Journey to find my razor preference

[Ohjay]

Date: 2024-04-27
Razor: Gillette Sheraton (1937?)
Blade: Dorco - Titan
Brush: DScosmetic 26mm Tuxedo
Soap: Saponificio Varesino Cosmo
Aftershave: Arran Machrie
Passes: 3
Rating: 8.05
Rating is a combination of shave comfort and quality

I have to admit I was a bit worried about the shave today. I have not had the best experience with the Dorco Titan blade and it had been a few extra days between shaves meaning the stubble was a bit longer than usual.
Turns out there wasn't much to worry about after all. The blade handled the longer stubble just fine and the shave felt a little bit more comfortable than the last one. The blade still struggled on the ATG pass though.
I also feel that the quality improved a little as well, not quite BBS but a very good DFS. I did end up with one weeper on the upper lip which I think happened on the WTG pass.

After three shaves with this blade I have to say I still really, really like the Sheraton. But I do not like the Dorco Titan. The overall shave experience wasn't as good as with the other blades I've used in the Sheraton but it definitely hasn't had a negative impact on my view of this razor.
On to the next blade!

The NEW RFB I shared a couple of posts back was bought at an auction and the seller had several razors for sale at the same time and there were several Swings, Matadors, Aeterna and Gillette razors. I tried to win a few more than the RFB but they kinda got expensive and I didn't want to splurge on more razors at that time.
But, I did manage to snag this one:

This is an unknown Swing razor. The base plate and the top look very similar to my other Swing but the handle is all metal on this one. It weighs 56g and is about 85mm long.
Condition isn't great but shouldn't affect the shave, so it will be interesting to compare this one to my other Swing.

 

[Guido75]

Nice catch!! The Swing is absolutely wonderful! Sorry to hear the Titan wasn’t it for you. I like them very much in about all my razors, but I will admit not having used the Titan in my Aristocrat OC yet, do I need to verify if the blade/razor combination might be similar to your experience or not.

Cheers,

Guido

 

[Ohjay]

Thanks @Guido75. Yeah I'm not sure what it is about the Titan that does not work for me, but I have had similar experiences with certain blades in the past. When I started shaving with a DE I probably tried 10-15 different blades and some just refused to work for me. I will need to do a few more shaves with other razors and the Titan before I finally decide to give up on that blade, but it's not looking promising.

Date: 2024-04-29
Razor: Gillette Sheraton (1937?)
Blade: Treet - Carbon Steel
Brush: Yaqi 24mm Sagrada Familia tuxedo knot
Soap: Saponificio Varesino Cosmo
Aftershave: Simpson Bay rum
Passes: 3
Rating: 6.025
Rating is a combination of shave comfort and quality

Decided to try a new brand of razor blade today... and I was in for quite a surprise, and not a good one as can be seen in the rating

Right off the bat it felt very similar to the Dorco Titan on the WTG pass, like the blade struggled to cut the stubble and I could really feel it struggling too. When I was done with the first pass and felt my face I thought, "This ain't never gonna work", there was a lot of stubble left after that first pass.
Second pass (XTG) was better and I did not feel the blade struggling nearly as much as on the previous pass, but once again when I felt my face after the second pass the same thought came into my head, "This ain't never gonna work".
On the third pass, which was ATG of course, I had to stop when trying to shave my upper lip. It just wasn't possible. The blade kept getting stuck regardless of angle and it felt inevitable to get bad cuts if I continued. It did fair better on the rest of my face and it didn't feel like it struggled.
The final shave result was also fairly disappointing and I ended up with a CCS type shave. Granted it could have been worse, but I am expecting better result from a three-pass shave. On the upside I only got one nick.

I'll have to stick to it and do two more shaves with this blade, but my mind is telling me to just ditch it. That it's not worth the effort. We'll see, but my ambition is to persevere and gain more data.

