If you have nothing against SE razors, the Ever Ready 1914 (aka Little Lather Catcher) is quite efficient and very easy to use. Some say the Ever Ready 1924 (Shovel Head) is even more aggressive but I haven't tried it yet. A bakelite Shake Sharp with Feather blades would be fairly aggressive (with it, I cut myself with an ordinary Astra SP loaded) but unfortunately this razor is difficult to find. Is the Rolls Razor really that aggressive ? I haven't managed to shave myself with it yet ; found the blade too dull for me.
Oh yeah. The Gem offerings, Micromatic and prior models are the shizna. I was a bit careless with the shovelhead this morning and leached copious amounts of blood.
Try this first. I've played with as many as 5 shims in some of my razors. It will give you a good idea of whether or not more aggressive = more comfortable for you. If you google safety razor shim you should get a few YouTube vids that explain it.
This is my Every-Ready 1914 Little Lather Catcher. It is the most aggressive razor I own. I only break it out on the anniversary of its patent, March 24, 1914. Then, it goes back in the display case.
I'd say it is more of a straight razor than a safety razor. That blade is right out there. You have to use a light touch and a shallow angle. And does it ever "sing."
The difference with a straight razor is that you don't need much learning, if any, to use the ER 1914
+1 on the Gillette Old Type. You could also change blades. I use a Feather blade in my Merkur 34c with great results.
Truth. They're all really noisy though. Even SWMBO was commenting on that the other day when I had my Damaskene out.
I keep seeing GEM Blades on the shelves yet no GEM like razors outside of Ebay. There is a Powder Coated Black Razor that is meant to be extremely aggressive. The Blade is very exposed and just hangs way out there. The only way more aggressive you could get is shaving with a DE with two fingers as the Razor.
I cant think of any current razors that use GEM Blades .....I think the last of them were made in the late fifties with NOS Stock like the GEM Featherweight maybe still around in the sixties..... Billy
While Merkurs are great shavers, my favorite most always is my Gillette Rocket HD. With a Feather, KAI, or IP Red it's more aggressive, and delivers an excellent two pass with buffing after when I'm really picky. These are hard to find, but worth looking for.
+1. Totally agree. Tried the ER 1924 once and was not impressed at all. The ER 1914 clearly shines here !
