Razors and Balance: The Key to a Great Shave?

[NDM63]

Anyone suffering from RAD knows that shaving geeks like us have no balance when it comes to acquiring razors! But what about the razors themselves?

ZigZiglar,in a response to one of my earlier posts, mentioned that he customizes each razor head he owns, with a "customized" handle, where it creates a balance point about two thirds up from the base of the handle.

Intrigued, I took out all my razors and found the balance point. I realized that in getting a good shave I invariably have at least once finger on the balance point. and this varies with every razor I use. I am keeping the razor balanced at the fulcrum as I shave. This gives precision, control and a smooth stroke.

I made sure that before I shaved with my RazoRock Wunderbar slant today, I found the precise balance point and rechecked on each pass, or grip change. Very important for the XTG and ATG passes, I found, because when one is making a sideways, or upward motion balance is especially important. I got a BBS shave, no nicks, cuts, weepers, and very little feedback from the alum block. Very comfortable.

I think this is the reason why people who come from the cartridge razor world, where hardly anything in the way of balance is needed, sometimes struggle initially with DE shaving. They have no sense, initially of the balance point, and so their stroke is all over the place, alternatively cutting, nicking, or irritating themselves as they shave. It can look messy!

They think the answer is a mild razor, or that they have especially sensitive skin, yet as many of us more experienced shavers know, it's almost invariably poor technique. (We all have a learning curve.) Hence the quest for the "one true razor", like a quest for the holy grail.
Some razors are better than others, (some are nasty, brutish and miserable pieces of engineering) but if we've been shaving a while we can all get a pretty decent shave from almost any half way decent razor, though some razors and blades definitely suit us better than others. For example the Wunderbar is a wonderfully precise instrument that holds the blade perfectly in a torqued alignment, producing that stiffness of blade that renders a close shave with almost any blade, as long as the blade is not worn out.

A good razor seems to be a well balanced one, yet I found one (perhaps) exception! My vintage Gillette New Type open comb (circa 1930) is a very smooth shaver yet definitely weighted heavily towards the head. The balance point is very close to the head.
I value others experience here.

Balance is not the only thing but it seems very important.
Just one thing: Please don't send any old waffle about the "weight of the razor doing the work". Drivel. If that were true upward and sideways passes would be inefficient (because now that weight would be working against us) and we could never get BBS shaves (and most experienced DE shavers do) from light Bakelite razors, and of course from straight edge, cutthroat razors.
I believe lightweight razors improve technique, because their very lightness makes one more acutely aware of balance.
What's your experience?

 

[TobyC]

I think this is the reason why people who come from the cartridge razor world, where hardly anything in the way of balance is needed, sometimes struggle initially with DE shaving. They have no sense, initially of the balance point, and so their stroke is all over the place, alternatively cutting, nicking, or irritating themselves as they shave. It can look messy!

They also make the mistake of wanting a longer handle, because that is what they are used to, and it puts the weight at the wrong end of the razor.

 

[NDM63]

They also make the mistake of wanting a longer handle, because that is what they are used to, and it puts the weight at the wrong end of the razor.

Yes, it's a completely different tool. The cartridge razor actually inhibits good technique.

 

[mgf17]

I think that "let the weight of the razor do the work" is a way of teaching new converts from cartridges about "no pressure" rather than any comment on the weight or balance of a razor.

From my POV it's the equivalent of "shave with a DE like you'd write with a fountain pen, shave with a cart/disposable like you'd write with a ballpoint."

 

[NDM63]

I think that "let the weight of the razor do the work" is a way of teaching new converts from cartridges about "no pressure" rather than any comment on the weight or balance of a razor.

From my POV it's the equivalent of "shave with a DE like you'd write with a fountain pen, shave with a cart/disposable like you'd write with a ballpoint."

Sorry Old Bean, I have to challenge this. It's poor instruction that conveys the idea of limply falling weight. Totally wrong. What about this as an alternative instruction to a newbie? First find the point of balance of the razor. Hold it there, between index finger and thumb. Start at the side burn area, on your cheek. On the downward stroke (as a first step) find the cutting angle by lifting the handle from parallel to your face to about thirty degrees, then feel as if you're gently painting the hair off your face, carefully fine tuning the cutting angle as you go.

 

[mgf17]

What about this as an alternative instruction to a newbie?

Honestly that seems overcomplicated to me, and some razors (thinking of the PAA Bakelite slant and the Fatip Retro here) do better with a steep angle, almost as if you were shaving with a cartridge razor. The PAA slant is downright uncomfortable when held at a "standard" DE angle, but is smooth as silk when held at a steep angle. I just checked and I hold that one well below the balance point, but that may be a side effect of the steep-angle thing.

I can get behind the "painting the hair off your face" bit though; that seems to convey "no pressure" fairly well.

 

[ZigZiglar]

I think that "let the weight of the razor do the work" is a way of teaching new converts from cartridges about "no pressure" rather than any comment on the weight or balance of a razor.

From my POV it's the equivalent of "shave with a DE like you'd write with a fountain pen, shave with a cart/disposable like you'd write with a ballpoint."