 

[Ohjay]

Date: 2024-05-01
Razor: Gillette Sheraton (1937?)
Blade: Treet - Carbon Steel
Brush: Yaqi 24mm Huskey
Soap: Saponificio Varesino Cosmo
Aftershave: Simpson Bay rum
Passes: 3
Rating: 5.925
Rating is a combination of shave comfort and quality

Another shave with the Treet blade today and it was pretty much identical to the previous shave. The only difference was that the quality of the shave was a tiny bit worse.
I've probably been a bit too kind in my rating of this blade, because I can't quite see how it can be worse, and I sure hope I don't come across a worse blade.
Anyway, not going to spend more words on this blade and I threw it away after this shave. So I'll use something new next shave.

 

[Phoenixkh]

Date: 2024-05-01
Razor: Gillette Sheraton (1937?)
Blade: Treet - Carbon Steel
Brush: Yaqi 24mm Huskey
Soap: Saponificio Varesino Cosmo
Aftershave: Simpson Bay rum
Passes: 3
Rating: 5.925
Rating is a combination of shave comfort and quality

Another shave with the Treet blade today and it was pretty much identical to the previous shave. The only difference was that the quality of the shave was a tiny bit worse.
I've probably been a bit too kind in my rating of this blade, because I can't quite see how it can be worse, and I sure hope I don't come across a worse blade.
Anyway, not going to spend more words on this blade and I threw it away after this shave. So I'll use something new next shave.

I like the Treet DuraSharp blades @cranewarrior recommended a few months ago now. But I remind people.... I'm a one and done shaver so I only need a blade to be sharp and smooth for one shave. Carbon Steel has a reputation of not lasting as long as the Stainless Steel blades... but I wouldn't know, obviously. <eg>

 

[Ohjay]

I like the Treet DuraSharp blades @cranewarrior recommended a few months ago now. But I remind people.... I'm a one and done shaver so I only need a blade to be sharp and smooth for one shave. Carbon Steel has a reputation of not lasting as long as the Stainless Steel blades... but I wouldn't know, obviously. <eg>

I'm hoping that the Treet blade I used was a dud somehow and the next time I try one it will fair better. I'll check out the DuraSharp, perhaps that's a Treet blade that fits me better.


Date: 2024-05-03
Razor: Gillette Sheraton (1937?)
Blade: Super Iridium
Brush: DScosmetic 26mm Tuxedo
Soap: Saponificio Varesino Cosmo
Aftershave: Simpson Bay rum
Passes: 3
Rating: 8.95
Rating is a combination of shave comfort and quality

Ah, back to our regularly scheduled programming. Was choosing between the Super Iridium and Feather blade and ended up going for the Super Iridium.
Such a wild difference compared to the Treet blade. This shave was very comfortable during all three passes. Not the most comfortable ATG on the upper lip but definitely serviceable, and only one nick as well.
Quality was also very, very good. Mostly BBS but one or two DFS spots.
The skin did feel slightly agitated after the shave though, but otherwise no complaints.

Can't remember if I have shared it before or not, but I have a Kent badger brush that I bought a few years ago where the head eventually fell out of the handle and I have not taken the time to repair it. Until this week that is.
This is what it looked like before I took care of the glue residue:

Used a Dremel to get most of the glue out of the handle, there wasn't much there but I figured it would be best to have it as level as possible:

I was actually unsure if I should level the head as well since I didn't know where the knot started and where the badger hairs were glued. But I decided to try anyway and it was definitely the right choice:

Used to quickdrying two-part epoxy to glue the parts back together and it almost looks like new:

It's been 48 hours or so since I glued it so it should be cured and ready to go, but I'll let it sit for a little while longer before giving it a clean before using it in a shave.
But I can't wait to use it, this brush was absolutely amazing although a bit too big in size (size 8 I believe, so not even the biggest Kent made before stopping to use natural hairs)

 

[Ohjay]

Date: 2024-05-05
Razor: Gillette Sheraton (1937?)
Blade: Super Iridium
Brush: Yaqi 24mm Huskey
Soap: Saponificio Varesino Cosmo
Aftershave: Simpson Bay rum
Passes: 3
Rating: 8.15
Rating is a combination of shave comfort and quality

Not quite as good as the previous shave with this blade. I got some mild skin discomfort during the shave and also afterwards. Did three passes and this time it struggled a little bit on the ATG pass which affected the quality. I also got quite a few nicks and one weeper. Not sure why it got worse, and don't get me wrong, it was still a good shave.
Anyway, I ended up with a very good DFS shave.

