A rant about uneven blade exposure...

[RayClem]

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I forgot to mention that I got a shavette too. But, with it you can only go up and down and my whiskers grow sideways a lot, so I can't get a nice shave.

A shavette is just a straight razor with a replaceable blade. It is easy to use such razors to shave top to bottom. While a bit more challenging, it is quite possible to use a straight razor or shavette to shave bottom to top or even from ear to chin. You just have to modify your grip on the razor. It also helps if you can shave with both hands.

When shaving top to bottom, I hold the razor normally and shave the right side of my face with the right hand and the left side of my face with the left hand. When shaving bottom to top or ear to chin, I simply reverse my grip on the razor and then shave the right side of my face with my left hand and the left side of my face with my right hand. It will take a bit of practice to learn how to do this, but it it certainly doable for many people unless you have minimal control of your non-dominant hand.

 

[Dave himself]

A shavette is just a straight razor with a replaceable blade. It is easy to use such razors to shave top to bottom. While a bit more challenging, it is quite possible to use a straight razor or shavette to shave bottom to top or even from ear to chin. You just have to modify your grip on the razor. It also helps if you can shave with both hands.

When shaving top to bottom, I hold the razor normally and shave the right side of my face with the right hand and the left side of my face with the left hand. When shaving bottom to top or ear to chin, I simply reverse my grip on the razor and then shave the right side of my face with my left hand and the left side of my face with my right hand. It will take a bit of practice to learn how to do this, but it it certainly doable for many people unless you have minimal control of your non-dominant hand.

I started out using half DE shavettes, I still shave with one every couple of weeks just to keep my hand in. I only shave with my dominant I wouldn't trust my non dominant hand to stir a cup of coffee.

 

[BradWorld]

A shavette is just a straight razor with a replaceable blade. It is easy to use such razors to shave top to bottom. While a bit more challenging, it is quite possible to use a straight razor or shavette to shave bottom to top or even from ear to chin. You just have to modify your grip on the razor. It also helps if you can shave with both hands.

I use a Feather Artist Club SS razor sometimes. I do a full three pass shave without any issues. I go all four directions. And I shave 90% with my dominant hand, even though I know it’s not proper technique.

 

[Rivers23]

I use a Feather Artist Club SS razor sometimes. I do a full three pass shave without any issues. I go all four directions. And I shave 90% with my dominant hand, even though I know it’s not proper technique.

I'm too scared to try to go left/right with a shavette on the neck haha, I think I would probably critically injure myself. Besides, since my whiskers are very thick, shaving ATG is very tuggy and it makes it hard generally to shave with a shavette.

Honestly guys, I've decided to just get a couple of vintage Gilettes. As I said, I got a new old stock English Tech and I'm currently bidding on a flaretip Superspeed. I'm also thinking about an English slim twist. I think I'm pretty much done with modern razors, apart from the Lord ones since they proved to be excellent.

 

[Alum Ladd]

I'm too scared to try to go left/right with a shavette on the neck haha, I think I would probably critically injure myself. Besides, since my whiskers are very thick, shaving ATG is very tuggy and it makes it hard generally to shave with a shavette.

Honestly guys, I've decided to just get a couple of vintage Gilettes. As I said, I got a new old stock English Tech and I'm currently bidding on a flaretip Superspeed. I'm also thinking about an English slim twist. I think I'm pretty much done with modern razors, apart from the Lord ones since they proved to be excellent.

Excellent idea! You really can't go wrong with a vintage Gillette. They do last practically forever and the tolerances they managed to achieve for mass produced items was pheonominal.

The Slim Twist has a late model Super Speed head and a plastic handle. It's light but gives a Super Speed mild/middlingly efficient shave.

I would also suggest an English Rocket Heavy Duty, a lovely efficient shaver and a beautiful smooth TTO mechanism, an Open Comb New of your choice and maybe a Slim Adjustable, which gives the highest maximum blade gap on setting 9 that Gillette ever made.

A lovely representation of Gillettes there.

 

[Rivers23]

Excellent idea! You really can't go wrong with a vintage Gillette. They do last practically forever and the tolerances they managed to achieve for mass produced items was pheonominal.

I wish I had known this sooner. I wasted soooo much money...

Since I'm based in EU, my choice of vintage Gillettes is limited to ones produced in England, since many US based sellers either don't ship to EU or the postage is too rich for my blood. I would loooooove to have a vintage adjustable but they are really expensive and I am kind of worried the mechanism would die and then it would be expensive to get it repaired.

I'd love to get the older models like the New, but I'm already at the point where I hide my purchases from my wife, I don't want to be kicked out on the street hahaha.

 

[Phoenixkh]

I wish I had known this sooner. I wasted soooo much money...

