Hey guys, what's a more aggressive razor that will give me a closer shave? I currently use an r89 with either Gillette 7 o'clock, feather or shark. I do two passes, with grain and cross grain. It's my quick shave every morning because I need a baby face for my line of duty. Is the merkur 37c any good? Side note: my r89 is my favorite razor out there when I do my 3 passes. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Welcome aboard TSD! There are many razors that are aggressive and will give a nice two-pass shave. The three blades you mention are all over the spectrum. Try the R89 with the Feathers for a week or two. They should shave the closest. Another tip might be to look into straight razor style skin stretching, it allows for a closer cut on pass two. Aggressive Razors I like: Fatip Grande Maggard OC Phoenix DOC
Love my fatip. Just need to take a few seconds to make sure the blade is lined up even. Muhle R41 has a pretty strong following. Red tip Gillette, or slim/fat boy turned up will get you there too. Futur seems to be pretty aggressive as well.
Here's something I posted in a different thread... Not something I learned, but something that made me ponder. I got a pretty darn near BBS shave this morning with a Ball End Tech loaded up with a Voskhod. Not that the blade matters as I have achieved the same results, even BBS, with other blades in this razor, indeed, all my razors. So I pondered - if the Tech is so often touted as a mild razor and I can get results like this, why do so many folks, especially the new ones, insist they need a more aggressive razor? I have over 30 DEs and about a dozen SEs and use all of them in rotation. Some of those would be considered aggressive by many here, achieving the same aforementioned results. So I come to a conclusion, I'll stand by my statement - You just gotta learn how to use the tools ya got. Just pondering.
This is very well stated and true. There are other options tho that are said to be more efficient. R41 Fatip ATT R2 or H2 Old Type (to me very efficient) MMOC Just to name a few
I have a DE89 and find it to be one of my smoothest and efficient razors that I can achieve a near BBS/ or BBS every time. Answer to question #1. IMV the 37C is a great razor but more aggressive than the R89, but not overly so. Answer to question #2. IMV Red Tip is a mid-level aggressive (compared to R89) that could still meet your "quick shave" morning criteria, but would provide you a little more spice. My most aggressive razors are the R41 and Single Ring (Old Type) that I would not use as a get to work razor because of the need to take time with them, and I'd never use if in a hurry or with a house full of grand kids.
I still, respectfully, disagree with people who have this opinion. I really wish I could give you my hair for a while just so you can relate. My dermatologist compared my hair structure to that of African Americans, and said the issues I face with my skin are also very similar, including keloid scarring if I'm not careful about how I shave and how I take care of my skin. This means that I pretty much can't EVER shave against the grain, or even remotely close to it. I think for those that are able to shave ATG, your statement may hold true. For me, since I must limit my passes to WTG and only slightly XTG, I just can't get a decent shave with a mild razor. I have to use tons of pressure to do so, which leads to a lot of irritation and leads to a lot of folliculitis and ingrown hair issues. I've been experimenting with different techniques, blade angles, etc. for 2 years, so I've paid my dues trying to prove myself wrong.
And to answer the original question posed, try shimming the R89 before deciding on a new razor. It's a free way to experiment with aggression.
Exceptions to every rule. BUT - you have still learned how to use the tools you have for the conditions you must face (pun intended )