I prefer my pocket knife aggressive (Spyderco), but my razor less aggressive (Merkur 34G and Astra SP).
Which do you prefer, an aggressive or a mild razor?
- Thread starter shave/brush
- Start date
I have a wide selection of DE's, my all time favourite being a 1948 gold plated aristocrat, I shave mostly with a straight now, but when I do come back to a DE my experience is that aggressive razors work best with a smooth balde and mild razors work best with an aggressive blade.. so I suppose they hit middle ground one way or another.
My preference is mild/moderate razors with sharp blades!
- Thread starter
- #44
What makes a razor aggressive is the amount of blade exposure. How much of the blade that protrudes pass the guard or the combs of the base plate.
A razor can be considered mild but still be an efficient razor. I have no problem getting a close shave with a Merkur open comb razor which is a very mild razor.
Mild. For a while, I was a big fan of the Muhle R41 but lately Ive been dabbling with vintage Gillettes (Super Speed, Tech) that are considered to be pretty mild and Im getting great, close shaves from them with almost no irritation or weepers.
- Thread starter
- #46
If a razor gives me irritation every time I use it. Even when I try different things, I get rid of it. With all of the good razors to choose from why put up with irritation from any razor. It's just not worth it.
I am in the mild crowd, with a sharp blade. Mostly, though, I prefer my Slim set to 5. Maybe I am more of a moderate!
- Thread starter
- #48
There is a lot to be said for a mild razor with a very sharp blade. The first time I tried a Feather blade in my Murker 34c, I was just blown away. It was the best shave I ever had at that time. Still one of the best.
I'm back to a Parker 96 this month and getting far more irritation than with my Merkur. That said, I'm trying to use up a slip of beastly Dorco blades...so I'm going to reserve comment until I load it with Nacets.
I used to shave with the feather AS-D1/w feather blade several years ago and it was very mild but loved the performance. I wanted something a little bit more aggressive and the AS-D2 was just released, which I purchased immediately. I've been using it for a couple of years and to me, it's perfect along with a feather blade. It's not mild and not aggressive, in my personal opinion, but just right. A bit pricey but well worth it. Best of luck to you.
It took me a long time to be able to shave with a mild razor, but now I prefer them. I think that a razor like the Blue Tip and Tech are efficient cutting whiskers but not skin. You have to get the angle right, and a sharp blade helps. I'm even finding that the Fatboy works best on 3 for me rather than higher settings. I don't use them exclusively. I still like razors like the Old Type. Frankly I haven't tried a Red Tip nor any of the modern razors. I freely accept that I may change this opinion as time goes on.
- Thread starter
- #52
Glad to hear you found a razor you really like. Don't look at any more and you will remain happy.
I agree, mild razors allow me to lose focus.
I prefer something that I consider somewhat middle-of-the-road in terms of aggressiveness: Mongoose, Hawk, Wunderbar, German 37.
I prefer assertive razors (I don't like the term "aggressive"), so the Fatip Piccolo and the Mühle R41 get regular outings. They give the closest shaves, yet are just as comfortable and irritation-free as with milder razors. As for blades, I don't buy the notion that particular blades pair particularly well with particular razors, so I just use whatever is next in the rotation.
- Thread starter
- #56
I agree about the blades. Some do stand out a being sharper than others, (Feathers) but they will be the same in any razor. Of course in a milder razor they will feel different than in an aggressive razor.
I have been DE shaving for about 2 months now. Using an AS-D2 with Personna blades, very comfortable shave but the sharpness drops off after 3rd day. Was using this for about 3 weeks consistently.
So I decided to load the Feather blade into my AS-D2 for today's Monday shave. Still quite comfortable...but feels very sharp around the lip area. But the shave today was much closer than last few week's Personna.
YMMV....will keep at the Feather over the next few days to see how it goes.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
So I decided to load the Feather blade into my AS-D2 for today's Monday shave. Still quite comfortable...but feels very sharp around the lip area. But the shave today was much closer than last few week's Personna.
YMMV....will keep at the Feather over the next few days to see how it goes.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I like the least aggressive razor that gives me a good BBS shave. As someone else said, I like my skin.
My pick is a Merkur 34C.
My pick is a Merkur 34C.
I like my razor to be moderately aggressive, a Gillette Adjustable at 7 or a Weber PH Classic with Crystal, Astra or W.S. blades is more my preference.
Mild to mid. Can't do really mild like the AS-D2. Don't care much for large blade gaps or a lot of blade exposure, though I did enjoy the R41. I generally use a pre-war Tech or Flare Tip Super Speed.
