How aggressive would you consider a Rolls Razor to be?

I have bought several (read many) razors over the past several months and have inherited or been gifted others, I have used all of them at least once, except for the Rolls razor and an autostrop.

I used the Rolls today, I haven't been that nervous about using a razor since using my Great Grandfathers straights. I can see how the Rolls both got and lost a following. I did walk away with no cuts, nicks or weepers, but man I felt the aftershave more than normal. And luckily since I have a goatee and mustache, I didn't have to shave under my nose or around my lips.

I may use it a few more times just to say I have, but it will be retired to a display shelf by months end.

Same thing here. I had one sixty years ago. I used it once or twice, and like you, escaped without injury, but was scared to death. I remember it as a ' blade on a stick' I wish I had kept mine as you're doing, but I was a teenager and needed to recoup my $15.00.

Best regards, Ron I

Aggressiveness of a safety razor is a function of the relationship between the blade and the razor in terms of blade exposure, blade angle, and blade gap. With the Rolls the blade *is* the razor, so these terms don't really apply.

The purpose of the guard bar is to protect the edge (and the user's fingers) while the razor is being handled. It doesn't really do anything while shaving, and some guys even remove it. The Rolls is about the closest thing to straight razor shaving possible without actually using a straight razor.

That being said, the Rolls looks a lot scarier than it actually is. I confess to being more than a little nervous the first time I used one, but I made it through it without massive bloodshed. Like most razors there is a learning curve, and it gets much easier after a few shaves, not to mention the shaves getting better.

It is usually necessary to hone the razor outside the case the first time around to get an optimum edge.

The Rolls is one of the few bargains left in the wet shaving world and offers a chance to own and use what was originally a very high end product for next to nothing.

--Bob

I watched a YouTube video on these and they look super cool but if I owned one I don't see my self using it more than once or so just to say I did. I do one day want one though.

If you're comfortable shaving with any of the SE's generally considered on the aggressive side - MMOC, Ever-Ready 1914 or 1924, early Auto-Strops, etc. - then you should have no difficulty mastering the Rolls.

Really.

--Bob

I bought an Auto-Strop at the same time as the Rolls. Once I get some blades for it I plan on giving that a go. I've seen the vids on removing the spline on a utility blade, but have no interest in trying that. What does MMOC stand for? I couldn't find it on the abbreviation page.

MMOC is MicroMatic Open Comb, as in the open comb version of the Gem Micromatic razor, a TTO single edge razor.

De-spining a Gem blade is trivial - 2 seconds with a pair of pliers. However, the Gem blades can only be used on the early Auto-Strops.

--Bob

As others have mentioned the toughest part of using a Rolls Razor is getting a good shaving edge on it. After that it shaves a lot like an aggressive single edge for me.