Noob with a ?

Hello Gents! After years of a burning, irritated and bumpy neck, I am ready to step over to the Dark Side of DE. I have used Schick ST double blade disposables almost exclusively since they came out because, for me, they were the lesser of all evils. However, as a famous man once said, the lesser is still evil! My neck gets so sore that I will avoid shaving any day possible.

As I prepare for my foray into the abyss, I humble myself and ask for noob help from the wiser, experienced Brothers of the Blade....I am currently looking at a Gillette Z-1 Super Speed and am wondering if this would be a good beginner razor. All advice greatly appreciated....

Welcome! The superspeed would serve you well, as would a Merkur HD or any of several other razors. Just pull the trigger -- better shaves await!

(And good luck digging out of the snow up there!)

Welcome to B&B!

Welcome to B&B!

I can say that no matter which razor you choose the prep is what will make the difference! Really preparing your skin right(good hot shower or 3+ min of hot towel) good preshave cream(proraso pre/post OR hair conditioner or just letting some decent lather soak on your face) and a good lather will make AAAALLLLLLLLL the difference. I would highly recommend watching mantic59 vids on youtube!

Enjoy!

Welcome to B&B.

A Super-Speed is a great razor to start with and stay with.

Remember to take your time and use light pressure.

Enjoy!

Glad to have you on board. Go with the Super Speed. It was also my first. There are other DE's that will give you a closer shave, but the SS will give you the most comfortable shaves. Don't expect great shaves from any DE razor the first few weeks as there is a learning curve. Just be patient.

Welcome to B&B!

the SS should work well for you. You might also consider getting a blade sampler to find the blade that works best for you. Welcome to B&B.

Welcome to B&B !!

Any superspeed model except the red tip one would be a great razor to start with and one you will enjoy using for a long time. Don't forget shave brush, high quality lather shave cream made for brushes, aftershave of some kind, high quality razor blades, and a styptic pencil or nick stick. Also, you'll need a bowl to make lather in. A cereal bowl or soup bowl works great.

hey there Im basically a newbie as well, and I use a late '40s Super Speed and it works very well for me after much practice, and its still not perfect; but I get a MUCH better shave than with multi-blade monsters. Welcome!

Welcome to B&B!

cvac said:

Any superspeed model except the red tip one would be a great razor to start with

Click to expand...

I'm curious why the red tip wouldn't be recommended for a beginner.

The red tip is pretty aggressive and you need to have your touch and angle down first. Speaking from experience, you could end up with a lot of red - and it won't be the razor tip or irritation!! )

That seems like a great place to start. I've got a Slim and it is working out well.

Welcome to B&B!

The superspeed (as mentioned) is a great place to start... Try to get a razor blade sample pack with it and you should have the best tools.

I say get any adjustable gillette, would be a great razor to learn on, and one that you could adjust on the fly as technique improves!

Thanks for all the welcomes and input! I will post once I have a DE in my hands....

Welcome to the Forum!

Welcome to B&B. You can't really go wrong with a SS. I think what is important is to pick a DE razor and stick with it until you are confident in your technique.

Pete