Good afternoon, gentlemen!

It appears as though I will be reneging on my SR aspirations. It is unfortunate, but after consulting my daily schedule I am convinced that I will not set enough time aside for a proper shave. If one has a quality straight but continues to use the Mach III, what good is it?

In the interest of continuing my resolution to "own" things rather than merely possess them, I would like to use the funding previously available for the straight to purchase a quality DE razor. I do not need anything rare or new, or a particular brand name, but would like quality construction.

Let us figure a budget of $200 - $250 for the purchase of razor, brush, mug/bowl, stand, starter soap, and blade assortment. By my estimation, the purchase of the ancillary items will leave $100 - $150 for the razor. So, let us clarify the requirements:


  • "Western" in origin. I am not hung on American, but it would be nice.
  • Corrosion resistant - my findings have indicated this is not necessarily a given
  • Adjustable or Aggressive-ish - I do not have the funding as yet to acquire multiple heads for "mildness" experimentation
  • Well balanced - in my testing, I seem to prefer the weight to be centered to slightly head-heavy
  • No "mystery" metals - I see a lot of razors advertised as stainless or plated brass, but only the handle is such


The main focus here is material and construction quality; I can "learn" a razor, I cannot mill my own out of my preferred materials.

So far I have looked at Merkur, Gillette, and Muhle. If you have some thoughts, I would love to hear them! I will be purchasing in May, as my birthday is the 23rd. I will be 29, so I don't think a "birthdate" Gillette would be all that special. Did they still make DEs in '85?

I thank you for your time,

Michael