The Edwin Jagger DE89 provides a pleasant shaving experience that is well-suited for men looking to switch over to a safety razor.
This extended review will take a detailed look at this safety razor, including the packaging, specs, and shaving experience.
Today’s aim is to provide you with our feedback and give you all the essential information to determine if the DE89 is the right safety razor for you.
Let’s begin:
Review Notes: We paid for the Edwin Jagger DE89 out-of-pocket. This is not a paid review. This post contains affiliate links. Tools of Men is independently owned and operated. Edwin Jagger is not aware of this post prior to publication.
Packaging
Compared to other safety razors, Edwin Jagger does a standout job with the packaging and presentation of the DE89 – making it an excellent gift for yourself or someone else.
The attention to detail can be found in subtle ways. First, under the lid, you see that the razor was inspected…
…while also being wrapped in tissue paper to prevent damage during shipment:
Additionally, we added a a paper insert to protect the blade mount and cap from damaging one another:
Here’s everything that is included with the DE89:
- An overview on how to shave and related products
- The DE89 safety razor
- A thank you card along with customer service information
- 5 Derby Extra razor blades
One notably absent feature on both the razor and the packaging is the country of origin. However, after verifying on the Edwin Jagger website and their UK storefront, the DE89 is made in Sheffield, England (source, source).
Specs
Here are some of the key details about the DE89 and how it compares to other popular razor systems:
Length
The Edwin Jagger DE89 is about 3.75″ (9.5cm) long, placing it directly between both the Merkur 34C and 38C in terms of length.
Related: Merkur 34C vs. 38C
Should you be coming from a cartridge razor system, as is often the case with safety razors, the DE89 stands approximately 1.75″ shorter when compared to the Gillette SkinGuard (reviewed here).
Weight
At 75g (2.65oz), the Edwin Jagger DE89 is a touch lighter than other popular razor systems. However, when compared to a cartridge razor, the DE89 is nearly double in weight which will take some getting used to if this is your first safety razor.
To summarize both the length and weight of all the razors here is a table for your review:
| Razor | Length | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Edwin Jagger DE89 | 3.75″ / 9.5cm | 2.65oz / 75g |
| Merkur 34C | 3.25″ / 8.3cm | 2.75oz / 78g |
| Merkur 38C | 4.00″ / 10.2cm | 3.92oz / 111g |
| Bevel Safety Razor | 4.25″ / 10.8cm | 3.10oz / 88g |
| OneBlade Core | 4.50″ / 11.4cm | 2.40oz / 68g |
| Gillette SkinGuard | 5.50″ / 14.0cm | 1.41oz / 40g |
Pieces
The Edwin Jagger DE89 is a three-piece safety razor:
This three-piece design allows you to easily clean each part individually when they begin to show signs of wear or grime buildup.
Comb
The Edwin Jagger DE89 has a closed-comb scalloped safety bar:
This design, along with the blade gap, allows for mild aggressiveness when shaving.
Grip
One of the advantages that the DE89 enjoys over other safety razors is the variety of grips available. Currently, Edwin Jagger offers the DE89 with unique handles such as a rubber coating, imitation ivory, knurled, and many more.
For this review, we decided to purchase the minimalist chrome-plated variety:
Unlike the Bevel Safety Razor we recently reviewed, the circumference of the handle on the DE89 allows you to have greater confidence and grip when holding and shaving.
No matter which handle style you decide on, know that the head of the DE89 remains the same, thus the shave experience will be identical.
Razor Head
Here’s how the head of the DE89 looks with a blade loaded:
And a top-down view:
Now one quick comparison we just wanted to make was the blade gap between the DE89 and the Merkur 34C (reviewed here), two safety razors that are often compared between one another. As you can see in the picture below, both appear to have a pretty similar blade gap:
Composition
The composition of the DE89 is a bit murky, to say the least. We couldn’t find anything on the Edwin Jagger website explicitly stating what the DE89 was made from, nor was information provided in our packaging. However, when reviewing various retailers and forums, we were left with the following assumptions:
The body is clearly chrome-plated. However, underneath the chrome, it may be composed of either brass or pot metal. The head is likely a die-casted zinc alloy.
