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Currently have a AL13++, looking to upgrade to something more aggressive

Hello everyone,

I've been using the Henson AL13 medium for a little over 3 months now, it's my first DE razor and it has helped me make the switch over from cartridges. Now that I have been using it daily for work(3x a week) and then every 2-3 days on my days off I have come across a few issues. I have thick, coarse hair and rock a beard 99% of the time. The only time I don't is when I mess up trying to line up my beard and as I'm desperately trying to fix it I just make it worse and worse until I finally give up and shave the entire thing off...thankfully I've been able to avoid that with the Henson. Unfortunately, it's mostly due to the head of the razor blocking my view a bit so I'm not able to truly line up my beard until I visit my barber.

With the Henson I'm able to get a DFS for the most part, it just takes some time. I usually go WTG 2-3x on my cheeks and sideburns, 1-2x on my neck, and then ATG once. My neck is usually where I'll still have noticeable stubble in certain areas, it's sensitive and while I haven't had nearly as much irritation as I used to with cartridges, it does still happen every now and then. I've attached some pictures to give you guys an idea of what I'm working with. They were taken around 17-18 hours from when I last shaved.


So I guess what I'm looking for in my next razor(s) is.
1. Being able to line up my beard
2. While BBS would be nice, just being able to get a DFS quicker and more consistently would make me more than happy.


I've been researching for a while now, and the amount of razors + the various subtypes I've come across has been pretty overwhelming to say the least. I'm hoping to not have to spend a crazy amount of money on this upgrade if I don't have to, ideally $150 or less but I'm willing to stretch that if needed.

A few of the razors I've looked into are:
  • Razorock GC, Lupo, Wunderbar, Switch, etc. - sweet baby jesus the amount of options you have with Razorock is mind numbing! I've just recently heard about the Switch, and while its intriguing I haven't seen many reviews for it on this site. In theory being able to shave normally and then switching to a straight razor style to line up my beard sounds like the perfect fit. If I'm not mistaken the Razorock heads are interchangeable with the handles so that's a plus in case I need to try a different one.

  • Blackland Blackbird - I've seen this razor recommended so many times on this forum. It's definitely easy on the eyes, the price however not so much. Also, it is a little hard to justify dropping that much money for a razor I'll only use to shave my cheek and neck area with.

  • Leaf Twig - looks like it'll make lining up my beard easy, just not a fan of having to buy a different set of razor blades for it.

  • AL13+++ - AL vs Ti? I'm not a fan of how light my razor felt but I did get used to it eventually. Like I said before, the size and angle makes lining up my beard fairly difficult; but it is so damn easy to shave with. If im able to get a noticeably quicker & better shave from it over the medium I would definitely have to consider staying with Henson.

  • Straight razor - Ideally I'd like to stay with DE razors, but I'm open to giving straight razors a shot. My barber does a good job lining up my forehead, sideburns, and cheek area with his shavette; but the neck area I have him avoid because it almost always results in some pretty severe irritation.
There were a couple more razors I looked into but I think I'm done writing this essay of a post. I'm sure you guys will have plenty of recommendations. If you made it this far, thank you for taking the time to read this post!
 

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Welcome to the forum. You've done an excellent job describing your needs. My suggestion is the Leaf Twig, or possibly the more aggressive Leaf Thorn. And you're mistaken about having to buy different blades; use a standard DE blade and snap it in half (inside the wrapper).

 
  • AL13+++ - AL vs Ti? I'm not a fan of how light my razor felt but I did get used to it eventually. Like I said before, the size and angle makes lining up my beard fairly difficult; but it is so damn easy to shave with. If im able to get a noticeably quicker & better shave from it over the medium I would definitely have to consider staying with Henson.

I would recommend the +++ preferably in Ti.
 
If you are dissatisfied with the line of sight using the Henson, I don't think any DE will work any better; your view of the line will always be obscured. I agree with @Big_T in recommending the Leaf Thorn.

If you would like to try a different DE, I would recommend the RazoRock Game Changer over the Lupo, given the irritation you experience on the neck. I had resisted trying the Game Changer until the recent release of the 1.05 plate. Very smooth, comfortable, and efficient at a great price for a very well-designed stainless steel tool.
 
I would recommend the +++ preferably in Ti.
Absolutely correct. I have used many razors and nothing compares to the Hendon. 45 years of shaving.

One more suggestion try using Jack Black Beard Lube or Kiehl’s Brushless so you can see the beard line. They are both outstanding and both translucent.
 
To me, it seems like the too thick, blockhead Henson may be part of the problem with lining up the OP's beard.

I don't have a beard, so I cannot speak from experience, but maybe a razor with more traditional geometry and a much thinner head would help, like a Game Changer.

Maybe the smaller thinner head of the Twig will help.

Or a different format altogether, like the impossibly tiny head on a Vector.

Finally, some barbers use an open blade to line up a beard, so maybe an AC shavette like the Feather SS or SR.

I dunno, it just seems that there are many options better than the clunky Henson.
 
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