Older guys and mild razors

[JarmoP]

My fave shaver used to be Merkur 34 C. I was never quite happy with my uncle's aluminium handle Tech. My father says it was his, but I sort of doubt

But lately I have been more liking my Merkur Progress, instead the HD. It is on setting 3, but because it is not properly zeroed, it is most likely something like 1.5.
I'm 61, and I know older shavers like aggressive razors too, like that PaulHFilms in youtube. But he is maybe 10 years younger at least. Just he most times gets a bleed or 2 lol. And so many passes.

Progress with the Iridium Super blade that I managed to get a lot before they went extinct, from that Petersburg russian factory (Proctor & Gamble Surrey) is best for me. Sharp but not irritating unlike Feathers.

I just use always 2 passes with a touch up. My upper lip prefers a mild razor and also my neck.

[fallingwickets]

theres something special about finding a blade and razor combo that works! Out of all the blades ive tried (not many i admit, but more than enough to comment ) the feathers are the only ones i have no desire to ever use again.

clive

[CMur12]

I can't use Feather blades, either.

In my own idiosyncratic experience, my favorite blades work equally well in all my preferred razors.

I only shave my neck, and the skin there has always been relatively delicate, so a daily scraping with any razor or use of an aggressive razor even infrequently has always resulted in unreasonable irritation. With added time - I'm now 67 - my skin has become even more vulnerable. I have always preferred a mild razor with a sharp blade (but not a Feather) and wet, slick lather with minimal cushion.

- Murray

[Pauldog]

I have to be careful shaving the back of my neck. It gets irritated easily, especially if I use a Norelco. (I know, sacrilege, but that's what I tried a few times when I was between face shaves.) The easiest razor for that job is an injector razor, using a fairly gentle touch, and as few passes as possible to catch all the hairs.

[JarmoP]

Paul, I am so thankful of the Feather Portable I got from you many years ago, It is history to have such a razor, and no guys, it is not a Feather popular plastic, but an all metal razor.

It is a bit too aggressive, more than HD, but I got fine shaves with say red personna or derby blades. The other Paul I mentioned above might like it more than me, I substituded it's handle to my uncle's/father's above mentioned Tech because the original aluminium handle is just ugly and much more balanced with Feather Portable's one. Short it is but I don't mind that at all.

I still have not used the Feather blades that came in it's plastic case, because I stupid once bought 100 of those yellow Feathers. I might put them on Progress in lowest setting and see if I could use them heh.

My suspicion about whose that Tech razor is, is because I have never seen my father shave with anything but his Brown electric. So your Norelco is forgiven use too Paul

[Pauldog]

A lot of people here have that Portable. I never counted how many I sold, but I know I shipped quite a few. A while back, I saw what they were selling for on eBay after all these years, and got tempted enough to sell mine, since I have so many other razors.

My latest favorite is the Maggard slant head that I bought without a handle. I wonder if the Feather blades would work well with it, since a lot of people liked using them in the Merkur slant.

[slackskin]

At 74 I think I qualify as an "older guy." Some say age is "just a number" but that has not been my experience. The skin on my face does not seem to have become more fragile but I do prefer a mild razor with a blade that remains consistently very sharp. The skin on my forearms and forehead are MUCH more susceptible to bruising or bleeding from what appears to be the mildest bump or scrape -- as compared to a decade or so ago. . Hmmmmmm

[jww]

Been using the same setting on my Fatboy for too many years to recount here. Notwithstanding, at 60 yrs old, I don't fine my preferences any different than I did at 40. I'm a dedicated Gillette Silver Blue and Polsilver blade man and have been for at least 4 or 5 years.

[JarmoP]

I've now used Feather blade again after many years, and again I'm not happy. Just what I suggested myself in above that I might do. The shave with Progress at lowest setting was ok, no bleed or much irritation. Though I can feel that if shaving everyday some other blade is better for my skin.

What bothers me big way is the sharpness of stubble after it grows back.

Wendell, I have read that your Polsilver and my Iridium Super are quite alike in many peoples opinion.

[brothers]

It seems the General SE when loaded with a Schick Proline or Kai Captain gives me some smooth results, and I have learned that a new blade will bite if I get a little careless. After 10 shaves, they both mellow out while the shaves continue as always very smooth and irritation-free.