Why is this important, and what does it mean?
Rather than relying on a stainless steel body, these alloys likely won’t last a lifetime. While you should expect to get plenty of years from this safety razor, do expect that it may need to be replaced at some point. Here’s an interesting thread to check out on Reddit regarding the durability of the DE89 that we came across in our research.
Compatible Razor Blades
Like most safety razors, the DE89 features a universal three-post fitting on the razor cap:
Therefore, you can easily test across many different razor blade brands and enjoy significant savings on razor blades.
Related: Best Safety Razor Blades
Shaving Experience
Now, onto the performance of the Edwin Jagger DE89. Before we shave, here are a few important facts that you should know:
- Beard Length: Trimmed down before shaving – length equal to about 3 days growth.
- Facial Hair Prep: Extended shower before shaving.
- Pre Shave Treatment: Proraso Pre-Shave Cream (reviewed here).
- Razor Blade: Derby Extra razor blade (included with the DE89).
- Shaving Cream: Proraso Shaving Cream (reviewed here).
- Shaving Brush: Maggard Razors synthetic shave brush (reviewed here).
Pre-Shave & Prep
Here’s how the beard length looked before shaving:
And with the pre-shave cream and shave cream applied:
Shaving Experience
For the shaving pics below, they are separated into two passes. I will share with you the details of the shave thereafter:
First Pass
Here’s how the first pass with the Edwin Jagger DE89 looked:
Second Pass
Here’s how the second pass with the Edwin Jagger DE89 looked:
Results
Finally, here are the finished results:
Shave Summary
When using the DE89, I found the shave to be quite enjoyable, even with rather thick stubble. This is a testament to both the razor’s aggressiveness along with the performance of the Derby Extra razor blades.
While additional passes could be made to make the skin silky smooth, notably across and against the grain, the results were satisfactory when just going with the grain.
Related: How to Shave With, Across, and Against the Grain
The size of the razor head is modest. The DE89 was able to navigate around the mustache area with no problem.
Two standout qualities about the DE89 and what makes it so special is the balance between the weight and the length.
- Length: Just a touch longer than the Merkur 34C, the DE89 was easy to control when shaving.
- Weight: There was just enough weight provided by the DE89 that allowed it to cut through a dense stubble without any issue.
Overall Rating
Here’s a summary of the shave experience
| Feature | Notes | Rating (Out of 10) |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | At 2.65oz (75g), the DE89 provides the required weight needed by safety razors to cut through facial hair with no additional pressure. | 10.0 |
| Handle | The DE89 comes in a variety of handle finishes. If you want faux ivory, knurled metal, or a rubberized grip, the choice is yours here. | 10.0 |
| Aggressiveness | No irritation and beginner-friendly, the DE89 provides a comfortable shaving experience. | 10.0 |
| Razor Blades | The Derby Extra blades provided with the DE89 are nice. However, performance will vary depending on your beard and skin type. | 9.0 |
| Skin Reaction | No irritation or redness was present when using the DE89. The mild aggressiveness is great for men susceptible to razor bumps or razor burn. | 10.0 |
| Value | Normally priced around $30, the DE89 is a nice entry-level safety razor. However, the metal beneath the chrome plating is a mystery – leading to some potential long-term durability issues. | 7.0 |
| Overall | From the initial packaging to the shaving experience, the DE89 is a terrific entry into the world of traditional wet shaving. Expect to get a nice, comfortable shave. | 9.3 |
Where Can I Buy the Edwin Jagger DE89?
The Edwin Jagger DE89 is widely available through many different retailers. Should you live in the UK, you can buy it directly from the Edwin Jagger site. However, if you are in the USA, then you can find the DE89 available at niche shave retailers (West Coast Shaving, Maggard’s, Fendrihan, etc.) and online marketplaces such as Amazon.
Final Thoughts
Whether you are experienced with safety razors or are trying it out for the very first time, then there is a lot to love about the DE89. This UK-made safety razor makes for a nice, mild shave that you will look forward to in the morning.