alphacyberrangerSuggest some closed comb DE razors which are mildly aggresive and won't cost much.
LOLseasHad a Merkur 34C as my first closed comb DE razor. I hated it. Tried various blades (Persona blue/red, Feather, Shark, generics from the NEX or Navy EXchange store on base, Gillette Silver Blue) and I could never get a BBS from it. I hated that closed comb razor.
Still, after 20+ years in DE wetshaving, I didn’t learn my lesson and decided to shell out +/- €100 for a Pearl Flexi (Indian company) closed comb DE razor. I hate it, too, for the same reasons.
Can you see I’m steering you away from closed combs? There was one exception over my 20+ years: my 1955-1960 Gillette Red Tip Super Speed. I loved it so much, I paid a company (Back Roads Gold in the US) to clean, repair, and replate it. Lost it moving overseas. I loved her so.
I’m assuming you are using open comb now. I never tried one, are they really aggressive?
Well, I’ve had only 2 open combs to date, but have had 9 closed combs over the years. Mostly vintage Gillettes.
It’s important that when you’re doing A-B comparisons, that you stick with a blade you’ve had great success with, so you can track how well that razor works for you. When I started my journey, I was all about the Derby blades. Having honed my technique, now I’m a Feather guy. It took 20+ years to find my matches, technique can never be stressed enough.
The best advice I can give: go slow and steady (you want to maintain a 30° blade angle to your skin), be sure to use a good quality shave soap or cream (Proraso and Tabac are great for me), don’t use Barbisol or aerosol cans, and remember to have fun and enjoy the experience! I love my shave routine, it’s Zen for me.
There’s a great site that still holds strong to this day for all things wetshaving: BadgerAndBlade.com