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Where is the Blade?

Rosseforp

I think this fits, Gents
Hi, I am a Newbie to DE shaving and one thing I have noticed when looking at new and used DE razors, there is never a picture showing the razor with a blade loaded.

As a machinist by trade, fifty plus years in the medical and aerospace industry, I would think this would be very helpful when comparing razors. It is kinda like a blueprint that is missing dimensions needed to produce the product.
We could go on about companies bragging about their CNC's but I will leave that for another discussion.
Doug
I can't ask my dad for shaving advise so I came here
 

ajkel64

Check Out Chick
Staff member
That can be true. But wait until you buy an antique razor and the seller sends you the razor with a rusty old blade loaded in the razor. No fun I can tell you. Have to be careful when you open the package.
 
That can be true. But wait until you buy an antique razor and the seller sends you the razor with a rusty old blade loaded in the razor. No fun I can tell you. Have to be careful when you open the package.

+1! This is also my experience.
 

Rosseforp

I think this fits, Gents
Perhaps to get a better idea of the gap?
Let me put it this way. Would you go to a car dealership and look at cars sitting on blocks with no tires?
You can't drive a car without tires. You can't shave without a blade. Both have many choices depending on YMMV.
I don't think a razor looks right without a blade!
Doug
 

Esox

I didnt know
Staff member
Welcome to the forum!

Hi, I am a Newbie to DE shaving and one thing I have noticed when looking at new and used DE razors, there is never a picture showing the razor with a blade loaded.

I find it frustrating when there is a blade loaded but the view angle is off and I cant see what I want to see. Gap, blade angle and blade exposure are all aspects I'm interested in and those are rarely highlighted in mainstream pictures.
 

Rosseforp

I think this fits, Gents
That can be true. But wait until you buy an antique razor and the seller sends you the razor with a rusty old blade loaded in the razor. No fun I can tell you. Have to be careful when you open the package.

Oh my, I would never suggest shipping a razor with a used blade installed, however many vintage razors do have pictures with the blades in packages. I am merely stating that on the Showroom floor, having the blade installed would give me a more complete picture of the finished product.

Rockwell does have a diagram on their website that is very helpful.
Doug
 
Yes, welcome to the forum and hope you enjoy yourself, but I think your concern is much to do about nothing for those of us having used a DE for decades.

I've amassed a collection of vintage safety razors, both DE and SE, without blades. It's never been remotely a problem. The car/tire analogy doesn't work.
 
That can be true. But wait until you buy an antique razor and the seller sends you the razor with a rusty old blade loaded in the razor. No fun I can tell you. Have to be careful when you open the package.

I probably wouldn't mind. At least, hopefully, they'll take pictures to show even blade gap and blade exposure.
 

Rosseforp

I think this fits, Gents
I probably wouldn't mind. At least, hopefully, they'll take pictures to show even blade gap and blade exposure.

There you go OldSkoolMillennial, BLADE EXPOSURE, that is the $1,000,000 dollar question! Very difficult to measure, and even more difficult to understand in how it relates to mild-aggressive shaves. As a machinist, I certainly understand the cutting geometry of cutting angles and how it relates to surface finishes, a good finish is a BBS. And when I choose an insert cutting tool holder I need to know the material I am cutting.

A razor holds a blade that cuts hair.
An insert holder holds a blade that cuts metals.
Both use cutting geometry that have been developed over many years of trial and error.
Both have an enormous variety of blades and coatings to choose from.

If you tell me what material you are machining, I can give you a tool spot-on that will do the job without guessing.
I am looking for the same type of advice for a mild cutting razor to add to my collection.

First DE razor-my dad's Gillette, only used it a few times. A butterfly style is all I can remember.

35 years of cartridge and mostly electric.

Second DE razor-Vikings Blade Chieftain, at 90 grams a little heavy, just got last it month-not sure about it being a mild beginner razor, used the Mild Swiss blades it came with, then Astra, then Derby, then------

Third DE razor-Feather Popular-nice, cheap, light at 34.2 grams, efficient. Works great with the Hi Stainless blades it came with.

Fourth DE razor-Razorock DE1-waiting for it to get here-supposed to be a Gillette clone with improvements. Comes with Derby's. Will set them aside and use Hi Stainless.

