Fatboy 58' set at a 8.
What razor gives you the closest shave?
- Thread starter Steve_in_CT
- Start date
Of the DE razors, my Gillette New Improved from the 1920's, my large Barbasol from the early 1930's, my Gillette Super Speed from the late 1940's, my Gillette Fat Boy/Slim from the 1950s/1960's, the Merkur Slant, and the Merkur red "bakelite" model #45 would all be contenders. And if you're interested in SE razors the Schick Injector Type E and Type G would also make the list. But there are many other razors that might be mentioned. No one razor performs the same for everyone else. Blade variables also are a factor to be reckoned with. The question really is too broad to be meaningful to everyone. It is still true: YMMV.
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My long handled Merkur Progress is the easiest razor to get the closest and most comfortable shave. However, I think my Fatboy is more fun to use.
With sufficient time and technique, a BBS shave is possible with many razors. Here is my list
1) Diplomat - Effortless BBS
2) Red Tip, Krona - Near Effortless BBS
3) Aristocrat - BBS with slow shave and some buffing
4) Gillette Black Tip, Merkur 33c, Merkur 1904 - BBS with minimal caution
5) OC New Long Comb, Slim on 5, Fat Boy on 5 - BBS with caution
6) OC New Short Comb - DFS with caution
7) Fat boy or slim on 4 or less - Not quite DFS with minimal caution
8) Fay Boy or Slim on 6 or more - SAS with significant caution
That pretty much covers the ones I use on anything approaching a regular basis.
1) Diplomat - Effortless BBS
2) Red Tip, Krona - Near Effortless BBS
3) Aristocrat - BBS with slow shave and some buffing
4) Gillette Black Tip, Merkur 33c, Merkur 1904 - BBS with minimal caution
5) OC New Long Comb, Slim on 5, Fat Boy on 5 - BBS with caution
6) OC New Short Comb - DFS with caution
7) Fat boy or slim on 4 or less - Not quite DFS with minimal caution
8) Fay Boy or Slim on 6 or more - SAS with significant caution
That pretty much covers the ones I use on anything approaching a regular basis.
I've got a Lord L6 and a Slim Adjustable. I go back and forth, but I ought to stick with the L6. The Slim takes the beard down quicker but seems to be picky about shave angle. At the proper angle, very quick beard reduction. Off at all, it's irritation and missed whiskers.
Today I went back to the L6 after a few weeks off, and BBS with two passes and a bit of buffing on the neck.
But we'll see, I've got a Cadet on the way. Hoping for even smoother shaves.
Today I went back to the L6 after a few weeks off, and BBS with two passes and a bit of buffing on the neck.
But we'll see, I've got a Cadet on the way. Hoping for even smoother shaves.
I can get a reasonably close shave with any razor, but some take less time than others. The quickest, closest shave I can get is from my 2011 R41. On a 3 pass shave, there's never a need to touch up any areas - the razor just obliterates everything it touches on each pass.
For me, my Muhle R41 2013. Merkur Slant 39c is a close 2nd.
This is my experience too. I have been shaving exclusively with my Tradere OC for the last 5 weeks & I thought I had found my shaving Nirvana, with very close, pain free shaves, every day. My shaves are still very close & comfortable, but in the last week or so, quite a lot of stubble has returned by 5 o'clock in the evening. I have noticed the same thing happening in the past using different cartridges & electric shavers, with my stubble evolving to thwart my best shaving efforts!
I will swap back to my Rocket HD today, which has previously given me my closest ever shave & see if the stubble grows back as quickly.
I have one of those dark, dense, beards that it actually surprises me when I see someone with a thicker beard. I find the 2013 R41 (never tried the '11) a great shaver when loaded with the right blade. I find the blade/razor combo huge. I get good shaves with most blades I put in the razor, but its the after effect like ingrown hairs and razor burn that makes the difference. For me, Feather and Gillette 7Oclock Black do the trick.
Joris head on a UFO Godzilla handle loaded with a Perma-Sharp.
For DE, the Fatip head is a two pass deal with great results...For SE, the 1912 and the Junior are again a two pass smooth shave.....for some reason there are equally smooth results initially, but the SE smoothness lasts appreciably longer.
My Gillette Goodwill #160
Hi,
I find that the Old Type open comb is best, so much so I call it the 'bush hog'. It has so much blade exposure that I dare only use it after I have skipped one day. If I use it every day, then it is pretty irritating and prone to the generation of weepers. There are threads around chatting about angles and exposure on these old razors, and even how the new blades differ from the old ones and make it even more so.
That said, I used a Red Tip Super Speed for a long time for the first pass every day. It cuts close enough that there is not much left for my Early Tech (with the triangular holes) to finish up.
