Sensitive skin: What should my first Safety Razor be?

I have sensitive skin, especially around my neck - I have alot of razor bumps and ingrown hairs on my neck. So I'm deciding to switch from disposable razors to safety razors! :D

Which one should I get?

I was looking into the Parker 22R; but after doing some research I read that the blade is un-even on both sides for Parker models, so it might be hard for a beginner.

Theres so many razors out there.. It's confusing for a first time buyer. I'd really appreciate some help from an experienced shaver! :)

I'm willing to spend $25 - $45.

My hair is somewhat course, I usually shave every 4 days. My neck is sensitive..

and I would prefer something with a steady grip, since I often shave in the shower.

I have never used a safety razor so I can't answer your question. Sorry. I am sure sure someone with experience will respond soon.

My personal opinion is that multi-blade cartridges were responsible for my past problems with ingrown hairs. Ingrowns did not disappear completely when I started using a straight, but they were reduced significantly.

I'm thinking about getting Edwin Jagger De89bl. After reading reviews it seems great.. but it has a slippery handle. I might get it anyways, and just avoid shaving in the shower. Has anyone here used it?

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Originally Posted by Leatherstockiings

I have never used a safety razor so I can't answer your question. Sorry. I am sure sure someone with experience will respond soon.

My personal opinion is that multi-blade cartridges were responsible for my past problems with ingrown hairs. Ingrowns did not disappear completely when I started using a straight, but they were reduced significantly.

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Well i'm not sure if it's ingrown hairs? or shaving bumps? How can you tell haha.

When I used a de I bought a merkur futur and a merkur slant. There are extreme differences in aggressiveness of de razors that I never pursued( I used one for less than a year) as I decided to go with the straight. I would recommend a blade sampler pack as blade selection is a big part of the whole de thing. But my experience is that a straight is a more comfortable shave once you get past the learning curve. Good luck as I'm sure a single blade will help you with less irritation and ingrowns. Be prepared for a little learning curve and in the end you will be rewarded with great irritation free shaves.

hit the BAY up for an old Gillette Super Speed! I have 1 that I use often and I find it quite mild.

I am a barber student so I see many modern style safety razors and let me say I prefer shaving with vintage se models. They are sturdier and built better as well as cool since they are vintage and to be honest they appear to shave better than newer de models. I believe this is due solely to the fact that vintage razors were built more proportioned and heavier which seems to help in the razor to skin aspect of shaving. I am not condoning that you need to put alot of pressure sjnce you apply virtually none and the blade does all the work. Just my 2 cents I believe a vintage works better most of the time than modern safetys and you can find near mint condition se gems gilettes schicks everreadys and enders razors for 6 to 20 max often with original blades and boxes which look cool as well. I have one of all of these and all shave great. I prefer my enders though but have to buy vintage blades once I run out off ebay since they only make replacement normal gem style se blades now and not slotted enders style se's. Check ebay etsy and antique stores you will find something nicer cheaper and sanitize it real good then buy a pack of se blades at cvs and u cant go wrong :).

I started DE shaving several months ago with an Edwin Jagger 89lbl, and am very pleased with it. Be aware that it may take you skin time to adjust to the single steel blade. Also, be sure to use a very light touch. I began by bearing down as if I was using a cartridge razor, and the result wasn't much fun. Jagger makes a very good product and stands behind it. I had some flaking of the chrome on the head and Jagger replaced it promptly. Beautiful fit and finish. You would be well-served with this razor.

The Edwin Jagger model noted here is ideal for a beginner. The razor is mid-range in aggressiveness and has impeccable workmanship. The handle feels slipper when dry, but when wet, it is far from it. For blades, try a blade sampler. My preferred blades are: Polsiver iridium, PermaSharp Super, Gillette 7 O'Clock SharpEdge (yellow pack), Astra and Personna.
Yes, it will take your skin a few days to get used to the razor. Remember to minimize your strokes over the same spot to avoid razor burn, and keep the pressure low.

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Originally Posted by k4ir0s

I have sensitive skin, especially around my neck - I have alot of razor bumps and ingrown hairs on my neck. So I'm deciding to switch from disposable razors to safety razors! :D

Which one should I get?

I was looking into the Parker 22R; but after doing some research I read that the blade is un-even on both sides for Parker models, so it might be hard for a beginner.

Theres so many razors out there.. It's confusing for a first time buyer. I'd really appreciate some help from an experienced shaver! :)

I'm willing to spend $25 - $45.

My hair is somewhat course, I usually shave every 4 days. My neck is sensitive..

and I would prefer something with a steady grip, since I often shave in the shower.

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I perked up when I read the part of your post that I highlighted. My first DE razor was a Parker, the blade was uneven on both sides, and it turned out to be defective. So I would pass on the Parker.

What the barber student said about single-edge razors is something I believe to be true. I do think they are better made instruments, and I also think you have to be more careful using them. When I got curious about trying them I read a couple of comments by people saying a single-edge razor was "a straight on a stick." The angle is steep. If you got one of those I would get a Gem Featherweight, which I believe to be the mildest (and also my favorite). By the way, SE razors aren't made any more but you can get some vintage razors pretty easily. The best blades are Gem.

