Any recommendations for a newbie

Hello, this is my first post. I'm looking for a new (maybe vintage razor). However, I have no idea how they shave. My only experience is with a plastic one-piece Gillette DE, which always leave some nicks around my chin and neck. What is the safest choice for a beginner? Sorry for a too broad question. Any recommendations or thoughts? Thanks!

You can try any of ours for 30 days without risk. “The Hank” is a popular 1st razor. Not overly aggressive.
https://www.sirhenryssundries.com/razors-heads-handles/


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Would suggest you really need focus on cleaning and prepping your beard. You need learn to map your face for beard growth direction. Practice lathering soap until you have it dead balls on. The secret to using any razor is: correct angle as one navigates the curvature of the face/neck AND learning to apply zero pressure (pressure counterintuitively yields a worse shave). Skin stretching helps, particularly as one ages. Rinse well and using cold water. Clean equipment thoroughly including removing blade and drying all

Nathan Ford Welcome to DFS. It’s a good group to learn from. If you want vintage a Gillette Tech or a Slim is a good starting point In my opinion. There are some good YouTube videos by Geo Fatboy teaching how to lather and map your beard.

Hello, this is my first post. I'm looking for a new (maybe vintage razor). However, I have no idea how they shave. My only experience is with a plastic one-piece Gillette DE, which always leave some nicks around my chin and neck. What is the safest choice for a beginner? Sorry for a too broad question. Any recommendations or thoughts? Thanks!

If you're going non-vintage and I honestly think its the best way to start, then I would recommend one of the Edwin Jager DE-89 type razors.  They make a large selection of styles with that head type and its an excellent starter razor and its kept a lot of shavers happy as they've refined their technique as well.  They're reasonably cheap as well.  If you don't mind spending a little more money, I think the Rockwell 6s is another excellent choice.  It comes with 3 two sided baseplates giving you 6 levels of blade angle /agressiveness.  A novice can be quite happy with plates 1-3, I generally use 3 or 4 and if you want some extra blade feel then plates 5 or 6 are great.  Its a razor that can take you through the whole journey from novice to expert.
 
I'd also recommend buying some blade sample packs that the vendors put together, that way you can try a variety of blades to see what you like and what you don't.  Its a good idea to keep notes at this stage because keeping track of the pros and cons of a number of different brands in your head can be a problem although you'll figure it out when you shave with that nasty blade you forgot about.  

Vintage razors can be pretty cool but its often a crap shoot on condition and whether you'll like it or not.  On the flip side, millions of guys shaved with those razors back in the day so I'm sure you can make any of them work for you.  Provided they haven't been dropped or otherwise damaged such that the don't shave well or they bite.  If you find some you really like there are artisans out there who can do incredible restoration / replating work although its good to understand what's do-able before dropping money on a restoration project.
Best of luck Nathan Ford

Thanks a lot for a very detail answer, Marko. My only concern about vintage razor, as you pointed out, their inconsistent quality. I couldn't tell anything just by pictures. About restoration/ replating, honestly, this's the first time I heard about that, seem not a cost-effective way but kind of collecting.
I can see Edwin Jagger DE-89 really popular around here, so I think I'll give it a try.
Thanks again, Marko

Would suggest you really need focus on cleaning and prepping your beard. You need learn to map your face for beard growth direction.  Practice lathering soap until you have it dead balls on. The secret to using any razor is: correct angle as one navigates the curvature of the face/neck AND learning to apply zero pressure (pressure counterintuitively yields a worse shave). Skin stretching helps, particularly as one ages. Rinse well and using cold water. Clean equipment thoroughly including removing blade and drying all

Thanks you, very informative. A different aproach that I totally forgot. Some word you mentioned really new to me. About the beard growth direction, is that the direction with the smoothest feel when I stroke along my face?

Lathering soap: I don't really understand. I'm still using a Gillette foamy can, which already form some lather after shaking and pressing.

Apply zero pressure: Well, I'll practice. Actually, whenever I tried to shave lighter in the past, the blade would stuck somewhere on my chin (neck) then bleeding. Is that because wrong angle?
Thanks again, DanLaw

Nathan Ford Welcome to DFS. It’s a good group to learn from. If you want vintage a Gillette Tech or a Slim is a good starting point In my opinion. There are some good YouTube videos by Geo Fatboy teaching how to lather and map your beard.

Thank you Shavemd, I'll check it out. Seem a lot of things I need to learn, LOL

You can try any of ours for 30 days without risk. “The Hank” is a popular 1st razor. Not overly aggressive.
https://www.sirhenryssundries.com/razors-heads-handles/


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Thanks dominicr, My problem is that, in case I want to return, shipping rate from my country to US would cost around another razor. In the end, I would rather buy another one, LOL, as long as I can afford.

I understand. I did not realize you were outside the USA. Ours is similar to the EJ like many other razors.


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