Ode to the Mild Razor

I have sensitive skin and the only mild razor I can use is the Above The Tie M2. The rest give me irritation. I think I just pay more attention when I can feel the blade.

Mild does not have to mean inefficient.  Today was one of my post-war fat handle techs, about as mild a razor as exists and a Ming Shi razor blade.  The result as expected was a two pass and touchup PDG+ near perfect shave.  It's also one of my prettiest razors.

I have a fat handle tech with the triangle slots.  Very pretty razor.  I have to rock this one with a feather blade though because it is just a tad too mild for my face.  Stretch skin like I'm straight shaving though and it'll get er done.

That would be a pre-war and war time Tech. Also very nice. That is often claimed to be more aggressive than the post war techs with the oval slots. Personally I've never found much difference and love both. In any of my shaves the touch up is done after an alum rub down and with skin stretching.

My daily shaver is a Feather AS-D2 with Feather blade. In my experience this razor and blade combination is highly efficient at removing hair. My beard is thick and coarse and grows fast, requiring daily or every other day shaves. There is a small learning curve with this razor for many including myself, but once you dial in the angle it's a wonderful razor.

I have tried a large number of razors, mild to aggressive, and I finally settled on RazoRock Mamba, Charcoal Goods Brass Level 1, and Delta Echo-coated Feather AS-D2 heads, which - on my Triad, UFO, and Stork handles, and with the vintage Wilkinson Light Brigade and Personna 74 blades I use - give me consistently great shaves. With other razors/heads, the shave just wasn't efficient, or I got razor burn or nicks and cuts, or I had to be so cautious and careful that the shave wasn't enjoyable.

My go-to for the last 5 or 6 months has been a Dorco PL-602.

Some years ago It was my golden standard !!!

Today too ...

https://damnfineshave.com/thread-sotd-6-...#pid346544

I guess I'm probably a bit strange, but my favorite razor is the Feather SS folding, but I am not a fan of blade feel in DEs and much prefer DEs that are SMOOTH.

It's weird because people think of a shavette as being the ultimate in "blade feel." I don't like blade feel, but I love my Feather SS. I do clean-up with a mild DE (Pils, S3S, this morning a Mamba 70).

I was getting some irritation from my EJ DE89 using personna med preps, so I'm looking forward to trying the Rockwell 6S and a Feather AS-D2--if i can find a good deal on one. I am sure that my problem is mostly technique, but I think starting with a more mild DE will boost my confidence. (note that this is only WTG shaves, no ATG). I do think that it's a good idea to have a very mild shaver for those days when you had some irritation previously, but have to shave for one reason or other.

I was getting some irritation from my EJ DE89 using personna med preps, so I'm looking forward to trying the Rockwell 6S and a Feather AS-D2--if i can find a good deal on one.  I am sure that my problem is mostly technique, but I think starting with a more mild DE will boost my confidence. (note that this is only WTG shaves, no ATG).  I do think that it's a good idea to have a very mild shaver for those days when you had some irritation previously, but have to shave for one reason or other.

Good thinking.  And as technique improves so does the mild razor performance so it’s win/win all the way around.

I have acquired a number of nice modern razors. My bugaboo is neck irritation and, for that reason, I have been trending toward a milder razor for the last 6 months or so. Now when I do choose it is quite often a .68 Timeless Ti .68 SB, Game Changer .68 SB, Feather AS-D2 or even a Rockwell 6S on a 3 plate. I also like to "cheat" by applying Grooming Dept Pre-shave before the first and second passes. That will take some of the aggression out of almost any razor system.

I used to like cranking the Slim up to 9 (or QShave Futur clone up to 5 or 6), and I had been on the lookout for a Red-Tip Super-Speed, but somewhere around last Spring I started going for milder razors. Right now my favourites are EJ DE87 (same head as DE89), a pre-War Tech, '46 Aristocrat, British Aristocrat Junior, and a Schick Type K1 "Lady Eversharp" injector. 
For some reasons, adjustables at low settings aren't quite the same.

One of the reasons why I used to like aggressive razors was because I was always trying to get rid of "Ghost Stubble". This is when you feel roughness mid-shave, so you keep doing passes over the same spot, maybe dial up the setting. Then you give up. About 15-30 minutes after the shave is over, it feels super-smooth anyway, as if the "stubble" simply faded out on its own.
Now that I'm aware of it, I make do with a milder razor, fewer passes, and get a BBS anyway with less irritation.

It’s all about a fresh blade for me. Blades cut, razors just provide certain levels of comfort in presenting a blade.

I never use a blade (usually Super Iridium) more than twice. I just prefer sharp blades. New blades. I find mild razors like the Baby Smooth shine with a new blade. It eliminates the mild vs aggressive razors conversation for me.

If I toss a blade before 20 shaves, I feel very prodigal. Unless it's a QShave Titanium - best first shave ever, then total crap on the 2nd.
With most blades I find they aren't properly "broken in" until 3-4 shaves, and if I remember to do so, I'll cork them before the first use.
With Shaverboy blades costing CAD$7.95 (including taxes plus shipping) per 100, that makes my blade costs 0.4¢ per shave, and they're comparable to Astra SP for quality and smoothness.