What does a "aggressive razor" really mean

[golfnshave]

I have a Merkur 34HD closed comb and the same with a open comb. I can't really say I love them. I get ingrowns about every 3 weeks with either one but have got ingrowns no matter what I use.

Thinking of maybe getting a more aggressive razor. I do have a thick beard to go with sensitive skin.

So what does a more aggressive razor mean? Also what differences should I expect?

Any good recommendations on a razor would be great.

Thanks :)

[Samjax]

Aggressive generally speaks to a "closer" shave - one that is more "efficient" in that you don't have to go over your face so much to get a very nice shave.

If you like the Merkur line - a 37c or 39c Slant would be a very nice razor for you and it is liked by most who use it. If you want a bit more aggression, you can go to the Fatip/Joris or for the extreme, the Muhle R41.

That would actually make a decent progression - given the time - Slant/Fatip or Joris/R41.

[Vivasanti]

Hate to tell you this but your probably getting ingrowns from technique, no razor will help it till it improves.

[Sqratch]

Usually the blade gap will determine a razors aggressiveness. More blade exposure= more aggressive. I would recommend a nice adjustable like the futur or a slim adjustable. That way you can adjust a aggressiveness on the fly. I recently bought a tradre open comb and it's aggressive. It took me about a week to get the technique down but once I did I like aggressive razors more now. On the ingrown hairs you should try not going against the grain and see if that helps. You can still get a great shave without going against the grain.

[golfnshave]

Hate to tell you this but your probably getting ingrowns from technique, no razor will help it till it improves.

What could be wrong with my technique? I am not saying your wrong but I am wanting to learn. The ingrown I have now is just below my right side of my lip. I have learned I can never go ATG around my chin area. I do up NS and around a 45 degree angle down. I use feathers with light pressure. I know I really have a pain in the ass beard.

[ackvil]

There is some controversy about what causes ingrown hairs. When I was a teenager I would get them on my neck. My doctor at that time said I should not shave ATG. I followed his advice - and still got ingrown hairs.

What helped me was changing my prep and shaving technique. So here is what I do now.

First, I do not use an aggressive razor every day. I found that I was better off doing an extra pass with a milder razor rather than using an aggressive razor. For me, if I do a first pass, for example, with a adjustable razor on a higher setting I am more prone to getting ingrown hairs. I don't know why or whether it's just me, but that is my experience.

Second, I have found that if I spend more time twirling the brush around my face with lather it seems to help. Maybe it raises the hair follicle some. Again, I don't know why this helps me.

Third, for me it is very important to have my face hydrated. The result is that my face is very wet before each pass.

Fourth, I am very careful to keep a light touch when I shave.

Since doing the above I rarely get an ingrown hair. The only time I manage to get one on my neck is when I am in a rush and don't do what I outlined above.

[Mr. Scruffy]

Usually the blade gap will determine a razors aggressiveness. More blade exposure= more aggressive. I would recommend a nice adjustable like the futur or a slim adjustable. That way you can adjust a aggressiveness on the fly. I recently bought a tradre open comb and it's aggressive. It took me about a week to get the technique down but once I did I like aggressive razors more now. On the ingrown hairs you should try not going against the grain and see if that helps. You can still get a great shave without going against the grain.

This.

[drawonme]

+1 for Jim P. The key to eliminating ingrown hair and good shaving in general.

[parihart]

Here is the link for the Shave Wiki on aggressiveness of razors
http://wiki.badgerandblade.com/Doubl...Aggressiveness

I mostly use a Gillette adjustables (95% of my shaves use a Slim, Super, or Fatboy) and notice that when its set wide open (setting 9- most aggressive setting) I get get ingrown hairs and razor burns. Shaving should be about beard reduction and not removal (Mantic59 says this in his videos).

[TallyShave]

Aggressive generally speaks to a "closer" shave - one that is more "efficient" in that you don't have to go over your face so much to get a very nice shave.

So cartidges are the ultimate in aggressive razors? I don't think aggressive = close.

