Between mild and aggressive - which way?

[Umma2gumma]

Mild razor, sharp blade make all the difference for me. I’ve gone through my phase of aggressive razors with super sharp blades (Muhle R41 with Feathers, for example) and it’s simply not worth it.

A very cheap yet easy way to try getting back into DE is Baili BD176. It’s very mild and forgiving yet efficient, I really like it paired with Astra SP blades - an easy three-pass BBS with no nicks or irritation. For $9-12 depending on the source and packaging you can’t go wrong.

 

[cpcohen1945]

I really have to do justice to Edwin Jagger DE89. Despite the shortcomings I mentioned in my previous post, it turned out to be a damn fine shaver for me. Reusing a Gillette Platinum blade for the 5th consecutive day, DE89 can give DSF with WTG and XTG pass, smooth, easy and hassle-free. It also shaves closer than KCG (but not more aggressive for that). Very, very satisfied, to the point of not wanting to ask more from shaving than this.

Don't try to fix what ain't broken.

I started with a Tech, complained to a forum, got pointed to a DE89, and used that happily for several years. It's a good razor.

 

[catchacoolbreeze]

Gillette Platinum is the way!

 

[Attog]

Since we're also talking blades here I was recently surprised (in a good way) with Fatip blades in combination with R41 (Zamak head). 3 consecutive shaves went BBS, BBS, DFS+ (then I changed the blade). No razor burn no weepers (maybe one on my neck but nothing major. Smooth blades but still plenty sharp, no tugging and these shaves were all 2-3 days whiskers.

 

[anoop]

G'day Gentlemen,
Long-time reader, first-time poster here, trying to go back to DE shaving.
For the last 30 years, I have been using various cartridges from Gillette, for quick, hassle-free and smooth daily shaves. Last year, I spotted a KGC DE razor in a store and decided to give it a try. Of course, the DE technique was no longer there in my wrist, so I began rebuilding it slowly, using Gillette Platinum blades. However, with WTG and XTG passes, I could never attain a satisfactory shave: never as close enough, never as good enough on certain spots (top of cheeks) as with Gillette Fusion 5. Preparation, razor angles and Wilkinson blades did not make any difference. No matter how many passes, Fusion 5 could still pick some remains.
Recently, I pulled out of drawer my father's DE razor from the 70s (Swing brand, made in Sweden), with pretty flat head and flat bar instead of comb. I was able to get a very, very close shave with a single WTG pass. However, XTG pass was a bloodbath, no matter how gently I did it, with all-day irritation afterwards.
I am still determined to pursue the DE path, but apparently need a different razor. Is there a middle-way between KCG and Swing razor? Would EJ DE89 make a difference over KCG?

Thank you in advance for your input and your reccommendations.

Why are you attempting to switch from the Fusion 5? Most of us come to DE because of unhappiness with cartridge.

 

[John Malkovich]

Why are you attempting to switch from the Fusion 5? Most of us come to DE because of unhappiness with cartridge.

Thank you for that question. There are two equally compelling reasons.
For the first four years or so, I was using DE razor and whichever blade, mostly sourced from my father's drawer. Around 1990, I onboarded on Gillette Contour, and then went through all generations of their multiblade cartridges, until their prices got a bit out of proportion lately. I don't know what are the prices in your countries, but in Serbia, a year's supply of Fusion 5 Proglide is worth 100 EUR - that's for 12 cartridges. For blades? Thanks, but no. The question is not whether I can pay but rather do I want to pay that much. Besides, they are not as good as before and can hardly last the whole month.
The second reason is "men thinking about Roman Empire every day" syndrome or rather how things used to be simpler, manlier and with more substance and virtue, but were scraped in modern civilisation. I remember my father being a simple man, never asking more than a five-buck haircut and a five-buck after shave. That was his measure of man's grooming. So I wanted to cut it down to very simple terms and means myself. As I mentioned in my previous posts, I have found the perfect substitute for shaving in practical terms, but coming closer to substance and virtue. Besides, handling very sharp objects is a useful man's knowledge.

 

[ErkRusselReserve]

Haven’t read every post, but try this first. Use the Swing for the first pass and the other for Atg/xtg. Or vice versa. Using the right tool for the right job is correct.

 

[ErkRusselReserve]

Another thing- the Fusion Flexball is actually a great shave. You will not match it with newbie skills and untuned equipment. However, my issue with it is that 5 blades in multiple strokes is just too much blade exposure and ensuing irritation. Plus they are stupid expensive (even moreso with the Gillette labs).

Technique is important, but so is gear. You can make my SuperClick with Flexball with your old used cartridges too. DE with multiple pivots. It works great. Then DE or AC or SE for cleanup. All you need is a little bit of careful taking apart and gluing.

If you have tough hair and sensitive skin, the RayClem blade reviews on another site are gold. He knows what he is talking about.

Map your beard! You need to know direction is WTG!

This guys videos are all good too:

 

[profusion]

Cartridge razors are outrageously expensive, wasteful, and don't even perform that well. I guess they allow you to be brainless in the morning and not know how to shave.

I'll admit there are mornings where I wish I didn't need prep and could just zip through the shave. However, learning and applying the skills of DE shaving is it's own reward, I've found. That'd be even more true for straight razors, but I just don't have that kind of time in the morning. Maybe when I'm retired.

Anyway, I think a skilled DE shaver probably benefits from a milder razor and sharper blades, but knowing how to wield an aggressive razor is also good.

 

[anoop]

^ I don’t think a straight takes more time. It takes skill and more focus. Many videos on YouTube show how quickly one shave with a straight. The problem is the focus. I know there are days when my mind is just elsewhere. The DE seems like a good compromise.

 

[John Malkovich]

Another thing- the Fusion Flexball is actually a great shave. You will not match it with newbie skills and untuned equipment. However, my issue with it is that 5 blades in multiple strokes is just too much blade exposure and ensuing irritation. Plus they are stupid expensive (even moreso with the Gillette labs).

in my experience, Flexball can actually skip or skim over curved parts. I have preferred fixed handle. Regarding the shaving results, I am already at the level comparable to Fusion 5, so really no reason for me to go back to multiblades of any sort. I will keep the remaining stock for travel, though, for at least another year.

 

[ErkRusselReserve]

in my experience, Flexball can actually skip or skim over curved parts. I have preferred fixed handle. Regarding the shaving results, I am already at the level comparable to Fusion 5, so really no reason for me to go back to multiblades of any sort. I will keep the remaining stock for travel, though, for at least another year.

That is an insightful comment. The flexball can indeed skip. Multiple passes resolves this issue, but then you are talking about 10-20 razor strokes across your face. No good. My single blade Flexball doesn't have this issue, but I am working on v5 to increase tension to improve efficiency. Lets see if adding springs will help. The Feather Samrai that I have converted has stronger springs and is more efficient, but it has geometry issues with certain angles and isn't a trailing blade. It is even with the pivot, which is not ideal (in terms of pivoting razors).