If I could start it all again. Razor choice.

Like most on this thread I started seriously wet shaving with a Merkur 34 HD at the recommendation of @TheLurker and have no regrets but could not go back after experiencing more efficient razors
 
Like most on this thread I started seriously wet shaving with a Merkur 34 HD at the recommendation of @TheLurker and have no regrets but could not go back after experiencing more efficient razors
Edit: and have enjoyed the journey and would not want to start at the end, but if I did, it would be the GC-84P with GSB and Feather blades
 
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.
In a bid to try and get my brother into wet shaving I put together a DE package for him. My 20 yr old Merkur 38, some FaceFat, some Astras and a simpsons brush. However, the package never made its final destination, so my first ever DE is lost forever.:cautious:. On the flip side, having just spent some time together this Christmas, I made him shave with the Barrsiter and Mann Nordost and he was very impressed, so fingers crossed I may have lit the fuse.
 
So many starters with the Merkur - mine was the 33C.

Half the fun for me is in the “software” (brushes, soaps, potions and lotions 😀) and the blades. So many permutations to try! And I wouldn’t have figured it out if I didn’t do it step by step

Thanks to some great advice in this forum, I’ve found a rig which works really well for me. My daily driver is the Rockwell 6S with a Nacet, lathered up with a Yaqi badger brush and Squadron soap. A DFS/BBS shave daily. For a chore I used to tolerate, it’s now the start of the day, a time to reflect and enjoy, and put on my game face for the day.

So, no, I don’t think I’d have changed what I started with. That said, SWMBO might disagree if she ever took the time to total up how much I’ve spent to get here!!
 
Started out with a DE89 and I can still get a ‘decent’ shave from it but only with a sharp blade so I don’t bother but happy to say the missus now uses it so glad it’s not wasted..

Moved onto a 6C, which I thought was the bees knees in plates 5&6.. until I saw the light with the more efficient razors of r41, jaws and timeless..even dipped my toe into the vintage scene..

Been a great journey and still loving it
 
Started with a Gillette Super Speed back in 1967...a black handled version.
That razor went with me to Vietnam, and on my return (and exit from the Army), my brother grabbed the razor and took off to Aussie with it (he's in Bundy now).
A couple of years ago he posted the razor back to me (because it wasn't working now!).
Yep, he had never cleaned it much and the handle had bunged up with scum. Continued forced use had worn out the wee locating groove in the handle (really badly and was not 'repairable' by the usual method...needed a new handle for a proper repair).
So that wee razor lasted for 50 years with a lot of abuse before dying an honourable death.
Gave a great shave. Not as close as the Karve or Timeless but still a pretty good razor.
I might have to cancel my Wolfman and just get another Super Speed...(said no-one ever).
Hey, have a great New Year guys, and keep safe.
 
So many starters with the Merkur - mine was the 33C.

Half the fun for me is in the “software” (brushes, soaps, potions and lotions 😀) and the blades. So many permutations to try! And I wouldn’t have figured it out if I didn’t do it step by step

Thanks to some great advice in this forum, I’ve found a rig which works really well for me. My daily driver is the Rockwell 6S with a Nacet, lathered up with a Yaqi badger brush and Squadron soap. A DFS/BBS shave daily. For a chore I used to tolerate, it’s now the start of the day, a time to reflect and enjoy, and put on my game face for the day.

So, no, I don’t think I’d have changed what I started with. That said, SWMBO might disagree if she ever took the time to total up how much I’ve spent to get here!!

Total up her shoes,... and makeup,... and hair stuff!
 
I still enjoy very efficient razors but I have come full circle and now mainly use milder razors, so for me, the Muhle R89, Vitos Extra Super Coco and Omega 10066 (although all the Omega boars I have tried have been terrific brushes in their own way).
 
Some interesting comments here...

Since going back to shaving last year, I dug out my collection of old DE's (an English Gillette Rocket Parat, an Empire DE and my Dad's old Gillette 7 O'clock travel razor. I later bought a Merkur 34C to try out a modern razor and to be honest I find the 34C really good. It is mild and I don't get much irritation, even when going for a BBS finish. I have since bought a Gillette Fatboy (my birth year razor), and another English Gillette TTO - which was a bad shaver, possibly due to a misalignment somewhere. The only vintage one which gives a good shave is the Gillette Rocket Parat. The others are really aggressive and I reckon the 34C is better than the Fatboy.

Have been thinking about another modern razor, maybe a Jagger D89 but not really sure about what else to try. However, as I am happy with the 34C, I will play around with that for a while and try some different blades in it.

cheers
Andrew
 
One of the minority, but only just...
Started not with a 34HD but with a DE89. Won a 34HD about 6 months into my DE journey and instantly PIFd it - didn't even give it a try.
'Upgraded' to an R89 (rosegold, yum), then a Black Beauty, then a Tech, Model T (yuk) and now a Fatboy.
Wouldn't mind giving a Rockwell 6S/6C a try, or a Karve, but money is currently better allocated elsewhere.
 
When I returned to wet shaving a few years ago I didn't know anything about razor types or brand quality.
After endless online searches, I decided to buy a Mehaz TTO. It is a Super Speed knockoff made in Germany.
Shaves like a Weishi and is a good starter razor that costs about twenty dollars.
I still use it once in a while for sentimental reasons, and it still shaves well.
 
Top