My dos centavos is that nobody has been "talking out of their asses" - what a delightful expression. We're all different with different skin, different beards and different technique. This is all just again the folly of so-called objective testing. If a razor feels mild to someone then it's mild and if it feels aggressive then it is to them. And of course, a mild razor, or a not-so-mild razor, is neither somehow better or worse.
well said sir. a red tip is aggressive to me but not to others, but i use my #15 aristocrat and its fine for me..and its a known somewhat aggressive razor to some as well. go figure..
The post-war Gillette Tech IMO is the perfect combination of mild and efficient. It's mild enough for a newbie's first shave, and efficient enough to give me a stubble free 1 pass shave. I use Feather blades and 2 shims with mine, to give it extra efficiency; which doesn't make it even the least bit harsh. That being said, this morning I shaved a 3 day growth with a Mühle R41 Spitfire.
Now I must ask if you use 2 shims in a Tech is it just a Tech by name? I too have a Muhle R41 and it is merciless on 3-4 days growth when I am not wanting to shave...2 passes and smooth as can be...
A Tech is still a Tech, no matter how many shims I use with it. The question you're really asking is - is it still a mild razor? And the answer is yes. With 2 shims added the Gillette Tech is still a mild razor, but is now efficient enough for an effective 1 pass shave. If I added 3 or 4 shims it would no longer be a mild razor, however there is a point of diminishing returns that comes into play, which makes that experiment pointless. As for the Mühle R41, mine is a 2013 model with an Aimsport Spitfire custom topcap. Only 1 pass is needed; 2 would be pointless and risky. I hope I have satisfactorily answered your question.
Certainly have. I have often thought about throwing a shim into one of my Techs just to see how it would work out. I normally use Kai Blades in my milder razors like my 56 Blue Tip and my Techs but I also like Feathers, just not a blade I normally use. If the Tech with a shim still stays mild and efficiency is increased I will certainly give that a go. Thank you Sir. My Muhle, also a 2013 is stock and beautiful in its efficiency as is...I am not messing with that one as it “wakes me up” a 1/4 way through the first stroke....
Some more mild shavers. On the left a 40/41 Regent Tech/Aristocrat, in the middle a 46/47 Aristocrat, on the right a 47 Aristocrat. How to tell the difference you need to look at the base plates. Left, middle, right same as above.
Here is one that totally took me by surprise. The Van Der Hagen 85 mm handle chrome plated brass razor. This razor is somewhere between a US Red Tip and Red Tip Rocket. I'd have to do some comparative shaves to narrow that down but either way this one can hang with the best of any Gillette Super Speed, Rocket, Ranger Tech, Milord. My only advice would be don't use the Van Der Hagen blades that come with it. Those blades are not good and if you get a bad shave from one of these that is most likely culprit.
That's a rebranded Baili, it's made in China, and it's not all brass. I have not tried it. I did try their three piece copy of the Gillette Tech, and I like my Tech better. The chrome plating, however, is excellent.
That may well be. However, Weishi & Baili are both made in China, by indentured communist wage slaves. They are so similar that I suspect they are actually made at the same factory, but I don't know that for sure.
So is how many other things you use? In the case of OEM stuff the customer gets to call the shots if they want to pay for the materials, tooling etc. The VDH razors are brass regardless of shared tooling with other Weishi razors. You can get items from China that are not cheap junk when the vendors keep on them until they produce it to the standards they expect. You also pay more for it when they charge you more for not cutting corners.
British Goodwill This is a very mild razor as it turns out unlike it's American or Canadian counterparts. It shaves kind of like a blue tip SS.
Stahly and Teck II, my favorite mild razors mano a mano. Whether it's geometry or its peculiar leaf suspension, the Stahly is immediately smoother if more picky about angle. Both perfectly efficient and capable in their ATG head shave duties. Love em both.
love the machine built look of them. made to do a job , not blend in with the decor..a precision instrument ..old school style..
OSS clone head on a Muhle handle w/ a Nacet One Blade tuxedo synthetic Col Conk Bay Rum And a witch hazel aftershave that is about ten scents mixed together. Glad to be off for the weekend after a looong week.
Look's like the Assured branded twist to open razor that I looked at at the dollar store. It was also made in China, and came with five blades included. Clayton Sent from my LG-K450 using Tapatalk
April 20th Razor: Gillette Blue Tip A2 Blade: SuperMax Blue Diamond (1) Brush: Grizzly Bay Constitution Pre-shave: Stirling Mentholated Soap: A&E Asian Plum Thayers Lavender witch hazel PAA Star Jelly unscented AS: A&E Asian Plum Good morning! Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk
I find that my 1953 Gillette President razor is very mild. Typically if I want even a near BBS shave from it I have to do 4 passes (1WTG, 1XTG and 2ATG). That’s even when I’m using a very sharp blade like Bolzano or even Feather in it. I will say though it’s a comfortable shaver.
