From the Mailbag: Weishi-adjustable Settings?

A reader asked a question regarding my use of the Weishi Adjustable DE:

Doug, I finally moved up from a setting of 4 to 5. What settings do you find yourself using the most?

These days, I generally do a variation on a three-pass shave using different razor settings for each pass.

The first pass is generally done with downward strokes irrespective of beard grain. Depending on the brand of blade and its point in its overall life cycle, I generally set the razor somewhere in the 2 to 3 range.

In the second pass, I pay more attention to beard grain, and generally shave against it. For this pass I typically increment the razor up a notch, so it would be set in the 3 to 4 range. I will usually employ simple as well as more complex razor strokes including J-hooking and skewed (where the blade edge is not perpendicular to the stroke direction) techniques.

For my final full pass, I again increment the razor one unit more aggressive, and again shave against the grain. Like the second pass, I will use varied stroking technique combined with the slightly more aggressive razor setting to try to "sneak up" on a very close shave, without crossing the line, getting too aggressive, and thereby injuring my delicate dermis.

I will also usually add some water to my face after the third pass and take some clean-up strokes -- usually without further changing the razor setting, but this may vary depending on the factors and quality of the shave to this point.

Thanks for asking, and happy shaving!

The Joy of the Perfect Razor (for One's Face)

The affordable Weishi adjustable razor is providing benefits beyond merely getting a close, comfortable daily shave. Before I elaborate on those additional benefits, let me tell you why this razor provides them:

• It adjusts to be mild enough that I can use the sharpest of blades, without that razor-blade combination being too aggressive and thereby injuring or irritating my skin.
• It adjusts to be aggressive enough that I can use a blade at the end of its life cycle and can still get a close, comfortable shave.

These bulletted features above have also provided an unexpected and welcome additional benefit: because over the course of a shave I can dial in the shave character very precisely -- not too mild and not to aggressive -- and because I use this razor daily (all others being relegated to a bedroom closet), I have been getting a real sense for the different shave characters of various blades.

Never before have I gotten such a clear impression of how the various grinds and coatings on different brands (and models) of razor blades feel on my skin. This is because the adjustability of the razor tends to limit (or, essentially, eliminate) the variables that can confound a true understanding of a blade's impact on the shave.

Another unforeseen benefit comes from the ability to dial in the closeness of the shave with precision. The process to accomplish this is to first consider the blade. Is it new and a very sharp brand, or less so due to its manufacture or position in its life cycle? Then set the razor for the first pass according to those blade conditions. Then dial up slightly (as appropriate) the aggression of the razor for the second pass. Likewise for the third and clean-up passes.

By "sneaking up" on a close shave using the razor's ability for both mild early passes and more aggressive finishing passes, optimal shaves occur with great regularity and consistency. This allows the impact of the blade to be more easily evaluated.

For me, the Weishi adjustable razor is pretty much the perfect razor for my face. And it's a joy for me to use.

Happy shaving!

Weishi Adjustable Simplifies Razor Choices

I don't collect double-edge (DE) razors. Although I'm sorry to say that you might not know that given the large number of DEs that I actually still own -- and that is despite my months ago passing along to others many DEs that were not optimal for my beard and face.

But now all of my remaining DEs have been banished to a box up in a bedroom closet. All of them except one, of course.

This is because my latest razor acquisition, the new, jet black Weishi adjustable is the one-size-fits-all-blades razor that is the best of the bunch for my face. It adjusts mild enough to give me a comfortable shave with the sharpest of blades. It adjusts aggressive enough to provide a close shave with a nearly-worn-out blade. It shaves smoothly enough that I don't complain about the uncomfortable shaves of virtually all the other one-piece (butterfly-opening) DEs that I've used over the years -- including the very mild non-adjustable Weishi 9306 model.

I appreciate simplicity. Why have ten DEs or even two, when one is the best of the bunch and meets all my face shaving needs?

Even my smooth-shaving Parker Variant is packed up in that bedroom closet. That's because it just doesn't dial down mild enough for me when I'm using virtually any sharp, new blade. Even shimming the Variant -- previously my best DE option -- has been something of a compromise because it still leaves a relatively long top-cap-to-safety-bar span, which makes it easy to nick skin on the sharp contours of my chin or at the jaw line. For me, unmodified, the Variant was a risky razor -- likely to draw a little blood -- with virtually any new blade even at its mildest setting. It was only after my blade had mellowed after several shaves that the Variant, without modification, would be a welcome DE choice for my daily shave.

Simplicity is the watch word -- simplicity driven by function. As someone said long ago on a different subject: "why choose hamburger when you can have steak?" And for my face the new Weishi adjustable is steak at a hamburger price. No shimming necessary. Sufficiently adjustable for any blade to give a good shave.

Simplicity is a good thing to enjoy. 

Happy shaving! (I am.)

Modifying Alcohol-Based After-Shave Lotions

I have several bottles of alcohol-based after-shave lotions. Some are common drug-store products such as Aqua Velva after shave, while others are more boutique products like Pareidolia, with its fresh, modern scent, or Sin, a no-fragrance-added splash, which has an initial fresh alcohol- or vodka-like scent -- and both of these (and others) are available from Phoenix Artisan Accoutrements.

Like many, I think that alcohol-based after shaves may be a bit harsh right out of the bottle despite their sanitizing effect and bracing sting. Here's how I've turned these products into welcome daily after-shave options:

I ordered via eBay a couple of ounces of menthol crystals. Then I went to my local pharmacy and bought a bottle of generic witch hazel.

Then I took a re-purposed Greek yogurt container (#5 plastic, which is heat tolerant and safe for microwave-oven use), put a couple of menthol crystals in it with just a bit of witch hazel, and, using the kitchen microwave oven, carefully melted the menthol into the witch hazel.

I poured the mentholated witch hazel from the yogurt cup into a little bottle that I bought in the travel section of the personal-products department at my local Target store, and added plain, un-doctored witch hazel to fill the bottle about 80% full. I then completely filled the bottle full with the alcohol-based after-shave product of my choice.

