Razor a Day

[unky_gumbi]

I am think that next week that I will do a razor a day thing, being that I have 7 razors. I figure that I will go from oldest to newest, use a new Dorco 301-ST blade each day, the same Proraso Cream, and I am going to try and stick with one brush. Not sure if I will go with my conversion brush or the Fendrihan brush, but they are fairly equal in performance.

• Sunday: 1933 Gillette New, the frankenrazor, #77 Canadian head with a Probak handle.
• Monday: 1938-1941 Gillette Fat Handled Canadian Tech
• Tuesday: 1949 Gillette Rocket
• Wednesday: 1950 Gillette Aristocrat
• Thursday: 1957 Gillette Rocket Flare Tip
• Friday: 1962 Gillette Slim Adjustable
• Saturday: 2010 Edwin Jagger 89L

I just want to give a back to back performance check on each, as it is right now I tend to favor the 1949 Rocket and the Slim Adjustable. I can't remember the last time I used either the Aristocrat or the Flare Tip

 

[DennisStrickland]

i rememder seeing the day sets of straight razors in cases with velvet lining. each razor was marked with the day it was to be used. mark in the case not on razor itself.thae most astounding was an almost mint set with hippo ivory.
dennis

 

[unky_gumbi]

I still see razor a day straight set being sold by the online dealers, thats what gave me the idea. It makes more sense with straight razors them DE razors due to the sharpening that straights require.

 

[unky_gumbi]

So I started my razor a day run yesterday and as I said I started with the Frankenrazor with the New head. I am just going to list these up as I would a SOTD and it will just be one mans comparison on 7 razors

Razor: 1933 Gillette New Head w/Probak handle
Brush: TGN Silver Tip set in an Omega #05 handle
Soap: Proraso Cream
Blade: Dorco 301-ST
Aftershave: Musgo Aftershave Balm

I normally shave in the late afternoon so prep is just washing my face with as hot as I can handle water and soap. All of my shaves are 5 passes

1. North to South
2. Angled outside to inside on a downward
3. Angled inside to outside on a downward
4. Across from right to left
5. South to North

If I have any spots that need touch up, I do them, but I find that shaving with the passes I do, leaves very little to touch up.

I like the way this razor does its job, the mismatched combination of the head and handle really works well for me. While the razor feels gentle, it is actually quite aggressive and lets you know if your angle is off quickly. It either doesn't shave or it gives you a little bite to tell you that you are doing it wrong. First passes take off an amazing amount of growth, and it will give you an acceptable shave in 2 passes. Not enough to call smooth, but better then what most men are walking around with out there. If by the end of the 5th pass you are not BBS with this razor you are darn close, possibly what some people would call BBS, but we know better don't we

One of the things I really like about this razor over a closed comb razor is that you can see just how much it has shaved on each pass. Not only your face, but in the foam in the sink. Unlike a closed bar razor that will curl the whiskers back into the foam, the open comb lets it sit right there on top to say " Hey look, this is what I did on that pass!!" It doesn't really mean anything to the shave, but It is something that amuses me

My results yesterday with the New were a near BBS, but I let the angle get off a bit on my first pass and got a little weeper on the corner of my chin.

In about an hour I am off to shave again, but this time its the pre war Fat Handle Tech, the one with triangular holes. they are suppose to be more aggressive then the post war ones, but I don't know because I don't have one of the ones with oblong holes

 

[unky_gumbi]

Razor: 1938-1941 Gillette Fat Handled Tech
Brush: TGN Silver Tip set in an Omega #05 handle
Soap: Proraso Cream
Blade: Dorco 301-ST
Aftershave: Musgo Aftershave Balm

Well it is my opinion the the Tech is much more mild than the New. I had a number of spots that I had to go back over and touch up, but being mild isn't a bad thing. With the light rough spot from the weeper yesterday the tech slid right over it without causing any problems. This makes it a great razor to go to if you had a rough shave the day before or you want to have a fast shave and have time to touch it up later in the day before going out.

There is nothing wrong with this razor it's only standout for me is its age. Being between 69 and 72 years old it still has most of its plating, and the only ding on it is at the bottom of the handle. It still shaves as good as the day it was originally bought, or so I assume it does because I wasn't around back then.

