Thread: Best DE's for Newbies?

So, to set this up, I have a close friend in whom I've developed an interest in traditional wet shaving. While he has shown some interest in trying a straight razor he's more than a bit worried about his young sons gaining access to it and injuring themselves. I'm currently putting together a "starter kit" for him and while I'm going to give him a vintage straight I'm afraid that he's going balk at this "danger" to his children.

All of that said, I'm already considering a fallback in the form of a safety razor. The only real problem here is that I switched to a straight directly from a cartridge so my knowledge of DE's and SE's is minimal. Thus I come, once again, to beg opinions from the community. What models would you recommend for someone new to DE's and wet shaving? The primary parameters here are that the razor be relatively inexpensive, readily available and a good choice for a newbie.

I do know enough that if I am forced to invest in a DE for him I will also be looking for a variety pack of blades so that he can attempt to find the combination that best works for him.

Maybe I'll get lucky and he'll take to straights like a duck to water...