The result is a diluted alcohol after shave that still has the same fragrance as the full-strength version, but is milder, more soothing, and has a nice menthol-cooling effect.

Try it, and let me know what you think.

Happy shaving, happy after-shave splashing, soothing!

I include this link, above, to the new Weishi adjustable DE razor because I think it's the perfect, mild adjustable for men that find other adjustable razors just a touch too aggressive at their mildest settings. I suggest you read my remarks about the razor in my articles that immediately precede this one before you purchase, or read my review under the name, DNH, in the Amazon reviews for this listing. This razor has become my daily driver, and I've found new enthusiam for my daily shave because of this instrument.

Razor Review: The Replacement Weishi Adjustable Arrived Yesterday

I had my first shave with this replacement Weishi adjustable razor this morning after giving it my usual, careful new-razor inspection. The following is the verbatim review that I posted to the amazon.com sales listing for this razor:

Finally, FINALLY an adjustable razor that adjusts mild enough for men with sensitive or easily-nipped skin, who shave every day. Due to its unique adjustment range, this razor can accommodate blades from the sharpest right out of the package to those with many shaves and are at the end of their useful life.  This is an adjustable razor with a shaving character that has long been called for. It is not without its quirks, however.

Likes:
+ The adjustment range is broad enough to get a very close shave, but also gets mild enough for those occasions when aggressive is not called for.
+ The blade mounts uniformly in the razor with even reveal and exposure
+ The blade exposure is negative -- meaning that the blade edge sits slightly below the shave plane formed by the safety bars and top cap, safely within the cove of those bars and top cap; it's a true safety razor
+ The razor can provide a close shave by making the razor adjustment setting more aggressive, or by adjusting to a less-aggressive setting and using more aggressive techniques such as razor buffing or J-hooking

The razor has its quirks:
- To open the butterfly doors wide enough to mount a blade without risk to its edges, the razor must be set to maximum aggression
- To close the butterfly doors once a blade has been inserted, the razor's aggression setting must be dialed down from the maximum setting; if this isn't done, one of the butterfly doors gets hung up on a non-edge portion of the blade, and the doors won't close completely!
- It doesn't have lather slots (a.k.a. gutter slots), but this does not affect the shave adversely. (Other much more expensive razors also lack this feature: notably the Merkur brand Progress and Futur models.) The lather and stubble removed from the face simply accumulates on the underside of the razor head and is easily washed away as is normally done. The razor does NOT clog as some might be tempted to claim.


I can confirm my observations because I returned the first Weishi adjustable thinking that the above-mentioned blade-loading quirks were a one-time quality-control failure. However, the second razor was EXACTLY the same. So I give this product four, not five, stars for its quirks. After all, the vintage Gillette adjustables were similar in design (although, unfortunately, more aggressive in overall shaving character) but did not have this razor's blade-insertion peculiarities.


That said, I accept the quirks because I think the quality of the shave-head design and the range of adjustment are unique among affordable adjustable double-edge (DE) razors. 

If you can live with its quirks (I can and will), I highly recommend this instrument. I have owned MANY DE razors, and have gone exclusively to adjustables for their flexibility in shaving character. I currently own a Parker Variant, a Ming Shi 2000S (designed after the Merkur Futur), a Gillette Slim, and now this Weishi. This new Weishi has replaced my Variant as my preferred, go-to daily shaver.

                     

'Nuff said.  Happy shaving!

New Razor, Fresh Enthusiasm

Despite the quirkiness of my particular Weishi adjustable razor (I hope its replacement isn't as quirky in its opening and closing requirements), I've found new enthusiasm for shaving with this adjustable razor that, finally, FINALLY, has an adjustable range that more closely meets my particular needs.

I had originally planned to return to my Parker Variant for today's shave. This would have allowed me to compare its shave to the Weishi adjustable. But I just couldn't. I couldn't resist another shave with this razor with a shave character that seemingly was designed with guys like me in mind, who need and appreciate razors with milder shave character.

This morning using a Dorco blade for its sixth shave, I took a with-grain first pass with the razor set to 4 (out of 7).

The second pass saw the razor set to 5 for a cross-grain pass.

The third pass strictly against the grain and the final clean-up strokes were done with the razor on 6 (of 7!!!).

I got a very close shave with minimal irritation and skin insult. I had a couple of very tiny pin-point weepers on my lower neck, which isn't bad for a close shave.

The mildness of this razor's adjustment range allows me to "sneak up" on a close, comfortable shave using its full range of adjustment capability. For very sharp blades, the lower end may be called for. Older blades nearing the end of their life cycle may allow for the most aggressive settings that this instrument can provide.

                     

I'm already looking forward to tomorrow's shave.

Happy shaving!

Update on Weishi Adjustable

It may help if you first take a look at my article from yesterday, which featured initial commentary on the new Weishi adjustable double-edge razor (DE).

I decided not to settle (if I don't have to) for the poor mechanical quality of the Weishi adjustable DE. Oh, I really like the way it shaves, but its mechanics of opening and closing the butterfly doors are just not acceptable (if I can do better with a replacement).

Hoping that I just received a poorly build version that slipped through Weishi's spotty quality control, I began the process of returning the instrument, and purchased a second, with the idea that it might operate better.

So we'll see. I'm still using the original one shipped, and will complete its return to the seller once the replacement arrives.

I'll keep you informed as to the outcome. Stay tuned!

Happy shaving, too!

Mild Adjustable Razor Options

I been keeping to myself lately, not writing in this blog, because I've been experimenting.

As you may know, I prefer razors on the milder side because of my skin's propensity to get easily nipped. I also prefer adjustable razors -- such as the Parker Variant, vintage Gillette adjustables, the Merkur Progress or Futur, and now the new Weishi adjustable -- for a couple of reasons:

• They allow me to adjust the aggressiveness of the razor as the blade evolves through its life cycle from the first shave to its last, which is usually somewhere between shaves 14 and 21
• They allow me to adjust mid shave to deal with more difficult areas of my beard including those that are more susceptible to wounds and those that require more aggression to shave closely

As I've written many times and in more than one venue (here and Sharpologist.com), unfortunately most adjustable razors don't dial down to be sufficiently mild for my face, when using a blade with few shaves on it. 