Fifth DE razor-Something elegant with a closed-bar.
I like the Rockwell 6c design, but at 113 grams-too heavy for me.
The Razorock GC looks like something I might consider-currently sold out.
The Feather AS D2 is on my list.
Above The Tie, Timeless, and Wolfman are also on my list......

Doug
I can't ask my dad for shaving advise so I came here
 
Hi, I am a Newbie to DE shaving and one thing I have noticed when looking at new and used DE razors, there is never a picture showing the razor with a blade loaded.

As a machinist by trade, fifty plus years in the medical and aerospace industry, I would think this would be very helpful when comparing razors. It is kinda like a blueprint that is missing dimensions needed to produce the product.
We could go on about companies bragging about their CNC's but I will leave that for another discussion.
Doug
I can't ask my dad for shaving advise so I came here

It makes perfect sense however, for the most part marketing folks will prefer to take pictures that show the beauty of the razors and not have something like a blade cover up some pretty features or gawd forbid the photographer gets a cut.

Unlike us who want to know everything about the razor that some of us here even draw imaginary lines to show blade gap/exposure hee hee!

Welcome to the forum!



I find it frustrating when there is a blade loaded but the view angle is off and I cant see what I want to see. Gap, blade angle and blade exposure are all aspects I'm interested in and those are rarely highlighted in mainstream pictures.

Mike,

We look through different lenses than mainstream folks lol.

Can you imagine the horrors of a satin or brush finished blade marring the photo on a shiny razor oh the humanity... Rofl!!!
 
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@Rosseforp : do these help you at all?
Double-Edged Safety Razors Ranked by Blade Gap (vintage and modern)
and
Modern Double-Edged Safety Razors Ranked by Aggressiveness

Fifth DE razor-Something elegant with a closed-bar.
I like the Rockwell 6c design, but at 113 grams-too heavy for me.
The Razorock GC looks like something I might consider-currently sold out.
The Feather AS D2 is on my list.
Above The Tie, Timeless, and Wolfman are also on my list......
You should at least try an open comb vintage razor, like a Single-Ring Old (50 g?), or a Long-Comb New (53 g), before you get all of those.
 

Rosseforp

I think this fits, Gents
I can understand the desire to see a "loaded" razor in pictures, but I would dispute the ability to see an accurate depiction of anything other than a rudimentary look at blade exposure. You certainly would not be able to glean much about the gap from any regular picture, not with any accuracy at least. I think you'd be better off consulting the manufacturer of the razor itself for those details, or the many expert enthusiast here who might have such information.
 
Funny, is does not take a machinist to shave. Get it and learn to use it
I can understand the desire to see a "loaded" razor in pictures, but I would dispute the ability to see an accurate depiction of anything other than a rudimentary look at blade exposure. You certainly would not be able to glean much about the gap from any regular picture, not with any accuracy at least. I think you'd be better off consulting the manufacturer of the razor itself for those details, or the many expert enthusiast here who might have such information.
I don't. the OP is my age. I started with a Krona circa 1969. Never occurred to me to want to see it loaded. I figured it out. Seems like a machinist type would be so inclined. Perhaps I am just too analytical.
 

Rosseforp

I think this fits, Gents
Funny, is does not take a machinist to shave. Get it and learn to use it

I don't. the OP is my age. I started with a Krona circa 1969. Never occurred to me to want to see it loaded. I figured it out. Seems like a machinist type would be so inclined. Perhaps I am just too analytical.

Ah, but machinists are used to looking at blueprints. We like checking angles and radius centerline! Quite interesting I started machining threads on a Logan engine lathe circa 1969.
Doug
 
Ah, but machinists are used to looking at blueprints. We like checking angles and radius centerline! Quite interesting I started machining threads on a Logan engine lathe circa 1969.
Doug

Make your own three piece razor as you think they ought to be. There are blue prints of some Conrad razor you might use as a template
 
Different people solve problems with different strategies. Some try things, some take advice, some analyze, etc. all in different mixtures of priority. I’m with @Rosseforp. When using a tool, I like to understand its design and physical properties from an engineering perspective. For instance, the length of unsupported blade on my Rockwell, Muhle 106, and Merkur 34C is startling compared to the AS-D2, Karve, or Timeless. I bet with his experience, @Rosseforp could look at them and predict some of their behavioral differences (chatter, audible feedback, etc.).

@Esox is right about how hard it is to photograph, though. The dimensions are so small that tiny variances hide the very detail you were hoping to make out (I say that having tried to take some).
 
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