Impact of Balance on Aggressiveness

[mbrossar]

I learned an interesting lesson today. I always thought that a razor's balance pretty much just affected how the razor felt in your hand as you shaved, but I think there’s more to it than that. It seems to me that the balance of the razor also impacts its overall aggressiveness.

Yes, I know, many on this site will argue that aggressiveness is an objective measure of the gap between the blade and the guard. Many will further argue that another component of a razor’s aggressiveness is how far the blade protrudes from an imaginary line drawn from the razor cap to the safety bar (or how far the blade hides behind this line). But in my recent experience, I believe the balance of the razor plays a part as well. It seems to me that a head heavy razor accentuates the effect of the afore mentioned measures by pushing the head into your face, giving a head heavy razor a more aggressive feel. Conversely, a razor that is more balanced toward the handle will de-accentuate a head’s aggressiveness (whether it’s mild or aggressive to start with) giving it a milder feel.

Well, at least that’s my opinion, and I thought it might give a few folks something new to think about or comment on.