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Wet shaving is a very satisfying experience with the right tools and equipment, and it can be a lifetime of pleasure.
If you’re looking for the best safety razor for beginners, you’ve already given up the expensive Plastic cartridges for a much closer shave.
The best beginner safety razors are a cost-effective, eco-friendly addition to your grooming routine, giving you a closer shave with minor irritation than disposable razors.
In this guide, our goal is to help you find the best safety razors for beginners. Below we describe each of the features you’ll want to consider when buying your first safety razor.
Table Of Contents
- What to Look for in the Best Safety Razor for Beginners?
- 10 Best Safety Razors for Beginners 2023
- 1. Vikings Blade the Chieftain Double Edge Safety Razor
- 2. Merkur Futur Adjustable Safety Razor
- 3. Merkur 34c Heavy Duty Safety Razor
- 4. Edwin Jagger De89
- 5. Parker 91r
- 6. AS-D2 Feather Stainless Steel Double Edge Razor
- 7. Merkur 23c Classic 3-piece Double Edge Safety Razor
- 8. Muhle R89 Closed Comb Safety Razor
- 9. Merkur Travel Razor
- 10. Feather Popular Double Edge Shaving Razor
- Conclusion
What to Look for in the Best Safety Razor for Beginners?
Before you start spending your hard-earned but well-earned cash on purchasing the best safety razors, there are a few factors to consider.
The Handle
First, there is the length of the handle to consider. As a beginner, you will choose a short handle to better control pressure as they are lighter and almost effortless to handle.
Long handles are better suited to experienced safety razor users and men with very dense and coarse facial hair. They are heavier and put more pressure on your skin.
There is also the handle. Some safety razors are entirely smooth, which may look nice but can easily slip out of your hands. Buy a safety razor with a ribbed handle for a better grip.
Safety Razor Design
Safety razors vary in make, model, make, and design. The main designs are the butterfly head, three-piece, two-piece and one-piece designs. Of these, the open butterfly safety razor version is the most common one-piece design.
We could go on and on about these different designs, but let’s focus on the basics. Let’s start with the three-part version. It is probably the most popular double edge razor design of them all. On the other hand, the two-piece model is favored by most wet shavers, while the one-piece designs often come with a swivel handle that opens at the cutting head.
The Head
There are three main types, the open comb, the closed comb, and the straight bar. The comb style guides the hair through to the blades, providing a closer shave for men with thick beards or dense growth.
However, open comb heads are less forgiving to the skin than the straight bar style, reducing friction and providing better protection against nicks and cuts. Therefore, as a beginner, you will want to try this style or the closed comb style.
The Aggression Level
it depends on two factors: razor design, shaving angle, and blades. The best tip to start shaving is 30 degrees. Beginners should avoid the Feather blades as they are super sharp. All the models discussed above are only slightly aggressive. Open comb razors are for more experienced users. Use mild blades with your razor for maximum safety.
Price vs. Quality
With the unstable economy, most people are forced to work more than one job, which amounts to insane hours in a week. With the money made the hard way, it makes sense that you want to make the most of it — getting the most value for every dollar spent. Before you buy a product, you should compare the prices of the different brands.
I have to say that cheap is not always the best. However, there are cases where more affordable safety razors offer a quality that rivals more expensive units.
Prices of double-edged versions of safety razors range from $10 to $200. Yes, this is a huge difference, and yes, when comparing the high-end units will undoubtedly have significant differences in quality from the cheaper ones. Still, you don’t have to buy the most expensive ones to get a great result.
10 Best Safety Razors for Beginners 2023
Now that you know how to look for safety razors for beginners let’s focus on our top five candidates. The safety razors below are not as aggressive and, at the same time, quickly follow the contours of your face for a perfect wet shave.
1. Vikings Blade the Chieftain Double Edge Safety Razor
Loved by beginners and experts alike, you can’t go wrong with the Chieftain made by Vikings Blade.
It comes with a short 3.9-inch long textured chrome handle, suitable for beginners who need more control over the blade.
Weighing in at 2.9 ounces, you’ll notice that this weight is also evenly distributed with a perfectly positioned balance point, making it easy to hold and operate.
Recommended Reading: Edwin Jagger De89 Review (Double Edge Safety Razor)
The Head is butterfly style, which you do by placing the blade on the Head with a snap. Just twist it open and attach the sheet.
Speaking of blades, they are made from high-quality Swedish Sandvik steel, which other companies try to copy but cannot match. In other words, don’t be tempted to buy knockoffs.
The Chieftain has a medium rating when it comes to aggression, which can present some problems for beginners. But that will come in handy as you get better at using safety razors.
This closed comb style head still guides the hair but is more forgiving of the skin than the open comb style.
And it comes with a decent accessory pack that includes a premium leather pouch, a mirror, and a set of five starter blades.
