The World Shave Off Showdown

[User 306]

UPDATE:

Ok guys I've got some things I'd like to say before beginning on what I'm thinking will be a pretty long journey doing this Shave Off.


Things I'm planning for this Shave Off:

1.I'm going to try and keep the Shave Offs shorter in description so I can realistically keep up with it as I still work and have a coupe projects going on that which have to be my first priority I'm sure you all can understand.

2. I'm going to be evaluating these Shave Off results on smoothness first and foremost and I'll be using a scoring system which is listed below which shows you the other things I'll be looking for in a razors and giving points for or in some cases may be taking away.

3. I'm going to be using a bunch of different shaving gear and especially blades, soaps and aftershaves and I'll do my best to give you my feedback on the gear without writing a book! lol

4. I'm going to try and do at least 2 and maybe 3 Shave Offs a week and I may or may not do a lot of passes as this is about smoothness and I'll probably mostly do 2 pass shaves most of the time. WTG and ATG as that should tell me what I need to know to come to a conclusion about the razors being used in the Shave Off.

Scoring System:

Points given:

1. Smoothness = up to 60 points of the total score
2. Efficiency = up to 20 points of the total score
3. Balance = up to 10 points of the total score
4. Maneuverability = up to 5 points of the total score
5. Glide = up to 5 points of the total score

Points taken away:
1. Harshness = up to 20 points taken away.



So tomorrow morning I'll be starting the " Smoothest Razor " Shave of the beginning of what will probably be a long journey so I thought why not give the members a chance to voice their opinion on which two razors will be the 1st match up to get this Shave Off started. Below is the 2 categories I'm starting with. So pick two razors from either category to go head to head. Got to be from the same category though as I'm not putting adjustables vs DE's for now. We will save that for the Championship rounds down the road. I know the way I'm kind of leaning but I'd like to see what you members are thinking should be the starters.



Category 1 - Adjustables:

1.Gillette F4 Toggle
2.Gillette Fatboy
3.Gillette Slim
4. Mergress adjustable.
5. Gibbs adjustable

Category 2 - Contenders:

1. Gillette New SC
2. Gillette New Deluxe Big Boy
3. Gillette RFB
4. Fatip Grande
3. Gillette Red Tip
5. Gillette 46/47 Aristocrat
6. Gillette 1st Gen 15 OC Aristocrat
7. Gillette 2nd Gen SB Aristocrat
8. Charcoal Goods Level 2
9. RR Gamechanger with both baseplates.
10. Edwin Jagger DE89
11. Merkur 34C
12. RazoRock SLOC
13. RazoRock Mamba
14. Blackbird SB
15. Ikon New Deluxe


Any feedback or suggestions on the scoring systems or anything else please make them known within the next 12 hrs. I'm open to anything but I have to put a lid on this by then and just move on with what I think it right.

Thanks all and great shaves my friends!

DB

 

[Sharp's]

Curious Frank, will the Gibbs be stock condition or with its custom made handle?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Shavemd]

Gillette new SC vs Fatip Grande is my vote.

 

[AJSharp]

How about a classic vintage vs modern death match in the Red Tip vs Mamba. They also sound fierce and intimidating

 

[AJSharp]

Simple solution Frank. As Mark was first in do his match first. Seems fair especially since those pairings don't overlap. Easy peezy

 

[Sharp's]

I suppose it can be used with either one as this is about smoothness so not sure the handle would have any effect on that.
Good question though

Thank you

My thought was if the added weight(assuming there is some) might effect the performance. In smoothness or efficiency, grip. I must be over thinking it.

I assume you would know if there is any difference.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[User 306]

UPDATE: Before putting up the 1st " Smoothest Razor " Shave Off I thought I'd post the original and the latest update of the Index for those that like to use it. Thanks to @AJSharp who just updated the index and @Cal. If you have any questions on it please feel free to post them.

Thanks all and great shaves!
DB

Shave off Showdown – TABLE OF CONTENTS

I noticed the thread way back when it began in July 19, 2018 when I had joined the board after surveying it for several months as a guest. It intrigued me from the very beginning and my initial curiosity became a lengthy education. The vintage razors they were discussing lead to a new appreciation of my “common” razors. But what really perked my interest was when they proceeded to evaluate the modern razors, some of which I had used or were within my den. The many posts eventually lead me on my own hunt and further appreciation of some of these gems.

As some point a table of contents was suggested and this is my attempt at categorizing the Shave Off Showdown.

All contents have been listed as post number : page number for reference purposes.

Titles will be referring to the Shave Offs and any important threads. Generally prior to the post there was discussion of the merit of the contenders followed by discussions on the results.

It cannot be emphasized enough that this thread was the brainchild of several active members who contributed razors to the Showdown and the support of the thousands of posts over the last 4 months. The efforts of @Dragonsbeard (Frank) combined with the generosity of @Shavemd (Mark) and @loot (James) must be acknowledged {are there others & who}. Additional help with reviews and razors-on-loan include {who should be included}. I speak for myself and all the other posters including those that remained anonomys guests over the last several months in expressing our graditutude for this undertaking. I also suspect that several threads were inspired off shoots (ie Gibbs No 15/17 Brass head w/ Chrome coating, Adjustable Razors Compared & Reviewed – {please feel free to correct as needed}) of the World Shave Off Showdown or were influenced by it (ie several SE threads re Vector and Paradigm SE – {correct as needed}).

I want to thank you all.