I actually agree with this, however I also agree that the super light weight razors (bakelite and aluminum for example) definitely require a light, precise touch and that overall, balance is important. I definitely prefer shorter handles but sometimes a long handle is required to get a proper balance, otherwise the head is too heavy or your handle has too much girth (heavy zamak head for example). I think what a lot of this comes down to, at least for me, is that my technique requires a light grip on the razor. It's what allows me to apply no pressure whatsoever. If a razor has a heavy head and a light handle, then I have to hold it more tightly and my technique suffers. If the handle is too big or too heavy, the same thing happens (I have to grip it tightly). A well balanced razor makes DE shaving easier and more pleasurable.

 

[NDM63]

Honestly that seems overcomplicated to me, and some razors (thinking of the PAA Bakelite slant and the Fatip Retro here) do better with a steep angle, almost as if you were shaving with a cartridge razor. The PAA slant is downright uncomfortable when held at a "standard" DE angle, but is smooth as silk when held at a steep angle. I just checked and I hold that one well below the balance point, but that may be a side effect of the steep-angle thing.

I can get behind the "painting the hair off your face" bit though; that seems to convey "no pressure" fairly well.

Well it's a start. I'm sure it can be improved upon. Certainly not perfect. But let's forget about all that old hogwash about letting the "weight of the razor do the work", eh? How on earth can it do that as you're moving it up or across your face, unless we can show someone how to defy gravity? Finding the optimal angle (that you're describing) is all about feel and balance, I think that's what we are all trying to convey, right? How best to do that for the newbie is the question.

 

[TobyC]

YOU do the work, NOT the weight of the razor. You apply enough pressure to keep the razor firmly in contact with your face. At times that means working against the weight of the razor. I actually use a fair amount of pressure regardless of the razor or it's weight, enough to let the guard stretch the skin ahead if the blade. Even using a Fatip with a Feather I lean on it.

 

[ZigZiglar]

YOU do the work, NOT the weight of the razor. You apply enough pressure to keep the razor firmly in contact with your face. At times that means working against the weight of the razor. I actually use a fair amount of pressure regardless of the razor or it's weight, enough to let the guard stretch the skin ahead if the blade. Even using a Fatip with a Feather I lean on it.

Toby, I actually agree with this, but I also feel that a well balanced instrument makes that part of the job easier. Does that make sense?

 

[TobyC]

Toby, I actually agree with this, but I also feel that a well balanced instrument makes that part of the job easier. Does that make sense?

Yes, I prefer handles that are 2 3/4 to 3 inches long, and a head heavy razor that balances an inch or less from the head.

The center of mass should be close to where you grip the razor.

 

[ZigZiglar]

Yes, I prefer handles that are 2 3/4 to 3 inches long, and a head heavy razor that balances an inch or less from the head.

The center of mass should be close to where you grip the razor.

Bingo! So based on that and what @NDM63 said, I wonder where that sweet spot is for everyone and how much it varies by instrument. NDM63 and I approach the technique from opposite directions. He adapts to each razor while I try to adapt the razor to me. Interesting.

 

[BigJ]

Good point!

 

[D1dad]

Nothing wrong with a longer handle on a safety razor at all. I've used my wife's long handled purple razor and it shaves just as well as any other razor I've used. Man I think some of this stuff gets way over thought.

 

[Bookworm]

I will say that my Weishi 9306CEL is a long handle, but as the handle is aluminum, it's not heavy. So it shaves like my much shorter '86 SuperSpeed (black handle).

 

[D1dad]

i have an mr9 handle and no issues with balance and that's about as heavy a handle as you can get. In fact it's one of my best shavers.

 

[ZigZiglar]

i have an mr9 handle and no issues with balance and that's about as heavy a handle as you can get. In fact it's one of my best shavers.

I have a RazoRock Bazooka (quite a beast) and I enjoy it a great deal once in a while. When I have a few days stubble, it mows it down with ease (talk about letting the weight do the work) but as a head shaver, it's not practical for daily use for me.

 

[Quijote]

Thank you for this thread. I had been shaving by gripping the bottom of the razor because that is what I had always heard, but today I tried the balance point of the razor and it seemed to give me much more control. The shave was easier than it had been.

 

[D1dad]

I have a RazoRock Bazooka (quite a beast) and I enjoy it a great deal once in a while. When I have a few days stubble, it mows it down with ease (talk about letting the weight do the work) but as a head shaver, it's not practical for daily use for me.

I agree. I use the aluminum/grey finish Maggard razor when I'm on the road and considering I just need to shave, speed is of the utmost importance and I can fly with that sucker. Short handle, light weight it's just fool proof. When I go the weekend without shaving than Monday morning I reach for the long handled beast and take it all off and a half layer of hide.

 

[D1dad]

Thank you for this thread. I had been shaving by gripping the bottom of the razor because that is what I had always heard, but today I tried the balance point of the razor and it seemed to give me much more control. The shave was easier than it had been.

That's good to hear. Longer handle means nothing as far as I'm concerned except maybe more weight. I coach baseball and like I tell players facing a 90mph pitch "choke up"