Bought a Merkur 33C, a synthetic Parker brush, and a mühle soap bar thar I received today.
Not as close a shave as I’m used to, but my skin feels a lot less irritated than it used to after a shave. Cut myself twice, on my upper lip and on the underside of my chin.
What razor blades do you use? I started off years ago with Astra ones. They gave a good shave, and I like that I could get 2-3 shaved out of each side (so 4-6 in total per blade) before they became too dull. But they are made in Russia, and for moral reasons I switched to Feather (which are made in Japan). The Feather ones give a great shave, but they are really only useable once per side.
I use these:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07Q1JNPRH
I have neither thick not tough hair, so they last me two weeks easily. I also strop them on the underside of my arm in the shower to stretch their life.
I’d always wanted a vintage Gillette or a Merkur but have always been too cheap. I think my original handle was a drugstore special and then I upgraded to an Edwin Jagger. With that handle, my particular hair, and extraordinary lack of skill, I found Astras to be very good (I thought they were made in Türkiye but just checked the box and you’re right - they’re Russian. But my box is probably close to two decades old.) I got some Persona Blues and also found them to be similar to the Astras under the same conditions. I’ve picked up a variety of blades over the years, including Wilkinson Sword (crap, but from a store going out of business sale) and some that I’ve traded with people who also use DE razors.
I never tried Feathers with those handles because I had always read they were mostly for bloodletting and yes, didn’t last very long. Since I changed my handle to a Henson, I’ve found that I can shave with anything because it’s SO forgiving. I could probably cut myself if I tried, but this thing lets me use even Feathers with confidence, and I don’t get ingrown hairs anymore. I can even do my dangly bits safely (yes, even with the Feathers). I’ve posted once or twice about the Henson so I want to be clear that I don’t have a horse in this race, but for me it was a game changer. I think finding a handle that works for my hair type and breathtaking lack of skill, then matching blades to that, was the key.
I’ve also found that DE shaving aficionados just love talking gear, so if you meet anyone IRL see if they would be down to swap blades. I’m sure the shaving companies will also sell you a blade sampler pack.
tl;dr: Persona Blues are probably my favorite, Astra is also great but has some baggage, and give Wilkinson a miss. If you’re using Feather pay attention and don’t let anything startle you.
Thanks for the recommends. Yeah, you definitely have to be careful with Feather blades. Although I only found them a bit more ‘cutty’ than Astra’s.
If a guy wanted a Henson… where would he get one?
Just from their website, but I did a Black Friday special from Grown Man Shave in the US a few years ago - it was $66 for two handles. It was a buy one, get one, and I gave the other one to a friend. In exchange he gave me a Bevel handle that he liked but didn’t love. The Bevel is super heavy, which some people like, because the handle should be doing the work. I haven’t tried it.
Interesting, thank you!
I use… some random double edged safety razor I found on Amazon a few years ago. It’s fine, but I have been thinking about an upgrade.