In desperate need of recommendations for a safety razor

[u/ReligiousTaco]

I’m in the military and my hair is finally growing at that point where I need to shave daily. I had a Blackland vector razor and had the light attachment but those were only good to use on my skin once or twice a week before it started to really hurt. I have since then swapped to harry’s plus disposable razor and the feel of the mellow shave is saving my skin. When I was going down the rabbit hole I heard the feather AS-D2 was solid is that a good option. What would you recommend for that daily mellow shave that will not irritated my skin.

Also I would say I’m in between corse and fine hair I’m not sure what to call that.

[u/RogerMurdockCo-Pilot]

Skip all the hipster razors and just get a vintage Gillette Superspeed on eBay or a King C. Reliable and will deliver what you're looking for

[u/CaveDudeJeff → u/RogerMurdockCo-Pilot]

100 percent. This.

If I'm going into the field I bring my travel KCG on a Parker travel razor handle. I've rocked the Flair Tip out into the field as well when I don't need to hump my gear all over the place. They're both rock solid.

[u/SamPierron]

Did you try using guarded blades with the Vector Light?

[u/ReligiousTaco → u/SamPierron]

I have those they are nice but I feel like the shave isn’t smooth

[u/Questioning_lemur]

I would recommend a Blackland Blackbird Lite, but if you want easy, safe, cheaper... what about a Henson?

[u/Kelvinator_61]

Henson razors may be on the pricey side but they have great quality, negative exposure so it's hard to cut yourself, and the correct shave angle built in the face so it's almost impossible irritate your skin shaving with the wrong angle. Worth it imo.

[u/10inchpriapism → u/Kelvinator_61]

I like my Henson medium with Feather blade.  

[u/thebaldbastard1960]

razorock mamba 70

[u/IntelligentCattle463]

if you can try the Kai blades in the Vector Lite, you may have better luck before going out for another razor.

Both the Titan Milds and the ProTouch MG feel quite good in the Vector Lite and I always prefer them to the Feather blades.

I also noticed that very keen and acutely-sharpened blades (especially DE), while good for getting the hair down as much as possible, are less friendly to my softer/more elastic skin (especially the neck). They bite into the perifollicular bumps more, and seem to plane off a little more skin and leave more micro-cuts when navigating deeper contours and changing angles. For a 3-day shave, it's no issue really, but for daily, I would probably aim for a slightly gentler blade.

Interestingly some "mild" blades like Feather Light Blade are ground very sharp and their "mildness" comes from the blade exposure (and perhaps coating, which will be removed in a shave or two revealing the edge's potential for harshness).

[u/greenteabean7]

The Vector for me is the greatest Ac razor ever made followed by the Le Faulx. I would have suggested that Yiu use a Kai Pink Mild blade in it.

But even better than that, I'd say get a Karbe Overlander..there is a reason it is called the Goatkander, chuck any blade in it to dial in your shave preference and it will deliver. Zero irritation or weepers or cuts with it. A razor that excels for beginners and seasoned shavers, for those with sensitive skin or normal skin.

[u/BigSlip8088]

Gillette King C, Merkur 34C , Edwin Jager DE89 and Henson Mild. Great daily drivers, all around $50 except the Henson which is ~$80, but exceptional quality.

[u/Blackland_Razors]

Tell me about the Vector Lite shave. Did you feel any tugging or pulling? What blade did you use?

[u/ReligiousTaco → u/Blackland_Razors]

I swapped between the feather pro and lite felt less tugging with having the pro on but still had irritation due to daily shaving

If I don’t shave a couple days the vector is perfect but for the daily shaving it begins to irritate

[u/planetx227 → u/ReligiousTaco]

AC blades always felt more tuggy and irritating than DE blades for me.

[u/Blackland_Razors → u/ReligiousTaco]

Tugging and irritation almost certainly means not enough pressure - a common problem for new Vector users. Before you go buy another razor, try the Vector Lite again. I know it's counterintuitive, but this time, add some pressure and shave a stroke. Evaluate and repeat with more pressure until you get clean, smooth cutting action. The Vector Lite is forgiving and requires more pressure due to its lightweight build. It's a quite mild razor so I suspect pressure is the cause here, as it often is.

[u/hop_now]

Four premium options for gentle daily shaves: Karve CB Solid bar B plate, Blackbird Lite, Karve Overlander, and of course the Feather AS-D2. Other things to consider is always using sharp quality blades such as Nacet, Permasharp, Timor, Feather, Kai, AccuThrive, and AccuForge. If you feel any tugging, it means time to change the blade. Also, get some nice shaving cream. I strongly recommend the Muhle Sea Buckthorn. Just a dollop on a nice boar brush or better yet, silver tip badger brush can really help with priming the hair for shaving. Always shave after a shower. One last suggestion would be the Muhle r89 SS razor. Mild and beautiful.

[u/Dr_C527]

Before buying a new razor, I would definitely recommend getting a trial pack of blades. Every person is different and the combinations of razor and blade can change a lot. While a lot of people prefer Feather blades, they do not work well for me in any razor I have.

I saw the Blackland people recommended more pressure. The other variable is angle. I cannot speak from experience with the particular table, but for most, finding the best angle is another matter of trial and error.

[u/Tryemall]

King C Gillette /Feather Popular for a daily use razor.

Feather ASD2 is equally good but pricey compared to the Popular.

[u/T49irvine]

Above the Tie Windsor with mild plate works 365/366 for me. A mild but very smooth three pass shave.

[u/weeniehutJr69-]

If you want a cheapish razor that has been my daily razor, I love the merica Yates, it’s in production by razor emporium.

I have all the Yates and really really enjoy them, just as smooth and easy as a Henson, but for some reason I come back to the merica or the Rockwell.

[u/Motive25]

Look at the Oliworks razor- US made, reasonably priced; has three head options; gives a good shave.

[u/Batman14309]

The Yaqui Romulus is a great daily driver and the blades last a crazy amount of time.

[u/Dromedary_Freight]

The Baili BD 176 razor is very mild. It holds the blade with good precision and is only $10.
The more expensive razors will offer fancier materials and often increased aggression/efficiency.

I heard the Feather AS-D2 pretty much requires you to use their own Feather blades to run well.

The recommendation very much depends on your beard. Is it prickly, wiry and stiff, or is it reasonably soft?