Aggressiveness of a T-razor. Safety Razors: Dealing with Aggressiveness Table of Aggression T-Shaped Razors
Choosing for himself the very first or already the eighteenth t-shaped machine, every man, in addition to the cost of the razor, looks at its aggressiveness. Experienced buyers find it easier to navigate in this matter - they already know their needs and characteristics.
Muehle R89 Rosegold
For those who are just starting to get acquainted with the world of traditional wet shaving, this article has been written, at the end of which you can familiarize yourself with a summary table of the safe machines we have on sale.
Many beginners do not quite understand the term "aggressiveness" correctly. So what is it? Applied to razors, this parameter shows how clean the t-scale works when dealing with stubble. In other words: how close to the skin the blade of the machine cuts the hair. And irritation, cuts, ingrown hairs are a side effect of razor aggressiveness, but not a fundamental factor. The most "evil" razor will not cause the slightest harm to one person, while the other will walk with a reddened neck even after being as soft as possible.
Muehle R41 Grande
Initially aggressive razors are said to be better suited to beginners. There is some truth in this, but no more. The fact is that a soft razor is really tolerant of technical flaws and lack of experience. But experience, as they say, is a profitable business, and it is stupid to be afraid of cuts. With thoughtful, without haste, shaving, cutting with a safety razor is, of course, possible, but difficult.
Here we should rather talk about irritation - how sensitive your skin is to the touch of the blade. Where a non-aggressive machine requires 4-5 passes, an aggressive one will do just two. The arithmetic is simple: fewer passes means less annoyance. But! Some individually special men can easily get the strongest irritation in one pass of an extremely delicate machine. There is no other method here than to check on personal experience.
Blade overhang (1) is the distance the blade protrudes beyond the tangent line between the top and bottom plate. Gap (2) - The gap between the blade blade and the bottom plate. Span (3) is the distance between the cutting edge of the blade and the edge of the guard. Guard (4) - an element of the lower plate of the machine head, which protects the skin from the blade.
What constitutes the aggressiveness of a safety razor? This parameter is influenced by the sum of various factors. Let's list them.
Merkur 43C
The most important indicators are blade clearance and overhang - the larger they are, the more aggressive the machine behaves. The rest of the values, although secondary, also matter: weight, machine dimensions, center of gravity, blade used.
It should be clarified that the type of head (and it can be with a closed or open cut) does not affect the aggressiveness of the t-shki. Do not rush to throw rotten tomatoes at the author, but give a reasoned explanation of your position.
Merkur future
The closed comb head can be extremely aggressive (eg Merkur Future at setting # 6) or extremely soft (eg Rockwell Razors with R1 plate).
And at the same time, the open comb can be both extremely “evil” and extremely delicate. Examples are Muehle R41 and Merkur 15C.
In short, there is no direct relationship between the aggressiveness of the razor and the type of its head. By the way, you can learn more about the design features of T-shaped razors in this article.
Before you move on to exploring the table below, we want to clarify a few points:
- the table is compiled from the comments of visitors to one foreign forum on traditional shaving. We have supplemented it with models based on our extensive user experience;
- we have not included all T-shaped machines in this table, but the most popular;
- it should be remembered that aggressiveness is a subjective concept, and even within our team there are disagreements about a particular model;
- Rockwells, Progress and Futures have the ability to adjust the gap, so their aggressiveness increases as the gap increases.
Erbe solingen
Watch, study, argue, leave comments. We are interested in your opinion.
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Aggressiveness |
Shaver model |
One of the first criteria that our customers are interested in when buying a safety razor, along with the price and appearance, is its aggressiveness. Let's take a look at which razors can be considered soft, medium and aggressive and how experienced a T-razor you need to be to use each of them. After all, the choice of a razor should not be a "quest" for finding suitable aggressiveness, but a deliberate choice based on the stiffness of the bristles and skin type.
According to the common classification, the aggressiveness of the razor is determined by the following main factors:
- Blade clearance- that is, the distance between the blade itself and the comb of the razor. The larger it is, the more aggressive the razor is - the skin is more exposed, and, accordingly, the chance of cutting yourself increases.
- Angle of installation of the blade in the razor. Experienced users often prefer razors with a razor angle for better control of blade-to-skin contact.
