Edwin JaggerDE86 Classic Double Edge Manual Eco-Friendly and Reusable Safety Razor for Men and Women for Shaving cream or Soap Fits All DE Razor Blades (Imitation Ebony)

Just received this product, and just had my first ever shave with a safety razor. I'm amazed how good it was. I'd been using Gillette GII's for years, and apart from the cost had been completely satisfied with them. They are getting impossible to find (I live in Finland) and the notion struck me to try a safety razor just like my grandfather had - I already had the Edwin Jagger matching brush.Out of the box: a nice looking, nice feeling product - it's got some real weight and feels like quality. But those things are just cosmetic. I bought the Astra blades because they had slightly better reviews than the Derbys which were supplied. Some people have complained about "blobs of glue" on those; it's wax, not glue, and it comes off in hot water (with maybe a bit of a wipe). So, no problem there.Now the fun part. Putting the blade in is a piece of cake. Shave time. I've always used a brush and shaving cream. I use them for quite a while because I only shave every three or four days; did the same today. Because of the different feel, size, et cetera to my old razor, I really expected drag and nicks - I figured I would get better at using it over time. No need. Straight off the bat that was the smoothest shave I can remember having in my life. Not only that, all the whiskers rinsed out immediately (stark contrast to the old GII's). Hence the subject of this review; "Astounded". If you know how to shave, you can't go wrong with this kit.Down-side: I still have about 30 euros worth of GII blades which I don't think I'll ever use!

I’ve got the Edwin Jagger DE86 version with the black handle. The design and quality are very good. It is much better than I was expecting to be. It came together with a box of 5 Derby Extra blades. This was not in the description, so it was a nice bonus. I’ve used the DE86 together with Astra blades. I am a novice for double edge razor shaving so I was expecting to get some nicks while shaving this way. I was nicely surprise as actually shaving with the DE86 was very easy and smooth and I did not get any nicks at all. I had more difficulties with using the soap and brush rather than with the safety razor itself.When I was choosing the DE86 I was also considering the Merkur 34C. I am glad that I’ve chosen the Edwin Jagger DE86. The price was nearly 50% less than 34C and the quality is more than I need as a beginner. I am not an expert, but the cutting is done by the razor blade not by the safety razor itself. The handle of the DE86 is longer than 34C. In my view any shorter handle can make the shaving a bit awkward. However, this can be a personal preference and a matter of using different techniques.I am very happy from the ED86. It is easy to use, looks good in the bathroom and can be an excellent useful gadget for a gentlemen. I recommend this item if you considering one to get.The long term cost of using a safety razor may be very reasonable compared with either an electric shaver or cartridge razor blades. One note though - more water is needed for shaving with the double razor blades. Water is not cheap these days and can add to the overall cost.

As with many others here I'm a recent convert from the disposable blade systems available from Gillette etc...... My first shaving lesson as a teenager was with my fathers guidance using his old school Gillette double edge razor so it seems strange that at the age of 49 I have gone back to this method of shaving but thought I would give it a try and started off with the cheaper Gillette safety razor which for around £6 is not a bad buy to get you started, not sure if it was the razor or the Gillette blades but found I frequently nicked certain areas usually just under my nose or beneath my bottom lip....When this Edwin Jagger razor arrived earlier today I was impressed with the posh looking box and finding the razor well wrapped up inside in tissue paper instilled a feeling that this was a quality product, the razor has a nice finish and feels a nice weight in the hand. I found blade changing more fiddly than the cheaper Gillette safety razor that I'd previously used and the blades seem to protrude outside of the head sides which I don't really like and had the head been a couple of millimetres wider would have covered this and looked much nicer, the other criticism for me is the handle length, if it was another inch longer then it would be prefect as I can see this is going to annoy me over time but hopefully I will learn to live with it.For my first shave I did the usual hot flannel over my face, followed by a good lathering of soap which I'm now starting to get the knack of creating a good lather, upon putting the razor to my face I was impressed with how smooth the razor was against my skin, no drag whatsoever and it felt almost impossible to nick yourself despite being a little less cautious than with my previous razor, to nick yourself with this setup I would imagine one would need to be quite clumsy or careless as it feels a safe razor to use.The supplied Derby blades are good to try, have no idea how they compare to the Gillette blades I had been using up until now, but I intend experimenting till I find a favourite... I have some Feather blades which I thought I would try on the next blade change as I understand this are the sharpest you can buy, and I was always taught that only a dull blade is a dangerous blade so hoping this is indeed true.Would I recommend this razor? Definitely, but if I could improve it in anyway it would have a longer handle and a slightly wider head so the blade sides are not exposed, it may be that I will upgrade to another razor with the longer handle but I wouldn't hesitate to ensure it's an Edwin Jagger as it's great quality without breaking the bank and its nice to support a British company these days.