Tried to Shave With a Red Tip

[slamjet]

I tried to use one of my Red Tips with an Astra blade. I put it against my skin and had an instant slash. I didn't even get to cut a whisker! I guess the regular angle doesn't work with this razor. I put it down and used one of my other SS razor without a single incident.

Is there anything special I need to know before using a Red Tip? Is it really so aggressive that it doubles as a lethal weapon?

 

[Navig8tor]

I have mainly used a red tip for the last two months with only a few deviations to test out a few others. During this time I have been using personna reds as it is currenly my blade of choice.

I have not found it to be terribly aggressive. It may be a notch or two above a normal SS. I can't tell you the last time I even had a weeper with it.

It is the razor that I thinks gives me a consistently great shave without a lot of effort.

Give it another try but be careful when it first comes in contact with your skin. I have found that this is the easiest time to get careless and let the razor bite you.

 

[FiXXXer]

I haven't used one myself, but I've heard that it's comparable to a Fatboy on 3 or 4, which I find very mild. I think it's probably more likely you caught it at a strange angle or even that you moved it slightly to the side before you started to move it down. You may want to try starting the stroke before the razor contacts your skin, so you don't have it stationary on your skin, which makes a cut much more likely.

 

[soapbox]

I haven't used one myself, but I've heard that it's comparable to a Fatboy on 3 or 4, which I find very mild. I think it's probably more likely you caught it at a strange angle or even that you moved it slightly to the side before you started to move it down. You may want to try starting the stroke before the razor contacts your skin, so you don't have it stationary on your skin, which makes a cut much more likely.

Agreed it's like a 195 on 3 or 4. I'm used to Astras, and sometimes the first shave can be a bit rough, but I am generally fond of Red Tips, even though I don't use them much anymore.

 

[onafly]

I too recently shaved with a Red Tip and had similar results. I have since switched to a Tech. I suspect that of you're going to use a red tip you should shave carefully and slowly.

 

[tom myers]

In my experience, there is nothing unique about using a red tip SS. It is a little more aggressive than a regular flair tip SS, but it isn't normally going to give you any surprises if you are familiar with Superspeeds.

Are you sure there isn't something bent or misaligned on your razor? If you were using it for the first time, I assume you recently aquired it. Look at the head with a critical eye toward it being symmetrical from both sides and from both ends and also, looking from the top, does the blade exposure appear the same on both sides? With any razor this old, there is always the possibility that it may have been dropped and damaged at some point in it's lifetime.

This is one of my favorite DE's and I never have had any problem with the red tip doing me any harm at all. I feel it was one of Gillette's best efforts.

Regards,
Tom

 

[owen]

I've used a red tip for a couple of decades, its my main razor. I used to use blades from kmart or any local drugstore. Tried Astra didn't like them, to each their own, right now I've been using super iridiums,its a real nice blade. Just find the razor angle that works for you. I have used it for so many years I can superspeed like an iceskater not aggressive at all, I've been messing with straights the last couple of years, now talk about agggresive and watching your angles.

 

[BEAR DEN]

I have not found the Red Tip too aggressive. I always thought that it was more of a marketing thing then reality...I could be very wrong though. I would simply try a different blade.

 

[David in Boston]

I have not found the Red Tip too aggressive. I always thought that it was more of a marketing thing then reality...I could be very wrong though. I would simply try a different blade.

Same here. When I got my Red Tip I used a Dorco 301 and was surprised that it barely gave me a DFS. Hearing all the talk about a Red Tip being aggressive etc.

Tried a Feather blade and big improvement. The result was a DFS on two pass shave.

 

[chab]

I once got a new-to-me razor and got a gash as well. I now have a scar there.
Be careful. Don't continue if anything looks/feels wrong. Its rare, but does happen.

 

[RickT]

In my experience, there is nothing unique about using a red tip SS. It is a little more aggressive than a regular flair tip SS, but it isn't normally going to give you any surprises if you are familiar with Superspeeds.

Are you sure there isn't something bent or misaligned on your razor? If you were using it for the first time, I assume you recently aquired it. Look at the head with a critical eye toward it being symmetrical from both sides and from both ends and also, looking from the top, does the blade exposure appear the same on both sides? With any razor this old, there is always the possibility that it may have been dropped and damaged at some point in it's lifetime.

I tend to agree with Myers. I'd give it a very close look for anything bent. I have a sensitive face but didn't have any problems with the Red Tip and a Feather. I could tell that it commands a little more respect but only slightly.

 

[jgjoneslaw]

If you look at the aggressiveness wiki the red tip is less aggressive than the Merkur HD which is frequently recommended as a good beginner's razor. Having used both, my experience conforms with this. When I dial back my slim to 3 I got a similar shave to what I got with my red tip. I guess it is all relative. If you have been using a Tech or regular SS, the red tip may seem aggressive to you. But if you've been using any of the Merkurs, a dialed up slim or fatboy, or an open comb model you're probably going to find the red tip pretty mild.

 

[rainman]

After using the merkur progress on 12, I went back and tried a red tip. It was actually almost too mild for me to use it and impossible to cut myself. When I first started de shaving I considered the red tip very aggressive and I did get a bad bite from it. It is all relative.