Do you guys compromise?

[BigJ]

That’s what I thought in the beginning and was buying mild razors as a result but not any more. I now believe it has more to do with geometry and the blades cutting angle and the blade itself. Rex Ambassador and 1.25 Wolfman are blade forward yet skin feels great after the shave.

+1! Yep! For me it is all about the geometry! Plus the blade choice also makes a huge difference!

 

[Kyle89]

At first, yeah I would deal with the experience of the tools I’ve had on hand, but as I’ve been able to refine my technique and narrow down razors/blades that work well for me, I tend to stick with what gives me a good result.
I have a few razors that collect dust.

 

[VerbaVolant]

...have you guys experienced something similar to this.

Yes, I have.

 

[never-stop-learning]

We all choose the tool(s) that best suit our needs.

What I shave with depends on my mood. Could be anything from a Gillette Tech or GEM Featherweight Deluxe to the outstanding Fatip FOCS to one of the Blackland Razors offerings to a GEM MMOC, Ikon TEK or the Feather SS Artist Club Japanese Straight.

Just depends on how I feel that day.

YMMV

 

[NPK]

I choose only Gillette Tech. I knew when I first tried it...it was the one. I never worry if there is a better shave to be had elsewhere, I never have gear that sits unused (except for my back up Tech )

I know each time I go to shave the outcome will be the same with the only variation being which of my 3 blades will I choose.

 

[KrstGor]

Weird thread title I know, but bare with me for a second. These findings are entirely based on my experience and want to see if some have experienced the same thing. I have noticed that some razors do not feel as smooth as others when shaving but the end result being a really smooth face (almost BBS) and very very little to no irritation. Some razors that I own that are like this are The General SS V1 and V2, Rex Ambassador and the Envoy. Awesome razors that I’ll never part with. These razors are also very forgiving.

On the other hand there are razors that during the shave are really smooth and a pleasure to use and just feel amazing but after the shave, no matter what I do I feel a bit of irritation, not a lot that my face is red but enough to notice. Some razors that feel like this that I own or used are the RR Gamechangers, Paradigm SE, PAA SS Ascension, RR Mambas, etc.

Of course there are razors that are smooth, shave awesome and skin feel amazing after the shave. For me that’s the Wolfman WR2 1.25 SB, but it can bite sometimes. So my question is, have you guys experienced something similar to this and what have you compromised on? I personally prefer my skin to feel great over a super smooth shave, so I put up with the bit of drag most user seem to sell razors over. Comfort after the shave over comfort during the shave.

I think you have a valid point there, but IMHO it is more of a question of adjusting your technique than objectively a razor being a culprit behind the bad shave. That said, of course a "mild" razor will do less damage than an R41 in inexperienced hands.

So, to answer your Q - me, I don't compromise. I use what I like and what I've found to work for me. The application of tools used will differ though, based on the situation. Say I have a week's growth. I'll reach either for my Koraat SR or my R41. If I'm travelling for business and need to be clean-shaven every day for several days, I'll use my Feather AS-D2. If I want a fairly quick shave on a 3-4 day growth beard, I'll reach out for my Feather AC.

And sometimes, I'll combine 2 razors, just for fun of it or because I don't want to pay extra attention on my final ATG pass, so I might do a first WTG pass with R41, then switch to AS-D2 for subsequent XTG/ATG passes.

Hope this makes sense

 

[kingfisher]

I would have loved an Aluminum one. The old SS and brass are heavy.

The aluminum razor was awesome. I had the brass one, and I liked the aluminum one much better. Never tried the SS.

 

[Sharp&Shiny]

I choose only Gillette Tech. I knew when I first tried it...it was the one. I never worry if there is a better shave to be had elsewhere, I never have gear that sits unused (except for my back up Tech )

I know each time I go to shave the outcome will be the same with the only variation being which of my 3 blades will I choose.

I want to downsize my razor collection. They just sit in a toolbox but they are like babies, I just can’t get rid of them. I’ll miss them too much. Lol

I know what works for me now, I just haven’t had the chance to go through them yet and decide what to sell and keep but I like the idea of only a handful of razors.

 

[muzichead]

Since I started with a DE back in 2016 I had been through several razors and it wasn't until I tried the General SS V1 back in 2017 that I truly had attained an effortless BBS shave in 3 passes. That was when other razors became expendable in my cabinet as I had a working theory that if it wasn't being used on a regular basis, it had to go!! I also noticed shortly after that I didn't need to shave every day as there just wasn't enough stubble to shave the next morning so I started shaving every other day. I can't say that I never had any kind of irritation at all as there were times when I shaved mindlessly and that is when things usually happen but it was in my post shave routine where using an alum block helped in relieving the irritation.

Fast forward to 2018 when I purchased a used Timeless Ti95SB and from the 1st shave I had I knew everything else had to go as for the first 6 months it was the only razor I picked up and to this day its still the only razor I have!! The only change I made was the baseplate is now a DC OC/SB... This has served me very well and am now able to shave every other day and get BBS in 2 passes that last on average of 20+ hrs. I have somewhat regretted selling only the General V1 SS but have gotten along very well without it....

Long story short though, no compromising in my den as the Timeless stands alone and gets the job done efficiently and smoothly every shave out!!

 

[GR5233]

I choose only Gillette Tech. I knew when I first tried it...it was the one. I never worry if there is a better shave to be had elsewhere, I never have gear that sits unused (except for my back up Tech )

I know each time I go to shave the outcome will be the same with the only variation being which of my 3 blades will I choose.

+1. The tech works beautifully for me as well. The only other variation besides the blade that I have is the soap