Man y’all are killing me! can’t wait till I’m able to find one used or Shane gets them back in stock!
It can be tough, the waiting and reading all the positive reviews (or hype!). I am spending this month trying to only use it, so I can get a good feel for it. I like having a small variety of razors, and I prefer that they all be good for daily use. I spent the last 2 months acquiring some single edge razors (old and new) and now want to "dial them in" for daily use.Man y’all are killing me! can’t wait till I’m able to find one used or Shane gets them back in stock!
Right you are! I appreciate the encouragement! I do have some terrific kit currently, that I enjoy very much. I’m slowing deciding on what I may want to get rid of to start narrowing down the kit. I hope the Vector is treating you well!It can be tough, the waiting and reading all the positive reviews (or hype!). I am spending this month trying to only use it, so I can get a good feel for it. I like having a small variety of razors, and I prefer that they all be good for daily use. I spent the last 2 months acquiring some single edge razors (old and new) and now want to "dial them in" for daily use.
It can be tough, the waiting, but enjoy what you have! I couldn't wait to get a certain DE, and when one appeared on the BST, I jumped on it. Turned out we didn't get along. And I know that some days while shaving I was too busy pining away for that razor instead of enjoying what I had. Just trying to help a brother out!
Right you are! I appreciate the encouragement! I do have some terrific kit currently, that I enjoy very much. I’m slowing deciding on what I may want to get rid of to start narrowing down the kit. I hope the Vector is treating you well!
Much appreciated! The Sabre is also on my list! Pesky sabbatical though, I’m only allowed one! I’m looking forward to reading your comparison/review!Well if it helps you out any, I just finally broke down and ordered a Sabre which IS currently in stock. I’ll let you know how it compares to the Vector in case you want to expand your options while you wait.
Now this is a very good example of enabling And he's not wrong! 2 months after my new to me Vector arrived, I decided to buy a new Sabre. It is another great single edge, and looks sharp, too. Different blade, different geometry, and so I rationalized (self enablement!) that I would try, since Blackland has that 30 day return policy.Well if it helps you out any, I just finally broke down and ordered a Sabre which IS currently in stock. I’ll let you know how it compares to the Vector in case you want to expand your options while you wait.
You're welcomeI had read somewhere of some guys holding the handle almost perpendicular to the face (really riding the cap!) and getting great results. I tried that on this maiden voyage and was rewarded with a great shave...
Thanks!You're welcome
The Vector is Blacklands best razor.
Working on it. We're dealing with secondary COVID effects on supply. Raw materials are hard to come by and demand for manufacturing is through the roof. So we're juggling projects and trying to find a way to get these machined asap. Awesome! Thank you for the quick reply sir! Patience is a...www.badgerandblade.com
I use extremely shallow angle, holding the handle at literally 90 degrees against the skin on all 3 passes (WTG, XTG, ATG), with blade barely catching hair.
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First use of the Vector open comb plate. And it went Smooth! Many thanks to a forum member for the chance to purchase the plate and try it out. @molon_labe, I think, to my face, it may be easier on it than the solid bar plate, but it is way too soon to tell.
I had read somewhere of some guys holding the handle almost perpendicular to the face (really riding the cap!) and getting great results. I tried that on this maiden voyage and was rewarded with a great shave. I couldn't hold the that shallow angle constant, and when I didn't (going more steep), I did not feel any of the dreaded "teeth" feeling I have come to hate after trying to love the Karve OC plates. One thing I did notice, that I wrote in my log, I don't recall that white knuckle feeling of "careful, or you'll get bitten!" That may just get chalked up to becoming more at ease with the Vector, or it may be due to the shallower angle used today, or it may be the OC plate. More studies needed, but no buyer's remorse!
Going steep does require a light touch.+1 on going super shallow with the Vector; I also went shallower than I would have thought beneficial today (having recently read @DaveHStone's notes) and had a very good shave. I want to shave steep with it, but it makes a blood donor out of me when I try. I am still too heavy-handed overall.
Sounds good, I think I will d the same. I plan to use the Vector exclusively this month, trying out the plates and some blades. I really like the Prolines, and I have some Kai as well.Awesome news that it’s working out so well for you so far. This upcoming week I’m drawing a line in the sand and only using my Vector, alternating baseplates to really get a good comparison between them.
I'm flattered @thombrogan, but I'm no expert. I've merely shared my rather limited experiences, that's all.#StealingVectorTipsFromDaveHStone
Some additional thoughts on SB vs OC... I used the SB plate for 2 shaves last week on consecutive days (Thurs & Fri, spoiled myself with the Ti Blackbird on Saturday), and again on Mon & Tues of this week after taking Sunday off. I went back to the OC plate this morning (Wednesday) to see if I could notice any big difference, having used the SB for the previous 4 Vector shaves.
I find this a bit surprising personally, since I have always favored OC razors, but my preference right now with the Vector is the SB plate. I find it to be a bit smoother feeling and not quite as finicky with angle. We are literally splitting hairs between the two baseplates, both work great but for me the slight advantage goes to the SB. My current impression is that is shaves equally as close, but with a slight advantage in comfort. Obviously this may change as time goes on, but that's where I am currently after several weeks of fairly consistent shaves with the Vector.
I've pretty much settled on Kai Captain Milds for my blade of choice with the Vector, I may go back and revisit the Prolines down the road a bit but my 2nd attempt with one on Monday morning forced me to swap out the blade almost immediately for a Kai. Both Prolines I tried were from Try A Blade and I've heard others also have bad experiences due to the shipping/packaging dulling the blade in transit. I haven't found a good place to order a full pack of Prolines other than Italian Barber so if anyone knows of a good US vendor please let me know.
The Vector is quickly becoming my new favorite daily-use razor. I didn't think I'd be able to get consecutive shaves out of it because most razors that shave so close end up causing irritation after multiple uses. So far that's not been the case with the Vector at all. I have a Sabre on the way currently, so I'm going to finish out this week with the Vector and then give the Sabre a first go on Saturday most likely. I'm interested to see how they compare.