Thread: Suggestion on first DE buy

Hello all,

I've been MIA from SRP for quite some time, missed it here. The point of this thread is to get some recommendations and suggestions on what kind of DE I should purchase. I am familiar with Straight Razors, but not so much with Safety Razors and am considering dabbling in that field.

SO any suggestions on what kind of DE I should purchase. I found some on Amazon. I prefer a new one, but a nice used good condition one will do. IN the price range of less than 60 (no big bucks here haha).

But I am also open to suggestions on what kind of DE blades that you guys have, and so forth.

Thanks,

Huizar6

Originally Posted by Huizar6

Hello all,

I've been MIA from SRP for quite some time, missed it here. The point of this thread is to get some recommendations and suggestions on what kind of DE I should purchase. I am familiar with Straight Razors, but not so much with Safety Razors and am considering dabbling in that field.

SO any suggestions on what kind of DE I should purchase. I found some on Amazon. I prefer a new one, but a nice used good condition one will do. IN the price range of less than 60 (no big bucks here haha).

But I am also open to suggestions on what kind of DE blades that you guys have, and so forth.

Thanks,

Huizar6

Huizar,

First welcome back to SRP...

As for your question...If you want to purchase a new DE razor, take a good look at the Merkur DEs. They come in a variety of styles and short or long handles. I own a Merkur HD or Heavy Duty and love it. I have several friends who I convinced to switch to DE razor shaving and they purchased the Merkur Classic. They love the shaves they receive from it.

There are a number of SRP members who really like the Edwin Jagger DES. They are quite stylish and also deliver top quality shaves.

Several of the vendors who advertise here at SRP sell DE razors. Check them out. There is also this site which has a wide variety of DE razors for sale: Double-Edge Safety Razor

If you're looking for vintage DE razors IMHO the vintage Gillette DEs can't be beat. You can probably find one in a local antique store or on ebay for a good price.

I hope that this helps.

Take care--and smooth shaving...

+1 on the Merkur DE's.

I have this one:

Merkur - Heavy Duty Double Edge Safety Razor (34C): Amazon.co.uk: Health & Beauty

Its a great little razor and very well made. I'd definately recommend them.!

Hello, Huizar6:

I cannot say enough good things about two of my favorite double edge razors: the Edwin Jagger L89 and the Muhle Pinsel R89.

I like the Merkurs, as well, and have had them through the years. The Edwin Jagger and the Muhle Pinsel, however, I still prefer. I find them slightly milder than the Merkurs, and their workmanship is impeccable.

Regards,
Obie

As far as blades go a sampler pack from an outfit such as West Coast Shaving here is a good way to go. When I was still shaving with DEs a couple of years ago the best blades for me were the Gillette Swede or the Feather DE blade.

The former was the sharpest and smoothest while the latter was equally sharp but slightly less smooth to my particular mug. The Derby blade and Israeli Personna were also popular back then. Wilkinsons were good and Merkur blades seemed to be love them or hate them depending on the individual. I always thought they were good.

This is why a sampler pack is a good idea. If you do a search for DE blades on forums you would be amazed at the differing opinions on which are good and which are not. A very individual thing. For razors the Merkur HD mentioned previously is frequently recommended as a starter razor.

The Gillette Super Speeds tend to be mild shavers while the adjustables give you a bit of choice in terms of mild to aggressive and the Gillettes have the TTO (twist to open) feature which is convenient. My favorite Gillette was probably the Red TIp Super Speed. Gillettes are plentiful used. The Merkur is a two piece and there is nothing wrong with that but it is not as convenient AFAIC.

+1 on the sampler pack. I was lucky to find one of the cheapest blades (Red Personna) works best for me. Sharper is not necessarily better as far as DE blades are concerned - in contrast to straights, skin irritation is a bigger factor with DE's and the sharper Feathers and Swedes tend to do that more often.

Same principle applies to the razors themselves. The more aggresive razors like the older open comb gilletes can give you weepers very quickly.

As to your razor purchase, there really are two camps - do you want a vintage razor or a new one? For vintage razors, there are tons of Gillettes out there to experiment with. They look classy and are well made. Check ebay and some of the DE oriented forums' classifieds.

For modern, Merkurs are pretty hard to beat. Easy to use and also well built. Look around at the online vendor sites like SRP, Vintage Blades. For Merkurs, the Heavy Duty (34c) and its variants are popular to start with, or as a one and only razor. I personally like the version of the heavy duty with the heavier barberpole handle (38c). I have not used it in sometime, but I take it along when I travel.

Another + for the Merkur is you can pick one up for very little money up front.

It's a pretty good deal for a nice DE. I got a Merkur "1904" open comb for $23+ S&H and couldn't be happier with it.

A Merkur would be a good choice. However, the new Edwin Jagger/Muhle razors are excellent as well. I'm using straight mostly now, but I still have four DE razors. I kept one Merkur 38c and 3 of the EJ/Muhle razors -- Chatsworth Barley, Bog Oak and Stylo African Black Wood. I picked up the EJ/Muhle razors at bestgroomingtools.com

+1,000 on the blade sampler pack. Different people like different blades.

As for which razor, I haven't tried any of the new production models. I'm kinda partial to the vintage ones. Dad used a Gillette Super Speed and that's what I learned on. I picked up a Super Speed and an old Gillette 3 piece old type at an antique store for $4.50 each. Cleaned 'em up and the Super Speed looks almost new. I polished the 3 piece and it looks good now too. Pics. of them before clean up are here http://straightrazorpalace.com/shavi...ought-des.html

After clean up are here http://straightrazorpalace.com/shavi...ing-guess.html

3 piece from bought condition to after polishing are here http://straightrazorpalace.com/shavi...p-project.html

If you go new, I would suggest looking at the Edwin Jagger razors. They're wonderful. Interestingly, I hear they actually use Merkur heads for many of their models, but I find they tend to have a more classy look (IMO, of course).

Count me as another one agreeing on the blade sampler; you never know which blade will work best for you. I personally found Derby to be my perfect go-to blade, but I know plenty of others prefer different brands.