Making the Transition to a More Aggressive Razor

[Frank Shaves]

After using a Merkur 34C with 7 O'clock Russian green and Indian black blades, I bought a Karve with SB plates B, C and D for the purpose of transitioning to a more aggressive and more efficient razor. After using the B plate with the same blades for a few weeks, I was getting great results. But every time I tried to make the transition to the C plate I suffered from irritation and the occasional nick, and I was left asking myself, "Why is this not working?"

After hearing more B&Bers talk about matching blades with razors, I tried matching the C plate with blades that had been used two or three times, but still no magic. So this morning, I threw a newly acquired and more forgiving Rapira Platinum Lux into the Karve with the C plate and had a glorious, irritation-free shave.

I am curious about other people's experiences making the transition to more aggressive razors.

 

[Macfrommichigan]

Regardless of aggression, some blades seem to work better than others. When you switch razors, you have to try out blades looking for a love connection. And because Derby works for Peg does not mean it is a winner for Jack. Classic YMMV.

 

[RayClem]

I have razors that range in aggressiveness from the very mild VDH TTO to Muhle R41 and even extremely sharp straight razors. I have a Karve D plate SB. I have not issue with the Karve as long as I follow a few guidelines.

1. Make sure your beard preparation is good. I shower before shaving.
2. Use a quality shave cream or soap, properly hydrated. The more aggressive the razor, the better your lather needs to be.
3. Use the right blade in the razor. I find the Russian Green and the Rapira PL blades to be fairly similar in both sharpness and smoothness. The Indian Green is not quite as smooth and the Indian Black is much sharper, so you might want to avoid that at first. Be careful with blades that have been used once or twice. Most blades become sharper as the coating wears off. T
The 7 O'Clock SharpEdge yellow blade is a great blade for more aggressive razors.
4. Shave with minimal pressure. The Karve razors are heavier than many razors. It is significantly heavier than the 34C. It may take you some time to adjust to the weight of the Karve so you do not apply too much pressure. I like heavy razors, so the weight of the Karve was not an issue for me. I have issues with lighter razors.
5. Shave with the correct blade angle. The Karve clamps the head a little differently than the 34C. You need to make slight adjustments to the shave angle until you find the angle that works best for you. That may well be different from the angle you use with the Merkur.

 

[DEPenguin]

. . . you have to try out blades looking for a love connection.

This. Is. Awesome.

 

[Pipesandrazors]

I am just beginning to try out some medium aggression razors. For around 2 years I have been using mild razors. I found quite a lot of experimentation with different blades necessary, for the mild razors. With my more aggressive ones, I am early in the process of trying out different blades. I am new here, and glad to be able to communicate with you all, on topics that interest me very much.

 

[Frank Shaves]

said:
3. Use the right blade in the razor. I find the Russian Green and the Rapira PL blades to be fairly similar in both sharpness and smoothness. The Indian Green is not quite as smooth and the Indian Black is much sharper, so you might want to avoid that at first. Be careful with blades that have been used once or twice. Most blades become sharper as the coating wears off. The 7 O'Clock SharpEdge yellow blade is a great blade for more aggressive razors.
4. Shave with minimal pressure. The Karve razors are heavier than many razors. It is significantly heavier than the 34C. It may take you some time to adjust to the weight of the Karve so you do not apply too much pressure. I like heavy razors, so the weight of the Karve was not an issue for me. I have issues with lighter razors.
5. Shave with the correct blade angle. The Karve clamps the head a little differently than the 34C. You need to make slight adjustments to the shave angle until you find the angle that works best for you. That may well be different from the angle you use with the Merkur.

Great advice! I totally missed the importance of finding the right blade for the razor for me, and it took me a while to get the hang of #4 and #5.

 

[Chaddy187]

You can get just as close and as good with that 34c as an ikon tech. Its just a lot of things have to fall in place to get a good shave. With any razor.

 

[pbrmhl]

You can get just as close and as good with that 34c as an ikon tech. Its just a lot of things have to fall in place to get a good shave. With any razor.

For me, this is just not true. Blame it on technique, but without effort the Ikon Tech, plain and simple, delivers a much better shave than the 34C, which I've not used for several years. I just don't buy the "with proper technique, any razor will work" argument. But we're all different!

 

[RayClem]

For me, this is just not true. Blame it on technique, but without effort the Ikon Tech, plain and simple, delivers a much better shave than the 34C, which I've not used for several years. I just don't buy the "with proper technique, any razor will work" argument. But we're all different!

I have to agree with pfrmhl. We are all different and the razor that works best for you depends on your beard, you face, as well as your technique.

If you have a thin, fine beard a mild razor will do. If you have a thick, coarse beard, you need an efficient razor to get the job done. Of coarse, by putting an extremely sharp blade in a milder razor (Bic Chrome Platinum, PermaSharp Super, Feather, or Nacet, you can make a mild razor more efficient. If I use one of these blades in a mild razor, I can get a close, but not quite BBS shave.

If I were to use a mild razor with a Astra SP blade, there is no way I could get BBS, even if I did six passes. At that point, my face would be highly irritated, but I still would not have a close shave.

If I take a more efficient razor like the Karve D plate with a Dorco Prime Platinum blade, I can easily get a BBS shave in three pass plus cleanup on my jawline and chin. And I can do so without irritation, in spite of my sensitive skin.

Thus, I recommend that everyone try a variety of razors and a variety of blades in those razors to find out the combinations that work best for you.

 

[BigJ]

Your experience is very similar to mine:
1. Getting the optimal blade/blades helps with any new razor!
2. The 34C is an excellent razor, albeit in the mild/moderate range, that is tough to beat!
3. My preference is for mild/moderate razors paired with sharp blades. With more aggressive razors, I need blades that are less sharp.

 

[AndyPM1]

Of all the razors to blade combinations that I have tried, the best I have paired has been my ATT Windsor with the most aggressive "H plate" fitted and then paired with a Polsilver Iridium blade. It gave as close as I feel I will ever get to the "BBS" shave, totally irritation free with the alum block which amazed me as I could most definitely feel that blade!!
Then trying the same ATT razor with a Feather blade gave me so many nicks, weepers and post shave irritation that I doubt I will pair them again. Then the Feather blade in my Feather AS-D2 also gives an awesome irritation free shave but then this is a much milder razor and doesn't shave as close as the above ATT pairing.
Love that there is so much to this hobby/pastime.

 

[RayClem]

Your experience is very similar to mine:
1. Getting the optimal blade/blades helps with any new razor!
2. The 34C is an excellent razor, albeit in the mild/moderate range, that is tough to beat!
3. My preference is for mild/moderate razors paired with sharp blades. With more aggressive razors, I need blades that are less sharp.

Exactly. Using a sharper blade can make a mild-moderate razor more efficient and using a less sharp blade can tame a very aggressive razor. You just have to find the combination of razor and blade that works best for your beard and face and skill level.