AJSharp (AJ) December 4, 2018

1: 1 Introduction – Razor Qualifications and Categories

43:3 Skin Stretch Short Stroke Technique (SSSST)

44:3 Fatboy E2 vs Red Dot Fatboy

49:3 “and the first results are in”

70: 4 Gillette US President TTO vs British 2nd Gen Aristrocat (21 set)

86:5 British 1st Gen #15 OC vs British 2nd Gen (21 set)

106: 6 Gillette F4 Toggle vs Gillette Chrome Toggle

129:7 Rex Ambassador vs Gillette E2 Fatboy

148:9 Vintage Apollo Ben Hur vs Vintage Merkur Progress Solingen

187:10 Gillette F4 Toggle vs Eclipse Red Ring

205:11 Members input request regarding remaining adjustable

220:11 Apollo Ben Hur vs Gibbs #17

241:13 A Great Device: an inexpensive light box to enhance cell phone photos

266:14 Rex Ambassador vs Gillette F4 Toggle

288:15 Vintage Gibbs #17 vs Rex Ambassador

308:16 Updatepart 1 – Mildly Efficient Category

326:17 Update part 2 – Mildy Efficient Category

346:18 Timeless 0.68 OC vs Timeless Bronze SB

362: 19 Commentary: Dragonsbeards views on razor efficiency

363:19 Wolfman WR1 0.61 DC vs Gibbs #17 @ 2.5

394:20 Timeless SS 0.68 OC vs Charcoal Goods SS Level 1 SB

416:21 Wolfman SS WR1 0.61 DC vs Timeless SS 0.68 OC

424:22 Report on winner of Mildly Efficient Category

436: 22 Update - Moderately Efficient Category (part 1)

441:23 Update – Moderately Efficient Category (part 2)

450:23 Gillette RFB vs Wolfman Ti DC 0.74

492:25 Gillette RFB vs ATT Cooper R Plate

522:27 ATT Cooper H plate vs Timeless Bronze OC

549:28 Update – Efficient Category List (part 1)

575:29 Charcoal Goods Level 2 OC vs Blackland Blackbird SB

601:31 discussing factors regarding efficiency

603:31 Update – Efficiency Category List (part 2)

623:32 Gillette British Aristocratn1st Gen #15 OC vs Paradigm 17-4

649:33 Vintage Gibbs #12 vs Vintage Hoffritz Slant

658:33 Update – Efficiency Category List (part 3)

665:34 Ethical Dilemma – Would you use a new never used vintage razor ?

677:34 Gibbs #17 vs Gillette New Deluxe Big Boy

720:36 candid comments on ATT Windsor Cooper H plate

722:37 Wolfman WR1 SS 0.80 DC vs Timeless SS 0.95 DC

732:37 Update – Efficiency Category List (part 4)

736:37 Commentary: “symmetry”

761:39 Charcoal Brass Level 2 OC vs ATT Copper Windsor H Plate

782:40 Update – Efficiency Category List (part 5)

814:41 Vintage Gibbs #17 vs Vintage Hoffritz Slant

828:42 Commentary: which side of a dual comb will be used ?

848:43 Wolfman WR1 SS 0.80 DC vs Paradigm SS 17-4

867:44 after a lengthy delay we have a winner

941:48 we are adding more razors to the efficient category

952:48 Gibbs #17 Adjustable vs Charcoal Goods Level 2 OC

958:48 after a 10 hour delay we have a winner

966:49 Commentary: how to break a tie with these very efficient razors

969:49 Commentary: more thoughts on these very close razor efficiencies

980:49 even more thought on closeness of certain shave offs

984:50 updates regarding “ties” and techniques

989:50 Charcoal Goods Level 2 OC vs Paradigm 17-4

1000:50 Hybrid Pass Shaving Technique

1007:51 Update – Very Efficient Category (part 1)

1030:52 Vintage Gibbs #17 Adjustable vs Paradigm SS 17-4

1062:54 Commentary: “remember gang it’s about the total shave”

1070:54 Update – Very Efficient Category (part 2)

1074:54 Protocol - How to judge these very efficient razors ?

1076:54 Charcoal Goods Level 3 OC vs RazoRock Wunderbar Slant

1134:57 Paradigm Titanium 1 vs Blackland Blackbird OC

1194:60 Wolfman WR1 SS 0.86 OC vs Timeless Titanium 0.95 DC

1216:61 Update – Very Efficient Category (part 3)

1237:62 “I may take requests for personal shave offs”

1253:63 Wolfman WR1 0.94 DC vs Gibbs #17 Maximum Setting – the shave

1284:65 @J5 guest reviewer – Windsor H plate vs Timeless SS 0.95 SB

1290:65 Muhle 2011 R41 vs Ikon Shavecraft Tech

1311:66 Update – Very Efficient Category (part 4)

1361:69 Charcoal Goods Level 3 OC vs Wolfman WR1 0.86 OC (part 1)

1371:69 Charcoal Goods Level 3 OC vs Wolfman WR1 0.86 OC (part 2)

1377:69 the 8 categories to consider when judging BBS shaves on points

1381:70 Charcoal Goods Level 3 OC vs Wolfman WR1 0.86 OC (part 3)

1395:70 Update – Very Efficient Category (part 5)

1455:73 Gem Micromatic OC (MMOC) vs Wolfman WR1 SS 0.94 DC

1501:76 Gibbs Adjustable (maximum) vs Paradigm Titanium 1

1508:76 Update – Very Efficient Category (part 6)

1544:78 Wolfman SS WR1 0.86 OC vs Wolfman SS WR1 0.94 DC

1579:79 Commentary – learning curve and the SSSST

1604:81 “a do over” is required

1621:82 @Shavemd – which razors have you purchased or considered now ?

