Looking for a New Safety Razor

[Star_Wahl_Clipper_Treker]

A lot of great advice posted here already. Traditional adjustable razors tend to be quite expensive in my experience, but some have a good price.

For example, for double open comb razors, which are very smooth shavers BTW, the PAA stainless Ascension Twist Adjustable, can be had for 88 buckaroo's, and their higher end even still Copper Gold Plated Ascension Twist Adjustable, can be had for 110 buckaroos. I have the Copper one and I really love it! PAA also currently has a Nickel plated version for 50 buckaroos as well, so you can save more money still if you wanted, but quality on that one is probably not as good as stainless or copper FYI.

A German made Merkur Futur can be had for 70 to 80 buckaroo's, and its more of an actual traditional adjustable razor, only it has a very fat head on it, and makes it difficult to get the under the nose nostril whiskers. Having said that however, it does have an easy snap on top cap, so no need to tightened it down the usual way. But it also weighs the most of all of my razors, and you may not like super heavy razors, but I don't really know your preference on that. Also, it has a very smooth handle with 0 knurling, so the Futur will give you the slip if you have soapy fingers, you have been warned.

My favorite adjustable razor is well beyond your budget, so I won't bother mentioning that. Then again, the other option, is to wait a few months to save up for a top end adjustable razor, and if your interested in increasing your budget by a couple more hundred buckaroo's for saving up for a razor, then I can give you a recommendation, its up to you.

 

[Filudo]

I use a lot of adjustable razors and prefer the Gillette Fat, Slim or super adjustable in that order. You can get them for different prices and conditions (web auctions/stores).
New: Progress is really good (try to find a sale online from a reputable seller).
I got two adjustable made in china, one is a copy of the Merkur Futur by QShave (albeit a bit castrated) but for $13 on @m....on; and the other is Qshave Parthenon (2nd ed) copy of the weishi for $18 also a good cheap option.....

 

[gpjoe]

Game Changer is a solid value at $55...and I think extra plates are 25 or 30 bucks. A complete razor with two extra plates hits your budget bullseye.

I bought my first GC early on my wet shaving quest, and many others have come and gone since but still have two Game Changers.

Vintage Gillette Techs are great shavers fo me, on the mild side.

 

[Jay21]

I'm going to be a dissenting voice and say I don't recommend the Rockwell 6C. Sure, has several plates and shaves well enough, but there are much better razors out there for the same price or even a little bit less expensive. The head on the Rockwell is very large and heavy, which makes it difficult to maneuver in some spots, especially under the nose.

 

[zifnab]

I'm going to be a dissenting voice and say I don't recommend the Rockwell 6C. Sure, has several plates and shaves well enough, but there are much better razors out there for the same price or even a little bit less expensive. The head on the Rockwell is very large and heavy, which makes it difficult to maneuver in some spots, especially under the nose.

Agreed. With promotions Henson is same price. And hindsight, I would rather have tried the GC 68P than the Rockwell. And if I needed an adjustable, I'd go with the cheaper Parker Variant or Gillette Slim/Fatboy.

 

[Chickencutlets]

Agreed. With promotions Henson is same price. And hindsight, I would rather have tried the GC 68P than the Rockwell. And if I needed an adjustable, I'd go with the cheaper Parker Variant or Gillette Slim/Fatboy.

The (GC) Game Changer is one of the best values in shaving in my opinion.

 

[GrizzlyCA]

As others have said. The gamechanger is a great value and a great shaver. If you like mild shavers that are fairly efficient, it is best in class for the price. If you like more efficient, the Lupo.95 is hard to beat

 

[Lane101]

Hi,
I have been using safety razors on and off for about 7 years. I am looking for a new one as I am about to go back on again. Price: Willing to go to $100 give or take. Thinking about an adjustable as this would allow me to adjust for the second or third pass as that seems to be when the sensitivity increases. Your thoughts and recommendations are greatly appreciated.
Thanks.

Hi, Determine the type of adjustment that you prefer and then choose from there. My preference is for the Gillette adjustment mechanism patented in the 1950's with four bars (two per side) that extend through the razor base to adjust the blade gap. This was the predominant mechanism used by Gillette in 1960's - 1980's razors such as the Slim and Super Adjustable "Black Beauty".

Two modern current production razors I'm aware of that have this include the Rockwell T2 ($100 - $150 depending on current sale prices) and Razorrock Adjust for $15 from Italian Barber. I've recently acquired the latter and am pleased with it (link to review below) and many B&Bers speak well of the Rockwell T2. Second link is to my recent thread that has the actual mechanism patent attached if you are curious. Vintage Gillette's are also an option. My first ever razor was a Super Adjustable decades ago that worked well.

Be careful of newer adjustables that rely on a center spring as part of the adjustment mechanism. Lots of reported issues with base alignment to the point were it needs to be checked and realigned for each shave.

Razorock Adjust Butterfly Safety Razor: Review after First Use - https://www.badgerandblade.com/forum/threads/razorock-adjust-butterfly-safety-razor-review-after-first-use.646622/

Modern Adjustable DE Safety Razors that use the Gillette Slim Adjustable & Super Adjustable Adjustment Mechanism from the 1960's-1980's?

