TOP DE RAZOR FOR HEAD SHAVING?

[Bluebriz]

Ah, to be new to DEs all over again and to experience them all again new!

Excellent advice from Warhawk of course and not much more I can add!

The Edwin Jaggers are excellent razors, I love my DE89, with which I recently reacquainted myself.

The Merkur Progress is an excellent razor, too.  I might have to revisit that soon as well.

Classic Gillette Superspeeds (there are several models) are built to last and will probably outlive any of us!  More importantly they give excellent shaves.

At bargain prices are things like the Lord models.  I can't remember the model names but at just over ten dollars (if I remember correctly) they're great starter razors.

Italianbarber.com has a bunch of solidly built, aesthetically pleasing DEs at low prices.  If you know which model of razor you want in the end also check out connaughtshaving.com
They ship internationally and I believe for some merkurs and EJs it's still cheaper shipped from the UK to USA than it is to buy in the USA.

Amazon has good blade sampler packs do you can try a few before bulk buying your favourites!

Any questions, post here or PM Warhawk or myself!

Good luck and gave fun!

[frangi]

Hey bluebriz, thanks for the advice.  So if i go with the merkur progress, do you suggest the short handle or the long handle, also how do use a de?
thanks

[Sir Harry]

When you use a DE, just take short, slow strokes.....I got the hang of it on my second shave. It leaves a BBS feeling especially when using a shaving brush and the right mixture.

[Bluebriz]

Hey bluebriz, thanks for the advice.  So if i go with the merkur progress, do you suggest the short handle or the long handle, also how do use a de?
thanks

I've only tried the short handle, but it's a wonderful razor.  I'm not entirely sure how the longer handle would change things so I can't help with that.

For learning DE shaving, I strongly recommend you watch the videos of geofatboy and mantic59 on Youtube.  The two I've linked below are good places to start.  Those guys have been teaching people for years about this kind of thing, and I think watching someone do it helps a great deal more than someone just writing instructions.

[frangi]

So as a first -timer, should i get the EJ89L OR THE MERKUR PROGRESS?
Please advise, thanks

[Bluebriz]

In all honesty, I could recommend one but then you could find that you prefer the other!

I would probably go for the Progress, if only because you can start off with a very mild setting and increase the aggressiveness if and when required.

[frangi]

I do not get it, so only the progress has settings, so the  EJ would compare to what setting on the merkur?

[Bluebriz]

One of the lower settings, maybe 1 or 2 I'd say.

[Blitzed]

he says he does not carry the short one because it does not sell, anyways west coast has them , would it be the same one?

After all that... What did you finally get? Or did you get anything? In about 1936 my American Father was President of the US Chamber of Commerce. Apparently the swag he got came in trucks and was generally useless. However I do have a Gold Gillette DE in a Presentation Case that I've never quite had the courage to use. No reason, save it's over70 years old and I prefer my Merkur short handle with Merkur blades. Badger brush and Geo. Trumper Lime soap. Just not on my head.