Need Some Recommendations for a Beginner's Safety Razor

[Lane101]

Hello there,

I am new to wet shaving and I am looking to invest in my first safety razor. I have been using cartridge razors for years; but I have heard so many good things about safety razors that I want to give them a try.

I am looking for recommendations on a good beginner's safety razor. Something that is easy to use and forgiving for someone who is just starting out with this type of razor. I have done some research and there are so many options out there; it is a bit overwhelming.

I have seen a lot of people recommend the Merkur 34C as a good beginner razor; but I am open to other suggestions as well. My main priorities are ease of use; affordability; and durability. I want something that will give me a close shave without too much of a learning curve.

Also, I have gone through this post: https://www.badgerandblade.com/forum/threads/de-safety-razor-for-a-blue-prism.581040/ which definitely helped me out a lot.

Also, any tips for a beginner would be greatly appreciated; Things like the best type of blade to use; shaving techniques; etc.

Thankyou in advance for your help and assistance.

Recommend you stay in the $10 - $20 range for a first razor that will provide great performance and good quality construction. Two that I use include the Weishi 9306 Long Handle (around $15) and the Razorock Adjust ($10-$15, rebranded Baili sold by Italian Barber also sold by Stirling Shave). The former is a Gillette Superspeed TTO clone that is proven design while the latter is an TTO adjustable that is only one of two modern production razors using the proven Gillette style adjustment mechanism used in their well regarded adjustable razors from the 1960's to 1980's. My Weishi provides a moderate level of aggressiveness while the Adjust provides a milder range. i enjoy both and my Weishi has been a great performer for the past 4+ years.

For $20-$30 you can consider the King C. Gillette that is a very mild three piece razor that is really well made. From your post it sounds like you may be looking for something more efficient like the Weishi or Adjust.

Note that I have a Lord L6 and found it to be very aggressive with a much poorer quality finish than these other razors that cost just a few dollars more. Also this three piece razor mixes an aluminum handle with a cast razor head that many have reported eventually strips its threads. I used it a couple of times and decided it was too much of a deadly weapon.

If you search I've posted reviews on all of these.

P.S. Are you also looking for recommendations on shaving soap and brushes given your recent post inquiring about bowl lathering?

 

[Lane101]

The Baili TTO (also sold as RazoRock Quick Change) is a wonderful beginner razor.

@tysonzach , Jay21 is right, would put this in a similar class as my Weishi 9306. Don't own one so Jay can comment on how aggressive or mild it is.

 

[Jay21]

@tysonzach , Jay21 is right, would put this in a similar class as my Weishi 9306. Don't own one so Jay can comment on how aggressive or mild it is.

I have both. My Weishi has considerable blade exposure and is aggressive. The Baili has negative blade exposure and is very mild. You have to actively try to hurt yourself with it, which is why I feel it’s a great beginner razor. With good technique, it will get you a DFS or BBS based on your skin and hair.

Also, to correct something above, I believe the Wilkinson Sword is made by Weishi, not Baili. Vikings Blades sells a rebadged Baili and Van der Hagen sells a rebadged Weishi.

 

[Halfbeard]

DS Cosmetics AX-SE Zamack trio is good starting point. For 23€ you get three different blade gaps.

 

[Lane101]

I have both. My Weishi has considerable blade exposure and is aggressive. The Baili has negative blade exposure and is very mild. You have to actively try to hurt yourself with it, which is why I feel it’s a great beginner razor. With good technique, it will get you a DFS or BBS based on your skin and hair.

Also, to correct something above, I believe the Wilkinson Sword is made by Weishi, not Baili. Vikings Blades sells a rebadged Baili and Van der Hagen sells a rebadged Weishi.

Your Baili sounds like my King C. Gillette. How recently did you acquire your Weishi? Mine is around four years old and it is definitely not mild, especially in comparison to my King C. Gillette - I do consider it moderate. Recall lots of folks complaining that the 9306 was too mild though in most cases those razors were purchased years before mine.

Suspect Weishi may have shifted specs towards more aggressiveness over the past few years.

 

[wimbouman]

Our next generation did their research and field testing and settled on on a Muhle Companion
A wise choice. Remarkably easy and effective razor.

 

[Jay21]

Your Baili sounds like my King C. Gillette. How recently did you acquire your Weishi? Mine is around four years old and it is definitely not mild, especially in comparison to my King C. Gillette - I do consider it moderate. Recall lots of folks complaining that the 9306 was too mild though in most cases those razors were purchased years before mine.

Suspect Weishi may have shifted specs towards more aggressiveness over the past few years.

I bought my Weishi about a year go.

