Thread: Best DE Razor for a beginner?

Hello everyone,

I'm in the market for my first DE razor and have a question. Are any models out there truly better than others, or does it all boil down to preference? I've noticed there is quite a price jump between"classic" style razors and adjustable razors. Is the adjustable razor the better buy?

Thanks for any help!

Wow you've asked some hard questions. As far as one razor being "better" than another there is a question of quality. Some DEs are made in Japan, Pakistan and places like that and sell fpr $10.00 to $15.00. Others are made in Germany, Sweden and such and have prices of $100.00 or more.

Now for the hard part. I have a $10.00 Diamond Edge (Pakistan) and a $60.00 Mekur (Germany). I get a smooth, clean, comfortable shave with both. The Merkur is of a qualtiy that I should be able to pass it to my grandchildren some day. The Diamond edge will maybe last a few years with care. You get what you pay for. The bottom line is that both are good razors. Both give a good shave.

One of the terms you will hear (read?) on forums is "aggressive", that is the way a razor shaves. It is the blade angle and the blade exposure. These have to do with the way is head of the razor is made and how close the tolerances are. This will require some very good machining which can be expensive to do. So the cheap razors are more "mild" of a shaver.

To rate on a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being mild and 10 aggressive I would rate the Diamond Edge about a 1. With the Merkur slant being about a 9 or so. Which means the less expensive razors can be better for a beginner, in my opinon.

Confused yet?

That brings us to an Adjustable. Now maybe you can see where I'm going with this. An adjustable is able the "adjust"(duh) the angle of the head. The setting of 1 is mild, while the higher the setting the more aggressive it gets. And yes, as you stated in your post, it is a matter of preference.

I hope this will at least be a starting point for you,
Ken.

I like the old Gillette super speed from the late '40s early '50s. The Merkur HD is highly recommended for new shavers by some folks.

i have used an old super speed, a slim adjustable, a fatboy and a schick injector. they all had a different feel even to my noobness. i like the slim adjustable and the fatboy as they give me some options, the superspeed is a great starter because there are less variables and it is an easy shaver, not too aggressive. i do like the injector a lot but i need to practice with it. i feel it is more like a straight in that the blades are stiffer and you can get TOO close if you aren't careful. i would really like to try one of the new brands like Weishi or Parker or Lord. the merkurs are supposed to be nice but are a little pricy, good quality though.

if i were you i would go with one of the old gillettes and give it a try. theres lots on ebay for good prices, not too many come up in the classifieds here. B&B has a lot selling there. i wouldn't spend more then $25 on a used one if it is going to be a real shaver, show pieces are a different thing but you can definitely get some great DEs for $25 or less. hope that helps.

I have an old Gillette Fat Boy adjustable - I like the adjustability because you can dial it in to your own preferences. I like the analogy of a fixed office chair versus one with a ton of adjustment built into it - they both serve their purpose (a place for you to sit), but unless you absolutely luck out and get a chair that is perfect for you, the vast majority will be uncomfortable - but almost everyone can be comfortable in an office chair that is adjustable.

Of course, YMMV.

Mark

Originally Posted by Walker

Hello everyone,

I'm in the market for my first DE razor and have a question. Are any models out there truly better than others, or does it all boil down to preference? I've noticed there is quite a price jump between"classic" style razors and adjustable razors. Is the adjustable razor the better buy?

Thanks for any help!

Hi there,

Well, maybe I can answer those questions briefly, and I'll include a link with more detailed info. Hehe, that innocent post of yours can lead to a looong journey down the rabbit hole.

Some DE models are most assuredly better to use than others. The problem a new DE shaver has is the lack of a reference point. They don't yet know what a good (for them) shaver is supposed to feel like, and it's a matter of trial and error before that becomes clear. I mean that even though you may not be using the perfect razor for your face, you won't know the difference at first. Sadly for new shavers, all razors certainly don't shave the same for everyone.

Pricewise, you don't need to spend more than $30-40 on a razor, and that goes for a 'vintage' one in nice condition, or else a new razor like a Merkur or Parker or Weishi.

Adjustable razors appeal to me because they give me the opportunity to tweak the aggressiveness (or bite), of my razor. Gillette adjustables have 9 settings, with #9 having the most blade exposure. That's way too harsh for almost everyone to shave with, just as #1 is too mild for most people.This adjustable feature on Gillette and Merkur razors DOES work very well, and I especially like the idea of a new member starting with one.

My personal favorite setting on the many gillettes I've used is #3. It's still a bit on the mild side, but certainly effective. This enables me to dial in the feeling of.......well, I won't go into that now. I'll just say that shaving with the perfect razor ( set correctly) can give me a great shave, WITHOUT any feeling of the blade whacking them whiskers. When shaving on #5, I get a very close shave it's true, but it's not as comfortable for my face as on #3. Oh, the Merkur HD is preset at about the equivalent of #5 on my fatboy, slims, and superadjustable (all Gillettes)

Yeah, some of this is tough to relate to.......we all started this way. And.......to mention one other very important thing, you will need to get some decent blades. You have no idea what a difference those will make in comfort and performance. Hehe, you also have no idea what're the best ones.....it's that lack of reference once again. And most importantly, each person may very well have different results using the same type blade. Did I mention something about a rabbit hole?

Anyway, I have a few DE razors you can purchase if you like. One's an adjustable 'slim', and one's a sorta special superspeed (only made in 1958) Both are in excellent shape, and neither would run more than $25. I'd recommend the slim ($22), but the susperspeed's a well respected razor also ($25). I can even toss in a few of the well known brands of blades. No problem if you wanna pass on that, but figured I'd make the offer.Hehe, you may end up wanting to try a Tech first, or some other type, after reading that link.

Good luck with whatever you decide on,
Martin


Best first razor? - The Shave Den

My recommendation would be to try a Gillette Tech. They are fairly easy to find in antique shops and are ususally quite cheap. They provide a smooth and forgiving shave. I still keep one or two in the rotation simply because they shave so well.

My $.02.

Originally Posted by Walker

Hello everyone,

I'm in the market for my first DE razor and have a question. Are any models out there truly better than others, or does it all boil down to preference? I've noticed there is quite a price jump between"classic" style razors and adjustable razors. Is the adjustable razor the better buy?

Thanks for any help!

get an old tech. the tech's are mildest, if you want new and not vintange, get a weishi, they are the midlest of the newly made twist to opens.

I'd probably steer clear of the merkurs.

start with a tech, they cost peanuts.

get a blade sample pack and start with the derby blades.

I had a Gillette adjustable and just didn't care for it. I've shaved with a number of the Gillette non-adjustable models and they're great shavers. My current setup is a Merkur HD (Non-adjustable) with Derby blades. Lots of right answers. I think if you're going for adjustable, I'd go with a classic Gillette over the current line of Merkur (Vision, etc.) For a fixed head, the HD is hard to beat.

Whether you use one DE or another the selection of blades is as important as which model DE you choose. This can be confusing since if YMMV applies to anything it is to blade preference.

For me the Gillette Swede is the sharpest and smoothest but they are also the most expensive. The Feather comes in next. They are also kind of expensive and are as sharp as the Swedes but not quite as smooth. Derby, Merkur, Israeli Personna and Wilkinson are all on about the same level for sharpness and smoothness IMO.

There are many other blades out there that I never tried. Some of the vendor's have sampler packs with a few samples of various brands. Getting one of these is a good idea as you can weed out your likes and dislikes to find the best blade for you.