Mild...adjustable.....aggressive...DE razors

[Shyguy]

Hey fellow shaver,

I'm fairly new to this forum and im learning the world of wet shaving and especially with de razors. I would like to know with your experience, what you consider the best mild razor, best adjustable and the aggressive razor. If you have a top 3 or 5 or even top 10 that be great.

I would like to know peoples opinions because there is huge variety in de razors and Its hard to test drive all of them.

I have a EJ89 and Ikon SK9 at the moment....cos I have sensitive skin. A mild razor works for me best.

All opinons will be fab

Cheers
Shy guy

[The Soph Gent]

First, welcome to the forum. Great place to learn and everybody is real nice here.

You will most likely get a large # of replies...all with different suggestions. Razor combo's are very subjective. What works for one may not work for another. For me, a '50's Super Speed gives me a BBS everytime; for others it gives them a terrible shave. or they feel it is TOO mild. Also, you will find, that different blades will work with different razors and so on.

As SS with a Feathers works the best for me whereas with another member it may hack his face to shreds. In other words, I may list the SS as being mild but another member may list it as aggressive. Although in reality a SS Flare Tip is a fairly mild razor overall. I am just using this as an example.

This wiki links here at the forum were a great help to me.
http://wiki.badgerandblade.com/Double-Edged_Safety_Razors_Ranked_by_Aggressiveness

http://wiki.badgerandblade.com/Double-Edged_Safety_Razors_Ranked_by_Blade_Gap - especially this one.

Just recently I used a GEM G Bar and it hacked my face to shreds; others feel it is very good and not that aggressive. Some feel that a Fat Boy on "9" is too aggressive where others feel it is just right.
There are a few variables involved when trying to figure out what is aggressive or not. You will have to take the suggestions of the members here and try for yourself.

I just used a 1922 Aristocrat for the first time yesterday and it gave me a true BBS without irritation BUT it sounded very aggressive, but it wasn't. As far as your question, I have an EJ89 also and although it is considered mild, I still get some irritation after pass #3. For me, the older Super Speeds are even milder and still give me BBS. The chart of blade gaps will show you even more milder razors you may want to try.

Good luck.

[Clutch Cargo]

I would like to know peoples opinions because there is huge variety in de razors

Inasmuch as there is a huge variety in DE razors, you'll find that there is also an even wider range of opinions. I have a love for vintage adjustable razors, so I can affirm that either a Slim Adjustable or a Fat Boy can cover the range from as mild as you need to as aggressive as you want, all with one razor; but there are probably just as many here who dislike the adjustables for their own valid reasons and who have their own favorites. You mentioned that you already have an EJ89 and an Ikon SK9. My recommendation would be to continue to use the razors you currently own and work on perfecting your technique (i.e. prep, lather, choosing the best blade for your beard type and shaving style, using no added pressure with a sharp blade, practicing "beard reduction" over multiple passes in different directions vs. trying to get a close, irritation-free shave in a single pass, etc.). All of those variables can either positively or negatively affect your shaving experience when using the same razor! So work on eliminating the variables to find out what works best for you with the fine razors you already own. Only then would I start switching/adding more razors into the mix. Good luck and welcome to the forum!

[Oscroft]

You're probably going to get every razor ever made recommended before this thread is done :001_smile

But anyway, here are some of the razors I like...

Mild

I think the flare tip Superspeeds are amongst the best mild razors you can get - I have a couple of them, and they've always given me great results. To me they seem especially good with very sharp blades.

Of the modern razors, my favourite would be the EJ DE89 family - I have a DE86 and a DE87, which are the same but with different coloured plastic handles. They're not quite as mild as the superspeeds, but they're by no means aggressive.

There is also room in my selection for some ultra-mild razors, as I sometimes use a 2- or 3-razor strategy, using a very mild one for ATG and touching up. Best vintage for me is a blue-tip Superspeed, and in modern razors the Wilkinson Sword Classic (it seems close to impossible to cut yourself with one of these).

Adjustable

I only have two adjustables, both vintage - a Fatboy and a Slim. I think they're both so good I haven't felt the need for a modern one (but there really aren't any modern ones that attract me anyway). I marginally prefer the Fatboy because the weight seems to make it work better for me, but the Slim has a lower profile head and is better on my upper lip.

Aggressive

I really do quite like aggressive razors, and for me the leader by a clear mile is the Mühle R41 - I actually have the R102 version of it, which is the same but with a white handle. It needs a steady hand, a very light touch, and just the right angle, but when you get that right it works wonderfully (and unlike many people who like it, I don't have a tough beard).

Another aggressive razor, which I've just discovered, is the Gem 1912 Single Edge. There are a couple of variants, and they have a very aggressive blade exposure. I've only shaved once with my "Junior" so far, but it made a very good first impression.

