Picking a safety razor to buy/beginner advice

Hello,

I have decided to join the world of safety razor users. I bought a Dovo straight razor two years ago off eBay for $150 and never got to use it because it was defective. For that reason I am enlisting everyones expert advice here so I don't make anymore bad purchases or decisions.

I decided to get a safety razor instead of another straight razor to avoid the hassle of finding someone to hone it and upkeep, etc. I figure a safety razor should give about the same shave with less of a hassle.

I got pale skin and dark hair. I always have some facial hair showing after I shave - especially on my top lip. For this reason I want a safety razor that will give me the closest shave.

I also got a few beginner questions:
How long does each razor blade last? Is there anyway to prolong the razors life? i.e. like stropping of maybe heating? Is there anything else I should look out for and know? Is it possible to pick up a good safety razor and some blades for around $50 or less? Any advice would be appreciated!

Prolonging the blade to me is a waste. Just got my fourth shave in an astra superior platinum. For 14$ per 100 that is 400 shaves per year. Astra superior platinum, shark super chrome are both excellent blades to start with but this is all opinion and you will receive 40 more different opinions than mine. As for the actual razor, I prefer a 1946 aristocrat. Edwin Jagger DE89 is a good choice as well, some razors seem to match people better than others - this will also be a 40 different response area. Both razors can be found for around $35 unless you are willing to look at antique shops for the aristocrat.

My first razor was a 59' Gillette super speed and I am happy it was i didn't have much trouble with that razor, a lot of people will suggest an adjustable razor simply for the fact that you can start off with a mild shave and then work up until you find a suitable shave some examples would be a Gillette Slim, Fatboy, or Super Adjustable if you can find one for a reasonable price. This is a hard question to answer since there are many razors that will work and some suit some people better than others along with the multitude of blades out there. As far as new razors I have almost no suggestions as I have never used any. Pricing can vary quite a bit but to get a good idea check out B/S/T (http://badgerandblade.com/vb/forumdisplay.php/11-Shaving-Mall-Buy-Sell-Trade) you also may find a razor you may like to buy there!

Some other useful links would be:

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/forumdisplay.php/55-Shave-Clinic-amp-Newbie-Check-In

which is a section for new wet shavers,

and
http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/71700-WET-SHAVING-INSTRUCTIONS-AND-TUTORIALS-New-READ-THIS-THREAD!

which is probably the most important link it has a lot of useful information regarding the website and wet shaving alike!

hopefully this helps out!

Welcome aboard!

Welcome to B&B...I would start with a Gillette Tech razor, they are mild (meaning they are made not to cut you or nick you), you can buy your razors from our B&B shaving / shop mall http://badgerandblade.com/vb/forumdisplay.php/11-Shaving-Mall-Buy-Sell-Trade here a how to video that has a Tech razor and how to shave.

how to

Thanks for the comments!

I'm looking for something more aggressive that a mild razor. I have experience with straight razor shaving and I'm not worried about nicks and cuts

Here's a few razors I found on eBay that were decent priced, maybe some people could comment (btw are new razors not as good as vintage? All i read about are people using old razors here):

http://www.ebay.ca/itm/Shaving-Fact...348?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2a05c76254

http://www.ebay.ca/itm/NEW-MERKUR-1...023?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_2&hash=item4842388687
http://www.ebay.ca/itm/Gillette-Gol...504?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item5ae1d72ef8
http://www.ebay.ca/itm/NEW-Parker-9...343?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item27be2fec97

And of course some razors:
http://www.ebay.ca/itm/NEW-MERKUR-1...023?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_2&hash=item4842388687
http://www.ebay.ca/itm/SHARK-Super-...=UK_Health_HairRemoval_RL&hash=item35af875644

Which blade would give me the closest shave? The most aggressive one?

Mantic59 is the go-to authority for all things DE shaving on youtube

For me, I like my Merkur 38c barberpole with feather blades and an Savile Row 3824 silvertip badger brush; but that's me - everyone has their own preferences

It's easy to get set up with a good razor and blades for way less than 50 dollars. I'd suggest the Lord L6 razor. It's well reviewed and has many fans. Plus it only costs around 10 bucks, leaves plenty for a blade sampler with a little left over to apply towards a brush and Soap.

Welcome to B&B, j033!

notsonewb said:

It's easy to get set up with a good razor and blades for way less than 50 dollars. I'd suggest the Lord L6 razor. It's well reviewed and has many fans. Plus it only costs around 10 bucks, leaves plenty for a blade sampler with a little left over to apply towards a brush and Soap.

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+1. The Lord 1822 is also very nice, and costs no more than the L6. Both are quite mild, easily available through internet shopping, and like notsonewb says, are cheap enough to leave you plenty of that initial $50 sum to invest in a proper soap and a brush. There's no reason that I can see to spend more than, say, $20 total on a new DE razor and a sampler pack of blades when you're just starting out and have no clear preferences yet.

Do not even think of trying to prolong the life of your razor blades as a newcomer to wet shaving. It's simply not cost-effective for the time and effort, if that effort even succeeds, and you are far more likely to slash your fingers while doing some fool thing to a blade that costs a few pennies. Part of the pleasure of DE shaving is not having to worry about eking out yet another shave from a blade, because you have dozens and dozens of back-ups.

