Seriously now, help me pick a razor.......newb here, but not a newb to wetshaving

Ok Guys (and Gals),

I've been shaving for, gulp, about 30 years...never went beyond 2 blades..even as a young gun I suppose I sensed the absurdity of the arms race in blade count....

In any case, first DE was Gillette of some kind (it was my Dad's can't recall what it was)...worked ok, no big issues

On and off, I used Sensors, and my first modern DE, Merkur Futur

Never fell in love with the Futur...it was a solid razor, but inconsisitent in my hands, and I'm just not an adjustable fan, just too many angle options for me....don't like to complicate my shave

So I've settled in with my EJ89....excellent razor in my hands, with various blades..mosly IPs, but occasionally a Feather or Astra..they all work

I do skip days commonly, and my if I'm not meticulous, some stubble will remain in the neck/Adam's apple area when shaving after a few days growth...

I'd call my beard moderate..it's not the dark black (I hear you guys on the Forum who describe the heavy, heavy black beard and the 10 am shadow, I'm sympathize but I don't have that type)...my hair is dark brown (a few grays,

I'm thinking I will keep it really simple and own two DE razors...the EJ89 and......Really leaning toward Open Comb....thinking that once a week or so, when growth is longest, I can mow those neck hairs nice and close with the Open....

I've read reviews here on the OLD head Muhle R41 (the new one, from my the reviews, probably more aggressive than I need/want)

Others that appeal are the Merkur 15c, and it's kin

I don't have a lot of time to comb Ebay looking for the perfect vintage open comb..or paying an inflated price (not that I'm cheap, but it's out of my circle of competence to know what the hell I'm buying in the vintage world)....

I'm looking forward to hearing your opinions, will consider carefully and let you know which one I go with...much appreciated

Short-comb NEW or a NEW IMPROVED of some ilk would be my recommendation. The NEW Improved are more aggressive (which is a good thing if you ask me), then the short-comb NEW, and finally the long-comb NEW. The long-comb NEW is too mild for me.

You might want to check out the Bob's Razor Works site. Bob makes custom, heavy-duty handles for replated NEWs, and they are as beautiful as they are functional.

Anyone? You guys know this stuff inside out

thanks King...does he have the heads to go with it? I just can't hunt around wouldnt know where to begin with Gillette NEW I know nothing about them

Arturius said:

thanks King...does he have the heads to go with it? I just can't hunt around wouldnt know where to begin with Gillette NEW I know nothing about them

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Yep. He has long- and short-comb NEWs, and he has them replated so they look like they're brand new. Pretty sweet stuff, and the prices are reasonable.

the new is a sweet oc ive got a gold one i use with sevral days growth.mows through like a steak knife through butter:}also ive seen bobs work it looks great

Thanks guys, I will contact him and reference your recommendations...

I'm fairly new to wet shaving and I started with the Edwin Jagger 89L model which I love by the way. I was having similar problems as you with getting a nice and close shave in my neck area without having to make 3 or more passes. For reference I don't have a extremely heavy beard either. So I purchased a new (2011) R41 partly because I wanted to know how much it would help and partly because I wanted to see how deep the rabbit hole went with regards to aggressiveness. Well I can say that it did help reducing the number of passes it took to get a close shave on my neck but it also forced me to adjust technique in a way that helped me get better shaves with my DE89L...YMMV Not a bad price point from overseas either, a R41 can be had for 37ish dollars shipped.

Thanks Slappy, another informative post....Who has them for 37 bucks? seems like a great price for that razor

Is the site in Ireland one of them Slappy? Source name slipped my mind

Heard back already from Bob's razor works...may be the ticket...thanks guys

any time,enjoy the shave.

Take a look at the Merkur 1904 in both safety bar and ope3n comb.

IMHO you can't get a better DE.

I got mine from connaught shaving but if I remember correctly there are a handful of places you can order from EU that give similar deals. I don't claim to come by the information first hand but just from reading through other peoples posts I believe there is a markup through US dealers for some reason which is a shame. I would much rather support a local / US based business but not when prices aren't somewhat competitive.

dpmtherrien said:

Take a look at the Merkur 1904 in both safety bar and ope3n comb.

IMHO you can't get a better DE.

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I agree! I like my Merkur 41C Open Comb ... Arturius, you might want to check that out. About $30.

For change of pace, after getting an Open Comb, get a $8 to $10 GEM Push-buton SE razor on eBay and some Walgreen's GEM/Personna SE blades.

I am heavily prejudiced toward EJ. With my tremors, an open comb is too aggressive for me. Right now I almost exclusively use my EJ DE89L.

how about a Sabi T1? they are at shaveabuck for $24USD and are quite an aggressive head but you can change it out to put an oc head on if you want => http://shaveabuck.com/three-piece-razor-t1-model-p-670.html one of the best handles I've ever seen on a razor, you can even just use the EJ head on the heavy T1 handle.

30yrs.? Time to go straight.

Shaving I.E. in Ireland ...great vendor...I ordered from them ..4 days shipping from Ireland to North Carolina...great communication..very reasonable shipping rates..

I will give a vote for Parker 24C if you are committed to open comb. Readily available, not a lot of money and overall good looking. I agree that the New is a great option ( savig up to get mine replated) but I like the feel of the longer handle on the Parker and I get an equal result. Polsiver Super Iridiums work best for me but I use Astra and Personna Blue regulary also. The Iridiums seem to go longer without fading.