Aggression, weight and slickness

[wintoid]

I recently bought a razor which is made from aluminium. It's light. Very light.

On my first shave, on the difficult bit on my neck, I noticed that the razor "skittered" over that area, in a way that my normal heavy-headed razors do not.

I am considering various options for my next attempt. I could change the handle for a heavier one, but I'm not sure whether that would then make it bottom-heavy and even worse, or super aggressive. I could try to make a very wet lather, with the aim of getting it as slithery as possible, and minimise the skittering. I don't know whether the logic is right.

I'd be interested to know people's thoughts.

 

[Bechet]

Try adjusting your angle over the skittery areas and all of the ideas you propose after that if it still skitters. Perhaps a longer handle to give you better control (imo, it does for me). Templ8 put a 10mm mid-handle extension into my Standards for me - made a world of difference.

My guess is that you get the handle too close to parallel with your neck.

 

[moodymick]

I've tried in the past shaving with both an aluminium Tech and a HD 'paperclip' (courtesy of one of those badly photographed / described ebay sales) - did not like either and so got rid. I think the problem was (apart from the usual laziness and complacency), that having been used to the weight of heavier razors (34C, 37C and vintage TTOs etc..) to provide the necessary pressure, when that weight was absent it was just upset my natural rhythm. Yes, I could have persevered but..... couldn't be arsed!

 

[Dave-the-rave]

Sometimes with a very light razor like yours you've got to do a bit of the work as opposed to ''letting the razor do the work''.
Hope that makes sense.

 

[Electrif]

I could try to make a very wet lather, with the aim of getting it as slithery as possible, and minimise the skittering. I don't know whether the logic is right.

I'd be interested to know people's thoughts.

I would have thought that wetting the lather further would reduce cushioning.

 

[Fergiebilly]

When I use a Lighter DE, I find that using a lighter & thinner coat of lather is the order the day...You can also use a bit of pressure with a lighter razor as well in my experience...How much pressure you can get away with is just trail & error....

Billy

 

[pjgh]

I had one of those mega-light WJM razors from WW2, aluminium throughout. I think that was the lightest razor I used. To be absolutely frank, it worked just like any other DEs I had all the way through to the heavy ones like the Merkur Progress. I don't think I ever let the razor do the work - I held the razor, balanced in my hand and shaved.
I think a really light razor would improved technique phenomenally, allowing the shaver to really feel the curves and use a featherlight, but sure touch, as required for straight edge shaving.