Thread: 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!

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?

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.

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.

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!

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 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