- Razor weight and handle length. A heavier, long-handled razor allows for more comfortable adjustment of the angle between the blade and skin, while lighter razors are more maneuverable.
- Blade protrusion beyond the edges of the shaving head. Often, open-comb razors such as the Fatip Piccolo are more aggressive due to the larger blade protrusion (similar to the gap). However, the open ridge itself is not a guaranteed indicator of aggressiveness.
- Well, in fact, used blade and shaving technique.
In the photo on the left (click to enlarge) you will see the difference between the least aggressive and the most aggressive setting of the Merkur Futur safety razor. This adjustable shaver allows you to change the aggressiveness - basically changes the space of the gap between the parts of the shaving head.
In general, the definition of aggressiveness is rather arbitrary or even subjective, because it is possible to understand what kind of shaving will be with this or that machine only in practice. Next, we will look at a few examples describing soft, medium and aggressive razors in order to get a clearer understanding of the issue.
Let's talk about soft razors
We usually recommend these razors to our newbie shoppers who are just getting started with a safe razor, as it is much more difficult to cut with a soft razor. One of the best newbie options, the Feather Popular shaver, will help you master the skills of T-razor shaving with minimal risk of skin damage or irritation. It is also the best choice for those with soft, not thick bristles.
But especially the soft razor is perfect for those with sensitive skin who are prone to irritation and redness after shaving - the design of such a razor limits the pressure and impact of the blade on the skin.
The main, let's say, "drawback" of soft razors is a very small blade gap. This will not suit you at all if you have really thick and stiff stubble, or you shave every few days. In this case, the machine gap will have to be constantly cleaned of clogged hairs. And in general, shaving with a soft razor will take noticeably more time, passes and effort.
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| Edwin Jagger DE89 | Feather Popular | Feather AS-D2 |
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| Merkur 30C | Parker 96R | Edwin Jagger R35711SR |
Medium Aggressive Razors
It is balanced between softness and aggressiveness "for all occasions" razor. They are good for everyday shaving and if you have stiff stubble and just want to start using a similar machine. The blade in these razors effectively cuts hair without seriously increasing the chance of irritation and cuts.
All-purpose razors in this category include Parker open-comb razors - 24C and 26C - a good and very balanced choice in terms of build quality, size and weight, aggressiveness, and, of course, price. And also the incredibly popular Merkur 37C model, which features a beveled cut - the blade is set at an angle, which gives additional convenience and a clean shave. However, the 37C is one of the most aggressive razors of the "mid-range" category.
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| Merkur 37C | Parker 26C | Parker 97R |
Aggressive razors
As a rule, these are razors with the largest blade gap described above. The main advantage: These machines will cut your stubble quickly and with fewer passes compared to soft razors. This is the best option if you have very thick and stiff stubble and if you are used to shaving every few days.
On the other hand, because of the more pressure exerted on the blade when shaving, the chance of cutting or getting irritated increases; thus aggressive razors are not recommended for those with sensitive skin.
Perhaps the most aggressive razor on the market is the Mühle R41 open comb, perfect for the thickest, matted, stiffest or heaviest stubble. The teeth on the bottom of the head help position the hair during shaving so that the blade can handle cutting as easily and efficiently as possible.
When buying a razor, in addition to the cost, attention should be paid to the indicator of the degree of its aggressiveness. Under this concept, the ability of the blade to shave off the bristles is taken into account. Hence, it becomes clear how careful one must be when using it.
An aggressive razor will give you the best results for a close shave. All hair is shaved close to the root and a couple of strokes are enough for the skin to be clean shaven. However, this same blade leads to overgrown hairs, skin irritations and cuts.
Razor aggressiveness table
Aggressive machine ensures smoothness of the skin, while less aggressive one is able to forgive mistakes and lack of technique. This allows you to shave safely, although it will not provide the ideal quality and speed of the procedure.
The aggressiveness of razors is influenced by:
- clearance - the greater the distance from the blade to the base of the support, the more aggressive the device becomes;
- blade protrusion - a larger edge indicates an increased degree of aggressiveness;
- machine head weight;
- center of gravity placement;
- weight and length of the handle. The massive handle makes it possible to control the angle of inclination of the blade in relation to the skin. The small handle is flexible;
- the blades in the machine and the technique of the shaving process itself.
