Your Smoothest and Most Efficient Razors

[Steve_in_CT]

When all is said and done, I evaluate my razors on two things: smoothness and efficiency. Smoothness is quite subjective, but for me it is a composite of all of the factors that make the shave comfortable during the shave. Efficiency is perhaps measurable, but I have no effective tools to do so. I rate a razor's efficiency by feeling how smooth my face is after my normal two pass shave. Here is how my current razors, DE and SE, rank on those two criteria:

Perhaps interestingly, the razors with the highest composite score are not the ones I use most often. I am biased towards efficiency over smoothness, and the Dart gets used as much as all of the others combined. What razor(s) do you have that excel in both smoothness and efficiency? Has anyone found anything with the efficiency of the Dart and R41, but which is noticeably smoother?

Edit: Looking this over, I wonder why I didn't rate the Dart and R41 higher in efficiency. I have never used anything more efficient, but I guess I'm just leaving open the possibility that such razors exist. That said, after reconsidering, I would probably push both of those up to a 9 in efficiency.

 

[CzechCzar]

When all is said and done, I evaluate my razors on two things: smoothness and efficiency. Smoothness is quite subjective, but for me it is a composite of all of the factors that make the shave comfortable during the shave. Efficiency is perhaps measurable, but I have no effective tools to do so. I rate a razor's efficiency by feeling how smooth my face is after my normal two pass shave. Here is how my current razors, DE and SE, rank on those two criteria:

View attachment 1374992

Perhaps interestingly, the razors with the highest composite score are not the ones I use most often. I am biased towards efficiency over smoothness, and the Dart gets used as much as all of the others combined. What razor(s) do you have that excel in both smoothness and efficiency? Has anyone found anything with the efficiency of the Dart and R41, but which is noticeably smoother?

Edit: Looking this over, I wonder why I didn't rate the Dart and R41 higher in efficiency. I have never used anything more efficient, but I guess I'm just leaving open the possibility that such razors exist. That said, after reconsidering, I would probably push both of those up to a 9 in efficiency.

This is so interesting. The Yaqi Top Aggressive Slant is, for me, more comfortable and more efficient than the blackbird and the R41.

 

[JimmyCB]

When all is said and done, I evaluate my razors on two things: smoothness and efficiency. Smoothness is quite subjective, but for me it is a composite of all of the factors that make the shave comfortable during the shave. Efficiency is perhaps measurable, but I have no effective tools to do so. I rate a razor's efficiency by feeling how smooth my face is after my normal two pass shave. Here is how my current razors, DE and SE, rank on those two criteria:

View attachment 1374992

Perhaps interestingly, the razors with the highest composite score are not the ones I use most often. I am biased towards efficiency over smoothness, and the Dart gets used as much as all of the others combined. What razor(s) do you have that excel in both smoothness and efficiency? Has anyone found anything with the efficiency of the Dart and R41, but which is noticeably smoother?

Edit: Looking this over, I wonder why I didn't rate the Dart and R41 higher in efficiency. I have never used anything more efficient, but I guess I'm just leaving open the possibility that such razors exist. That said, after reconsidering, I would probably push both of those up to a 9 in efficiency.

I give the highest ratings for smoothness and efficiency to my Schick E injectors and GEM MMOC, in no particular order.

 

[Steve_in_CT]

This is so interesting. The Yaqi Top Aggressive Slant is, for me, more comfortable and more efficient than the blackbird and the R41.

Once again we see the variation in how each of us perceive different razors. I didn't list any Fatip razors in my chart, because I no longer own any. That's because, for me, they seemed smooth and efficient but always irritated my neck. I fully expect, however, to see some folks list the FOCS as one of the smoothest and most efficient razor.

 

[APBinNCA]

I have two DE razors that make a good comparison, the Henson medium and the Timeless .95.

The Henson, reluctantly after using the Timeless, gets a 8.5 for smoothness and a 6.5 for efficiency. The .5s are because it is an aluminum razor, the Ti version would be more consistent. The technique to get good efficiency out of it drops the smoothness score and raises the efficiency above the Hawk.