[rob_NH]

Just 'cause I feel I can't miss the opportnity to say it, if you have a tough beard in any way, get the R41. I love mine. I have a Joris and have not used it yet, so it remains to be seen if this can displace the R41 as the king of my rotation, but the R41 is a hell of a razor for the money if you have tough hair.

[Kevan]

A razor's aggressiveness in general is how it cuts. If, from the first few strokes, you can tell that the blade is on your face and will dig into your skin if you're not careful, then you are using an aggressive razor. Joris, Fatip, Muhle R41, Merkur Slant, and older Gillettes (Old Type, NEW, etc) are classed as "aggressive" razors.

[Ski-Patroller]

The Merkur Futur is classed as "very aggressive" by many people. It has always been my favorite razor. It has very large blade gap at higher settings, but I think that it is not as aggressive as the gap would indicate. Gap is just one predictor. The amount the blade extends past a tangent line between the guard and the cap is probably more important, but hard to quantify.

[mdevine]

I haven't found that more aggressive razors give me any closer shaves. What I do find is that aggressive razors, given their large blade gaps, have a wider range of blade angles that still give a close shave. The trade off is that the razor is much less forgiving of too much pressure. Too much, and they can easily draw blood. The mild razors, while much more forgiving when it comes to pressure, require a very precise blade angle to shave closely. Anything less than the optimal blade angle, and you will be left with stubble. My personal experience was that, at first, I needed a small blade gap to avoid getting bit by my razor. As I developed a light touch, I changed to more and more aggressive razors, eventually getting a BBS shave routinely. I was surprised when, a year or two into wet-shaving, I pulled a "mild" razor (a pre-WWII Tech) out of the cupboard and ended up with an effortless BBS shave. While a still keep both mild and aggressive razors in my rotation, my favorites are the Tech, Superspeed and Weber Bulldog ARC-all relatively mild. (Although my #15 Aristocrat is still one of the best)

Mike

[bakerbarber]

I think Mantic puts it well when he says, "beard reduction."

I believe safety razor shaving takes at least two passes at a minimum.

If you take that as a premise, than the idea of aggressive is still not very easy to quantify. Maybe I can this illustrate figuratively..

• An aggressive razor would mow down 75% of your beard on the first pass and remove a little too much dead skin on the second - possibly causing irritation if your skin is sensitive.

• A mild razor would, on the other hand, mow down 25% to over 50% of your beard on the first pass - reducing your beard - and remove another 25% to to over 50% on subsequent passes. Thereby allowing extra reduction and elimination of stubble before causing irritation.

Because everyone has a different type of beard in terms of stiffness and density of hair follicles as well as skin types, no one razor or combination of razor and blade will be just right for everyone. Ergo YMMV. or Your Mileage May Vary.

The degree of aggressiveness may vary by several different variables or combination of variables.

• Blade angle
• Amount of blade exposure
• Weight and balance of the whole razor
• Choice of blade
• Degree of preparation
• Products used - pre -during - post = shave
• Time of year
• Phase of the moon
• Etcetera..

[bakerbarber]

regarding ingrown hairs.

I would agree that you avoid going against the grain where you're prone to ingrown hairs.

Have you mapped out the direction of your beard growth? It's easy and helps leaps and bounds in understanding your own situation and determining what works best for yourself.

It's as easy as looking at your stubble - closely. If the hair, say around your neck points out of your skin towards your face than shaving that area bottom to top would be 'with the grain.' If your sideburns poke downward toward your chin a stoke from top to bottom would be least irritating. A cotton ball will help in determining how your beard grows on various areas of your face. If you rub it over your stubble in one direction and it doesn't catch, that's the direction that spot would be with the grain. If it catches a lot in a particular direction then that would indicate 'against the grain.' Where it drags a little, you're either across the grain or over a part of your beard that the hair pokes directly out perpendicular to your skin.

Getting an ingrown hair is from trimming too close and either removing a bit of skin along with the stubble or reducing a hair to skin level and having it shrink into the follicle when it dries.

Since your beard absorbs a lot of water when wet shaving this can be aid greatly in shaving comfort with proper preparation. It can also cause irritation later if when your beard shrinks after your shave a whisker retracts under your skin. When it starts to increase in length it gets caught under your skin.

