Best inexpensive razor for a beginner

Tis a great one .. though OP mentioned mild and long handle..

Fatip Piccolo. A Solid Brass Razor for $22. Can’t be beat.

I'd just cut to the chase at get the Rockwell 6c. It might be a little more expensive but it's the last razor you'll ever need and has 6 plates to accommodate your preference.

Second the opinion on Rockwell 6C, it was the platform that I learned on before moving onto others.

Tis a great one .. though OP mentioned mild and long handle..

Fatip Piccolo. A Solid Brass Razor for $22. Can’t be beat.

Yes, the OP asked what we would consider to be the best Razor for a beginner, preferably $20 and under. His choice is the Weishi because it’s mild and has a long handle. My choice for a beginner would be for the Fatip Piccolo because of the build quality, the performance, and the price. I would start the beginner out with Astra’s or Gillette Silver Blues to begin with. This is exactly what I recommended to a friend of mine who wanted to give wet shaving a try several weeks ago. So far it’s been working well for him.

Dorco PL-602. Plastic, under $5. Not pretty, but mild, comfortable & reasonably efficient. Has a long handle. A good way to dip a toe into the water...

If the OP has any interest in an open comb, the Razorock Old Type is a nice option. Their "bulldog" handle is nice and long at 90mm and even though it is an open comb razor, it is mild and forgiving. And I think it's in the price range mentioned. A DE89 or a Merkur 34C HD are both options, although they are more pricey at twice what the OP suggested.

Feather Popular.  <$20.  TTO.  Long handle.  Mild shave.  While being made mostly of plastic, I've never felt it was weak or flimsy.  This was the first DE razor I used when I made the switch.  If I wouldn't have found the shaving forums, I would probably still be happily shaving with it today and saved money.

Feather Popular or Weishi. Both are robust enough, mild and deliver a nice shave.
Qshave/Ming Shi 2000s - although the large head may not be the best option for a beginner.

Sometimes the EJ's pop up at amazon for less than €20 - at least here in Europe, some tiny cents more than the usd$20 that the OP stipulates, but a great option nonetheless

Thanks to all, there has been a lot of great input on this thread!

I'd just cut to the chase at get the Rockwell 6c. It might be a little more expensive but it's the last razor you'll ever need and has 6 plates to accommodate your preference.

I thought this and bought the 6c. I then found I could only use the 5 or 6 for my course hair. One issue I also found on the 6c (that I didn't see in some unknown 5$ DE I started with) was the 6c clogs with my Cremo. Unfortunately, with course red hair and sensitive skin, it's tough (let's face it, this is a curse...lol). I need the slick-as-spit cream.

So, while I do like the 6c, I just bought a open comb Razorock to try. I read OCs are more aggressive? I've only used it once, but it seemed pretty good. Paired with a feather blade, I felt I got the closest shave yet.

Think I paid around $20 for the Razorock? It's definitely not expensive.

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Open combs are generally considered to be more aggressive, but the RR OT is actually pretty mild. It’s Gillette namesake is reputed to be fairly aggressive, but I haven’t tried it.

While it’s a little more than $20, the Parker 24C/26C/63C is another OC that shaves great without being too aggressive (just a little more than the RR OT).

One nice thing about open combs (especially one with a thin baseplate) is they will happily plow through fairly thick stubble or even a beard without the need to pre-trim.

IMHO, Cremo can gunk up most razors pretty bad. My water is very hard, which doesn’t help, but Cremo is one of the worst I’ve tried in that respect.