Schick Krona

Got this beauty in a trade for a Lady Gillette. I think I came out the winner on this one. The handle is a great length and very grippy when wet. This is a moderate aggressiveness, a bit more open than the 40's superspeed (IMO). This has to be the very best shave I've gotten from a light weight razor.

Picked this razor up today at my local flea market. It was a little crusty, but for $15 I figured why not. The razor cleaned up surprisingly nice. This is an earlier Krona, from around 1965 going by the features. Aggressiveness for the cut is about a 6 and the razor glides over the face when using Merkur Platinum blades. Gives a very nice shave with very little effort. The two ply bar does help keep the blade nice and centered. I am quite happy with this being my first DE type razor.

At first I thought I would just put this away. However, read reviews here and tried it. It is a razor I will use during the week.

I have a Krona with the plain doors and the metal TTO knob.I picked this up purely due to the low price, as I figured it was so cheap, if I did not like it, it could sit in a drawer or be PIF'd.I must admit, I LOVE this razor and I am a self confessed Gillette man. I use it at least twice per week, it has a nice balance and I can achieve a BBS with no effort.Do yourself a favor, pick one up. For the price of a Latte or two you will have yourself one nice razor.

I use this Razor the Most of all the ones I have.

Get one and you will be hooked too.

WOW What a razor!!!

This may be Schick's answer to a SuperSpeed but for me, it surpases a SuperSpeed on almost all accounts.

I have the one with the metal TTO knob, the plastic knob one was not balanced well and seemed even less aggressive.

I love the look of the razor. I like how well the plastic handle meets the metal TTO knob and razor head. The head has some etching on it which looks fantastic and has a very low profile which makes it the most user friendly TTO DE razor I have ever used (and I have worked through almost all Gillette's).

Very high quality indeed. The plastic handle may look cheap but it is high quality and also has a great grip, it will never feel like it will slip, even with lather on my hands.

Blade replacement is super easy as it is a TTO. It locks the blade in tight and with a Feather blade, gives me the best results along with comfort.

The price is going up for these so grab one before you regret it!!!

I must admit I didn't really like my Krona the first few times I used it. I got a metal twist knob model off ebay for something like ten bucks after reading all the praise it's gotten on this site. My technique must have been off, because the shaves I was getting from it didn't give me satisfactory results - either not as close or not as comfortable as what I was accustomed to from my favorite razors (Red Tip SS, Merkur 38c, Fat Boy, and Aristocrat Jr.).

I was actually ready to sell it, when I decided to give it another shot, this time with an Iridium Super. I ended up with a fantastic 2-pass DFS that lasted me longer than what I had been accustomed to. I started using it more frequently with a variety of blades and got the same results. I reckon it was due in part to improved prep and technique.

Then one day I tried it with a Feather, a blade that I had had awful to adequate experiences with in my other shavers. The results of the Krona+Feather combo blew me away! I finally understood all the accolades the mighty Feather has earned from many a B&B member.

I'd give the Krona 10s across the board; however, when compared to the quality of, say, my Fat Boy or Merkur 38c, the plastic handle of the Krona loses a couple of points. Nevertheless, it's a wonderfully constructed, perfectly balanced shaver. Also, as a mild razor, I feel that 5 is the proper rating for aggressiveness.

I'll repeat what others have already said here: everybody should at least try a Krona - and be sure to give it a fair shot. It could very well end up as your go-to razor, like it has for me.

I liked the Krona a lot, better than the numerical rankings indicate. Explaining the rankings:
Price: Kronas are, like Red Tips, starting to get more expensive as they are more sought after. They still don't command the insane premiums of the Red Tips, the Fatboys, and the Slims, but they're climbing.
Quality: Nothing special. This was a '70s era mass-market razor.
User Friendly: No complaints. Opens easily, closes easily and securely, quite hard to cut yourself with.
Grip: Knurled plastic pattern. Doesn't slip. Handle is a tad thin for my taste, but it is nice and long.
Ease of Blade Replacement: As easy as any TTO.
Aggressiveness: This is not an aggressive razor, but it does shave quite closely. I give it an 8.
Adjustability: Not applicable.
Balance: The handle is light, lighter than I like for a razor, at least in relation to the head.

