16% off Entire Merkur Solingen Range (Razors and Blades) @ Shave Rave, Free Shipping for Orders over $20

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  crowsnest bomber on 15/07/2016 - 03:44

  +1

  quick question… im totally new to the world of safety blades, i have coarse growth and have been using the gillette and schick since forever. Whats a nice blade and shaving cream to get me started?

  • 

    AssociatedShaveRave @ Shave Rave on 15/07/2016 - 04:05

    Bluebeards is a good start for blades. They're good quality and will give you a good introduction into the world of manual shaving without breaking the bank. Once you get better at it and learn how to master the razor, I would try the Muhle or the Merkur blades. They're a bit more aggressive.

    Can't look past the Muhle Aloe Vera shaving cream. It doesn't irritate and lathers very easily. Even if you completely stuff it up or add to much water, it is easy to salvage.

    • 

      crowsnest bomber on 15/07/2016 - 04:39

      thx for the reply. will any razor handle do?

      • 

        AssociatedShaveRave @ Shave Rave on 15/07/2016 - 12:43

        Any razor handle will work fine. They're all compatible with every blade etc. however, if you've got a light growth, maybe go for something like the R89 from MUHLE. The barber pole also has a good reputation amongst beginners. You can't go too wrong. Just avoid the Merkur slant which will not be easy to master without some experience.

    • 

      Tater on 15/07/2016 - 10:36

      +1

      That Muhle shave cream lathers sooo nicely - I may just grab a tube for when I run out of my Proraso soap :)

  • 

    [Deactivated] on 15/07/2016 - 14:05

    +2

    Shaver Heaven are an Aussie made and world class shave soap that I recommend from personal experience with probably 30+ different brands.
    Shave Rave dont stock them, well as yet, yet hopefully that is being worked upon.

    As for a coarse beard, the R41 is very efficent/aggressive, the 37C slant is a step down and my favourite modren razor.

    As for blades, Astra greens are a good all round blade to begin with :)

    As usual, I recommend an Aussie shave forum called paste and cut for more info.
    You don't have to join to get value from it either, I haven't!

  • 

    crc32 on 15/07/2016 - 15:34

    If you want to try DE shaving I'd head to Mensbiz or somewhere similar that does a sample pack of blades. If the sample pack has Merkur blades in it throw them away - they are terrible. As @086 suggested have a look at the Paste and Cut forums for lots of good advice. They're a friendly bunch too.

    edit: I totally agree about Shaver Heaven soaps - they're great.

    • 

      AssociatedShaveRave @ Shave Rave on 15/07/2016 - 16:22

      The mensbiz pack does have Merkur in them. There's not much point buying a blade kit when you're going to throw out the most expensive blades.

      Merkur blades are pretty popular and I've tried them myself. Found them to be very sharp and cut nicely. Similar to the MUHLE.

      • 

        crc32 on 15/07/2016 - 19:04

        I'm not a fan but to each their own. I'd still recommend a sample pack rather than a particular blade.

    • 

      OzBragain on 15/07/2016 - 20:17

      If the sample pack has Merkur blades in it throw them away - they are terrible.

      Don't listen to anyone who tells you a particular blade is the best…or another is terrible. Each are different and shave differently depending on your skin, beard and handle.

      Check out the forums and try a few different blades. Start a pack and finish it before moving to the next one, sometimes you need a slightly different technique to get the best out of your combo and you won't always get it on the first blade.

      FWIW I find Merkur blades give a great shave but are a bit pricey to use regularly.

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  oflig on 15/07/2016 - 07:02

  +1

  No 34c?

  • 

    AssociatedShaveRave @ Shave Rave on 15/07/2016 - 12:44

    It is on its way!theres a few more that will be coming in a month or two. I also want the full colour range for the Futur range.

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  justtoreply on 15/07/2016 - 08:50

  Whats the difference between the models?

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    Tater on 15/07/2016 - 10:46

    +1

    There's really only two things that change - the length and weighting of the handle and the gap between the blade edge and the bar that glides across your skin. Larger gap there means more aggressive shave. The slant razor is for experts with steel wool beards :)

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  AssociatedShaveRave @ Shave Rave on 15/07/2016 - 12:34

  Thanks for that. Summed it up perfectly. Subtle differences that make all the difference

  • 

    justtoreply on 15/07/2016 - 19:21

    So which one for someone used to razoring their whole head with a mach 3?

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      AssociatedShaveRave @ Shave Rave on 15/07/2016 - 21:14

      +1

      Using a Mach 3 for your entire head isn't a bad idea. There's little chance of cutting yourself with them.

      It's definitely possible with a safety razor but it might take some getting used to with the parts you can't see. I would recommend something with a closed comb like R89. Even a barbell pole would be a good one to start with as they give such control which will be important for the parts you can't see.

      • 

        justtoreply on 17/07/2016 - 16:41

        Thanks for the advice

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  Appleboat on 15/07/2016 - 23:05

  Thanks I might give this a go. I've also got an old soligen cut throat that I bought in the 90's and never used. Some guy tried to tell me it was worth holding onto as they won't sell these in future. Is this true?

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    AssociatedShaveRave @ Shave Rave on 16/07/2016 - 00:48

    They are a depreciating asset. However, good examples do hold their value. Manual shaving peaks and troughs like anything… Though there is always enough baseline interest that mainstream companies like MUHLE and Merkur don't run into trouble. I don't see them finishing up in the near future. One day maybe, but I wouldn't expect it to be worth a fortune.

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  mauitime on 16/07/2016 - 08:27

  Hi there, just curious - in your description you state the difference between genuine and fake being "Chinese Pot metal vs High grade stainless steel" - however the actual descriptions of some of the razors themselves on your website seem to be chrome handle and brass core, and some don't state the material used.

  • 

    AssociatedShaveRave @ Shave Rave on 16/07/2016 - 09:13

    Hi, good question.

    A lot of the razors are different materials from steel, chrome and aluminium. Problem you get with Chinese pot metal (Chinese Pot metal is a very General term and there is varying levels of quality within the group) is that it isn't the smoothest metal. It gives very rough casting and is often bumpy and inconsistent. That will have an ongoing performance issue.

    What will become a very quick issue is the coating. Many things that are "chrome" have a thin layer of chrome plating. In the cases of $4 - 20 Chinese razor, this coating is extremely thin. It will peel off, look terrible and again cause even further surface inconsistencies that will continue to have a worsening effect on the performance. They really are cheap and nasty stuff. If you're going to get into wet shaving, a decent razor is a must. Just for reliability and performance sake. It's a one off investment too… After the initial cost outlay, it's just cream and blades. So it pays to have something quality.

    I forgot to mention that pot metal has no weight… This gives them terrible balance even though Merkur ones use aluminium and chrome (both pretty light), they drill down the centre of the handle and fill it with brass to give it perfect balance.

    To Compare, it's like the handling of a trolley compared to the handling of a lotus.