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Barbasol Floating Head Review

Had an intuitive sense that the Floating Head might be the razor that stood toe-to-toe, in my shave universe anyway, with the Ikon Tech (which those who have been reading my posts in other threads know -- perhaps beyond the threshold of annoyance -- has become my grail).

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So before I begin beating any (by now in states of advanced decomposition) dead horses, I want first to acknowledge the kindness and generosity of two of our shave-brothers. Scott (who goes by pbrmhl) is the guy who lent me the Tech, the razor that changed my life, and he's followed that up by lending several others. And Twelvefret loaned me the Barbasol in the photos above. Both of these fellows dropped valuable razors in the mail to a guy they had not met, a person who was just words on a screen. I'm both humbled by, and grateful for, their trust. I aspire to such qualities.

Alright, getting back to razors:

Yesterday, I ran these two side by side. The results were fascinating but not in the way I'd expected. I thought they might be twins. They are not. The Tech remains the one that offers by far the most straight-forward feedback. Some might call it harshness. For whatever reason, for me it's not harsh but rather magnificently informative, guiding my angle of attack and lightness of pressure (none to less than none). What's odd, even to me, is that I have run across razors I've found harsh. The El Jefe, for instance. Couldn't get away from that little ***** fast enough. The Tech, by contrast, feels just right.

So when I ran the FH opposite the IST, I was initially disappointed to discover it didn't have anything like that level of feedback. Instead it offered smoothness and easy maneuverability. Now a lot of razors have those qualities. What's unusual is to match the Tech's super efficient result.

In one sense, the Floating Head reminds me of Blackland Dart (also on loan from Scott). That razor (the Dart) was a pleasure in that it was so nicely balanced, smooth and maneuverable, while offering a great shave. But it couldn't quite match the Tech in terms of the shave it produced. It came close -- closer than any other DE razor to date. It stood toe-to-toe with the 2011 R41 (which I've not found to be quite as great as some guys do). But it was definitely a notch down.

What's cool about the Floating Head is that it came within a hair of matching the Dart's ease of use while producing a shave that was on par with that of the Tech. So much so that, a few hours later when my middle-aged brain couldn't recall which side had been the proving ground for each razor, the result gave no clue as both sides were identical. And as I type this now, more than 24 hours later, they remain identical. In other words, the Barbasol is in an elite class.

The Floating Head is the first DE razor I've found that's been able to match the Tech in closeness. Among all razors I've tried so far (which is not a huge pool), the ATT SE2 was the only other that equaled the Tech in closeness, but it has the drawbacks associated with SE razors -- limited choice and expense of blades, lesser maneuverability and ease of use, a required angle of attack that (at least) I find less enjoyable, plus just one edge with which to shave.

Having made the mistake of shaving every day with the same razor (a Futur) year upon year to the point where I no longer even want to look at it, and also to and beyond the point where this hobby had lost its fascination and shaving had become nothing more than a chore, I see the utility of having a rotation. (I won't say "importance" because, as much as we may love shaving, it's a triviality compared with the challenges life presents to so many. At the same time, I think it a mistake to discount that which speaks to the heart. A proper attitude toward such things, best as I can figure, is one of gratitude.)

So today I am grateful. To have found another razor that I'd love to have in my rotation. I'm also grateful for a motivation to duck my head into antique shops, which had become quite the obsession some years back when I first discovered the art and joy of traditional shaving. Back then, I had become fanatical for a time. What's sad to me now is a recognition that I likely rejected Floating Heads that were right there for the picking because I was so focused on Gillettes.

I'll continue to play with this razor for a while. Twelvefret has made clear I'm welcome to do so, which I very much appreciate. I've posted this review in a separate thread in the hope that it might be helpful to those who would like to share impressions, thoughts or questions about this razor. I'll continue to post any new insights I run across as it I continue to put it through its paces before it heads back to its rightful home.
 
An appropriate comparison as the configuration of the Tech head is closer to the BFH than any other vintage razor I've seen. I'll dig out my BFH for the shave tomorrow.
 
Thanks for the initial review. I have been trying to get into vintage razors but I keep returning to modern ones. I recently tried a Gibbs adjustable that compares very favorably to the modern Rex Ambassador.

I'm glad to see you exploring the sea of razors out there. I am always game to try efficient razors.
 
Glad to see the Barbasol floating head works for you, Roy! I had one once for several months, but just could not get a close shave out of it. I lent it, as well as my first PAA DOC Evo in stainless, to @mjclark, who decided to buy them both from me. (I immediately bought a replacement for the PAA.) I have no idea why the BFH didn’t work for me, but I was tired of banging my head against the wall...
 
Glad to see the Barbasol floating head works for you, Roy! I had one once for several months, but just could not get a close shave out of it. I lent it, as well as my first PAA DOC Evo in stainless, to @mjclark, who decided to buy them both from me. (I immediately bought a replacement for the PAA.) I have no idea why the BFH didn’t work for me, but I was tired of banging my head against the wall...
Yeah, well, I'm in the same boat with the 2011 R41. Of course you and I are both in that boat.
 
