Best Shaving gear According to r/wicked_edge

"Just wait until you find out you can tell your direction by the sound of the Rocca."

"I have been trying one out for a few weeks, coming from a mild, forgiving razor, a Merkur 34c. The Rocca definitely shaves close, noticeably closer on the first pass than the 34c, and I’ve found a blade I like with it, but I’m learning that I don’t really like the blade feel I get with it, which I assume is from the positive blade exposure. I have the jet black version, and it is definitely well made. I’m thinking of parting with it."

"Hello. You could try the middle ground, and buy a Muhle Rocca, which is between the R89 and R41. I have all 3, and prefer the Rocca, it was my daily shaver, until I switched to the Karve CB with C solid bar plate."

"Noble Otter “Barrbarr” is quite popular and gives off that particular vibe well."

"Fav barbershop soap scents are Stirling Barbershop and A&E Daniele Maullu Legacy. The performance on the A&E is 10x better than Stirling though. Fav barbershop aftershave by far is Pinaud Clubman (original). That is the epitome of barbershop scent. Read reviews or buy samples first. A lot of artisans will slap the term “barbershop” on soaps that I don’t think smell anything like what a barbershop scent is. Probably because they know it sells. But an example would be Noble Otter Barrbarr which smells like lemon cookies. Also B&M Seville which smells like lemon furniture polish in my opinion."

"BarrBarr = N.O.'s take on a traditional Barbershop scent. Not as sweet as some Barbershop scents, in a good way. One of my all time favorites Rawr = Sweet Dandelions. Sounds weird, but you've got to try it for yourself. It's wonderful and fun, highly recommended."

"Grab a Gillette 195 Fatboy adjustable. I would even grab one of the Super Speeds either the Flair Tip or the 1940's -1950's Super Speed or possibly the Red Tip. Definitely grab the Gillette New Long Comb."

"The trouble with trying to start with a vintage razor is that you don’t know what you’re getting until you got it. You could end up with something that has been dropped, is bent, is worn beyond proper usefulness, etc. I’m not opposed to vintage Gillette razors. I have a SuperSpeed that is used occasionally just to use it, but it doesn’t come close to the shave I can get with my Muhle R89, and it’s miles from how well my Merkur 37c performs. I keep it because it was made in Q3 of 1953. That’s when I was born as well. I had a Slim Adjustable as well and sold it because it just didn’t do anything special for me. Butterfly razors have moving parts mechanisms that can get sticky or stuck. Multiply that if your vintage razor is adjustable. You have plenty of time to kneel at the altar of vintage razors, but don’t start doing that until you are well experienced with DE shaving and don’t mind investing time and money in buying (and cleaning and restoring) old razors. The last thing you want is to have your first experience with DE shaving be screwed up because you bought a vintage razor that was not in perfect condition. My point is that when you are just starting out, you want a razor that you know is in perfect condition. You can’t know that buying a vintage razor unless it’s from one of the rehab specialists, and then it’s going to cost you much more than a 34c or an R89, both of which are excellent razors."

"Grab a Gillette 195 Fatboy adjustable. I would even grab one of the Super Speeds either the Flair Tip or the 1940's -1950's Super Speed or possibly the Red Tip. Definitely grab the Gillette New Long Comb."

"I have a fat boy and a slim, and the slim is hard to beat. It would definitely be my “stranded on a desert island” razor."

"These prices in this condition are pretty high compared to ebay. I'd make sure to haggle on this. That fatboy for $55 is insane. $35 for the red tip is right at market, offer $30 unless you have a few that you are picking up. What's the price on the slim? I'd offer 100 for the fatboy, slim, and red tip, and ask to have them throw in either the gold fat handle tech or the super speed flare tip next to it. If they were polished and adjusted these prices might be more in line. I have a huge collection of these vintage Gillettes and buy quite a few in found condition from various local and online sources."

"1953 date code on the blade that's wicked, I have some from 56 and also 61 but haven't tried them heheh. All the bits and pieces with the Fatboy are excellent 👌"

"- Razor: Karve CB (Plate A) - Blade: Gillette Platinum - Brush: Mühle Rocca Fiber - Soap: GFS Abysso - Aftershave: Thayer’s WH, Davidoff Cool Water A smooth and easy shave today. The Karve CB with the A plate gave me a mild comfortable shave, which is exactly why I reach for it when I want to be extra gentle on my skin. The negative blade exposure makes it super forgiving, and paired with the Gillette Platinum, it still delivered a nice close result. GFS soaps always lather up beautifully, and the Abysso scent perfectly mirrors Cool Water for a seamless transition to the fragrance. Finished off with unscented Thayer’s for a little soothing, then a few sprays of the real Davidoff Cool Water to keep the aquatic freshness going. Perfect harmony from start to finish."

