SMF

Hi guys. I'm new here and recently returned to DE shaving. Like many, I was fed up with the ridiculous cost of cartridges--this is pricing power, and it happens when one entity, or corporation, gains control of a market. Two months ago, I became aware of the resurgence of DE shaving, purchased an Edwin Jagger DE89L, found in a drawer my thirty-year old Old Spice mug and boar brush, and bought a new puck of saving soap at the supermarket. There is now no turning back to that junky fusion handle and blizzard of mostly useless blades.

A little history--I began shaving in the early sixties with a brand new Gillette Super Speed with a blue tip. After a couple years, I purchased two new Gillette Slim Adjustable razors and rotated them for the next fifteen years or so, until blades virtually disappeared from retail stores. For awhile, I then used the Schick adjustable injector razor before getting drawn into the multi-blade razor wars.

Two weeks ago, I bought the Merkur Progress because I was most used to using an adjustable razor. It is a terrific razor, and so is the EJ. I now got the bug and wish I had my old slims. Since I paid only $1.95 for each of the them brand new, I am hesitant to pay the going price for a fifty-year old slim. We'll see. Oh, by the way, my original plan was to save some money by returning to DE shaving. So it goes. I'm happy.

Save money, maybe at first on blades!!! Then you get brush envy and creams and soaps to try.

That's right, Sam. Along with the Progress I bought the inexpensive Escali badger brush. It is okay, but already I'm thinking about trying one of the synthetic brushes!

Welcome to the forum! You probably won't end up saving much money but you will enjoy shaving a lot more.

welcome to smf. Enjoy using your new equipment. Treat yourself to a good soap or cream. Makes the world of difference

clive

Sure thing on getting a good cream or soap. I will order up the green Proraso cream and maybe (just maybe) get one of the Omega synthetic brushes. This shaving thing is like my experience when I got into fishing some years ago, but it's okay. Wanting a fancy baitcast rod or reel (I kept wanting one more) is a way more expensive obsession that wanting one more quality razor. Okay, maybe.

Welcome to SMF!

Welcome back to traditional wetshaving, thw! (I welcomed you to the forum in another thread. )

The Merkur Progress is an excellent razor, perhaps my favorite. Mine is a "Mergress" with the custom-machined metal adjustment knob. The Edwin Jagger models are also excellent razors, as well, for a very reasonable price. You should be very well served by these two.

- Murray

Yup, what everyone else has written... First you'll get into it for the savings, then you'll realize it's actually enjoyable! There goes the savings!

Have fun and welcome to the forum!

Thanks for joining us. Good to have you here.

Welcome thw. Collecting shaving gear is fun, and you''ll definitely acquire more as you go along.

Thanks to all for the welcome. I'm learning a lot from reading the many informative threads on the forum. Only wish I had never given up on DE shaving all those years ago, but all the needed supplies just dried up in retail stores. Happy to see the resurgence in DE shaving, and I'm amazed at what has become available. Over the years, I tried several times to find a DE razor and blades but never found a thing until I recently noticed sometime on the Internet. Just amazed and very pleased with this development.

Welcome to the forum. Sounds as if you are on the right track now. There is a lot of knowledge here to be absorbed on these pages. You will be hard pressed to have a question or a problem that has not been discussed here. Please enjoy your wet shaving experiences and share them with us!

Well, I might have to look for a thread about what I see is known as Razor Acquisition Disorder (RAD). Back in the day when I began as a DE shaver, there was nothing remotely like access to what is now available on the internet--a person pretty much was limited to the Gillette razors sold at the corner drug store (fortunately, it turned out these were excellent razors). Anyway, I guess I'm a newbie on the current scene and consequently am developing a major case of the RAD malady. So, I went ahead and got the 34C even though I have a brand new, three-week old EJDE89L. I got a Progress between those two acquisitions. Did I mention the new badger and the synthetic brushes? Oh, I looking at a vintage Gillette Tech on e-bay. Is there a known cure for RAD?

Sounds like you hit the slippery slope, thw!

- Murray