Expert opinion
Alexey Strizhnikov
Barber, expert on men's haircuts
Conventionally, users have created a table of aggressiveness of razors, in which this value is evaluated on a scale from 1 to 10. Here, the softest razor is taken as 1, and the most aggressive razor is rated as 10.
| Name | Aggressiveness |
| Feather AS-D1 | 1.0 |
| Weishi / Micro Touch One | 1.5 |
| Feather AS-D2 | 2.0 |
| Feather Popular | 2.0 |
| Merkur 30C | 2.0 |
| Parker 96R | 2.0 |
| RiMei | 2.5 |
| Merkur 1904 | 2.5 |
| Giesen and Forsthoff Timor | 3.0 |
| I Kon OSS (OC side is 2.0) | 3.0 |
| SS Pils 101 | 3.0 |
| RazoRock Mission | 3.0 |
| Utopia long handle | 3.0 |
| Edwin Jagger DE89 | 3.5 |
| Muhle r89 | 3.5 |
| Mercur 38C Barber pole | 3.5 |
| Mercur 34C HD | 3.5 |
| I Kon OC | 4.0 |
| Weber Polished Head (PH) | 4.0 |
| ATT M1 | 4.0 |
| I Kon Shave Craft 101 | 4.0 |
| ATT M1 | 4.0 |
| I Kon Shave Craft 101 | 4.0 |
| ATT M2 | 5.0 |
| I Kon Slant | 5.0 |
| Mercur 37C / 39C Slant | 5.0 |
| ATT R1 | 5.5 |
| RazoRock Jaws | 6.5 |
| RazoRock Slant | 6.5 |
| ATT R2 | 6.5 |
| I Kon SB | 7.0 |
| RazoRock SLAB | 7.0 |
| Cadet OC / RazoRock OC | 8.0 |
| FaTip | 8.5 |
| Joris | 8.5 |
| ATT H1 | 8.5 |
| ATT H2 | 9.0 |
| Muhle R41 (2013) | 9.5 |
| Mercur Futur jn 6.5 | 10.0 |
There is an opinion that the type of head affects the indicator of aggressiveness. In practice, everything looks a little different. Closed and open comb options can be soft and aggressive at the same time.
Soft razors are the best option for getting to know T-razors. They are suitable for men with sensitive skin prone to irritation and redness after shaving. One of the best options would be Feather Popular. The main disadvantage of such machines can be considered a small gap in the blade. This option will categorically not suit the owners of thick and stiff bristles.
Medium aggressive razors are versatile. They are suitable for both beginners and owners of stiff bristles. The blades in such devices shave the hairs with high quality without much risk of cuts and irritation.
For thick stubble, as well as for those who like to shave every few days, you need an aggressive model of the machine. It is quite dangerous to use and requires some skill.
- platinum;
- chrome;
- teflon;
- ceramic;
- tungsten;
- mixed type (chromium - platinum).
There are options without any coatings, which are labeled Stainless Stell.
Choosing a razor
Today, as before, the fashion for T-shaped looms has returned. There is a fairly large selection of such tools on sale. When choosing a machine for yourself, you need to pay attention to:
Are you using an aggressive or soft razor?
AggressiveSoft
- cut type(crest). It can be a closed comb or an open comb slice. The open machine is recommended for beginners, as it is able to perform gentle shaving of hair. A straight cut is more dangerous, so this option will suit an experienced user. There is also a combined type of razor. In this case, its one edge has an open cut, and the other - a closed one;
- machine weight also an important parameter when selecting a product. A heavy machine will be able to move under its own weight and will not require additional pressure.
Classic machines can be composed of 2 or 3 parts. Rig heads can be purchased separately and alternated at each step of the shaving process. Their only drawback is the length of time it takes to prepare the machine for work.
There is a razor with a butterfly lock system. This system is reliable and easy to use. The blade is loaded quickly and easily, but there is no head replacement option. Butterfly machines are very inconvenient in assembling and disassembling the device for cleaning.