1643:83 Paradigm Titanium 1 vs Wolfman WR1 0.94 DC (part 1 – the shave)

1663:84 Paradigm Titanium 1 vs Wolfman WR1 0.94 DC (part 2 – the results)

1682:85 Update – Extremely Efficient Category (part 1)

1702:86 @Shavemd guest reviewer – Karve F plate vs Blackland Dart

1733:87 @Sharp_Obsession guest reviewer – Blackland Blackbird vs Paradigm Ti II

1737:87 @Shavemd guest reviewer – Blackland Dart vs RazoRock Gamechanger

1784:90 @Sharp_Obsession guest reviewer – Blackland Blackbird vs Paradigm 17-4

1785:90 @Sharp_Obsession guest reviewer – Timeless SS 0.95 OC vs iKon B1 OC Deluxe

1792:90 @sm29 guest reviewer – Timeless Titanium 0.68 SB

1797:90 @Shavemd guest reviewer – Paradigm 17-4 vs Cobra Classic (part 1 – the shave)

1820:91 @Shavemd guest reviewer – Paradigm 17-4 vs Cobra Classic (part 2 – the results)

1823:92 @Glock guest reviewer – 1st Generation #15 Aristocrat vs Gillete NEW RFB

1925:97 Asylum Rx vs PAA DOC

1946:98 Merkur Vision Adjustable vs Wolfman SS WR1 0.94 DC (part 1)

1954:98 Merkur Vision Adjustable vs Wolfman SS WR1 0.94 DC (part 2)

1994:100 Merkur Vision Adjustable vs Asylum Rx (part 1 – the shave)

2020:101 Merkur Vision Adjustable vs Asylum Rx (part 2 – the results)

2062:104 Asylum Rx vs Ikon Shavecraft Tech

2120:106 Ikon Shavecraft Tech vs Vintage Le Cog

2129:107 Commentary – so which razors do you consider both efficient and smooth ?

2190:110 @J5 guest reviewer – Blackland Blackbird SB

???? : ??? Ikon Shavecraft Tech vs Muhle 2011 R41

LATEST PART 2 INDEX UPDATE:


World Shave Off Showdown – TABLE OF CONTENTS Part 2

When this thread began in July 19, 2018 as the brainchild of @Dragonsbeard (Frank), @ Shavemd (Mark) and @loot (James) I don’t think they ever anticipated the growth and participation by the number of members as it has generated. I put together the first TOC in December which covered nearly 2200 posts over 110 pages attesting to its popularity. Thanks to @Cal for creating the initial hyperlink modification and maybe it can be done again. It’s been a mere 10 weeks later and we have accumulated nearly 3100 posts in over 155 pages which represents nearly a 50 % increase in half the time span.

As with the initial table of contents (from December 2018) this is my attempt at categorizing the Shave Off Showdown.

All contents have been listed as post number : page number for reference purposes.

Titles will be referring to the Shave Offs and any important threads. Generally prior to the post there was discussion of the merit of the contenders followed by discussions on the results.

Now looking forward to the next stage of the Smoothest Shaver Shave Off – may the slickest tool forever glide off our “beautiful” mugs.

I want to thank you all.

AJSharp (AJ) February 17, 2019



2251 : 113 Ikon Shavecraft Tech vs Muhle 2011 R41 Championship Shave Off – the prior 3 pages were discussions and updates regarding issues relating to this competition and the next page include a discussion of those results

2275 : 114 Table of Contents – the initial listing

2292 : 115 Table of Contents – the clickable version “thanks @Cal” from everyone

2293 : 115 what @Dragonsbeard has learned from this thread

2287 : 115 Wolfman SS WR1 SB standard vs Wolfman WR2 SB standard

2343 : 118 Ikon B1 vs RazoRock Gamechanger 0.84 (no such D plate)

next pages include discussions on Wolfman WR2, holiday break, RS 10

2411 : 121 Blackland Vector vs ATT SE1

2429 : 122 @smurfsup77 guest reviewer: Razorock Wunderbar vs Timeless Ti 0.95 scb

2456 : 123 @ShavingPanda guest reviewer: Razorock Wunderbar vs Timeless SS 0.95 OC

2458 : 123 @Sharp_Obsession guest reviewer : Wolfman WR2 1.15 SB vs Paradigm 17-4

2526 : 127 @Shavemd guest reviewer : Cobra Classic 1st Generation vs Cobra 3rd Generation

2552 : 128 Raw Shaving RS 10 Mild vs Wolfman WR2 SB 0.95

2567 : 129 Update & Contest “how many strokes to get a level 2 BBS”

2617 : 131 Gillette Fat Handle Tech vs Ikon Shavecraft Tech

2646 : 133 @Esox comments and pictures regarding prepost war offerings

2673 : 134 @Parallax “How to shower shave with only water and no soap”

2695 : 135 @Dragonsbeard reports using a Gillette RFB in a shower no soap shave

2711 : 136 Raw Shaving RS 10 Aggressive vs Wolfman WR2 1.25 DC

2754 : 138 @86-foxtrot guest reviewer Ikon Tech Shower Shave (no soap)

2775 : 139 Wolfman WR1 0.86 vs Wolfman WR2 1.25 DC

2779 : 139 @loot comments on Wolfman WR2 Ti 1.35 SB

next several pages discuss Wolfman, BBS-1, Charcoal Goods, RS 10, Gibbs with extended handle

2865 : 144 Wolfman WR1 0.94 DC vs Wolfman WR2 1.25 DC

2868 : 144 @Senate515 guest reviewer Wolfman 0.74 vs BBS-1

2872 : 144 @Shavemd guest reviewer Wolfman WR2 1.15 DC vs Timeless Ti 0.95 DC

2885 : 145 @Parallax guest reviewer Wolfman WR 0.94 vs Ikon Tech

2889 : 145 update on upcoming shave off plans – part 1

2893 : 145 update on the next shave offs – part 2

2917 : 146 @Dragonbeard recruits a new wet shaver and gets a new avatar

2928 : 147 Asylum Rx vs Paradigm SE

2946 : 148 Fatip v2 vs Muhle R41 2013 mini shave off

2980 : 149 update – smoothest shaver shave off razor list & rules – part 1

2992 : 150 update – smoothest shaver shave off – part 2

3024 : 151 update – smoothest shaver shave off razor list – part 3

3040 : 152 update – smoothest shaver shave off razor list & rules – part 4

3050 : 153 Smoothest Shave Off – Adjustables vs Contenders vs Favorites

3087 : 155 update - smoothest shave off point scoring system

 

[loot]

Frankie has a ghost writer? Egad!

