Lets praise mild razors

[DesertIguana]

Mild v/s Aggressive are just people opinions. Think everyones definition is different of what is Mild or Aggressive is.

Sort of like going to NYC and asking 100 strangers for a recommendation on find BEST Bagel in Manhattan. Many answers, all good, in person s opinion.

 

[kingfisher]

At first I used only mild razors. Then there came the random purchase of a Yaqi Knight Helmet (ridiculously aggressive) and the Stirling ST (very aggressive, but not as bad as the Yaqi).

I think what I learned is that the use of either very mild or very aggressive razors requires more skill. With a mild razor you have to maintain a near-perfect angle at all times in order to maintain good reduction. With a very aggressive razor, you also have to maintain an angle, and particularly, proper pressure in order to avoid irritation. I learned a ton about shaving technique from both my mildest and my most aggressive razors.

It seems I have settled into using those lessons to get great shaves from razors that are neither super mild nor super aggressive. My current two favorite DEs are the Lupo 0.58 and one of the iterations of the Occam's DE (pretty sure it is the intermediate one).

I feel like I have come full circle from the mildest to the wildest and then settled somewhere in the middle.

 

[BigJ]

Great thread!

The combination of a ‘mild/moderate’ razor plus a sharp blade results in shaving bliss for this old guy!!

Today’s winning option: Vintage Polsilver SI plus Wolfman WR1!!

 

[sgarnett]

I don’t love mild razors per se. The mildest I use is a Karve CB C, but it does work great with a Bic.

My daily is a Blackbird - my skin loves it with a Nacet or German/Israeli Personna! I do get the best results with a bit of positive exposure.

However, I agree that past some tenuous point, gap and exposure become more about the hobby, bragging rights, or the test of skill. At best, it’s diminishing returns.

Also, I’ve found that effective technique sometimes means departing from “good technique”. Much of my beard grows dead flat against the skin, and the grain is kind of random (not even a swirl). On some regions of my neck, pulling the skin tight from any direction just tucks the hairs down. For those regions, I drop my chin so the skin is very loose, and then the stubble is much easier to slice off cleanly.

 

[timetofly]

All homage to the Post War Tech!

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

I'm also a fan of mild razors defined this way.

1. Mild razors are not prone to jumping out of the bushes to bite me.
2. Mild razors don't tend to hurt me in any way, but they are efficient enough to give me a good shave.
3. They allow me to do enough work to get the job done without hurting my skin.

It's not a mild razor if I'm "afraid of it." That's not exactly correct. I'm not afraid of any razor I'd use. Some more aggressive razors might best be approached gingerly.





The real life implications of gap and such mean little to me, but I'd say the CM1 and the CR1 are both mild razors. The CM1 is milder.

There are plenty of mild razors. The Sailor on the lowest setting would be one.

Here's the Made in England Flat Bottom Tech.

There's a lot to like in the World of Mild.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[Deano]

EJ 87 with Gillette silver blue blade is my everyday shaver. Quite mild. I have a NEW short comb and had a NEW long comb, Red Tips, '63 super speed and various Gem types. I get the best shave with the EJ. YMMV

 

[thombrogan]

some folks new to this hobby tend to want an "aggressive" razor to make up for poor technique.

Guilty as charged!

Even better are mild razors that only act aggressive if misused. Those folks from 1930s Brooklyn were good for that.

 

[never-stop-learning]

I prefer razors that are highly Effective.

Effective, in my opinion, is the sum weighted total of the following attributes:

• Efficient
• Smooth
• Nimble & Maneuverable
• Predictable

An aggressive razor, again in my opinion, is a highly efficient razor that is not predictable. As @Chan Eil Whiskers states, the razor has a tendency to "bite" the shaver.

Mild razors can be highly Effective. Think Gillette Tech/NEW Hybrid, Canadian Pre-War Tech, English Red Tip - all among my favorite razors.

