Do I need a more efficient safety razor?

[DrCarver]

I constantly struggle with getting a close shave on the face without going overboard on passes. In particular, the areas on both sides my mouth and cheeks. Even with 3 passes (WTG/XTG/ATG) I still end up with stubble in these areas. Doesn’t seem to matter what razor I use. If I do too many passes I start to get red bumps in these areas. My shave prep is very good and my lather is stellar. I tend to rotate between all my razors except for the Henson which I use for the ATG pass and touch ups. The shavette is rarely used and just sits on the shelf for now.


Here’s my razor collection:

Merkur 37C
WSC ‘Merica
Merkur Progress Long Handle
Muhle Rocca R96
Henson AL13+
Rockwell 6S
Focus R28 shavette

I’m thinking of getting something more efficient that will allow me to do perhaps one less pass with better results.

What are your thoughts on these possible razor acquisitions or do I try to get proficient with the shavette?

Muhle R41 (not interested in the SS model)
Ikon OCD
Timeless ALSB45

Any other suggestions? I would love to get your thoughts.

 

[Alum Ladd]

I constantly struggle with getting a close shave on the face without going overboard on passes. In particular, the areas on both sides my mouth and cheeks. Even with 3 passes (WTG/XTG/ATG) I still end up with stubble in these areas. Doesn’t seem to matter what razor I use. If I do too many passes I start to get red bumps in these areas. My shave prep is very good and my lather is stellar. I tend to rotate between all my razors except for the Henson which I use for the ATG pass and touch ups. The shavette is rarely used and just sits on the shelf for now.


Here’s my razor collection:

Merkur 37C
WSC ‘Merica
Merkur Progress Long Handle
Muhle Rocca R96
Henson AL13+
Rockwell 6S
Focus R28 shavette

I’m thinking of getting something more efficient that will allow me to do perhaps one less pass with better results.

What are your thoughts on these possible razor acquisitions or do I try to get proficient with the shavette?

Muhle R41 (not interested in the SS model)
Ikon OCD
Timeless ALSB45

Any other suggestions? I would love to get your thoughts.

You should be getting very good results with most if not all of the razors in your den. May I ask

What blades do you tend to use?

Beard growth type?

Might be a blade choice and or shaving angle tweak needed. It might also be pressure. It happens to us all on occasion.

I would stick with one razor for a month and see if the shaves improve. Many of us rotate too frequently in razors. I think I do.

Choice can be the foe of quality when it comes to nailing a good shave with a type. All razors have different characteristics as you know.

 

[Old Navy_1]

I don't know anything about the razors you've listed. Never used any of them.

However, I am an unabashed RazoRock GC "Fanboy".

Have you tried the RR GC 84-P? I don't have any idea how it would perform against the razors you have, but it's a thought.

Maybe you would consider the RazoRock "Lupo .95"? I've read it's up there with the Muhle R41 as far as "Aggressiveness", but more "comfortable".

IDK?

b/r

ON_1

 

[Calyshaver]

Maybe your technique needs some tuning. I think you have a wide enough array of razors to meet your needs.

Someone here suggested to me to "bullfrog" my cheeks and that has worked beautifully for the cheeks and jawline areas. Another suggestion was to stick my tongue in those areas, with both methods meant to stretch the skin as you pass over.

Also, how often do you shave?

 

[Chef455]

Sounds like some stretching of your skin may help. If you have an alum block I'd keep it next to you while shaving, it helps your fingers pull your skin tighter without slipping when you rub them on it. Also, as @Alum Ladd mentioned, I'd recommend sticking to one razor for at least a couple weeks, a month would be better if you can handle it. You'll be able to focus on getting your angle dialed in if your not jumping around all the time. I just finished a fixed four last month and found it to be very beneficial.

The shavette will certainly be efficient if you take the time to learn it.

You have some good razors in the den and I'd advise against adding to your collection by chasing "ever more efficient" until you figure out what's going on with what you have. My two pennies.

 

[DrCarver]

You should be getting very good results with most if not all of the razors in your den. May I ask

What blades do you tend to use?

Beard growth type?

Might be a blade choice and or shaving angle tweak needed. It might also be pressure. It happens to us all on occasion.