There's lots to learn, and you may find eventually that you prefer a completely different kind of razor/blade/soap/brush than whatever you start out with. But the only way to figure it out is to jump in and start learning the basics. The only unequivocal advice I will offer is NO PRESSURE! (Those links that everyone has provided will give you more details.)

Have fun!

I'm going to pick up one of thos eLord razors.

But what about these three?
http://www.ebay.ca/itm/Shaving-Fact...348?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2a05c76254
http://www.ebay.ca/itm/Gillette-Gol...504?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item5ae1d72ef8
http://www.ebay.ca/itm/NEW-Parker-9...343?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item27be2fec97

What would provide the closest shave? What's the most aggressive?

j033 said:

I'm going to pick up one of thos eLord razors.

But what about these three?
http://www.ebay.ca/itm/Shaving-Fact...348?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2a05c76254
http://www.ebay.ca/itm/Gillette-Gol...504?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item5ae1d72ef8
http://www.ebay.ca/itm/NEW-Parker-9...343?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item27be2fec97

What would provide the closest shave? What's the most aggressive?

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I'd say for a cheaper new razor I would try the Lord L6 mentioned above, all I have heard is good reviews and it doesn't break the bank by any means, of the 3 you listed I would buy the 3 piece, but it is pretty pricey I have 2 very similar similar to this razor and I payed less than $10 each for them.


I would still check out B/S/T seems to be a lot better prices there.

Good Luck!

all three of those links end in the next 1-10 hours just the first ones I saw as an example

j033 said:

I'm going to pick up one of thos eLord razors.

But what about these three?
http://www.ebay.ca/itm/Shaving-Fact...348?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2a05c76254
http://www.ebay.ca/itm/Gillette-Gol...504?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item5ae1d72ef8
http://www.ebay.ca/itm/NEW-Parker-9...343?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item27be2fec97

What would provide the closest shave? What's the most aggressive?

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1) shaving factory, I think is a re-branded Weishi. Haven't used one, but many claim they give a nice gentle shave. A superspeed clone made in china.
2) A tech is a razor worthy of every shave den. The price is way too expensive for that one IMHO. Looks like a well used user grade. (I have quite a few decent user grade techs lying around, in better condition than that one, If you want I'll Pif one to you if you inside the states, if your in Canada, it would be whatever actual postage is, free razor you pay actual postage, PM me if your interested)
3) I think that's one of the better Parker's, but they are known for some QC issues. I have a Parker 22r and it seems well made to me, so I can't knock them from my experience. They have a tendency to be a little aggressive. It certainly is the most aggressive of the lot.

Using an aggressive razor will not necessarily give the closest shave possible. Aggressive razors can knock down whiskers easily but for me to truly get BBS requires Blade buffing. For me an aggressive razor combined with blade buffing equals irritation and the loss of too much epidermis.

notsonewb said:

1) shaving factory, I think is a re-branded Weishi. Haven't used one, but many claim they give a nice gentle shave. A superspeed clone made in china.

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I was reading a thread earlier today that claimed they were thin stamped metal and pretty much a piece of junk.

I myself bought a red handled 38C, and even though my first planned use is in an hour or so, this morning I won a gold ball-end Tech for $23 shipped. It still has the diamond logo intact on the head, but it looks like the "frosted" area around the diamond has worn off. It is a rectangular style, I'll post up the numbers when I get it and see if we can date it. It would be a hoot if it's from my birth year.

notsonewb was kind enough to help me get a safety razor, now I guess i got to find out what types of blades work best for me.

j033 said:

notsonewb was kind enough to help me get a safety razor, now I guess i got to find out what types of blades work best for me.

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and for a great price! enjoy your new razor! grab a sample pack of blades and get to shaving!

Where can I get a sample pack of razors?

+1 on the sample pack.

I used the Derby for my very first DESR shave, just finished about 1/2 hour ago.
But as with so much in this hobby... YMMV.
A blade that works wonderfully in my 38C might be a cheese grater in a 34HD or a Tech, and vice versa.

j033 said:

Where can I get a sample pack of razors?

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amazon is where I often look there is one I have my eyes on but haven't grabbed yet, it has some sharks and lords razors I have never tried but basically you can go to amazon and type in DE sample pack

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias=aps&field-keywords=de+sample+pack&x=0&y=0
or
http://www.westcoastshaving.com/Sample-Packs_c_1.html
or a few other shaving websites sell them they are all over though you could basically google DE sample pack or DE blade sampler there is a large variety. my first was on that had from what I read to be dull all the way up to blades like feathers which are known to be very sharp!

j033 said:

Where can I get a sample pack of razors?

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http://www.westcoastshaving.com/Sample-Packs_c_1.html
The very first vendor to assemble sample packs at the request of B&B members.

Personally, I got the "Choice" sample pack:

Feather New Hi-Stainless Platinum (10 blades)
Crystal or "Israeli" (10 blades)
Derby Extra (5 blades)
Red Israeli Personna (5blades)
Astra Superior Platinum (5 blades)

Then I added a $1.75 pack of Sharks based on recommendations here.

I considered the "Standard" pack, but it added a 10 pack of Merkur (which I bought when I bought my razor) and eliminated the Astra. Based on what I already owned, and wanting the most variety, the Choice pack seemed the smart way to go (and it was only $10 plus the Sharks)