 

[User 306]

UPDATE: 1st " Smoothest Razor Shave Off complete!

Fatip Grande vs Gillette Short Comb

Well here we go on another shaving journey to find the " Smoothest Razor " and we have a nice variety of razors to use and who knows maybe a few others may join the group moving forward. This first Shave Off was one that actually came up first in my mind as I just recently obtained the Fatip Grande as I've read so much about it I had to have one and thanks to @Shavemd Mark he happened to have a new in the box one and he also had a very nice Rhodium plated Short comb which I acquired from Mark and it's a beauty! Since both razors where new in my den of course I wanted to try them which I did separately in the time I've had off to get this Shave Off prepared. I'll reserve my initial impressions for the Shave Off as not a whole lot has changed as how I feel about the both of them since trying them individually.

NOTE: I'm going to try to keep the reviews a little more compact and with shorter reviews instead of writing a novel LOL

The Fatip comes in at 66 grams and the SC at 52 in the configuration that I have. I'd probably put a different handle on the Fatip than the SC as I find the balance on the SC to be of my liking better than the Fatip. Both razors are a bit lighter than I'm used to but shaving with Titanium razors it wasn't an issue at all adjusting to the weight.

The Grande is a very shiny razor and I'm not sure of the materials it's made with but I've heard sometimes they have issues but mine seems to be fine in that area. The SC was replated in Rhodium and I really like the looks of it. Both razors hold the blade in very rigid which I know for some is a very important factor when choosing a new razor so I thought I'd throw that bit of info in. Both have low profile heads which is a plus for me when shaving under my nose. So on paper both razors seem somewhat similar but not even close in their shaving characteristics at least for me.

Also I just wanted to give you a heads up. As I've mentioned before this Shave Off is all about smoothness and all the razors will get most of their points ( up to 60 ) in this category so if at any time I'm doing a Shave Off and one razor is clearly much smoother than the other I may only do 1 pass and maybe a bit of buffing in one of my troubled areas on my face or neck just to get a feel of how they shave in those areas. The way I look at it is why pursue a BBS shave which will take longer to grow out and therefore it will take longer to get to the next Shave Off when I already know which razor is the smoothest right from the first pass or even the first few strokes. I may also if my curiosity gets the best of me go for a 2nd or even a 3rd pass just to see the how the razor shaves through multiple passes. So a bunch of variables that I will alway post up with each Shave Off.

Gear used:
Fatip Grande
Gillette Short Comb
GSB blades and a Polsilver ( will explain )
Paladin 2 band badger brush
Declaration Pure Lavender Shave soap
GD Moisturizing Pre Shave
GD Post Shave serum
Shave Nation shaving bowl
AOS Green Lavender cologne

Decided to do a 2 pass WTG and ATG pass of course using my SSSST and sectioning my face in 4 quadrants as normal. I also decided to use GSB blades in both razors as I a member asked me to try them in the SC so I thought why not this isn't about efficiency. So I thought I'd put one in the SC as well. I'd like to make a note I really enjoyed using the GD pre shave as it's more of a gel/balm that has just a slight bit of lathering which I think was smart thinking on Mo's part when formulating this product. I'd say it affected the lather of the DG soap in that instead of a yogurt like cream I got a very dense almost paste like consistency to my lather that was thick enough to cover my 3 days growth and had good slickness and the residual or ghost slickness was also good using these two products together and being a big fan of Lavender I felt the scent of all the Lavender products was good and I'd give them all a 8.5 out of 10. So good overall experience in that area.

1st Pass WTG and some ATG strokes - I started out with the SC on the right side of my face going N to S and boy how I'm really liking this razor from the first couple of strokes I took when I first got it. It's very nibble and a very nice combination of smoothness and efficiency and I can't wait to try this razor up against both the New Deluxe Big Boy and my RFB as I think that would be a good Shave Off in itself and I know those 3 razors have a strong fan base who each feels that the one they like is the best of the 3. Well I've got to see for myself how that goes down the road. Anyway what a nice pass! So continuing down my neck with the Fatip within a few strokes t is very clear to me that this razor has more blade feel, not quite as efficient and definitely not as smooth as the SC so at this point I started to question if I had put the right blade in the Fatip so right in the middle of the pass grabbed a Polsilver and put it in the Fatip. There was a slight difference in smoothness and efficiency went up a bit but it still was not up to the SC in either area. I finished the pass and went right to the other side on my face to see if that would be any different and I even did a more aggressive skin stretch on this pass and it helped a little bit but still behind noticeably behind the Gillette. I picked up the SC to do the last N to S pass on my left side neck and my thoughts were confirmed almost immediately and I thought to myself there is no need to do another pass we have a clear winner here but I thought since this was the first Shave Off in this series I'd at least do some ATG on a few of my trouble spots on my face and neck. So I rinsed and relathered and did a little bit of experimenting. First did the right side of my neck where my bad cowlick is with the Fatip and then afterwards went over it with the SC and the SC picked up more stubble that the Fatip had left. Also used the Fatip on my lower Jawline with ATG strokes on one side and the SC on the other. Again the SC just outshaved the Fatip in all areas. Maneuverability was also very noticeably better with the SC. So I did a slight buffing with only the SC just to even out my shave and that was it. No need to go any further with this Shave Off.

