Don't exactly know why, but the more experienced I've gotten with DE razor shaving the more I've tended towards aggressive razors. Kept my adjustables on 9, main razor was a Merkur Slant, went through a couple of hundred Feather blades... Was not getting the BBS results I wanted and was thinking I should go even more aggressive. I think I unconsciously thought the sign of a good shave was how much it burned when I put on aftershave. Then I tried a Gillette New LC. just about a perfect shave--no burn or irritation. Got me thinking. Revisited my Slim, but set it on 5 and used an Astra SP. Worked as well for me as the New. 3 passes, no irritation at all. As close to BBS as I ever get. This has really blown my mind.
Epiphany--I like mild razors!
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I don't think yours is an unusual trajectory, I've followed a similar path. It makes perfect sense that the greater your experience the more likely you are to be able to achieve the perfect angle and pressure that mild razors require for optimum efficiency. My personal epiphany came with the Stahly. I still enjoy my aggressive razors but I don't need them.
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Hannah's Dad
I Can See Better Than Bigfoot.
An improved and mature technique often allows for paradigm-shifting experimentation. Congrats!
Does this mean you’re now sandan?
I have gone through a similar journey and landed on a Gillette Tech.
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I’m on the same page. Aggressive razors are wayyyy overrated in the shaving community. Almost a sadistic behavior to see who can handle the most aggressive shave
Ive settled on mild razors, shave and now I can shave every single day without problems
Ive settled on mild razors, shave and now I can shave every single day without problems
I’ve never understood the aggressive razor trend, and the associated madness that is constantly swapping baseplates. There’s an app for that, it’s called an “adjustable razor” 
Charcoal Goods LVL 2 is as aggressive as I go. About 75% of my shaves are done with a Guerrilla, which is milder than the CG and, ironically, which didn’t seem to sell well because it was too mild for the usual Wolfman crowd - The very folks who seem to never be content with which baseplate, head type, or handle they have. Not hatin’ on you Wolfman peeps, just noting the coincidence
So yeah, I’m with the mild razor crowd, never really saw any appeal to aggressive razors.
Charcoal Goods LVL 2 is as aggressive as I go. About 75% of my shaves are done with a Guerrilla, which is milder than the CG and, ironically, which didn’t seem to sell well because it was too mild for the usual Wolfman crowd - The very folks who seem to never be content with which baseplate, head type, or handle they have. Not hatin’ on you Wolfman peeps, just noting the coincidence
So yeah, I’m with the mild razor crowd, never really saw any appeal to aggressive razors.
Hannah's Dad
I Can See Better Than Bigfoot.
I cannot speak for all aggressive razor lovers; my reason for preferring an aggressive razor is that it reduces the number of passes needed to achieve an acceptable shave, and fewer passes equals better skin.I’ve never understood the aggressive razor trend, and the associated madness that is constantly swapping baseplates. There’s an app for that, it’s called an “adjustable razor”
Charcoal Goods LVL 2 is as aggressive as I go. About 75% of my shaves are done with a Guerrilla, which is milder than the CG and, ironically, which didn’t seem to sell well because it was too mild for the usual Wolfman crowd - The very folks who seem to never be content with which baseplate, head type, or handle they have. Not hatin’ on you Wolfman peeps, just noting the coincidence
So yeah, I’m with the mild razor crowd, never really saw any appeal to aggressive razors.
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Haha, still nidan—had to get a Total Hip Replacement couple of years ago and just when I was about to get back on the mat, the pandemic hit.
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I certainly can’t discount your personal experience.
That said, I’m primarily a two pass shaver (special occasions aside), and the right mild razor allows me to get a good shave, with more comfort and less skin irritation, than 2 passes with an aggressive razor would yield.
I suspect this has something to do with tool usage, and by that I mean I can’t help but wonder if mild razor aficionados aren’t using their mild razors differently than aggressive razor adherents use mild razors.
Maybe it comes down to razor angles - which you use and how consistently you can maintain it during a shave.
Or perhaps it’s a pressure thing.
Who knows, just one of the mysteries of the universe I suppose.
Which is why the Tech was popular (and still is)
My personal experience is a sharp blade such as a Feather in a Gillette Tech or Merkur 34 C/G gives me really good shaves. I also find that Slims and Fatboys set on 3 or 4 also give me good shaves. I am all for Milder Razors.
"Aggressive razor" is a rather broad term.
On this forum, it would seem to sometimes apply to some razors that verge on the aggressiveness of a handheld naked blade.
However, there are also the moderately aggressive razors, say a 6/10 or 7/10 MA.
Looking back on my journey, excluding my youthful misadventures in the BC age, I preferred a moderate 4/10 or 5/10 MA razor, in part because of naïve technique.
I didn't like the more aggressive razors I bought because I hadn't yet found the right angle, and they felt harsh. Once I did, I preferred them. Using moderately aggressive razors was in part a substitute for not having found top notch blades.
However, with very good blades (not necessarily the most expensive), my milder razors worked much better. And, yes, not exfoliating your face every morning can be a good thing.
Those moderately aggressive razors can still provide a mild-feeling close shave, when used with the right angle and pressure. It's the very aggressive razors I worry about. I feel a desire to master them, and I think my experience has helped improve my technique. But there are some absurdly aggressive razors, particularly open comb, that seem pointless to me. I guess they are of use to some people, perhaps with tough or longish whiskers. But I don't need to prove my manhood by using one.
The bottom line: I agree, we shouldn't feel we have to apologize for using a mild razor. Actually, it takes good technique to get a good shave from a mild razor, too.
My Big Dog Rotation contains high, medium and mild efficient razors.
Like them all, use them all and get wonderful shaves with all of them.
Using the appropriate technique for the razor in use is critical.
YMMV
Like them all, use them all and get wonderful shaves with all of them.
Using the appropriate technique for the razor in use is critical.
YMMV
I think it takes better technique. Newish DE converts leap into aggressive razors because they haven't yet mastered the narrow angle of optimum performance that mild razors present. Aggressive razors allow for much wider range of angles , you just need to manage pressure carefully enough not to hurt yourself.
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Sort of like trying food with the hottest peppers?
"Mine goes to 11."yeah like “my blade gap is bigger than yours” haha
In the little over 2.5 years that I’ve been in this hobby I’ve only used seven different razors. A VdH TTO, Murkur 23C, Gillette heritage, Gillette tech (both pre and post war), Gillette Otto Roth New LC, Edwin Jagger Kelvin and a generic cheap shavette. With the exception of the shavette all the rest of the razors fall in the mild category. I’ve never really felt the urge for a more aggressive razor. Though the New LC seems to be the most aggressive of the DE razors that I have
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