"That’s a tough one. I’m a big fan of the Rocca and recommend it often, but I’ve always said the Karve stands in a league of its own with its craftsmanship and customizability. In the end, it really depends on what you’re looking for. I still can’t pick a clear favorite."

"Thanks! Highly recommend. The Christopher Bradley (brass) was my only razor for 6 years. I just recently sold it and acquired a used one in SS. Needless to say, I HIGHLY recommend Karve razors. Fit and finish is next to none and Chris makes some damn smooth razors."

"What a massive win. I won’t say Seaforth is head and shoulders better than other artisan shave soaps, but man is it unique. It stands out from the crowd. "

"I see a lot of Seaforth on this sub and I'm very intrigued by it, but I couldn't find a EU seller that has it. I hope it'll finds it way over here."

"That's a lovely shave and wonderful play on words!👍🏻 Seaforth is just one of the best and seeing your post sent me to the Spearhead Shaving website and the realization that this set would fit perfectly in my life...like my life needs more soaps/splashes.😂 Always great to hear that you've settled in on a daily driver. Best shaves to you!"

"Not the Feather blades. Too sharp and thin for your description. I'd vote for the Personna Platinum (not necessarily other Personna blades, of which there are very many)."

"Not necessarily. Personna platinum is awful for me while Gillette Platinum is amazing. All depends on your skin."

"If you liked the Personna Platinums you should give the Comfort Coats a try. One of my favorites."

"The Clubman is literally poetry in a bottle. There are more expensive Bay Rums out there (and I have tried em all and love most all of them), but Clubman is something very, very special. Don't hesitate, get you some of that and put it in a glass bottle. Give it a few days, months, and years and it'll smell better each and every time. The Lustray is generally more of that company's (and it's the same company that makes them both) bulk barber shop offering. It's more synthetic and a touch more watered down. It's like...err...sugar for food service. Like Sysco or Gordon Food Services. It's sugar and it's meant for public consumption. It's just not the nice thing you want for home use."

"It's now clear to me that Clubman products are shamelessly made on the cheap. But man I love the smell of their original aftershave!"

"I have many but you really can''t beat Pinaud Clubman and Floid for a classic after shave that is legendary."

"I love the slant bars! I have a Parker as well, though I settled on the Merkur 37 C as my daily driver. That model combines the slant bar with a short handle. Anyway, enjoy that Parker, sir!"

"* Razor: Merkur 37c * Blade: Gillette Nacet (2 of 8 Total Passes/4 Total Shaves) * Brush: Shavemac 173 2-Band Badger * Lather/Aftershave: House of Mammoth Dammusi An easy going two pass shave. The 37c matched with the Nacet blade is a top shelf combination. The HoM Tusk base always excels and the unique scent of Dammusi was enjoyed, scent description below. Dammusi - A beautifully unique fragrance featuring blood orange from Italy, Sicilian lemon, aleppo pine, herbs, white lily, transparent watery notes, and the cool earthy stone of the dammusi, ancient houses on the island of Pantelleria, located between Sicily and Tunisia."

"Gets my vote. The Merkur 37c is also worth a look. Both great razors with the piccolo being the more aggressive of the two."

"I just went through this and ended up getting a RazoRock Gamechanger. It's CNCed Stainless Steel and you can choose from a ton of different plates, 0.68, 0.76, 0.84 and 1.05 safety bar, open comb or open comb "jaws". It's a really good razor and great bang for your buck being entirely CNCed stainless. I currently have a 0.84 safety bar plate but it's too aggressive for me so I'm getting a 0.68 soon. They also pop up used quite a bit for around $45/$50. Alternatively you go for a vintage Gillette Tech for around $15, they are a really good value for a good shave but aren't a "modern" razor like the Henson or RazoRock."

"I seriously considered the Gamechanger, but the fact that I have to load the blade onto the plate or align it on the top cap made me rule it out. I’ve already cut myself two or three times with razors that use this system, and I’m pretty sure the Gamechanger has excellent head geometry—maybe even better than the Lupo—but since I can be a bit clumsy, I don’t think I’d do very well with it."

"The Rocca is a superb razor, based on having handled a couple of them in the past. That's all I can really say, though, because I've never had an opportunity to actually shave with one. I do have, and routinely shave with, a Rockwell 6s, a Tatara Masamune, and a razor Rock Game Changer. Of those three razors, it's the GC that knocks off my proverbial socks. In my experience, *everything* about the GC belies the fact it's a $55 razor. It's so good I find myself thinking about selling off the other two. I can't say the GC is "The Razor" for you, but it's certainly worth consideration."

