Thread: Any recommendations?

Hello. I recently started using a straight razor. It's going well, but I've come to realize having a safety razor will be very useful to me. I've looked on this board a bit. I've noticed some of the names like Wolfman and Merkur. I guess I'm looking for advise on a razor to start with. I've got a full covering of beard, but it's not especially thick. Naturally, they are heaviest around the mouth. The whiskers themselves are fairly thick and coarse. If I understand what I'm reading, I might need a razor that's "aggressive". I'm still learning the terminology. I'm interested in something good to learn with, and yet can still use as I get more experienced. I won't say money is no object, but I can afford something of good quality. I don't mind spending money on something. Any advice?

If you can find a good condition vintage Gillette adjustable at a reasonable price that might be a good place to start. You can begin shaving with the dial set to #3 and get your technique together. Then you can try a setting of 5 and see how that goes. If that goes well try going up again. Low numbers are mild increasing in aggressiveness up to setting 9. You can grow into the razor as your skill with a DE improves and as your beard requires.

Bob

I agree with Bob, but as I said in another thread, that is almost how I started...and I now have 5 DE. It really is preference. I've found that I like weight in a DE so I went heavier than the Gillette, but it depends on whether I'm trying to get a quick, "get up and go to church" shave, or I'm going for perfection. Pick a decent one and try, then you can adjust, but a Gillette adjustable is a great one to experiment with. Skip the real cheapies and the high dollar ones for now.

Originally Posted by BobH

If you can find a good condition vintage Gillette adjustable at a reasonable price that might be a good place to start. You can begin shaving with the dial set to #3 and get your technique together. Then you can try a setting of 5 and see how that goes. If that goes well try going up again. Low numbers are mild increasing in aggressiveness up to setting 9. You can grow into the razor as your skill with a DE improves and as your beard requires.

Bob

Thanks. I went ahead and took the good advice and picked up a couple on eBay, a slim and a fatboy. Now, time to get some blades.

Originally Posted by GDSBMF

Thanks. I went ahead and took the good advice and picked up a couple on eBay, a slim and a fatboy. Now, time to get some blades.

Get an assortment of blades. You never know which you'll like best.

Bob

Although I agree with BobH about the vintage Gillette's, (because I'm pretty positive his advice on DE's is legit), I also believe that you can't go wrong with a Murkur. The new model's shave just as good as a Gillette, you just don't get the nostalgia from one!

With the Gillette Adjustable be sure you open the doors before making any adjustments or you could damage the razor. I started out many years ago with an adjustable and didn't have any luck adjusting because I didn't know what I was doing. Fast forward to a few years ago I learned the proper way to adjust one. Now I shave mainly with a str8 but when in a hurry I love shaving with one of my Fat Boys.

Originally Posted by Firefighter2

Although I agree with BobH about the vintage Gillette's, (because I'm pretty positive his advice on DE's is legit), I also believe that you can't go wrong with a Murkur. The new model's shave just as good as a Gillette, you just don't get the nostalgia from one!

Not disagreeing with you either, just mentioned an adjustable so you might not have to go through a series of razors to go increasingly aggressive. Yes, modern DEs are very good, one of my favs is the Merkur slant.

Bob

Originally Posted by BobH

Not disagreeing with you either, just mentioned an adjustable so you might not have to go through a series of razors to go increasingly aggressive. Yes, modern DEs are very good, one of my favs is the Merkur slant.

Bob

I wish I had an adjustable when I learned, might have minimized the scarring on my face!

Originally Posted by Firefighter2

I wish I had an adjustable when I learned, might have minimized the scarring on my face!

Naw, if you are like me you can cut your face with any of them, even the so called mild ones.

Bob