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Do you find it hard to go back to milder razors after using aggressive ones regularly?

Whilliam

First Class Citizen
Interesting. I used to shave daily with an R41 without the oft-reported blood and gore. Just got comfortable, no-drama shaves.

Then I grew a beard, which I kept for about a year. On returning to shaving, I found the R41 intolerable no matter what blade I used. It didn't threaten me so much as it pained me. Way too tuggy. So I started switching to milder razors (Feather AD-D2, Mamba 70, eg.), with no reduction in closeness or efficiency. They are my daily drivers now, and are even able to handle several days' growth.

Go figure.
 

Whilliam

First Class Citizen
Interesting. I used to shave daily with an R41 without the oft-reported blood and gore. Just got comfortable, no-drama shaves.

Then I grew a beard, which I kept for about a year. On returning to shaving, I found the R41 intolerable no matter what blade I used. It didn't threaten me so much as it pained me. Way too tuggy. So I started switching to milder razors (Feather AD-D2, Mamba 70, eg.), with no reduction in closeness or efficiency. They are my daily drivers now, and are even able to handle several days' growth.

Go figure.
 
My R41 ruined me for mild razors. Unless I read about some exceptional blade+razor combo here, I don't touch my milder razors.

An aggressive razor does in one pass what the R89 does in 2, so I don't feel the need to go back to it. If a blade doesn't deliver in an R41 or a 3ONE6, I'm quite happy to deem it unworthy instead of running it through my other razors to see if it performs there.

It's also the reason I've had the blue Henson razor in my shopping cart so many times, but never bought it due to the reviews about its mildness.
 
YESSSSSSS!!! It’s like you have to be a lot more patient haha , good thing is you get less irritation, but also find yourself using pressure which is a big no-no technique wise 😅
 
I have tried the aggressive razors .. the last being the new Dscosmetic z0 v2.
Yes they can handle a week's worth of stubble in 1-2 passes, but how difficult really is lathering back up for a 3rd pass when most on here fuss so much about brushes & soaps .. lathering back up could possibly be a pro there.

Milder razors give me a better shave. I rarely leave it a week between shaves - so they are generally as efficient and close as an aggressive razor; just without the blade feel and sting afterwards.

The renaissance of the safety razor overlooked why straight bar milder razors were much more common than the open comb aggressive razors back in the day when men shaved more regularly; they were simply better for most.
 
Q: Do you find it hard to go back to milder razors after using aggressive ones regularly?
A: No.
In retrospect I became enamored with aggressive razors when my technique wasn't very good, thus mild razors didn't do anything for me. Now that my technique is better I enjoy mild razors equally well because I know how to shave with them.
+1

I do my best to keep my Shaving White Belt (SWB) on for every shave.
White-Belt-Junior.jpg

As my technique is unlikely to ever be perfect, I keep my white belt clean (well, most of the time).
 
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I'm pretty happy with the setup I've got going and am not really interested in changing so I wouldn't know if I'd find it difficult to go back to a milder razor. I probably would (or not) though, depending on the circumstances and why I went back to the milder razor. Regardless it would likely take a couple or few shaves to adjust.
 
I think it is really important to distinguish between aggressive and efficient. My now daily driver is a Blackland Blackbird SB which is a highly efficient razor with some blade feel. It does not show a tendency to bite and therefore I would not consider it aggressive. The shave is by far the longest lasting and the effort to get a smooth neck is significantly less than most. My Timeless Titanium 0.68 by comparison has almost no blade feel and is also a fine razor although the shave is not nearly as long lasting.

If the question posed had been “If you have found your Goldilocks razor, do you find it difficult to use other razors?”, my answer would be yes.
 
I've been using a slant for years now. If I go back to something milder I find it takes more passes and touch ups.
Especially on my neck.
 
I use DE, SE and Straights. I generally prefer more "aggressive" razors, or razor and blade combos, for the BBS and efficiency. I do note, however, that as with so much, YMMV, and regardless of your love for the Vorpal blades, if you live long enough, you are very likely to hit a point where they just aren't worth the hassle and/or discomfort. This is the reason I've kept all of my Karve plates, and have a '47 Aristocrat, along with my '30s.:biggrin:
 

JCarr

More Deep Thoughts than Jack Handy
I use more aggressive razors now...much more aggressive than when I started. But, more than just being aggressive, they're all razors that are able to provide a BBS result. That's my new criteria for a razor...if it can't pull off a BBS...I'm not interested.
 

ERS4

My exploding razor knows secrets
I ordered the aggressiveness of the razors as the rotation order, which made it easier for me to adjust to the difference in aggression of each razor during the rotation.

And my "on-duty razor" will be used for at least one to two months in a row, and there is enough time to get along with each other, and I can seriously enjoy each razor.
 
Revisiting this since I used my Aslyum Evolution last night, switching back to a Nacet, from worn out Feather. Abysmal. Like having mud-butt, and only having 2 squares of toilet paper to use. It cut hair, but does not meet DFS at all. The Evo is only made tolerable by Kai or Feather, and a completely blade-dependent DE is useless to me. I am hoping that I have acquired a T plate, to mitigate te issue. If not, it will join a pack of others in a soon-to-be den clearing.
 
Maybe my skin and/or technique is changing? Dunno but it is weird how quickly my face adapted to more aggressive razors

Interesting that you mention that...

I could compliment myself on improving my technique. In reality, I am not convinced that after more than a half century of shaving, I actually have any technique?

I have wondered how much of my improvement is actually attributed to my skin adapting to DE razors in general?

That is the reason i will never get rid of my R41. It shaves at almost any angle, and you know what the blade is doing. I shave every day, so it makes less sense to use it as a daily driver though. I need stubble to shave the next day.

How true that is! The R41 is the perfect razor for an all day shave. It's perfect for those less than formal evening events when you don't do the shower, shave and dress-up thing.

I can go back and get a good shave with the DE89, 34c and even cartridges. But, nothing gives me that next morning "I really don't need to shave" feeling as the R41. The Rocca does come close.
 

ERS4

My exploding razor knows secrets
If I keep shaving frequently, either the gentlest razors (AS-D2, MAMBA53...) or the razors with the best blade feel (REX AMBASSADOR,DE SHAVETTE...) are work well for me.

But in recent months, as I've extended each interval a little bit for a day or two (to match the time my wife occupies the bathroom). I've found that I've really grown to prefer more aggressive razors, as I'd otherwise get easily impatient with the blades.

Of course I know it's mostly due to the changes I made.
 
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Currently I'm on a drive to achieve optimum post shave skin quality and condition. Too much regular raking of the skin by aggressive razors gives me bits of dry skin debris, which accumulates on the surface of the skin during the day despite using pre shave and post shave moisturizer. It's especially noticeable 24 hour latter when I look into the bathroom mirror prior to having my next shave. Where the growth of new stubble seems to break up the surface of the skin causing even more dry skin debris. I'm discovering the less the surface of the skin is disturbed the longer moisturizers last during the day and the healthier the skin looks.
 
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