"It takes a special kind of honesty to put the customer’s best interest above your own product. Much respect my friend. I just ordered my third Blackland razor (Blackbird Ti) because I genuinely admire the brand and the integrity behind it."

"I had a Blackbird Ti and liked it a lot but found I ended up with a lot of irritation from it. I do miss the design/aesthetics -- it really does have an amazing design. While I need more time with the .95 my initial experience is the efficiency is on par with the Blackbird, but the .95 is much smoother."

"Nice 👍Sunday Fougere shave. Good news I have a Blackland Blackbird SS with the standard plate coming. I saved, and didn’t want to miss the sale. So I will be hovering over my post box 😁"

"I have a fat boy and a slim, and the slim is hard to beat. It would definitely be my “stranded on a desert island” razor."

"I know what you mean. Some people are definitely on the make. I’ve seen listings for razors I’ve bought asking for 3x what I paid for mine. I’ve seen the most inflated so far today, though I suspect there have been even more outrageous examples. Try a Slim for the equivalent of $551 not including postage. It’s just a regular 1963 I4 Slim. I paid the equivalent of $40 for mine 14 months ago in similar condition and that included postage!"

"That looks like a regular slim rather than an aristocrat adjustable. Still a great buy for the price though."

"I have been considering a Blackbird or a Vector for the Black Friday sale--I like the thin head for the Vector but having to rely on AC blades is a bit of a drag! The Blackbird looks great"

"I use the titanium as a daily driver mostly because I have it and I find the lighter weight is ever so slightly better when it comes to using really aggressive blades like a feather super and avoiding irritation. However, with good technique that isn’t really an issue anyway and the difference really comes down to personal preference. I don’t really have a con list. I loved the vector from the first shave because the compact head design really allows a close shave even in tight spaces like right under the nose and over my ears (I shave my head also). With the blade exposure you can also really take down some think stubble in a hurry. Put a feather pro guard on there and you have the safest of safety razors that will still give a very smooth, irritation free shave with a single atg pass. It’s a razor that I’ve used almost every other day since I got it with some Brickell shave cream because I can get a great shave in a hurry with no irritation."

"The vector is the only razor I have in both stainless and titanium because I loved it so much."

"* Razor: Merkur Progress (4/4) * Blade: Gillette Nacet (2 of 10 Total Passes/5 Total Shaves, Final Use) * Brush: Semogue SOC Mistura * Lather: Hendrix Classics and Co Empire State of Mind (Leftover Sample in Lather Bowl) * Aftershave: Aqua Velva Musk Yesterday, u/Jill_Lett_Slim shaved with his Progress on Setting 4 for all three passes and commented that he had an incredible shave. I usually top out on Setting 3.5, but decided to give it a go. With about 24 hours growth, I got the same incredible result over two passes (WTG/ATG). It kind of makes me wonder if my Progress is a better shaver than my 37c?🤔"

"I never heard that Merkur razors are known for their strict manufacturing tolerances. As an adjustable, Merkur Progress isn't an expensive razor. Nowadays "made in Germany" doesn't mean much: you can find many made in Germany cheap products. It really depends on the Country you are comparing to Germany. If you compare a random African car with a random German car I understand your bias but I think that this rule of thumb does not apply to mass produced DE razors. I haven't a Merkur Progress but I read a lot about it. I always considered it a reliable not expensive adjustable razor not too aggressive on higher settings, mild on lowest setting and not CNC machined. When I was looking for my 1st DE razor, an adjustable, I opted for a Pearl Flexi open comb. When you set it to the lowest setting it goes beyond the 1.0 mark but it's not a real problem. The blade alignment is almost perfect but I still check and correct it a little when clamping the blade, just as a Quality Check (I do it with all my razors, even with GameChanger. Both GameChanger and KCG have a very good blade alignment but after a little correction, if needed, the alignment I get with the Flexi is almost perfect). I do the same with gap, checking if it's even along the entire edge and on both the edges (the reason behind possible uneven gaps along the edge with the Flexi is the spring base. They weren't flattened so you can encounter some need for small corrections when you clamp the blade. Nothing serious)."

"It’s a combination of skill, technique, razor, and blade, and it takes quite a while to get those four things in sync with each other. It’s like mastering a sport - it takes practice, practice, and more practice. But I am sitting here as I write, running my hand over my face six hours after shaving with my Merkur Progress, and I promise you my face remains much smoother now than it ever was even one hour after shaving with a cartridge razor."

"Great looking additions to your setup.👍🏻 I hope you do post your thoughts on that lovely Timeless razor."