The Timeless is pretty much an 8 for smoothness all the time because of the blade feel and gap. I don't need to do anything weird to get efficiency so smoothness is consistent. I would rate it a solid 8, if you are upping your Dart to 9. I suspect the Wolfmen with a similar blade feel would get to 9 without losing smoothness, maybe only 8.5.

This purchase was long considered and deliberate. I can't really handle much less smoothness without my face getting raw and would prefer having to do an extra pass, or not. DE razors below this efficiency, for me, are not effective enough and frustrating. 4 passes with the Henson mild will not do what 3 with the medium will for my whiskers. I mostly use Artist Club now.

 

[romsitsa]

Really interesting. While I'd give the same values for the MMOC (depending on how used the blade is) the Dart is 4 for smoothness, 7 for efficiency.
10/10 would be a LeCoq caged head.

 

[richy240]

I have never used anything more efficient, but I guess I'm just leaving open the possibility that such razors exist.

The iKon Tek is a little higher than the R41 on the efficiency scale, but you pay for it with smoothness.

 

[Ron R]

Razorock 2nd generation Lupo.72 smooth, (7) and very efficient(8), carefree shaving for myself, mid range.

Yaqi Excalibur V2, AC 50mm, smooth(7) and efficient(7) daily driver for most folks IMO, tame mid range.

Gem 1912 SE any model, smooth (7) and efficient (7.5) very nice mid range SE razor- Gem sold millions of these, mid range.

These are my current very enjoyable razors for now and I have a few more and that will change my opinion over time not doubt.

 

[Eben Stone]

@Steve_in_CT do you use the same blades in all those razors?

 

[santamariasteve]

From my stash of about 70 DE and SE razors, there are many candidates I could name. This is a highly YMMV question.

But the first one that comes to mind in the 1937 Gillette Sheraton.

 

[Medivh]

My top candidates for both high efficiency and smoothness are - a Bulgarian TPK Star/Personna DE razor clone. RR GC .84 sb, Lupo DC and Schick M3 adjustable. Other slightly less smooth or efficient razors that I really like are the Merkur Progress, Pearl Flexi and RFB/NEW LC (the RFB feels slightly more efficient while just as smooth, but in general they perform almost the same).

Everything else in my collection is either too mild and not very efficient, very aggressive and super efficient or somewhere in between.

 

[Steve_in_CT]

@Steve_in_CT do you use the same blades in all those razors?

All of the DE razors are rated based upon Personna Israeli Red blades. The MMOC is a Personna Stainless Steel blade. The AC blades were specified in the chart. I find the Hawk too inefficient with the Schick Proline blades, but I find the shave with the Feather Pro Supers great in the Hawk but too harsh in the Enoch.

 

[Ckmaui]

for me at this moment Timeless 68 comb as my go to daily when not trying others

 

[ewk]

What razor(s) do you have that excel in both smoothness and efficiency? Has anyone found anything with the efficiency of the Dart and R41, but which is noticeably smoother?

Yates 921 provides high smoothness and efficiency for me.

I would personally bump the Rocca down a notch on efficiency. For the life of me I cannot get the Rocca to shave at the jawline. Very smooth, but darn that one area it won't shave me.

 

[Eben Stone]

What razor(s) do you have that excel in both smoothness and efficiency?

Blackland Dart
Henson TI +++

Has anyone found anything with the efficiency of the Dart and R41, but which is noticeably smoother?

The Henson TI +++ comes close. Henson is smoother, Dart more efficient. I enjoy both razors, with a slight preference to the Dart.

I know I'm probably in the minority. I don't know what's up with the Dart. IME it's the most enjoyable shave. Enough to gave away my R41 and Tek.

 

[Tirvine]

I have only one razor, an Above the Tie Windsor. With the R plate is is incredibly smooth and quite efficient. With the M plate it is silly smooth and reasonably efficient.

 

[emwolf]

I have Timeless razors in steel, titanium, and bronze and they are all super smooth efficient razors.

 

[Peterv1]

RR Lupo 95
Rockwell 6S
Merkur progress

My three most used razors

 

[steffenapelz]

 

[Pepin]

For me that would be my Gillette New and Old types. Smooth and efficient.