Shaving, gents - Page 43

I thought the same thing. My eyes are watering at the thought of plucking even one hair from my face, let alone a whole face full........

Well the good thing about it is no nicks. Especially when pulled one at a time. And it doesn't grow as fast as the shavers since the hair is uprooted.
BUT I've been doing this for decades. I do remember the pain when I was just starting though.

I didn't know Android has some double-post issues. Sorry.
Edited by Phoenix Jackson - 12/27/12 at 10:09am

 

Well, I have a lot of beard hairs, hard and stubburn with very healthy (big) roots. I just pulled one for fun (by lack of a better word) and I can tell you, I'd rather go to hell for all eternity than pull them all out. 

 

 

What is the advantage of a lighter handle?

The R89 Grande is a lot heavier than the R89 so I might reconsider and get the small one anyway.

I am asking specifically for these two razors because I thought both would shave the same and according to one vendors site they do, according to another one's site the Grande is more aggressive.

Is that possible?

 

There isn't an advantage per se, it's really just a matter of preference. The Grande, along with other heavy-handled razors, like the Merkur 38C, are regarded by many as more aggressive razors than their lighter counterparts by virtue of the fact that they situate more weight behind the cutting edge, which theoretically mows down whiskers more efficiently. However, I'm sure the two shave very similarly. My experience has been that head design has much more to do with how aggressive a razor is than how much it weighs. Having said that, if you're a beginner, I would still recommend the regular R89 over the Grande, as it will be easier to control and to hone your technique with.

 

So the regular R89 will be easier to control even if I have big hands?

How come a shorter handle is easier to learn with?

Ah, well if your hands are very large you may very well be more comfortable with the larger handle. I just feel that the added weight of a large handle makes it a little more difficult to use very little pressure against the skin, which is an important component of DE safety razor technique. But as long as you remain mindful of the amount of pressure your using and your blade angle, it shouldn't be a problem.

I agree, buy whatever feels good in your hand. The 14 grams won't make a big difference, if any. What kind of blades did you buy?

 

Well .. very large ... I ain't no Hulk.  

Rather large hands yes, but what's large enough to go for the bigger model or what not ... matter of preference as well I think.

 

I'll take your advice though and go for the short one. I feel starting with a milder DE razor will make me keep using them, too aggressive at first could get me back to the Gilette Fusion.

 

Thanks for the info both, much appreciated! 

 

I just have a pack of Feathers here but I was going to order the Derby and Merkur blades along with the rest. These are the only two brands the vendor where I want to order the razor from has.

I can't find those blades locally here but I can find Gilette, Wilkinson and Feather here so I would have 5 brands to try.

Your mühle will come with a single derby, so it may be unnecessary to order a 5 pack before you try it...

I really like the Gillette 7 o'clock series.

Have you ever compared them to the wilkinsons?

I've never done a direct comparison, but I have used Wilkinsons, which I find to be good blades. However, I find the Gillettes to be exceptionally smooth, confortable, and long lasting. Blades preferences vary wildly though, so I recommend trying out as many as you can. 

I found Wilkinsons to be good. Not great...just good. They are only slightly better than a Merkur IMHO.

 

One of my favorite blades is the Yellow Shark Stainless Steel blades. Super sharp, super smooth and long lasting. I can get 6-8 shaves, great shaves, from one Shark. Highly recommend those.