Taming aggressive razors

[R181]

Just because I shave quickly doesn't means it's "slap dash". Pretty much every shave is BBS. I just don't spend very long over it.

Yup, bad choice of phrasing there on my part. Make that fast shaves then.

Bob

 

[wintoid]

I think slap dash do soap samples, don't they?

 

[mar]

I've found that different razors will have a different balance of angle etc. So mastering one razor might not mean you've mastered the feel for another (which is why one person might enjoy a Merkur 34G and another might prefer a Fatip Piccolo - two different aggressions).
What I have personally found, however, is that a milder razor allows you to take more passes if you so please. A more aggressive razor doesn't give me that 'luxury' but tends to remove more hair in fewer passes. Ergo, this morning shaving with a CJB shavette, one pass, couple of very minor touch-ups and done.
Note also it's more worthwhile honing your lather building abilities for more aggressive razors.

But won’t I be able to do multiple passes with an aggressive razor too by having a light touch simulating a mild razor If I want?

 

[Grarea]

I struggle with anything other than aggressive razors.
I feel like I am too lazy to be bothered with the intricacies of mild razors.
Just crack on with it. I get more issues with mild as I have to go over the same place more often.
I tend to shave every three days though.
I also wonder if it is something to do with the angle that the stubble comes out of my face. (I have been meaning to start a thread on that)
I also find I prefer injector blades as they tend to 'twang' less. (Might be my laziness though)
I keep wanting to pull the blade further out. Every tie I try that, it seems to work better.
I tried Feather DX and that was better.
Am wanting to get to straights, but I need to find more time as I seem to struggle with the stropping.

 

[Grarea]

Also, I agree, a decent soap made loads of difference for me with more aggressive razors.
Plus dialing the soap in.
Makes things much more forgiving.
I use the same soap for weeks/months at a time.
It all depends on your skin/stubble/sensitivity etc etc

 

[mar]

Anyone can shave with any razor if they take the time to learn it, if the blade touches your skin it will remove stubble.

After that it comes down to personal preference. I prefer mild razors, I generally shave daily and with something like a Gillette Tech I can shave my face and head in around ten minutes or so and have no irritation at all. I can achieve the same result with a more aggressive razor but I have to be a lot more careful so it takes more time and I don't get a closer shave. I've also reached the point where, whilst I enjoy shaving, I don't want to spend all day at it. TBH if I wanted to master shaving I'd be looking at learning to use a straight, I just want to make a mundane task enjoyable and for me that means that most of the time I want it to be relaxing. The perfect recipe for me then is a sharp blade in the mildest razor that will give me the results I want.

I was thinking about a straight too but I fear that without knowing to maintain the edge I will have problems. And I am not sure how without knowing how a properly honed edge is supposed to feel I can learn to do it correctly

 

[mar]

I had a problem initially with an aggressive razor. It is the Timeless Bronze OC. Even the SB is aggressive with its .38 blade gap. I think aggressiveness has to do more with blade exposure, than gap. That is just my opinion however. I am sure there are people that would disagree.
I found what worksin that razor is keeping the handle near parallel to my face and using a mild blade such as Astra SP. I just do one stroke even against the grain and the shave rivals my straight razor shaves and the stubble doesn’t appear until 24 hours later. No irritation, but you do feel the burn a bit from the AS...

And you don’t feel similar burn from AS when using your straight?

 

[Grarea]

Also, make sure you look at buying used.
You can always sell at a similar coast having tried them out.
There are'straights' with a replaceable blade.
I found these excellent to give me an idea of whether I fancied a straight.
You can play with it without worrying about getting the edge right.

 

[les24preludes]

A good friend of mine uses straights and also GEM razors like the Ever Ready 1912. Strangely enough he finds the Micromatic Clog-Pruf too aggressive! It's my personal favourite, and I've never used straights.

 

[Benz3ne]

But won’t I be able to do multiple passes with an aggressive razor too by having a light touch simulating a mild razor If I want?

I never said you couldn’t. Simulating a mild razor with an aggressive one isn’t that simple a task, and many often do multiple passes with aggressive razors anyway, but I’ve found it absolutely reduces the number of passes required (for me) to achieve the same results.
You should really have a light touch regardless of razor anyway.

 

[Benz3ne]

I was thinking about a straight too but I fear that without knowing to maintain the edge I will have problems. And I am not sure how without knowing how a properly honed edge is supposed to feel I can learn to do it correctly

The CJB Shavette is about the best budget option in the replaceable blade category for trying straights. Used mine yesterday and it was great.

 

[SammieM]

I don’t since I started using natural stones to hone them. The night before I Used a Japanese straight called FeON. No burn. Tonight I used another one that was a 1/4 hollow, and there was a good bit of burning, but I chalk it up to bad lather. Someone sent me a sample of soap called Antiga Barbearia de Bairro and I couldn’t get the right consistency.

And you don’t feel similar burn from AS when using your straight?

 

[Chris]

But won’t I be able to do multiple passes with an aggressive razor too by having a light touch simulating a mild razor If I want?

Order an R41 and give it a shot.

 

[Zwilling]

A good friend of mine uses straights and also GEM razors like the Ever Ready 1912. Strangely enough he finds the Micromatic Clog-Pruf too aggressive! It's my personal favourite, and I've never used straights.

The thing with disposable blades versus straights is that straights use much better steel, a thicker and more stable base of the blade and a hand sharpened and highly polished edge (to make up for its lack of industrially micro-level sharpness). While the disposable is sharper, it has the potential to cause more irritation. It's one of those counterintuitive things. I do also think that most straight shavers become hardened to a bit of razor burn, to an extent.

 

[les24preludes]

Simulating a mild razor with an aggressive one isn’t that simple a task, and many often do multiple passes with aggressive razors anyway, but I’ve found it absolutely reduces the number of passes required (for me) to achieve the same results.

Yes indeed. I only use one full pass and then it's just touch-ups in multiple different directions on each cheek and side of neck. Plus shaving upwards and down again over the chin a few times.

The touch-ups are what gives you a smooth skin - they're very focussed and the direction of cut is critical. The first pass is more general. I don't see the point of more than one full pass.