Thread: Could use a bit of advice

I agree that you may be overthinking if your only angle is a quick emergency shave but I think I know you well enough to know that is not where you will end up even if it is your initial thought process. No offense intended and I hope none taken. You are just more analytical than that......just sayin'.

I haven't collected or even used very many DEs in my life, just a few really. I bought a vintage Gillette adjustable a while back. It gives a lot more variation of aggressiveness and feel. It may be the same for other adjustables. I couldn't say as my experience is limited. I would recommend an adjustable though.

Originally Posted by PaulFLUS

I agree that you may be overthinking if your only angle is a quick emergency shave but I think I know you well enough to know that is not where you will end up even if it is your initial thought process. No offense intended and I hope none taken. You are just more analytical than that......just sayin'.

I haven't collected or even used very many DEs in my life, just a few really. I bought a vintage Gillette adjustable a while back. It gives a lot more variation of aggressiveness and feel. It may be the same for other adjustables. I couldn't say as my experience is limited. I would recommend an adjustable though.

I have listened to everyone and I am pretty sure that I'm getting a Rockwell 6c. It has been recommended by a couple of regular DE shavers as the best choice because it's apparently good quality and because it's adjustable will give me the right shave without buying loads until I find the right one.

It comes with a packet of Rockwell blades which according to the guys here aren't very impressive. I think I will use them up while learning if their not laser sharp and then get some feathers when I am less likely to fillet myself. I'm not too worried about whether a razor is aggressive or not because as said by someone in this thread, there's nothing more aggressive that a straight. I actually think that my shavette might just be more aggressive than my straights. If that blade is not kept dead flat there is going to be pink lather, I found that out on my first pass.

I won't order it until about Wednesday because it is next day delivery and I go back to hospital tomorrow so I want to make sure that whatever happens there is finished before I end up with a parcel sitting outside my house all day.

My original idea was that the DE would just be as a backup for motels, or hand injuries etc but I have to admit. If this is going to be a serious learning curve, I might just add the DE and a better shavette to my rotation.

That would be two razors that don't ever need honing, although now I think about it not having to hone some of my rotation ever is a bit of a shame eh?

For DE blades id recomment gillette nacet or silver and blue. There are a lot of choices when it comes to blades. Its all up to your face but i find those two to be a solid middle ground blade that always works well.

Let us know what number of baseplate you find works best for ya. Im a #5. And I have the Gunmetal set.

If you just grabbed one off the shelf walking and picked a pack of blades without looking they would be fine. It's the quest that makes it hard to choose. At least for me that is.

Originally Posted by STF

Actually, their are three DE razors that I am considering.

Rockwell R1, Rockwell 6c & Muhle R41

I haven't used any of those and so can't speak to their quality, etc. But what I am sure of is that if you gave them all to three different guys, odds are decent that you'd get three different recommendations. They are so personal in terms of preference that there is no "right" one to try. Much like I prefer big old 19th-century 1/4 hollow razors while others swear by 4/8 super-hollow-ground razors - to each his own, etc., and so on...

FWIW, I say pick the one that you figure looks best to you and go for it.

Also, blades are cheap. I know you said you don't want to go down the sample-pack route, but if the ones you start with don't feel good, it's worth a few bucks to try a different type. So don't hesitate to experiment a bit. And remember again the reason for this: if you're unable to shave with a straight due to an injury, etc., that's going to be shitty enough. Don't add to that by not finding blades that work for you.

Originally Posted by Gasman

Blade gap and exposure. There are a lot of things that go into making a safety razor shave comfortable. One thing to keep in mind is blade angle. With a straight you get the angle much less than with a safety razor. Although the Gems with the wedge shaped head xoes get the angle closer to the straight.

The shave angle is much more important than many people realize. I have habitually shaved with extremely sharp razors for a few years now, and shavettes, too, and yes, I have in the past shaved a lot with DE razors, the first style of razor I ever shaved with. A very sharp edge will always shave much better and with less trauma when the shave angle is very shallow, but the head of the DE razor limits how low you can go.

One gotcha that gets DE noobs though, is not closing the doors of a TTO properly. They hit resistance when closing the razor on a new blade and don't realize that they still have to go that extra quarter turn to lock down the doors, and so the blade is held very loosely. The shave under those conditions can be anywhere from disappointing to disastrous.

Yeah, any decent DE razor and blade CAN give you as good a shave as a straight razor with an ordinary professional grade edge. Just like with straights, there is some skill involved in shaving with a DE, and mastery of it will improve the enjoyment of the shave immensely. But those razors with lower profile heads, or that curve the blade more, give the user a little more freedom to set the shave angle. Blade exposure and solidity of the lockup between blade and razor make a difference, too. Possibly the best DE razor I ever used, once I was familiar with it, was a frankenrazor put together out of a no-name aspirin tin type travel razor head, a full size handle from the junk box. Those pocket sets often have very low profile heads, though some don't bend the blade very much.

