Looking to buy 1st Safety Razor: Very Sensitive Skin and Thick Hair

Hello everyone,

This is my first post on the boards and I was wondering if I could get some advice on purchasing my first safety razor. I have the double edged curse of having very sensitive skin along with very thick hair. I have never been able to get a satisfying shave (I am now 26) and I have tried just about everything from the Mach 3 to Shick Quattro to several types of electrics. I was turned onto the idea of a Safety Razor after reading a great article on Artofmaniliness.com. I have begun researching getting a safety razor set and brush.

I have quickly found out though that there is such a huge amount of options out there I am having difficulty narrowing down what would be good for me.

Now I have read that the Merkur Classic 33C, and HD would be excellent beginners razors. I have also read some pretty positive reviews on the Parker 90R and 96R. Unfortunately I haven't been able to narrow down any further if these might be appropriate for me.

Also since we are on the subject, would there be a good blade to start off with considering my skin and hair type?

Really, any safety razor, once you have become familiar with the proper angle to hold it and learn to not use any pressure on the razor, would likely get the job done for you. However, since you say you have rather sensitive skin, I would tend to recommend a razor that is not overly aggressive. If you haven't used a safety razor before, I would recommend you check out Mantic's U-Tube videos on wet shaving. They may well save you from making some start-up mistakes.

I tend to feel that the vintage Gillette razors are unexcelled by most of the razors currently on the market. With this in mind, my recommendation to you would be to try to find a Gillette Tech. The Tech is a very straightforward three piece razor that most folks find to be relatively gentle. I really believe you can't do any better for a first razor than a Tech.

Regards,
Tom

PS: Welcome to B&B. You will find lots of help here to get started with the type of shaving that I believe you'll find is the only rational way to shave.

tom myers said:

Really, any safety razor, once you have become familiar with the proper angle to hold it and learn to not use any pressure on the razor, would likely get the job done for you. However, since you say you have rather sensitive skin, I would tend to recommend a razor that is not overly aggressive. If you haven't used a safety razor before, I would recommend you check out Mantic's U-Tube videos on wet shaving. They may well save you from making some start-up mistakes.

I tend to feel that the vintage Gillette razors are unexcelled by most of the razors currently on the market. With this in mind, my recommendation to you would be to try to find a Gillette Tech. The Tech is a very straightforward three piece razor that most folks find to be relatively gentle. I really believe you can't do any better for a first razor than a Tech.

Regards,
Tom

PS: Welcome to B&B. You will find lots of help here to get started with the type of shaving that I believe you'll find is the only rational way to shave.

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Thanks. I have watched Mantic's videos extensively and I have been reading quite a bit on any article I can find online. That is partly where my question comes into play. In one video I saw (not sure if it was mantic or not) there person was discussing to avoid some of the cheap razors from pakistan or india. On the flip side though I could have sworn that they said that the blades made there though are actually pretty good. Unfortunately I have no idea what is sort of a baseline of "a good" razor.

I tend to have the same issue, and I started with a vintage Gillette Tech and I love it. You can find a good one on the BST here or you can get lucky at a local flea market. As far as blades go, check out West Coast Shaving, and pick up one of the sample packs. I personally love the Red Box Israeli blades, but blades are a picky thing and you might find another works better for you.

sup909 said:

Now I have read that the Merkur Classic 33C, and HD would be excellent beginners razors. I have also read some pretty positive reviews on the Parker 90R and 96R.

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I know the Merkurs get mentioned a lot as appropriate for beginners. I disagree. I agree with the advice given by Tom Myers and PKHammer. Although the Merkurs are great razors, the Techs are more appropriate for beginners because they are more forgiving of bad technique but at the same time teach you good technique by rewarding it with ever better shaves.

Don't think the Tech is "just" a beginner's razor. These are excellent razors for anyone. Gillette sold them for decades so they must have got something right.

I no longer use a Tech but use one of several vintage Gillettes, but this is not because the Tech doesn't give a good shave. I like the "heft" of the older razors and I like their looks. I also prefer open comb razors. But all of that is personal preference and has nothing to do with which is the "best" razor.

The Techs are pretty easy to get on eBay for $10 plus shipping. If you prefer to avoid eBay, try BST or look for a Weishi. You can get them from Amazon pretty cheaply and some even come with an assortment of blades.

Once you get into wetshaving and practice a little technique, you will start to develop preferences (or at least curiosities) and that's a good time to branch out and buy some higher-priced razors.

All the above is based on the premise that you want "a" razor. If you have money to burn, go ahead and get an assortment and eventually sell off the ones that don't fit your style! But at least try the Tech (or Weishi, if you must) first.

For a good blade assortment go to West Coast Shaving and get one of the sample blade packs. A good "baseline" blade to start with is the Derby. If you have any problem you can be pretty sure it isn't the blade's fault. The Derby will also give you something familiar to compare to when you try other blades. Almost everyone on B&B is familiar with the Derby.