Direction needed

Hey everyone,

I've been shaving with a straight only for the last four months and thought I would never consider anything else. Well now I have a new job opportunity where I will be doing a lot of travelling so I guess it's time to start considering the safety world for my travels. So my questions are:
- what is considered a good well rounded safety razor?
- which blades are a good starting place sharpness and smoothness?
- any suggestions for dealers? Or a place to find a cost effective set up. Hoping to maximize the bang for the buck.

Thanks in advance,

jackson

I have had a couple of vintage and brand new DEs and IMO the vintage ones seem superior to the new ones i had. I have used a bunch of different blades and find i like feather and bic so far. I got my vintage DEs at local antique stores don't remember where i purchased the new one from. Hope this helps a bit

-dan-

Hello Jackson,
A good choice for an all-around razor is the Edwin Jagger DE 89. It comes in a variety of handles. This is a mid-range razor with impeccable workmanship. For blades, order a sampler pack. Only you can determine what is the best blade for you. My recommendation for blades is: Polsiver Iridium, Feather, Gillette 7 O'Clock SharEdge (in the yellow pack), Personna, Derby and Astra. Your sampler pack might include some or all of these blades.
There are a number of reputable vendors: Straight Razor Designs, West Coast Shaving, BullGoose, Lee's Safety Razors, The English Shaving Company, and others. Well, all the vendors on SRP are reputable.
Good luck.

I would recommend a Merkur Progress and a blade sample pack from any of the vendors previously mentioned. Adjustable razors are frowned upon as newbie razors (they are said to add an unnecessary complication), but my experience leads me to recommend this razor. Start at a low setting and adjust as necessary. It is a great shaver and very mild at the low end very aggressive at the high end (unlike the Futur which is just plain aggressive at any setting). The EJ 89 is like using the Progress at around a setting of 3. Most users find a setting they like and leave it there, I open mine up for my face and dial it down for my neck. :gl:

Hi, Jackson,

I know you're going to get a lot of recommendations as far as razor and blade brands, so I don't want to add to the mix in that sense.

My only advice is to also try a single-edge safety razor. Not all double-edge safety razors are great, and not all great safety razors are double-edge. A nice vintage Gem, for instance, is probably what has given me the best shaves in my life, also because it is designed in such a way that you simply can't screw up the angle.

Luckily, safety razors are cheap, and for a few tens of bucks you can probably try a few and see what your shaving style and your skin like best.

Most of all, have fun experimenting.

Best,

Tom

A Merkur 34C or 38C would be a good choice IMO.

A Gillette slim is a great middle of the road DE. It's adjustable, so you can dial in the feel with different blades. If you end up in a strange land and are forced to buy an odd local brand of blade, you at least have some flexibility.

Like Corgi, I love the SE, but blades could be tough to find on the road.

Thank you to everyone who has contributed to this point. Many great suggestions. Could someone also enlighten me to whether there would be any compatibility issues with any of these safety razors?

Thanks again,

Jackson

Quote:

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Originally Posted by jackson2711

Thank you to everyone who has contributed to this point. Many great suggestions. Could someone also enlighten me to whether there would be any compatibility issues with any of these safety razors?

Thanks again,

Jackson

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Not sure what you mean. Except for the single edge razors, all DE blades fit all modern DE razors and most of the old ones. Were you thinking about other aspects of the razor?

I just wanted to confirm that I could use a wide range of blades with each razor. Since I may have to shop at some small store in the middle of nowhere, choices will be very limited; so I just wanted to confirm that all DE Blades fit all modern DE razor.

DE blades are standard sized. They are all interchangeable.

Just to throw in my 2¢----> you may also want to consider a disposable straight. Dovo, parker, and feather are some good brands. :)

Many people use them as a travel option. Just another option.

+1 to Merkcur 34c. I have one and find it to be a very good and pretty forgiving razor. I got this before I got into straights, but I still use it if I want to sneak in a quick shave before work in the morning. I just purchased 2 more for friends as christmas gifts.