Recommendations for a first Razor but with minimal passes - more info inside

[AshleyC]

Never heard of Zamac, why would it be / not be a concern for me? Thanks for the recommendation, do you use it?

Yes, I use it. The picture I posted of the Yaqi TFC is my razor.

Zamak (I misspelled it) is a zinc alloy developed in 1929. It is a combination of zinc, aluminum, magnesium and copper. It is a less desirable metal than, say, brass. And certainly less so than stainless steel or titanium. Zamak is sometimes called "pot metal".

The Edwin Jagger and Merkurs are chromed Zamak. A lot of razors are. Over time, if the plating is compromised, the Zamak can "rot", or oxidize.

That is an extreme example of that rot on a zamak top cap from a Merkur Futur. It was accelerated by the barber dunking the razor in a solution of Barbicide repeatedly. That's the big jar of blueish liquid barbers sterilize their implements with.

I have a Progress and a 34C. And just before I typed this sentence, my Merkur Futur was delivered to my door from Amazon (I had a gift card). So Zamak doesn't bother me either.

The Yaqi TFC is an aggressive, blade feel razor, but I find mine to be very fast to use without worrying about nicks or irritation.

 

[FreeFlyFreak]

I'm fairly new to DE shaving and still prefer my old Gillette Sensor cartridge over anything else I have tried in terms of smooth quick and easy.

Here are the pros and cons of the other razors to have tried:

Gillette Sensor cartridge
Pros: lightweight, can travel by air with it, very small head easy to shave under nose, tilting head follows the contours of your face, very quick and easy close shave, have only slightly nicked myself a couple of times in decades of use, by far my favorite razor
Cons: Cartridges hard to find, cartridges very expensive, concerned that one day cartridges will become unavailable. Hence my DE exploration.

Razorock Game Changer .68p
Pros: probably the closest to the shave I get from my Sensor, have never cut myself with it. Quality build
Cons: I find the weight of the stainless steel too heavy and unwieldy

Gillette Slim adjustable
Pros: can adjust it to your liking, so far have tried 4 5 6 & 7, So far I'm liking 6-7 the best, I like the weight of it
Cons: the head is a little fat, makes it tough shaving under the nose, have nicked myself slightly in that area because of it

Henson Medium
Pros: Lightweight, easy to find the right angle
Cons: the shave angle necessary is different than the other razors I use, though you could probably get used to it with time

Henson Mild
Pros. Light weight, easy to find the correct angle
Cons: different shave angle, I find it not only too mild in terms of efficiency, I find it extremely harsh in terms of tugging and skin feel, much more harsh than the medium strangely. It is by far my least favorite razor

 

[steve638]

My first DE was Baxter of California's rebranded DE which I never got to use properly before getting rid of it. My current trio of Rockwell 6S, Timeless Ti .95 and Karve SS all have been dreams to use, although I do prefer the shave angle of the Timeless/Rockwell more

 

[r00tnode]

You also mentioned a modern Gillette razor, which is probably the King C Gillette. A few weeks backs they were on sale for just £10 in Superdrug. Bargain! This is basically the same head design as the de89 / Muhle r89. If you can get one at that price it's a no-brainer.

Regarding the King C Gillette razor, seeing a lot of stuff about it having a very slippery handle which can make it prone to cuts. If I bought a random razor like this and use the grip from that do you think that would be a good idea? Or is there a recommended place where I could buy another cheap handle to use?

 

[Jay21]

Regarding the King C Gillette razor, seeing a lot of stuff about it having a very slippery handle which can make it prone to cuts. If I bought a random razor like this and use the grip from that do you think that would be a good idea? Or is there a recommended place where I could buy another cheap handle to use?

I have at exact razor and the handle is fine. Make sure you really give the threads a good cleaning before using it because they are caked with all kinds of manufacturing crud.

I can also confirm that I hate the handle on the KCG and I've replaced it with another.

 

[r00tnode]

I have at exact razor and the handle is fine. Make sure you really give the threads a good cleaning before using it because they are caked with all kinds of manufacturing crud.

I can also confirm that I hate the handle on the KCG and I've replaced it with another.

Thanks for the info. Do you know if most handles fit it? Was planning to buy that bay one I linked above, if I go for proper more expensive handles I may as well buy a different razor for that price

 

[Goblin]

Regarding the King C Gillette razor, seeing a lot of stuff about it having a very slippery handle which can make it prone to cuts. If I bought a random razor like this and use the grip from that do you think that would be a good idea? Or is there a recommended place where I could buy another cheap handle to use?

I know some folks don't get on with the handle, but others have no problems at all. I would have assumed you have it by now if you found it the other day? Did you find it lacking in grip?