Since I'm based in EU, my choice of vintage Gillettes is limited to ones produced in England, since many US based sellers either don't ship to EU or the postage is too rich for my blood. I would loooooove to have a vintage adjustable but they are really expensive and I am kind of worried the mechanism would die and then it would be expensive to get it repaired.

I'd love to get the older models like the New, but I'm already at the point where I hide my purchases from my wife, I don't want to be kicked out on the street hahaha.

That's a bit ironic. Over here in the States, many of us are under the impression that the England products are superior both in design and manufacturing quality. The England Flat Bottom Tech and the England NEW Raised Flat Bottom (open comb) are prized over here... and perhaps there as well. There are lots of good things said about that England Rocket Heavy Duty (HD 500 is one of the models that comes to mind) as @Alum Ladd just mentioned.

 

[Rivers23]

That's a bit ironic. Over here in the States, many of us are under the impression that the England products are superior both in design and manufacturing quality. The England Flat Bottom Tech and the England NEW Raised Flat Bottom (open comb) are prized over here... and perhaps there as well. There are lots of good things said about that England Rocket Heavy Duty (HD 500 is one of the models that comes to mind) as @Alum Ladd just mentioned.

I didn't know that, I thought that England made Gillettes are kind of an afterthought. In any case, British Ebay has a few nice listings of the flat bottomed techs. I think I saw a Rocket too. There is an English made open comb New, but even for EU it comes to 70 dollars with shipping and customs. I mean, there aren't many many listings, but there is always something, I think so at least.

I don't really know what is prized over here, I only noticed that Techs and slim Twists are plentiful and cheap, the other types not so much.

 

[Phoenixkh]

I didn't know that, I thought that England made Gillettes are kind of an afterthought. In any case, British Ebay has a few nice listings of the flat bottomed techs. I think I saw a Rocket too. There is an English made open comb New, but even for EU it comes to 70 dollars with shipping and customs. I mean, there aren't many many listings, but there is always something, I think so at least.

I don't really know what is prized over here, I only noticed that Techs and slim Twists are plentiful and cheap, the other types not so much.

It is personal, but I'd try to find an England Flat Bottom Tech with the "Fat" handle... not the thin handle version, if you end up heading down that path.

 

[Frank Shaves]

I know those are cheap razors, but do I really need to pay 100 dollars?

No. Buy a Game Changer or SS Lupo for way less than 100 USD.

I have never experienced this problem with a Game Changer or SS Lupo.

I recently bought 3 Fatip razors and having read about unevenness was concerned. So far, I have only experienced any unevenness using 1 of the 3 razors using an Astra Superior Stainless blade. I am wondering if the issue is specific to certain blades. Have you tried the razors with different types of blades to see if the problem occurs with all types of blades?

 

[BradWorld]

I'm too scared to try to go left/right with a shavette on the neck haha, I think I would probably critically injure myself. Besides, since my whiskers are very thick, shaving ATG is very tuggy and it makes it hard generally to shave with a shavette.

Honestly guys, I've decided to just get a couple of vintage Gilettes. As I said, I got a new old stock English Tech and I'm currently bidding on a flaretip Superspeed. I'm also thinking about an English slim twist. I think I'm pretty much done with modern razors, apart from the Lord ones since they proved to be excellent.

Truthfully, you should master a DE before you really go for it with a shavette.

Secondly a Feather Artist Club is a different breed than the typical shavette where you use a half DE blade. Much better. Controlled. Precise. Like a SR without all the maintenance.

Thirdly, vintage Gillettes are great. The flair tip will do you very well. Very enjoyable. And nostalgic as well. Techs can be wonderful too if your technique will allow you to get a close enough shave. They have a much slimmer sweet spot. But definitely don’t hesitate to get those. If you were in the USA I have a bunch of those razors to sell cheaply, as I am downsizing.

Lastly, the razors you listed in your original post are fairly low end. The other razors mentioned above by my friends here can be worlds better than those. The Razorock stuff in particular. The game changer and Lupo are insane values for their cost. I normally shave with Blackland, Wolfman, charcoal goods. But I would be perfectly happy with a Lupo 95 had I never heard of those expensive bling razors.

Good luck on your journey!

 

[NorthernSoul]

I didn't know that, I thought that England made Gillettes are kind of an afterthought. In any case, British Ebay has a few nice listings of the flat bottomed techs. I think I saw a Rocket too. There is an English made open comb New, but even for EU it comes to 70 dollars with shipping and customs. I mean, there aren't many many listings, but there is always something, I think so at least.

I don't really know what is prized over here, I only noticed that Techs and slim Twists are plentiful and cheap, the other types not so much.

@Alum Ladd is steering you right with the Rocket HD recommendation. They should be pretty easy to find, being a popular razor back then.

The earlier Tech designs (up to the early 1960s) have a lot in common with the New, in terms of geometry. They were made with a safety bar instead of open comb, and a stamped brass base plate which was less expensive to manufacture. Still, if you can find a New Short Comb at a decent price, that would be a good choice, IMHO.