Here's the thing about the Krona, which doesn't come across in the rankings: it shaves great. The key is that you have to put aside everything you've learned about DE shaving, pull the skin tight, and press firmly. It's a mild razor, it won't easily cut you, so pressing is safe, and if you do you can get DFS easily, BBS with a little more effort, from almost any blade. Standard disclaimer: YMMV, so if you press hard and cut yourself, just know that that does NOT happen to me with this razor.

I also have an early Krona with no stamping on the outer doors.
It is heavier than some razors but not too heavy a great overall balance.
My cost was great because of the deal I worked out with the vendor.
It doesn't adjust but only so few razors are capable of adjusting and this is no drawback.
Silo doors make the blade replacement easy.
This is a high quality razor and it does not get its rightful praise.
I like it as much as my RED TIP, yes I said my Gillette RED TIP!
I used the Schick with a Shark blade. BBS shave first time out.
I definitely keep this in my rotation! It will not replace my Red Tip, but it will give it a break for a week a month.

John

I bought a Feather razor recently. The one with the metal and plastic head and very long plastic handle. It bears a remarkable similarity to this razor. I have to say the Feather is a great perfomer and beautifully balanced. The Krona looks as if it would handle pretty well the same.

These things are incredible.

10 bucks on ebay will get you the best bang/buck ratio shaving has ever seen.

It's not incredibly glamorous, it's not particularly collectable, it's not even very pretty, but it's shocking how well they shave. It's my desert island razor.

I have a 40s SS which is mild enough that getting to BBS in 2 passes is a project. I have a Merkur Progress which is nice enough I suppose but I find it too filddly and difficult to dial back to the angle I like.

The weight and balance of the Krona make total sense once you go through two passes with it, and then you're all set. Easy, quick shaves every day.

If you like your SS but want more bite, or if your adjustable just doesn't give you the smoothness and ease you want, or if you're looking for somewhere to start, this is it.

The Schick Krona. While it doesn't get as much press on B&B or any of the other wet-shaving forums compared to many of numerous Gillette Razors available, it is an excellent vintage double edge razor. In fact, this little gem is one of my go-to razors when I'm using a double edge razor, the other being my Gillette Ball-End Tech.

Price: Since these are no longer in production, the price of these razors will no doubt vary depending upon where you manage to secure it from. That said, however, they can be bought, in excellent condition, for very little. In fact, I managed to pick up mine for a little over $4 on eBay, an excellent bargain considering how much a vintage Gillette can command.

Quality: Generally speaking, these are nice razors. Overall, they're fairly well built. Even the plastic handles are high quality and very easy to grip. That said, there are supposed to be some issues with the center-bar on some of the later Kronas, so that's something to be aware of, but even then I believe it's only supposed to cause a minute difference in blade gap between the two sides of the razor.

User Friendly: Easy to use, not the most aggressive razor on the block, but a solid performer nonetheless. Just don't boil it to disinfect it and she should treat you just fine.

Grip: The black plastic handle on my Krona offers excellent grip. Best of all, the handle flares outward the further away you get from the head. Also worth mentioning is that the handle is nice and long, if you tend to favor that sort of thing. Quite frankly, length doesn't matter all that much to me, but I can definitely see it being of some benefit if you're more used to the longer handles many cartridge razors tend to feature as opposed to the shorter handles of many double razors like the Gillette Super Speed for instance, or if your hands are a bit larger than most.

Ease of Blade Replacement: The Schick Krona is your basic twist-to-open razor. Easy to load. Easy to unload.

Aggressiveness: Kronas are fairly mild razors, maybe a hair more aggressive than a regular 50's style Super Speed, in my opinion.

Adjustability: Adjustable? Nope, but who needs it anyway? I don't play with the settings on my Gillette Slim Adjustable all that much, if ever, so there you go...

Balance: Compared to the Super Speed or Tech, the Krona is a bit of a lightweight, but don't be fooled. Even though it is plastic, the long handle on the Krona balances out the head almost perfectly.