Underclocking My Gillette Slim

So once again I pulled out my closeted Gillette Slim for what I believe to be its final chance to be an option for me. In factory-stock configuration, it has consistently been too harsh and too aggressive for me. But here's why this instrument has gotten one final trial:

The Slim can be modified with the release of a catch and the turn of a dial. By using a firm, thin tool such as the point of a metal nail file, depressing the catch in the slot just above the Slim's adjustment ring, the adjustment ring disengages from the razor's adjustment mechanism. By keeping the catch depressed, the adjustment ring can be revolved 360 degrees, and when the catch is released, you have dialed in another adjustment range for the razor. When doing this simple modification, by rotating the adjustment ring in one direction, the razor becomes ultra aggressive at all settings. By rotating in the opposite direction, the razor becomes ultra mild. (For more detailed instructions and images, do an Internet search on something like Overclocking Gillette Slim.)

This modification to the Slim's shaving character to make it more aggressive (though I honestly don't know why anyone would need to do that) is known as overclocking (which I believe was originally a term referring to computer-chip use). By logical extension, some refer to the more-mild modification as underclocking (though no analagous term applies in the IT world).

So I underclocked my Slim and used it for a few shaves. Unfortunately its shave character became ridiculously mild -- so much so that I said, "f--- it," set it back to factory adjustment, and parked it back in bedroom closet with my other shaving gear that I don't use.

The New Weishi Adjustable Razor

Though the Slim modification wasn't successful for me, I got word from a well-known shaving celebrity that Weishi had come out with a one-piece (TTO) adjustable razor along the lines of the old Gillettes. So my wife kindly ordered me one as a gift, and I've been getting acquainted with this new instrument.

(The link, above, is provided for those who are early adopters or those who are merely curious about the new Weishi adjustable razor.)

Though the razor I received is not built with the precision of a Swiss watch in terms of its adjustment mechanism and butterfly-door works, it is symmetrical and parallel in the key aspects of its shaving geometry. I will be providing a detailed review in the future, but for now here are some preliminary observations:

The good:

• I find the adjustment range of this razor to be near ideal. It is very mild at one extreme and more than aggressive enough (for me) at the other.
• It provides for any shave closeness that I need using any blade in any aspect of its life cycle, while offering the safety of a true safety razor.
• Despite not having lather slots (a.k.a. gutter slots), it shaves like any other DE. Yep, the lather builds up on the underside of the razor head, but it doesn't clog.
• I has nice heft.
• The grippiness of the handle is great.

Not a Swiss watch:

• The butterfly doors only open wide enough when the adjustment ring is on 7 (max aggression).
• The butterfly doors hang sometimes on the non-edge of the blade, and need some fiddling to close on occasion (brute force is NOT called for!!). [CORRECTION: The doors don't hang on the blade. The razor setting must be reduced from max aggression to close the butterfly doors.]
• The jet-black coating is not quite as slippery against skin as, say, chrome plating, when doing final clean-up strokes without adding more lather, just water.

That said, guess what razor will be my daily driver for the foreseeable future. Yep, the Weishi Adjustable.

I had a great third shave this morning, capped by one of my favorite after-shave soothing products, Phoenix Artisan Accoutrements' Black Bot Star Jelly Aftershave. I love the classic scent, the slight menthol cooling, and the smooth, soothed feeling of my skin that it leaves.

Happy shaving!

See My Latest Article on Sharpologist.com -- August 3rd

I have another (brilliant) article scheduled to be published on Sharpologist.com on August 3rd.

Don't miss it!

Happy shaving (and reading)!

A Shim in My Snap-together Two-piece Razor

As promised yesterday, I shaved this morning with a reverse shim in my Ming Shi 2000S razor, a Chinese instrument based on the original Merkur Futur design.

Sold to me by Maggard Razors, the Ming Shi 2000S razor is based on the original
Merkur Futur design, but with some slight changes including added lather slots.

With my edge-less shim in place between the top cap and the shaving blade, I took a down-up shave followed by a third pass and some clean-up strokes.

My down-up passes were set on one, the razor's mildest setting. My third pass, as much as possible strictly against the grain, was set to two, and then additional, final under-jaw clean-up strokes on three.

The outcome was a very good shave (as expected). I did have two minor wounds due to careless cockpit error, not equipment failure.

So the bottom line on today's trial is this:

If you have a two-piece adjustable razor -- one whose design is based on either of Merkur's razors, the Progress or Futur --  and your adjustable is just too aggressive for you on its mildest setting, then a reverse shim may just be the solution to make your adjustable razor ideal.

Happy shaving!

Revisiting the Futur-design Razors Equipped with a Reverse Shim

I'm officially on the record as being a big fan of adjustable razors.

They offer the opportunity for a one-size-fits-all instrument that is good for any beard, any face, any blade, and any usable blade condition from new to thirty shaves.

The one fly in the ointment has been that most adjustables don't dial down mild enough for some users or some blades. However, for some two-piece adjustables such as the Parker Variant or the Merkur Progress, that problem has been solved with the idea of the reverse shim, which is an edge-less blade sandwiched between the top cap and the actual shaving blade.

Now that I employ the magic of the reverse shim, my Parker Variant is now a beloved go-to daily shaver -- ideal for any blade in any usable condition as well as any beard and face!!!

Reverse shims (or tape strips between top cap and blade) probably won't work for one-piece (that is, twist-to-open) razors such as the vintage Gillette adjustables. They certainly aren't a great option for my 1963 Gillette Slim.

The remaining question is will a reverse shim do the trick in two-piece razors with the snap-in top cap? This razor design was pioneered by the Merkur Futur, and, with the expiration of the Merkur patent, has since been adapted by Chinese razors such as the Q Shave or the Ming Shi 2000S.

Tomorrow's shave will be with the Ming Shi 2000S, employing a reverse shim, to evaluate the practicality of decreasing the minimum aggressiveness of a Futur-based razor design. (Photo courtesy of Maggard Razors, where I purchased my 2000S.)

