Who gave the Tech it's "bad" rep?

[Emmett]

I have been shaving with a Tech for...about a month now, I guess. I've been very pleased with it, and not in a hurry to try any more aggressive razors. I entered my review of it here just this week. I was reading the other reviews and they invariably referenced the Tech getting knocked for being too mild. But--I have not seen any forum posts actually knocking the Tech--just the opposite, in fact. It is a razor everyone seems to like. My question is, how did the Tech get this "too mild" reputation that makes people speak up in its defense? It is just a by-product of a veteran shaver wanting to justify liking a mild, beginner razor over more aggressive, "advanced" razors? Or at some point was the Tech actually unpopular?

 

[guru]

You're right, we seem to defend its great shaving qualities. I keep one in my regular rotation and love it as my travel razor. It shaves close with no drama and does it in not always perfect conditions, like hotels or camping, when my prep and lather may not be perfect. It seems a razor that is easy to operate, close shaving, that doesn't cut would be a sign of a better design, so let's hear it for a "mild" razor. And I understand that it won't work as good for everyone, or, as we like to say, YMMV.

 

[bonusmarple]

The tech was one of the most successful designs that Gillette had. It ran from the 30's to the 70's with very little change. I have no idea where the whole "bad" razor came from. Certainly wasn't from sales.

 

[Hoos]

In reading the reviews, the majority of the reviewers praise the Techs.

The Techs are mild shavers. And for folks new to shaving or wet shaving, I think they're great starter razors. For some folks, that's all they'll need; others will find they benefit from a more aggressive razor.

A lot of B&Bers, too, are shaving explorers, and may come upon the Tech at different stages of the exploration.

Often, I think reviews are done "in the heat of the moment" vs. from a viewpoint of longer experience and comparing with experiences with other razors (or any other product). Unlike many of our predecessors in shaving, we have the enviable position of being able to try out razors as they've developed over the past 100+ years, which can go a long way in shaping one's perception of a razor's performance.

Do I respect the Techs for being well-designed, good razors? Yes.

Do I like using a Tech for my shaving? No.

But then I feel that way about SuperSpeeds, too. Nothing wrong with them; just not right for me.

 

[Bertilak]

Do I respect the Techs for being well-designed, good razors? Yes.

Do I like using a Tech for my shaving? No.

But then I feel that way about SuperSpeeds, too. Nothing wrong with them; just not right for me.

That's the right attitude.

Unfortunately, I see Techs referred to with "damning" praise -- "a good mild razor for beginners" (with the "only" left unstated at the end). Some people also seem to equate "aggressive" with "good" and "mild" with "bad". Others go for macho (aggressive) vs. not-so-macho (mild) with a hint of "if you were a *real* (and skilled) man you'd use an aggressive razor not one of those namby-pamby mild Techs."

Now I probably read too much into some of what I read here but I do sense the above attitude, maybe just not as blatantly stated as above.

I also see where Techs are not the one true razor. I have found others I like better because they do a better job for me (GEMs) and I find it interesting to shave with real antiques. Now being over 60 years old, things from the '40s and '50s just don't seem that old to me. So a Tech is just not as much fun. I also think the NEWs shave just as well and are better looking.

Anyway, if you were a real man you'd use a straight!

 

[spinyeel]

Tech's are not imo mild shavers.Weishi's and Blue Tip Super Speeds are mild shavers.The Fat handle Tech especially,will deal with any beard.

 

[Milbink]

Now I’m not one to discriminate; cos I have cut myself with a tech just like I have with all my razors!

I don’t see ‘mild’ as a bad thing, I guess like everything else it just comes down to personal choice. There is a Tech in my rotation and I personally think it holds it’s own.

Cheers,


Adam

 

[Schwert]

Having only Techs in my selection I can only say that, mild or whatever, I get the shave I want from mine.

My fat-handled tech is so nice that I have almost completely stopped looking for any thing else. I really appreciate the simplicity of these razors. The fancy adjustable TTO's are just too much whizbang for my tastes.

A NEW has some real appeal to me though....

