Thread: Breakouts with safety razors?

I languished with cartridge razors for years. I was talking about it with a coworker and he suggested trying a straight razor. His name is Don and come to find out he was the man who taught Lynn the ropes. It was a life changer. I ASSUMED the DE would do just as well as the straights but I thought I would check into it. It blows my mind that there are so many different brands made.

The DE's at the top of the heap (and I'll let others name them) with the right blade and top end soap or cream can give you a shave so close to a straight you'll be hard put to tell the difference.

Yupper, there are a few DEs that will give a straight razor a run for the money and are not necessarily the very expensive ones either. I have a Merkur 45 bakelite DE that will give a wicked close shave and is not expensive.

Bob

I started off wet shaving with a DE and every once in a while will break out my Muhle R89, which is known for being a fairly gentle and forgiving razor. No matter how I try, my face does not like the DE as much as a straight but I'm not entirely sure why.

Playing around with the type of blade you put in your DE can change the shave noticeably, so even if DE shaving works well for you, you may need to play around and experiment with blades until you find what works best for you. Also, change the blades regularly. Part of why people will get more redness with a DE is the microscopic nics build up, making for a rougher shave,and the blade simply becomes contaminated at some point and that in turn leads to skin infection.

You can definitely get some very nice DEs for not very much money -- Merkur was mentioned and I'd agree with that, specifically the 34C is a great first razor -- but if you don't know what works for you yet and think it'll be a serious option, you might want to consider putting out a bit more money initially for a decent adjustable razor like the Merkur Futur or the Rockwell 6C.

Good luck in your search!

I am old enough to have grown up with disposable razors. They worked, but not really well. Electric shavers worked better, gave me less irritation, but the occasional really bad case of ingrown hairs.

Then a friend gave me a vintage DE, and things got better. Fewer ingrown hairs, less irritation. Looking back, I think that the use of shaving soap instead of canned foam, and overall more careful face preparation was what made the actual difference.

I then switched to cutthroat-razors, and everything got well. Really well. No irritation, very, very few ingrown hairs (and Avène Dermo-K helped me get rid of those instantly).

However, I never really got good at honing razors. And I am not talking about exotic grinds or shapes, but bog-standard Solingen or Eskilstuna razors. Just not something I ever became good at.

Out of curiosity, and really more to ascertain that cut-throat razors are the best, I acquired a single edge (SE) razor. Of course, the most aggressive GEM Open Comb Micromatic ever made. Bloodshed ensued, but the shave was very close and comfortable despite the blood. So I persisted. I have since ended up with an EverReady Streamline (because I like the looks - if I absolutely had to settle for a deserted island razor, it would be a Schick adjustable or a G-Bar). Fun fact, vintage lathercatchers come with what are basically cut-throat blades for those that must hone their shaving contraptions.

Looking back, shaving with cut-throat razors was a great learning experience. But it was not a necessary, or particularly useful, one. I could, and from a financial perspective, should, have gone straight to SE razors. They are very affordable even in very good or mint condition (there are exceptions like my Streamline, but even that one was a lot less expensive as my more expensive cut-throats, and that's not mentioning that 8/8 Dubl Duck). The blades are readily available and very cheap. The blades are also stiff and deliver a shaving experience close to (personally, I would say, better) one with a cut-throat razor. And, of course, there are far fewer to choose from than with DEs, and there are next to no fanbois driving up prices.

If you have 10-30 USD to spare, get one, give it a try, and I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

I'd agree with RobinK that vintage SEs are a good alternative to DEs. I'd also suggest that the only blade to use in a vintage Eveready/GEM SE razor is the Personna/GEM stainless steel PTFE coated blade. The reason being is that they are very sharp yet smooth to use and do not rust. I really enjoy mu vintage SEs.

Bob

Thanks, Bob. Exactly that. Also known as "Ted Pella blades". Allegedly available from major supermarket chains in the US. Actually, not having a choice of blades is very liberating, too. Just pop in one of these, and you're ready to go. There are dozens of vintage GEMs in good shape on eBay (not a live auction).