- It is affordable.
- It grows with you as you get better at razors.
- The materials are resistant but of excellent quality.
- It can be too aggressive, so be very careful.
- Chromium will rust without proper maintenance.
- The butterfly design is easily broken.
2. Merkur Futur Adjustable Safety Razor
Many people ask themselves this question: what is the best safety razor. Now you should probably say this upfront: there is no perfect or best in and of itself. There are many applicants for the first position. But be that as it may, Merkur Futur is at the top of the list.
Merkur is one of the long-standing companies in this industry, 30 years to be precise. Over the years, the company has grown thanks to its attention to quality. The Merkur Futur Adjustable Safety Razor is one of the company’s high-quality products carefully designed and manufactured.
The Merkur 700 series is a popular double edge safety razor with an adjustable head. The unit features a fresh and unique design and appearance. It offers its users unmatched versatility thanks to its six configurations. These six settings are designed to adjust the exposure of the sheet.
It can be adjusted from level 1 (sensitive skin) to level 6 (aggressive) and, therefore, adapted to each individual’s skin type, beard roughness, and shaving preference. . The first setting provides minimal blade exposure, while the sixth setting exposes more of the blade, providing the most aggressive shave.
The distance between the blade and the comb can also be adjusted for a closer shave as your skill increases. . Are these adjustments necessary? Yes, they are perfect for adapting to different shapes and textures of facial hair.
Now, while adjustable safety razors may seem like new technology, Merkur has been in the business of making them longer since the 1980s. Over the years, they have been Fixing bugs in the design and function of the adjustable safety razor design.
- The ability to quickly and easily change the aggressiveness of the shave, allowing for a ‘personalized’ shaving experience, is, in my opinion, an excellent choice
- The weight and length of the handle make Merkur Futur suitable for all hands except the larger
- Beauty with a fine finish and a solid and attractive modern style.
- The wide trimmer head can be difficult to maneuver in tight spots like the lip and nose area.
- Razors used for a knotty handle can feel slippery and require special care when changing settings
- A new head design will be required a little care when changing safety razors
- It may not be the best double edge razor if you are inexperienced with safety razors
3. Merkur 34c Heavy Duty Safety Razor
This was one of our first safety razors, and it’s a fantastic place to start – the Merkur 34c. Right off the bat, he has some great features: he has a heavy head, so he needs to apply very little pressure to get close to the root of his whiskers; It has a flexible angle blade (“smooth,” in other words), which means that it is designed to cut facial hair effectively, but with a much lower likelihood of nicks and cuts; and it uses standard double-edged razors, so finding replacement blades isn’t too tricky.
And, perhaps most importantly (and this is, in our opinion, of course), it just feels smooth. There are several safety razors where each new pass becomes more and more painful, and when you have completed your pass with the grain and then have finished your pass with the grain, you are dreading your pass upriver. We have found several keys to be quite lovely, with very few nicks. It is a closed comb model, so it is designed to be a bit more forgiving.
Recommended Reading: Harry's Razor Review (2023): is It Good & Worth It?
If you’re new to wet shaving, we think it’s a great first product and one that we highly recommend. The wet shaving community is quite demanding, and they seem to have a critique of … just about everything. And we are not trying to be idiots about it; so are the things. We also have reviews of almost everything. But we have found that it is practically difficult to find a person who has something negative to say about the Merkur 34c. It’s not the fanciest safety razor out there or the most sophisticated. Still, for a quality full shave that’s less likely to cut you into ribbons, it’s a fantastic option—highly recommended.
- The craftsmanship is of high quality.
- Provides a close shave while minimizing irritation and preventing accidental cuts.
- It is affordable.
- The handle is almost too short.
- It is heavy and can be cumbersome.
- You may need to do a few strokes to get a close shave.
4. Edwin Jagger De89
The Edwin Jagger DE89 is another fantastic find for men who want a test run with safety razors. I can’t tell you how many good reviews I read from men who had tried other brands of safety razors and had terrible experiences until they tried the Edwin Jagger DE89.
Made in Sheffield, the UK, another European city with a history of producing high-quality blades, this two-piece safety razor features a short handle and a sleek chrome finish with Edwin’s name on it. . Jagger engraved on the handle. And a straight bar head.
The handle is 3.3 inches long, which is a good length for beginners. It is not too long and not too short.
Everything feels perfectly balanced when you start shaving, which is a huge plus if you’re a beginner. Combined with a closed comb design, gentle aggressiveness, and a unique blade angle, you get a close shave without cuts or irritation.
The Edwin Jagger DE89 works with all standard double-edged blades with a starter set of five double-edged blades. Therefore, you can try different types of blades that suit your hair and skin type.
A case is not provided, so you will need to provide yours if you travel or shave at the gym.
