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Not a big fan of my new EJ89.

I got the smooth handled version and boy is it a work of art! The shaves are just not as smooth as with my Red Tip however. And the huge clunky head is just too much for me. I'm not trade it just yet. I hate to say it though I'm gonna go back to my Red Tip for a few days and make sure about the smoothness. Anyone else feel the same way?
 
I just acquired the same razor and wasn't impressed with the shave either...hard to compare most modern razors with vintage stuff IMHO ; )
 
I just acquired the same razor and wasn't impressed with the shave either...hard to compare most modern razors with vintage stuff IMHO ; )

Agreed! I'm sure with the right blade it will give me a smoother better shave, but I don't think you can beat the old Gillette's!
 
I got the smooth handled version and boy is it a work of art! The shaves are just not as smooth as with my Red Tip however. And the huge clunky head is just too much for me. I'm not trade it just yet. I hate to say it though I'm gonna go back to my Red Tip for a few days and make sure about the smoothness. Anyone else feel the same way?


I had the same issue with the DE89....I ended up trading with my brother.....for me it required too many passes to get an acceptable shave, and caused irritation on my neck....my advice though brother ....is don't give up yet....I had mine for months before I made that choice, and tried various blades.

I have found the majority of my razors are very blade dependent, and can go from OK performer to stellar just by changing the blade.

I just acquired the same razor and wasn't impressed with the shave either...hard to compare most modern razors with vintage stuff IMHO ; )

I would have to respectfully disagree. I own 12-13 Vintage razors...and have a great love for my Vintage Open Combs.....BUT for my face, my two best performers are the 2011 R4 1 and my Fatip. Many members of the BOTOC have great love of other modern razors such as the Tradere, the iKon, the Weber, the Joris......I could keep going on....

I say do not discount the modern stuff. I made the mistake of buying tons of various vintage stuff simply because forum members would recommend a particular razor as a "must have".....and with the exception of My 1930's NEW and My Single Ring Old Type, I have been disappoint in performance versus price of most others.
 
Agreed! I'm sure with the right blade it will give me a smoother better shave, but I don't think you can beat the old Gillette's!

It's hard to beat a vintage Gillette SS, IMO. I think the EJ DE89 is a VERY mild shaver and for me, provides a very nice shave with an Astra SP or Feather. I agree, you will find the head of the EJ89 intrusive if you like the size of the vintage Gillette SS. The EJ89 is still a fine razor- don't give up on it yet. It can provide a great shave.
 
It a great razor...one of the best modern production razors IMO, however, as with anything YMMV. I would give it a try a few more times to see if it grows on you.
 
I initially felt like you do but have since changed my mind. When I started this journey into DE shaving, I was like most: aggressive, aggressive, aggressive. I've since backed off from trying to achieve a BBS shave and am settling for a DFS. I would rather have a comfortable shave with no irritation than an overly aggressive, close shave that destroys my skin.

I find the EJ89 really shines when you have a couple days of growth. It'll plow through those whiskers with no problem and is nicely balanced. But if you like to shave every day, it is not the best razor because the blade exposure isn't sufficient to get really close when you have short stubble.

Like I said, I used to be into very aggressive DE's. I've since sold all of my DE's except for the EJ89. Why? Because it gives a very nice shave and has a good weight to it. In all fairness, I'm more of a SE/injector shaver these days but I'll reach for the EJ89 when I feel like a change of pace.
 
The Muhle R89 (same head as the EJ) was my second razor I purchased and I still think it is a sweet razor. I have it on a BRW XL handle placing a bit more weight behind it...but, yes it is a relatively mild razor, but sometimes I like a mild shave.
 
R89 was my second razor and I find I can only get a decent shave with feather blades. I just get much better results from my r41 and my tradere. I recommend you try an open comb. R41 is not that expensive and if you don't like it they are easy to resell.
 
I got the smooth handled version and boy is it a work of art! The shaves are just not as smooth as with my Red Tip however. And the huge clunky head is just too much for me. I'm not trade it just yet. I hate to say it though I'm gonna go back to my Red Tip for a few days and make sure about the smoothness. Anyone else feel the same way?

I went back and forth with it myself,
I was able to get it to work for me but only after 3 or 4 passes and always with razor burn under my jawline.
then I stumbled into "shim"
three shims and it works just like my R41 and smoother.
try it.

take a used blade and cut off the edges on both sides. use any old scissors and snip away..very easy..its like cutting thick paper.
the added blade gap that the shims provide take it to an entirely different level..
 
I've been doing some thinking and heres my theory. I have a VERY coarse beard. Medium thickness, but COARSE! I think the EJ just struggles more than the Red Tip. Maybe a different blade? I won't give up yet. If it wasn't for the chromed out classy look I would probably give up on it already even though I've only shaved with it four times. I really want to find a good razor/blade combo I can stick with!!! Sometimes its frustrating, but my experimenting will pay off eventually.
 
Can I ask what blade your using in that razor?...& what blades do you have on hand?....Just wondering. Also, what blade red tip combo works & hasn't worked for you.
 
Mayby im wrong but i think some beards call for more aggressive razors!! I get a lot better more irritation free shave with a R41 than an ej 89.
 
So you put these shims under the actual blade to increase the blade gap/exposure? I've never heard of this before.
 
I'm having the opposite problem. My daily razor has been a Futur and I recently got my birth quarter razor, a Slim. The Slim just hasn't been delivering as close a shave as my Futur. I need more passes with the Slim which leads to more irritation. I switched back to my Futur today and there was a night and day difference. I haven't given up on the Slim yet, but I'm definitely keeping the Future in my den.
 
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