Get a Muhle R89.
After seven years of double edge shaving the R89 is my daily shaver.
After seven years of double edge shaving the R89 is my daily shaver.
Buying second double edged razor, advice please (beginner)
- Thread starter tightshave
- Start date
Bear in mind, the folks recommending a Henson are in the states. That razor is double the price of a Muhle to start with, and then costs a further 25% in real terms for people in the UK / Ireland due to shipping and taxes. It's a well made razor and will last a lifetime, but if money is a factor and you can already get good shaves with a traditional razor, you don't need the "training wheels" of the Henson (IMO).
Likewise, AFAIK things like "Jack Black" and Cremo are significantly more expensive here than in the USA - by 60% or so. Jack Black may be great stuff. It sounds good in theory but at £21 including shipping for a small tube I will never know. Palmolive costs £2.50 in the supermarket!
By all means try these popular products, but be aware these recommendations sit in a different budget category and come from the perspective of #americandefaultism!
Incidentally, reading your account of what happened to your old razor, it sounds to me like maybe you snapped off the threaded post by over-tightening the razor. Almost all razors under £90 are made of plated zamak which needs to be treated with a bit of care, as it can be brittle. When you tighten any razor, you don't need to torque it down. Just hold the top part between thumb and ring finger and the handle the same way, then cinch them together firmly but gently. Holding them loosely like this helps to prevent over-tightening, because you can't grip them too hard. You can also lubricate the thread with a little dab of mineral oil or vaseline. When looked after like this, even a cheap razor should keep going for a long, long time.
Likewise, AFAIK things like "Jack Black" and Cremo are significantly more expensive here than in the USA - by 60% or so. Jack Black may be great stuff. It sounds good in theory but at £21 including shipping for a small tube I will never know. Palmolive costs £2.50 in the supermarket!
By all means try these popular products, but be aware these recommendations sit in a different budget category and come from the perspective of #americandefaultism!
Incidentally, reading your account of what happened to your old razor, it sounds to me like maybe you snapped off the threaded post by over-tightening the razor. Almost all razors under £90 are made of plated zamak which needs to be treated with a bit of care, as it can be brittle. When you tighten any razor, you don't need to torque it down. Just hold the top part between thumb and ring finger and the handle the same way, then cinch them together firmly but gently. Holding them loosely like this helps to prevent over-tightening, because you can't grip them too hard. You can also lubricate the thread with a little dab of mineral oil or vaseline. When looked after like this, even a cheap razor should keep going for a long, long time.
My recommendation is - buy DScosmetics AX-SE zamack razor from Ali. You get 3 different base plates for 23€. Most likely the plate 1 is for you light beard. If you like it (you will !) you can buy their stainless variant.
If you don't like it 23€ is not a big loss.
If you don't like it 23€ is not a big loss.
@Multum in parvo offered a sound advice, so here's a "+1".
My vote goes to a Henson medium (++) or to a R89, too, depending on your budget. The R89 has been my start off DE, too.
As per the shaving cream, go for a tube of Proraso, Palmolive or Speick (if available).
Avoid buying blades in bulk (packs of 100), instead look out for a sample pack off Amazon or eBay. Blades will have an significant impact on your shave experience...
I'd point you to a Yaqi branded synthetic brush off Aliexpress.com.
Go for a medium sized one (24mm) as a starting point. Bang for buck imo, solid performer.
As an alternative watch out for Razorock Synthetic brushes.
You don't need an expensive bowl to start off, a cereal bowl will do the job as well. Or go with one of these:
de.aliexpress.com
Enjoy!
My vote goes to a Henson medium (++) or to a R89, too, depending on your budget. The R89 has been my start off DE, too.
As per the shaving cream, go for a tube of Proraso, Palmolive or Speick (if available).
Avoid buying blades in bulk (packs of 100), instead look out for a sample pack off Amazon or eBay. Blades will have an significant impact on your shave experience...
I'd point you to a Yaqi branded synthetic brush off Aliexpress.com.
Go for a medium sized one (24mm) as a starting point. Bang for buck imo, solid performer.
As an alternative watch out for Razorock Synthetic brushes.
You don't need an expensive bowl to start off, a cereal bowl will do the job as well. Or go with one of these:
11.88US $ 34% OFF|Dscosmetic Pp Shaving Bowl For Men Wet Shave - Shaving Brushes - AliExpress
Smarter Shopping, Better Living! Aliexpress.com
Enjoy!
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- Thread starter
- #25
Wow, you figured it out! I sorta thought I was doing something wrong with the old razor! I probably did overtightenBear in mind, the folks recommending a Henson are in the states. That razor is double the price of a Muhle to start with, and then costs a further 25% in real terms for people in the UK / Ireland due to shipping and taxes. It's a well made razor and will last a lifetime, but if money is a factor and you can already get good shaves with a traditional razor, you don't need the "training wheels" of the Henson (IMO).
Likewise, AFAIK things like "Jack Black" and Cremo are significantly more expensive here than in the USA - by 60% or so. Jack Black may be great stuff. It sounds good in theory but at £21 including shipping for a small tube I will never know. Palmolive costs £2.50 in the supermarket!
By all means try these popular products, but be aware these recommendations sit in a different budget category and come from the perspective of #americandefaultism!
Incidentally, reading your account of what happened to your old razor, it sounds to me like maybe you snapped off the threaded post by over-tightening the razor. Almost all razors under £90 are made of plated zamak which needs to be treated with a bit of care, as it can be brittle. When you tighten any razor, you don't need to torque it down. Just hold the top part between thumb and ring finger and the handle the same way, then cinch them together firmly but gently. Holding them loosely like this helps to prevent over-tightening, because you can't grip them too hard. You can also lubricate the thread with a little dab of mineral oil or vaseline. When looked after like this, even a cheap razor should keep going for a long, long time.
