On "Best Razors...."

Sharpologist.com posted an article the other day on what might be razors that fit into the category of best. I recommend using the link in the previous sentence, which will take you to that article, and I recommend reading it if you haven't already done so. It's a good article.

I do have some thoughts on the subject, which as Sharpologist suggests, is a difficult one to tackle. My reasons for buying into the difficult-to-address argument are several. This include the following:

• Different persons are likely to have different hair characteristics including thickness, density, severity of grain (that is, the severity of the angle of the hair follicle in relation to the skin surface), and the variability of the grain.
• Different persons are going to have shaving skills that vary one from one person to another.
• Changing individual preferences/needs: my experience is that my own personal razor preferences have changed quite a bit over time, potentially due to several factors. My own shaving skill has evolved perhaps simply due to time and experience, but also likely due to my having acquired and become somewhat (not fully) adept with straight razors. Also, I've made the argument that perhaps individuals' skin sensitivity reduces over time due to repeated daily shaves.

Given all these variables it's truly difficult to say what are the best razors even if one breaks them out by price categories. I commend Sharpologist for providing the information, which may be helpful to many readers.

My own story of razor preference is, honestly, perplexing. My current at-hand in-bathroom razors are shown in the photo below:

From left to right: 5/8" traditional straight razor in a black leather sleeve, Parker PTB barber straight (with black handle), Ming Shi 2000S (Futur knock off), Parker Variant (w/ charcoal handle). The right-most column of three-piece razor components from top to bottom: Rimei RM2003 razor head on the Phoenix Artisan Accoutrements' (PAA) double-open-comb (DOC) handle, 1965 Gillette Travel Tech razor head, PAA DOC razor head; Lord LP1822L razor head (the L.6).
(If you're curious about the containers at the top, the orange cap is a cache of new, unused DE blades. The center open amber vial contains new, unused half-DE blades (for the barber razor). The blue container contains nail clippers, small scissors, and nail file.) My Gillette Slim Adjustable is up at the back of the drawer, hidden from view in this photo.

The bottom line on my changing preferences involves the following primary factor:

My comfort with and tolerance of razors with a neutral blade exposure (blade exposure is where the blade edge lies in relation to the shave plane formed by the top cap and the safety bar or comb) has significantly increased. Where previously I preferred razors with a negative blade exposure (blade edge slightly below the shave plane, inside the protective cove of the razor head), I now find I get my most rewarding shaves with razors that have that neutral blade exposure because they can shave  fairly closely but are not all that likely to bite.

My most recent addition to the shave drawer is the RM2003 from Rimei, the least costly razor that I've owned (originally purchased from DX.com -- and for clarity, the least costly useable razor; years ago I purchased some $2 razors that were junk). In my early DE shaving days, I had a difficult time avoiding nicks and weepers with this (RM2003) implement, but now I find it thoroughly enjoyable to use.

I should also note that for the adjustable razors, after initially experimenting with more aggressive settings, these days I've mellowed, am not so determined to get as close as possible to a baby-smooth outcome. As a result, I typically use these razors in their lower settings -- usually on one for the first pass or two, and then on two for clean up.

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By the way, for those of you who have been watching the MLB World Series on TV, I've been finding the broadcasts to be very visually appealing. My only complaint is that some of the players would make a better presentation of themselves if they'd get a shave and a haircut. Just sayin'.

Happy shaving!