what is too light weight?

Bezoar

Bezoar

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Im just curious as to what is considered too light for a razor these days. I see a lot of love for 30 gram bakelight razors, but not the most love for 39 gram Gillette techs at times.

SO im just putting this as a theoretical question for some guidance.
 
It seems to me that weight preference in razors is mostly a matter of personal preference. For regular razors, which cut by compressive force, a good amount of head mass does seem to help drive the cutting edge (cf. the fairly massive head of the iKon S3S, a very smooth cutting razor). [update: Note that if the razor's head is heavy, the handle must also be heavy to avoid an awkward, head-heavy balance. /update] Absent head mass, you have to provide the cutting force without that assistance, but it seems to work just as well, just a somewhat different feel in the hand—the Dorco PL-602 is an excellent razor of very light weight, and I get excellent shaves from it (and to be clear, a shave is "excellent" for me if it is both enjoyable and efficient, easily leaving a smooth finish.

With slants, I find it's somewhat a different story. I am one who finds that a slant encounters noticeably less cutting resistance than a regular razor, so head mass is not an issue. Moreover, very light pressure on the face seems to be much more important with a slant than with a regular razor (partly because slants do cut more easily). The very light weight of plastic slants is thus less of an issue than with regular razors, and some plastic slants (the vintage Merkur white bakelite slant, the Fine Superlite, the Phoenix Artisan Bakelite slant) work quite well even with the light weight. The light weight of the razor can serve as a reminder to use very light pressure against the skin.

But different people often have different preferences.
 
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Bezoar said:
Im just curious as to what is considered too light for a razor these days. I see a lot of love for 30 gram bakelight razors, but not the most love for 39 gram Gillette techs at times.

SO im just putting this as a theoretical question for some guidance.
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Good God theyre heavy? Best razors I've used have been less than 20g
 
Bezoar said:
Im just curious as to what is considered too light for a razor these days. I see a lot of love for 30 gram bakelight razors, but not the most love for 39 gram Gillette techs at times.

SO im just putting this as a theoretical question for some guidance.
Click to expand...
No such thing as 'too light' for me - the Lord L6 and Feather Popular are the 2 lightest razors I own, both perform very well and are used just as much as any other razor in my modest collection.
 
i don't apply any more force with my fat boy, pre super speed, my aristocrat, or my adjustable pal. or my travel tech.

Its just that I am trying to determine if a weight/volume/shape/size ratio can be derived.
 
moodymick said:
I have. Paperclip Rocket. Just could not get my head around the fact that it looked like a Gold HD and yet it just felt wrong to me.

Yes. I am special.
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Lol. I have this and I know what you mean.

I prefer it when the weight is just right. Not too heavy, not too light but some razors are simply good shavers even if the weight isn't what we are used to.

I usually prefer a more hefty razor but I've also had fantastic shaves with the very light Fine slant.

One thing I noticed, I am more careful and mindful with a lighter razor than a heavy one.
 
I enjoy using Phoenix Fasan slant clone of 18 grams and Gibbs No15 of little bit more of 70 grams.
But yes, with lighter razor i must be a little more carefull than with heavyer one.

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I treat all my DE razors with the same respect, regardless to the cost size, or weight.. my Parker razors are heavier than my Aluminium handled Gillette tech, "obviously", i've trained my mind to think i control the weight & pressure when i'm shaving not the razor,i just think.. add no pressure, respect the razor, and most importantly enjoy the shave.;)
 
I was on the road recently, hand luggage only. I shaved with a two blade cart, Boots own brand, bought as a pack of 10 for about £1.95 (so not much more than a feather blade per unit). It can't weigh much more than 10g if that.

A remarkably good shave after two passes. I still think the Mach3 blades are a rip off, but oddly, with proper prep and an equivalent number of passes, the most budget of carts can achieve a decent shave.

That said, it's certainly not a universal rule. The hotel offered its own disposable cart, and it was unusable. I could barely get it to move across my face, let alone remove stubble.

What does this mean on this thread? Weight has little to do with shave quality. I do, however, like the sheer mass of my 37c. It just feels worthy when I pick it up.
 
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