I would stick with one razor for a month and see if the shaves improve. Many of us rotate too frequently in razors. I think I do.

Choice can be the foe of quality when it comes to nailing a good shave with a type. All razors have different characteristics as you know.

I have coarse facial hair. And I use a variety of blades, Gillette Platinum, Rapira Platinum Lux, Nacet, Timor, Feather, Personna Platinum, Wilkinson Sword (German).


You bring up valid points. I might just need to fine tune.

 

[DrCarver]

Maybe your technique needs some tuning. I think you have a wide enough array of razors to meet your needs.

Someone here suggested to me to "bullfrog" my cheeks and that has worked beautifully for the cheeks and jawline areas. Another suggestion was to stick my tongue in those areas, with both methods meant to stretch the skin as you pass over.

Also, how often do you shave?

I try to shave daily, though sometimes I end up shaving every other day.

I have tried the techniques you suggested, but was less than successful. I need to revisit these techniques and pay closer attention during my shaves. Keeping a more accurate journal will help.

 

[Ron R]

Here’s my razor collection:

Merkur 37C
WSC ‘Merica
Merkur Progress Long Handle
Muhle Rocca R96
Henson AL13+
Rockwell 6S
Focus R28 shavette

I’m thinking of getting something more efficient that will allow me to do perhaps one less pass with better results.


Like you have some great razors there and I'm thinking you should be able to get a decent shave with some of them, the Merkur progress is a adjustable razor that has been proven for decades. I'm thinking your technique needs just a little tweaking and your off to some fine shaves.
A few things that comes to mind and you more than likely know your beard grain direction by now(beard mapping) with a 2-3 days growth should let you know what direction to shave. I mention this because others are learning & reading this thread also and should know this right away for less irritation in their shaves for more enjoyable shaving with any device designed for shaving.
If your not pre- shave prepping I strongly suggest doing this and there are so many ways to prep a face and I have mine that works and have been using it for years and is very enjoyable(hard to believe for some). What I do is use a soft synthetic brush cashmere knot and load 5-10 seconds some CeraVe hand bar cleanser every morning and just brush wash my whole wet face with this soap to clean and hydrate the whiskers for easier snipping. The brush and soap is mild and designed to be gentle to eyes and skin.(trying something simple & it can make a difference and if it does nothing you have been there and done that and tinker some more with another pre-shave product)!
Last thing I was thinking your blades are used to many times possibly and could be dull(If your hearing whiskers being snipped your getting close to that sweet spot angle), I like Gillette blades like GSB that are sharp & smooth and good for 3-4 shaves or more and just use audio feed back when shaving kind of helps tell a person he is at right angle and beard whiskers are being snipped.
You can cheat a little by using a balm after done shaving to make a DFS++ feel like a BBS in 1 hr afterwards because it will hydrate the skin surface and whiskers are rooted deeper so it will sink the whiskers slightly from the skin surface for a while until they start to grow again. To much buffing and passes is telling me you have to know when to quite shaving because your into irritation problems that is no fun to deal with either.
(A bar of this CeraVe hand bar cleanser with a 5-10 second brush load will last 7-8 months and very enjoyable.)

I'm sure some others will chime in also to help sort this out for you or give some reasonble ideas.

 

[jason2]

You have two adjustables listed. How aggressive have you adjusted? Both of them should get as aggressive as anyone could have wanted especially the progress.

Basically, you don't need another razor. But that doesn't stop most on here.

 

[ralph029]

My opinion...
I own or have owned many very aggressive razors in search for a very good daily shave. I work daily and need something that performs like a straight or shavette, but doesn't need the razor focus (yes, pun intended) that those need. Here is where I have landed in my daily quest.
The 2 razors I have found that work the best for me are the Razorock Lupo .95 OC and the Yates 921-EH OC. I think both of these are affordable options.
I have used a lot of different blades in both of these and what I have found is the Feather works best in the Lupo and the Nacet in the Yates. I have found a huge difference in efficiency if I switch those blades in those two razors and neither performs well enough for me.
The angles are steep for both these razors (which is my preference). The Lupo I find to have a wider working angle while the Yates is very narrow. The feedback with the Yates is such that I immediately know if I'm off and getting it back is simple and quick.
My prep is splash and shave. I have tried every method I can think of for prep, but the more I do the more I find both skin and whiskers swell. Once the swelling from hydration goes away I either have a face full of irritation or simply need to shave again. Hands down, the worst shaves of my life have been the post shower shaves. I stopped going to barbers for the occasional decadent shave because by the time I would get home, I'd just need to re-shave.
I think expectation is big factor as well. My daily shaves are good enough to get me through the day looking good and put together. If I run my fingers over my face, sure I feel some stubble throughout the day, but presentation over expectation rules the roost. If I should need a very close shave for a particular event, I just make sure to make extra time for a slow and methodical shave.