I will test this tomorrow. I've already queued up my 2000S with a reverse shim and a blade, and will give it a go. Of course, I'll  share my thoughts in this blog afterward.

Stay tuned and happy (reverse) shimming!

Love the One You're With...

According to the '70s music group, Crosby, Stills and Nash, "If you can't be with the one you love, honey, love the one you're with."

This advice applies to double-edge razors (DEs) as well.

Many DE users spend much time, money and energy shopping, buying and trying DEs to find one that is just right for their face and beard. My recent successful experiments turning my Parker Variant into the one-size-fits-all razor that I've always desired, has got me thinking....

Many if not most two- or three-piece razors can be tuned, their aggressiveness adjusted, to be razors that almost anyone can love.

Now, of course, I maintain my stated preference for adjustable two-piece razors like the Variant for the following reasons:

• The infinite adjustability from mild to wild allows me to compensate for blade-sharpness degradation as it evolves through its life cycle.
• The adjustability allows me to increase the aggressiveness of the razor easily during the shave as I make final clean-up strokes to achieve my desired shave closeness.
• The two-piece design (as contrasted with the one-piece TTO adjustables) allows for razor aggressiveness tuning using tape or shims (as discussed in previous, recent articles in this blog).

But I started pondering potential improvements to the shave character of several non-adjustable razors that I've relegated to my bedroom-closet razor box. These razors include the Rimei RM2003 and my 1965 Gillette Travel Tech.

My '65 Travel Tech is just a touch too aggressive when paired with a sharp new blade.
It's a candidate for tape strips or a shim between the top cap and blade.

For me, these three-piece, non-adjustable razors are just a touch too aggressive to be all-purpose shavers -- and the Rimei is more aggressive than the Tech. So I'm going to experiment with a single shim between the top cap and the blade (a so-called reverse shim) to make their shave character a bit more tame.

This Rimei RM2003 is a touch more aggressive than the Gillette Tech.
At least a shim and perhaps a thin tape on the underside of the top cap,
between it and the blade, might do the trick to tame this cat to my satisfaction.

For those out there for whom these razors are too mild, they could try a shim (or two) between the blade and the baseplate, which would make the razors' shave character more aggressive.

As a reminder, a shim is made from an old DE blade that has had its edges trimmed off with scissors. 

An alternative to using a shim, which adds another piece of hardware to the razor assembly, is to add tape (one layer or more as needed) to the underside of the top cap or on top of the baseplate to either respectively decrease or increase the aggressiveness of the razor. Because the tape is in the middle of the top-cap-and-baseplate "sandwich", it tends to become a semi-permanent part of the razor -- almost never needing replacement.

By tuning or de-tuning the aggressiveness of your razor to meet your needs, you can avoid having to find one you (might) love right out of the box, and, instead, love the one you're with.

Happy shaving!

A Confirmation that the Reverse-Shimmed Variant is a Great Move

My first shave with my reverse-shimmed Parker Variant was described in my previous posting. And a great shave it was!

This Parker Variant is now the only DE razor that I use!

But one great shave doesn't tell the whole story any more than a good opening paragraph portends a gripping novel.

The real tests come when using various blades that are known for their out-of-the-wrapper sharpness. This includes some of those in my large-inventory cache such as Astra Superior Platinum, Personna (blue as well as red) and Shark.

So this morning I opened a fresh Astra blade and put that into my Variant -- along with the reverse shim inserted between the top cap and the cutting blade.

Bottom line: another great shave!

Today's shave was the first of what I believe will be many shaves that confirm the potential of the Parker Variant to be the ideal razor for every DE user. For most it is ideal right out of the box. For a minority of users, who need a razor with a less-aggressive shave character, all that is needed is some strips of tape applied to the underside of the top cap, or a reverse-shim inserted between the top cap and the blade.

As a result of these trial shaves, I have further simplified my at-hand inventory of razors. There are now only two:

• I have my Parker PTB barber's straight razor for various hair trimming such as the back of my neck.
• My Parker Variant is now the only DE razor that I keep at hand. (The rest are in my razor box in a bedroom closet.) The Variant now (with the added reverse shim) has the aggressiveness range to address all my shaving needs including early shaves with very sharp blades.

Further confirmation of the adjustment range of my Variant with come with first-blade-use shaves with Personnas (both red and blue) and Sharks. I can hardly wait!

Happy shaving!

The Parker Variant: Making it the Best Razor for ALL Users!!!!

As you may know from reading my many articles, for a long time I've thought that the Parker Variant adjustable razor is the best affordable adjustable double-edge razor (DE) razor available. In fact, it just may be a prime candidate for the best DE razor, with no qualifiers. Simply the best.

Parker Variant with the charcoal handle.

But there was (past tense) just one fly in the ointment. For those users with skin that is extremely susceptible to tiny nicks or for some who wanted to use the sharpest blades (Feather brand), at its mildest setting, the Variant was perhaps just not quite mild enough.

Parker Variant with the satin-chrome handle.

But I found the simple solution, which I used this morning. As a matter of fact I'm still basking in the quiet satisfaction of a truly close and comfortable shave -- one of my best ever.

What has taken the Variant from a very good razor to the best is the addition of a shim -- a reverse shim to be more specific.

A reverse shim is an edge-less blade inserted between the top cap and the blade that actually does the shaving.

A reverse shim makes a DE razor less aggressive. A normal shim (referred to simply as a shim, with no preceding modifier) is placed between the blade and the baseplate, and makes a DE razor more aggressive.

The shim is made by taking an old DE blade and trimming off just the cutting edges with a pair of scissors.

Unlike a DE blade used for cutting whiskers, a shim doesn't wear out and can be used indefinitely.

If you're considering a new DE razor -- and perhaps the only razor you'll ever need -- consider adding the Parker Variant to your shave den. Click on the graphic above to shop for your Variant.

Happy ideal shaving!

Reducing the Aggressiveness of Adjustable DE Razors

[UPDATE: If this article is relevant to your interests, be sure to read the comments section at the very bottom. Some additional, useful information is provided there in a short comment conversation between an informed reader and the author.]