Overall, Krona are great razors. I have a couple vintage Gilletes and a Merkur, and this razor sees more use than any of them other than my Tech. If you see one around at a antique store, flea market, the 'Bay or B&B's own BST, definitely consider picking one up. It's quite likely you'll be pleasantly surprised by the Krona.

Very well balanced. The combo of lightweight but long handle makes for excellent handling (better than the long black SA), and the square studs on the grip keep it in the hand even when wet. I could not really tell a difference between the cut of this razor and the comparable Gillette Knack. The handsomely finished angled head of the Krona makes trimming the very top of my mustache, just under the nose, much easier than with any Gillette I've used. Well worth owning.

(This is a review I also posted today at the Shave Den) Schick Krona: I bought it new 40 years ago when I got married. Took it into the Army and to war and back, in addition to using it daily, I also shaved my dad with it for 13 years while he was disabled, and just in the last few months stopped using it when the butterflies started binding up a tiny bit, then a bit more, and finally had to stop using it about a year ago. At that time, I fell back to my Gillette Slim adjustable that I bought new 45 years ago, only used it for a few years until I got married, and had left at my mom's house until after the Krona had been taken out of service. Who could have asked for a better razor? Now that I've gotten into the forums and such, my razors have multiplied dramatically, straights, merkur, EJ/Muhle and the whole kaboodle, and I seldom see the old Krona anymore. Now after this trip down memory lane, I think I'll go get it and see if I can gently persuade the butterflies to line up a little better and use it for a few days with an old Vintage Wilkinson Sword and Gillette Super Stainless blades and some good old MWF. My, that's going to be fun! Everybody should have a Krona.

I picked my Krona up NOS with some teflon coated blades (which I do not plan on using) and have used it three times this week. This is among thebest shavig razors I have found. It compares very well to the current gold standard in my rotation: a 40's SuperSpeed.

With a plastic handle it lacks the heft of the SS, but it is well balanced, comfortable, and gives a great shave.

So far I have had excellent results from a Red Pack Personna, and next blade will be a Gillette Yellow Sharpedge.

I found the razor at a wacky junk store for $5 still in the blister pack, so I rate the price as excellent.

the model I have does not have the metal TTO knob (which does look nicer than the one I found) but it is nice looking razor.

Overall, a terrific razor. If you can find one, I recommend that you snap it up.

Barry

OK I started off with a Gillette Super Speed. Impossible to cut yourself and also impossible to get a really close shave.
Next I went to a Merkur 38c. Close shave but probably due to sloppy technique couldn't help but nick myself.

Now teh happy medium a Krona. Aggressive enough for a close shave and a smoother nick free shave.

It is very good razor. I wish it would be more aggressive.

This was my first DE razor. I got it off the Bay in unused condition for less than $30. I've since accumulated a Fatboy and a TV Special (Gillettes), so I now have a source for comparison. I can say that this razor is a tad more aggressive than the TV Special (the TV Special is probably the same as a Superspeed). It is a great razor to start with, or to use as your primary shaver. But for me, it was not quite as good as the TV Special. The grip is amazing, but the razor is lighter, and more aggressive. It has a longer handle, which is really nice, which kind of offsets the lack of weight for ease of use purposes. And, as a general matter I'd grab either without hesitation. That being said, the TV Special just tends to give me a better shave. I do have a few hair growth patterns on my face which are more problematic. It just happens that the Gillette is a little less aggressive and is easier to use for me. But, it could be perfect for you. The upside is it could be perfect, the downside is that it could merely be great. Take a chance on this one and I don't think you'll regret it.

I love this razor. I had only used Gillettes until I picked one of these up at an antique store. It is now one of my most favoritest razors.

Shaves like butta'!

I think this razor is a much better razor for a beginner than a Merkur HD. I say that because a lot of people seem to recommend the HD for noobs. You can find a Krona for a reasonable price on the bay. It is has long handle, making it more suitable for a wider range of hand sizes. The head of the razor is small making it easier to get those hard to get spots. This DE is a mild shaver, making it more forgiving then an HD and some other razors. I wear size large gloves which I would say is average. In my hands this razor just feels less awkward than my HD. So my point is this, if you are new to classic shaving and are thinking of buying your first DE or find your current DE awkward. A Schick Krona would be a very solid choice.

Here is a pic of mine: