COTD: "Aggressive" is bad?

I was reading a safety razor review and found this statement:

One of the nicest razors ever made.

The adjustabilty rating is meaningless here since it is a fixed blade and as always the aggressiveness criteria is plain silly, a hang-over from when the majority of gentlemen on the shaving forums thought aggressive meant good, when exactly the opposite is true.

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Is it true? Is the term "aggressive" used incorrectly today? Is it silly and meaningless? Is aggressive bad?

Thanks,
Christopher

It's possible that the reviewer assumes aggressive means aggressive towards your face rather than aggressive towards your hair. And of course the blade is fixed, you're adjusting the gap not the blade position.

It seems to me that they may have confused a few details.

What is COTD?

Aggressive: characterized by or tending toward unprovoked offensives, attacks, invasions, or the like; militantly forward or menacing; boldly assertive and forward; pushy; characteristic of an enemy or one eager to fight; Inclined to behave in a hostile fashion; tending toward or exhibiting aggression.

—Synonyms 1. pugnacious, militant. 2. forceful, enterprising, assertive.

MTgrayling said:

What is COTD?

Aggressive: characterized by or tending toward unprovoked offensives, attacks, invasions, or the like; militantly forward or menacing; boldly assertive and forward; pushy; characteristic of an enemy or one eager to fight; Inclined to behave in a hostile fashion; tending toward or exhibiting aggression.

—Synonyms 1. pugnacious, militant. 2. forceful, enterprising, assertive.

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Pugnacious eh? Hello new word of the day.

MTgrayling said:

What is COTD?

Aggressive: characterized by or tending toward unprovoked offensives, attacks, invasions, or the like; militantly forward or menacing; boldly assertive and forward; pushy; characteristic of an enemy or one eager to fight; Inclined to behave in a hostile fashion; tending toward or exhibiting aggression.

—Synonyms 1. pugnacious, militant. 2. forceful, enterprising, assertive.

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Oh! COTD is my own little Confusion Of The Day. Sorry.

Christopher

Hey, it worked I was confused!

I have wondered as well what "aggressiveness" really means.

I think aggressiveness is directly related to the range of angles between blade and skin that a given razor allows. A tame razor would be one where the blade touches the skin only in a very small range of angles and such that blade is rather flat against the skin (say, around 30 degrees). An aggressive razor would allow a larger range of angles at which the blade can touch the skin. That range would extend towards steeper angles, perhaps even allowing to cut into the skin or to scrape over it.

While aggressive razors might be useful for getting to some particularly stubborn hairs or for shaving more quickly, a tame razor should be just as useful, provided one can maintain the proper angle at all times.

That's just my spontaneous ramblings. More pondering might be required.

Best - MM

Aggressiveness is a matter of taste. Some prefer/need a more aggressive razor. For others, a more aggressive razor is unnecessary and causes irritation. Those with thin soft hair don't need an aggressive razor. Whereas those with thick coarse hair may have better luck with an aggressive razor. There is no correct answer...

CJBianco said:

Is it true? Is the term "aggressive" used incorrectly today? Is it silly and meaningless? Is aggressive bad?

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Back in the dark ages of Internet wetshaving (say 2005 or so), many guys (because it sounded cool?) were of the aggressive=good school, "aggressive" in this case meaning something like "fatboy cranked up to 9 with a feather". While this combo will in fact remove hair from your face, with repeated use it will leave most guys looking like they just went a few too many rounds against John L. Sullivan under the Mississippi sun. The archives on shavemyface.com provide many period examples of this mindset.

These days, it seems like many guys have realized that the ability to beat up your face isn't necessarily the most desirable quality in a razor! Smooth, close, comfortable shaves is really all you need!

Aggresivness is all up to the person. Every face is different. To me it is the difference in how close a razor will cut in one pass. Then it is up to your skin weather that is to close or not. I am not sure about his comments about adjustable they make a big difference. I am not sure if that is even YMMV I thimk everyone tries a FB on 1 and then on 9 they will notice a difference, I might be wrong but have not met that person yet. Now which way you like or our skin can take is YMMV. Just a few thoughts.

Aggressiveness is a description. It is neither good nor bad.

It is the opposite of mild.

TimmyBoston said:

Aggressiveness is a description. It is neither good nor bad.

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That is what I thought. (But what did I know? I am a newbie.)

Thank you for the confirmation.

Christopher