Well, my Rockwell C6 arrived and I've just had my third shave with it. It's gunmetal and looks really spiffy, I am very pleased with it.

This de razor is excellent as far as I'm concerned. I had my first shave with a #3, it was so smooth and comfortable that I thought I would go to #4.

#4 was still good but it didn't seem to give a better shave so I am back at #3 and I'll probably stay there.

I just shaved with the weight of the razor because it's quite heavy, I have had good shaves, no blood, very smooth and close but my experience so far is that the shave is not as close as with my straights.

I have been using Rockwell blades because thats all I have for the next few days but to be fair, my bristles are not tough and wiry, I have used the same blade for the 3 times I shaved with the DE and it still seems good to me. I am interested how long it will last. Will it start to pull like a straight would?

Anyway, I thought you might like to know how I got on with a DE Razor. Love it but won't be giving up on my straights anytime soon - It's not quite THAT good

Originally Posted by STF

I have been using Rockwell blades because thats all I have for the next few days but to be fair, my bristles are not tough and wiry, I have used the same blade for the 3 times I shaved with the DE and it still seems good to me. I am interested how long it will last. Will it start to pull like a straight would?

Yea, when they start to pull they are done. Figure out how long on average it takes for them to get to that point and pitch them a couple of shaves before that point.

Everyone's whiskers are different so how many shaves people get per blade varies greatly. For some strange reason I am now getting 7,4 pass, shaves from the variety of blades I have on hand in aggressive razors. Don't ask my why.

Bob

The consensus on the Canadian wet shaving facebook forum is that most folks ditch the Rockwell blades in favour of something sharper and longer lasting. I use the same razor with the #6 plate and Gillette Super Blue blades or Wilkinson Stainless blades. I have a fairly tough, wiry beard and those blades last at most 5 shaves before the shave degrades.

As others have said, each face and beard is different.

Originally Posted by STF

Well, my Rockwell C6 arrived and I've just had my third shave with it. It's gunmetal and looks really spiffy, I am very pleased with it.

This de razor is excellent as far as I'm concerned. I had my first shave with a #3, it was so smooth and comfortable that I thought I would go to #4.

#4 was still good but it didn't seem to give a better shave so I am back at #3 and I'll probably stay there.

I just shaved with the weight of the razor because it's quite heavy, I have had good shaves, no blood, very smooth and close but my experience so far is that the shave is not as close as with my straights.

I have been using Rockwell blades because thats all I have for the next few days but to be fair, my bristles are not tough and wiry, I have used the same blade for the 3 times I shaved with the DE and it still seems good to me. I am interested how long it will last. Will it start to pull like a straight would?

Anyway, I thought you might like to know how I got on with a DE Razor. Love it but won't be giving up on my straights anytime soon - It's not quite THAT good

When my Muramasa Adjustable Tatararazor arrived, I used the same process: start from a mid-range position, dial up the the aggressiveness one notch for the next shave until I get the closeness that I am looking for, go up one more step and - if I should find that it makes no difference - go one step back.

I started off using Feather blades, currently I use Astra stainless steel blades in the blue cardboard packaging. When a blade’s time is up I can tell from the increased tugging, but if I should shave exclusively with a safety razor for a week I replace the blade after one week, even though I typically could get another 2-3 shaves from the blade, but I am a man of habits.
At my age, I am allowed to…

I used to shave exclusviely with safety razors for some years and then I shaved almost exclusively with straight razors for a few years, but I currently switch between safety and straight razors and use whatever I feel like using that particular morning.

Coming from straight razors, a shaver will appreciate the importance of a beard prep and a light touch, something that may not come natural for someone who comes from system razors or electric razors. In the hands of a proficient straight shaver that alone should make for a closer and more comfortable shave.

There was a time when I was convinced that a shave with a straight razor is closer and more comfortable than a shave with a safety razor. While this may be true for most safety razors, a new (and pricier ) generation of safety razors has emerged - starting with the Mühle R41 - that gives straight razors a good run for their money. By now the Mühle has been surpassed by other safety razors that with the right blade gap and exposure are capable of excellent shaves - even if they are not open comb designs.

Whether my current fondness for safety razors will endure or whether they will end up in my travel bag like their Mühle R101 open comb predecessor remains to ben seen, as I quite like the ritual of a straight shave in the morning.

But it appears to me that at least some sworn-in straight shavers are showing a renewed interest in safety razors.



B.