"The No Pressure Mantra Is Misleading. Some Pressure Is Beneficial For A longer Lasting And More Efficient Result." Discuss.

[spacemonkey42]

This is an enjoyable discussion, thank you Alum Ladd! One good outcome is to use the word pressure appropriately:

Pressure is the amount of force applied perpendicular to the surface of an object per unit area. (wikipedia)​

Perpendicular to the surface is the key here.

Pressure is an important part of technique. Many shavers start out with too much pressure and have to learn a lighter touch. There are many other factors to one's technique - angle, stroke speed, length of stroke, force of that stroke, directions with respect to grain, and much more.

 

[Phoenixkh]

I find managing pressure much easier and controllable (and safer) than managing a heavier handle.

I only use two razors with heavy handles: both of them Lambda razors, i.e., the Athena and the Ares. For all my other razors, I use either a Timeless Ti Crown handle or a Wolfman bronze hollow handle..... The Crown weighs 42.7 grams and the Wolfman hollow bronze handles are 40 grams. I don't care for the feel of heavy SS handles for some reason. The lighter titanium or the hollow bronze handles tilt the balance of the razor towards the head. I've developed a fondness for that and I'm sure my technique developed around it.

 

[eSteve]

Great discussion Simon, thanks. I’m still newish but very satisfied with my progress. I’ve had to remind myself many times to go lighter. Pressure is like angle, it requires some observation and adjustment. I don’t think DE razors in general benefit from added pressure; it’s something to do with the angle of the blade. It becomes irritation.

However, I use deliberate added pressure, for some strokes, with two razors: Merkur Futur (DE) and Schick Type E (injector). I learned this stroke from Shaving With Rich (M. Futur Shaving Tips).

Being the sideways thinker I am, I applied Rich’s technique to the E Type in exactly the same way. It’s super effective, works the same with both razors; I use it every time.

What’s fascinating is the Futur is a DE razor weighing 120 g, the Type E is a SE razor weighing 30 g. Same stroke, similar cutting power.

Anyway, pressure; and technique.

 

[House Boy]

My advise is start lite and increase until you hit the sweet spot. I did this with everything sharp.

 

[AceyMan]

the advice of "no pressure" is simply to tell them "less pressure than you think would work" or "less pressure to the point you think you're applying no pressure".

To cite one of my least favorite athletes,¹ who once said something I'm frequently mindful of, namely —

" 'Feel' and 'real' are not the same."

As a skilled tennis player, I always keep this in mind when I'm making any kind of changes to my equipment or stroke.

The same goes for mastering new things in ones Shave Den.

/Acey

¹— Eldrick "Tiger" Woods

 

[Mojo88]

Good prep, products and technique allow for the use of more pressure. It’s all about that glide of the razor and cutting not tugging or pulling. If you think about it we went from a society of proper shaves with a hot towel, badger brushes, shaving creams and a straight to a diy market. Along the way those “old” methods went by the wayside, everything was about speed and mass marketing.

For years it was cartridge shaving and electric razors for the vast majority of the public. Enter the web and the reintroduction of proper wet shaving. The shaving routine changed back, all the old products and methods were new again. I didn’t relearn how to wet shave, I learned how to wet shave, it’s a marked difference. I went from slapping water on my face, some canned goo and a cartridge to proper prep and a double edged razor. I can apply more pressure because my technique and products are completely different.