Supply Provision Stainless Steel Injector Tour/Pass-Around

[poonjaji]

List updated. Please PM if you are interested in participating as it looks like we are wrapping it up soon.

Supply Provision Injector Tour
Graydog
polishaver
ciderguy
tylehman
hahnevince559
ShaverGN
gflande1
mrlandpirate
1kentj
big70tom
ED3054
DCRIII
mdevine
Sullybob
bahomebrew
Komboloi (shaving)
Sdm84
Westonned
Omega48
mpnotiff
NickMach007

 

[Komboloi]

My Day 2 shave is complete, and I used exactly the same set up as on Day 1: One dot base plate (the mildest) with a familiar hard soap that produces consistently for me. I suspected that this would be a repeat of Day 1, but I wanted to use the one dot base plate twice to give it a chance. The result was the same as Day 1: Extremely comfortable shave with no irritation, nicks, or weepers. But not all that close. Not horrible, but I think this base plate is just too mild for me. And that's why Supply Provision includes three!

This one dot base plate system would be an excellent introduction to traditional wet shaving, because there's very little risk of a cut or nick. It would also be great for very sensitive skin that needs a very mild razor or for those days when your face is a feeling a little scraped up from using a more aggressive razor but you don't want to (or can't) go without shaving.

The build quality and solidity of the razor continue to impress me. You wouldn't be left wondering where your money went. The shape of the handle continues not to impress me for the reasons mentioned in my previous posts. One other very minor quibble (emphasis on minor): The area under the head is pretty small, so lather builds there quickly, necessitating a frequent rinse to prevent lather build-up on the head and clogging. Not a big deal, but I noticed it.

I'm really looking forward to the two-dot base plate. I think it will make a huge difference for me.

 

[bahomebrew]

Amazing post, Komboloi! Thanks for sharing.

+1 On a great review. Komboloi, if you aren't getting paid to do reviews, you should be. Very thorough and very detailed, and very well organized. I thought many of the things you said while I was shaving, but I had neither the wherewithal to include them in my reviews nor the organizational acumen to express it so clearly.

I am also struck by each person's differing opinions about the razor. YMMV is alive and well on the SPSSI passaround. One thing I think everyone agrees on is it is a substantial and well made razor, from top to bottom. I hadn't noticed the square handle as anything different or noteworthy. And of course, the one dot was the sweet spot for me, and for others, not so much. C'est la vie, I guess.

Keep the great reviews coming, Komboloi! I'm looking forward to hearing your impressions on the 2 dot plate.

 

[Komboloi]

Thanks for the kind remarks. I'm not paid to do reviews, but I am retired, which gives me a lot of free time to babble on. And I completely agree about the YMMV thing. All you have to do is listen to what other people have to say about shaving equipment and compare it to your own experience to realize how much variation there is to what works and what doesn't for individuals.

So on to Day 3: I switched to the two-dot (intermediate base plate), and predictably I got a closer shave than with the one-dot. It was a really good shave that hit a pretty good sweet spot of closeness and comfort. Not a perfectly smooth shave, but we're getting close, and the comfort level remained really high. I would call it a well-balanced shave.

One of the things I liked in switching the two base plates was how predictable and linear the move from one-dot to two-dots was. It wasn't just a teeny insignificant move in aggressiveness, nor was it a huge scary jump. I could feel and hear the blade a bit more, but not a lot more. It was exactly what I would have hoped for in moving from a "mild" base plate to an "intermediate" base plate.

I think maybe I can get a closer shave with the two-dot base plate by rinsing the razor more frequently. It seems to become inundated with lather more quickly than most. That's not a criticism of the razor, but rather a sign that I might need to vary my technique a bit to get the most out of this design. So although I'm anxious to try the three-dot plate (which looks like it might be perfect for me), I'm going to try the two-dot plate a second day tomorrow and see if rinsing the head more frequently makes the shave closer with the same level of comfort.

I'm still really impressed with the build quality. Definitely not overpriced in my view. The shape of the handle is still a bit awkward for me, but it's becoming less an issue as I get used to it, and it may not bug others at all.

 

[Komboloi]

My Day 4 shave was the same set up as on Day 3: Two dot (intermediate) base plate with my standard soap and 3 pass shave. This time I tried rinsing the razor more frequently to clear the lather, and I blade-buffed more. Very close to a BBS shave and very comfortable. But it took a little effort to get there. I'll try the three-dot plate over the weekend, then ship the razor out Monday morning. The shape of the handle has become a non-issue. It's squared shape is not ideal from my point of view, but I've gotten used to it.

This is a nice razor.