[John Rose]

It seems the General SE when loaded with a Schick Proline or Kai Captain gives me some smooth results, and I have learned that a new blade will bite if I get a little careless. After 10 shaves, they both mellow out while the shaves continue as always very smooth and irritation-free.

Have you tried "corking" the blade before the first use?
I've recently started doing this, and I think there's something to it.

[drmoss_ca]

While I can do it happily with a straight, any attempt at going ATG on my neck with a safety razor causes ingrown hairs. Presumably the hair exits the skin at a very small angle, and when the cut end is sharp it tends to dig in. So I stop on my neck after the first downward pass. Perhaps a Mennonite beard would be an option, but "neckbeards" have a bad rep these days thanks to non-Mennonites!

[naturalpuerh]

It is like a fiction in the childhood.

[John Rose]

When I came back to DE razors in 2016, I kept going for more aggressive razors, or else cranking up the adjustables.
Since about two years ago I've taken to using milder razors, like the Edwin Jagger DE87 and a RazoRock SLOC.
The SLOC (head-only was something like $10) is now officially my favourite open comb razor.
Very mild in spite of its scary appearance.

RazoRock SLOC on RR Barber Pole SS_2952.JPG (324.01 KiB) Viewed 11507 times

About the Feather blades, I didn't like using them. They got rough too soon or something, and seemed over-priced.
More recently I got a Henson AL13 (the Mild version), and after going through an Astra SP and Shaverboy blade (12 shaves each) I thought I'd dig out Feather from the back of the pile and try it in the Henson.

All of 38 grams. The 96 mm handle (longer than I usually like) is just long enough to balance the head, so it's fine by me.
This is the mildest-feeling razor I have, (out of 20 or so vintage and modern razors) but by golly, it gives the closest shave of them all. It feels and performs much better than, say, a Slim at a low setting. It clamps the blade closer to the edge than usual, so there's very little blade chatter.
AND, the Feather is just great in it. I dare say I'm going to get a few more Feathers the next time I place an order.
Henson says that they designed it to pair best with Astras because they found Astras are the most consistently-manufactured blade.
The precision with which they make the AL13 is such that (for example) when you start to screw the handle on, by the time you get 1 or 2 turns on there is no wobble.

[Sam]

I have tried open combs, Gillette adjustables and the Merkur Futur. Even slant bars. The slant bar, yes, it was aggressive with a Feather blade. I don't recall why I tired of it. I have a long handle razor now, and had a couple of Gillette adjustables in my drawer. Have tied them all on my scalp and the long handled razor (a merkur head) does the best. Derby blades. I find that if I blade buff (go back and forth quickly in short strokes) at a 45 degree angle from my chin to the area at the throat that is under my ear, that really helps remove the stubble. I also find that with a grey beard somehow the hairs are coarser and so the blade is good for maynbe 7 shaves.

I am on a journey to get my head as BBS smooth as I have gotten with face shaves

[kronos9]

[snip]

I am on a journey to get my head as BBS smooth as I have gotten with face shaves

I tried the smooth look a few years ago. Buddy was shocked when he saw me. Neighbor lady simply took one look and said "No". The same response I got from a girl at the grocery store when I asked her opinion of my ugly two-week whiskers. "No." Guess that settles it. Back to the almost daily luxo shaves.

[mfsinsd]

Shave everyday usually with a Slim, Tech, SS or New. Cold water.

[CMur12]

Shave everyday usually with a Slim, Tech, SS or New. Cold water.

mfsinsd, I see you like classic Gillette razors. Before so many new razors became available, our choices here used to be between vintage razors (mostly Gillettes) and new Merkur razors.

There have been discussions here, in the past, about cold water shaves. Many swear by them as an effective way to reduce irritation.

- Murray

[woodsrider]

An old thread, but I'll chime in. The best razor I've found for my old-guy, sensitive skin is the newer Feather DE razors. Ironically, I can use pretty much any blade in these EXCEPT a Feather. They're just too irritating for me. A really smooth combination I've found is the Feather razor and a Derby blade, but many DE blades work great in this razor (Personna medical prep, "Swedes," Super Iridium, and so on). I have a number of vintage razors and newer Edwin Jaggers and Merkurs, but I love the simplicity, craftsmanship, and smoothness of the Feather DE.