I am on record saying several things about the Parker Variant adjustable razor:

• Its shaving geometry makes for a non-irritating shave.
• It may be the best affordable adjustable razor design on the market.
• It adjusts to settings sufficiently aggressive to satisfy most users who prefer (or for some reasons need) a very aggressive razor.
• Its adjustment range is adequate to meet the needs of most (but not all) users.
• Like every adjustable DE of which I'm aware, it doesn't adjust to a mild enough setting for users who prefer or need very mild razors  -- like me.

Long ago, I stopped using my Variant for the first four to six shaves with most new blades. Instead I used milder razors that were less likely to nip my wound-prone skin, which is NOT in and of itself baby smooth. Though you can't tell by looking, my skin is rather micro rough, which leaves it prone to nicks/weepers whenever I shave certain areas to my desired level of closeness.

I found a simple solution to the not-mild-enough problem with the Parker Variant (and likely other adjustables such as the Merkur Progress as well as the Merkur Futur and other razors based on the Futur design -- even the Gillette adjustables!).

The solution is to elevate the shave plane slightly, thus lowering the blade edge in relation to the shave plane. This is done easily and inexpensively (and without risking any harm to the razor) with a few strips of electrical tape.

With a couple of strips of electrical tape, the shave plane of the razor can be tweaked to shave just a bit milder.

What the added tape does is make the top cap just a tad thicker near the blade. This raises the top cap's contact point with the skin. This raised contact point tips the shave plane slightly more away from the blade edge, which makes the blade exposure slightly negative -- meaning that the edge is now slightly below the shave plane, rather that directly on it.

Without the tape on the top cap and the razor at its mildest setting, the blade exposure is fairly neutral, with the edge pretty much at the shave plane. This can be too aggressive for a minority of users.

With just a single layer of electrical tape and the razor set to its mildest setting, the shave plane rises enough that the edge is now clearly underneath it. This is a negative-blade-exposure configuration, and makes the razor much safer, more user friendly for those with easily-nicked skin.

Happy shaving!

Hump Day Revelations

Grandad's Shave Soap

I have a fairly large batch of Grandad's Shave Soap, my personal recipe for an all-natural, plant-based, unscented shave soap for those who may be sensitive to fragrance and other additives.

At one time I did offer samples for a modest price, and though a few took me up on the sample offer -- and even a few wanted to order a puck, it was a commercial failure.

Yet recently I've been shaving with Grandad's Soap, and I find it to be an excellent option. It makes rich lather that lubricates well.

The reasons for it's commercial failure include the following:

• No fragrance
• Samples were too small and awkwardly packaged
• Normal-sized quantities were not made available (and probably would have been priced too low!)

Ah well, live and learn. 

Gillette Slim

I had to change razors in the middle of this morning's shave. After with-grain and then cross-grain passes (and using a light touch, with the razor on its mildest setting), I removed the blade from my Gillette Slim and put it into my Parker Variant, which was also set on its mildest adjustment.

Making my final pass against grain with the Variant was a much more comfortable experience. It has motivated me to remove the Slim once again from my small selection of at-hand razors.

I'm done with the Slim. If it works for you, more power to you. It's just not my cup of tea.

Happy shaving!

Best Razor for Sensitive, Easily-Nicked Beards?

I made a careless mistake last week as part of my adjustable-razor comparison. I had a blade with a single shave on it -- meaning it was relatively new and very sharp.

My error was to set that day's adjustable razor choice to a too-aggressive setting for my with-grain first pass. The result was many weepers and a one or two minor cuts. Then for several days after that, despite my reverting to very mild adjustable settings and using care with my shaving technique, I kept re-opening the wounds.

Remembering that discretion is the better part of valor, I retreated to my most mild-shaving razor for the next two days, which gave my skin an opportunity to recover. And yet I still got a close shave.

Just below is the razor, and further below I'll give the several compelling reasons why many men should have this razor on hand.

The Best Mild Razor is.......

The Phoenix Artisan Accoutrements' (PAA) Original Double-Open-Comb Razor (DOC)!!!

Here is my PAA DOC -- in my opinion the best mild razor available. It has a uniform nickel finish, though the lighting in this image gives the illusion that the head has a chrome look, which it does not.

Reason #1: Well, It's Not Likely to Bite

When you need or prefer a DE razor that isn't going to shave skin along with whiskers, this razor is one of several available in the market. However, the PAA DOC has advantages that the other mild razors lack. Read on.

Reason #2: The DOC Gives a Comfortable Shave

Unlike some other razors that have a non-aggressive nature but have a shaving geometry that still irritates my skin such as the Weishi 9306 family of razors, the DOC offers a shave-head geometry that provides optimal shave comfort. 

Reason #3: The DOC Offers a Close Shave Using Buffing Technique

The open-comb design of the DOC's top cap leaves lather behind if you keep the razor on your skin for the return, non-cutting stroke. This means that the combination of its non-aggressive geometry, its comfortable character, and the residual lather left when using reciprocating strokes allows for a close shave despite its relative safety.

I often use reciprocating strokes (a.k.a. buffing) for all passes in a three-pass shave when using this instrument.

Here is a stock photo of the DOC showing its uniform plating. Don't confuse its coating with chrome, however. In real life, this razor has the characteristic slightly-golden hue that accompanies its nickel plating. 

Reason #4: The DOC is Adjustable?

That's right, it's adjustable. If you want a more aggressive "setting" for the DOC, you can loosen the handle 1/8th, 1/4, or whatever of a turn from snug, and its shave character becomes progressively more aggressive. Try doing that with a one-piece razor like the Weishi 9306. (You can't.)

Reason #5: It's Reasonably Priced

Not much more to be said on this point. The razor isn't terribly expensive and offers good value for its unique and useful design.

Summary

This razor is an indispensable member of my small, at-hand stable of razors. I use this with all first-use blades (and beyond as necessary). I use it when I've abused my skin and need a respite from more aggressive options. 

If you ever thought you might benefit on occasion from a milder razor but were reluctant to invest in a limited specialty razor, this one is not limited. I recommend giving this razor a closer look (click HERE for the PAA website).

Happy shaving!

