I am curious as to what would be a decent DE to use? I am a dedicated Straight shaver but am thinking about just trying a DE. Any suggestions out there?
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I am curious as to what would be a decent DE to use? I am a dedicated Straight shaver but am thinking about just trying a DE. Any suggestions out there?
The Merkur HD is pretty well respected. I love the weight of the thing.
You can often snag Gillette Super Speeds off eBay. Often, with a little cleaning & TLC these are very serviceable shavers.
Some of the guys here are fans of the Edwin Jagger stuff too. I'm sure more folks will chime in.
Blades are another important part of the equation. Not all blades are created equal. I hate Merkur blades, but other guys here love them. Just about everybody agrees that Feather blades are rediculously sharp. If at first you don't like it, try a different blade.
I use about the same technique as I do with my straights. Stretching the skin, prep, etc. And no pressure.
Hello, Ramon:
Double edge razors reflect personal choices. Sensei Kyle offers good suggestions.
I love the Edwin Jagger razors — all of them. The 89L is a sweet razor. The "Chatsworth" series is lovely, though more expensive. I also like the Muhle-Pinsel 89R, which is the richer cousin of the EJ 89L.
I do not have a Feather, but I will in the coming weeks. I have heard good things about it.
I have owned several old-time Gillettes, but I am not all that fond of them.
Merkurs are good razors, and I especially like the 38C "barber pole." The 34C has a cult following; it's a good razor. Also the 33C has its own followers. You cannot go wrong with any of these. I find the Merkurs a touch more aggressive than the Edwin Jaggers — and I prefer the Edwin Jaggers.
The fancy and expensive adjustable Merkurs don't do much for me, so I have nothing more to say about them.
For blades, I fancy Feather and the Gillette 7 O'Clock "Sharp Edge" (in the yellow packs). Also I find the 7 O'Clock "Perma Sharp" (green pack made in India) a good blade. Derby has a good following. So does the Personna "red pack" from Israel. Super Iridium, also made in Russia, is also a good blade, and sharp. I find Merkur blades hopeless.
Your best best is to try several sampler packs to give you a general idea of what works best for you.
Regards,
Obie
I am not a big fan of the Merkurs. I find their quality control spotty to say the least.
I much prefer vintage Gillettes. The SuperSpeed and Tech are two of my favorites. A Red Tip is nice too, but a tad bit more aggressive.
Another option is the Edwin Jagger DE89. It seems to have a strong following, though I have never used it.
My favorite overall is the Gillette Tech.
Hi Ramon,
I have a couple I use when I'm pressed for time. There's a guy on Ebay, Cedarfurnitureman, He sells vintage Gillettes. I got a Black Beauty, adjustable...Great Razor, and a 1961 Gillette Fat Boy, also adjustable...another good buy. I think you'd be happy with either of them...
Plus, I'm a sucker for anything Vintage....
As far as Blades go, The Gillette 7 O Clock are good and the Feather blades...
I have a boat load of Shark Blades, if you want, I'll send you a couple packs free.....
Rich
A lot of this is personal preference really. I have the mercur 38C and I don't like it at all. I've also had the vision and didn't like that either. I have a vintage fatboy and it beats the previous two. The EJ razors like Obie said are really top notch and I have the feather which is it's equal.
As far as the blades go just get a sampler pack and experiment. That's the only was to do it.
I can only answer for myself, but my Merkur 39C Slant has been excellent the last two years, still looks like new, and shaves fantastic with Feather blades. After learning to shave with Straithts I don`t use a DE much any longer, but when I do I use the 39C Slant every time.
I have a Merkur 1904(?...1907, I forget) and it works really good. If I remember correctly, it's an "open comb" while the Gillette I have (don't know the model) is a "closed comb"...I like the Merkur for the weight. It's really solid and heavy but it IS more aggressive with the open comb. The Gillette feels a good bit lighter. As for blades, Feathers is more aggressive too but I lean towards them as well. Derbys are good to start with as are Wilkinsons or sharks. I agree with the other posters here when they say to get a smapler pack and give it a whirl...alot of it does indeed come down to personal choice as far as blades and razors go. I've been using the Merkur for almost two years and the Gillette for more than 6 months until I recently discovered straight razor shaving back in September or so. Hope this helps.
Thanks all!!! WOW, I didn't know they are just as complicated as Straights! I had bought some shaving supplies from Bull Goose and he sent me a pack of "Lord Platinum" and "Astra Platinum" blades so I figured to give them a try. God Bless all and MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!
Hello Ramon,
If you want new, I would recommend a Merkur Heavy Duty or a Merkur Progress.
If you want vintage, I would recommend a Gillette Super Speed or a Gillette Fat Boy.
Hope this helps.
Thanks,
Mike
I have a Super Speed adjustable, and use Derby blades. The SuperSpeed is a very mild shaver, and the Derby is a mild blade. Using the adjustable on 3 seems about like a normal Super Speed; higher numbers get more aggressive.
I only use it when I travel (so I have next to no practice with it), but I get fast, easy, 1 pass clean shaves, even with only water.
I have a '62 Fatboy that shaves very well, a nice vintage piece if you come to prefer heavy razors. And then there's my trusty Merkur 38C, highly recommended by me.