"Nice shave. Sadly I missed out on Seaforth! Spiced. I bet it’s good. It sounds like you really like the Timeless I was considering ordering one in the future with the .68 and open comb. Have you tried other plates with it? What does this razor compare to?"

"A silly amount of money yes but it is very nice the titanium razor is about €240 by itself the quality is similar to Blackland imo on my cheapy aluminium it is."

"Most people use the same base plate on the rockwell once they found the one that works best. I also only use one setting, too much of a hassle to change mid shave. The last razor I got was an Edwin Jagger 3one6 which is stainless steel and the knurled grip is excellent. It's a smooth and efficient shaver for my coarse hair. I'd also try to cut down to two passes, with and against the grain. that'll impact your skin a lot less and you can still get a smooth shave out of it. There is really no need to do three."

"I think of it how rough it feels to the skin when shaving. Aggression is different from efficient! I find my edwin jagger 3one6 a very efficient razor, but it’s hardly aggressive. I’d put that a bit above the DE89 in terms of aggressiveness. I once used an original (first version) rockwell 6S, and that was aggressive even at plate one!"

"Also check out the Edwin Jagger 3one6. Having about 15 safety razors (including rockwell, parker varient, paa doc and some yaqi razors) that one is the one I grab most now due to it’s consistency and smoothness of shaving. The knurled handle also gives a very precise grip."

"Thumbs up for both Aqua Velva and Proraso shaving soaps. Both reasonably priced and widely available."

"For my new job I have to be clean shaven. I've never really learned how to Shave before since I've always kept a short beard with an electric trimmer. When I started I was using Barbasol, Aqua Velva and a wide 3 blade cartridge Razor. It would give me so many cuts and cause so much irritation by the time I put on my aftershave my face would be on fire. It got to the point where I'd prolong shaving as much as I could. That was about when I found this sub and a Youtuber named Geofatboy. After learning from this sub and those YouTube videos, I slowly began to aquire everything in the picture. My first ever shave with a DE Razor was the closest Shave I've ever had. Zero Alum feedback and baby smooth on my cheeks and chin. I never thought this was possible. The entire experience was so enjoyable. My face had never felt or looked better. I actually look forward to shaving now. I appreciate the wealth of information this sub has to offer. I'm looking forward to growing my soap collection with time. I hope you are all having a good day."

"Got myself Aqua Velva as my dad used to use after shaving. Proraso is also a great soap for shaving. Beautiful Henson razor. "

"It is a bit easier getting a lather with a paste, and two I like are inexpensive: Palmolive and Proraso. You put a tiny bit in a shave bowl and start swirling your brush."

"It's a highly overrated soap. But just like the similarly overrated Hensons this sub goes gaga over Proraso and thus I await my inevitable downvotes from the teeming masses."

"I have lots of choice but I choose this combination regularly. I think it’s with very good reason the Proraso is famous."

"Gillette silver blues, Gillette plats from Russia , nacets from Russia. , wizamets"

"Nicks actually went way down after I stopped using the Gillette blades that came with the King C. Although it could just be me getting better. I do plan on trying some other blades though."

"They are great. Similar to Platinums but a little less sharp. They were discontinued about 10 years ago, so this is probably something from the old stock. It was my first DE blade that I ever used haha."

". Fatip OC grande . Stirling Synthetic . Nivea Cream . Aqua Velva Ice Sport Revisiting the Fatip OC after having many inconsistent shaves a while back. The main problem was irritation when going ATG on the middle of my neck and under my chin. What resolved this was refraining from skin stretching so much, since I usually have my chin pointed up to the ceiling. It no longer feels like this thing is digging into my neck, and it’s also been shaving a lot closer in that region. I initially wrote this razor off as being too aggressive, now I can see it becoming my daily driver. Goes to show that there’s value in retrying gear that doesn’t work out right away"

"My Fatip consistently gives me shaves that rival razors 8-10x more expensive. Truly a phenomenal shaver. Great setup! ✅"

"This all goes really well together, the orange and the wood. I quite fancy a Fatip myself, a gold grande I think it was that i saw, gorgeous and not too expensive but your one is also very much a looker👌"

"Very nice, I used Cella today too. I just can’t get enough of that sweet Italian marzipan goodness."

"Thanks for the replies. I will try some of these other approaches with lathering Cella. My sense is that Cella is just a bit more finicky and that’s fine. Still I may just move on. I’m trying to get good shave in before work so I don’t have a lot time to experiment. Want something to just work. A disappointing shave is no way to start the day."

"Cella, while not quite unscented, it's very mildly scented and quite budget especially if you buy the big 1kg bricks of it. Haslinger can also be cheap depending on where you live, and the little pucks fit in a mug.  "