Back to double-edge razors. In my opinion, the mildest is the Schick Krona, followed by the Gillette SuperSpeed. Those two are vintage razors, no longer made. I think Edwin Jagger and Muhle is a tad more aggressive. I think the most aggressive is the Merkur. Merkur is my favorite. In reality I don't think any of them are that aggressive. I'm just trying to compare them for you.

I don't know why I prefer the least aggressive SE razor and the most aggressive DE razor. Guess I'm weird.

For double-edge blades, my favorites are Medical Personna (Personna Prep Blades) and Astra SP (Superior Platinum). The sharpest are made by Feather.

The best idea in figuring out which one to try first is to decide if you have sensitive skin, and purchase accordingly. I have sensitive skin, and what I have given you is my opinion on razors and blades based on how they feel on my face.

You can't go wrong with an EJ DE89 and a sample pack of blades. Once you've shaven with that for a while and decide you want something more aggressive, take a Muhle R41 for a spin (and hold-on to your hat) :)

Ed

The DE89 is a great shaver. Of equal importance is blade selection...as stated above be sure to get a sample pack or even 2 sample packs. Everyone has their different preferences, and not every blade is going to work for you, unless you're very lucky. Last but not least, learn to build a good lather. Oh, I would not shave in the shower until you've polished your wet-shaving skills. IMO the stability of a counter and a large mirror will be a big asset as you learn. Good luck.

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Originally Posted by One2mny

hit the BAY up for an old Gillette Super Speed! I have 1 that I use often and I find it quite mild.

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Agree completely . You can't beat the 1st Gillettes . The WW1 and before '04's are a great way to start. Gillette sold 3M of them to the Army for use by lads who never saw a DE before.

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Originally Posted by Johnus

Agree completely . You can't beat the 1st Gillettes . The WW1 and before '04's are a great way to start. Gillette sold 3M of them to the Army for use by lads who never saw a DE before.

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I'd suggest a 'Fat handle tech' over Gillettes from around 1920's, as modern DE blades fit without a problem. Early Gillettes need blades adjusting before securing them down, and it's something a newcomer might find annoying to have to do on each blade change.

I have added a DE and a SE as well as an injector style into my rotation. Not for regular use, but for when I irritate my skin too much over several days. The DE, used lightly with two passes, gives a very close comfortable shave with preferred Astra blades. I bought a vintage auto strop SE and a vintage blade sharpener recently and can't wait to try it out. Also some new blades made specially for auto strop.
I had been using a Weshi DE but have replaced it with a vintage 3 piece DE Gillette like my father used and I remember using it and getting a damn good shave.
Good luck.

The Edwin Jagger DE89 really is a great razor. Completely agree. No doubt about that. I should know it was my first DE. But it is fairly mild so if you think you may be still accustomed to adding a lot of pressure in your shaves then yeah, go for it! I would definitely rather recommend you something such as the Gillette Fatboy, which was indeed my second DE. It's an adjustable so you can make it as mild or aggressive as you'd like. Pretty convenient. It gave me some pretty great shaves and some bad ones too but well worth it. Would definitely check out ebay for them if I were you but don't expect it to be all that cheap unless of course it's in pretty bad condition. Expect to pay at least 30-50 dollars for one in decent condition or maybe even cheaper if you're lucky and even if you end up not liking it so much they're very easy to resell. It is your choice though. Happy shaving! :)

I switched from electric to a vintage gillette super speed and haven't regretted it. As stated before they are quite affordable and well built. My favorite is the flair. currently i'm using a slim adjustable which is nice because one can change the aggressiveness and find the most comfortable shave. they all have great grip on the handles.

Sounds Like OP is looking for a mild razor. If you are prone to getting ingrown hairs there are two vintage razors that would be perfect for you. The Gillette Tech or the Schick Krona. These are the gentlest razors I have ever used(I've use a lot of different razors). You can probably find either one for under $10 on eBay. You should also look into getting a brush and some decent shave cream. I used to get ingrowns on my neck too. Turns out the hair on my neck grows upward and I was shaving against the grain without knowing it. Don't expect a miracle the first time you use a safety razor. You will get better shaves with it but it may take practice to completely stop the ingrown hairs.

I use a Vintage Gillete DE, various blades. Just a precaution about shaving in the shower; be sure to disassemble and dry the blade and razor after each use. Your blades will last longer and give better results.

You really can't go wrong with a Gillette Super Speed--not aggressive, but effective and forgiving. Pre-1954 ('55?) or 40's SS's are ten bucks on the bay and give very good shaves but any super speed works well too and isn't harsh. I would suggest that a good sharp blade like a 7'o'clock instead of a very sharp blade like a feather would be easier on the skin too, but YMMV.

My advice would be to change your whole approach to shaving. Shower, of course, and prepare your face at the same time, then dry yourself off and start preparing properly for your shave. Whatever you select from all the good advice given will benefit from good preparation and the right after shave treatment. You will be amazed at the difference in terms of razor bumps that Alum and witch hazel can make in addition to a decent balm and A/S

A Gillette Slim will fit your price range, and it can be as mild or aggressive as you want it to be. I'm also fond of the vintage SE razors like the GEM 1912, micromatic, etc. They are dirt cheap, and in my opinion with coated SS blades, they shave better than a DE, only second to a straight razor.