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If I could start it all again. Razor choice.

Chad

Chad

... had his first - 15/8/20
Would my first razor buy have been a Parker 99r?
Probably yes. I did the normal thing and fell in love with the retro style and handle length. .then searched around enough to find the right reviews to justify its purchase.

After using it tonight its honestly the most agressive razor I own. Starting out with it was a learning curve but I feel if I had of started out with a mild razor like the superspeed...my technique would be more sloppy and haphazard. It taught me respect. I still haven't tried a feather in it or gone back to astra. Tonight it gave a shockingly close shave with a Lord Racer on its second shave. It excells with the cheaper blades.

That said...I've got a mate coming on the weekend wanting to try de shaving. Am I gonna give him the Parker? Nup he'll get a 40's superspeed. I came into it determined to make it work. I feel a few bad shaves and he'll ditch it.

There are decided advantages of starting with the more agressive razor but....

The Parker is probably the only modern razor I care about now that I own. Will probably gift him the EJde89. I never reach for that anymore.

Hope he sticks with it.

Does everyone have a soft spot for their first razor? Even use it anymore? I can't imagine we all started with high end stuff. What did you choose and why?
 
For me it was the Merkur 34HD, one of those razors commonly recommended for beginners. I was never able to get a close shave with it and trying to get BBS resulted in irritation and cuts. I had a better experience with some vintage adjustables but it wasn't until I got the Rockwell 6C that I started to get consistent irritation free BBS shaves.

I have tried using the Merkur again since but it's just way too mild and inefficient to me. I would certainly recommend the 6C to a beginner, it's affordable and scalable and seems to be a razor most can get good results with.
 
ShaveOn said:
For me it was the Merkur 34HD, one of those razors commonly recommended for beginners. I was never able to get a close shave with it and trying to get BBS resulted in irritation and cuts. I had a better experience with some vintage adjustables but it wasn't until I got the Rockwell 6C that I started to get consistent irritation free BBS shaves.

I have tried using the Merkur again since but it's just way too mild and inefficient to me. I would certainly recommend the 6C to a beginner, it's affordable and scalable and seems to be a razor most can get good results with.
Click to expand...

That was my first razor as well, and my experience mirrors yours - far too mild resulting in irritation and bleeding. Stepping upto the Merkur 37c slant was a gamechanger for me in terms of smoothness and efficiency. I still have the 34 but can't remember the last time I actually used it.
 
The Merkur made my list but I was put off by the size. This was based on me thinking I knew how to hold and use a razor based on years of carts. Now my Rocket HD is my favorite razor and its pretty small.

I guess my way with my firsr being on the efficient side unlike you guys I can now still use it. Thats a plus.
 
In 2010 my wife purchased me a Merkur 38C from Mensbiz, with a bit of guidance. A little later I discovered that Gillette date coded razors and I could get one from my birth year, the first was a SuperSpeed. We know where that ended ...

The 38C is now used by my son.
 
My first DE was also the Merkur 34C HD. I still have it, and although i have not used it for perhaps 12 months, i don't think i'd be likely to sell it. The second razor i bought a DE89 from shavershop with a gift voucher my wife got me. The 34C was much better to use but i still never got the shaves i expected to when i first switched to DE's, so after 18 months i went back to electric and fusion carts.

Time passed and i kept looking at the Proraso tubs and Harris/C&E pucks i had and thought "i gotta use these"....

Next thing i found a thread on whirlpool which then led me to P&C and discovered that the soaps i had could be 'improved on'. Acquired a few more modern razors, (and still currently am), and i've probably never been happier with my shaves.

Getting back to what i would recommend to my newly starting out self.... I would say a Rockwell 6S but only plate 2 or 3. Sure it could be said that this is the easy option, but all i want these days is a simple clean shave that doesn't cut me up, or leave me with shitty looking red neck patches.
 
My first proper wet shaving razor wasn't a DE - it was a Feather Artist Club DX non-folding that I still use regularly. It's probably the last razor I would let go from my current collection.

If I had to limit myself to a DE, it would be a Rockwell 6S - different plates suit different blades for me. Sharp blades on the lower plates and smoother blades on the higher plates for best results. It's very flexible like that and easy to use, with little damage but the shaving is rather mindless for me...

Hence, if I was starting again, I would go straight to straights as well. With all the palaver of different DEs and the Feather in my current collection, I could have got a nice group of second hand straights and the strops and hones to go with them. And I would have acquired a bunch of new skills and never have to buy / throw away blades again. This would allow me to keep my razors dialled in as sharp / smooth as I desire. Although I realise that is easy to say now that I know how to shave with a straight, thanks to the Feather.

One day I will invest in a good set of straight shaving gear, dial it in and divest myself of the disposable blade stuff. But I'm still learning how to properly use the stuff I have and now I have it I may as well finish that process before moving on to a new challenge.

BTW if I just wanted one brush, it would be an Omega 48. And if I just wanted one soap it would be MWF. If I could start again, that's all I would buy, together with a good set of straights.
 
Mark1966 said:
In 2010 my wife purchased me a Merkur 38C from Mensbiz, with a bit of guidance. A little later I discovered that Gillette date coded razors and I could get one from my birth year, the first was a SuperSpeed. We know where that ended ...

The 38C is now used by my son.
Click to expand...
Also my first DE, although going back somewhat. I got this back in the 90s. I still have this razor, it has signs of wear and tear as you'd expect from a chrome plated razor, but I still use and enjoy using it and would not replace it.
 
My first DE was a cheapo TTO which turned me off the hobby. Later purchased an EJ DE89 and my collection grew from there. In hindsight I'd happily stick with my Rockwell 6S and trade all the others in. I sold the DE89 as I managed to source cheaper alternatives but of all my purchases, the Karve (D plate) offers me consistently great shaves and it'd be the one I'd buy/keep if I could turn back time.
 
I purchased a Merkur 39C in 2016 then not long after got interested in straight razors. No regrets about the 39C and still use it in my rotation. Reliable and mid aggression so was a great place to start. Whilst I favour my straights over my DE's, the DE was a good place to start to practice lathering and single blade/fixed head techniques. I went for the slant as something about it attracted me and was a little different from the more conventional DE's.
 
My first razor was the Murker Future and boy was that a welcome to wet shaving period....
But I got the swing of it and it’s still in my Den more for sentimental value and doesn’t get a gig as I’ve spoilt myself with far better razors me thinks....😎😎😎
 
I too started with a Merkur 34C and then moved to a Rockwell 6c that I got from the Kickstarter which is still my default razor.

I dug the 34c out of the drawer about 2 weeks ago after about 2 years... And I was underwhelmed. I was never able to get a 'good' shave out of it. I always it was just inexperience. But I *still* can't get a good shave from it.
Unlike others here who find it too mild, I find it too harsh. I'm happy with the Rockwell on plates 3 or 4. For some reason the Merkur feels like I'm just using a raw blade on my face. I always get heaps of irritation.
I may end up giving it away.
 
Started with the 34c like many others here and got reasonable shaves from it. Never got BBS though at least not without an unreasonable amount of irritation.

jist recently acquired a Rockwell 6s and the shaves are just world's apart. So much confidence for 3 passes even on the aggressivebplates. It's going to be hard to go back to using the Merkur for travel.
 
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