Thread: Wanting advise on 2nd DE razor

I have been wet shaving for a year now with straights. I occasionally use a DE for a change or when traveling. My only de is an Edwin Jagger DE 89. It is a very mild razor and is comfortable with all the blades I've tried. I would like to step up to a slightly more aggressive razor. I would like opinions on some other razors that might be worth trying.
Thank you,
John

Originally Posted by jmac123

I have been wet shaving for a year now with straights. I occasionally use a DE for a change or when traveling. My only de is an Edwin Jagger DE 89. It is a very mild razor and is comfortable with all the blades I've tried. I would like to step up to a slightly more aggressive razor. I would like opinions on some other razors that might be worth trying.
Thank you,
John

For me, that answer would be a Merkur Slant (37C or 39C). I like the 39C better because the handle is 4 inches long as opposed to 3. That's hands down the best DE razor I have ever used.

Merkur Progress. It's adjustable so you can set it and leave it or change it for different parts of you face. I really enjoy using it and it gives great audio feedback. Not expensive and I highly recommend it.

John, a number of razors come to mind. For a closed comb, however, the Weber all stainless steel is a good choice. It's mildly aggressive and well made.

Originally Posted by CaliforniaCajun

For me, that answer would be a Merkur Slant (37C or 39C). I like the 39C better because the handle is 4 inches long as opposed to 3. That's hands down the best DE razor I have ever used.

Ditto. The Merkur Slant is my go to DE as well. Try it with a Feather blade and it will do the job no matter the resistance of your whiskers.

You could pick up a vintage Fat Boy and then you can dial in the amount of aggressiveness you desire.

I'll second the vintage adjustables. Just picked up a Gilette from 1962 that is in near perfect condition, and the ability to dial it in to whatever aggressiveness I want is really nice.

Agreed. A vintage Fatboy on 7 with a Feather is pretty aggressive. It's nice being able to adjust too. I've got a '59 that I'll never let go. Same as my Barbasol DE.

Although that Merkur Slant has been on my buy list for awhile...just always seems to be sold out whenever I'm looking.

+1 on the fatboy--you can't go wrong. If you would like something vintage, but a little more aggressive, a Gillette "new" open comb (1930's?) is a good shave too. But if you are looking for more aggressive, you might also think about a GEM 1912 SE. They're inexpensive, and Walgreen/Personna blades are OK and easily found. Gem's give a good shave.

John, not that long ago I was in the same situation as you. Almost exactly, in fact, and had the same razor and the same opinion. I went for the Muhle R41 and am very pleased with it. YMMV.

Ed