Tried the Trac II / G II for once

[michiganlover]

I did that with a cart, the strips are very brittle and have many "glue" spots. The best tool for the job was not a DE blade (yes, I tried that) but the blade of a small Swiss Army knife .

For safety sake, I was going to recommend a Single Edge blade, like the kind we use with Gem razors, and also the kind of blade used for scraping paint off of glass. But any small knife would work just as well.

 

[82R100]

I did that with a cart, the strips are very brittle and have many "glue" spots. The best tool for the job was not a DE blade (yes, I tried that) but the blade of a small Swiss Army knife .

Yikes!! I'd never suggest using a bare DE blade for scraping anything.

 

[Wil Dorenbos]

Wil, I'd be curious to hear your thoughts on the Bump Fighter handle - specifically to know if it's just me or whether the BF handle is set at a more oblique angle than the Feather one (or, for those others reading here, the G II handle from Dridiot) and whether you find the round profile more difficult to align on your face without looking at it first than the G II's square profile. Please keep us updated on your experiment, and thanks!

John, recieved the BF today and tried it at once . The BF blades are no good for me, I changed it after the first pass, as it didn't cut my beard. I took one of the blades that came with the Feather handle, and did a second pass with that. It gave very good shave and I like the BF handle much better than the Feather (YMMV, I am a big fat guy with big fat hands), only problem was the blade kept falling of, a few times during pass 2. By paying attention to that (not to the angle), I finished BBS My first BBS with Cella!
I tried one of the HEMA blades on the BF and that did seem to fit tight.
Will shave with that in morning to see if I get a BBS again...

 

[Wil Dorenbos]

I even considered not to shave this morning, as I didn't have much stubble , but went for it anyway. The HEMA blade did get me there, but with a lot of work (and some burn). They are not quite as good as the ones that came with the Feather handle, but those do not fit well in the BF handle
Will try a Personna TRAC2 plus blade (yes with the strip).

 

[michiganlover]

I received two very nice all metal Trac II handles via a PIf this week. I am happy to report, that I got a very nice, close, comfortable shave today with the Trac II.

I did just two passes, WTG, and XTG, and have the same results as I do with my DE (I do three passes with my DE: WTG, WTG @ an angle, and XTG).

The Trac II certainly deserves all of the praise it receives on this board.

 

[Wil Dorenbos]

I did just two passes, WTG, and XTG, and have the same results as I do with my DE

Same here...Was surprised about the shave...

 

[Wil Dorenbos]

I even considered not to shave this morning, as I didn't have much stubble , but went for it anyway. The HEMA blade did get me there, but with a lot of work (and some burn). They are not quite as good as the ones that came with the Feather handle, but those do not fit well in the BF handle
Will try a Personna TRAC2 plus blade (yes with the strip).

The Personna fits and does a great job, a lot like the blades that came with the Feather. Tried afterwards to get the lube strip of, but that is not for me. I will buy them without. But: 3 shaves, 3 times BBS.

 

[jpkunst]

Will try a Personna TRAC2 plus blade.

May I ask where you got the Personna blades from? dridiot's store?

 

[tsv]

I picked up a Schick Super II for Pauldog. When I began shaving, the Atra was king. I didn't find deuce much different from my memories of the Atra nor any of the carts to follow. I used a Personna Twin II cart and mint KMF. The cart was held tight by the razor handle. I had to do 3 passes plus touch ups. I got a good shave. The biggest problem I always had with carts was the second bladed getting loaded up with cut whiskers and cream. I used to keep a tooth pick in the bathroom to clean this out. This was reduced with the use of KMF. Soap is much better than can goo ever was. I'm going to try it with some Mama Bears soap. I also got some Schick adjustable carts to try.

Final word so far, not as satisfying as a DE, but good enough. I'm planning on using it for when I need to carry on.

 

[Wil Dorenbos]

May I ask where you got the Personna blades from? dridiot's store?

No from Howard. But if it is these you want (with strip) I have 3 packs of 10 cartridges for sale / trade.

 

[jpkunst]

No from Howard. But if it is these you want (with strip) I have 3 packs of 10 cartridges for sale / exchange.

I'm sorry, who is Howard?

Thanks, but I prefer lubeless cartridges, I understand that Personna also makes those.

 

[LinuxMintyFresh]

I rather like my Trac II Bump Fighter blades. Provides a good shave when I want to be lazy, or for body hair.
Oh BTW a member, JoPo, sell the Personna Trac II blades if you are looking for them.

 

[Wil Dorenbos]

I'm sorry, who is Howard?

Thanks, but I prefer lubeless cartridges, I understand that Personna also makes those.

Howard1616 on Ebay. He sells them by 4 packs.

Yes Personna also makes them without the strip (TwinII). Will let you know when I have found those (a bit hard to find from downhere, but I am on to them).

 

[laconic1]

I use the Bump Fighter/Personna cartridge as my backup setup, with good results. When I was using the Gillette cartridges with the lube strip I found that if you soak the lube strips in water for a few minutes they swell right up and were very easy to remove with an X-acto knife.