My verdict on the Tech, a razor worth having in your stable:thumbup:

 

[unky_gumbi]

Razor: 1949 Gillette Rocket
Brush: Fendrihan Super Badger
Soap: Proraso Cream
Blade: Dorco 301-ST
Aftershave: Musgo Aftershave Balm

Looks pretty good for a razor that is 61 years old doesn't it

I have been able to resist the urge to use a different soap so far, but I wasn't able to resist the need to use a different brush. Not that one is better then the other, but I just like to let them fully dry from time to time.

This is one of my favorite razors, and I think I have used it more then the original owner. This one is a bit more aggressive than the Tech, but not by much. It is just aggressive enough to give a solid shave without causing irritation. This was the razor that introduced me to a true BBS shave and I got there tonight:thumbup: After my 5 passes I had two small areas to touch up, I am impressed with this razor every time I use it, not only from its performance, but with the great condition that it is in. When I got it it had a little soap scum on it, but it cleaned up beautifully. Zero plating loss, and no wear anywhere, it sparkles like the diamond it is It also came with original blades, instructions, and a flawless case, all for the whopping price of $10.

Tomorrow its on to the Aristocrat, it has a lot of plating loss and I often think of getting it replated, maybe in the new year I will send it out and return it to its former glory.

 

[Will Power]

Thanks for these reviews, they've been most interesting. I like the sound of that Rocket, got a picture of it?

 

[unky_gumbi]

Thanks for these reviews, they've been most interesting. I like the sound of that Rocket, got a picture of it?

I think I posted pictures of it when I first got it, but I will post new pictures of each razor in its review in the next day or two. My homemade garbage bag light box is over at the shop because I was taking pictures of the knives I have been making.

 

[unky_gumbi]

So I may not be able to complete my 7 days seven razors comparison I lent out my EJ 89L to a friend to try. I was suppose to get it back today, but he has miss placed it. He is going to go look for it again tonight, but if he doesn't find it before tomorrow I will be without the 7th razor till after Christmas. He has already guarantied that he will replace it if he doesn't find it and give it back in the next couple of weeks.

 

[unky_gumbi]

Razor: 1950 Gillette Aristocrat
Brush: Fendrihan Super Badger
Soap: Proraso Cream
Blade: Dorco 301-ST
Aftershave: Musgo Aftershave Balm

This one has lost most of its gold, but it still shines in the shave department. It was my first vintage razor purchase, I got it and my Tech for $10 and a New Bostonian case in the deal.

For aggressiveness I would say it is very close to the '49 Rocket from yesterday, maybe a touch more. The head seems a bit taller so getting under the nose requires me to physically move my nose out of the way, but I have a big nose so YMMV. The Aristocrat feels a bit heavier too, and has a fatter handle then the Rocket.

I had only used this razor a few times, and just kept putting off using it again. Why? because all my other razors look better, but after my shave tonight I have decided to get it replated in the new year. Why the sudden change of mind? I got a BBS shave out of it with no touch ups and no irritation. I think this earns it a $65 new suit of gold so it looks as good as it preforms.

Tomorrow its the mid 50s Rocket Flare Tip. I know this one is a very mild shaver and I may be a bit disappointed with its performance, but it was my first "vintage" razor and it was given to me, so it is in my stable for good.

 

[unky_gumbi]

Razor: Mid 50s Rocket Flare Tip
Brush: Fendrihan Super Badger
Soap: Proraso Cream
Blade: Dorco 301-ST
Aftershave: Musgo Aftershave Balm

So all the time I thought this was a standard Mid fifties Rocket Flare Tip and it turns out that it may just be a British TV series Flare Tip with the Rhodium plated handle All this time I had just thought that the head plating was just a little more worn then the handle, but last night I was looking at the two Rockets side by side and noticed that the handle on the Flare Tip was much brighter, and when I compared the heads they were almost identical in shine. If I am right about it being a TV series razor its a rare one:thumbup:

Now on to the shave. While this razor is on the mild side, it isn't that far behind my other Rocket. If I was to compare the two Rockets and the Tech to the settings on my Slim, I would say that they cover 4-5 with the Tech being 4, the Flare Tip being 4.5 and the Rocket being a 5 setting. There is just enough of a difference in them that you can feel it.

