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Suggestion for the Newbie

Hi!

First off, let me introduce myself. My name is Andrew I am 19 years old (probably one of few) and I am very interested in wet shaving. I am currently attending college in Bangor, ME in Information Systems. Anyway, now thats out of the way, I need a few suggestions here. I am looking at a Gillette Fatboys on Ebay and also considering buying a new Merkur HD. Which one of these is better?

Thanks for your advice!
 
I am looking at a Gillette Fatboys on Ebay and also considering buying a new Merkur HD. Which one of these is better?

Thanks for your advice!

Whatever you get today, you're almost bound by law to want to try something else before long... The Trading forum here gets a lot of traffic - worth a look there too.
 
Blanc -

Mantic and some of the other "experts" recommend beginners start with a non-adjustable razor to hone ones technique. The philosophy is that you remove the adjustment variable from shaving to learn the appropriate technique before changing too much. Some recommend you use the same set up (brush, razor, blade, cream/soap, etc.) for at least a month to perfect your technique.

Others believe that an adjustable is fine to start because you are not stuck with a fixed head razor that may not work for you. The Fatboy has many fans and seems to have a pretty big following here.

All that said, either will be fine. If you are leaning towards the Fatboy, you may want to look at the cleaning and disinfecting sticky to understand what is involved in getting an old razor ready for use. Even if it looks clean, most would recommend you try to kill any possible viruses and bacteria that could be present.

Finally, while both razors have a strong following, I believe that the vast majority of members like and recommend the Merkur HD. I currently use a Gillette Red Tip, so I can not speak to either, but would probably lean towards the HD if it were up to me.
 
I personally vouch for the Merkur 38C it is an elegant and heavy razor...

I suggests you take your time and read some of the reviews here in the forum before you commit to anything. look for an old school Gillette super speed those are lightweight and you may find them cheap here in the forums BST section;
and finally Welcome Aboard:biggrin::biggrin::biggrin:
 
Andrew, Welcome to B&B.
I personally do not like the Merkur razors. I sold off mine.They are very good shavers but I enjoy my Gillettes. The FB is an awesome razor. One word of advive, If you do go with the FB make sure it is clean and sterile before you use it. Also, set it on 3 to 5 and forget it. You will have much to figure out without the added stress of "which sets" you should use. That can come later.

Bangor??? Grest old town. I lived down east for many years....Enjoy!!!
 
Hi Andrew.. Welcome to B&B.. I was also new to wetshaving not too long ago (though more than double your age.. I'm 45) I wrote to a gentleman on this forum asking to buy his Fatboy as my 1st DE.. he was extremely kind (like the vast majority on this forum) and 1) did not sell me the adjustable, and 2) sent me a free Gillette Tech. I started out with the Merkur HD and the Gillette tech and VERY glad I did.. I needed to work on my form before jumping into fiddling with the adjustments on a razor.. I can say it was good advice for me and many others.. it won't take you long to get your form right...

Wayne
Hi!

First off, let me introduce myself. My name is Andrew I am 19 years old (probably one of few) and I am very interested in wet shaving. I am currently attending college in Bangor, ME in Information Systems. Anyway, now thats out of the way, I need a few suggestions here. I am looking at a Gillette Fatboys on Ebay and also considering buying a new Merkur HD. Which one of these is better?

Thanks for your advice!
 
I have never tried a Gillette, but I really like my HD. From day one I was getting great shaves with it.
 
Would start with a proven fixed head razor till you have technique down. Also the gillette Slim and Fatboy can have mechanical probs when bought off of ebay. It's a crap shoot with ebay, at best. There's just so many greedy scammers out there and the cost for a Fatboy is becoming ridiculous. You'll quickly get the urge for more razors in that illusive search for the all-encompassing, perfect BBS shave. Too many razors, too quick leads to confusion and poor technique with all of them causing frustration, poor shaves, and the search for yet another 'perfect' razor...a vicious circle. I would skip the Fatboy for now; there are many better razors to be had and 'dial twirling' with the adjustable will just lead to more confusion and frustration. Welcome, and whatever you decide, stick with DE shaving. You'll thank all of us later.
 
I personally vouch for the Merkur 38C it is an elegant and heavy razor...

I suggests you take your time and some of the reviews here in the forum before you commit to anything. look for an old school Gillette super speed those are lightweight and you may find them cheap here in the forums BST section;
and finally Welcome Aboard:biggrin::biggrin::biggrin:

As a newbie myself the 38c is what I have and I really like it
 
I'd definitely go with the Merkur HD. It's a solid, no-frills razor that will allow you to perfect your technique. Some people swear by it. When I'm not using a straight or need to shave in a hurry, I use my HD. Definitely a good razor.

Check out the b/s/t for a good deal.

Welcome to B&B!
 
Hi!

First off, let me introduce myself. My name is Andrew I am 19 years old (probably one of few) and I am very interested in wet shaving. I am currently attending college in Bangor, ME in Information Systems. Anyway, now thats out of the way, I need a few suggestions here. I am looking at a Gillette Fatboys on Ebay and also considering buying a new Merkur HD. Which one of these is better?

Thanks for your advice!

From a numbers standpoint, I'm not sure which is more popular, the HD or the Gillette SS, but they are both highly recommended to newcomers. The Merkur vs. Gillette argument reminds me of Ford vs. Chevy or Bud Light vs. Miller Lite. I'm not able compare the 2, because I've never tried a Gillette DE. But from what I've read, they're great. Bottom line, I think the whole thing is probably an apples and oranges thing.

Personally, I went the HD about 2 months ago and I love it. It's a solid, heavy, elegant razor, and I liked the idea of buying a new product. I might experiment with other razors down the road, but thus far, I don't really want to; I'm getting great shaves and don't want to change.
 
Great! Thanks for all of your replies!

Does anyone know a good place (other than Amazon) where I can buy the Merkur 38C? I would like to buy it and blades from the same store if possible.

Thanks Again!
 
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Welcome to the B&B. All pretty sage advice above so not much to add. I own both a Gillette SS and a Merkur long handle. Both work well, but I tend towards the Gillette most mornings. It offers great control and gives me consistently good shaves. Hit the BST section as you'll find many razors for sale or give-away there. Don't worry about blade price; they're cheaper than dirt. Check www.westcoastshaving.com if you hadn't already heard. Good luck.
 
Welcome to the B&B! I'm a newbie still myself and I like my Gillette SS (apart from the fact that it belonged to my late grandfather). The SS is the only razor I have at the moment, but I'm considering the Merkur 38C and possibly the Mergress (Merkur Progress adjustable modified by B&B Member, Mer) or a Merkur Futur. Maybe even all three...I'm getting RAD already. :w00t:
 
Great! Thanks for all of your replies!

Does anyone know a good place (other than Amazon) where I can buy the Merkur 38C? I would like to buy it and blades from the same store if possible.

Thanks Again!

From what I've heard, the 38C is great, but long and heavy. I almost bought one myself, because I have moderately big hands.

But I went with the regular HD anyway, and quickly figured out why everyone recommended the original vs. the barber pole.

Don't let the short handle fool you- It's an extremely comfortable and effective razor from an ergonomic standpoint; those designers knew what they were doing. I wouldn't want a longer handle, it's perfect just the way it is.
 
34C and HD are the same.

Merkur 34C aka = Merkur HD, hefty classic, or heavy duty

Merkur 38C aka= long handled HD, or barber pole

Also, check out the review section on here if you haven't already.
 
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