- Provides a close shave without irritation despite mild aggression.
- It is balanced, which is very important for beginners.
- It is affordable.
- The chrome finish can chip, and the iron handle can break if dropped.
- Some models have a soft handle that reduces grip.
- Screw mechanism threads tend to wear out over time.
5. Parker 91r
This three-piece safety razor is another great shaving tool for first-time wet shavers. It has a chrome-plated brass body that doesn’t look as sleek as the Jagger or Merkur but still offers a safe shave with minimal irritation.
With a four-inch-long handle, this is a substantial double-edge safety razor. The handle also has a decent tip knot. When wet, it still gets a bit slippery. This can be a problem as this razor weighs three whole ounces.
The weight of this razor means that you should apply minimal pressure while dragging it across the jaw, cheeks, or elsewhere. For that matter. You should also be careful not to squeeze the top of the Head too tightly on the handle, as this would make shaving impossible.
The closed comb design of this three-piece razor provides some cut protection, while at the same time, each piece can be rinsed separately for maximum hygiene.
A significant advantage of the Parker 91R is that it comes with a set of five replacement blades. When they are out of stock, replace them with whatever standard MSDS you can find.
- Three-piece design ensures complete rinsing
- Substantial body
- High-quality construction
- The Head can loosen while shaving
- Chrome finish wears off easily
- Head is a bit wide
6. AS-D2 Feather Stainless Steel Double Edge Razor
While the price may be a bit steep on the Seki Edge Feather AS-D2, it’s worth it if you can afford it. It’s long-lasting, stylish, and provides an exceptional shave for beginners or men with super sensitive skin.
Manufactured by the Feather brand in Seki, Japan, another city known for producing high-quality blades, this safety razor is made from surgical grade stainless steel with a matte finish.
The matte stainless steel design with a textured grip gives it a distinctive look compared to the chrome safety razors I’ve covered in this article.
It is also less prone to rusting and chipping than chrome safety razors. I also like that you can sterilize this razor without worrying about wear and tear on the chrome.
The handle is 3.9 inches long, making it on the longest side. However, it is perfectly balanced, making it easy for beginners to use.
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It has a three-piece design, a closed comb and is rated very soft, making it suitable for beginners or men with thinner hair or susceptible skin.
Please note that you may outgrow the very slight rating as you get better at using double edge safety razors. So if the price is a significant factor for you, I recommend trying another razor from this list.
The razor comes with five initial Feather blades but will work with any type of double-edged blade. You can try different blades to see if they can overcome the very mild aggression index as you improve with safety razors.
- The stainless steel design stands the test of time.
- A very mild aggression index is perfect for men with sensitive skin.
- It is expensive.
- If you have thick hair, it may not work.
7. Merkur 23c Classic 3-piece Double Edge Safety Razor
The Merkur 23c, also known as 180, also known as the classic three-piece safety razor from the German manufacturer Merkur, is one of the most popular safety razors on Amazon.
This is a long-handled version of the Merkur 34c. Made of steel with a quality chrome finish, its robust and reliable design is built to keep you going for a lifetime.
Merkur Classic 3-piece provides a closer and more frictionless shave than a multi-blade razor without irritation or red rash, as there is only one sharp blade that is spread over the skin instead of several.
The safety razor is heavy in hand, provides a close and comfortable shave.
- High-quality razor at an affordable price
- Easy to clean thanks to its removable Head
- Has an included protection option for beginners
- Chrome finish is highly resistant to oxidation
- Knurling is shallow
- For many men with large hands, the handle will feel thin
- The screw that holds the different parts in place can corrode and break over time
8. Muhle R89 Closed Comb Safety Razor
We think the Muhle R89 is a fantastic option for a new wet shaver. Muhle, as a company, has been manufacturing high-end wet shaving equipment for over seven decades and sells a wide range of high-end products ranging from wood-handled razors to soft shaving brushes, chrome bowls. Shiny and fancy waffles. Print towels. They have spent years developing their products, and they are a big name in the wet shaving industry.
The R89 can be an excellent choice for newer wet shavers: it has a considerable weight that is designed to cut whiskers efficiently; has helical knurling on the handle for a better grip; and it has a prominent seat bar, ideal for beginners, with small divots (known as “scallops”). It doesn’t have the “bite” that Muhle is known for (and we’ll get to that in a second), and in our experience, it provides a smooth, smooth shave. And, true to its “classic” shape, it’s made of silver and gold chrome. If you like wet shaving as an old-school activity, the R89 is a fantastic old-school razor.