If you do you can always put some o-rings on it - I believe this is a common solution: New King C Gillette razor - https://www.badgerandblade.com/forum/threads/new-king-c-gillette-razor.610006/#post-11338574

Honestly, I suspect not having used a DE before, the handle is the least of your worries in terms of potential cuts, but if you are particularly concerned I would just get a Baili 176 razor instead and use it "as is" (technically we shouldn't post links to eBay listings on the forum, but if you search Baili 176 you will find it).

You could buy a separate stainless handle for the KCG, but by this point you might as well consider just buying a more expensive razor to start with.

 

[r00tnode]

I know some folks don't get on with the handle, but others have no problems at all. I would have assumed you have it by now if you found it the other day? Did you find it lacking in grip?

If you do you can always put some o-rings on it - I believe this is a common solution: New King C Gillette razor - https://www.badgerandblade.com/forum/threads/new-king-c-gillette-razor.610006/#post-11338574

Honestly, I suspect not having used a DE before, the handle is the least of your worries in terms of potential cuts, but if you are particularly concerned I would just get a Baili 176 razor instead and use it "as is" (technically we shouldn't post links to eBay listings on the forum, but if you search Baili 176 you will find it).

You could buy a separate stainless handle for the KCG, but by this point you might as well consider just buying a more expensive razor to start with.

Haven't recieved it yet, superdrug have lost the order so I was just going to go the amazon route which is about £15. Apologies for the ebay link, it's not letting me delete that comment annoyingly

Seems like the first ebay result looks like the 176 (although doesn't actually specify) which is £12, so essentially that vs a £20 overall KCG w/ the handle from the link I sent.

Is the 176 particularly good? Wasn't sure if you were recommending that for the good handle grip or for the lack of cuts (or perhaps both!)

 

[Jay21]

Thanks for the info. Do you know if most handles fit it? Was planning to buy that bay one I linked above, if I go for proper more expensive handles I may as well buy a different razor for that price

Most handles fit most razors, with the most notable exceptions being Fatip and Rockwell handles.

 

[Jay21]

Haven't recieved it yet, superdrug have lost the order so I was just going to go the amazon route which is about £15. Apologies for the ebay link, it's not letting me delete that comment annoyingly

Seems like the first ebay result looks like the 176 (although doesn't actually specify) which is £12, so essentially that vs a £20 overall KCG w/ the handle from the link I sent.

Is the 176 particularly good? Wasn't sure if you were recommending that for the good handle grip or for the lack of cuts (or perhaps both!)

I don't particularly like it as a razor but the handle is quite nice. If you really want a nice and mild starter razor, I recommend the Baili butterfly twist-to-open. Excellent razor, but very mild.

 

[r00tnode]

I don't particularly like it as a razor but the handle is quite nice. If you really want a nice and mild starter razor, I recommend the Baili butterfly twist-to-open. Excellent razor, but very mild.

I think I want a relatively mild but not too mild if that makes sense - is that the BD179C?
Basically think my options are the King C Gillete (with a different handle if needed) vs 176 vs this 179

Pro of the KCG is that it comes with 5 blades (that are good quality from what I've heard) which is useful as my variety pack doesn't arrive until next week, any of the razors would arrive tomorrow

 

[RazorTom]

I'd go with the DE89 and call it a day. IMO, you are going to need to do 3 - 4 passes to get a nice shave when starting out. I think eventually you will get to a 2 pass plus clean up shave--using even a "mild" razor like the DE89. I have owned and sold the 34c twice and strongly prefer the DE89 over it. Zamac shouldn't bother you unless you over-tighten the heck out of things. Sure you can drop it, or it can rot over time, but I never understood why this is such a huge risk. We're talking about a $50 razor that will most likely last you several years. I see ratings on Amazon and complaints from people who stripped out the thread on their DE89 after 7 years of daily use and they're pissed about it lol. It's $50! Sure you can buy a stainless steel razor for that price (RazoRock), and you should do that if you're worried about Zamac's flaws, but to me the most important thing about a razor is how it shaves and for me the DE89 was the best of the ~10 razors I've tried.

I have owned 3 different stainless steel razors and honestly find the weight of the Zamac razors much better in use. (Exception would be hollow ss handles like with the Rocca). But I'm sure this is all preference and subjective. My advice would be to get the DE89 and if it works, great. If you regret the purchase sell the razor and try the 34c. One of those two will likely hit for you, but you're not gong to get a 2 pass shave for a while, no matter what razor you use.

EDIT: The knurled DE89 is $50, you can purchase other handle variants for only $20 -$30!