The Shave with the Flare Tip is just as enjoyable as the other razors, but it does take a bit more work to get to BBS. After my 5 passes I had to go back and touch up a couple spots using j-hooking to get the results I wanted. This could be attributed to two factors, I am a little tired and it is a light razor in comparison to the others. Not much lighter but just enough to make a difference. I think that the lighter feel is why the razor feels mild while still having enough aggressiveness to do a good job. I don't have actual weights of my razors so I can't quote numbers, maybe I will pick up a digital scale at the head shop to get some real time numbers on them

Only 2 more shaves and my seven razor comparison is over, I got my EJ89L back today. It turns out that the guy I lent it to did the stupid thing, he put it away with his groceries. Who is going to look for a razor box in the same cupboard that you have your soup in Any how I got it back in unused condition still clean and both blades I gave him in the box, so no harm no fowl:thumbup:

 

[unky_gumbi]

Razor: 1962 Gillette Slim Adjustable
Brush: TGN/ Omega Silver Tip
Soap: Proraso Cream
Blade: Dorco 301-ST
Aftershave: Musgo Aftershave Balm

So today I got to come back to one of my got to razors. I normally start my first pass on 3 and bump it up one notch each pass finishing off at 7. I find the progression really helps with beard reduction, but today I changed it up a bit. Because I have been using mild to mid aggressive razors all week I started at 4 instead and finished on 8. The result was no need for touch ups but a bit of irritation. It could have been my lathers fault and not the razor adjustments, I was a little off and had a bit too much water this time. There is no way to really rank this razor on an aggressiveness scale, because it has the ability to be both my mildest razor and my most face ripping razor at the turn of a dial

The beauty of an adjustable razor is that you can tune it to suit your needs for each shave. Your face is a little rough from too close a shave the day before or you had a fight with a Feather, turn the dial down and shave away. You want the supper close shave to be extra presentable for a special occasion, turn the dial up and go for it. The same theory should work for different blades too, make a feather more gentle (is that even possible) or a Dorco have a bit more bite, the adjustments go both ways. Another thing I learned about Gillette adjustable razors is that you must loosen the TTO nob before adjusting the settings, not doing so could damage the razor. Also when locking it down to shave you need to give it a 1/4 turn extra to lock it down.

Slims are still affordable, unlike what is happening to Fatboys and already happened to Toggles, but as more and more people turn to the Slim, the supply will start to dry up and the price will start to climb. So if you want to try a Slim get one sooner then later.

Tomorrow is the last day of the 7 day journey, and oddly enough I end with the first DE razor that I started my trip into traditional wet shaving with, and what has become one of the most recommended razors for beginners, my Edwin Jagger 89L.

 

[unky_gumbi]

Razor: 1962 Gillette Slim Adjustable
Brush: TGN/ Omega Silver Tip
Soap: Proraso Cream
Blade: Dorco 301-ST
Aftershave: Musgo Aftershave Balm

So last night was the final shave in the 7 days 7 razors, and as I said in the last post it was with my Edwin Jagger 89L. What can be said about this razor that hasn't already been said? Its heavy, the plating is perfect, it finds that fine line between mild and aggressive, and makes the perfect beginners razor because it is very forgiving.

If I have my information right the heads are made by Muhle and finished by Jagger. The good thing about this razor is that with being a heavy weight, it is easy to let the razor do the work. The mass of it lets the razor plow through most beards without hesitation.

Last nights shave was typical fare for the EJ, lather up put in a blade, scrap off the lather, taking the hair with it. Yes it is that simple That is most likely because this is the razor I learned with so the proper angle is just natural for me to find. I also attribute my short learning curve in some part to this razors ease of use. I still have a bit of a hard time with it getting that BBS shave along the right side of my jaw line, but I can get it with a little j-hooking.

After comparing them back to back over a short period of time, could I say one razor is better then the others? No, depending on my mood they are all my favorites. I do tend to use the '49 Rocket and the Slim the most because they seem to fit my mood most of the time and I just like the feel of them in my hand a touch better. That is just personal preference and not a knock against my other razors. I do think I am going to spend a couple days with the Gillette New frankenrazor, just to get a bit better with it, and who knows in a few weeks I may let my RAD take over again and have another 7 razors to try out. I know I would like to get a 40s Super Speed, a true New, a New and Improved, and of course an Old type. Other razors I would like to own just because I like the way they look are the 60s Aristocrats, a #66 Aristocrat, and a Sheraton or Senator. Fatboys are a little out of my price range now, but you never know when I will stumble on one in the wild and be able to pick it up for a song.

If you only have one razor I strongly suggest getting a couple more to add to your shaving arsenal. While you will probably only use 1 or 2 on a regular basis, its nice to change it up from time to time.

This is a day late getting posted because I over turkeyed last night and fell asleep on the couch

 

[Rick in KY]

Nice experiment, George.

Thanks for sharing.