Advice for first DE choice

Hope this is correct sub-forum .. thinking it’s time for a change.

Been shaving for years with the evolving Gillette cartridge system .. currently on proglide fusion power ... and the price of cartridges is getting nuts ... and read some interesting discussions on getting a DE safety razor instead.
Did a little bit of googling and came across this forum, and some interesting posts.........

As a first time safety razor user ... what would you recommend I consider ... comfort, closeness & lack of nicks would be the factor .......... aesthetic design, vintage looks or similar are of no particular interest. In case it is relevant I have large hands (size XXL in gloves)

Several sources point to the Merkur Futur as the best there is ...... but additionally some reviews advise the handle has no grip & can be slippery when wet.
So a couple of Q's to help me make my choice ...

# Should I get Futur adjustable or get simpler Merkur 34C ?

# Would I be better going for Muhle R89

I am sure this gets asked a lot ... so apologies if this is boring

First, welcome to B&B.

I would recommend the Merkur 34C or the Muhle R89. Both are fine razors and should work for anyone starting out. The Futur is more aggressive and may not be the best choice of one starting out.

Keep in mind, however, that although the choice of a razor is important, probably even more important is to learn how to use it properly. When you get your razor learn to not put pressure on the razor and get the correct blade angle. Both of these factors are important to attain good, nick-free shaves. Take a look at the wiki for some ideas. Also this post may help you. Finally, for blade angle, look here.

In my experience, DE shaving can be a love and hate relation. For me is a form of weird art, lol....

i own a Futur, great razor, but I didn't get that one until I knew I was going to stick with it. If this were my first, I would probably go with the R89.

Good luck with the hunt!

Welcome to B&B.

Not boring at all, we're here to help.

I'd choose the 34C over the Futur. It's a very popular razor, and often recommended to beginners for a reason. It just works, and the Futur will likely require a bit more skill and practice.

The R89 has a much better finish, and will probably last a bit longer than the Merkur. Being made of Zamak, the quality of the finish is a very important thing. Once the plating is damaged it's only a matter of time until the water and shaving soap start corroding the zinc alloy.

Read this, there's tons of great info here:

http://wiki.badgerandblade.com/Getting_started_wetshaving

Good luck!

If you are interested in vintage at all then I think a gillette tech is a perfect 1st DE razor. It's very mild and forgiving but shaves great. You can still find them really cheap on eBay too. My two favorite razors that I use 90% of the time are a Gillette tech and a Gillette super speed that I picked up on eBay last year for $4 and $8 respectively.

The Merkur 34C HD is a great razor to get out the gates with (it was my second razor). However, given that you've stated you have larger hands than some, and I'm aware how short the grip on the 34c is, you may want to continue w/ a Merkur, but might prefer something w/ a more substantial handle such as the 23c.

Both the R89 and 34C have quite small handle lengths, is this an issue (I have large hands) ... or does it make no difference.

sargan said:

Both the R89 and 34C have quite small handle lengths, is this an issue (I have large hands) ... or does it make no difference.

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I think it's not really an issue. It all depends on how you'll hold the razor. See that thread Jim linked in his post about holding the razor.

However, both 34C and R89 have larger versions, which are the 38C and R89 Grande, respectively.

sargan said:

Both the R89 and 34C have quite small handle lengths, is this an issue (I have large hands) ... or does it make no difference.

Click to expand...

Realistically, it will depend on your preferences and comfort. For example, regardless of which razor/handle I'm using, I tend to only hold w/ my thumb and 2-3 fingers. So, I'm just as comfortable w/ the Merkur "34C HD" grip as I am w/ my Standard Razor "Black".

glm38 said:

If you are interested in vintage at all then I think a gillette tech is a perfect 1st DE razor. It's very mild and forgiving but shaves great. You can still find them really cheap on eBay too. My two favorite razors that I use 90% of the time are a Gillette tech and a Gillette super speed that I picked up on eBay last year for $4 and $8 respectively.

Click to expand...

Superspeed or Tech would be my recommendations as well. Don't be afraid of vintage. They're easy to sterilize, they work great, they can be found for a fraction of the cost of new, and they'll probably last 10 times longer.

Hello and welcome to B&B. This is a great forum and you will learn a lot here.

34c is hard to beat for a starter. Also as said, a vintage Gillette Super Speed can be had in great condition for very reasonable prices.

First, if you haven't checked out the myriad of shaving videos on youtube, you should check them out.