 

[AimlessWanderer]

Two key points which might help:

1) I don't judge a razor's efficiency. I judge how efficient I am. Razors don't come with skills pre-installed, they need to be learned and developed.

2) If I swapped razors all the time as you do, my efficiency in shaving would plummet.

So for me, buying yet another razor would just exacerbate the problem of inconsistencies and inefficiency with any one of them. Pick one and stick with it. Get good with it. Expect to have to start fine tuning again as soon as you swap to something else.

 

[ERS4]

You already have above average efficiency razors on your list.

My thinking is also "should have enough time to adapt to the razor and technology". If you rotate your razor frequently, you're adding too much variable and it's hard to maintain a consistent, productive angle.

I always use the same razor for one to three months before moving on to the next one.

The "Gillette slide" or "J Hook" are also shaving tips you might consider using.

 

[Invicta]

I’m thinking of getting something more efficient that will allow me to do perhaps one less pass with better results.

You don't need another razor, your list of current razors is all you need. Work on your razor technique and blade angle.

 

[spacemonkey42]

As others have mentioned, before you buy yet another razor, how about using your adjustables at their higher settings? That should tell you quite a bit and costs you nothing.

 

[RayClem]

You have a variety of razors already.

Depending upon the base plate used, the Rockwell 6S has six levels of aggression, but I do not believe any of them are super aggressive.

The Merkur Progress is an adjustable razor that can go from failrly mild to aggressive, so you do not need to purchase a more aggressive razor; you already have one.

To be most effective and efficient, every razor needs to be paired with the right blade. Razor blades come in a wide range of sharpness levels. You did not mention which razor blades you are using. You can make a mild razor more efficient and effective by using a sharper blade. For example, I equip my very mild Van der Hagen/Weishi TTO SuperSpeed clone with super-sharp blades like BIC Chrome Platinum. In a more aggressive razor, the blades might be too sharp. On those rare occasions when I pull out my Muhle R41, I use 7 O'Clock Sharp Edge yellow blades which are not nearly as sharp as the BICs, but are sharper than some blades like Astra SP, Shark Super Chrome and some others.

Included in your arsenal is a Focus R28 shavette. Depending upon the type of blade used in the shavette and how you weld it, the shaver can be either mild or super aggressive. Again, you do not need any more razors. Just learn to use what you have most effectively.

You proclaim that your pre-shave prep is very good and your lather is stellar, but since you avoided describing how you are going about these important steps, they might not be quite as good as you believe them to be. I had to evaluate over 100 shave soap formulations before I found those that would truly produce a stellar lather.

I have a very coarse beard and very sensitive skin. In order to get a near-BBS shave without irritation, I do a four pass shave. I use a different razor for each pass. I normally shave every 2-3 days and use a fairly efficient Parker 24C open comb with a medium sharp blade to knock down the overall growth in my WTG pass. Then I use a couple of closed-comb razors with even sharper blades for the XTG and ATG passes. Finally, for my 4th clean-up pass I use the SuperSpeed clone with the super-sharp BIC blade to remove any left-over stubble. Always use minimal shave pressure to avoid irritation. In your case, since you get bumps, you might need to skip the ATG pass and substitute diagonal passes.

 

[Medivh]

To be honest, most people rarely need more than one razor and brush, but we buy more and more, because well..... we just want to try new products and we get hyped up by the latest modern razor or by the estetics of that very old uncommon/''rare'' vintage razor that people like to talk about.