The Gillette UK factory near London made razors in huge volume.

 

[Frank Shaves]

I just spent a few minutes trying different blades with my different Fatip razors and have concluded that sometimes you just have to loosen the blade, lightly tap the blade and retighten with a Fatip. It's just the nature and part of the charm of these $25 razors.

 

[kingfisher]

I don't get it. Straighten the blade right before you tighten it down; good to go.

Or, as another poster suggested, push the blade as far to one side as possible and then tighten it down. If you do two passes, do the first pass with the side that has more exposure and then do the second side with the one that has less. Your razor now works like an adjustable.

 

[know1special]

I wasted soooo much money...

That is unfortunate, but then again...a lesson learned is impossible to quantify IMHO.

You are almost certain to enjoy at least one of your incoming vintage purchases. If not, I'm confident you'll eventually land upon something that pleases you as the landscape is vast.

When that day comes, you'll have a sense of satisfaction (and hopefully quality of shave) that renders the whole endeavor worthwhile.

 

[Alum Ladd]

I just spent a few minutes trying different blades with my different Fatip razors and have concluded that sometimes you just have to loosen the blade, lightly tap the blade and retighten with a Fatip. It's just the nature and part of the charm of these $25 razors.

Yes, to be honest I am a huge fan of the Piccolo @Rivers23.

Maybe I was fortunate, but my V2 Piccolo has never given me blade alignment problems.

There is a fix with electrical insulation coatings that has been mentioned for the posts. All I can say is that when you have a Piccolo tuned in, it's an outstanding modern OC in performance!

 

[nlife]

That's a bit ironic. Over here in the States, many of us are under the impression that the England products are superior both in design and manufacturing quality. The England Flat Bottom Tech and the England NEW Raised Flat Bottom (open comb) are prized over here... and perhaps there as well. There are lots of good things said about that England Rocket Heavy Duty (HD 500 is one of the models that comes to mind) as @Alum Ladd just mentioned.

I didn't know that, I thought that England made Gillettes are kind of an afterthought. In any case, British Ebay has a few nice listings of the flat bottomed techs. I think I saw a Rocket too. There is an English made open comb New, but even for EU it comes to 70 dollars with shipping and customs. I mean, there aren't many many listings, but there is always something, I think so at least.

I don't really know what is prized over here, I only noticed that Techs and slim Twists are plentiful and cheap, the other types not so much.

This reminds me of that old saying about the grass being something or other, on the other side of the thinga-ma-jiggy... What the heck was it called again? It divided properties?

 

[Rivers23]

This reminds me of that old saying about the grass being something or other, on the other side of the thinga-ma-jiggy... What the heck was it called again? It divided properties?

Maybe. But the thing is, a Gillette Superspeed in 1955 sold for a buck, which would be 11 dollars in today's money. Once you spent that buck, you'd be certain you'd get a quality product. Today, if you get a 30 or 50 dollar razor it's considered low end and you have to fiddle with the blade yourself or just accept your fate that one side is more aggressive than the other. Personally, I feel scammed.

I don't get it. Straighten the blade right before you tighten it down; good to go.

I tried that. In the Rockwell, the cap is not the problem and I can't even move the blade once it's on it. However, the plates are uneven and there is absolutely nothing I can do. With the Fatip, the pins are pretty much useless and I'm eyeing the alignment myself pretty much completely. With the Parker, which has pretty pronounced audio feedback, one side was always noticeably quieter and milder, no matter what I did.

 

[Phil Dumont]

The only DE razors I have with noticeably poor blade alignment are a Chinese Futur knock-off (which still gives a great shave) and the dreadful Wilkinson Sword Classic (which has absolutely no redeeming properties). I wonder if there's a common theme there?

Same here, my Qshave (futur clone) can have bad alignment too, loading it whilst on setting 1 mostly makes the alignment ok though for mine.
My Wilkinson Classic has the worst alignment, it has one side more agressive than the other, when i push to the mild side while loading the blade, the difference is less. I just bought a Fatip 2 months ago, the picollo open comb, alignment almost perfect on mine, just that also one side seems to have a little bit more aggression than the other, but a great shaver for me, one of my most used razors now. I also have a Rockwell 6C and as good as PERFECT blade alignment with mine for every plate, great razor but a bit boring.
My Razorock German 37 slant has unparallel alignment, i have to turn the blade while loading and then i get great alignment.
My very old vintage Gillette slim and aristocrat have excellent blade alignment, and my cheap 15€ King C Gillette has incredibly PERFECT alignment!

 

[Rivers23]

Well, in any case, these two are in the mail now coming my way: a new old stock 1970s English Tech and a 1963 flaretip that I just couldn't resist