This has been an interesting shaving week. This week's blade was the Teflon-coated Voskhod blade, which like most Russian-made blades (in my experience) is sharp and durable. After a full seven days of use (and my usual obsessive drying after the shave), it remained sharp with some life left.
Every week I feel a little guilty putting a not-fully-used-up blade in the recycle bank, but, as I've written many times, trying to extract the last good use from a blade after seven shaves makes the usage bookkeeping too difficult, so I call it good after seven and move on.
This coming week's blade is a German-made Wilkinson Sword blade.
A generous reader was kind enough to send me a pre-war (presumably; there are no date codes on this one) Gillette Tech razor to try. Unfortunately, it arrived with its bubble-wrap-lined paper envelope torn, and through which the handle was apparently lost in the mail. The good news is that the two-piece razor head was still enclosed. When I return it, I will use packaging more bullet proof to ensure the safe return of what remains.
I plan to alternate shaves between the Tech and my other favored razor heads, the Merkur Classic (33C), the Lord L.6, and the Rimei RM2003. So every other day I'll be using the Tech. Eyeballing the Tech razor head with blade installed and comparing it to my just-mentioned favorites, I would estimate that, compared to the 33 and the L.6, the blade exposure and span are slightly more aggressive on the Tech, and, not surprisingly, I would also characterize its shaves as slightly more aggressive than both. (Correction: I think the span on the L.6 might be bigger and the Tech, but because the exposure on the L.6 is less, this accounts for the slightly-milder shave of the L.6 -- though both are mild when compared to many other razors.)
I've only had two shaves with the Tech, and both were close, producing a couple of weepers -- even on the first pass, which is unusual for me -- and even with a final-use blade. I haven't yet done back-to-back-day comparison shaves with the Tech and the Rimei, but I expect their shave characters to be similar; they certainly seem to have similar blade-edge positioning when I eyeball them side by side.
Tomorrow, with the fresh Wilkinson blade, I'll be using the Merkur. Then the Tech, of course, on Monday, and likely the Rimei on Tuesday. I'll be sure to report on this, so stay tuned.
This week I've been again experimenting with shave-pass sequence; that is, either a two-pass (with grain, then against grain) pre-work shave, when I'm pressed for time, or a three-pass shave, with grain, then against grain, then across grain. This has been working well for me and I plan to continue this pattern for a while.
Well, I guess that's it for now. I've got to get a good breakfast before my 8:45 tennis match. Happy shaving!
Saturday, May 30, 2015
Saturday, May 23, 2015
Weekly Shave Reivew: Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder, Personna Blue, & More
After a week of shaves with my Merkur Classic razor stowed in the closet, and tiring of the nicks and minor cuts that I've been getting from my too-quick morning shaves before work, I pulled out a very mild razor from the closet shoebox, the Weishi 9306-F TTO. I took a couple of three-pass shaves with the Weishi, and got satisfactory results. Of course, my complaint with the Weishi always was the same as that with the Merkur Classic: I could get a nearly-smooth shave in three passes, but not the baby-smooth-in-all-directions smoothness that I love.
Yet there is something to be said for having a shave that doesn't have to be like walking on eggs, afraid at any moment for a nick, cut, or weeper. The Weishi did the job, but left a bit of unnecessary residual irritation. This is why I appreciated the Merkur Classic: I could get an easy, safe shave that was nearly completely smooth even against the grain, and with no skin irritation. I realized that I missed the old, familiar instrument; it may actually be true that absense makes the heart grow fonder.
So I made a new decision. I decided that on work days, when I have no need for the absolute closest of shaves, the Weishi would be good enough, but the Merkur Classic would be better. So back into the shoe box went the Weishi and out came the Merkur Classic -- once again taking its proper place in my bathroom cabinet as my work-day go-to razor. And actually, not even just on going-to-work days; this morning's shave was very satisfying, and I was very happy to have the old Classic back in hand.
This week was also one in which I returned to the familiar USA-made Personna Super (lab-blue) blade. It remains a blade to rely on: sharp, comfortable, durable, and not at all expensive. After a week of shaves, it still had several good shaves in it, but as is my custom, after a full week of shaves, the blade goes into the recycle bank so that I have simple razor-blade-use tracking: every Sunday gets a new blade.
This coming week is once again a Voskhod PTFE-coated (Teflon) blade from the sample pack I bought months ago.
By the way, this morning I made the perfect shaving lather from my Grandad's shave soap for sensitive skin. Normally because I'm in a hurry before work, I make lather that's just a bit wet, which is perfectly fine; I get a good, slick coating and the outcome is uneventful.
However, today, took the time to start with my brush not quite so heavily loaded with water. I had the luxury on a non-work day to add water to my lathering bowl by shaking a few drops at a time off my fingers that I had dipped into the water-filled cup that I initially used to wet the brush in preparation for lathering. The result was an extra-rich, stiffer-than-normal lather. It didn't make any difference in the shave, but it was just slightly more a luxurious experience.
That's it for now. Happy shaving!
Yet there is something to be said for having a shave that doesn't have to be like walking on eggs, afraid at any moment for a nick, cut, or weeper. The Weishi did the job, but left a bit of unnecessary residual irritation. This is why I appreciated the Merkur Classic: I could get an easy, safe shave that was nearly completely smooth even against the grain, and with no skin irritation. I realized that I missed the old, familiar instrument; it may actually be true that absense makes the heart grow fonder.
So I made a new decision. I decided that on work days, when I have no need for the absolute closest of shaves, the Weishi would be good enough, but the Merkur Classic would be better. So back into the shoe box went the Weishi and out came the Merkur Classic -- once again taking its proper place in my bathroom cabinet as my work-day go-to razor. And actually, not even just on going-to-work days; this morning's shave was very satisfying, and I was very happy to have the old Classic back in hand.
This week was also one in which I returned to the familiar USA-made Personna Super (lab-blue) blade. It remains a blade to rely on: sharp, comfortable, durable, and not at all expensive. After a week of shaves, it still had several good shaves in it, but as is my custom, after a full week of shaves, the blade goes into the recycle bank so that I have simple razor-blade-use tracking: every Sunday gets a new blade.
This coming week is once again a Voskhod PTFE-coated (Teflon) blade from the sample pack I bought months ago.
By the way, this morning I made the perfect shaving lather from my Grandad's shave soap for sensitive skin. Normally because I'm in a hurry before work, I make lather that's just a bit wet, which is perfectly fine; I get a good, slick coating and the outcome is uneventful.
However, today, took the time to start with my brush not quite so heavily loaded with water. I had the luxury on a non-work day to add water to my lathering bowl by shaking a few drops at a time off my fingers that I had dipped into the water-filled cup that I initially used to wet the brush in preparation for lathering. The result was an extra-rich, stiffer-than-normal lather. It didn't make any difference in the shave, but it was just slightly more a luxurious experience.
That's it for now. Happy shaving!
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