What razor?

shauncr91

shauncr91

shauncr91

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Righto, I've been using a Gilette Fusion for a year and although it was good for a while, I'm getting a bit fed up with it, blades for it are crap and I have rather sensitive skin so get razor burn easily.

Now I know a lot of people on here bang on about Merkur razor's, but just which one is best for me? Not wanting to spend more than around £35-£40 exc blades. Just need a good starter razor, something that won't hack my face to bits and cause burn etc.

Ta :)
 
If you do in fact want to go down the Merkur route i recommend the 34C/38C (the only real difference between the two is the length of the handle). I started with, and still use a 34C and it's brilliant.

A pack of 10 feather blades will last you months and cost less than a fiver, however many recommend getting a selection pack as the type of blade can be a matter of preference.

I must stress though, the biggest difference for me when shaving was not actually the razor i used, it was the soap and brush that really made the difference. The razor is better than a bog standard 'famous' brand, but if i had to choose between it or the soap i now use (i used to use awful canned stuff), i'd stick with the soap.

Oh and, you will likely cut yourself for several days after getting a Merkur razor, while it typically gives a better shave the trade-off is it's much easier to nick your skin. But three months down the line for me i can shave just as quickly with it as i did with my old Wilkinson sword razor without even concentrating and i haven't cut myself in months.

[EDIT] The best thing for me is though, £14 for a pot of soap and £20 for 50 blades. I'm on approximately my 12th blade in three months and haven't even got half way through the shaving soap yet. The initial investment is very high, but at 20p per blade, you end up saving money in the long run if you stick with it.
 
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shauncr91 said:
Righto, I've been using a Gilette Fusion for a year and although it was good for a while, I'm getting a bit fed up with it, blades for it are crap and I have rather sensitive skin so get razor burn easily.

Now I know a lot of people on here bang on about Merkur razor's, but just which one is best for me? Not wanting to spend more than around £35-£40 exc blades. Just need a good starter razor, something that won't hack my face to bits and cause burn etc.

Ta :)
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Wlikinson Sword quattro / titanium.

I dislike shaving as i have sensitive skin and thus end up with razor burn most of the time.

The times i shave at the moment i have yet to experience discomfort from the quattro titanium i have, and it also has a nifty trimemr on the bottom.
 
One of the more recent Gillete Mach series, 3? 4? Is there a 4? Anyway, rather good imo. Blades thankfully last me for ever, get about one to four months out of each one.
 
what sort of things are goin on here.....mach 3...yer kidding me

get an edwin jagger de89l....excellent razor for new and old proper men shavers...english shaving company...about £22..grab some blades from there as well or a mixed pack from some auction site ...derbys are good enough to start

forget merkur the razor is ok but build quality is rubbish on the cheaper end

do yourself a favour and get a double edge safety razor...and bin yer can of goo and get some cream....palmolive from any supermarket is good enough without spending money

mach 3 indeed....phueeeey
 
While i agree with your sentiment subzeer0, i can't see any fault with the build quality of 34C/38C razors from merkur. They're built like tanks and i can see mine lasting for decades, they're also incredibly well thought of amongst 'shaving nerds' :p
 
Merkur Slant razor, took me about 2 months to learn to use it properly but after much blood had been spilled I now get a great shave.
 
merkur 37c. i believe the extra cost of the futur probably isnt worth it (although i do prefer the futur and its the futur i own)

uvarvu said:
What shaving soap are you using? I'm going to start wet shaving again soon and could do with some advice :)
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cant go wrong with Taylors of old Bond Street
 
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Merkur recommendation here excellent razor the extra cost of the razor is quickly offset by the cheap blades. Especially if you sign up for an account with the shaving shack and get a load of free blades.
 
Merkur Futur for the razor.

Taylors, Proraso or Geo F Trumper for the cream or soap.

Sampler pack for the blades - then order more of the one(s) which work best for you. I favour Feathers.

Oh, and to use a recent film title to explain what your early experiences will be like : There will be blood :)
 
Merkur 38...in blue, like mine. Top razor and looks fantastic to boot.

Streeteh has it right too, a decent brush and good quality soap/cream will make a huge difference even if you use a cart razor, and the DE+brush+soap/cream does work out cheaper in the long run for sure.

(personally I have a kent BK4, and right now a Trumper sample pack, a Men-U sample cream, two Connaught Shaving samples, ToBS soap, 2xToBS creams, a Palmolive shave stick and a tube of Proraso cream, plus the Proraso pre-post, which is great!)
 
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I have a Merkur 38c, and I use Derby blades. (Can get them from Amazon at 100 for £10)

I haven't tried other blades mind you, and I have yet to invest in some 'proper' shaving...condiments...but it still gives a nice shave.
 
Edwin Jagger de89l / Muhel r89 (same head) are my fav razors at the moment. Merkur wise I'd suggest the 34 HD. Thou not as nice of a razor some boots sell very cheap own brand plastic safety razors that you could buy to try.

Blade wise everyone likes a different brand, so worth looking at sample pack. Most supermarkets stock double edge blades (hard to find on the shelf but they are there) which are all just rebranded personna blades.

Brushes you can spend anything you like on from about £10-300. Anything cheaper than about £10-15 will have 'cut' hairs which aren't as nice on the face and not be well packed. I wouldn't go all out on this, pick one about £15ish to start you off.

Now for my real secret tip! Almost every supermarket stocks Palmolive shave sticks for about 50p and these things are great. They are just as good as soap costing 3-4 time as much, thou don't have as fancy scent. If you do go for a more expensive soap I'd try one of taylor of old bond street myself. I'd stay away from Mitchell's wool fat as it can be harder to lather for a beginner. There are also creams to try which can be easier for someone that has been using gel / foam.

It might be easier for you to switch to soap / brush while still using your current razor. Then changing to the safety razor once you have your lather right. Lather is much more important to have right with safety razor shaving.
 
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