so much about stretching the skin, as the safety bar on the razor will help w/ this.

I agree with the guys here. I cleaned up some old DE's with a solution of water and Borax and they shined up great. I used a toothbrush and some toothpicks to clean out the crevices. The Wilkinson Sword blades at Wally World are around $1.50 a 10 pack with no shipping, etc. They never seem to be in a variety pack either. I haven't used any other blades so can't speak to how Wilk Swords compare to the others, but they were decent, cheap, and handy.

Once I got my straights back from honing I began using them exclusively, but I keep a fatboy with some Wilk Swords around just in case...I would certainly rather shave with a DE than a cartridge razor.

I use a straight razor 90% of the time and a DE (Gillette FatBoy or Edwin Jagger DE89L) for 10% of the time. Being retired, I use the DE just because I also find it enjoyable. I often will do a WTG and XTG pass with a straight razor and a ATG pass with the 89L.

There is no need to feel apologetic. It is your face, do what you want. Ignore any Shaving Nazis who say you have to only use straights to be "pure."

Wet Shaving should be about having fun and enjoying your shave. While I generally prefer to use my straights, I get a heck of lot of enjoyment from also using my DE.
:tu

Here are some picture of the razor before I clean it up

Attachment 68723Attachment 68721Attachment 68722Attachment 68724Attachment 68725Attachment 68726

________________________
Devilpup

Well what does it look like now that you have cleaned it up?



Mick