 

[Wingnut]

John, recieved the BF today and tried it at once . The BF blades are no good fo me, I changed it after the first pass, as it didn't cut my beard. I took one of the blades that came with the Feather handle, and did a second pass with that. It gave very good shave and I like the BF handle much better than the Feather (YMMV, I am a big fat guy with big fat hands), only problem was the blade kept falling of, a few times during pass 2. By paying attention to that (not to the angle), I finished BBS My first BBS with Cella!
I tried one of the HEMA blades on the BF and that did seem to fit tight.
Will shave with that in morning to see if I get a BBS again...

Hey Wil. Congratulations on your Cella BBS! Thanks for the update, and here's one back at you: I have come to a gentleman's agreement with my Bump Fighter handle after a bit more use, and we're getting along very nicely now. It was probably just a matter of many years of M3 shaving muscle memory getting in the way of finding at which angle the BF handle best operates. By using a more M3-like angle on the handle, I was unconsciously putting the blade at about a 75 degree angle to my face - NOT recommended!

I still think that I might prefer a square-profile handle to the BF's round one for it's easier face orientation, but I know that the G II handle is available from Dridiot and, for now at least, I'm content (read: cheap and lazy) enough to soldier on as I am. With Personna's Trac II-style cartridges, I'm consistently getting DFS-BBS results, with no irritation at all (and this for a mere $0.35 per cart!) Using one cart per week, that's a mere $0.05/shave - not quite as cheap as a DE blade, but close enough for me.

Reading the reviews of the BF carts here at B&B, I didn't even attempt to shave with them. They sound pretty useless for those of us who don't have major ingrown hair problems. I will save the BF cart holder, however, and load it with Personna blades for my travel kit. One advantage of the Personna carts is that, when mated to the BF handle, there is none of that dreaded "cartridge creep" - they stay on perfectly throughout the shave. The Personna carts also don't have a lubrication strip or any of that other silly stuff, and blade quality is quite good as well.

Over here in the US, we're lucky enough to be able to get the Personna cartridges at WalMart for $3.53 per 10-pack. If you'd like to try some Personna carts and can't find them easily in Holland, let me know and perhaps we can work a trade (I lust for European aftershaves - Spieck especially!)

 

[tsv]

Used Mama Bear's Spicey Limes and my Super Deuce with Personna carts today. Very nice shave. I had to do 4 passes, but none of the skipping of my previous attempt. The whiskers and soap washed away from the second blade easily. Trying my travel combo tomorrow. It is a home made VDH shave stick.

 

[rsp1202]

The Bump Fighter handle/cartridge clip on mine doesn't hold the Trac II/Twin II cartridges all that securely. It slips on and off without much urging, though I've not had a major slippage during a shave. Others report the opposite, so apparently there is some variability from model to model.

And though I like its heft, I also have concerns about its twisting in hand during the shave, something that doesn't happen with the original squarish TII handle (and my Schick injector with similar handle). I have gotten better shaves by holding the handle more perpendicular to my face rather than the more acute angle I had been using.

Lastly, I'm not sure which of the cartridges shaves better, the Gillette or Personna. I know I prefer them without the strip because of the goo-thing, but admit to getting a smoother shave with it. It's been over a year since I stopped using the Sensor system, and I've been tempted lately to retry it to see how it compares to the Trac II, but I never cared for the big round handle. Nor the shave, particularly.

 

[Wingnut]

Used Mama Bear's Spicey Limes and my Super Deuce with Personna carts today. Very nice shave. I had to do 4 passes, but none of the skipping of my previous attempt. The whiskers and soap washed away from the second blade easily. Trying my travel combo tomorrow. It is a home made VDH shave stick.

Hey Ty, ever tried Shave Secret? If you're having skipping problems with your T II, this product (available at WalMart for about $3.50) will definitely solve them. I've used it both as a pre-shave oil and all alone and got surprisingly good results both ways. The directions will seem odd, but if you follow them it works.

If you're in a hurry and need a quick and safe shave, using it alone gives a DFS with very little time or effort - it's "slicker 'n' owl s**t on a brass doorknob"! Check out the B&B reviews:http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?ltr=S&t=37596

 

[Wil Dorenbos]

The Bump Fighter handle/cartridge clip on mine doesn't hold the Trac II/Twin II cartridges all that securely. It slips on and off without much urging, though I've not had a major slippage during a shave. Others report the opposite, so apparently there is some variability from model to model.

I also have a special model: a Weighted American Safety Razor Co PREMIUM Desert Camo Camel colored handle with rubberized grip. The "Singapore" cartridges do not fit that well in this one, Personna (strip) do, as does HEMA. I am going to try Gillette PII 7'oClock and Wilkinson WilmanII (both from India).

 

[taffy]

Just finished shaving about 5 mins ago as i am using this razor this week, what a lovely shave, no irritation after 3 passess, and only used basic materials, boots soap and a erasmic brush, will upgrade my software tomorrow