Since returning to DE shaving 4+ years ago I've been surprised that few of today's modern DE razors use the reliable and effective adjustment mechanism that was almost the standard in Gillette butterfly razors back in the 1960' through the early 1980's. This mechanism uses a platform with four...

www.badgerandblade.com

 

[Lane101]

I use a lot of adjustable razors and prefer the Gillette Fat, Slim or super adjustable in that order. You can get them for different prices and conditions (web auctions/stores).
New: Progress is really good (try to find a sale online from a reputable seller).
I got two adjustable made in china, one is a copy of the Merkur Futur by QShave (albeit a bit castrated) but for $13 on @m....on; and the other is Qshave Parthenon (2nd ed) copy of the weishi for $18 also a good cheap option.....

The Gillette adjustment mechanism used in those razors is one of the best developed in my view because of its ability to deliver precision adjustment while keeping everything aligned. Per my prior post in this thread above currently the Razorock Adjust ($15,rebranded Baili) and Rockwell T2 ($100-150) use a similar mechanism. I just purchased the former and have been very happy so far.

The issue with many of the recent Chinese adjustable is that they use a central spring that causes alignment issues. Well documented for the Weishi adjustable and I tried a Ming Shi 3000s that was unusable for the same reason.

 

[rovert]

Y'all have some great advice. I really appreciate all the suggestions! Time for a bit more research. I might up my budget and buy two razors. Never hurts to have choices.

 

[rovert]

On a side note, do you need to make 3 passes? Have you tried eliminating a pass? I ask because you mentioned being more sensitive on the second and third passes, but there's nothing that says you have to use a three pass shave.

I don't always do three passes, but occasionally there is the need.

 

[BigJ]

There's always the BST. Might be something that spins your toque.

+1! Yes indeed!! Just be patient and you will be rewarded.

 

[c__port]

Y'all have some great advice. I really appreciate all the suggestions! Time for a bit more research. I might up my budget and buy two razors. Never hurts to have choices.

A bit of research you can do without spending a cent: Open your current razor 1/4 - 1/3 turn and see how it shaves.

Almost every razor is adjustable in this sense. Gillette Techs in the 30s had instructions to do this, so it isn't new or unconventional.

I have a razor that, fully closed, is too mild. Open it a third of a turn and it's like magic. Close it back down for a 2nd or third pass and it buffs wonderfully.

 

[Cannon Cocker]

I’ve said this before, and I’ll say it again. St. James of London (located in the Chicago area) has the Progress on sale for $50 including free shipping. You can google them and then go “sale”.

 

[rovert]

I'm going to be a dissenting voice and say I don't recommend the Rockwell 6C. Sure, has several plates and shaves well enough, but there are much better razors out there for the same price or even a little bit less expensive. The head on the Rockwell is very large and heavy, which makes it difficult to maneuver in some spots, especially under the nose.

This is helpful as I'd prefer a razor that is not too top heavy and that I can easily maneuver under my nose. The EJ I have has a smooth handle and I am looking for one with a "rough' grip.

 

[Yuritau]

Gamechanger with 2 base plates. Pure adjustables never really got along with my style.

Only change I'd make here is adding "or Lupo" after the first word.

 

[LeroyR]

Keep what you have and enjoy it.

 

[Quaznoid]

The finest adjustable DE is a post-‘77 Gillette SuperAdjustable with the nylon baseplate (“Black Beauty”). The all metal Super is also great, as is the Slim and the Fatboy. They’re all great. At the $100 price point, you could buy all three.

 

[gpjoe]

This is helpful as I'd prefer a razor that is not too top heavy and that I can easily maneuver under my nose. The EJ I have has a smooth handle and I am looking for one with a "rough' grip.

Cap thickness is not really an issue if your technique is solid (unless it's the blockhead Henson). If you just jam the razor under your nose and shave straight down, all razors will leave stubble, and yes, a thicker cap may be a hindrance. If you come in from the side on an upward (diagonal) angle with the corner of the razor, you can get every last whisker regardless of cap thickness (maybe even a Henson ).

Having said that, if you want to just push the head of the razor up under your nose and shave straight down, the Game Changers have very thin heads/caps...and their knurled handles are the grippiest that I have used, almost to the point of being sharp. I love their handles for that very reason.

 

[cpcohen1945]

I'm pretty sure that the many handles available from RazoRock (or ItalianBarber.com for Canadians) will fit any of the EJ razor heads. They're not very expensive. (I think the thread standard is M5, but the Razorock staff should know that).

You can pretty well pick both how rough the surface is, and how much the handle weighs.

I'll put in my two cents on adjustables. I have a Merkur Progress (short handle, maybe ten years old), and it's become my most-used razor. I'm thinking about getting a Pearl Flexi, but I haven't justified the cost. The Flexi has two advantages:

(a) It's fully machined, and should eliminate the careful alignment I have to do, when I change blades on the Progress;

(b) It's brass (under the plating), so I can stop worrying about "What happens if the plating fails on the Progress?" It hasn't failed yet (the razor looks near-new), but these concerns aren't completely logical. I figure I'll be dead before either the Progress or EJ DE89 (retired, now), or my Tech (retired), is badly corroded.

And one disadvantage -- it looks like its head is a bit larger than the Progress.

I'm waiting for Razorock to produce a stainless-steel adjustable.

. Charles