 

[bahomebrew]

This IS a nice razor. I am remembering the first two super smooth shaves I got using it more fondly than I am remembering anything else. I don't know if I could use it as an everyday driver, but I have nice things that I tend to only use for nice occasions and this would definitely fit that bill.

I look forward to your review of the three dot setup, komboloi.

 

[Komboloi]

My Day 5 shave was with the same setup as the other 4 days, except I switched to the 3 dot (most aggressive) base plate. I was rewarded with a perfectly smooth, super comfortable shave. I think the jump from one dot to two dot was bigger than the jump from two dot to three dot. The three dot is a bit more efficient than the two dot, but not by a huge margin. It's certainly not a face-ripper, and there are more aggressive non-adjustable razors out there. I would have liked a bit more "blade-forward" feel to experience more separation from the medium base plate, but I'm not sure why. I got a great shave from this set up.

I think I don't understand the physics involved here. I got a closer shave from the most aggressive base plate, but there was no sacrifice in comfort. I don't understand how that works. Maybe my lather was better today. Maybe it's the razor's design.

I don't know. But I'm going to do one more three-dot shave, provide some concluding impressions, and pass the razor on.

My Saturday is starting with a baby-smooth face without a touch of razor burn. Sweet!

 

[poonjaji]

List updated. Please PM if you are interested in participating.

Supply Provision Injector Tour
Graydog
polishaver
ciderguy
tylehman
hahnevince559
ShaverGN
gflande1
mrlandpirate
1kentj
big70tom
ED3054
DCRIII
mdevine
Sullybob
bahomebrew
Komboloi (shaving)
Sdm84
Omega48
mpnotiff
NickMach007

 

[Komboloi]

My 6th shave is completed, and I used the same set up as for Day 5: Three-dot base plate, same Schick Injector blade, and standard lather. I got a perfectly close shave. Babies are going to stop me on the street today, scratch their little butts, and ask, "How'd you do that?" Once again the shave was also extremely comfortable with no nicks, cuts, or weepers. The alcohol-based after shave stung my neck a bit more this morning, most likely the cumulative effect of using the three-dot base plate twice in succession and buffing like I was shining shoes.

So after 6 days, two with each base plate, here's my overall assessment:

What I like:

1. Great construction. Very solid. Not artistic in its finish like a more expensive Timeless, PAA DOC, or Above The Tie, but more refined looking than a Rockwell or Fendrihan stainless. Its construction is on par with the more expensive Feather AS-D2 I would say, but this one is adjustable and takes different blades. Like all those just mentioned, the Supply Provision is 100% stainless steel. Its parts all fit together right. I'm the 16th guy in this pass around, meaning the razor has been traveling from city to city, being taken apart, put back together, blades changed, base plates changed, etc. etc. And the razor still works and looks like new.
2. Changeable base plates. Most people are going to settle on one of the three base plates then store the other two, but I really liked going through them to find the one that was right for me. Even if I settled on the three-dot plate and this were my only razor, I would like knowing that I could tone it down for days when I didn’t want or need an aggressively close shave. Maybe if I had a rash or an injury or just wanted a break from being careful, for example. And for someone who was just getting into traditional wet shaving or just coming back to it, being able to “climb the ladder” of aggressiveness over time without buying a new razor would be a plus.
3. Closeness with comfort. Within a week, I was able to find a setup that gave me silky smooth shaves without irritation. And that’s kind of the whole point of all this, isn’t it?
4. The injector blade system. I like the quality of the Schick injector blades. They aren’t as cheap as DE blades, but they seem reliably sharp, seem to last longer than DE blades, and are less expensive than Artist Club blades.
5. Ease of use. Injecting a blade is stupid easy, and with the spring-loaded head, moving the blade into precise location after inserting it is easy to do without touching the blade edge.
6. Ease of cleaning. Removing the spring-loaded screw is as easy as removing the handle on a three-piece razor. Once the screw is out, the razor is completely disassembled for deep cleaning. If the blade is still good, it’s easy to put back in. No injector needed to do that.
7. The spring-loaded screw. It makes for a really clever design: easy to adjust the blade, remove the blade, change base plates, or disassemble the razor for cleaning. The cleverness of this simple engineering gets a tip-of-the-hat from me.
8. Price. $95 is at the low end of a good stainless steel razor, and this is a good one. And as of this morning, it looks like Supply Provision will give you 10% your first order if you give them your email address. That’s a bit cheaper than a Rockwell 6s. They ship for free. With the razor you get 20 generic injector blades (which I didn’t try). Pretty good deal.

What I don’t like:

1. The handle. I got used to it, and it became mostly a non-issue. But there’s no reason (other than aesthetics) for the handle to be square like that. It just makes it harder to keep your fingers in place and roll the razor to make subtle position adjustments as you shave.