And yep, I will be sticking to cheaper and quicker delivery european products. Unfortuantely we don't have the same choice as the americans have (in this and many other areas)
@Multum in parvo offered a sound advice, so here's a "+1".
My vote goes to a Henson medium (++) or to a R89, too, depending on your budget. The R89 has been my start off DE, too.
As per the shaving cream, go for a tube of Proraso, Palmolive or Speick (if available).
Avoid buying blades in bulk (packs of 100), instead look out for a sample pack off Amazon or eBay. Blades will have an significant impact on your shave experience...
I'd point you to a Yaqi branded synthetic brush off Aliexpress.com.
Go for a medium sized one (24mm) as a starting point. Bang for buck imo, solid performer.
As an alternative watch out for Razorock Synthetic brushes.
You don't need an expensive bowl to start off, a cereal bowl will do the job as well. Or go with one of these:
11.88US $ 34% OFF|Dscosmetic Pp Shaving Bowl For Men Wet Shave - Shaving Brushes - AliExpress
Smarter Shopping, Better Living! Aliexpress.com
Enjoy!
Why should i avoid buying blades in bulk? Is it because blades available in bulk tend to be bad quality?
Thanks everyone, so much brilliant advice here.
I owned a
ll 3 , r41 is too harsh but it will keep you smooth for more than a day ! . R89 & r94 (rocca ) are the same in performance/efficiency with r89 you get less irritation unlike the rocca r94 which is more aggressive . If i was in your shoes , i’ll definitely get the muhle r89. Gd luck
For me a smart choice would be GC 76p both in terms of razor quality and budget
In the future you can implement just the 84 or 1.05 plates if you need something more
No.
Before buying in bulk try different blades in your new razor first. If you buy a sampler pack, you'll get one tuck of blades comprising 5 or 10 blades of each variant included in this sampler pack.
As I said, different blades can make for a significantly different shaving experience. No one can tell you which is the one brand best suited for your skin, razor and your needs. Thus, try different blade brands with your new razor.
Once you have found a "matching blade", buy in bulk.
Cheers!
Gamechangers cost well over $100 in Europe, by the time shipping and taxes are accounted for - completely different league from OP's budget. Even a Rocca is slightly cheaper, or a Greencult.
If you want to avoid Zamac razors, check out the plated all-brass construction Fatips, which are readily available across Europe for a lot cheaper than what we pay in the USA. Then grab some Proraso soap or cream and you have a nice Italian setup.
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Did he specify where he came from? I did not read
However a Rocca costs almost 100 euro in Europe "not really cheap"
Green cult I would not recommend it to someone who has only been shaving for a short time
GC costs exactly the same as a Rocca in euro
I recommended the GC only because I consider it more intuitive than a Rocca and with the possibility of upgrading the plates
My2cent
Did he specify where he came from? I did not read
However a Rocca costs almost 100 euro in Europe "not really cheap"
Green cult I would not recommend it to someone who has only been shaving for a short time
He said he's in Ireland.
@tightshave:
Since you are fairly new to all this, and have a light beard, you don't really need to spend a lot on expensive specialty products. See what you can find at reasonable cost where you live.
Something like an R89 or Merkur 34c, sampler pack of blades, Palmolive shaving cream, inexpensive synthetic or boar brush would be my suggestions. Later on, you can expand if you want.
Yes thanks I just read...I missed where it came from
I agree with you
Then a 34c is excellent
You are right - the Rocca gets slightly favourable pricing here due to having local distributorship, but for the rest of Europe they seem to be almost identical.
If you're looking for stainless steel go for the Rockwell 6s, imho smoother and more foolproof than the other alternatives being discussed here. And you have six plates to adjust to your beard and face.
@tightshave:
I'll second the recommendations for the R89 and the 34C.
Maybe look at a Fatip brass Gentile as well, to get away from the zamak.
Both @Goblin and @JAHE offer excellent advice here.
I'll second the recommendations for the R89 and the 34C.
Maybe look at a Fatip brass Gentile as well, to get away from the zamak.
Both @Goblin and @JAHE offer excellent advice here.
I would second anyone who recommended the Rockwell 6S. You can choose several different settings and see what you like best.
Also, the R89 is a good choice if you shave daily. The Muhle Rocca 94 is my current favorite but you might wanna get some more experience for that one. Since you're in Ireland I would say go for Palmolive shaving cream. Plus get a cheap boar brush and a simple bowl. Palmolive is cheap and its performance is really good.
Enjoy shaving!
Also, the R89 is a good choice if you shave daily. The Muhle Rocca 94 is my current favorite but you might wanna get some more experience for that one. Since you're in Ireland I would say go for Palmolive shaving cream. Plus get a cheap boar brush and a simple bowl. Palmolive is cheap and its performance is really good.
Enjoy shaving!
Welcome to B&B!
A couple other moderately priced razors to consider are the Weishi twist to open (TTO) and King C. Gillette three piece. I use both of these (long handle Weishi) with great results. The Weishi is between a mild and moderately aggressive razor with the King C. Gillette mild. Both work well. Weish is sold for under $15 in the U.S. (realize you are in Ireland so check local pricing) with the King C. Gillette often on sale for under $20 during the approaching holiday season.
Either one of these provides a close baby butt smooth (BBS) shave though a little extra time is needed for BBS with the King C. Gillette via techniques like "riding the cap" for certain parts of my face.
Best of luck with your next razor.
P.S. Dorco Stainless ST300 blades work well in either of these razors. U.S. Price of around $6 per 100 pack.
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