I’m not trying to make it a new hobby/collection but it’s an interesting rabbit hole to go down in terms of research.
I ended up with a RazoRock GameChanger .76. (see pics below) This razor is mild-medium in terms of how much blade is exposed. It’s a really nice piece for ~$62 being made out of 316L stainless and CNC machined to tight tolerances.
Overall I find it’s great when I have 2-3 days of growth but a little aggressive for a daily shave on my skin. Might pick up one more razor (or the milder base-plate for this one) as a milder solution for a daily shave.
I think it should be possible to daily shave with one if you can find the right combo. The trick is somehow finding that combo without accumulating a collection of 30 razors lol
I have a Parker Variant adjustable. Its clever tensioning mechanism can be set from very mild to quite aggressive by turning a dial. I like to use a moderate setting for a first pass, and then milder for additional passes and touching up.
Before you spend more on razors, you could try different blades. I bought a tester pack and was surprised by just how much difference there was from different blades in the same razor. I settled on Feather as my favourite, which despite a reputation for being aggressive, gave me the smoothest, gentlest shave.
I also own a super cheap plastic Wilkinson Sword branded razor that came bundled with blades from a high street pharmacy, many years ago. It is very mild but again paired with Feather blades gives me a good shave. I sometimes think I prefer it over the Parker. But I just had a quick look online and it doesn’t seem to be available anymore.
(The plastic razor is also good for travel as it is lighter and seems more impact resistant than my all-metal razor. I have even flown with it in carry-on, and bought locally available blades at my destination.)
I have probably 30 or more vintage and newer models and I’ve yet to find the perfect one. I’ve come to the conclusion that if I shave daily more prep is required and then I still have to settle for less than a perfect shave. It took many years to arrive where I am now at twice per week unless an occasion arises. The longer I go without shaving the better the shave will be. I’ve been using the 2011 Muhle R41 for several years now. It does a great job on the first pass with only a touch up needed on the second. If I need a really good shave I’ll use the Merkur 37C for the second pass and then touch up after that.
I prefer a disposable or cartridge modern razor, I only use the double edge safety razor on a few days growth because it doesn’t gunk up and the blades are so cheap that it saves my other razors on those days.
I’ve been shaving with a double-edge since 2011, my most-used is the Karve in stainless steel.
@CollectEverything if you’re finding it too aggressive it’s possibly down to angle or too much pressure. You really need to use a light touch with these.
Yea I think I need to be better about trying to stretch the skin when I want a closer shave. Applying more pressure is a bad habit. Also, I think these blades I got are bad for edge retention. Currently using Parker Premium Platinum blades.
I’ve seen the name Karve brought up. They look nice. What’s the blade gap on yours?
Have you experimented with many types of cream? Currently I have Cremo and Barbasol 1919.
I think maybe I’m just bad at using Cremo but they say to add water as needed but I feel like there’s barely any slickness if you add any water at all.
Barbasol 1919 is wonderfully slick but it doesn’t wash off of the razor as well.
Call me simple, but I’ve been using an Edwin Jagger DE89, badger hair brush, and Proraso Green for going on a decade, and it’s been good enough. I don’t shave every day, but it’s always a bit of a calming ritual.
According to google that razor has a .71 blade gap so probably just a little less aggressive than what I have. I hadn’t heard of Poraso Green but I’ll maybe give it a go when I use up one of the products I have now. How long would you say a tube lasts?
I’d have to look it up, I have the daily shaver kit and mostly use the C plate. Blade gap is only really useful to know when comparing two razors where the rest of the head geometry is the same, blade gap is just one variable.
Merkur DE razor, and I’m still working on a huge sampler pack of blades I bought probably 15 years ago. I don’t have a lot of area to shave, so they last a long time. My favorite blades so far seem to the Crystal Super Platinum, but they don’t make those anymore so I’ll probably move to the Personna Platinum when I get through all of these (it may be a while, I use a single blade for weeks, if not months.)
I also typically shave with water only, but if I do use shave soap it’s typically something I got at a craft festival with a cheap badger brush.
I have bought more shaving soap than razors or brushes. I’m on my second 1kg brick of Cella and will never use anything else. FYI the tub is not the same formulation as the brick. Buying the brick takes commitment because you get a lot. I separate it into about 5-6 equal portions and freeze what I’m not currently using.
I keep a decorative bowl by the sink and load the only brush I use (Razorock synthetic) from the bowl and then face lather. About 5-10 seconds on the soap and around a minute maybe a little over on my face and I have enough lather for three passes but rarely go more than two.
I tried a lot of different things for a long time and this is what is best for me.
On one hand, the ingredients list sounds great for lubrication. On the other hand, is it safe to rinse this down the drain? Actually I’m realizing I should be thinking about that for what I’m using now as well.
Being able to buy years worth supplies at a time does appeal to me
Merkur with Derby blade and two brushes made by Steve Ellis. But what I actually ended up using most, after going down the rabbit hole, is a Harry’s and the Arko stick with a Yaki synthetic brush.
Best soaps I’ve found are Cella cream and Arko sticks.
I find it better and smoother if I do it almost every day, and if I go longer I have to be more careful to get as good a shave. Out of laziness I usually shave every 4 days, but it would be easier if I did it every 2nd day honestly.
I have a pretty basic razor from a starter kit from Maggard Razors I bought almost to the day a decade ago. I believe I went for the “medium” agressivity.
I also find a lot of difference between the different blades, so I have gotten like 5 different sets with multiple brands and models in them until I found one that was miles better then any of the others I tried.