The Importance (to Some) of Razor Choice

Why All the Fuss?

Some readers may be wondering why all this writer's fuss about choice of razor? Why not just pick one of the available adjustables and call it good? Or even simpler, why not pick a moderate (not mild, not overly aggressive) non-adjustable razor and live with that?

These are reasonable questions, and I will address them in today's article.

The Perfect Shave

The perfect shave is baby smooth in all directions over one's entire beard. It is also without insult to skin including no blood shed and no other skin irritation of any kind.

For me, using a double-edge razor (DE), the perfect shave is a fantasy.

For me, the best shave that I can get with minimal skin insult is one that is baby smooth with grain and across the grain, but with perceptable stubble (by touch) when feeling against the grain. Virtually all of my shaves look close -- even those single-pass, with-grain shaves. But for a good shave that looks good all day, my best shave is the target for which I aim.

Why Not Truly Baby Smooth?

Oh, I can shave so that my beard is truly baby smooth over nearly its entirety. The price that I pay for that ultra-close shave is blood shed.

The combination of my face and neck topography (contours), the flat angle of my beard grain in many places, and the sensitivity of my skin as well as its lack of micro smoothness results in shave outcomes that are a balancing act -- balancing between closeness and skin insult.

Uber-sharp blades tend to cause a bit of invisible razor burn even in the mildest razors -- and that's at best! Worse is when they open small weeper wounds, or when my careless technique allows minor nicks.

I Prefer Adjustable Razors

When I go for an optimal shave, which is essentially every day, my skin is so sensitive to the blade that non-adjustable razors limit the useful life of every blade I try.

This is because essentially all new blades work best for me in a very mild razor. If the razor isn't extremely mild with a new or newer blade, then I'm guaranteed to have to deal with wounds. 

However, as a blade progresses through its useful life -- which is typically 20 to 30 daily shaves -- the razor must become less mild if I am to achieve my desired degree of shave closeness. This realization resulted in my stating the concept of PRA: progressive razor aggressiveness. So every non-adjustable razor is a huge compromise meaning that for any given blade, there will be a period where the blade-and-razor combination is optimal, but there will be longer stretches within the blade's life span where the shave is not close enough (meaning excessive perceptible stubble), too close (meaning wounds), or both.

A razor that is adequately adjustable for my beard must go from very mild to moderately aggressive. An adjustable that is adequately variable for the everyman must accommodate me in the very-mild-to-moderate adjustment range, but then also go to very aggressive settings for those that need that.

Optimal Adjustable Razors

For some, vintage adjustables such as the Slim from Gillette meet the preceding adjustment-range criterion. Yet there is the issue of razor comfort. For me, the Slim has at best tended to produce a bit of invisible irritation that I must treat with after-shave products.

For others, the Parker Variant is the optimal razor. Though it doesn't adjust to as mild a shaving character as the Slim, it does tend to offer a comfortable, minimal-irritation outcome for those who don't need an extremely mild razor when using a blade fresh out of the wrapper.

The Wisdom of Experience

My years of chasing the shave that is comfortable, baby-smooth and wound free have taught me that, in my case, that goal is a fool's errand. But before I realized that fact, I had rejected the Slim as offering too harsh of a shave for my mug. Of course, lately in the light of my growing shaving enlightenment, I'm revisiting the Slim, and comparing it to the Variant -- as I announced in my article yesterday.

Comparison Progress

Today's shave was the third shave with a Dorco ST-301 blade. With two shaves under my belt with the Slim (shave number one and three) and one shave with the Variant (shave number two), I'm already drawing some useful conclusions.

But I won't report out any observations until I've completely done the trial using the full life of the blade. Stay tuned for the eventual analysis.

Happy shaving!

Parker Variant Versus Gillette Slim: The Adjustable Challenge Begins

After yesterday's new-blade shave with my Slim adjustable razor, I decided to emulate with razors my shave-soap challenge, about which I reported in my article on Sharpologist.com entitled "Shave Test: The Rolls-Royce versus the Toyota Yaris of Shave Soaps."

So yesterday I took shave one with a Dorco ST-301 blade in my '63 Gillette Slim razor. Today will be shave two on the blade but this time in my Parker Variant razor. I will continue to alternate daily shaves between the two until the blade is completely used up.

Then I will report the results in an article.

This process was very useful in understanding the relative performance of what many consider to be the alpha and omega of shave soaps: Martin de Candre and Williams. Much to my surprise, after alternating between the two for my daily shaves, I saw little difference between them -- virtually no functional difference to justify the huge disparity in retail pricing.

That soap test opened my eyes once again to the influence that price and other marketing tactics have on perception. It also made me regret some comments made and likely harm done to a now-defunct soap seller, Pyrate Cove Soap Works (PCSW).

Taking my experience from the MDC-Williams comparison to my remaining inventory of PCSW soaps, I found that their modest price adversely influenced my opinion of the product -- and I shared that opinion publicly in this blog. I regret that.

I turns out that I'd much rather buy and use PCSW shave soap than many others, and not just for the price, but also for the performance. I regret that I didn't support PCSW more. I also hope that the prime movers behind that company see this article and resurrect their product line and company name, but this time charging a bit more so that the market can appreciate their products' performance without being negatively influenced by the perception that the soap is cheap and therefore inferior.

But I digress.

Stay tuned for my outcome of the duel in Detroit (apologies to the Indycar race, the Dual in Detroit). Slim versus Variant: the stuff of legend. More to come.

Happy shaving!

The Slim with a New Dorco Blade

After my last article about how my opinion of the vintage Gillette Slim adjustable razor is evolving, I temporarily set aside the well used but not quite worn out SuperMax blade and installed in the Slim a new Dorco ST-301 blade.

Varying slightly from the previous three-pass shaves, I was a bit more careful with my razor settings. Today my first pass (WTG) was set on 2. The second pass (XTG) was also on 2. The third pass (ATG) was on 1. Final clean-up strokes were set to 2.

Again, surprise! A close, reasonably comfortable shave. The post-shave irritation faded quickly. There were a few pin-point weepers, but, again, on my face this isn't unusual and most if not all were the same ones present in previous shaves.