Last time I used this blade it seemed to improve after each shave, while this time it seems to regress.
I'm not liking what it seems to be doing to my skin and I also don't get as close a shave as I would like as there was a fair bit of stubble after less than 24 hours. But I'll definitely use it for one more shave with this razor.

 

[Ohjay]

Date: 2024-05-10
Razor: Gillette Sheraton (1937?)
Blade: Super Iridium
Brush: Kent BK8
Soap: Saponificio Varesino Morado
Aftershave: Arran Machrie
Passes: 3
Rating: 8.15
Rating is a combination of shave comfort and quality

Been away on a business trip and decided to forgo from shaving while away, so that meant longer than usual stubble during the shave today.
I was quite curious to see how the razor and this blade would handle it and the simple answer is: Great!
Extremely comfortable shave, even ATG. Not sure if it was the length of the stubble or just me not being as attentive but I did a slightly poor job at a couple of spots so I got a near BBS shave but with some CCS/borderline DFS spots.
Skin and face does feel slightly agitated after the shave though.

I also got to use the restored Kent BK8 today and I had forgotten how it is to lather with this brush.
It is absolutely humongous and it splays like nothing I've ever used and that makes it a bit tricky to build lather with. But it is a very, very comfortable badger brush. I wish these were still made so I could get a BK4, I think that would suit me better.
I'll try to remember to take a photo of the brush once it has dried so you can see exactly how huge it is because the previous images does not do it justice.

Oh, and since this was the third shave with this blade & razor combo it is once again time to switch it up.
I still really, really, really like the Sheraton regardless of blade I have used in it. But I want to try some of the other razors I've bought and not yet tried. So next up is probably the RFB, but we'll see.

 

[Ohjay]

Date: 2024-05-12
Razor: Gillette The NEW RFB No77
Blade: ASTRA - Superior Platinum
Brush: Yaqi 24mm Huskey
Soap: Saponificio Varesino Morado
Aftershave: Arran Machrie
Passes: 3
Rating: 6.925
Rating is a combination of shave comfort and quality

So, uhm, what should I say about this shave?
It started out great and the initial strokes felt just like the Sheraton that I have been using and praising a lot recently. But everything changed once I got to spots with thicker hair growth and it did not feel as comfortable anymore.
WTG went fine and it was still a comfortable pass. On the XTG pass I started noticing that something wasn't quite right and the comfort level dropped even further. Finally ATG, it got worse and the razor struggled a fair bit especially on the upper lip.
So overall not a super comfortable shave but quality wise it faired okay and I got a decent DFS out of it. But, I also got 10 (!) nicks. Can't remember the last time I had such a disastrous shave in terms of nicks.

Between the passes I looked a bit closer at the RFB and I think the reason for this shaving experience is the blade gap. To me it looks absolutely massive, and perhaps even the blade exposure as well. It's just a guess at this point, but I think the blade gap is my nemesis and just something I can't handle, which of course comes down to my technique.
I didn't check the Sheraton in this manner, but I don't think the blade gap was this big on that razor. Anyway, a couple of images to try and show the blade gap:

And as I mentioned in the last update, here are a couple of images of the Kent BK8 brush in comparison with two other brushes.
From left to right: 24mm DScosmetic synthetic, Kent BK8, Edwin Jagger badger

The images doesn't quite do it justice, but the BK8 is gigantic.

I also think it is time to share another razor purchase. This one I bought on a whim, I had it in my watchlist but didn't plan to buy it. As the auction was about to end I saw that no one had bid yet, so I just did a minimum bid for the heck of it and was fairly surprise that I won the auction with a staggering bid of $5

As can be seen, a Matador Deluxe with a heavy metal handle. It weighs in at 60g and is 81mm long.
The handle was absolutely filthy and it kinda looked like the metal had oxidized, or the way silver is discolored after prolonged contact with human skin. It cleaned up fairly well, but it could be better.
The other knick-knacks in the case are empty and look unused.

