Opinions, for a friend

My Pest Control Man is a close friend. 
A few years back he wanted to learn more about wet shaving and was interested in using a Straight Razor. I loaned him one and showed him how to use it but after some time he found he just didn't enjoy the extra effort in maintaining a blade. Plus he would not take care of it. Leaving it in the bathroom drawer and not stropping, bring it to me because it started to rust, ETC, ETC.

So he wanted to try some DE razors. I set him up with a few to try out including some blades that I felt were good but not top of the line in sharpness. He has taken to this very well. At this time he is leaning towards the Karve CB SB B plate razor. He has used mine for a couple weeks now and thinks he is ready to buy now. But he had no idea of the cost of a real razor he said. LOL.

According to the site the Karve is Zero Exposure and .73mm gap. He would like S.S. too but I told him that the price would jump up then. Aluminum is out of the question as he is Mexican and has a very tough beard.

So do any of you have a recommendation of a lower cost razor? Something that fits these specs? Around 100 bucks but closer to 50 would be better. I don't pay him that much for pest control. LOL.
 And maybe I'd buy one for my collection if I don't already have it. Damn RAD!   
I'm just not going to part with one of mine. 

BTW, I'm thinking a 3 piece is what he needs. Not an adjustable.
Thanks

Are you looking to buy new or is something on the secondary market ok?

Perhaps a RazoRock Gamechanger would be a good option.

Second hand would be ok I think. If it fits the bill.

Is the Gamechanger or the Lupo  the less aggressive of the two? I'm thinking a big part of what he is not liking is Blade Feel or Exposure.  I dont think I have a Gamechanger but do have 3 Lupo's so I can't compare. I read the Lupo and G.C. are positive exposure.

Second hand would be ok I think. If it fits the bill.

Is the Gamechanger or the Lupo  the less aggressive of the two? I'm thinking a big part of what he is not liking is Blade Feel or Exposure.  I dont think I have a Gamechanger but do have 3 Lupo's so I can't compare. I read the Lupo and G.C. are positive exposure.

The Gamechanger razors are very smooth and comfortable. I like more blade feel which is why they don't quite fit the bill for me. They are positive exposure but not sure of how much as they do not publish that. I have the GC .68, .84, .84OC, and 1.05 and they are all quite smooth. With a .73 exposure you could probably go either way, .68/.84. If he is new I would likely recommend .68 SB. I'm looking to move all my GC plates except the 1.05 but you would still need a handle and top cap. You can get a complete razor from Razorock or Italian Barber for around $55. You could also get a Karve Overlander in Brass for around $93.27 US. It is a highly popular razor due to being mild, very smooth and incredibly efficient, this is good if he has a tough beard. It is a .73mm gap and the exposure is minimal at 0.07mm.

I hope this doesn't muddy the waters a little bit more for you.

Great post Metal shaving

So my favorite razor is the Karve SB B plate. My affordable version od same is the Gamechanger 68. Shaves are very very similar. Nimble, easy to weild, and great price. That would be the one if he likes the Karve B IMHO.

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I would also keep an eye out for a used Rockwell 6S. I have seen used stainless steel 6S's priced anywhere from $50 to $70. It is a 3-piece but adjustable. Personally, the 6S with base plate #4 is a great smooth option for me.

I would also keep an eye out for a used Rockwell 6S.  I have seen used stainless steel 6S's priced anywhere from $50 to $70.  It is a 3-piece but adjustable.  Personally, the 6S with base plate #4 is a great smooth option for me.

I was going to recommend the same or even a 6C which would be cheaper yet. The adjustability will give him a chance to zero in on what works best for him and still be a 3 piece.

Note, the material of the razor has little to no correlation with the effectiveness of a razor. Just weight and face feel. Don't shy away from aluminum razors. This isn't coke can aluminum, rather automotive/ aero grade in most cases. I'd recommend Edwin jagger de89. It's mild, and cheap. It was my starter razor for 5 years before I started preferring more effecient razors.

The most important thing is to set him up with good soap and blades. Asta sp, personna lab blues are my favorites.

Jerry

Since your friend has a tough beard, I would not recommend the Karve B plate. I doubt that it would be efficient enough to tackle his beard, even with a super sharp blade.If he likes the Karve, then I would suggest something like the D plate SB as it is efficient without being too aggressive. The aggression can be altered by the selection of blade. The nice thing about Karve CB razors is that you can purchase additional base plates if you want to experiment. I have a Karve brass with C, D and E plates.

One thing you friend might consider are razors by Parker. They are inexpensive (around $30), but some are quite well made. One of my favorite razors is the Parker Semi Slant. This razor is made of brass and clamps the blade tightly. Since the degree of slant is not as extreme as some slant razors, the shaving technique is similar to a regular DE razor. It if efficient without being overly aggressive.

I believe you recently acquired a Parker 24C open comb through BST. While it is a nice razor, it can be overly aggressive if the shave angle is too steep or you use a super sharp blade. You might want to loan him that razor to see how he does with it. I suggest using that razor with a shallow blade angle (off the cap). The Parker semi-slant will be a more forgiving razor.

The Parker Variant is also a decent razor as it is adjustable to vary aggression. It has a rather bulky head, so it is not ideal for shaving under the nose. The bulky head helps in finding the correct shave angle.

I do not recommend many of the other Parker razors as they do not clamp the blade tightly. The 3 piece razors are similar in design to the DE89 head, but tend to have a larger blade gap and are more aggressive. I have not tried the Parker TTO razors, so I cannot comment there.

In the past, Parker did not have a very good reputation, but that has changed over the past few years. Current production is excellent.