Finally, I should mention using a Fatboy or Slim on an aggressive setting - they work really well for me on settings of 7 to 9. In fact, one of my favourite methods is to use settings of 7, 5 and 3 for my 3 passes, starting aggressive to get the bulk of the hair off, then going milder for more delicate passes and touching up.

Hope this is of some help.

[Shyguy]

Cheers for the above opinions....I understand certain razors can suit me and not for someone else. As you said, I have to be careful...and don't get crazy in buying razors...cos one can shred my skin, which I don't want. I'm always try perfecting my technique using the razor with a soft touch (I use feather ss blade) and also the prep. My prep is...shower, proraso pre shave, hot towel, TOBS sandalwood and nice thick lather. This works perfect for me, I have no irritation. One day I would like to buy adjustable razor like a gillette fatboy or a merkur.

[The Soph Gent]

You're probably going to get every razor ever made recommended before this thread is done :001_smile

Aggressive

Another aggressive razor, which I've just discovered, is the Gem 1912 Single Edge. There are a couple of variants, and they have a very aggressive blade exposure. I've only shaved once with my "Junior" so far, but it made a very good first impression.



"shyguy", this statement by "oscroft" is exactly what I was talking about in my post. Oscroft feels the GEM 1912 is aggressive whereas I feel it is fairly mild...and I have sensitive skin. I am NOT disagreeing with Oscroft, I am just stating how 'different strokes for different folks'. In fact the GEM 1912 is listed as being one of the most MILDEST razors out there. But to him, it is aggressive.

The GEM G Bar is listed as being very similar (in mildness) to the SS, yet the G Bar destroys me. In the end you will have to try some of the recommendations given here and decide for yourself. But that's what makes this so much fun.

[dcobranchi]

For vintage mild razors I'd say, from mildest to slightly more aggressive my list would be:

1. Schick Krona
2. Gillette Tech
3. Gillette SS

[mdw15]

I use mild razors and spent some time checking out those written about on this site as being mild. Your experience will vary. I started with a progress and liked it, so I had no predisposition against adjustables. Into my third year of wetshaving I have and use a slim, a fatboy and a mergress. The one nonadjustable I use is the '47 super speed, along with the next model, the '48-'50 super speed. I tried a mild tech and the 89L along the way, both considered mild, but I didn't like them. I gave them away after staying with them enough "to be sure." If I had them now, with more experience, I would try them again. . .and perhaps like them.

I purchased and used a superadjustable until its adjustable feature stuck; I didn't replace it.

But my collection contains a number of razors satisfying the "mild" criterion. Of course, adjustables are flexible that way.

Along with others I like a sharp blade in a mild razor. I use the 7 o'clock blue pretty much all the time now, although I've used and have enjoyed those written of on this site as being particularly sharp and smooth. A sampler naturally gives one an array to experience, and is hard not to do.

I'm learning that being flexible, observant and open-minded is important in learning the wetshaving skill, and art.

Of course, such an approach leads inevitably to indulging previously suppressed aquisition disorders, fueling the engine that will not die.

[Dr Roadrash]

It usually is too subjective except for maybe the very aggressive razors. Most tend to agree on these. The most aggressive IMHO:
Muhle R41
Barbasol floating head
Gillette Big Fellow old type
Fatip or Joris
Single ring and old types and french open combs that look like 3 piece single rings

Medium aggression Gillette red tip and unnotched aristocrat

Mild most gillette TTO and modern EJ DE89

Aaron

[Oscroft]

"shyguy", this statement by "oscroft" is exactly what I was talking about in my post. Oscroft feels the GEM 1912 is aggressive whereas I feel it is fairly mild...and I have sensitive skin. I am NOT disagreeing with Oscroft, I am just stating how 'different strokes for different folks'. In fact the GEM 1912 is listed as being one of the most MILDEST razors out there. But to him, it is aggressive.

Yes, I agree completely, the end result is a combination of many things, with skin type and technique being major factors - two people can use the same razor and come away with completely opposite opinions.

[turtle]

I would like to know with your experience, what you consider the best mild razor, best adjustable and the aggressive razor. If you have a top 3 or 5 or even top 10 that be great.

First welcome to B&B.

If you are considering an adjustable you will be buying both a mild and aggressive razor.

I started out using adjustable razors in the 60's and I still use them.

If for some reason I don't shave for a few days, the same razor (dialed up a few clicks) can take of the heavy growth then clicked down to finish off with a comfortable shave.

Now you could do this with a small collection of non adjustable razors but I find that once I get comfortable using one razor I don't want to "change up" should I pick up a different one.

My current stable of adjustable razors are the new Merkur models: Vision 2000 and Futur with my preference leaning to the Vision as it feels more comfortable in the hand (at least to me it does)

http://badgerandblade.com/gallery/displayimage.php?imageid=32276