And those blades are basically pennies each. Meanwhile the cost for 10 cartridge head replacements can be the same as a whole safety razor kit.

Amazing investment.

They last forever too. I hadn't really even thought about it in literally years, but my little pile of blades is probably older than that.

For learning, a word of caution to others: your facial hair and skin sensitivity is going to impact this. If you've always been shaving with a mechanical or just throw the Gillette around without caring much and expect a safety razor to act the same way, you might be in for a nasty surprise.

Learning isn't hard for this, though. Just pay attention to a YouTube video or 2 and you should be good to go.

If it must be European branded, then you can get a Merkur or Muhle. Otherwise, the Parker 91R is considered the entry-level 3 piece razor by many. The Merkur 23c or the Muhle Neo are good EU-made razors for beginners. If you are reluctant to spend quite so much to see if you like double-edge razors, then look for Lord L6 or L7 razors. They are known to be quite mild and inexpensive. I believe they are made in Egypt. But the materials aren't quite up to Merkur or Muhle standards. After that, it's a matter of buying a few sample packs of blades to see which is best for your face and razor.

Get a nice gel based shaving cream, and you might be done with ever buying razors again. But it is likely you will get lather curious and want to try a brush and soap at some point.

And if you need more help and are still confused, I recommend this website. You don't need to sign up if you don't want, but they are friendly, knowledgeable, and eager to help newcomers figure shaving out.

I'm in Australia and quite like Henson shaving

I'm happy with my Phillips Series 3000. It's a tank and easy to clean. While my first and last wiggle-head broke the head off after a year. Braun if you want a vertical one, using it (a trimmer) for my beard.

I 3d printed my safety razor handle: https://www.printables.com/model/591133-tride-safety-razor

Pros: it works fine.

Cons: I have reprinted it about 3 times over the past two years because the top piece is thin and delicate. PETG seems to work better than PLA.

For blades: I've found that any name brand works OK, and the generic unbranded blades are garbage (painful tearing/snagging instead of cutting hair). I wish there was a way I could tell just by looking at the blades but I suspect its microscopic details on the edge. The sound and feel are very different though.

Safety razors are amazing for under arms, nether regions, and arms/legs. Highly recommend regardless of your sex.