Ok, my birthday is coming up soon. I was thinking of getting a new razor. I've got a Feather Portable and a British Tech. The Tech is too mild for me and I haven't had a chance to use the FP much. So... What's the most aggressive 3 piece I can get my hands on? I love an aggressive shaver, so I thought it would be fun to ask the community to recommend one as you guys have more experience than I do. Thanks!
For a modern build - The Muele Pinsel R89 with a Fatip head is pretty agressive. However, they have a newer head design and you have to do a little research to locate one of the Fatip models. There are a few vendors that sell them. If you want vintage - go for a Gillette Old Style.
While not a true 3-piece, a Merkur Progress is versatile and will go wild to mild depending on your wishes for the day.
I was thinking about mentioning that one as well. And it is basically three pieces. The knob can be pulled out. Cap, bottom guard and handle, knob = 3 piece razor. It isn't much different than the old Gillette three piece razors with the spindle handles.
I never tried to pull the knob off, is it that easy? Is that all I have to do in order to replace it with a better knob? Cool!
Some are tighter than others. But yeah.. the knobs on a Progress or a Merkur HD pull out and are interchangeable. There are a few places that sell replacement knobs that you can just pop in.
Old Muehle R89 or Parker 91R, but you must be careful when picking the latter - their heads are mostly twisted thus blade gap is uneven.
aggressive The Gillette red-tips are aggressive, but they are one-piece razors. The single-edge razors can be quite aggressive depending on the angle held. For 3-piece razors, probably the open-combs such as an old-type, a NEW, a Tuck-Away, etc. I prefer the SE razors for a more aggressive shave, but probably mainly because I think they're cool looking
I had and sold the earlier R89.. Not because it was too aggressive, I just didn't like it. I found the shave to not nearly as aggressive as reviews would have one believe. It needed attention and care, but it was far from the horror I had read about. I was going to suggest one of the adjustable's as well, cranked up to max.. Multi function.
Instead of another razor, why not look for a bigger handle for that Feather Portable. They are great little shavers. The handles work well for travel, but are a bit small for every day use. I was using mine on an iKon bulldog handle until I picked up my Old Type for Open Comb October.
True. I like my FP even more now that it has the Fatty Tech handle that you gave me. I also read somewhere around here about someone shimming the Tech so it had more exposure, but I don't remember a reply as to what the shims were...maybe washers for all I know.
+1. You also might like to check out the Fatip head MP R89 that Justin mentioned in an earlier post. I have one and its just the right amount of aggressive for me. As another wise person said, that razor isn't the monster that some people make it out to be.
+1 to a lather catcher SE or a Gillette Old Style. Also, a fatboy or slim adjustable slammed to 9 will do the job quite well.
Thanks guys! The new handle for the Feather Portable intrigues me. Can someone enlighten me on how to get said handle? Do I just buy the razor and use the FP head rather than the Ikon head? Don't really want an adjustable. They're a little out of my budget and I just don't want to fool with adjusting one. I was thinking of another Parker. They have a very heavy 3 piece that I saw mentioned in someone's post recently. Thanks Alexi, I'll watch out for the blade exposure on any of the Parkers I might pick up. I'd thought of Muhle and EJ because I know they make open comb three piece razors so I may try them as well. If I could find a Barbasol I might indeed spring for it! And...my Micromatic Open Comb is quite possibly the most aggressive "safety razor" I own!
Unless you get lucky, a Progress will probably cost less and will be easier to get than a Barbasol 3 piece. Parkers used to have a problem with consistency. However, they have supposedly gotten better. i have a Parker 98R lost in the smartpost system someplace. I will let you know how agressive I find it when it finally gets here. It has been within 30 miles of my home twice already. However, SmartPost is anything but....
