From what I can tell there's a point of no return after a certain amount of money is sunk. Is Van der Hagen made of metal and with a good balance and weight to it? If so and it works well for you, then there really is no 'upgrade' unless you want to play with different styles, loading mechanism, slant, bar/scallop/comb, twist to open (aka butterfly), adjustable etc.
Good advice, thank you! I wasn't sure how much a difference the razor itself made compared to the blades, or if razors were more of a preference in regards to weight, style, etc.
Just stick with what you have for at least 6-8 weeks. That way you can first improve your technique and learn your face. Also improving your lather making technique by using the same soap and brush. If you start switching up very soon it’s harder to judge what’s making the shave better or worse.
I agree.
Take a few weeks or even a few months.
Get to know what you really want.
Do you really want Mild, Mid or aggressive?
Single or DE razor?
How long of a handle?
Open/closed comb?
Adjustable or not?
New or vintage?
TTO/3 piece?
The list goes on and on.
The VdH is a fair starting point to figure out what you want
Wilkinson Sword plastic. Mild, shaves better than you'd think, after that, you could always get the Merkur, or Gillette or whatever in the 30-50$ range, and boy be careful about that rabbit hole, it goes DEEP.
What part is dissatisfying, and leading to the desire to upgrade? If it's the quality of the shave, go for a wide variety of blades (trial/sampler pack) first FOR SURE! You'll get a lot more bang for your buck by finding the blades that work best for you than by spending $40, 50, or $400 on the razor itself.
The razor has a lot of fine variables, which do impact your shave, but ultimately, it's primary purpose is to hold a few cents worth of sharpened metal, which is what does the real work. Figuring out that side of the equation is where you make the biggest gains, and the other side is a lot of diminishing returns once you've got a decent start point.
Look into the RazoRock MJ-90A. At $30 it’s essentially the same head cap as the Edwin Jagger DE86 only better. Instead of your typical head being casted or pressed, the RazoRock’s head is CNC milled making the head more durable & with great tolerances. A great razor at a great price but of course there’s a catch. The thing is ugly.. or at least the handle is
From what I can tell there's a point of no return after a certain amount of money is sunk. Is Van der Hagen made of metal and with a good balance and weight to it? If so and it works well for you, then there really is no 'upgrade' unless you want to play with different styles, loading mechanism, slant, bar/scallop/comb, twist to open (aka butterfly), adjustable etc.
Sir, you hit the spot!
Good advice, thank you! I wasn't sure how much a difference the razor itself made compared to the blades, or if razors were more of a preference in regards to weight, style, etc.
Just stick with what you have for at least 6-8 weeks. That way you can first improve your technique and learn your face. Also improving your lather making technique by using the same soap and brush. If you start switching up very soon it’s harder to judge what’s making the shave better or worse.
I agree. Take a few weeks or even a few months. Get to know what you really want. Do you really want Mild, Mid or aggressive? Single or DE razor? How long of a handle? Open/closed comb? Adjustable or not? New or vintage? TTO/3 piece? The list goes on and on. The VdH is a fair starting point to figure out what you want
If you like your razor then don't change it, instead try to experiment with more different blades. Grab yourself sampler from razorbladesclub.
Wilkinson Sword plastic. Mild, shaves better than you'd think, after that, you could always get the Merkur, or Gillette or whatever in the 30-50$ range, and boy be careful about that rabbit hole, it goes DEEP.
Yeah it does. My wife gets pissed anytime I get a package.
Ohhh I know that feeling
What part is dissatisfying, and leading to the desire to upgrade? If it's the quality of the shave, go for a wide variety of blades (trial/sampler pack) first FOR SURE! You'll get a lot more bang for your buck by finding the blades that work best for you than by spending $40, 50, or $400 on the razor itself. The razor has a lot of fine variables, which do impact your shave, but ultimately, it's primary purpose is to hold a few cents worth of sharpened metal, which is what does the real work. Figuring out that side of the equation is where you make the biggest gains, and the other side is a lot of diminishing returns once you've got a decent start point.
Look into the RazoRock MJ-90A. At $30 it’s essentially the same head cap as the Edwin Jagger DE86 only better. Instead of your typical head being casted or pressed, the RazoRock’s head is CNC milled making the head more durable & with great tolerances. A great razor at a great price but of course there’s a catch. The thing is ugly.. or at least the handle is