Brother Parallax,

I too share your positive thoughts about the Barbasol Floating Head razor from the early to mid 1930's! I find it to be a heavy, sturdy and moderately aggressive razor, with a slightly long handle that is heavily knurled for a good grip. It's well engineered. The corners of the cap are nicely rounded. It has good balance, impressive appearance, and has great shaving efficiency. The Barbasol Floating Head razor is an outstanding DE two piece razor that's built like the proverbial battleship.

One question: Each end of the bottom safety plate has a curved indentation. I've never understood the intended purpose of that. Anyone know?
 
Wondered the same thing, so thanks for asking. Interesting that you found it moderately aggressive and I found it, if not aggressive (depending on how one defines that term), at least super efficient (and thusly on par with the Ikon Tech).
 
With three razors (ATT SE2, Blackland Dart and Karve w/F plate) soon (today) heading back to Scott, took the opportunity to yesterday run the Floating Head against the Dart that it reminded me of in some ways.

This was a shave-off that confirmed some impressions and challenged others. The Dart is wonderful to hold. This little razor is worming its way into my heart, so much so I may have to own one at some point. Just love the way it's so easy to maneuver and the shave is damn good. Will see how much I miss it.

The Floating Head isn't quite as nice to hold and nowhere near as attractive but the shave was similar. In fact, more similar than expected. What I found is that both of these razors produce a really nice shave but with some effort. I had to go back over challenging parts of my face and neck several times. About the same amount too. By the time I was done, the result could almost match that of the Ikon Tech but it took considerably more effort to get there.

Will keep running the Floating Head. Perhaps this last test was anomalous.

The main thing that struck me yesterday, and has been with me for the last week or so, is a sense that there are a lot of amazing razors on the market today. I thought that was true in 2012 when I put my head in the sand to options beyond those that I already knew. Now it's so much more true. The Dart is an amazing razor and, even more amazing, it doesn't particularly stand out. And why should it when even a $25 from Fendrihan or a slightly more expensive razor from Fatip produces an amazing shave?

With apologies for the pun, to what extent are we aficionados at this point splitting hairs? Why obsess endlessly over minuscule differences between razors when any one of them will more than get the job done? Within a general category such as, say, aggressive razors, how much difference really exists? I guess it was this sort of thinking that landed me in a bunker for six years with my Futur.

Here's an observation: What seems to drive so much of the obsession in this community is more about the razor as object than as tool. Everyone (well, seemingly everyone except me) wants a Wolfman because it's beautiful and hard to get. Does it shave better? I don't know; I've not used one. But I don't get that impression from reading these boards.

No doubt it's mostly a guy thing to want to possess stuff. Everything from Ferraris to beautiful women. I guess razors fall in with them somewhere.

As for the Floating Head, it's no doubt a great razor. Would love to hear others' thoughts on how it compares to vintage contemporaries as well as the best of today's ilk. As much as I'm enjoying it, I'm not seeing why one would pay the kind of money it requires to buy one on an auction site. And that's pretty much what keeps me from going for the Dart or its more dear brethren.

Since I seem to be putting my money where my mouth is only to the extent required to acquire a Raspira here, a Yaqi Beast there, perhaps I'll be the kind of guy experimenting with cheap razors out of China and Russia. Maggard V3A anyone?
 
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Curves are there to allow fo easy blade removal or precise blade alignment by hand while at the same time covering blade tabs during shave.

See references to 17 in the Conrad patent.

US2085892A.pdf

Brother Parallax,

One question: Each end of the bottom safety plate has a curved indentation. I've never understood the intended purpose of that. Anyone know?
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I wasn't a fan of the FH at the end of the day. Too aggressive a feel even though the results were superb. The AS was like fire on my face after i used it. The Tech, well I love it. It's superlative. It gives everything you could ask for in an efficient razor without the harshness. It's on deck for tomorrow with a satin Timeless hammered handle.
 
I wasn't a fan of the FH at the end of the day. Too aggressive a feel even though the results were superb. The AS was like fire on my face after i used it. The Tech, well I love it. It's superlative. It gives everything you could ask for in an efficient razor without the harshness. It's on deck for tomorrow with a satin Timeless hammered handle.
Please update us on how it goes.
 
So this morning, it being the day to say fare thee well to three borrowed razors, I couldn't resist running two of 'em (the Dart and SE2). Also ran my beloved Tech and the Floating Head that lends its name to this thread.
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How, exactly, to run four razors on one face was a bit of a conundrum. But it needed to be done and where there's a will . . .

Elected to place the Dart (on the left) opposite the Floating Head in the first WTG run. This morning, it being my last chance with this razor, was really appreciating the Dart's nimbleness, comfort and blade feel. To engage the blade feel it was necessary to run at a particular angle. But when it engaged, the feel was nice. Not intense like the Tech but clear and comfortable.

The Floating Head was equally comfortable but offered less blade feel. It also lacked the satisfying handle weight and balance of the Dart. But it shaved a bit better. (Funny how yesterday the two seemed to shave to a draw but now the FH seemed to perform better and in its first run the FH seemed to equal the mighty Tech.)