 

[batman911111]

Since I'm naturally curious, what makes this a SuperSpeed Flare Tip and not a Rocket Flare Tip?
I know there's some discrepancies regarding the "official" Gillette name and what us enthusiasts call them. The handle and especially the gap between the handle and TTO knob is a Rocket feature compared to most SuperSpeeds (I think I saw one or two early examples on the Mr-Razor website).

When comparing it does look like this razor bends the blade a fair bit more than the 34C.

Here are the instructions that came with the razor. Let me know if anyone of you want it translated.
It doesn't say much about the razor, the only mildly interesting bit is that it says "has a first-class coating, which prevents corrosion", which made me think of the rhodium coated version, but I doubt that is what this is.

Did the second shave with this razor today and result was similar to the first save.
Once again three passes, WTG, XTG and ATG. The XTG and ATG were rough, really rough and I kept struggling with the razor and it felt like the blade got caught all the time. I also got more nicks and they mostly came from the XTG and ATG passes.
As I've mentioned, the result with this razor is great I just wish it was less of a struggle using it and getting a more comfortable shave. Part of it is definitely my lack of technique and experience, having only used two different razors before and both were quite mild and forgiving.
The other part is the Feather blade which I'm beginning to think is not a good match in this razor for me. It's going to be interesting to try it with other blades.

It’s a rocket the gap calls it out

 

[blethenstrom]

Date: 2024-05-12
Razor: Gillette The NEW RFB No77
Blade: ASTRA - Superior Platinum
Brush: Yaqi 24mm Huskey
Soap: Saponificio Varesino Morado
Aftershave: Arran Machrie
Passes: 3
Rating: 6.925
Rating is a combination of shave comfort and quality

So, uhm, what should I say about this shave?
It started out great and the initial strokes felt just like the Sheraton that I have been using and praising a lot recently. But everything changed once I got to spots with thicker hair growth and it did not feel as comfortable anymore.
WTG went fine and it was still a comfortable pass. On the XTG pass I started noticing that something wasn't quite right and the comfort level dropped even further. Finally ATG, it got worse and the razor struggled a fair bit especially on the upper lip.
So overall not a super comfortable shave but quality wise it faired okay and I got a decent DFS out of it. But, I also got 10 (!) nicks. Can't remember the last time I had such a disastrous shave in terms of nicks.

Between the passes I looked a bit closer at the RFB and I think the reason for this shaving experience is the blade gap. To me it looks absolutely massive, and perhaps even the blade exposure as well. It's just a guess at this point, but I think the blade gap is my nemesis and just something I can't handle, which of course comes down to my technique.
I didn't check the Sheraton in this manner, but I don't think the blade gap was this big on that razor. Anyway, a couple of images to try and show the blade gap:

And as I mentioned in the last update, here are a couple of images of the Kent BK8 brush in comparison with two other brushes.
From left to right: 24mm DScosmetic synthetic, Kent BK8, Edwin Jagger badger

The images doesn't quite do it justice, but the BK8 is gigantic.

I also think it is time to share another razor purchase. This one I bought on a whim, I had it in my watchlist but didn't plan to buy it. As the auction was about to end I saw that no one had bid yet, so I just did a minimum bid for the heck of it and was fairly surprise that I won the auction with a staggering bid of $5

As can be seen, a Matador Deluxe with a heavy metal handle. It weighs in at 60g and is 81mm long.
The handle was absolutely filthy and it kinda looked like the metal had oxidized, or the way silver is discolored after prolonged contact with human skin. It cleaned up fairly well, but it could be better.
The other knick-knacks in the case are empty and look unused.

With some tlc that Matador will look great. Great find for $5!

 

[Guido75]

Nice catch on the Matador!! Amazing razor.

Your shave with the RFB surprises me. It’s one of the mildest razors I own. I sometimes need to check if it is shaving at all.

