Thread: Thinking of a safety razor.

Howdy all,

So like the title says I'm thinking about using a saftey razor for those quick morning shaves. Anyone have any suggestions? If possible does anyone know of a razor made in '84 since it would be my birth razor.

The blades are a whole different kettle of fish but I think maybe I'll use feathers or something else with a good reputation.

Any help will be great thanks.

Hey Basil,

You could certainly do worse than learn to use a DE - they're my second choice of razor after straights.

Everyone has a recommendation for a newb razor - I usually recommend either the Merkur 34C (the "HD") or its long handled cousin, the 38C (the "barberpole"). Many newbs start with these and continue using them when proficient.

For blades IMO skip the Feathers until you have your technique down pat. It will save your face and make you appreciate them more down the road. Start with something milder like Derby or Personna.

As for a razor from '84, you may be out of luck there. In fact someone brought this up very recently. For the most part disposables and electrics ruled the day back then, a very sorry time for wet shaving.

In any event, happy shaving!

I asked this same question over on another forum and they said the black handled super speed with the date code E is what I should look for.

I saw a pic and it looks pretty cool. Now to see if I can score one for a good price.

Originally Posted by basil

I asked this same question over on another forum and they said the black handled super speed with the date code E is what I should look for.

I saw a pic and it looks pretty cool. Now to see if I can score one for a good price.

Gillette date codes here. Gillette Razor and Blade Dating and Feature Information Note there is a number for the quarter so a 3 would be made in July/Aug/Sept. But by 1984 there wasn't much DE production from Gillette. Today they are still making the Slim Twist/Knack and the Click DE razors for use in the developing world and they sometimes come up on eBay.

Avoid Feathers to start with. Use Personna, Wilkinson Sword, Derby or any Gillette.

The Super Speed is a very mild razor. You could also look at the Super Adjustable which is brilliant.

Finally if you want a modern razor then perhaps the Edwin Jagger DE89L is worth a look. Read some of the online reviews and you will see a lot of praise. Less expensive than a Merkur too.

Basil,

For new build safety razors I would recommend the Muhle R106/109 or Edwin Jagger EJ89 (Muhle head). Very competent, well built razors.

For vintage, you can't go wrong with some model of the Gillette SuperSpeeds. They are so much part of shaving history, I think all shavers should have one !

For me, the best shaving vintage Gillettes are the Gillette News, particularly my British New long-comb two-piece

For vintage razors, I prefer the single edge types e.g. GEM, Ever-Ready & Schick. These seem to be not to everybody's taste

Do get yourself a blade sampler pack, as the choice of blade is very, very personal. We often have the case of 50% of people who love a blade and the other 50% vehemently hate it !!

Good luck !

Have fun !

Best regards

Russ

I started with a Merkur 39 C Sledgehammer with Feather blades. I have never found a better shave with DE`s. Imo, if you can handle a Straight razor you will not have any problems with Feather blades.

Originally Posted by PhatMan

Basil,

For new build safety razors I would recommend the Muhle R106/109 or Edwin Jagger EJ89 (Muhle head). Very competent, well built razors.

Do get yourself a blade sampler pack, as the choice of blade is very, very personal. We often have the case of 50% of people who love a blade and the other 50% vehemently hate it !!

Russ

Hello, basil:

My good friend PhatMan offers good thoughts and suggestion. I have used both the Edwin Jagger and the Muhle and find them superb in every way. They are my recommendations as well. Also, the sampler pack is the most logical way to discover what blades work best for you.

The English Shaving Company carries a good selection of Edwin Jagger double Edge Razors. Connought in the UK has the Muhle. I find both vendors excellent to buy from.

Connought, Bull Goose and West Coast Shaving have sampler packs for blades. I have bought from all three and like them.

Regards,
Obie

Originally Posted by PhatMan

Do get yourself a blade sampler pack, as the choice of blade is very, very personal.

Originally Posted by Obie

...the sampler pack is the most logical way to discover what blades work best for you.

Or, you could do what I did. You could ignore this wise advice and justify it by figuring that the cost per blade will be much cheaper if you just by a large quantity of what everyone is currently raving about. Pay no attention to the little voice in your head that says "this could be a mistake". Go ahead and get the biggest volume discount you can! You'll be saving money!

You could. Then you could end up, like I did, with a ton of Derbys. Then, like me, you could discover that Derby's -ing suck.

Haha yeah that would be pretty bad.

I love my straights tho so I would be shaving with them pretty much everyday. I just figured a safety razor would be nice while travelling or other times when you don't want to have to worry about a strop and other necessary items.

Another +1 for the Merkur 34c HD here, thats a great little razor.