Best inexpensive razor for a beginner

... I'm going with the Weishi Long Handle.  The price is right and its very mild.  The long handle will feel more comfortable to hands used to the long handles on cartridge razors.

Cartridge razor handles have a lot more plastic and less metal, so the balance is okay. An all-metal razor with a long handle may be handle-heavy. 
I bought one of these Wilkinson Sword DEs with the "Premium Long Metal Handle", for somewhere in the price range you specified.

If it was my first and only DE razor I might be happy, but I rarely use it because the handle is about 107 mm long, which is 25 mm longer than a Gillette Slim Adjustable. It gives a decent shave and is somewhat mild, but just I cannot get used to the balance. 
Paradoxically, the handle is far more slippery in dry hands than in wet hands.

To me, something like a vintage Schick/Eveready injector behaves more like a cartridge or disposable razor than any DE would.
This is one of the "G" types:
[Image: schick_razors7b.jpg]

Even a Lady Eversharp Type K1 injector (on the right) works for me in spite of having a long handle, because the handle is mostly light plastic.
[Image: schick_razors10.jpg]

Aluminum handles can be longer than usual, and still balance well.

I would start with an Edwin Jagger DE89 or one of the German razor firms.

Start with some quaity to get a good shave and newbie is happy.  Poor razor will kill any enthusiasm quickly.

I gather the EJ DE89 (and some of the Muhle razors) have the same head as the EJ DE87, and my DE87 is my favourite razor. 
Period.
Reasonably efficient and very forgiving with new or old blades.
Plus it looks nice, with that up-curved base plate cross-section.

Fendrihan sells a head that looks exactly like them, but I have no idea if they perform the same. I only know that they have the same mass of 30 g (as the Edwin Jaggers).

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.
[...snip...]
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.

My favourite OC head is on the Long-Comb New, a bit milder than the Old type.
My least favourite OC is a Reverse-Stud Goodwill.
I got my son a RazoRock Old Type to wean him off disposables. He often goes weeks between shaves, but still has no problem. He was impressed at how it did not clog.

I would have to recommend the mingshi adjustable razor a clone/or similar copy from the merkur futur for the price you can't go wrong.  The price can range from $5-15. This razor gives you ability to go from mild to aggressive with no problems. You can try a sample pack of razor blades to see what works for you.   I was impress with this razor so much so that I went ahead and purchased the merkur futur in Gold.

Ummm... yes, and no.
I have a QShave Futur clone that was a similar price to the Mingshi Futur clone. 
As much as I really like it and use it in rotation with a dozen other DEs, I would not suggest it as a first DE razor. I still find it a bit scary to use because it's so easy to change the setting accidentally. Also, when you pop the cap to rinse out or swap the blade you can't predict if the blade will stick to the cap, or stick to the base plate, or just fall out. If it sticks to the cap I have to use a small magnet on a plastic rod to get it out safely because of the way the cap covers the ends of the blade.
The only time I've cut my finger on a razor since 2016 was changing the setting on the QShave. I grasped the end of the head and turned the handle. The head slipped out of my fingers and the edge of the blade gave me a deep slice. I've since learned to lay the side of the head on the sink or countertop, and turn the handle.
Overall though, it's probably the best adjustable for the price.
It is good for audible feedback. It's the loudest razor I have.

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Techs are a good choice if you can find one cheap, but I far prefer the hollow "Fat Handle" versions over the solid Ball-end handles. Mine was CAD$15 at an antique shop.

They make a good choice for travel because by reversing the base plate you can store the blade in it without exposing the edges.
Like they did in this eBay offering (minus the blade):

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At a flea market I got a box of 5 assorted razors for $30, and two of them were a Gillette '46 Aristocrat and a British Gillette Aristocrat Junior. 
Both are TTOs, and both give excellent shaves while still being relatively mild.

How about this? Adjustable under $15.



https://www.aliexpress.com/item/10050013...web201603_

How about this? Adjustable under $15.



https://www.aliexpress.com/item/10050013...web201603_

That looks pretty cool, but I would not want to be the first guinea pig to buy one.
Does it depend on that single small (neodymium?) magnet to hold the blade AND the cap in place? Seems kinda' dodgy to me.
Just a bit of upward pressure on the blade edge in the middle of a stroke (it could happen) might pop it right off. The Futur clones at least have two spring clips that grab the posts on the cap.

The holes in the base of the head ("lather slots") are very small, so it won't be easy to rinse out the lather.
It also has the misfeature of having to grasp the head and handle to adjust it, unless you use the one-handed method that I described earlier.

I just ordered, only $14. Let see..

I just ordered, only $14. Let see..

You're braver than I am. 



We'll expect a full report when you receive it, oh, in 2022, I guess.

I don't about best but it certainly is viable for inexpensive is the Dollar Tree $1 special DE razor.

How about this? Adjustable under $15.



https://www.aliexpress.com/item/10050013...web201603_

That looks pretty cool, but I would not want to be the first guinea pig to buy one.
Does it depend on that single small (neodymium?) magnet to hold the blade AND the cap in place? Seems kinda' dodgy to me.
Just a bit of upward pressure on the blade edge in the middle of a stroke (it could happen) might pop it right off. The Futur clones at least have two spring clips that grab the posts on the cap.

The holes in the base of the head ("lather slots") are very small, so it won't be easy to rinse out the lather.
It also has the misfeature of having to grasp the head and handle to adjust it, unless you use the one-handed method that I described earlier.

If that is a real rare earth magnet and they also put one in the cap that will have more than enough clamping force to hold that cap and blade in place.

If that is a real rare earth magnet and they also put one in the cap that will have more than enough clamping force to hold that cap and blade in place.

That could work, because they are very difficult to separate, but I can't see one in the cap.
Most of the cap has a matte finish, and the magnet is a different colour and shinier.

The holes in the base of the head ("lather slots") are very small, so it won't be easy to rinse out the lather.

I take that back now.
I took another look at the QShave Adjustable, and the lather slots on it are not much larger than the ones in the SNMIRN razor, and they are adequate for the task.

Can't beat the Amazon+EJ collaboration.