Your bad experience could that be blade related? Again YMMV so not pointing fingers but the Astra is one of the worser blades I have used.

Cheers,

Guido

 

[batman911111]

It’s a rocket the gap calls it out

It’s a rocket the gap calls it out

They also made a rocket that looks just like a red tip but also gapped.
I have owned and sold piles of razors but have never had 1 like that in my hands to look at, seen them from guys I deal with but would love to see 1 up close. Very nice razor you have and not seen much

 

[Ohjay]

With some tlc that Matador will look great. Great find for $5!

Yeah I was quite surprised no one else bid on it. Matador and Swing razors are generally popular and tend to get a bit expensive. But I'm not complaining

Nice catch on the Matador!! Amazing razor.

Your shave with the RFB surprises me. It’s one of the mildest razors I own. I sometimes need to check if it is shaving at all.

Your bad experience could that be blade related? Again YMMV so not pointing fingers but the Astra is one of the worser blades I have used.

Cheers,

Guido

This is what I find so interesting about this hobby. The experience and opinion of a razor, a blade or a razor & blade combo can vary wildly between users. There are so many parameters and subtleties that affect how we perceive a shave and what works for one person does not necessary work for another.

The Astra blades were actually my second favorite blade before starting this journey and a go-to blade when I was out of Feather blades.

But regarding the RFB, I blame the user ( ) this time because:

Date: 2024-05-14
Razor: Gillette The NEW RFB No77
Blade: ASTRA - Superior Platinum
Brush: Yaqi 24mm Sagrada Familia tuxedo knot
Soap: Saponificio Varesino Morado
Aftershave: Arran Machrie
Passes: 3
Rating: 8
Rating is a combination of shave comfort and quality

A much better shave today and much more comfortable, even ATG. It wasn't perfect ATG but not even close to the experience last time. I also improved on the nicks and only got 4 this time around and all on the ATG pass. I did have some very, very mild skin irritation after the shave though.
The quality improved as well and I got a very, very respectable DFS shave.

Not quite sure what caused the difference in shave, but I was more attentive today and tried to pay attention to the razor and what it told me while shaving. One thing I noticed was that it felt like I had to be very careful about the angle, especially ATG. There didn't seem to be much wiggle room and if the angle was wrong it immediately felt a lot worse.

 

[Ohjay]

Date: 2024-05-19
Razor: Gillette The NEW RFB No77
Blade: ASTRA - Superior Platinum
Brush: DScosmetic 26mm Tuxedo
Soap: Saponificio Varesino Cosmo
Aftershave: Arran Machrie
Passes: 3
Rating: 8.975
Rating is a combination of shave comfort and quality

I hadn't planned to go 5 days between shaves but that's what happened.
Not sure what the reason is but I got a pretty fantastic shave with the RFB today. Extremely comfortable and nearly on par with the Sheraton and it was even quite comfortable ATG. Did end up with two minor nicks, which I almost wouldn't call nicks.
In terms of quality this was also the best one by far with this razor and it was very, very near BBS.

Before this weekend I had a plan for the immediate future of my shaving journey and that was to use up the last three Astra Platinum blades with three different razors that I like to be able to compare them, but that plan is now scrapped, or well, partially at least.
I had this stash of blades that I hadn't checked in quite a while and I thought it only had Feather blades, but I did check it this weekend and it turns out it was roughly 100 Astra Platinum blades and about 20 Wilkinson Sword blades. The good news is that I can use the Astras with all razors now to better compare them.

The other thing that happened is that I bought two new razors yesterday. Hopefully they will arrive early next week.
One of them I don't even know what it is but it is a freebie since the other one was the one I wanted. I'm not going to spoil it, but it is something I am excited about even though it might not be a new experience for me, razor wise. But we'll see.

But speaking of bought razors. Before the purchase yesterday I only had one more razor to share, and it was this one:

A Rotbart Mond Extra, with original box.
It has definitely seen better days and I haven't taken the time to clean it yet, but it seems structurally fine.