I have recently picked up a New Long Comb that I am using for the first pass and it is doing a better job than the Red Tip did, leaving even less for the Tech to clean up. I do still need the Tech, though, as I do have to feel what is left over after the first pass, then re-lather and go back over a few spots, like the jawline.
Now, I play with farming, and mowing is a big never-ending job on the farm. Just like shaving, actually. So I have several mowers to hang on back of the tractor. It all depends on the job to be done as to which I need to use. So, I have named my razors after mowers.
Old Type OC - Bushhog
Red Tip - Flail
New Long OC - Sicklebar
Tech - Finishing
This all revolves around my whiskers being more akin to wire grass than hair, so I refer to the act of shaving as 'mowing my face'. Silly, I know! But, fun for me, anyway!
I can't talk about the adjustables, but from what I read around here there are all sorts of comparisons for settings to fixed razors, and most folks use the adjustments for differing passes the same way I use my 'mowers'.
Stan
I find that the Old Type open comb is best, so much so I call it the 'bush hog'. It has so much blade exposure that I dare only use it after I have skipped one day. If I use it every day, then it is pretty irritating and prone to the generation of weepers. There are threads around chatting about angles and exposure on these old razors, and even how the new blades differ from the old ones and make it even more so.
That said, I used a Red Tip Super Speed for a long time for the first pass every day. It cuts close enough that there is not much left for my Early Tech (with the triangular holes) to finish up.
I have recently picked up a New Long Comb that I am using for the first pass and it is doing a better job than the Red Tip did, leaving even less for the Tech to clean up. I do still need the Tech, though, as I do have to feel what is left over after the first pass, then re-lather and go back over a few spots, like the jawline.
Now, I play with farming, and mowing is a big never-ending job on the farm. Just like shaving, actually. So I have several mowers to hang on back of the tractor. It all depends on the job to be done as to which I need to use. So, I have named my razors after mowers.
Old Type OC - Bushhog
Red Tip - Flail
New Long OC - Sicklebar
Tech - Finishing
This all revolves around my whiskers being more akin to wire grass than hair, so I refer to the act of shaving as 'mowing my face'. Silly, I know! But, fun for me, anyway!
I can't talk about the adjustables, but from what I read around here there are all sorts of comparisons for settings to fixed razors, and most folks use the adjustments for differing passes the same way I use my 'mowers'.
Stan
I'm still a relative noob (Feb 2013), but I have shaved almost every day since then.
So far, the razors that I have had the closest shaves from have been the following:
1) Merkur 38 HD Barber Pole
2) Gillette Red Tip
3) Gillette Super Adjustable
These are in no particular order. I cant seem to get a BBS out of the blue tip yet. I realize it is more mild, but I'm sure my technique has a lot to do with it.
I am anxious to try an open comb razor but I haven't yet been able to scoop one up on BST.
So far, the razors that I have had the closest shaves from have been the following:
1) Merkur 38 HD Barber Pole
2) Gillette Red Tip
3) Gillette Super Adjustable
These are in no particular order. I cant seem to get a BBS out of the blue tip yet. I realize it is more mild, but I'm sure my technique has a lot to do with it.
I am anxious to try an open comb razor but I haven't yet been able to scoop one up on BST.
There are two razors that seem to give me closer than average shaves, the first is the Merkur Progress... I have mine set at the un-scary 1.5 setting, but when held at the correct angle it gives me a closer shave than any other razor (I'll discuss the one exception to that later). The next is a Gillette NEW, this razor head is less challenging to make use of than the Progress (IMO) and gives a shave that is closer than other razors, all that without any real potential to bite back like the Progress can if wielded with abandon (or a "normal" blade angle). The last closer than average shave is a synergistic thing... using a black handle flare, or a blue tip flare with either a Personna Super Platinum Chrome or Personna 74* blade yields a magical result for me,I can shave closer, yet with less abrasion using this razor/blade combo than I can with any other hardware setup that I have used so far, it's the only setup that I routinely aim for BBS with.
Of course, YMMV applies... otherwise we'd all be using the same razor, blade, brush and soap.
Of course, YMMV applies... otherwise we'd all be using the same razor, blade, brush and soap.
I can get close shaves with many razors. But the R41 (2013) and 39C give me my longest-lasting close shaves. So much so that I sometimes have very little to shave 24 hours later.
Krona is excellent ... and you can tweak it to function as an adjustable by not tightening it down all the way ... but be careful and have a styptic pencil nearby.
Gillette Slim
Gillette long comb NEW ball end handle with Astra SPs. For some reason it shaves me closer with the SPs than with Feathers.
R41 for me. Nothing I currently own even comes close.
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