Merkur 38C HD ; Is there a similarly efficient/aggressive razor but smoother shaving?

[alohakid]

I get an irritation free BBS shave in 3 passes with very little clean-up with my Merkur 38C HD .
Is there a similarly efficient/aggressive razor but smoother shaving ?

 

[TonyJ]

Same head like these: 1904/1906, 20C, 23C, 33C, 34G, 38C, 38HD, and 38M. Not very aggressive head.
Maybe slant is a bit smoother but I think the smoothness depends much more on your blades and lather.

 

[alohakid]

Same head like these: 1904/1906, 20C, 23C, 33C, 34G, 38C, 38HD, and 38M. Not very aggressive head.
Maybe slant is a bit smoother but I think the smoothness depends much more on your blades and lather.

...well , for example , using the exact same lather and blade , a Feather AS-D1 gives an extremely smooth shave , but not as close .

 

[deafficianado]

Edwin Jagger 89. It is similar yet smoother. Can't go wrong with this head. However my preference is the Gillette New (short or long comb)

 

[5savages]

I get an irritation free BBS shave in 3 passes with very little clean-up with my Merkur 38C HD .
Is there a similarly efficient/aggressive razor but smoother shaving ?

Have you tried many different blades with it? My 38C can be incredibly smooth and efficient (with Voskhods & Personna Supers) or very tuggy (Dorcos), depending on the blade.

 

[Teddyboy]

A Merkur Progress set to 1 or 2 would be as aggressive, but probably smoother. I am also not a fan of the 38C. In my experience, many blades that did not work well in the 38C did work very well in the Muhle R89. One blade that does do well in the 38C is the RedIP, also the Walmart Personna Platinum Chrome.

 

[alohakid]

A Merkur Progress set to 1 or 2 would be as aggressive, but probably smoother. I am also not a fan of the 38C. In my experience, many blades that did not work well in the 38C did work very well in the Muhle R89. One blade that does do well in the 38C is the RedIP, also the Walmart Personna Platinum Chrome.

I have tried many blades ; some are smoother than others .
I like the end results from the 38C HD , I just wish it were smoother shaving .

 

[dmpl]

Try a Merkur 12C open comb - it works well for me

 

[alohakid]

Thanks , I see that 12C is discontinued ; is there a replacement ?
Is 12C head same as Muhle R41 ?

 

[dpmtherrien]

Try the 1904 with the safety bar. I've found this to be a very nice shaver, and the 1904 OC just a bit more aggressive.

 

[nomoore]

Define "smoother". I find that the 34C feels heavy, with sharp corners. It gives me an almost identical shave to my late 40's Super Speed but my SS just feels nicer while shaving and it has nothing to do with the blade. It's like the difference between rubbing your finger on a square corner vs a rounded corner. Also, I thought for a while that my 34C was more aggressive but I think it is just heavier. I can't let the full weight of it press on my face. Also, the same blades seem to work good for me in both the 34C and the late 40's SS. These are currently my 2 favorite razors but I do like the SS better.

 

[alohakid]

... with less drag ?