I've gotten about 6 DE from various LOT wins and they all scare me a bit. I keep telling myself to get over it and give it a try but ALWAYS wig out just after I put a blade in one...
Oh well I'll stick to a straight till I get over it :p
If there are any bad vintage Gillettes, I've been lucky enough to avoid them so far, that's why they get my recommendation. From battered old razors from the 20s to the snazzy adjustables of the 60s I've found them all to be good, even tempered razors, but the pick of the bunch are the Superspeeds and Rockets from the 40s and 50s for my money. Which is good, because that generally means not a great deal of money.
The matter of blades however is a real can of worms, and best left for another thread. It's enough to drive a fella to a straight razor, well this one anyway.
Ramon,
I would recommend the Merkur HD or Futur. I have and use both. I'm quite pleased with them.
As Obie suggested, the Edwin Jagger de's are quite nice as well.
Then too, if you can snag a vintage Gillette de off of ebay, you can't go wrong there either. I have a 1960 Gillette Butterfly or Twist-to-Open (TTO) Super Speed and love it.
Make sure that you purchase a de razor blade sampler pack as well. This will let you chose the best de razor blade that is economical and best for your beard.
I have and recommend the Goodfella DE razor. It is handmade in New Zealand and was reviewed on SRP by a member who knows a thing or two about razors. :)
It is available at Westcoastshaving in their dents and scratch section for a very reasonable price.
I have two DE razors. One is an old open comb gillette and the other is a 1966 gillette travel tech. The little travel tech has a handle that is about as long as the blade is across. (1 1/2 inch?) It gives a great shave, and that is with super market blades. It is the razor I use when I just don't have time for a real straight razor shave but have to shave. I want to make a small case for travelling with it and a full length handle for use at home.
I normally recommend the Merkur 34C but since you know how to use a straight I'd recommend the more aggressive Merkur 37C Slant (39C is the long-handled version).Quote:
Originally Posted by rrp1501
I have a new Merkur classic long handle, no comb, and I absolutely love the thing. It's built like a Russian tractor, heavy and sturdy. It feels like a tool in your hand, not a razor. That's why I like it.
rrp1501,
+1 on Obies' advice - the Muhle headed razors are excellent - I have a R109.
I think every shaver ought to have a TTO Gillette, and with the SuperSpeed it is hard to go wrong. My favourite Gillette DE is the English New, long-comb two peice; abslutely a superb shaver (for me).
+1 on the advice to get a blade sampler pack; the choice of DE blades is possibly one of the most personal things in shaving !!! One persons ambrosia blade is anothers poison !! (Blade samplers can be had from WestCoastShaving (Sample Packs)
or ConnaughtShaving (Connaught DE Sample Packs) amongst others.
Good luck !
Have fun & a Merry Christmas !
Best regards
Russ
As Obie indicated, the Edwin Jaggers are a great razor. If I had to keep just one DE it would be the Edwin Jagger.
Hard to go wrong with any Gillette adjustable. Feather blades are indeed sharp, but if you start with the razor at 2 or 3, I think you'll enjoy the sharpness.
IMHO, vintage Gillettes are the way to go. Fantastic quality, affordable and widely available. It really is hard to go wrong with any of the bunch. A Fatboy or Slim Adjustable is a good bet because you can dial in the desired aggressiveness. That said, I've had amazing shaves from 3 piece Techs and Super Speeds as well.
I prefer the old Gillette. Technology is great, and my two favorites. Puerto Claude is also good, but the possibility is somewhat aggressive.Another Edwin Jagger DE89. He seems to have a strong following, even though I never used the technology is preferred it.My total of Gillette.
Let's see....
I have maybe 40 DE and SE razors, and maybe 15 different DE and SE blades. That works out to about 600 different combinations.
I have maybe 60 straights and 12 different finishing hones. So figure 720 different edges I can put together.
I've been wet shaving for two years, maybe 500 shaves total, so I'm less than halfway through all these possible choices.
After two years, I can say it ain't the equipment, it's the hand holding the razor.
Work on technique. You will get a great shave with your best equipment. You will get an excellent shave with the worst.
I use and recommend the Merkur 34C. Just be sure to get some quality blades.
My vote goes to a Merkur Futur (especially if you like heavy straights).
They're pretty, and they can shave brilliantly (with the right blade and proper technique).
They are heavy, though.
There are prettier razors, but the Futur will shave as good as the best of them.
That being said, I have several dozen DE razors. Must have variety!! :)
My favorite is the Gillette slim adjustable, works very well for me
I have a late 40's Gillette SuperSpeed and I really do enjoy it. I've had a go at Merkur, Derby and Wilkinson blades and will probably give Feather a try as well. Can't go wrong with the SuperSpeed unless you really "need" it to be adjustable.
-Ben
Echoing what everyone else said - I've been using the merkur 38C hefty long handled "barber pole"for about 6 months now and it's pretty solid. And surprise surprise; I have an edwin jagger chatsworth in the mail right now based on all the rave reviews!
good luck :gl:
So far (I am very new to this) I have used the Merkur Heavy Classic (34 C). While I am getting great results compared to my old way of shaving...I am more looking forward to what else is out there. :hmmm:
My daily razor is the Gilette Knack (1967). But I like all other gillettes I have tried and the couple of Merkurs I have in the stable. I don't think you'd got wrong with almost any suggestion so far.