The razors are available with a twist and a straight head. In the first case, the device is very convenient and practical. The twist head rotates and maneuvers so quickly in all directions that the shaving process becomes quicker, ensuring hair removal at a specific angle. A straight head will be more gentle, it will not get rid of hair in one touch, but it will save you from unnecessary cuts.
Benefits of using T-bar machines:
- its use guarantees a high-quality result, since the procedure involves preliminary steaming of the bristles;
- shaving technique involves fewer contacts of the blade with the surface of the treated skin, which has a striking effect on its condition;
- a variety of models allows everyone to individually choose the most suitable option;
- real money saving as the blades for such a machine are much cheaper.
But the disadvantages include:
- a little more time for the procedure;
- the need for certain skills.
When deciding on the purchase of a razor, you need to take into account not only the stylish design, beauty, but also the reliability of the device. Shaving aids have served their owners for decades. In this regard, it is worth paying attention to the models of not the cheapest categories in order to use the razor every day with pleasure.
For conceptuality, the famous drawing:
1
- Blade exposure (exposure) - distance between the edge of the blade and the tangent to the head of the razor.
2
- Gap - the distance between the blade and the blade support.
3
- Span - the distance between the edge of the blade and the edge of the guard.
4
- Guard - the part of the base of the razor head that protects the face from the blade.
One of the most important criteria when choosing a machine, along with its price, is aggressiveness.
Everyone has heard about the "aggressiveness" of the machines: novice wet-shavers, experienced barber, and straight razor gurus.
But to figure out among the machines - where is what aggressiveness - especially at the beginning of the journey, is not so easy.
At the most well-known foreign thematic forum Badger & blade for the convenience of communication, razor addicts have developed a scale of aggressiveness. Quite conventional, but it's still better than nothing. Somewhere I even read about this table such words: "international standards of aggressiveness"))
.. Well ... you can call this self-made table international, but you shouldn't treat it as a standard obligatory for manufacturers.
In general, in order to navigate the razor-sharp variety, it was assumed that aggressiveness
Muhle R89 = 3.5
iKon Standart = 4.0
Parker 26C = 4.0
Muhle R41 = 9.5
* Below you will find a summary table of the aggressiveness of the most common machine tools. Some of the "common" you (like me) will turn out to be unfamiliar at all, which is not surprising, given the geography of the authors of the table.
Approx.:
As you understand, it is impossible to accurately determine aggressiveness, it is always a certain convention, an assumption. And the values can fluctuate within the specified error of 0.5 (so they decided on the same forum). Therefore, if it says "aggressiveness 4.0", it means that aggressiveness is approximately equal to the conditional values from 3.8 to 4.2.
More correct, in my opinion, are the values written like this: "aggressiveness from 4.0 to 4.5". But this, in general, is not so important in order to understand whether you need this or that machine.
The aggressiveness of the machine is determined by several parameters, among which one of the main ones is the gap. Also, the aggressiveness of the machine is influenced by:
- the location of the center of gravity,
- the weight of the machine head,
- blade selection,
- handle length,
- handle weight,
- hands;)
Relatively b O the more aggressiveness of "opencomb" (open comb) I will give the whole opinion of the honored barber swlad from one of the forums:
“In fact, the opinion about b O The greater aggressiveness of the opencomb is far-fetched. Take an open comb from Merkur and their own classics 34C - and this myth will immediately be smashed to smithereens. An open comb is less aggressive than a closed one (despite the fact that a closed comb is far from the most evil). The aggression of the machine is determined not by the shape of the teeth, but by the geometric parameters (see the same famous picture, which was kindly taken out to the head of the branch). The most important parameter is gap(the one under the number 2), the greater the distance between the blade and guard, the more aggressive the machine is. That is why the simplest and most effective way to increase the aggressiveness of the machine is to raise the blade above the guard by shimming (placing one or two more cut-off blades or special metal plates under the main blade). Departure the blade (1) mainly affects the comfort of shaving and the ability to vary the working angle of the machine within wider limits. A span(3) directly depends on the clearance. Therefore, the only real difference between the comb and the closed head is that it clogs less and works more efficiently on the grown bristles. "
End of quote.
Aggressive razors produce the smoothest shave possible, but with aggressiveness, the likelihood of cuts, irritation and ingrown hairs (bamp) increases.