Scoring System:

1. Smoothness = up to 60 points of the total score
2. Efficiency = up to 20 points of the total score
3. Balance = up to 10 points of the total score
4. Maneuverability = up to 5 points of the total score
5. Glide = up to 5 points of the total score

Fatip:
1. Smoothness = 25 points
2. Efficiency = 12 points
3. Balance = 5 points
4. Maneuverability = 2 points
5. Glide = 3 points

Total score = 47 points

Short Comb
1. Smoothness = 50 points
2. Efficiency = 16 points
3. Balance = 9 points
4. Maneuverability = 4 points
5. Glide = 4 points

Total score = 83

So we have a clear winner here. The Gillette SC and what a wonderful shaving razor it is and I can see why it gets so much praise from members on here. I'm very glad to have such a nice conditioned one in my den. It's certainly a keeper in my books.

I have to say with all the things I've read about the Fatip Grande I was honestly expecting a lot more out of this razor. So I know to each their own but I've put a lot of different razors to this face and for me this was a bit of a disappointment. One of these days I'll give it a try with a Feather blade and see if that changes my opinion of the Fatip.

Like I said earlier I've got a long road ahead of me with this Shave Off and I know I'm not only going to learn a lot from doing it but I think it's going to be a lot of fun. You all know I welcome all comments, suggestions and personal experiences with the razors that are used in each one of the Shave Offs.

Great Shaves my friends!

DB

 

[loot]

LOL! Speaking of Ghosts where the heck you been my friend! Mark and I were beginning to get worried about you.

Good to have you back!

I lurk and read. I can't participate here beyond that, you are into razors I have zero experience with. It should be good reading tho my friend.

 

[Shavemd]

My experience with these 2 razors are very similar to what you stated Frankie, I might not give the SC that high a score on smoothness but similar. Great job my friend

 

[Glock]

Matches my experience as well. The SC is still in my den, but the Fatip has been sold off.

 

[ShavingPanda]

UPDATE: 1st " Smoothest Razor Shave Off complete!

Fatip Grande vs Gillette Short Comb

Well here we go on another shaving journey to find the " Smoothest Razor " and we have a nice variety of razors to use and who knows maybe a few others may join the group moving forward. This first Shave Off was one that actually came up first in my mind as I just recently obtained the Fatip Grande as I've read so much about it I had to have one and thanks to @Shavemd Mark he happened to have a new in the box one and he also had a very nice Rhodium plated Short comb which I acquired from Mark and it's a beauty! Since both razors where new in my den of course I wanted to try them which I did separately in the time I've had off to get this Shave Off prepared. I'll reserve my initial impressions for the Shave Off as not a whole lot has changed as how I feel about the both of them since trying them individually.

NOTE: I'm going to try to keep the reviews a little more compact and with shorter reviews instead of writing a novel LOL

The Fatip comes in at 66 grams and the SC at 52 in the configuration that I have. I'd probably put a different handle on the Fatip than the SC as I find the balance on the SC to be of my liking better than the Fatip. Both razors are a bit lighter than I'm used to but shaving with Titanium razors it wasn't an issue at all adjusting to the weight.

The Grande is a very shiny razor and I'm not sure of the materials it's made with but I've heard sometimes they have issues but mine seems to be fine in that area. The SC was replated in Rhodium and I really like the looks of it. Both razors hold the blade in very rigid which I know for some is a very important factor when choosing a new razor so I thought I'd throw that bit of info in. Both have low profile heads which is a plus for me when shaving under my nose. So on paper both razors seem somewhat similar but not even close in their shaving characteristics at least for me.

Also I just wanted to give you a heads up. As I've mentioned before this Shave Off is all about smoothness and all the razors will get most of their points ( up to 60 ) in this category so if at any time I'm doing a Shave Off and one razor is clearly much smoother than the other I may only do 1 pass and maybe a bit of buffing in one of my troubled areas on my face or neck just to get a feel of how they shave in those areas. The way I look at it is why pursue a BBS shave which will take longer to grow out and therefore it will take longer to get to the next Shave Off when I already know which razor is the smoothest right from the first pass or even the first few strokes. I may also if my curiosity gets the best of me go for a 2nd or even a 3rd pass just to see the how the razor shaves through multiple passes. So a bunch of variables that I will alway post up with each Shave Off.

Gear used:
Fatip Grande
Gillette Short Comb
GSB blades and a Polsilver ( will explain )
Paladin 2 band badger brush
Declaration Pure Lavender Shave soap
GD Moisturizing Pre Shave
GD Post Shave serum
Shave Nation shaving bowl
AOS Green Lavender cologne

Decided to do a 2 pass WTG and ATG pass of course using my SSSST and sectioning my face in 4 quadrants as normal. I also decided to use GSB blades in both razors as I a member asked me to try them in the SC so I thought why not this isn't about efficiency. So I thought I'd put one in the SC as well. I'd like to make a note I really enjoyed using the GD pre shave as it's more of a gel/balm that has just a slight bit of lathering which I think was smart thinking on Mo's part when formulating this product. I'd say it affected the lather of the DG soap in that instead of a yogurt like cream I got a very dense almost paste like consistency to my lather that was thick enough to cover my 3 days growth and had good slickness and the residual or ghost slickness was also good using these two products together and being a big fan of Lavender I felt the scent of all the Lavender products was good and I'd give them all a 8.5 out of 10. So good overall experience in that area.