 

[Jay21]

I think I want a relatively mild but not too mild if that makes sense - is that the BD179C?
Basically think my options are the King C Gillete (with a different handle if needed) vs 176 vs this 179

Pro of the KCG is that it comes with 5 blades (that are good quality from what I've heard) which is useful as my variety pack doesn't arrive until next week, any of the razors would arrive tomorrow

I wouldn't recommend either of the Baili 3-piece designs as a starter razor. Despite several people saying they are mild, they really aren't. They have a gigantic blade gap that will bite you if you're not careful. The TTO design has a smaller gap and it's pretty impossible to injure yourself with it unless you do something horribly wrong with it. Otherwise, go with the KGC, but I found that to be an entirely uninspiring razor and mine has blade alignment issues.

 

[r00tnode]

I wouldn't recommend either of the Baili 3-piece designs as a starter razor. Despite several people saying they are mild, they really aren't. They have a gigantic blade gap that will bite you if you're not careful. The TTO design has a smaller gap and it's pretty impossible to injure yourself with it unless you do something horribly wrong with it. Otherwise, go with the KGC, but I found that to be an entirely uninspiring razor and mine has blade alignment issues.

Yeah, the more I look the better this TTO 179 looks, probably going to go with that

 

[Goblin]

I'd go with the DE89 and call it a day.

I am starting to think this might be answer. Rather than splitting hairs over which £15 razor is better, get the razor that new DE shavers have relied on for about 20 years and call it good. That way, there's no potential for errors.

Clearly @Jay21 has more experience with these very basic razors than I do, but I would say at this point that I strongly dislike TTO razors and don't recommend them. It's also the first I have heard about the Baili 176 being aggressive, although the 131 (which @r00tnode originally linked) does have that reputation, which is why I suggested the 176 instead. The 176 is usually described as mild, efficient and good for beginners.

 

[Jay21]

I am starting to think this might be answer. Rather than splitting hairs over which £15 razor is better, get the razor that new DE shavers have relied on for about 20 years and call it good. That way, there's no potential for errors.

Clearly @Jay21 has more experience with these very basic razors than I do, but I would say at this point that I strongly dislike TTO razors and don't recommend them. It's also the first I have heard about the Baili 176 being aggressive, although the 131 (which @r00tnode originally linked) does have that reputation, which is why I suggested the 176 instead. The 176 is usually described as mild, efficient and good for beginners.

The Baili 3-piece head designs have very little blade exposure, very little blade bend, and a gap that's somewhere over 1.25 mm. In an experienced hand, that will shave quite mildly. In a beginner's hand, be prepared for nicks, cuts, and irritation. It's a bit difficult to find its natural shaving angle at first. On the other hand, the Baili TTO removes those issues. The KCG and its 89 head allies have a very natural shaving angle and are better for beginners. However, they are quite mild and lead to multiple passes and touchups.

 

[r00tnode]

@Jay21 Would you say the TTO is better for beginners compared to the DE89?

@Goblin Fair reasoning for the DE89. Out of interest, why do you not recommend TTO?

 

[Goblin]

The KCG and its 89 head allies have a very natural shaving angle and are better for beginners. However, they are quite mild and lead to multiple passes and touchups.

What you say makes sense - I can see there is relatively little blade bend on the 3 pieces, although I have an entrenched prejudice against TTO razors - I found the blade clamping / feedback questionable and the designs more prone to chatter than 3 pieces. Maybe it's just me.

The de89 style head is mild for sure, but with a sharp blade it makes a grand daily shaver. It's the only zamak razor that I still keep on hand in my bathroom rotation. Everything else is either brass, stainless or titanium.

 

[Goblin]

@Goblin Fair reasoning for the DE89. Out of interest, why do you not recommend TTO?

See above regarding my dislike for TTO razors.

Edwin Jagger seems to have a sale on at the moment. You can get a de89 or de86 (same head different handles) for less than £25. Might be the answer. Okay, you spent a bit more than the the KCG, but you have the razor that a lot of us learned on, and which is still a good choice even in these modern days of high-end, CNC unobtainium razors.

In fact, following this conversation I shall use a de89 for my shave this evening!

 

[Jay21]

@Jay21 Would you say the TTO is better for beginners compared to the DE89?

@Goblin Fair reasoning for the DE89. Out of interest, why do you not recommend TTO?

This is all very much a YMMV lifestyle so it's impossible to generalize. I started on the Weishi TTO before moving on to the EJ DE89. I wish I had started on the Baili TTO. That's my experience, but it's only one example. There's nothing wrong with starting out on either. If it doesn't work, then try the other.