 

[Ron R]

I like mild razors but seem to prefer mild to tame mid range razors. I like it when a take a swipe at side burn area down ward and then side ways on most razors and do a feel test and I seem to know what the razor is capable of performing and have been doing this for years as my aggression & efficentcy gage(crude to some but it works).
A few razors that I enjoy are Gem G bar, Gem 1912, Schick E & G types, Gillette Rocket Super speeds & Fatboy. I have ventured into Yaqi inexpensive razors and they have some good mild to tame razors also, Yaqi Slope slant, Yaqi Excalibur AC 50mm, Yaqi Melon head Version #1 and the Yaqi Sentinel 1.5 are all good razors in the mild to Tame mid range.

 

[demaro]

Totally agree 100 percent Phil , I use a super speed for just about every shave, usually a black handled . I have a fairly tough beard and get an excellent shave in one pass . I use Derby , Shark , or Astra blades .

The old Gillette's are relatively mild when compared to some modern iterations out there.
I personally believe that proper technique will give me a perfect shave even with what is considered a mild razor, and that some folks new to this hobby tend to want an "aggressive" razor to make up for poor technique.

 

[Dngolden]

I am another member of the sharp blade mild to medium aggressive razor club. I have a fairly course and dense beard. And the sharp blade, mild razor combos, regardless of the razor style, work great. smooth pleasurable and close. I do find for more than two days growth, I get better results with a medium aggressive razor It’s one of the reasons I am so fond of adjustable razors. When I have three or four days growth , I’ll use a Medium setting on the first pass and then milder settings on the second and third. One of my current favourite combos - a Schick M3 adjustable with a Japanese Schick injector- shown here.

 

[Phoenixkh]

Maybe I like medium rare razors. <eg> evil grin

 

[Tirvine]

I have one razor, although I had a few others along the way. It is an Above the Tie Windsor with a short, barber pole Atlas handle. I have three complementing pieces, a Kronos handle, a CM plate, and a CR plate (copper mild and regular). I use the Atlas and CM about 99% of the time. It gives me a fast (six minutes) BBS everytime, always using a Personna Lab Blue. I tried other blades, liked the Lab Blues a lot, and, for political reasons, snagged 100. As they last on average about two weeks, it seems it was a good investment. I have a mild case of fantasy level RAD for a Rex Konsul, but if I ever changed or added, it would be a mild or mild capable replacement. I have been shaving this way (brush, soap, and DE, SE, or straight) since the mid-1960s, and the mild razors along the way have always been the best. My one more aggressive DE razor did not shave any closer or more comfortably. The major differences was that it took more care and, therefore, took longer. The straight just took to much maintenance time.

 

[selbedj]

Started with a Henson which was my gateway razor into de shaving. Got a bit of rad and tried some others with great results but I recently circled back to the Henson. Am on a bit of a minimalist kick so will sell some of the others I acquired, but the AL13 + is here to stay.

 

[StewB]

Is the FOCS considered "mild"? If so, it's another "mild" razor I enjoy using. It doesn't give me as close of a shave as some of my other razors, but it's very comfortable to use.

 

[mikhou]

Henson AL13 - mild and intuitive.

 

[Dennis Trigubetz]

I think my favorite "mild" razor is the Winning razor (made by Yates Precision for Wet Shaving Club). Sadly the Winning was discontinued last year, but there are rumors of an updated version in the works.

At one time the Yates Merica (the successor to Winning) was no longer available on the Wet Shaving website; however, I checked the site a week ago and the Merica was available and i ordered it plus a stand. The website indicates that a revised Merica plate will soon be available.

My tracking number shows being shipped out of Waynesburg, PA.

 

[Dennis Trigubetz]

I bought a Gem G Bar on Facebook Marketplace in excellent condition for $10 delivered and marvel at the chrome plating on what was a budget razor.

Within a week it will get its first use.

 

[StewB]

My tracking number shows being shipped out of Waynesburg, PA.

Yes; Yates in Pennsylvania manufactures the 'Merica. Let us know your experiences once you've had a chance to use it.