However, perhaps what we like most about the Muhle R89 is unique among Team Muhle. Muhle is known for its aggressive razors, and its open comb safety razor (which we reviewed in our “Favorite Open Combs” post) is a pretty gnarly model. If you don’t know what you are doing with it, you will cut it into strips. This is why Muhle is not known for making new wet razor products, so we think this is a great option – it allows beginners to use a product from a storied shaving company that only sells razor products. Wet shaving. This is a more “classic” model and one that we like.
- Muhle has a good design and build. The chrome finish is perfect.
- Merkur R89 offers you several options a 3- or 2-piece pocket blade. You can also get a longer and thicker handle option.
- It is perfect for beginners who are moving away from cartridge razors or prefer a smooth shave.
- If you are already using a cartridge razor, it is easy to use. One. It is light when you put it on your face and can be helpful for a beginner.
- The R89 Twist is a variation on the three-piece model. It is more expensive than those models.
9. Merkur Travel Razor
They have appeared on our list are a testament to the quality that exudes from the double-edged razor. Also, being from a renowned German brand, you can trust its design and precision. Merkur has stood the test of time as a brand and has consistently delivered above-standard safety razors for men who need different things.
With that said, if you find the Futur Adjustable Safety Razor not the perfect choice for your needs, then the Merkur Travel 1 Blade Razor might just be what the barber ordered. It is especially ideal for a man who travels regularly.
Recommended Reading: Best Razor for Shaving Head (Top 10 Without Irritation)
When creating a travel safety razor, the manufacturer should pay attention to the size of the product. Merkur is aware of this and made this ultra-compact razor. In addition to this, it has a hollow handle that makes it light enough to carry. The Double Edge razor comes with an equally compact leather case that fits discreetly in your pocket for added convenience.
We love the fact that it is compatible with double-edged blades. This means you can use disposable blades and save money in the long run. Plus, this feature ensures that you will never be short of compatible replacement razor blades, no matter where you are in the world.
To sweeten the deal, this double edge travel razor comes in a 4-piece design. This makes it easier to clean and maintain. The handle is short but long enough (similar to the Merkur 34C) and has serrations at the correct points to ensure a firm grip.
While this is not the best razor we have, it offers a precise, irritation-free shave for a travel razor. The shaving experience is ideal and hassle-free.
- It has a durable design
- Includes a compact leather case
- Ideal for travel
- Although the short, hollow handle makes the double-edged razor lighter, along with the heavy Head means it can be a bit off-balance
10. Feather Popular Double Edge Shaving Razor
Feather is a razor brand from Japan that is popular all over the world. Their razors are of high quality and are loved by many men. But before continuing, we must mention that the name ‘Popular’ refers to how great the products are than anything else. And with that said, let’s dive into the reasons that make this butterfly razor popular.
The Feather Popular Safety razor is made from a combination of metal and plastic. And while it comes at a low price, it is one of the best butterfly safety razors on the market. But, unfortunately, many of the swing-open blade variations don’t work as well as they are designed to.
If you put aside its value for money for a second, you will notice that the blade’s structure is not the best. The razor tends to twist slightly when one is shaving. And while for most beginners, lightweight razor designs seem like the best feature when it comes to an accurate shave, their use can be challenging, and they’re not exactly reliable.
The blade has an old-school design. It has a thick head that reduces the angle of its blade. This gives it a smooth character, which means that it is ideal for sensitive skin men. But since it is made of lightweight materials, you have to exert a lot of pressure during shaving to get a close shave that could cause skin irritations.
The Feather Popular razor has one of the most extended handles. The market. This is perfect for men who have big hands or those who prefer to use long blades.
Now, while it offers excellent value for money, the performance could be better. In our research, we have come across razors that perform better than Feather Popular.
But even then, many people agree with performance because they don’t have to pay a premium for it. For most men, it’s about striking a balance between value and performance. In light of this, the Feather Butterfly razor seems to have nailed it.
In concluding this review of the product, we must keep in mind that the butterfly razor is ideal for men starting with the traditional shave. This is because it is not overly aggressive and leaves room for error before it gets over. In addition, thanks to its long handle, it is comfortable and easy to control.
On the other hand, it is ideal for men who do not have coarse hair and do not usually have to shave quickly. This razor will not achieve the desired results for men who are always in a hurry to shave. With patience and some knowledge, the Feather Popular Twist Butterfly Knife is a great inexpensive option.
- Ideal for beginners
- Butterfly design makes it easy to replace razor blades
- Affordable price
- Too light for most men
- Construction is not of the best quality
Conclusion
All of the above models are moderately aggressive and easy to handle. You can also read our posts on the best safety razor blades for beginners. They are much cheaper than a cartridge razor.
Remember always to put your used blade in a special plastic box. When the container is full, seal it and throw it in the trash. Even when they can no longer shave, safety blades can cause terrible cuts.
If you have any questions or concerns, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us!
- luxuryshavingrazors.com
- artisanshaving.org
- dappermane.com
