Thread: New safety razor shaver here

Originally Posted by thebigspendur

If you want the sharpest get either Feather or Kai. Yes they require some finesse to get a close and comfortable shave but if you want to get the max out of your razor then, that's the ticket.

Agreed. Feather is the only brand I use these days. I use them in shavettes, mostly. And to lame my bread loaves before they go in the oven. Bought 100 for around $20 a few years ago, still working with that batch. There is no sharper disposable blade but they do require a little extra care if you don't want to filet yourself.

Originally Posted by Gasman

You said... "I’m rather drawn to the vintage Gillette ones".

This is why I was asking. The ones I showed a pic of are the most Vintage Gillette Blades.
As Bob said, The Nacet and Silver/Blues are great. But they are new. Not vintage.
Gillette also has Yellow, Black, Gold, and Green. There might be others too but they are not vintage either.




With a mild razor, it's best to use a Keen/Sharp blade. This is a standard combo. And just the opposite with an aggressive razor. You use a Mild blade. These things you learn with time but getting this kind of info can help you to learn quicker. Stick around as we are happy to help you to learn as much as we can.

My fault, I meant the vintage Gillette razors themselves, not just the blades

You can't go wrong with a Tech!

Originally Posted by Gasman

You can't go wrong with a Tech!

Well said Gasman. The Techs made in the 1940s were some of the best DE razors ever made. Relatively mild razors that really shine with modern blades like the Feathers.

I know some will jump all over me but from my own experience with vintage DEs, if you compare them to the best modern Stainless DEs they simply don't come close. Yes, they shave great and can be very comfortable and are well made but modern design and machining and low production simply make a better product.

The difference between a great shave and a superb shave means getting a result the equal of a straight with a DE with the right blade and some experience.

I'm not knocking vintage, I have a bunch myself and they are fun to use now and then.

I think thebigspendur is probably right, although modern razors with mazak heads like the Parker range (I have the Semi Slant) are very precisely made and give superb results. The older nickel plated pressed metal heads can suffer from having been dropped - the fat boy and Slim Adjustable are particularly vulnerable in this respect. I also notice Muhle have now made a stainless version of the R41.

Originally Posted by Gasman

You can't go wrong with a Tech!

I must be the only one the dislikes the Tech. As usual ymmv.

Bob

Napa , Bob you ain’t the only one

I agree that the way DE Razors are made now days makes them so much more accurate when it comes to making them. With the Tech being what it is, a vintage mild Medium razor, I find it can be a little out of specs and not be such a big deal. Unless its been bent badly. Being stamped you know they vary in spec. But its still a vintage razor and somewhat collectable.

Actually many if not most vintage Gillette's were constructed out of cast brass with either nickel or gold wash (even silver in the old days) plating. Bent safety bars are easily righted with a screwdriver. The Schick heads were stamped but have survived pretty well nevertheless.

I'm not purely troglodyte, I have had many modern wonders including 4 Wolfman products, but I think sometimes their adherents may be germaphobes who cant stand the thought of reusing a shaving instrument or the type who having overspent on something wants to proclaim it the ultimate in order to justify their overspending.