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Advice: Long Handled DE Razor?

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Micheal writes:


I bought a Weishi Nickel Safety Razor from Truefitt and Hill and love it! Good shave, no irritation – very happy!  The only issue that I have is that the handle is sooooo short. I have very large hands and it is very difficult for me to use this everyday.  It doesn’t look like Weishi offers a longer handled razor. I would like to stick to something as similar as possible as far as aggressiveness goes, and definitely want a non-adjustable TTO razor. I live in a small town without anyway to check these out first hand, and am scared to randomly drop large amounts of money without any experience or recommendations! Do you have any suggestions?

Unfortunately there are only a few long handle DE razors of decent quality. Merkur makes a long-handle (23C) and there’s the Parker 99, but I’m afraid that’s about it (that I know of). Both the Merkur and the Parker a slightly more aggressive than the Weishi.  Does anyone have any other suggestions for a good quality long-handle?

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25 thoughts on “Advice: Long Handled DE Razor?”

  1. I also wanted to mention the Edwin Jagger Chatsworth, available with various (long) handles. A very nice razor. I also have a Mühle with a long (porcelain) handle.

  2. I have a Parker 96R which has a 10cm handle. The hatch-pattern grip on the handle I find very good, although since buying it I've learned that the black finish is only painted on. Still, a couple of weeks in and it's been a nice razor to use, with a good weight in the hand.

  3. I'm going to second the fellow who suggested the Feather Popular razor. $18, good weight, and a sturdy build despite being part plastic. It shaves very mild, so you won't have a big problem with irritation.

    It's my everyday razor.

  4. I'm surprised no one has mentioned the Edwin Jagger Chatsworth.. there I've done it.

    Not cheap but a fantastic razor.

  5. If the original poster liked the Weishi, may I recommend the Feather double edge razor. It's got a long handle and is only $18 with a pack of blades and a travel case. IMHO, it shaves 5 times better than the Weishi.

  6. David –

    Your question is an interesting one. This is my first razor and I certainly do have problems with ingrown hairs, especially on the neck. Like I said, I'm still learning, it's been roughly a year or so and I haven't settled on a speific blade yet (I bought a variety pack).

  7. I like my Lord 1822 and Black Beauty. Both have longer handles. If money is not a problem get the Black Beauty.

  8. I have a reply in the form of follow up questions. Are long handles a more recent development in razor history? When cartridge razors came along, did they have short handles at first? Now they all seem to be at least five inches. Are manufacturers making long handled de razors because that is what cartridge handle razors have conditioned us to expect? I mention this because I think that a short handle may actually reinforce proper technique for wet shaving (short strokes, no pressure). A longer handle may encourage some deviations from good form which could result in facial carnage. I have very large hands (xl-xxl) and find my (small seeming) Merkur Progress is excellent if I'm not in a hurry, especially now that I got a new knob from Bob's Razorworks.

  9. My razor is the Merkur. Seems to be just fine, although I've started to wonder if the long handle works against me getting a close shave. Don't have a clue about the aggressiveness, since this is my first safety-razor.

  10. The vintage Schick Krona has a longer handle. And I liked the design. The head is a little flatter so it is more maneuverable than some of the Gillette TTO razors. The handle is black plastic, but it has some kind of knurling pattern to make it easier to hold onto.

    If you're patient/persistent, you can find them reasonably priced.

    I've had good luck purchasing vintage razors on Ebay. Just watch the seller ratings … anything below 99% is probably "buyer beware" territory …

    http://shop.ebay.com/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p5197.m570.l1313&_nkw=schick+krona&_sacat=See-All-Categories

  11. I second the Long Handle Gillette Slim (aka "Black Beauty") razor. Inexpensive, can be adjusted in aggressiveness, and very long handle. The 38c by Merkur is the longhandled version of the HD/34c. A bit more expensive, but under $50 and a good option as well.

  12. Cooncatbob aka Bob from Bob's Razor Works can make a long handle to fit the customer's specs.
    He can make them fit Merkur or Gillette heads and he sells the heads as well.

    He is reasonable and I highly recommend them.
    I own several of them in different materials, weights and sizes.

    Bit2

    https://sites.google.com/site/bobsrazorworks/

  13. My first razor was the long handled Merkur 23c. Since then I collected a Weishi, Parker 22R, some SEs and an injector. The Merkur 23c is still my favorite, so that one gets my vote!

  14. I'm a noob who's been using the Lord LP1822L for over 3 weeks. LONG aluminum handle – Merkur-like, but very forgiving 2-piece head – humble fit and finish – low price ($12) – a great performer! Look for ntguy at a forum if you want one.

    – Vic

  15. eBay. The Gillette Super Adjustable (aka Black Beauty) came in a long handle version from about 1970 until past 1985. There was also a short handle version made for a couple years from 1969 until the early 1970s. As long as the handle is 4 inches long you've got the right one. There was a gold plated version made for one year. The 1970s version has an all metal head, the 1980s version had the lower part of the head made of plastic. Do an eBay search for things like Gillette Super Adjustable, Gillette Black Beauty, Gillette Long Handle. Expect to pay anywhere from the $teens to the $thirties.

  16. I just bought the Merkur 23C and have been very pleased with it. The longer handle is nice, and though it is a bit more aggressive than some of the shorter ones, I have not had a problem adjusting. And it is not a very expensive razor either.

  17. I bought a 38C which has a longer handle than the traditional 34C, and is quite comfortable in my hands. Can't compare aggressiveness as I've never used the Weishi before

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