Even after years of DE shaving, my shaving technique and awareness apparently continues to evolve -- even though I'm not consciously trying. I guess my touch is lighter, although maybe my skin is just toughening up.

The net result is that I may further reduce my at-hand razors to just two: the Slim and my Parker Variant; thus relegating all my non-adjustable razors to storage in the closet shaving box.

Who knew? (Not me!)

Happy adjustable shaving!

Gillette Slim Redux (Yet Again)

I'm on the record (repeatedly) as opining that the vintage Gillette Slim adjustable razor is not my favorite.

However, I've learned repeatedly over the years of writing this blog that my opinions shift over time like desert sands. So after considering what is the best razor for the everyman and writing an article on that concept for Sharpologist.com, I thought it appropriate to drag my Slim out into the light of day once again and give it a go.

So I had a SuperMax Titanium blade with 12 shaves on it, and the other day put that blade into my Slim. I took the first pass with grain on a setting of 3. The second pass -- cross grain -- used a setting of 2. The third pass -- against grain -- was set to 1. Then I took some clean-up strokes under my jawline and on my neck on a setting of 2.

In all a very good shave. There was a bit more irritation, I believe, than I get with, say the Parker Variant, but a good shave nonetheless.

It was so surprising, in fact, that I also took the 14th and 15th shaves with that SuperMax blade using the Slim and the same shaving process.

All the shave outcomes were close, with only a few pin-point weepers (which is totally normal for me whenever I take a close shave), and not having enough irritation to worry or talk about.

One of the things that I like about the Slim is that it has the ability to dial back to offer a pretty mild shave. Of course, the drawback is that there's something about the cutting geometry of the head design that is not quite as comfortable as I would ideally like -- irrespective of the setting. Historically, this drawback has been most noticeable with a new or newer blade.

So the next test comes when I have fully used up the current SuperMax blade and open a new blade. I'll be doing that next week and will report out on my results.

Happy shaving!

On a Modern 28-shave Blade and Original Gillette One-month Blades

Article on Sharpologist.com

Look for my article on the ideal razor for every man, on which I collaborated with the Sharpologist himself! Click here for the article.

Today's Grandad Article

I used to surf the 'net for old Gillette razor ads. I thought they were both interesting and informative. They also provided insight into what Gillette & Company were thinking as to the use of their products.

As I recall, the original Gillette razors (c. 1903) came with a dozen blades, which were advertised to provide up to a year's worth of shaves -- yep, roughly one blade per month. And keep in mind that these weren't stainless-steel blades; they were made of non-stainless steel that was susceptible to rusting. They were also thicker than modern blades, and users were encouraged to save the blades when dull and then return them to the factory for sharpening in return for a fresh set at a discount off the retail price.

This one-blade-per-month approach may be shocking to some of us who live our lives as though virtually everything is disposable and the world is our trash can. There are many (too many) shavers who demand a new blade for every shave and mindlessly send perfectly good blades to the landfill without a second thought.

This original Gillette approach begs a question: How did the original Gillette customers get up to a month of shaves from a single blade?

Since I am on the record for years as being a shaver who routinely tries to get many shaves from a single double-edge (DE) blade, I have several possible answers to that question.

First of all, as a traditional straight-razor owner and user, I must say that no straight users get only a single shave from their razor before having it re-sharpened. The process of daily drying and stropping the straight blade allows many, many shaves before the edge needs more intensive care. This alone suggests that anyone who is swapping out a DE blade for a new one after a single use is being wasteful in the extreme.

That said, however, there are other possible explanations for early-20th-century shavers being able to use a single DE blade for up to a month as follows:

• They may have shaved less frequently -- perhaps every other day or up to as infrequently as once per week.
• They may have only taken single-pass shaves.

Both of these practices would have their genesis in the straight razor. Some old-time gents would go to the barber for their shaves, and certainly few would go daily. Others, who were straight shaving at home, likely took a one-pass, with-grain straight shave as needed and called that good.

So it's pretty safe to assume that many gents in those by-gone days did not initially acquire the habit of the daily shave, not to mention the very-close shave, until DE razors became more common, and the price of DE blades came down as more competitors entered the market.

Still, given today's high-quality stainless-steel blades, I have just today had an excellent shave with a Personna-red blade, using the blade for its 28th daily shave! Here's how I did it:

• I started with a sharp, high-quality blade. Not every blade will provide 28 close, comfortable daily shaves.
• I fastidiously care for my blades after every shave -- rinsing clean, press drying, and gently palm stropping the blade before re-installing it into the razor for the next shave.
• I also carefully clean, shake and wipe dry the razor as much as possible before re-installing a blade.
• By the way, for the record, all of my shaves were at least two-pass shaves and usually more.

The blade from today's shave is still going strong and will be used again tomorrow. So I've essentially shown that blades can be much more durable that one might think, and maybe old King Gillette was on the right track with his original blade offerings.

Happy shaving!

The Down-Up Shave

There is much hoopla about the three-pass shave. There may be an alternative that is quicker, simpler, and as effective as you want it to be. You might call it the down-up shave.

First pass: After a face lathering (to save time), I simply shave with downward strokes over my entire beard. This is with grain or nearly so above my jaw line. It is cross grain or against grain below my jaw line. When shaving against grain, I monitor pressure to maintain a light touch and stretch my skin a bit with my free hand in my lower neck, which is both easily nicked and sensitive.

Second pass: I face lather again, and shave with upward strokes. The exception is my upper lip, on which I stroke horizontally (and carefully).

This second pass usually results in a good shave above the jaw line. Between the jaw line and the lower neck, this area usually needs some horizontal strokes to get a close shave. So if I desire a close shave everywhere, I will perform the requisite horizontal strokes in that area. These don't require another local re-lathering, but can be accomplished with just adding a bit of water to the areas being shaved.

Happy down-up shaving!

On Canned Shave Gel/Foam Vs. Shave Soap

I wrote this comment today in reply to a reader's comment on an old article:

I do want to mention some things about canned foam/gel. Literally thousands of cans of this type of product are sold every day in the USA. 

