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Chan Eil Whiskers
Fumbling about.
Saturday's shave was experimental, surprising, and good.
In the first stage of my wet shaving adventure, before I said the hell with it and grew a beard, I used Gillette razors. I'm not 100% sure which Gillettes, but at least one of the several were adjustables. I kinda sorta might remember one being a Fatboy, and for sure one was either a Fatboy or a Slim. Perhaps another was one of the "Light, Heavy, and Regular" generation of Gillettes.
In any event, I didn't like any of them.
My shaves back then were just about universally lousy. Nicks, cuts, and more than anything, razor burn, chapped skin, and post shave discomfort. Post shave red skin. Post shave pain.
Today's shave began with one of my usual prep methods, washing my face at the sink, and the building of a very good, very wet lather with an excellent boar, using a soap I know extremely well, and like to the nth degree.
I used the Slim at my usual steep angle.
Not knowing jack about the razor I elected to begin with the adjustable set on #1. If I understand things properly, and please correct me if you know better, the Slim's adjustments change the gap, and the lowest setting has the smallest gap, and nothing else other than the gap changes as the adjustment level is increased.
My plan was to increase the adjustment number should I need to, and I thought increasing the adjustment number would be required.
My objective today was merely to see if I could shave better with an old Gillette adjustable than I used to. It was both to test the razor and to test my technique and the rest of my kit.
Certainly the kit I used back in the day wasn't today's kit. As I recall I used both the readily available Gillette Blue Blades and also the then new and highly touted but more expensive Wilkinson Sword Blades (the original ones from, I believe, England). I used Gillette shaving soap from a can. It was before shaving gels. Brushes and real shaving soap were unknown in my world.
Frankly I'm shocked at how good the shave was today. I will continue the experiment. I will try some of the higher adjustment numbers.
I'm not wild about skinny handles, including this one. The razor feels top heavy, too, which I do not love. It wasn't any problem shaving under my nose (which I thought it might be). Still, the bottom lime was a good, reasonably close, reasonably easy, blood free, reasonably comfortable shave.
Pretty sure the Slim hasn't changed since my youth (and no, this isn't the exact razor I owned back then; rather it is an eBay purchase made a couple or so years ago; I was too chicken to shave with it until today).
Happy shaves,
Jim
The top photos's not very good, but the other two show the razor pretty well. |
In the first stage of my wet shaving adventure, before I said the hell with it and grew a beard, I used Gillette razors. I'm not 100% sure which Gillettes, but at least one of the several were adjustables. I kinda sorta might remember one being a Fatboy, and for sure one was either a Fatboy or a Slim. Perhaps another was one of the "Light, Heavy, and Regular" generation of Gillettes.
In any event, I didn't like any of them.
My shaves back then were just about universally lousy. Nicks, cuts, and more than anything, razor burn, chapped skin, and post shave discomfort. Post shave red skin. Post shave pain.
That was then. This is now. |
Today's shave began with one of my usual prep methods, washing my face at the sink, and the building of a very good, very wet lather with an excellent boar, using a soap I know extremely well, and like to the nth degree.
I used the Slim at my usual steep angle.
Not knowing jack about the razor I elected to begin with the adjustable set on #1. If I understand things properly, and please correct me if you know better, the Slim's adjustments change the gap, and the lowest setting has the smallest gap, and nothing else other than the gap changes as the adjustment level is increased.
My plan was to increase the adjustment number should I need to, and I thought increasing the adjustment number would be required.
I didn't need to change anything. The adjustment stayed at #1 throughout the shave today. The shave was good. |
My objective today was merely to see if I could shave better with an old Gillette adjustable than I used to. It was both to test the razor and to test my technique and the rest of my kit.
Certainly the kit I used back in the day wasn't today's kit. As I recall I used both the readily available Gillette Blue Blades and also the then new and highly touted but more expensive Wilkinson Sword Blades (the original ones from, I believe, England). I used Gillette shaving soap from a can. It was before shaving gels. Brushes and real shaving soap were unknown in my world.
We all know every improvement in technique, and in kit, improves the shave, right? |
Frankly I'm shocked at how good the shave was today. I will continue the experiment. I will try some of the higher adjustment numbers.
I'm not wild about skinny handles, including this one. The razor feels top heavy, too, which I do not love. It wasn't any problem shaving under my nose (which I thought it might be). Still, the bottom lime was a good, reasonably close, reasonably easy, blood free, reasonably comfortable shave.
I'm not always a fan of vanilla, and this is a strongly vanilla scented splash, but today it seemed like it would be exactly right. It is. The vanilla scent is very powerful, but also very pleasant. Cremo Face Moisturizer and hyaluronic acid completed by kit. |
Pretty sure the Slim hasn't changed since my youth (and no, this isn't the exact razor I owned back then; rather it is an eBay purchase made a couple or so years ago; I was too chicken to shave with it until today).
Happy shaves,
Jim
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