1st Pass WTG and some ATG strokes - I started out with the SC on the right side of my face going N to S and boy how I'm really liking this razor from the first couple of strokes I took when I first got it. It's very nibble and a very nice combination of smoothness and efficiency and I can't wait to try this razor up against both the New Deluxe Big Boy and my RFB as I think that would be a good Shave Off in itself and I know those 3 razors have a strong fan base who each feels that the one they like is the best of the 3. Well I've got to see for myself how that goes down the road. Anyway what a nice pass! So continuing down my neck with the Fatip within a few strokes t is very clear to me that this razor has more blade feel, not quite as efficient and definitely not as smooth as the SC so at this point I started to question if I had put the right blade in the Fatip so right in the middle of the pass grabbed a Polsilver and put it in the Fatip. There was a slight difference in smoothness and efficiency went up a bit but it still was not up to the SC in either area. I finished the pass and went right to the other side on my face to see if that would be any different and I even did a more aggressive skin stretch on this pass and it helped a little bit but still behind noticeably behind the Gillette. I picked up the SC to do the last N to S pass on my left side neck and my thoughts were confirmed almost immediately and I thought to myself there is no need to do another pass we have a clear winner here but I thought since this was the first Shave Off in this series I'd at least do some ATG on a few of my trouble spots on my face and neck. So I rinsed and relathered and did a little bit of experimenting. First did the right side of my neck where my bad cowlick is with the Fatip and then afterwards went over it with the SC and the SC picked up more stubble that the Fatip had left. Also used the Fatip on my lower Jawline with ATG strokes on one side and the SC on the other. Again the SC just outshaved the Fatip in all areas. Maneuverability was also very noticeably better with the SC. So I did a slight buffing with only the SC just to even out my shave and that was it. No need to go any further with this Shave Off.

Scoring System:

1. Smoothness = up to 60 points of the total score
2. Efficiency = up to 20 points of the total score
3. Balance = up to 10 points of the total score
4. Maneuverability = up to 5 points of the total score
5. Glide = up to 5 points of the total score

Fatip:
1. Smoothness = 25 points
2. Efficiency = 12 points
3. Balance = 5 points
4. Maneuverability = 2 points
5. Glide = 3 points

Total score = 47 points

Short Comb
1. Smoothness = 50 points
2. Efficiency = 16 points
3. Balance = 9 points
4. Maneuverability = 4 points
5. Glide = 4 points

Total score = 83

So we have a clear winner here. The Gillette SC and what a wonderful shaving razor it is and I can see why it gets so much praise from members on here. I'm very glad to have such a nice conditioned one in my den. It's certainly a keeper in my books.

I have to say with all the things I've read about the Fatip Grande I was honestly expecting a lot more out of this razor. So I know to each their own but I've put a lot of different razors to this face and for me this was a bit of a disappointment. One of these days I'll give it a try with a Feather blade and see if that changes my opinion of the Fatip.

Like I said earlier I've got a long road ahead of me with this Shave Off and I know I'm not only going to learn a lot from doing it but I think it's going to be a lot of fun. You all know I welcome all comments, suggestions and personal experiences with the razors that are used in each one of the Shave Offs.

Great Shaves my friends!

DB

Great write up. I think this is a great length for a shave off write up and hopefully is manageable length going forward.

I'm surprised how much of a runaway the SC was. I was just looking at my SC the other day thinking it's time to give it a go again.

 

[Esox]

I have to say with all the things I've read about the Fatip Grande I was honestly expecting a lot more out of this razor. So I know to each their own but I've put a lot of different razors to this face and for me this was a bit of a disappointment. One of these days I'll give it a try with a Feather blade and see if that changes my opinion of the Fatip.

I didnt see it stated, or I may have missed it, but what angle are these razors being used at? I'll guess the neutral design angle, and if thats a fact, I cant disagree with your smoothness findings.

There are few razors I've used that are smoother than the SC. My Grande is equal to it, but not at a neutral angle. At a shallow to very shallow angle I call them equal in smoothness.

Efficiency on the other hand, in my experience, is a no contest. My Grande has easily twice the blade exposure and is just as rigid a design. Using both in back to back shaves done directly ATG for my first and any consecutive passes with the same blade and soap, my Grande is easily twice as efficient.

My NEW SC and a Polsilver shaving directly ATG, is 2 full passes and one clean up pass at and below my jawline with considerable buffing during both passes. The direction of start on the first pass doesnt make a difference. If I start first pass N-S, which for me is WTG on my cheeks and XTG at my jawline and below, then a second pass directly ATG buffing, I still need that last clean up pass over my swirls. It always works out to the same 2 1/2 passes no matter the direction of the first pass.

My Grande on the other hand, single buffing pass ATG is done with far fewer strokes and those strokes are twice as long. The only place I need to clean up is over the swirls on my neck and thats 4 quick swipes in the opposite direction over each swirl on either side of my Adam's apple. I very rarely, if ever, shave first pass WTG/XTG with my Grande.

WTG/XTG or N-S shaving doesnt do a lot for me with any razor. I see it as I need to shave ATG anyway, so why not start there.

The duration of my BBS finish is right around 12 hours with either razor. The SC will get to the same point but because it has less blade exposure, its an extra pass to get there. My Old Types shave with the same efficiency as my SC. With the same blade, a Polsilver, its the same 2 1/2 passes no matter the direction of start. The difference between them is blade gap, or the lack thereof in regard to the Old Types.

That lack of blade gap makes my Grande and my Old Types more comfortable shavers. My skin doesnt get along with gap.

On a side note to smoothness. I found my M1 Slim at the higher settings very smooth. I'd put it very close behind the SC in regards to smoothness.

 

[Cal]

Scoring System:

1. Smoothness = up to 60 points of the total score
2. Efficiency = up to 20 points of the total score
3. Balance = up to 10 points of the total score
4. Maneuverability = up to 5 points of the total score
5. Glide = up to 5 points of the total score

Fatip:
1. Smoothness = 25 points
2. Efficiency = 12 points
3. Balance = 5 points
4. Maneuverability = 2 points
5. Glide = 3 points

Total score = 47 points

Short Comb
1. Smoothness = 50 points
2. Efficiency = 16 points
3. Balance = 9 points
4. Maneuverability = 4 points
5. Glide = 4 points

Total score = 83

I COULD NOT BELIEVE THIS!

So, in a fit of pique, I removed the blade from my beloved Fatip OC and loaded it in my NEW SC (last used August 23, 2017) for tomorrow's shave.

 

[jmudrick]

I'm in general agreement with @Esox, Fatip is noticeably more effective going ATG on my most coarse head stubble. I don't notice much difference on my beard. The Common Bar Handle on the SC bites. I just need to mention that every chance I get.