 

[profusion]

Welcome to the world of DE shaving.

I've been a DE shaver for a little over a decade, having shaved with cartridge and disposable razors for over 25 years before that. My first razor was a Merkur 34C and my first blade of choice was the Gillette Astra SP. A pretty standard setup for a beginner, and something that would work for you.

That said, I love the suggestion of the Yaqi The Final Cut, even though I don't have one myself (I just got a vintage Gillette adjustable, though). An adjustable razor will help you develop the shave you want.

Get one of those, a hundred-pack of Suneko Amorphous Diamond Super Stainless blades, and a DSC synthetic brush off of Aliexpress, and you'd be ready to go for very little money. You can get a custom lathering bowl, but you could also just just use a cereal bowl until you're ready to get fancy. You could also just using shaving cream from a tube (I like Cremo) until you know how to actually shave. The lathering and soaps and whatnot add another layer of complexity and variables before you even set blade to face. Maybe learn to use the razor, first.

Now, for the more important stuff...technique!

• Pre-shave. Everyone has a different pre-shave regimen to get the face ready. I prefer a hot shower before shaving, and I rub shaving cream on my face while in the shower to begin the process of breaking down the protective coating on the beard hairs. Some people get much fancier. Some tough guys just go right in without anything! I wouldn't recommend that...
• You will need to completely reinvent your technique. My first decade-plus of DE shaving, I was still using too many cartridge-shaving habits, and it was really bad for my face and didn't give me the best shaves. It's only been in the last year or so that I wised up and did better research on how to DE shave properly.
• "Map" your face--meaning figure out which direction the hair grows on various parts of your face. It'll be different in different places. With cartridges, we typically just push the razor around willy-nilly until the beard is gone. That won't fly with a DE, though.
• When you shave in the same direction the hair grows, it's "with the grain," and the opposite direction is (obviously) "against the grain."
• The classic gentleman's shave is three passes: 1. with the grain (usually downwards), 2. across the grain (usually sideways), 3. against the grain (usually upwards; some men just do a second cross-grain pass here to reduce irritation).
• The stroke is completely different. You are NOT "mowing" your face. You make short, delicate strokes of about a centimeter, across and down your face. Don't go over the same territory twice in each pass, if you can help it. It's actually very similar to using a straight razor in that regard.
• Don't press down on your face. No pressure. I repeat, NO PRESSURE. You want that blade to just barely be touching your face as it glides over. You'll get horrible razor burn if you press down. Ask me how I know.
• The angle at which you hold the razor is very important. Start by holding the handle perpendicular to your face with the top of the cap touching the face. As you make strokes, slowly move the handle down to your face until you just feel the blade start making contact (and you will feel it). That's your angle.
  
  You can choose the angle the reverse way (starting with the handle on your face and only the safety bar touching the face) for what's called a "steep" angle, but I don't recommend that to start off with, as it can irritate the heck out of your face.
  
  Each razor is built with a different geometry, so the shaving angle will be slightly different with each. Some have you move the handle quite a ways towards your face, while others engage the blade almost right away from that starting point (the Gillette Tech is like this).

My advice is not to bother getting a bunch of different razors and blades until you know what you are doing. Start basic. Get the motion down, and then you can have fun trying out the endless varieties of razors and blades.

 

[rostern]

I was a cartridge shaver for close to 50 years. I switched to double edge shaving about 2 months ago. I started with the Henson AL 13+ (mild). I have not used a cartridge since the switch. As a modern take on the classic double edge razor, the Henson really makes holding the razor at the correct shaving angle obvious. It has worked well for me with all the blades I have tried, including Astra, Parker, Perm-Sharp, Nacet and 7 O'clock. It is easy to use and very drama free.

 

[gpjoe]

I like the suggestions of a vintage Gillette Tech or Superspeed, which are great, mild razors. You can easily find nice examples on Ebay for under 20 bucks. Either razor prior to 1961 will be solid brass and last a lifetime of shaves.

For a modern razor, I like my Razorock Game Changer. I bought mine just a couple months into DE shaving, and it is one of the few modern razors which I still have, two years later.

The RR 68P is a mild razor, solid stainless steel and a great value at $60. If you "outgrow" the 68P, additional plates (76P, 84P, 105P, or an open comb) cost 30 bucks. Even if you hate them all, the razor and plates are quite easy to sell.

 

[tejolot3]

Many of us here (myself included) use DE razors because carts don’t work well for our whisker/skin types. In my case, cartridge razors result in ingrown hairs and irritation on my neck.

In my case, I use DE razors because blades are SOOOOO much cheaper.