2. Small lather catcher. Lather builds behind the head faster than with other razors, because the area behind the head is small and solid. Not a big deal, but you do have to rinse the head more often to keep it cutting well. Here’s a comparison with a vintage Schick injector that illustrates what I’m talking about:


3. The spring-loaded screw. At some point, I’m pretty sure I’d lose that little spring-loaded screw that holds the razor together. The razor can’t be operated without it. So I’d want to have some extras. Not a big deal if you are sure you will be more careful than I know myself to be. Just don’t fiddle with it over the sink, or plug the drain with a washcloth. If you ask, Supply Provision will sell you an extra screw-and-spring for $3 (which they say is basically at cost). Cheap insurance. BUT (big but here) this razor has been passed for months to 16 different people so far, and with all the changing of base plates by newbies, no one has lost the screw or spring. Not even me. I might be worrying about nothing.

4. Why stop at 3 dots? The three-dot base plate worked great for me, but I wouldn’t mind if it were a little more aggressive, and some people like an even more aggressive razor and are willing to take the beating. So if you are doing an adjustable razor, it would make sense to cover the entire spectrum. This one covers the mild end just right, but it takes us just short of the top floor and stops. Plus, I think there could be more separation between the two-dot and three-dot base plate. So my suggestion would be either to make the three-dot base plate a touch more aggressive or offer an optional four-dot plate for the insane among us. Supply provision could create 4 base plates and allow the purchaser to select three, for example. That’d be terrific.

So yeah, lots to like and only four small quibbles, none of which is a deal breaker for me. Overall I think it’s very comparable to the Rockwell 6s (price, materials, construction, adjustability, durability), just in a different blade format. Rockwell has a better handle, but the Supply Provision has a finer finish and slightly lower price.

Would I buy one? Sure; it’s a great razor and the price is right. Will I buy one? Well, it’s a crowded marketplace and I have other razors that I like a lot. But maybe. I do like this razor, and I do like the injector platform, and this is the only stainless injector out there.

If I were shopping for my first razor or my first stainless razor or my only razor or my only stainless razor, this would definitely be among my very small list of top contenders If I wanted a modern injector, this is it.

4.8 whiskers out of 5.0.


I have @Sdm84's mailing address and will put this in the mail first thing tomorrow (Monday). Thanks again to @poonjaji for the opportunity.

 

[muzichead]

Great review... Makes me want to go out and buy one right now!!

 

[poonjaji]

Great review... Makes me want to go out and buy one right now!!

Ditto. I have appreciated everyone sharing their experience, but you went deep! Great thoughts on what you liked and what you did not.

Any chance you wrote for a living before your retirement? [emoji4]

 

[Komboloi]

Ditto. I have appreciated everyone sharing their experience, but you went deep! Great thoughts on what you liked and what you did not.

Any chance you wrote for a living before your retirement? [emoji4]

I was an academic, so (mostly boring) books and (lots of tedious) scholarly articles were a part of it. This is way more fun.

 

[pbrmhl]

Great review... Makes me want to go out and buy one right now!!

Exactly... Wait, I've already got one! I agree with the entire review, especially the need for a four-dot base plate.

 

[mpontiff]

Excellent thoughts throughout and final review Komboloi!

 

[bahomebrew]

I will jump on the Komboloi fan wagon. Great review. I appreciate how thorough you were, and your unique perspective on the SPSSI. I know I have no interest in a 4 dot plate, but I can appreciate a body wanting one nonetheless.

I was an academic, so (mostly boring) books and (lots of tedious) scholarly articles were a part of it.

At least you are writing fun stuff now. Some people never make the switch.

 

[Komboloi]

Thanks for the kind words fellas. I shipped the razor Priority Mail this morning to Sdm84 and sent him the tracking number. Looks like he'll have it Wednesday or Thursday.

 

[Komboloi]

I did end up buying one of these razors this morning after thinking about it for a couple days. With the 10% discount, it came to $85.50 with free shipping.

I'm interested to try those generic injector blades the razor ships with. If Schick brand injector blades are made in China now, I wouldn't be surprised if these are "white label" blades off the same assembly line.

Regarding the handle shape, I noticed in photos that the Supply Provision handle is shaped a lot like the old Pal Injector handles and the 60's vintage Gillette Techmatics.

 

[tylehman]

@Komboloi i think the blades are Israeli. they are the same kind you can get from Ted Pella. i like them fine and have a bunch, but you don't seem to go through injector blades nearly as fast as DE blades.

 

[pbrmhl]

I thought the blades shipped by Supply were Personnas made in the US, but I certainly could be wrong. In any event, the Supply blades work just fine for me.

 

[mpontiff]

A year ago, the owner of SP said that the Supply blades are Personnas.