Like some folks said a while ago - back in the day (40 + years ago) most folks were doing just fine with razors such as the Gillette Tech or any of the Super Speeds, but comparing how things were in the past with how things are now isn't always fair and things in life change all the time and what happened once will probably never repeat itself in our lifetime at least.

So to answer your question - do you need a more efficient razor? Well, if you feel like the razors you currently own aren't performing as good as you want them to, then the answer is yes, of course. Most razors (even some on the high end spectrum) are not really that expensive if you think about it for a second. Most people in the West spend way more money everyday on things that won't last very long, yet people think that spending $100-$200 is a lot of money.

I'd say go on and have some fun. Do a proper research on the razor's you might have in mind as well as knowing your budget and ask the right questions on the B&B in case you need some advice and hopefully you will find what you seek.

I went from collecting vintage razors to just beginning to explore the more ''premium'' modern razors on the market and ones that will arrive somewhere at the end of this month and in comparison to what I currently have, the ones that are coming are going to make my current collection like a childs collection.

 

[BigJ]

Great advice above!

Over the years I tried razors ranging from ‘mild’ to ‘aggressive.’ In the end I determined that my best shaves come from ‘mild/moderate’ razors paired with sharp blades!

The other key change is that my technique improved considerably during my razor journey!!

 

[know1special]

I have a variety of razors and blades at my disposal. Ranging from quite mild on up to 'should I really put this on my face?'

And by this point, I've had enough experience with my gear to get a very good shave from almost any combo.

That being said, I generally have superior post-shave feel with less chance of irritation when I've used a more aggresive razor. The less time I've had a blade on my mug usually the better.

Milder razors work just fine for me but they usually require more passes, more buffing, touch-up, etc.

I will say that the difference is less than it used to be suggesting that as experience is gained the gap narrows.

 

[Brutus]

I constantly struggle with getting a close shave on the face without going overboard on passes. In particular, the areas on both sides my mouth and cheeks. Even with 3 passes (WTG/XTG/ATG) I still end up with stubble in these areas. Doesn’t seem to matter what razor I use. If I do too many passes I start to get red bumps in these areas. My shave prep is very good and my lather is stellar. I tend to rotate between all my razors except for the Henson which I use for the ATG pass and touch ups. The shavette is rarely used and just sits on the shelf for now.


Here’s my razor collection:

Merkur 37C
WSC ‘Merica
Merkur Progress Long Handle
Muhle Rocca R96
Henson AL13+
Rockwell 6S
Focus R28 shavette

I’m thinking of getting something more efficient that will allow me to do perhaps one less pass with better results.

What are your thoughts on these possible razor acquisitions or do I try to get proficient with the shavette?

Muhle R41 (not interested in the SS model)
Ikon OCD
Timeless ALSB45

Any other suggestions? I would love to get your thoughts.

From what you say, I suspect you might be hitting a limitation in the design of most safety razors.
For most safety razors the blade exposure is negative, that is to say the cutting edge of the blade is somewhat recessed. That limits how close a shave you can get, but makes for a more comfortable (if you want foolproof) shave.


To overcome that you would need a safety razor with a positive or at least neutral blade exposure.
These razors typically have also a wider blade gap.

One of the best known of such designs is the Mühle R41, but I should add that IMO the efficiency of this razor is NOT a function of the open comb design, but of the positive blade exposure and gerenous blade gap that I mentioned earlier.

Personally I hardly use my R41 (R101 to be precise) anymore and have switched to Tatara Masamune Nodachis.
These razors also illustrate my point about blade exposure and gap, as Masamune Nochachi open and closed comb heads have the same blade and gap geometry and for all practical purposes shave the same.


Hope this helps…


B.

 

[DrCarver]

You should be getting very good results with most if not all of the razors in your den. May I ask

What blades do you tend to use?

Beard growth type?

Might be a blade choice and or shaving angle tweak needed. It might also be pressure. It happens to us all on occasion.

I would stick with one razor for a month and see if the shaves improve. Many of us rotate too frequently in razors. I think I do.

Choice can be the foe of quality when it comes to nailing a good shave with a type. All razors have different characteristics as you know.

Thanks for your input. I need to go back to the drawing board and get really good with what I have.