Smoothest Razors In Your Experience (Modern Only)?

[SgtCrppls]

Smoothest and efficient:

1) WR2 SB 1.25 w/ Timor Blade
2). Blackbird Ti SB w/ Perma Sharp Blade

 

[IdLatherShave]

Yates 'Merica
Henson (including the +++)
Karve Overlander
RazoRock (any of the milder plates in all of their offerings)

 

[Hopalong]

I’ve got a Rockwell 6s and Gamechanger 68sb, 68oc, 84sb, 84oc.
I shave twice a week at most because I view it as a chore and I’m retired.
I can’t see, I’m in a hurry, and don’t pay attention like I should.
For a smooth, close, efficient shave none of the above will do.

FOCS is like magic.

 

[Omega48]

1) Henson AL13 and Ti22 mild.
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Then: Oneblade Genesis, Henson AL13 medium, Feather AS-D2, first generation aluminum Hawk, in no particular order.

Close enough, Merkur 34C.

 

[Merchant Seaman Z]

FaTip Piccolo or Gold Grande.

 

[Filudo]

RR Wunderbar......the BEST

 

[Dskmat]

Rex on 1 is super smooth and efficient for me.
Also super smooth with brass Yaqi adjustable
Non adjustable- rasorock superslant no.1 Plate
Single edge - Hawk V3 regular plate
Happily pick any of these for my daily shave

 

[GNR]

A tough question to answer because we all have different skin and whiskers. But, in order to “enable” you to grab some awesome razors I’ll do my part.

I’m not sure if you’ve ever used a GEM format razor. They are cool and efficient. The first use of a blade can be more harsh, so I palm strop the blade. If you’re looking for smooth in this type of razor and are modern only…Wolfman WR3 and/or Blackland Saber.

For DE there are some very smooth/comfortable e razors but my recommended is the Blackland Osprey. This adjustable razor can be dialed up from mild to darn near wild. And on “the wild side” there will be some blade feel but, it’s still smooth and never harsh. Perhaps even more surprising, on the lower/mild settings, where I get no blade feel the razor is still efficient.

Good luck in your search and most importantly, enjoy the journey.

 

[tm3]

Wonder if the OP is going to provide a tally. Seems that some razors are dominating while others are conspicuously absent.

 

[Cannon Cocker]

I will be honest...after many years and many razors, I still don't really understand what people mean by a "smooth" razor.

I definitely notice differences in relative smoothness for different blades, but for razors the degree of smoothness seems to be mostly influenced by the shave angle, and as the user that is within my power to change.

There are a handful of razors I could say aren't "smooth" due to some problem like excessive blade chatter, although I probably wouldn't say that. I would say, "This razor suffers from too much blade chatter."

I guess you could say that mild razors are likely to be smoother than aggressive razors, but that's kind of self-evident - the discussion might just as well be about aggression. Also, once you get into the area of using aggressive, blade-forward razors, the blade becomes proportionately more significant in determining how the razor feels, since it makes more thorough contact with the skin. Take a very aggressive razor that doesn't feel smooth and take the blade out. Bingo! It's smooth!

So, I guess I find most razors are adequately smooth if you use them with a suitable blade and a suitable shave angle, and any differences are sufficiently minor as to be inconsequential. Am I the only one who feels like that?

I think you bring up an important point with regard to shave angle. Could it be that a razor with a broader range in shave angle would feel smoother because of the difficulty in maintaining that angle throughout the shave?

 

[Goblin]

I think you bring up an important point with regard to shave angle. Could it be that a razor with a broader range in shave angle would feel smoother because of the difficulty in maintaining that angle throughout the shave?

I would say the opposite. To me, a razor with a large range of possible angles has more potential for roughness because it still allows blade contact with the skin even when the angle is too steep for efficient shaving, and the blade is scraping more than slicing. I find that if a stroke feels rougher than I expect, it's often because I have allowed the angle to wander by inadvertently dropping my elbow and ending up steeper than is optimal. People who favour steep shave angles disagree.

However, it's also the case that a lot of razors have an optimal angle which is the same regardless of whether you approach it from a steep or shallow starting point. I begin to suspect that a lot of us use the same angle but just approach it from different sides.

 

[Ron R]

I have many razors that fit that category that are smooth and efficient + modern.
-Razorock Game changer.84 with a Gillette standard GSB , for more blade feel us a Kai SS extra wide blade.
-Yaqi SE Excalibur shinny chromed head with your favorite handle AC type with a Schick proline. Very affordable.
-Razorock Wunderbar with a short 3" handle works really well with a light touch for myself.(it took a little longer to dial in than most razors.)
-Yaqi Slope slant 316 SS is another razor that is mild and works well for good results.
-Razorock SLOC, great razor and great price IMO. Some blade tab overhang. Works well and recommend it for newbies many times and seasoned shavers with sensitive skin. Based off the Grand shave king razor of the 1940's.
-Razorock Lupo.72 or 95, if your technique is dialed it is hard to beat and reasonably priced IMO.

Vintage razors there are a lot out there in the wild also and work well like the Gillette Super speeds and Gem razors and if you like shaving they should be added to your Den very inexpensively IMO .