 

[Esox]

The Common Bar Handle on the SC bites. I just need to mention that every chance I get.

I dont mind the common bar. The size is good for me but its far too light and makes the SC decidedly head heavy. My Grande though is perfectly balanced for me.

 

[BigJ]

UPDATE: 1st " Smoothest Razor Shave Off complete!

Fatip Grande vs Gillette Short Comb

Well here we go on another shaving journey to find the " Smoothest Razor " and we have a nice variety of razors to use and who knows maybe a few others may join the group moving forward. This first Shave Off was one that actually came up first in my mind as I just recently obtained the Fatip Grande as I've read so much about it I had to have one and thanks to @Shavemd Mark he happened to have a new in the box one and he also had a very nice Rhodium plated Short comb which I acquired from Mark and it's a beauty! Since both razors where new in my den of course I wanted to try them which I did separately in the time I've had off to get this Shave Off prepared. I'll reserve my initial impressions for the Shave Off as not a whole lot has changed as how I feel about the both of them since trying them individually.

NOTE: I'm going to try to keep the reviews a little more compact and with shorter reviews instead of writing a novel LOL

The Fatip comes in at 66 grams and the SC at 52 in the configuration that I have. I'd probably put a different handle on the Fatip than the SC as I find the balance on the SC to be of my liking better than the Fatip. Both razors are a bit lighter than I'm used to but shaving with Titanium razors it wasn't an issue at all adjusting to the weight.

The Grande is a very shiny razor and I'm not sure of the materials it's made with but I've heard sometimes they have issues but mine seems to be fine in that area. The SC was replated in Rhodium and I really like the looks of it. Both razors hold the blade in very rigid which I know for some is a very important factor when choosing a new razor so I thought I'd throw that bit of info in. Both have low profile heads which is a plus for me when shaving under my nose. So on paper both razors seem somewhat similar but not even close in their shaving characteristics at least for me.

Also I just wanted to give you a heads up. As I've mentioned before this Shave Off is all about smoothness and all the razors will get most of their points ( up to 60 ) in this category so if at any time I'm doing a Shave Off and one razor is clearly much smoother than the other I may only do 1 pass and maybe a bit of buffing in one of my troubled areas on my face or neck just to get a feel of how they shave in those areas. The way I look at it is why pursue a BBS shave which will take longer to grow out and therefore it will take longer to get to the next Shave Off when I already know which razor is the smoothest right from the first pass or even the first few strokes. I may also if my curiosity gets the best of me go for a 2nd or even a 3rd pass just to see the how the razor shaves through multiple passes. So a bunch of variables that I will alway post up with each Shave Off.

Gear used:
Fatip Grande
Gillette Short Comb
GSB blades and a Polsilver ( will explain )
Paladin 2 band badger brush
Declaration Pure Lavender Shave soap
GD Moisturizing Pre Shave
GD Post Shave serum
Shave Nation shaving bowl
AOS Green Lavender cologne

Decided to do a 2 pass WTG and ATG pass of course using my SSSST and sectioning my face in 4 quadrants as normal. I also decided to use GSB blades in both razors as I a member asked me to try them in the SC so I thought why not this isn't about efficiency. So I thought I'd put one in the SC as well. I'd like to make a note I really enjoyed using the GD pre shave as it's more of a gel/balm that has just a slight bit of lathering which I think was smart thinking on Mo's part when formulating this product. I'd say it affected the lather of the DG soap in that instead of a yogurt like cream I got a very dense almost paste like consistency to my lather that was thick enough to cover my 3 days growth and had good slickness and the residual or ghost slickness was also good using these two products together and being a big fan of Lavender I felt the scent of all the Lavender products was good and I'd give them all a 8.5 out of 10. So good overall experience in that area.

1st Pass WTG and some ATG strokes - I started out with the SC on the right side of my face going N to S and boy how I'm really liking this razor from the first couple of strokes I took when I first got it. It's very nibble and a very nice combination of smoothness and efficiency and I can't wait to try this razor up against both the New Deluxe Big Boy and my RFB as I think that would be a good Shave Off in itself and I know those 3 razors have a strong fan base who each feels that the one they like is the best of the 3. Well I've got to see for myself how that goes down the road. Anyway what a nice pass! So continuing down my neck with the Fatip within a few strokes t is very clear to me that this razor has more blade feel, not quite as efficient and definitely not as smooth as the SC so at this point I started to question if I had put the right blade in the Fatip so right in the middle of the pass grabbed a Polsilver and put it in the Fatip. There was a slight difference in smoothness and efficiency went up a bit but it still was not up to the SC in either area. I finished the pass and went right to the other side on my face to see if that would be any different and I even did a more aggressive skin stretch on this pass and it helped a little bit but still behind noticeably behind the Gillette. I picked up the SC to do the last N to S pass on my left side neck and my thoughts were confirmed almost immediately and I thought to myself there is no need to do another pass we have a clear winner here but I thought since this was the first Shave Off in this series I'd at least do some ATG on a few of my trouble spots on my face and neck. So I rinsed and relathered and did a little bit of experimenting. First did the right side of my neck where my bad cowlick is with the Fatip and then afterwards went over it with the SC and the SC picked up more stubble that the Fatip had left. Also used the Fatip on my lower Jawline with ATG strokes on one side and the SC on the other. Again the SC just outshaved the Fatip in all areas. Maneuverability was also very noticeably better with the SC. So I did a slight buffing with only the SC just to even out my shave and that was it. No need to go any further with this Shave Off.