Then ran ATG with the SE2 on the left (behind the Dart) and the Ikon Tech on the right (behind the FH). Both offer a truly commanding sense of blade feel. The SE2 has an incredible heft and solidity. Darn thing feels like an ingot; maybe an anvil. Everywhere it's wide blade sweeps it shears clear to the follicle. But it's hard to maneuver, particularly into the hollows of my chin and neck. Less challenging on the upper face but it's a bit tricky to get close to the nose on the ATG pass. By contrast, the Tech was just as close and far more nimble. And though it lacks the heft of the SE2 and the classy feel of the Dart, the Ikon remains the razor that speaks most definitively to my heart. Ironic that a guy whom most of my business colleagues would say is the sensitive type morphs into a Spartan warrior in the shower with his razors. (Hey, kind of funny when I think of it like that.)

Ran the SE2 (left) and the Tech (right) ATG with amazing results on the flats but with the SE2 somewhat challenged in the hollows. Followed it up with the Dart on the left, which managed to catch the places the SE2 had missed. But it wasn't quite as close as what the Tech had produced on the right. At that point there was no reason to break out the Floating Head, as the Tech was well in command. Twelve hours later, the right side remains significantly closer than the left in those hard to reach places under my chin.

Of the three razors on loan from Scott, I don't see myself buying a Karve or an SE2. The first was fine but not quite my style. A bit too compact and, while it shaved well, it didn't particularly stand out. The SE2, while quite compelling, has all the drawbacks of a single edge. As I said previously, I'll be content to run my MMOC every now and again.

Since this is a Floating Head thread, I'll add that while I like this razor, it's not true love. At least not yet. That could change. What I noticed this morning is how much it gives one a sense of the 1940s. Think of an old Studebaker or Nash. The feel of the rugged textile upholstery, the crank up windows, the choke, the shift lever on the steering column, the heater and AM radio on the dash, the sound and feel of the doors when they slammed shut. A car like that was built with a sense of solidity but not so much for comfort. It got you from point A to point B in a no-nonsense way and that fact alone was luxury enough.

That's the sense I get from the Floating Head. It's a really useful tool. It has a certain style but it's not overly elegant unlike the Dart, not super solid unlike the SE2, not quintessentially assertive unlike the Tech. But enough of each and built to last longer than you'll have use for. And those are qualities that may grow on me with time, not unlike the way the Dart has grown on me in our short time together.

Of Scott's razors, the Dart is the one I'm most drawn to. Well, that and the Ikon Tech that kicked everything off. (So much so that I'm now sitting on four of them -- three NIB.)

That said, as compelling as the Dart may be, I remain too much a cheap bastard to pay what it would likely take to land one. I would have gladly paid over $100 for the Tech because it's that special. I mean, nothing matches its performance (not in my world anyway). But there are plenty of kool and interesting razors that match the performance (if not the style) of the Dart for so much less. With no intent to cast aspersions on my people, there was something unique about the lessons learned in a Jewish home where, to borrow the words of Woody Allen, the greatest sin was to buy retail.
 
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The Tech was marvelous as usual today. I don't get the blade feel from it that you do, or like the bardbie gave. I mean the feel is there, it's not a Mamba or anything, but I think the Wunderbar gives me more blade feel than it does. I even was able to shave over this nasty break out I got (some deck cleaning chemicals sprayed back on my neck a couple of weekends ago and it's been one nasty breakout since) with no incident. I had been not shaving it for a while until it got too odd looking with the longish hair there and smooth every where else. I mowed it down Monday with my MMOC, and yesterday was the H1. Today the Tech got the call and delivered a perfect showing as usual. Anyway, sorry for the minor thread jack ;) I found my Barbie on the bay for a reasonable price.
 
The Tech was marvelous as usual today. I don't get the blade feel from it that you do, or like the bardbie gave. I mean the feel is there, it's not a Mamba or anything, but I think the Wunderbar gives me more blade feel than it does. I even was able to shave over this nasty break out I got (some deck cleaning chemicals sprayed back on my neck a couple of weekends ago and it's been one nasty breakout since) with no incident. I had been not shaving it for a while until it got too odd looking with the longish hair there and smooth every where else. I mowed it down Monday with my MMOC, and yesterday was the H1. Today the Tech got the call and delivered a perfect showing as usual. Anyway, sorry for the minor thread jack ;) I found my Barbie on the bay for a reasonable price.
Just goes to show how idiosyncratic this hobby is. I wouldn't necessarily say the iTech has the most blade feel of any razor I've tried. The El Jefe had more but it wasn't useful. It didn't guide me. Found it quite nasty. Probably because my preferred technique is steep, which I learned from a Futur that was my daily ride for so long, the Ikon Tech feels perfect. SEs require cap riding. None of that crap with the IT. Plus it guides my angle and pressure. With that razor it has to be feather light (one's touch; not the blade, though I imagine this razor will really shine when I finally load up a Feather).

Cool that you found a good deal on the Floating Head. Will keep my nose to the ground. Thanks for chiming in.
 
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