I would counsel against spending a lot of money until you're sure you want to stick with it, so my recommendation would be to take $30/$40 bucks and head out to scour your local antique and thrift shops. You are looking for old safety razors including Gillettes, Schick Krona razors, Star DE razors, and even single edge razors marked Gem, Star, and Ever Ready. Grab a variety because unless you score an adjustable razor you want to have a few different razors to experience a range of mildness/aggressiveness. Clean 'em up with Scrubbing Bubbles from the grocery store, there are plenty of threads on here about sanitizing old razors. One last note, many vintage razors from the 20s/30s/40s were made to accept only proprietary blades which are no longer available so focus on the brands I've listed to avoid disappointment.

Once you have a few razors to try, get a sampler pack of various DE blades. You can get them from vendors that support B&B or on Amazon. If you don't want to wait, you can find DE blades at the drug store or dollar stores but the price and quality aren't always the greatest. If you have a single edge razor to try, get blades at an independent pharmacy like Good Neighbor or your local non-chain drug store. DON"T USE SE BLADES FROM THE HARDWARE STORE - they aren't for shaving.

Personally I'd skip the brush/mug/soap purchases until you know you want to continue. Canned shaving cream like Barbisol/Noxema/Gillette Foamy were good enough for our dads and grandads and it's good enough to get started with - just don't use a gel product, stick with the cream. The Van Der Hagen starter kit with brush, mug and soap is readily available in drug and discount stores and is a very good product if you want to go ahead and try them. VDH sells a safety razor for about $20 bucks if you want a new DE razor that won't break the bank. It's on par with a late-model Gillette Super Speed, not very aggressive.

Good luck and keep us posted!

+1 If you want a bigger handle, the 34c also comes in some other Merkur models with bigger handle and same head. I forget the numbers, but there's at least 3-4 with the same head.

ackvil said:

First, welcome to B&B.

I would recommend the Merkur 34C or the Muhle R89. Both are fine razors and should work for anyone starting out. The Futur is more aggressive and may not be the best choice of one starting out.

Keep in mind, however, that although the choice of a razor is important, probably even more important is to learn how to use it properly. When you get your razor learn to not put pressure on the razor and get the correct blade angle. Both of these factors are important to attain good, nick-free shaves. Take a look at the wiki for some ideas. Also this post may help you. Finally, for blade angle, look here.

Click to expand...

nuclearblast said:

The R89 has a much better finish, and will probably last a bit longer than the Merkur. Being made of Zamak, the quality of the finish is a very important thing. Once the plating is damaged it's only a matter of time until the water and shaving soap start corroding the zinc alloy.

!

Click to expand...

Was concerned about your comment on 'zinc alloy' .. just looked up the 38C and it days it is solid brass, nickel plated then chrome on nickel. ? or am I misunderstanding something.

Everyone has given good advice, here. I'll also recommend heading over to Garry's Sample Shop (website) and looking into the Vintage Razor Test Drive. For a modest sum, you'll get a good razor (with the ability to swap it out or get a credit for samples) and everything you need to start shaving.

I'm not interested in vintage though.

sargan said:

Was concerned about your comment on 'zinc alloy' .. just looked up the 38C and it days it is solid brass, nickel plated then chrome on nickel. ? or am I misunderstanding something.

Click to expand...

The handle might be brass, the head is Zamak.

I have an expertise of only ten days with DE shaving but I'd like to spend my few cent:
- don't buy a whatsoever razor. I bought one in which the blade couldn't be aligned so I started with the wrong foot. All the brand suggested are excellent razors
- I bought my first important razor in a shop. I knew the cost could be a little more but I had the opportunity to see, touch and handle.
-The handle of the razor should be comfortable.
-My first choice was a Merkur 23C for his long handle. I preferred it
-I bought as well a removable Merkur 985 to travel but it has a shorter handle and I like less for this reason.
-Decide if you prefer an open comb or a closed one. With my limited experience I'd choose a closed comb at the beginning. Don't ask please why! ;-)
- Have a look to youtube. there are so many interesting training. This time I found useful Nick shaves because is short and full of fundamentals
- Map your beard. Great advice I get here by this great community!
Enjoy your trip and welcome aboard!!

I started with the Mühle R106, which is the same thing as the R89 that others are recommending except it has a faux ebony smooth handle and is about $5.00 less expensive. I have since tried the more aggressive R41 as well but that did not buy me any more closeness for the effort, so I have returned to using the R106. If your budget or spending preference is less than the $50+ of Mühle, Parker has the 91R, which seems to have a similar guard and closed comb placement as the R89/R106, for under $30. Go just over $30 and you can buy the Parker 99R, which is a butterfly twist-to-open (TTO) design. The 99R has a slightly higher rating at 4 1/2 stars on Amazon, vs the 4 stars of the 91R, and the 99R has a 5-star at Maggardrazors.