How much DE experience did you have before moving on to a more aggressive razor like an open comb.
DE aggression question
- Thread starter Aussie Sly Guy
- Start date
I'd estimate that I had at least four years experience with a safety bar before I moved on to an open comb. I would have never even tried one if it weren't for B&B. Just buy one if you like. Experience begins when you dive in and get your feet wet.
Open combs are not necessarily more aggressive than safety bar razors, but your basic question about how much experience do you need to move up to an aggressive razor is a good one. A good wet shave is all about technique. I am an old guy. I started wetshaving 45 years ago, took a 42 year hiatus while I played with injectors and cartridges, and then started wetshaving again 3 years ago. I figured it would be an easy switch back to a safety razor. My first shave with an EJ89, a mild razor, was a knife attack disguised as a shave. It was most definitely a "What the heck!" moment. Shaving daily, I would say that it took about 3 months to get half-decent at wetshaving; and then another 3 months to get good at it; and years later I still tweak my technique looking to improve my shave.
I have moved on from the EJ89 to all manner of aggressive razors. I dare say that today I could get a great shave with the EJ in a dark room with my eyes closed. That is how much my technique has evolved over the years.
Good luck
I have moved on from the EJ89 to all manner of aggressive razors. I dare say that today I could get a great shave with the EJ in a dark room with my eyes closed. That is how much my technique has evolved over the years.
Good luck
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Exactly. I would say that's a pretty good guideline. I moved from my Feather Popular to a 37c in about 6 weeks. I would say the slant is more efficient, but not much more aggressive. It wasn't too difficult a transition. About another 4 weeks and I tried my first OC, a Gillette NEW. Again, not really an aggressive razor, just different. About two months later I started playing with what I would consider aggressive razors by shimming the razors I had and using a Fatboy wide open. A month after that I was using an R41, and right around the 6 month mark I was able to use it comfortably, every day.
None. It's shaving, not rocket science. Move on what you want, when you want, however you want.
+1 - For me, any new razor has its own learning curve. Just take it slowly and you shouldn't have any problem.
I'd also say, as others have above, to get whatever razor you want and not worry about progression towards aggression. But I'd also add that if you don't like the razor, set it aside for a few months and try it again. That advice is not just for aggressive razors but also those that you find too mild. Your technique now and at the year mark may reveal some interesting truths about what you enjoy in a DE!
+1. Technique trumps most everything IMO. I get great shaves with SB and did not find OC to be an improvement. So I have stayed with
SB type. YMMV, I expect it will.
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About 8 months in, after fiddling with common Merkurs, vintage Gillette adjustables, all 3 modern Merkur adjustables and a plethora of brushes / blades / soaps / creams / lathering approaches and prep techniques, I have settled in to a comfortable routine.
I now have the confidence to open up my everyday Mergress to a setting of 3, which I did today with no problems and an improved shave, I think. I'll go about half a tick more everyday until my face says "uncle," and then play with my Futur and Vision 2000.
I now have the confidence to open up my everyday Mergress to a setting of 3, which I did today with no problems and an improved shave, I think. I'll go about half a tick more everyday until my face says "uncle," and then play with my Futur and Vision 2000.
I went to the R41 about a month in.
I still think that's the mistake most Fatboy users make. I almost did it myself. They adjust the dial until the first time the razor bites them and assume that it's too aggressive there. It's probably not. Shave with it there for a week before making a decision, and then decide. I'm a head shaver, and I'm currently using my Progress at a 6.5 equivalent (1.5 the second time around). I've gotten one small weeper in the past 3 weeks using it, and I'm getting great shaves.
I used a Merkur 34C HD straight bar for about six weeks before going to an ATT R2 open comb. About a month later, I went to an ATT H2, which remains my most used razor. I've tried many other open combs in my journey to find the closest shave, but the H2 remains king. The Old Types and News, the FaTip, even the R41--all are nice, but none of them match the H2. I'm going to give the Wolfman open comb (with increased blade gap) a chance, and maybe the Ikon Shavecraft Tech (even tough it's an SB), but I suspect I'll land with the H2.
I mention all this because for me, a lot of the fun is experimentation and discovery. Might as well start now!
I mention all this because for me, a lot of the fun is experimentation and discovery. Might as well start now!
It pays to know your razor. With a brand new Merkur blade installed, my new Progress was, me not knowing, set to 5 by the sales person I had just bought the razor from. And, as I learned, probably with the cap in the opposite direction. I promptly received a nasty cut. Now, on the later purchase of a Mergress, and with practice, I start in at 3 and dial down to 1 for the final pass. Lesson learned!
If you're paying attention to what you're doing, you get the fundamentals down pretty quickly. After that, a more aggressive razor helps you improve your technique. There's no timetable.
Interesting, Garrett. Do you use the same settings on your face as you do your head?
Aggression is a quality of the razor, not something you need to work up to. Use solid technique and no pressure, and you can use any razor you want.
I do, but to be honest I don't need quite as much aggression on my face, but it doesn't bother me either.
I too am an old fogie. Shaved DE in the 70's, started 2 years ago again with a DE after elecs, carts, beard trimmers etc. I moved to OC about a month in without problems. I guess it was like riding a bike.
