Hi wet shave dudes,

I’ve been shaving my head with a DE razor for a few years now. I’ve had a few cheap £20 razors, but they don’t seem to last me very long.

On one the butterfly mecanism broke. My next was a 3 piece, which I dropped and the chrome chipped off. They were both Parker razors.

After some research, seems the way to go for durability is steel, but steel razors (e.g. rockwell 6s) tend to be above £100.

I’m not sure I’d be OK dropping that kind of money, so I wanted to ask: is there a good durable DE around £50?

Some razors are marketed as “tripple chromed”. Are they any better?

Cheers

  • Jake Farm@sopuli.xyz
    4·
    9 months ago

    I have a hard time believing steel razor handles are more expensive. It is more that luxury brands have luxury prices.

  • walden@sub.wetshaving.socialM
    4·
    9 months ago

    I really like the Fatip Gentile. It’s on the medium side of mild, so I assume it might be good for head shaving? I still get very close shaves from it despite not having a lot of blade feel. Nice efficiency.

    As @djundjila@sub.wetshaving.social mentioned, Fatip razors are made from brass, so even if the chrome chips off (I do suggest chrome as it’s more durable than nickle or gold) it won’t be bothered by water.

    The only downside to Fatip is the blade might need to be manually aligned before you tighten everything down. It doesn’t bother me at all, but might bother you.

    Another option is a RazoRock Game Changer, which actually seems to be in stock right now. Hmmm, I might actually grab one.

    • vext01@lemmy.sdf.orgOP
      2·
      9 months ago

      I’m starting to think that a brass chromed razor is the way to go. Edwin Jagger DE89 is cheap and replacement heads can be bought cheaply in the UK too.

      Maybe later in life, a stainless razor.

      • HomeAwayFromHone@sub.wetshaving.social
        3·
        9 months ago

        You might also consider vintage razors, a lot of them are brass and they’ve stood the test of time to get this far.

        Alternatively, if what you really want is machined stainless you can probably get it for that price from dscosmetic or yaqi on AliExpress. They have many models so it’d be worth searching out some reviews.

  • PorkButtsNTaters666@sub.wetshaving.social
    4·
    9 months ago

    First: the damage of your razor is probably for the moment only cosmetic, but it will start to corode more easily. But you can wait before you buy something else.

    Most razors in this price range will be mostly zamac alloy, which you won’t hand down to your great grand-children, but will last for years, if properly taken care of.

    Some razors are marketed as “tripple chromed”. Are they any better?

    I’m not aware of any difference in chroming; I would take this as marketing speech (It’s toasted!). Which are these?

    For good DE razors in the 50£ range, check:

    • Edwin Jagger
    • Mühle
    • Merkur

    All of these also have stainless steel razors.

    Anyway: if you have a tendency to drop things, more expensive stainless steel or brass razors will also tend to be heavier. They won’t break, but they can deform on impact. And they can chip your sink.

  • Pulptastic
    4·
    9 months ago

    You can get used Gillette DE for cheap. It may take a bit of labor to get it cleaned up.

  • Extras@lemmy.today
    4·
    9 months ago

    I can swear the RazoRock Game Changer .76-P is like 55usd on Italian barber think that’s around 50£ idk the exact exchange rate. But guess something that comes in anodized aluminum might be another alternative like a lupo or something similar. Think there was also a de89 clone that was made with sturdier materials but for the life of me can’t recall the name

      • Extras@lemmy.today
        2·
        9 months ago

        Oof amazon has the worst prices tbh but dang i assumed Italian barber shipped to the UK. Look around and see if maggard ships there and there’s also razoremporium which states they accept international customers. If not you might just have to go on eBay and see what you can get. Amazon is just a wasteland of zamak razors unless you want to go for the Wilkinson sword which is plastic and should survive a fall

  • djundjila@sub.wetshaving.socialM
    3·
    9 months ago

    If you want a razor that can survive a drop, then you’ll want to stay away from from the previous two recommendations. They are also chrome plated zamac and won’t fare better than what you’ve tried.

    You’re right that stainless steel razors tend to lean expensive. The closest to your budget I can think of is the mühle Rocca , which is a great value IMO, but still pricey.

    Brass is another great choice that’s much more durable than chrome plated zamac. You can get brass razors with it without chrome plating and it’s mainly a question of esthetics: chrome plating is shiny (but can chip), unplated brass develops a patina if it isn’t polished which some people like, others don’t.

    In brass, you can choose between myriad vintage Gillette Tech razors on eBay (cheap, great razors that will outlive you) or modern brass razors like Fatip which will likewise outlive you and cost you under 20£.

    I personally enjoy the Lo Storto Fatip a lot.

    Some razors are marketed as “tripple chromed”. Are they any better?

    No. The only thing that matters is under the chrome plating. Even if you never drop your razor, at some point you’ll wear through the playing at the threads of the screw post, and the underlying metal will be exposed. If it’s brass, nothing happens. If it’s zamac (potmetal), it’ll corrode and break quickly.

    • vext01@lemmy.sdf.orgOP
      4·
      9 months ago

      Thank you for the detailed response.

      I don’t care much about tarnishing, so maybe brass is the way to go!

      • djundjila@sub.wetshaving.socialM
        1·
        9 months ago

        Oh yeah, Fatip has chrome or gold plating, I think. But the advantage is that if you drop it and the plating chips, the underlying brass won’t be bothered by it. For unplated brass, you can look at vintage Gillette razors, for instance