Gradual reduction is one of the keys to a successful shave. Your first pass should be merely to knock down the worst of your stubble. Also you could try a shallower angle, riding the cap a bit more, so that you are shaving your whiskers, rather than scraping them. The Merkur Progress is one of my favourite razors and imo is a better razor than the 34C, being adjustable. When it comes to your final ATG pass you could always dial it down and reduce the aggression a bit, particularly under the nose.