Thread: Help picking first DE

I find that with a great razor, the correct angle happens by itself, you don't even think about it. Edwin Jagger heads are like that for me, so is my Merkur Progress.

I personally would recommend a plain safety bar razor so you can concentrate on the basics, like angle of razor, blade familiarization, etc. I also cast my vote for something like the Edward Jagger 89 series as they are comfortable and easy to manoeuvre in difficult areas (like under the nose). Good luck and let us know how it goes.

SE razor would be my first choice if I knew what I know now. Closest to a straight, and the vintage gem or ever ready work well. Would try the mongoose if you are in the market for a new razor.

Sent from a moto x far far away...

What Grazor said. The Gem 1912 is the pinnacle of safety razors as far as I'm concerned but if you want to keep to mainstream blades, i.e. DEs, I'd chase down an open comb Gillette 3 piece - for me they're the best DE shave I've ever had. Your mileage may of course vary but a big plus for the GEM 1912 and open comb Gillettes is that they're CHEAP. It's not like you'd be investing in a multi hundred dollar razor only to find that it doesn't agree with your face.

Have you looked at Above the Tie? They do a set that you can change the baseplates on to give different levels of aggression. They are not cheap but you do get a lot of razor for your money and you will be able to try lots of different razors with just one purchase.

When I was DE shaving I used a Feather ASD2 and an Edwin Jagger DE89 on a Chatsworth barley twist handle just because it looked awesome.

closed: merker HD 34c - goes for around $30
open: merker 1904 41c (open comb) - goes for around $30

both are excellent DE razors and not too aggressive.

Know this is a bit late reply to the OP but +1 on what Porl said about Above The Tie (ATT). They have been a great razor for me (I have a 2 that are in my rotation). They have a 30 day return policy, so you can exchange heads for more or less aggressive ones during that time, you can try open comb or solid bar, and so forth. A new setup is about 185, so not cheap by any stretch. You can also get sets and etc., so they provide a lot options.

Well? What did you decide to get? Several people have taken the time to thoughtfully give the advice that you've requested. I'm sure they'd like to know what you decide to go with.

Dear Raneyday;

Just in case you haven't decided... Of just for the fun of sharing ideas with a bunch of savy guys!

I also come from straights. I like the nostalgia of it. So i picked up a $20 Van der Hagen in Walgreens cause i remember being a kid, grandpa used to take the blade out of his butterfly safety razor, and give it to my brother and me with a can of gooo for us to play a little bit, and for him to show his kids the way... we shaved sans blade, face full of foam, and pretended we were men. Those were the best of times. So i opened the door to DE´s.

First of all: forget the aggressive-mild stuff. it is all a matter of technique. if you ever shaved with a straight you have a Phd in safety razors. There is a learning curve, of course. But it is a bit like you drove standard transmission before, how tough can be to drive an automatic? You want a safety razor that is aggressive. One that it is you who controls what is going on. If you get one that is too mild, like the Merkur 41C 1914 you will end up using pressure. Not that it does not shave. But without pressure you are not going to be satisfied. At least i am not. And with pressure you are going to get irritation and burn. Pressure is a thing that is too hard to control and it is best to forget about it. Don't believe me? Shave with a cartridge and let the weight of the razor do the job! Now tell me if you are satisfied. If you want a good shave, you need a razor that can do the job for you, and that means heft. And heft means machined stainless steel. And that means more than a hundred bucks, well... maybe.

If price is not a big factor, we need to talk about $300, more or less. But it does not need to be. For $100 you can get the Rockwell 6S. Best bang for the buck in the market. It is machined stainless steel. It has the benefits of a non adjustable, because you adjust it changing base plates. It has three, and each side has a different gap, so you have 6 different levels of aggression. You probably end up using the most aggressive one, after a couple of shaves. She shaves both close and smooth. And it is beautiful. Unbelievable for the price!

Now, if money is not a factor, you have to consider the Barbaros and Rocnel adjustable. The only stainless adjustable in the market. $300. It is 145 grams. Like a truck. Or the incredibly beautiful Timeless for $260. Make sure you get the .95mm gap one. It is between aggressive and mild. Or, for a similar price you can consider any of the Above the Tie. All of them superb shavers.

My main point being heft, i should mention the Merkur Futur. It is hefty, big, beautiful and only $55 on amazon. Nevertheless, it does not compare to the precision of the above mentioned. I own all this razors. You can't go wrong with any.

In the thread there is a comment about single edged razor are better than double edged. It is true and it is not. Any single edge is better than your regular run of the mill double edge. Included are all the Merkur, Parker, Muhle, Gillette, Edwin Jagger, etc etc etc... But, SE are not better than the better double edges. They are about even. Simply put there is better engineering in SE blades. They are wider, stiffer, sharper and last longer. But any machined stainless DE will compensate that with the precision that they hold the blade and with the heft of the razor itself.

I hope you realize that 99% of it all is technique, and i hope that soon you are able to do your touchup without the cartridge, with the straight and with the safety!. As they say in the movie: ¨You are not the car you drive, the house you live in. You are not your GD khakis.¨ Its not the razor brother. Its the hand that holds the edge!

Best regards,

Pepe Peña

P.d. Yes! Let us know what you chose!