Contemplating a DE

I am considering getting a DE but want to make a good choice before I make a purchase. I have never used or seen one be used. But it seems like it could be fun will all of the different blade options, and perhaps way better to travel with.
I have been SR shaving for just over 2 months. I started with a Shavette and now have a 4/8 near wedge and a 5/8 full hollow. I like all three for different reasons. I like the shavette for the ease, no stropping, minimal clean up, when the blade gets dull just toss it. The 4/8 wedge feels really forceful to me, like it will mow through any amount of hair. The 5/8 hollow feels crisp and precise. Right now I am leaning to the 5/8 as my favorite for that reason.
What I am wondering is what features should I be looking for? I have seen mention of adjustable, open and closed comb, and Clamshell. What are these features and what are the pros and cons of each? Is there a particular razor that any of you would recommend, and why that one? Is there a blade that you would recommend as well?
I am not in a rush to make a purchase, nor do I want to spend a lot.
With that in mind what are your suggestions?

I recently started using a DE. After some "research" on various forums I went with a Merkur 34c. It was a toss up between Merkur and Edwin Jagger. The Merkur seems more heavy duty and is not as pretty and shiny as an EJ. As mentioned above, the Merkur is on the aggressive side. The sample pack of blades is a great idea as well. I had to suffer through some fairly rough shaves before I found what blades work best and proper shave technique. I also watched DE shaving videos on YouTube. They can provide some useful information.

After 2-3 years of straight shaving, I picked up my first DE: the Merkur 37 slant-bar. I didn't know enough to know how aggressive it is, and I had some red-raw irritating shaves at first. But in hindsight I'm happy with it: I've learned to get great shaves from it, and now no DE scares me!

My story is really similar to yours. I have a 34C and I love it. It's not a SR but it's fun on occasion. IMHO the 34 is a good starter DE.... It's pretty mild.

Find an old Gillette Flare tip. A blue tip is light, a red is more aggressive. I think the black in the middle. Go with modern, recent production blades. Personnas are good. Feathers are super sharp, might be too sharp for some. Old Gillette razors are good!

Good DE's need not be expensive. You can find a lot of Gillette's fairly cheep on Ebay or in flea markets/antique stores. Super Speeds are some great shavers and with the huge amount of blades to choose from, it can be tons of fun finding what you like. You can't rule out 3 piece Gillette's either. These tend to be great shavers too and are a little more aggressive.The point I am trying to make is, you don't haave to spend a ton to get a great shave with little money. Personally, I was just thinking about this the other day. For fun I loaded my Super Speed (3 dollars) with an Astra blade (8 cents), loaded up a horse hair brush (3 dollars) with ARCO soap (2 dollars a role), and had a great shave. the good news is that I can use this set up for three or four more shaves.

I would go for a Merkur 34C or a Merkur Futur.

The Merkur 34c is a good razor but mild, the Merkur Futur is the coolest looking thing and is adjustable. So if mild is not for you just crank it open. IMHO it's better than the Merkur Progress (also adjustable) due to the blade angle and feel also.

I love my Futur and I'm glad I din't listen to all the bad reviews regarding the Futur's apparent slippery handles or the difficulty changing blades cos its all rubbish… It's the best DE out there. Shaves close and feels great! Its got some great features but the one I love the most is the sound it makes as it cuts. leaves you in no doubt when you're done. One nice feature with a adjustable is you can open it to do your first pass then reduce it to a milder setting to do the following passes, this is a great way to avoid irritation especially on the sensitive neck area. A great tool for blade buffing on setting 1 also.

I have had many DE's and Straights and even Parker Shavette. I don't use any other DE now, the Futur is it for me. If you want a quick hassle free shave, this is the beast to own…. cool on a stick…lol

If you want to put your toe in the waters of DE shaving but don't want to spend too much, I recommend the Merkur 1904 razor. It's a 3 piece made of nickel plated brass - there's no pot metal or plastic and the finish is first class. The other alternative is to buy a ball ended Tech on ebay -they're pretty good too; made in the 1940's in England and the US - we only find "made in Englands" in Australia.

A lot of good choices these days. I have several and for a reasonable price the 34C is a really good choice. The Edwin Jaggers are fine razors also. For vintage I like the Gillette fatboy.

I just like vintage stuff so much, the modern DEs don't interest me. For a mild shave, I recommend a Gillette Superspeed, or a Tech. Both are cheap. If you can spend a bit, just get a late '40s Gillette Aristocrat. You should be able to get a good user grade example for under $50. If you want to go a bit more aggressive, I like Gillette Red-Tips as medium-aggressive, or the open comb Gillette Senators (or Sheraton, same thing but gold-plated). For the most aggressive, I like the NEW Standard Gillettes - specifically the Bostonian because of the nice case!