Examining Evolving Razor Preferences

c. 1948 (1946-1950) Tech

Many months ago I decided to sell my two c.1948 Gillette Tech razors because I consistently felt they were too harsh on my skin to consistently provide a comfortable, enjoyable shave. I also resolved to part with my 1965 Gillette Travel Tech because, in my experience, it offered the same shave character as my older Techs.

Similarly, long ago I had rejected my Lord LP1822L (with the

1965 Travel Tech

popular two-piece L.6 razor head) not because it was harsh, but because its blade-bar span was just a bit too big and tended to nip on occasion. In those days I much preferred my Merkur 33C Classic razor because its razor head had essentially identical design specs as the L.6

L.6 razor head. Note how the cross-section
contour of the safety bar significantly
increases the blade-bar span.

However, as time passed, my preferences evolved. I had already parted with my two c.1948 Techs when I re-visited my Travel Tech razor head just last week, and found that now I really appreciate its shave character. Likewise, months ago I gifted my 33C to my teenage son, and now keep the L.6 razor head at hand in my bathroom razor drawer.

I believe that my shifting preferences may be due to two factors, and these may influence the razor choices of those who are recent converts to old-school double-edge shaving.

First of all, since my early razor preference, I've shaved with more aggressive razors and razor

Parker Variant with charcoal handle

settings. This includes my straight-razor usage -- both my replaceable-blade Parker PTB straight as well as my traditional 5/8" straight razor. To successfully use these straights, one must develop a very light touch of blade against skin. Also using my modern adjustables, the Parker Variant and the Futur-imitating Ming Shi 2000S, I've experimented with fairly aggressive settings, which has helped to modify my razor pressure to become somewhat lighter and more delicate.

Ming Shi 2000S

Some estimated spec detail on the
RM2003 from Rimei

A second factor in my evolving razor preferences is the potential shift in my skin. Similar to the way professional cooks often become used to handling very hot food and utensils, which causes their fingers to be less sensitive to heat, I suspect that my skin has become desensitized to some extent, which might make the blade angle of the Techs, for example, to not feel so scraping and thereby irritating on my face.

This leads me back to other razors that I've previously rejected. My 1963 Gillette Slim is one I have kept at hand for purely sentimental reasons; it was my father's razor. But like a convict potentially wrongly convicted, this razor deserves a re-trial. So too does my Rimei RM2003 razor. I've had this in the closet shaving box for a while now; it's been banished because I thought it just a hair too aggressive to be a daily shaver. However, since I've become aware of my evolving preferences.... who knows?

I'd be interested to hear if others have experience a similar evolution in razor preference. Feel free to comment.

Happy shaving!

Limited-Water Wet Shaving, and a Surprising Vintage Redux

In my community, we have had a water emergency for several days. A water main broke, and several days were needed for the replacement pipe to arrive. It was installed Wednesday, but there was a leak. All of this means that we don't have potable water at the tap until Monday.

The state of my local tap water,
which is likely to persist for a total of at least seven days.

Although bathing in our potentially-bio-contaminated water is not proscribed by local authorities, because of the risk of wounds, I'm not interested in wet shaving with tap water. No thanks. So I've been practicing limited-water, cool-water shaving using room-temperature bottled water (or previously-boiled water, which has subsequently cooled to room temperature).

In addition to my shave soap, razor, and blade, I use two re-purposed Greek-yogurt containers for water. One is for brush wetting and the other is for razor rinsing. (I also used two cups for soap.)

The four re-purposed Greek-yogurt cups for todays shave.
In the background are the two water cups. At near left is the
bay-rum soap. Near right is the lather-booster puck from PAA.

Shave Prep

I pour a small amount of safe water -- about a half-inch deep -- into the container for lathering. I keep this on the right side of the sink as a matter of habit, which prevents me from accidentally using the wrong cup during any part of the shave. Into the container for rinsing, I pour water to about an inch deep, and set that to my left for rinsing accumulated lather from the razor.

For this shave (and yesterday's), I pulled out my lather-booster soap from Phoenix Artisan Accoutrements. I rubbed the puck directly onto my dry, facial and neck stubble. Then I dipped my Omega Syntex brush, which I wrote about several days ago, into the cup to my right and face lathered my initial face prep.

     

While that initial lather sat on my day-old beard, I took the time to set out the remainder of the gear for the shave. That done, I re-wet my shave brush with another dip in the cup of lathering water, and loaded the already-foamy brush from a puck of bay rum soap. Another dip of the brush into the lathering water, and I then face lathered right over the initial lather-booster layer of foam. I always dip the brush into the lathering water a few times during face lathering, which ensures that my lather is sufficiently hydrated.

Today's Razor: Vintage Gillette and a PAA Handle

My razor for today's (and yesterday's) shave was another razor reclaimed from the few unsold razors in my previous garage sale. It is a 1965 Gillette Travel Tech (TT) razor, with the Zamak top cap that is nickel plated and has the Gillette moniker incised into it.

The '65 Gillette Travel Tech top cap and baseplate combine
nicely with the PAA handle. All are nickel plated.

Although I still have more razors than I actually need including this mid-century Gillette, in retrospect I'm so glad that no one bought it. Although I originally deemed it virtually the same in shave character as my all-brass Techs -- meaning it didn't give me the best shave, and was therefore expendable -- in this revival usage, I find that now I really like it and have gotten some great shaves with it.

I have paired the TT razor head with the handle from my PAA double-open-comb razor. The TT top cap, baseplate, and the PAA handle are all nickel plated, so they are a natural and attractive coupling. I also really like the PAA handle -- it's the only three-piece handle I keep at hand in my razor drawer -- because of its excellent and attractive knurling.

The Shave

I used a two-pass shave process this morning. All my strokes were long, slow reciprocating strokes made in an anti-raking pattern. First pass was largely cross grain. After the first pass, I rinse my razor head in the rinsing water at the left of my sink. Then I re-lathered and used pretty much an against-grain stroke direction. I used special care when shaving problem areas such as under my jaw line, on my lower neck and my upper lip.

The outcome was excellent. It was about as close as I can get without inflicting skin damage. I hope your shave is as good.

Happy shaving!