Ok I want to find some middle ground and shave irritation free. Please help me find THE RAZOR! Im looking for something aggressive between these the following 2 razors. Merkur 23c - Too mild Razo Rock Jaws --- Too Aggressive I have the 39c coming for my birthday next week and was also looking into get a adjustable either the progress / futur. Thoughts / Comments / Suggestions?
Naturally with the adjustableyou can dial it in to whatever agressiveness you want. I really like my Futur.
Tried my new to me 59' Fatboy (set to 7) this morning and it provided a fantastic one pass shave. The weight of the razor really helped with not adding too much pressure.
I agree with the adjustable recommendations. Fatboys are good but pricey right now. Slims are a little more reasonable. I've never used a Progress or Futur but I hear the Futur is really aggressive at its lowest setting, so I would lean toward tbe progress for you. I discovered after 6 months of experimenting that I really like a lot of blade exposure. I found that out by finally pulling out the Fatboy and opening it all the way up. Adjustables literally and figuratively help you dial in your preferences.
I agree an adjustable such as a Fatboy or Slim would be a great choice. I would also add a Gillette New Open Comb to the list. I started on a Merkur 34c and have both a Slim and Super Speed as well. Picked up a New Long Comb and have found it to be mild but very efficient razor. In fact, I will be using it for the January 2015 30 day challenge. Good luck with your search. Clint
Gillette Adjustable's are quite good for helping you discover if you prefer a mild or more aggressive razor. Unfortunately/fortunately, depending on how you look at it, the only way to know which razors and blades really fit your face and technique is to try them. If you decide to try a Gillette adjustable don't forget to consider the Super Adjustable(Black Beauty) it comes in two handle lengths short and long. With all that said based on what you've posted my suggestions would be: Vintage- Gillette 3 piece "NEW" OC, Fat Handle Tech, 1947-50 Aristocrat TTO or one of the Gillette adjustable's. Modern- EJ89, Merkur 34C, Cadet SB or OC, Sabi SB or for a bit more money a Weber SS Polished Head SB with either the BullDog(short and fat) or Classic(long and thin) handle. The two handles basically weigh the same, just the lengths and diameters are different. I've heard good thing about the Merkur Adjustables, but I've never used one.
So many choices, really, but this will be a YMMV thing as our suggestions might not suit your face. Having said this, the Merkur Progress would be my top recommendation, along with a Fatboy or Slim, solely, because they are adjustables. Good luck.
I too am in need of an OC razor. Have you looked into the FaTip Grande? I'm thinking about getting the Grande or the Piccolo over the Jaws. Heard many good things, including irritation-free results. I know it's going to be YMMV. Going to have to take a plunge and try it out.
I've been shaving for about a year and own several DE safety razors. Current Everyday: Merkur 23c with Lord Blade Once a week: (when beard is longer than usual): RazoRock Jaws - Lord Blade (aggressive)! Looking to buy the progress. I think it is a little high and over budget for a razor IMHO. I have some razors I will sell soon and hopefully I can use that money to buy one. Right Now: its between Futur / Progress. SB
Although both are adjustable, the Merkur Progress and Futur are pretty expensive razors especially the Futur. What kind of shave are you looking for most of the time? BBS, DFS, CCS? The reason I ask is because trying to achieve a BBS shave every time could lead to irritation if your face can't handle it that day. Remember, every time you shave you remove some skin too. Too much too often leads to irritation, razor burn and poor shaves. I have and use both a Gillette Fat Boy and Slim Adjustable, usually on 5, and get very good shaves 95% of the time. Early on, the problem I found with using adjustables is the urge to change the setting too often when still mastering my technique. The razor I'd suggest purchasing is a Gillette Superspeed Flair Tip Regular (circa '55 to '66). These are great shavers and can be made milder or more aggressive when paired with different blades (mild Derby) or (more aggressive Feather). The real upside is that you can get a really nice SS for between $15-$20. It's hard to find someone on any shaving forum give a SS a bad review (now I did it, I just opened up the flood gates). If you want to try an adjustable, I'd suggest the Gillette Slim. Really nice ones can be had for about $40. Anyway this is just a suggestion on my experiences and as always with any shaving product, YMMV........................
No disrespect intended at all, but I disagree with the jump to an adjustable in effort to find something that is "middle ground". I believe you already have substantial "middle ground" in your 23C. I'm a bit confused about what you mean when you say this razor is "too mild". Does it consistently leaves rough patches behind each time you use it? Even with three passes? Generally, safety bar razors that are considered "mild" are at their best with blades that are toward the sharp end of the spectrum. In my Gillette Super Speed, Merkur 15C, and Merkur 34C, I like the Gillette 7 'O Clock green, and the Gillette Silver Blue. Like your 23C, these razors are considered by many to be "mild" , yet I regularly get BBS shaves from each of them with the right blades. If you have not tried at least 10-15 different blades in your 23C, you haven't tried enough blades. The same holds true for your RR Jaws. It's a fine razor. Which blades have you tried in it? Generally, I find that razors with a bit more angle and blade exposure do well with blades that aren't quite so "wicked" sharp, and lean a bit more towards being smooth. It's your billfold and your choice, but before I plunked down major $$$$ for a new adjustable that you are going to have to experiment with to find a suitable blade for anyway, I'd order up some of these and give that 23C another go. Gilette Silver Blue Gillette 7OC Yellow Gillette 7OC Green Gillette 7OC Black Personna Lab Blue Personna Platinum Red Feather Hi-Stainless Super Max Platinum Super Max Stainless PolSilver Super Iridium Voskhod For the Jaws, which does have a bit more angle and blade exposure, I would give some of these a try. Shark Super Stainless Shark Super Chrome Big Ben Stainless Astra Super Platinum Astra Super Stainless Ladas Super Stainless Rapira Super Stainless Treet DuraSharp Stainless Bic Chrome Platinum Dura Sharp Super Whatever your choice, I wish for you Happy Shaving!!
Been shaving with Weber Classic Polished Head for almost a week. My EJ DE 89, Merkur 34c shaves like my Gillette Slim Adjustable @4 2-3 passes + touch up . The Weber shaved like Adjustable @6-7 using no pressure except weight of razor, 2 passes and quick touch up. No nicks, cuts or weeper and a BBS. Used Crystal blades to compare. MPO The Weber Polished Head is a great razor for average to medium beards. but that just my opinion http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00A86IUEE/?tag=thshde-20