Thread: New guy- Cartridges to DE safety razor, list of 4 possibles

Thanks again to all for the replies. I've taken what Christian said to heart and it makes perfectly good sense to me. While heavier initially sounded better to me (the American way right? If a little is good, more and bigger is better) I see how for some just starting heavy could actually be a detriment and possibly result in more irritation or bleeding.

Rather than the Merkur HD models perhaps the Merkur 33C or the Muhle R89 will fit the bill. Waiting to see if there are any Black Friday week sales. Either way will take the plunge next week.

Natty

Originally Posted by Natty

Thanks again to all for the replies. I've taken what Christian said to heart and it makes perfectly good sense to me. While heavier initially sounded better to me (the American way right? If a little is good, more and bigger is better) I see how for some just starting heavy could actually be a detriment and possibly result in more irritation or bleeding.

Rather than the Merkur HD models perhaps the Merkur 33C or the Muhle R89 will fit the bill. Waiting to see if there are any Black Friday week sales. Either way will take the plunge next week.

Natty

Well it depends on what type of guy you are, but if you're like a lot of us you'll have an assortment of razors to choose from within a few months. In that case you'll be aboe to advise the next new guy that asks. One way or the other, enjoy the journey.

The Merkur 38 Barber Pole is a good choice. I love mine, nice & heavy, but still evenly weighted. I also agree with the availability of the Trac II, they are getting hard to find. I have an older gold plated steel razor that uses those, and although I don't shave my face with it, it works well for the chest.
Good luck with whatever choice you make.

I'd go with the Merkur 37c Slant. Unlike some have said, I find it to be a very mild shaver, but then every face is different. I use a variety of blades but like Astra and Personna the best.

I would suggest a different tack if you are just starting out - find a clean vintage Schick Krona DE razor. They are plentiful on ebay and usually for a reasonable/cheap price. Cleaning up a vintage razor usually involves little more than a soak in Dawn dishwashing detergent or Scrubbing Bubbles. The Krona has the longer handle that you want (although your grip will be different with a DE so I'm not sure it will be that big a deal in the end). The Krona has a good reputation and is not an overly-aggressive razor. If you have success with the Krona and enjoy the DE experience then you can advance to a modern razor; if not, you aren't out much $$$.

If you are open to a SE suggestion, a GEM Flying Wing (bullet tip), Clog-Pruf, or closed-comb Micromatic are long-handled vintage SE choices that are hard to beat for performance and the GEM/Personna SE PTFE coated blade is better IMHO that any of the bazillion DE blades you'll have to go through before you find the right one.

Good luck!

Ahem. Well. I'm getting over the embarrassment of replying to a thread that's been inactive for over a month. Okay.

So, Natty, what did you end up with?