Combined with a suitable blade (here everyone should look for their favorites on their own), when shaving with a more aggressive razor, two passes may be enough to achieve the notorious BBS.
Less aggressive machines are more forgivable to mistakes, they allow beginners to slightly press on the machine - which, in principle, should not be done at all: in skilled hands, a correct machine with a correctly selected blade shaves under its own weight.
Promised table of aggressiveness from the forum Badger & blade:
about PEARL and PARKER:
Deepak Grover, owner of Parker, when we asked him about aggressiveness, defined the aggressiveness of his machines this way:
- "butterflies": low aggressiveness
- clozed comb: medium aggressive
- open comb: strong aggressiveness.
So, without any numbers.
There are numbers "assigned" to one or another machine by users, but they cannot be called correct because there are too many opinions.
Let's just say that within the series, the heads of the machine tools are no different.
And I can also add for blaziru: Parker 26C is softer than Fatip Piccolo, and Fatip Piccolo, in turn, is less aggressive than Muhle R41.
In principle, all of the above applies to the more popular (apparently because of the price) Pearl shaving razors. But it's easier with them - a large number of users somehow arranged the numbers and got a kind of pivot table.
There are blades that I want to test in the business, but have not bought them yet. These include Japanese Kai and Gillette 7'Clock. I suspect I will like them. I have not seen these products offline, and ordering only blades for trial in online stores is not very profitable financially.
Best Blades
Based on the results of testing two dozen with a ponytail of products, I have compiled a personal rating of the best blades for t-razors. I left only two criteria for the assessment: the efficiency of hair removal and the comfort while shaving.
Here it is necessary to emphasize the subjectivity of assessments and rating as a whole. For example, for me, efficiency is directly proportional to sharpness: the sharper the product, the better it cuts hair. And comfort is expressed in the absence of excessive trauma and unnecessary passes. There must be a balance here, since additional passes have to be made due to insufficient sharpness of the product, and injuries occur due to excessive sharpness.
Rating of the best blades for a safety razor
My personal preference looks like this:
- Feather. Japanese "feathers" are the sharpest blades on the market. From my point of view, they are the most effective. And comfort is achieved when using relatively soft machines, such as the Muhle R89 or Merkur 37c. Personally, I really like the way the Feather behaves in the Merkur skewer.
- Green "Astra". I have long considered this product to be the best. Even now I prefer it in combination with the Muhle R41 machine. But lately I often shave with slate, so in my personal rating I gave preference to the Japanese.
- Polsilver Super Iridium. In terms of efficiency and comfort, Polsilver is comparable to Astra. Many connoisseurs of classic shaving consider that they are practically not inferior in sharpness to Feather.
- Bic Chrome Platinum. This product can be called a clothed version of the Japanese "feather". The Greek-French product is quite a bit short of the pungency of products from the country of the samurai. It is slightly inferior to ASP in terms of comfort.
- Gillette Silver Blue. Very good blades.
- Personna Comfort Coated. Products from the USA seem to me to be very effective and of high quality.
- Bluebeards Revenge.
- Personna Platinum. High quality and efficiency.
- Derby Extra.
- Schick Premium.
- Gillette Rubie Platinum Plus.
- Rapira Platinum Lux.
- Satellite. This is an example of products with high efficiency and excessive aggression. You can shave cleanly with her, but it's difficult to talk about comfort.
- Treet Platinum.
- Trig Silver Edge.
- Lord Platinum.
- Lord Super Chrome.
- Super-Max Platinum.
- Muhle. These and other blades of the German plant "Finetechnik" occupy a place in the second ten not because of poor quality. From my point of view, they are too soft. Because of this, shaving performance is severely affected.
- Bolzano.
- Croma Diamant.
- Rapier Super Steel.
- Bic Astor.
- Treet Classic.
- Lord Super Stainless.
If nothing is overlooked, these are all the blades I have tried so far since returning to traditional shaving.
What are the best shaving blades from the point of view of "Blade-info" readers
It is very interesting for me to compare my opinion with the opinion of other connoisseurs of the classics. Therefore, I propose to choose the best product from your point of view in the voting form. Please note that it is necessary to evaluate this or that product according to two criteria: efficiency and comfort. All other indicators do not need to be taken into account. You can choose up to five answer options.