first week shaving with a de

Mug and brush user for twenty years , I got to thinking about the old school razors after seeing the star of Pawn stars pushing his de razor. I figured his razor must be born in Asia somewhere I did some looking around online and this was one of the sites I found. I am now the owner of a Merkur 34 c. Shaving is going good so far, just need to find the blade that works for me . The blade that came with the razor is the best so far. Had one that came in the sample pack that was a definite no go , on the third diff brand and its ok . Enjoying the ride so far . My thought is three shaves on a brand and see how it goes . the one was so bad it did not get a second try , I could not wait to get home from work to shave my face itched so bad.
Straights are next on the list once Lynn ships my grandfathers back to me,

Thanks to all that have taken the time to post info help and encouragement on this site

Astra super platinum's have been have been excellent for me and decent in price if you are looking to try others.

I was under the impression that you can purchase variety packs of razors online to help you find the blades that work best - it might be worth a look but alas i can't find it at this moment.

If you thought the DE was fun, you're going to love the straight razor! 😊

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Christel;1318539]
If you thought the DE was fun, you're going to love the straight razor! ��

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I second that emotion. :rock:
Let the Games Begin!!!!!

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Originally Posted by Christel

I was under the impression that you can purchase variety packs of razors online to help you find the blades that work best - it might be worth a look but alas i can't find it at this moment.

If you thought the DE was fun, you're going to love the straight razor! ��

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You can get a variety pack its just hard to find a variety pack with out the same variety as every other variety pack. Some of the packs I found did not have some of the blades I would have liked to try.

I ordered a four pack sampler when I purchased the razor , like I said three shaves then try a new sample. Unless the blade does not agree with my face, .. I'm not mentioning brand as like so many here have said what works for one may suck for another

Man!! That's allot going on!! Congrats!

With respect to the DE's, I love Feather and Persona blades. Though the first shave with a Feather is a bit harsh sometimes. I miss using my DEs, but every time I enter the den... I reach for my straight.

But it wasn't always that way. When I began I had a hard go of it with the straight. The learning curve was high and the shaves were considerably sub par compared to my DE. But I really wanted to learn my straight.

So I vowed I would only shave with my straight for a year to get it down. It worked. My straight shaves became more pleasurable than my DE shaves. But DEs are great if your unwilling to face the learning curve of a straight! Of course, it doesn't take everyone that long lol!!

Good luck and have fun!!

Once you find the blade you like, check out Ebay and buy them in bulk. I think I have amassed a lifetime supply of Gillette 7 O'clock greens like this.

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Originally Posted by hotshoe

I ordered a four pack sampler when I purchased the razor , like I said three shaves then try a new sample. Unless the blade does not agree with my face, .. I'm not mentioning brand as like so many here have said what works for one may suck for another

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The thoughts on blade selection are that you should initially find a blade that suits you and use this variety for about 6 months until you get your technique absolutely right. Then try different blades, as many as you can, using any that feel good as your benchmark best blade. I can vouch for the fact that even some you are rejecting now will be back in the mix in 6 months time. Also remember what seems a bad blade in one razor can become your best blade in another razor. Having said all that due to the excitement I started just like you trying everything I could. I now have hundred of blades that I bought thinking this is the one only to find when I'd mastered the technique that they were only so so. I would never recommend a blade as there are so many variables between individuals as they say YMMV.

I've found Astras to be the best compromise between sharpness and comfort for my face. There are sharper blades (e.g.Feathers) and blunter blades (Derbys and some horrible things made in the Czech republic :nono: ) but where your own happy medium lies is up to you to discover. Give Astras and Feathers a go and see what you think.

Wow that is so neat that you actually have your grandpa's old razor. Good luck when you get your razor back Shave ready. I think you will love the straight razor.
Roger

I picked up the same razor just over a week ago. I can't believe I hadn't tried something like this a long time ago. I tried 5 shaves on the first blade, I think 4 might be the limit for me. I haven't tried the Merkur that came with it yet though, just an Astra Stainless. It worked pretty good. I also bought a couple packs of Feathers. I didn't bother with the sampler packs for the simple reason that I didn't want to bother with blades that received poor reviews.

Just shaved with a astra nice shave an, d a good price.so far the best two razors for me are the astra and Merk ..