That means that thousands of empty cans go to landfills every day! 

This is a waste of raw materials (in the can packaging) and, more importantly, adds more unnecessary material to our trash stream. 

Unfortunately, too many of us bring this disposable-product/disposable-packaging mentality to virtually every aspect of our lives, and it means looming disaster for our environment and many living things (especially humans).

I encourage all who read this to become aware of such issues. Drive smaller and more ecologically-friendly vehicles. Encourage development and expansion of effective public transportation. And give more consideration to the fact that our world isn't a trash can! 

Every item that you "throw away" is simply relocated to another place in your living space. Nothing is thrown away, it's merely relocated out of your view. And eventually this will become more obvious as we reap the consequences of our thoughtless habits. 

Reduce, reuse, recycle! Shaving soap is more convenient in my opinion because I don't have to slather it on with my hands. If someone doesn't agree, then they may need some instruction on face lathering rather than bowl lathering. More importantly, shaving soap is much more ecologically responsible!!!

Lord Platinum Class Vs. Feather Blades and P.R.A.

I have been applying my P.R.A. (progressive razor aggressiveness) process with great results. (For more information on PRA, see my article on Sharpologist.com.)

My Phoenix Artisan Accoutrements DOC

I've currently had three shaves with my Lord Platinum Class blade. This blade isn't dangerously
sharp, so my use of my mild Double-Open-Comb (DOC) razor was limited to the blade's maiden shave. Then as is my custom, my razor progression went next to my 1965 Gillette Tech. This razor, too, was only needed for shave number two.

My '65 Tech Head on the PAA handle.

Then this morning I used my Parker Variant (set to one) for the third shave on this Lord Platinum Class blade, and a pleasant shave it was!

Contrast that to my prior blade, which was a Feather brand. Because it's a sharper and more irritating blade, I took several shaves with the DOC before switching to the Tech. Even then, the shave with the Tech was a bit too aggressive for my skin, so I returned to the DOC for a couple more shaves.

Then I returned to the Feather-Tech combination for a couple more shaves before finishing the blade's useful life in my Parker Variant. (By the way, since my PRA article was published on Sharpologist, I've relegated to my closet razor box my Ming Shi 2000S, the Merkur Futur imitator, because though good in its own way, one edge of the razor was slightly more aggressive than the other. The Variant offers as good a shave and is more uniform in the relative aggressiveness of its edges.)

Parker Varian

I should note that I found the Feather to be as durable as any of my other brands, which is counter to the experience of some others, who say that the useful life of the Feather blade is relatively short. I do admit that I recycled the Feather blade after the fourteenth shave -- not because it's useful life was anywhere near done; I could have easily gotten seven or more shaves from the blade. However, the shaves were consistently a bit irritating from the first to the fourteenth, so I figured it wasn't worth stretching the number of shaves.

It was much better to put the Feather blade into the blade-recycle can, and pull out a blade that is much more comfortable for me to use. The Lord blade was a welcome relief.

Happy shaving!

Stupid Trolls and a Straight Shave

Foolishly Defending Preconceived Notions

A short while ago, I authored an article on Sharpologist.com, which compared Martin De Candre (MDC) shave soap to Williams -- arguably the Rolls-Royce of shave soaps to the Toyota Yaris of shave soaps.

I got some push-back comments from two readers trolling the article. Normally I try not to respond to cranks and trolls, but their comments kind of pissed me off due to their carelessness and stupidity.

Both criticized the pseudo science of my approach. In reality, I simply laid out my methods and my observations. I made and still make no claim of scientific method, which I actually understand, and those blockheads clearly don't.

One of the trolls took issue with my unusual lathering methods. But in reality, I merely loaded my warm, wet brush with soap from a soap cup and then face lathered. Not so unusual, eh, Sparky? What may have confused the simpleton troll is that I explained how I heated my water in a microwave oven rather than letting the tap run (and run and run) waiting for the water to get hot. Obviously this guy wouldn't score high in reading comprehension.

The other troll suggested that he goes through a puck of Williams in 35 shaves, while MDC lasts waaaaaaaaaay longer. Hmm. Okay, well, Williams pucks are 50 grams, while MDC comes in 200-gram quantities. Not much of a shock that MDC lasts waaaaaaaaaaay longer -- although I seriously doubt that any normal Williams user uses up a puck in 35 shaves. That joker must be really wasteful.

Or else his and the other troll's opinions are not at all objective and are primarily influenced by reputation and cost. My over-riding point of that Sharpologist article was that price doesn't always suggest quality. As someone who has a degree in marketing (among other subjects), I'm all too aware that brand image is greatly influenced by price. (For example, I think some apparently  failed shave-soap brands such as Pyrate Cove Soap Works were not successful because they were priced too low! I have re-evaluated three different pucks of this soap brand, and I find them to be every bit as good as MDC, though they were not much more costly than Williams, when you compare cost per ounce. I believe that if such soaps were more expensive, they would have been deemed higher quality and more desirable in the marketplace.) Anyway in this Rolls versus Yaris case, I didn't see much difference between the two soaps -- a conclusion that I didn't originally anticipate.

Since that Rolls-Yaris comparison, I've actually been doing similar comparisons with all my shave soaps, and my conclusions are contrary to my previously stated opinions in this blog. At this time, I believe that virtually all of my hard and semi-hard shave soaps perform about the same. The only major difference is in fragrances.

Once I go through my extensive inventory of shave soap (which may take a long time), I may just go with Williams because it's readily available and inexpensive.

It never ceases to amaze me how some persons react when their preconceived opinions are challenged by someone merely stating his own, individual opinion.  Sheesh!

My Infrequent Straight Shave of This Morning

I haven't had a straight-razor shave in a while, and on a whim I pulled out my Parker PTB this morning. I did a very basic 1-1/2-pass shave that was surprisingly easy given my general use of DE razors much more than my barber or classic straight razors.

Though I'm still a committed DE user, it was fun to have a go with a straight on my beard. (I normally, every week or two, shave the back of my neck with the PTB.)

Happy shaving (and trolling if that's your thing) :-D