 

[shaved_*****]

who gave mild shavers a bad rep?

 

[RocketMan]

Just what does MILD mean anyway?? I find an aggressive razor is one that is just waiting to nick and hack. If MILD means shaves well with little trouble, then the name should be changed to GOOD.

The blue tip is a LIGHT razor, not a mild. The Red tip is HEAVIER. Some people like weight in their razors. I can deal with that. Some razors are designed crappy and tend to seat the blade to pull and do a crummy job. If you adjust the blade to have a different gap - is that the variability defined as aggression?

So question remains - please define MILD and to do so I guess you need to define AGGRESSIVE.

thnx

 

[Hoos]

Just what does MILD mean anyway?? I find an aggressive razor is one that is just waiting to nick and hack. If MILD means shaves well with little trouble, then the name should be changed to GOOD.

The blue tip is a LIGHT razor, not a mild. The Red tip is HEAVIER. Some people like weight in their razors. I can deal with that. Some razors are designed crappy and tend to seat the blade to pull and do a crummy job. If you adjust the blade to have a different gap - is that the variability defined as aggression?

So question remains - please define MILD and to do so I guess you need to define AGGRESSIVE.

thnx

You raise some excellent points. If we all just had the same beard type and same sensitivity, the answer would be easy!

I think the terminology of "lighter" and "heavier" for the razor itself is a good idea.

But what about the adjustable razors? Where aggressiveness can be changed by adjusting the gap, but not adjusting the weight?

And I've had some heavy razors that leave a bunch of stubble behind.

Not poo-pooing the idea at all. I'd love for more clarity in the terminology. But only to underscore how difficult it can be.

 

[Roman414]

I don't get the "beginner" and "advanced" thing. A razor should expose enough blade to cut your whiskers, but not so much to increase the risk of cutting yourself. It should have a head and handle geometry that allows you to find the proper angle. And that is just as true for your ten thousandth shave as for your third shave, isn't it?

 

[Corey]

My theory (and backed completely and 100% by pure speculation and a pound of pixie dust) is that the razor took a back seat to the newer stuff. It didn't have the newer, fancier TTO design. It lacked the adjustability wow factor. It took a back seat to the new cartridges. It stayed the same basic design through its production cycle while the newer, fancier stuff kept getting released and drawing the spotlight. In a world where flash and aww factors heavily into sales and perception, the basic Tech took a back seat.

 

[Bertilak]

I don't get the "beginner" and "advanced" thing. A razor should expose enough blade to cut your whiskers, but not so much to increase the risk of cutting yourself. It should have a head and handle geometry that allows you to find the proper angle. And that is just as true for your ten thousandth shave as for your third shave, isn't it?

While I advocate the "only aggressive as need be" approach, I do think there might be one advantage to a more aggressive razor. The milder a razor is, the less leeway you have for adjusting the contact angle of the blade, and that angle will be different for different growth patterns. My gut feeling is, however, that the Techs and NEWs leave as much leeway as is needed for most beards, but that is just a guess.

 

[mdunn]

After getting into straights I sold all my DEs... Except my aluminium handled english tech. I couldnt part with it, my best and favourite DE. For me at least, it ourperformed many more expensive and 'desirable' razors.

 

[rainman]

Its not the mildness, its the motion of the ocean.

 

[Luc]

Tech are great razors. I prefer other types but you know you can count on a decent shave with a Tech!

 

[Tommy C]

I love my Tech. It's my go to razor now, with the Merkur HD. I get a faster and closer shave with the Tech.

 

[rcd213]

Personally, I like more aggressive razors (Slim, FB, Super adj., (all -7-9), and my NEW), but with my newly acquired fat-handled tech, it does an excellent job with a feather, the same goes for the ball-end tech I've had for a while, except it's a bit too light for my tastes, even though it isn't aluminum.

 

[ctakim]

Used a tech today for the first time to shave. It was a gold ball handled tech with a Chroma blade. Very nice! Mild, light, and very maneuverable. Bit of a hassle to put the blade in, though.