Scoring System:

1. Smoothness = up to 60 points of the total score
2. Efficiency = up to 20 points of the total score
3. Balance = up to 10 points of the total score
4. Maneuverability = up to 5 points of the total score
5. Glide = up to 5 points of the total score

Fatip:
1. Smoothness = 25 points
2. Efficiency = 12 points
3. Balance = 5 points
4. Maneuverability = 2 points
5. Glide = 3 points

Total score = 47 points

Short Comb
1. Smoothness = 50 points
2. Efficiency = 16 points
3. Balance = 9 points
4. Maneuverability = 4 points
5. Glide = 4 points

Total score = 83

So we have a clear winner here. The Gillette SC and what a wonderful shaving razor it is and I can see why it gets so much praise from members on here. I'm very glad to have such a nice conditioned one in my den. It's certainly a keeper in my books.

I have to say with all the things I've read about the Fatip Grande I was honestly expecting a lot more out of this razor. So I know to each their own but I've put a lot of different razors to this face and for me this was a bit of a disappointment. One of these days I'll give it a try with a Feather blade and see if that changes my opinion of the Fatip.

Like I said earlier I've got a long road ahead of me with this Shave Off and I know I'm not only going to learn a lot from doing it but I think it's going to be a lot of fun. You all know I welcome all comments, suggestions and personal experiences with the razors that are used in each one of the Shave Offs.

Great Shaves my friends!

DB

Excellent shaveoff!! Nice to have a clear winner!

 

[jmudrick]

Funny I didn't find the SC head heavy at all and I'm usually not a fan of light razors and it definitely didn't feel as head heavy for example as my Gibbs. With that said I will at some point put a Bulldog on it and see how the SC shaves with more weight on it. For me the Fatip was not perfectly balanced and I'm also not crazy about the handle so I'll also try using not only a different blade with it but a different handle.

Let's put it this way, it takes1.25 oz of tungsten putty stuffed in the CBH to get it to balance at the traditional balance point. That's s lot of putty. Ask me how I know.

 

[User 306]

I didnt see it stated, or I may have missed it, but what angle are these razors being used at? I'll guess the neutral design angle, and if thats a fact, I cant disagree with your smoothness findings.

There are few razors I've used that are smoother than the SC. My Grande is equal to it, but not at a neutral angle. At a shallow to very shallow angle I call them equal in smoothness.

Efficiency on the other hand, in my experience, is a no contest. My Grande has easily twice the blade exposure and is just as rigid a design. Using both in back to back shaves done directly ATG for my first and any consecutive passes with the same blade and soap, my Grande is easily twice as efficient.

My NEW SC and a Polsilver shaving directly ATG, is 2 full passes and one clean up pass at and below my jawline with considerable buffing during both passes. The direction of start on the first pass doesn't make a difference. If I start first pass N-S, which for me is WTG on my cheeks and XTG at my jawline and below, then a second pass directly ATG buffing, I still need that last clean up pass over my swirls. It always works out to the same 2 1/2 passes no matter the direction of the first pass.

My Grande on the other hand, single buffing pass ATG is done with far fewer strokes and those strokes are twice as long. The only place I need to clean up is over the swirls on my neck and thats 4 quick swipes in the opposite direction over each swirl on either side of my Adam's apple. I very rarely, if ever, shave first pass WTG/XTG with my Grande.

WTG/XTG or N-S shaving doesnt do a lot for me with any razor. I see it as I need to shave ATG anyway, so why not start there.

The duration of my BBS finish is right around 12 hours with either razor. The SC will get to the same point but because it has less blade exposure, its an extra pass to get there. My Old Types shave with the same efficiency as my SC. With the same blade, a Polsilver, its the same 2 1/2 passes no matter the direction of start. The difference between them is blade gap, or the lack thereof in regard to the Old Types.

That lack of blade gap makes my Grande and my Old Types more comfortable shavers. My skin doesnt get along with gap.

On a side note to smoothness. I found my M1 Slim at the higher settings very smooth. I'd put it very close behind the SC in regards to smoothness.

Ok so I'll start by saying when I used it before the Shave Off I was playing with the angle and also a note I had a Feather in there on the first Shave which is why I mentioned it in the review that maybe I'll give it another try in the future. I went really steep at first when I used it in my trial shave and I didn't like the blade feel it reminded me of the PAA I used as far as face feel but not even as smooth and that ain't saying a lot. Then I went with a more neutral angle and things got better so I immediately went to a shallow angle for the rest of the shave as you probably know I skin stretch which does as I've said before change the dynamics of how a razor shaves and that is true with any of the many razors I've used. For me it was very easy to feel that the SC was smoother no matter what I did and again for me it was definitely more efficient as after the first pass I was left with more noticeable stubble where the Fatip had shaved as opposed to the SC. I also think if I remember correctly from a much earlier post that you use pressure when you shave which is the complete opposite of what I do. Skin stretching the way I do there is no need for it at all if I'm using an efficient or in some cases a very or extremely efficient razor with creating a very smooth landscape I can cut down on the number of passes or should I say the number of strokes. I don't think either of these razors are in the Very or Extremely efficient category but more so just efficient. As I was going for smoothest and not most efficient once I felt the SC pull away from the Fatip in that area I just backed off on trying to go for even an entry level BBS but wound up with a decent DFS with some areas of my cheeks entry level BBS but again more so where the SC shaved. So I started this Shave Off using a more neutral angle and when I felt the less than smooth face feel with the Fatip I again went right to the shallow angle which was a bit better. I have no doubt with either razor holding the blade as rigid as they do that I could have started off with a ATG pass and I've done that many times and I've even followed up with a reverse ATG pass without a relather which with the right razors is all that's needed to achieve a very solid BBS shave.


Bottom line I was excited to try both razors and went into this Shave Off with no bias or preference to any razor and the results I got were just what I reported. Hey you know the old saying to each his own and such.

I will try it again when I have time but for this round it was the SC that shined for me.

Thanks for your input and sharing your own personal experiences with the Fatip and SC. That is what makes this thread not only fun for me and others I'm sure but a good source of information and even historical info on some razors.