You can try a two pronged approach. I think it's important to not change razors, brand of blades, shave soap, or any other variable while you have a breakout problem. Use the closed comb razor and the products you know agree with your skin.

First make certain your beard is well prepared. Hot towel, hot wash with soap, good lather. Washing off all dirt and germs is a must before shaving.
Second, use a good post shave product. One that won't dry out your skin too much or clog your pores.

Do this while avoiding against the grain in your trouble spots. No one is going to notice the guy with a stubble spot. Everyone is going to notice the guy with the volcano on his face.

As soon as things clear up completely than I would recommend a different approach. Try some different shaving creams or soaps. Try some different brands of blades. Experiment with blade angle and pressure. Avoid pulling your skin tight when shaving across trouble spots. You don't want a hair getting trapped under your skin when it bounces back from being held taught.

I for one always had issues with ingrown hairs using cartridges. I frequently had trouble when I first switched to DE razors too. What finally cured the situation for me was knowing where I wanted to get baby bottom smooth on my face and where having a darn fine shave was good enough. You don't have to chase the dragon or try to have a completely smooth face in every nook and cranny. Some days I get BBS and some I get passable.

You'll get to know what your skin can handle and what it can't the more you pay attention to what works for you and what doesn't. Just make sure that when your looking for different combinations and trying different things to only change one thing at a time. If you use different products and razors every day and still have problems you'll never be able to pin down what's causing you grief if there were 3 or 4 different variables every day.

Hope that made a little sense and that you hang in there long enough to find your groove.

I think a Merkur HD with a safety bar is fine razor for daily shaving. You don't need a new razor, you just need to know how your skin reacts to all the variables.

[Wildalaska]

I haven't found that more aggressive razors give me any closer shaves. What I do find is that aggressive razors, given their large blade gaps, have a wider range of blade angles that still give a close shave. The trade off is that the razor is much less forgiving of too much pressure. Too much, and they can easily draw blood. The mild razors, while much more forgiving when it comes to pressure, require a very precise blade angle to shave closely. Anything less than the optimal blade angle, and you will be left with stubble. My personal experience was that, at first, I needed a small blade gap to avoid getting bit by my razor. As I developed a light touch, I changed to more and more aggressive razors, eventually getting a BBS shave routinely. I was surprised when, a year or two into wet-shaving, I pulled a "mild" razor (a pre-WWII Tech) out of the cupboard and ended up with an effortless BBS shave. While a still keep both mild and aggressive razors in my rotation, my favorites are the Tech, Superspeed and Weber Bulldog ARC-all relatively mild. (Although my #15 Aristocrat is still one of the best)

Mike

Excellent analysis.

[luvmysuper]

A "more aggressive razor" is any razor that you don't already own, but are planning to.

[Samjax]

Mmmm...well, I can pretty much shave with a can opener or a broken beer bottle...but they are not my preference regardless of "beard reduction" or blade gaps. At the end of the day, the razor that takes it off the quickest and the smoothest is the most aggressive (at least for me...YMMV, etc, etc, etc...). In my particular case - there is nothing that surpasses my Cobra Classic with a Feather Pro in regards to overall "efficiency"...and that includes the R41, Fatip, Joris, Vision 2000, Mergress, Mariner, 1920 Big Fellow, 1910 Model 102, Tradere, iKon S3S, iKon OSS, Parker 98R, Weber, 39c Slant, OCMM, 1907 Lather Catcher, Schick E3....

With the Cobra you have to consider not only the blade gap...but also the blade width/length, blade stiffness, and the incredible sharpness of the Feather Pro itself...which, when all combined, is in a different universe than what we're talking about here.

Proper technique and face prep is a given...everyone who has been here more than a week knows (or at least, should know) all about that. In the final analysis, there are some razors...and blades...that simply work better for YOU, than others do.

And as always...YMMV (the catch-all, cover your butt insurance disclaimer).

[Samjax]

A "more aggressive razor" is any razor that you don't already own, but are planning to.

Yeah...tell me about it. $2500 later and I'm still saving money over cartridges! LOL

Bottom Line? I wouldn't change a thing! I love this hobby!